Jeff Bridges has long been one of my favorite actors and style icons and it seems to me that he gets better looking every year. He’s now developed into a Kris Kristofferson kind of look which suits him and Kris perfectly.

When I recently watched the movie Crazy Heart I was so impressed with his acting skills that half way through the movie I knew he was going to win the Oscar. He nailed the part perfectly I actually thought he should have won the Oscar for The Big Lebowski but the movie was kind of odd and not really an Oscar favorite. However, was fantastic as “the dude”.

His newest movie about to be released is True Grit and after seeing the trailer I’m looking forward to it. I find it interesting that he’s playing a John Wayne character and that I can think of only a few actors who could play this role. The other interesting thing is that True Grit is a Coen Brothers movie which also stars Josh Brolin.

The Coen Brothers make incredible movies and it seems that actors would work for free just to say they’ve been in one. They also stick with what works when it comes to actors and when Josh Brolin played the cowboy in No Country for Old Men I was impressed with Brolin’s performance as well as Javier Bardem’s vicious character and so were the Coen Brothers. Bardem was one scary guy and those eyes haunted me for days. That was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time and the acting was outstanding.

I’m interested in Jeff Bridges because we were talking about style the other day and it always appears that movie stars seem to be the first named when it comes to style for both men and women. I guess it makes sense but many non famous people have style and you probably see them anonymously every day. I look at what style probably the same way you do at first and I think that everything about Jeff Bridges is stylish. Look at the above picture. He looks fantastic and he’s handsome in a rugged masculine way. Great hair and. of course, leading man movie star looks. He would probably look fantastic mowing the lawn. In this picture he also looks like he should be running for office somewhere but he pulls it off nicely.

True Grit comes out December 22, and if anyone see’s the movie before I do, post a comment here and tell me what you thnk.

Jill

All of us at Arrowsmith Shoes want to wish you and your family and friends a happy Thanksgiving and in doing so you can enjoy a 15% discount on all shoes and boots when you use “thank15″ at checkout. This offer is good through Monday, November 29th.

Thanksgiving Day was voted one of the best holidays by us designers and techno geeks in the creative department of Arrowsmith Shoes and we devoted many hours these past few days of drawing turkeys and other crazy creatures on the white board for marketing ideas and promotions. I’m not really sure why because I don’t think we used any of the ideas we created but it’s fun and everyone is in a festive mood.

I’m the only one here now as everyone is gone for the weekend and there is still a lot of work to do. I’m most envious of Craig as he left early this morning for his family cabin in northern Wisconsin for an old fashioned family Thanksgiving. I’ve seen the pictures of the cabin and the lot it sits on and although it’s rustic the place is remote and beautiful! Wow! They did a fantastic job fixing it up over the years. As of this writing he’s already there and I’ll bet they have a roaring fire going in that big stone fireplace right now.

I don’t have to travel far and our entire family is together this year for Thanksgiving. I can hardly wait.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Jil

Hi Guys! It’s that time of year again where every man I know struggles with that big problem: what to give that special woman in their lives for Christmas. I have compiled a short list of ideas for you that are sure to be a hit on Christmas morning. I have asked a small group of women of various ages for honest answers so this is a random poll for you to use and take advantage of.

1: Spa treatment – $$$$ This was at the top of the list when given the list of choices. This is a special gift that every woman loves! Trust me on this. If you give a weekend get-a-way at a spa you will have given a gift that will last for a very long time in the memory bank. Women love to be pampered, it’s as simple as that. They love to get-a-way and we love that you care ahout what we like. Not only that, this would be a surprise and women loved to be surprised. If you’re in the Chicago area I highly recommend Sundara Spa in Wisconsin which would be simply amazing and it’s only a three hour drive away. The nice thing about this is that you’re pretty well covered in the gift area and this would be fantastic. You could pick up little things that are related to the weekend and both of you would enjoy this immensely. Check out the site! Even the music playing on the website is relaxing.

2. Jewelry – $$$ Every women loves jewelry but each women polled gave a different answer as to what kind of jewelry so the jewelry gift is going to require some work on your part. Chances are a beautiful watch or some diamond earrings would be a great idea. However, every women Iasked said that this gift can be pricey and only works if you really need a watch. Some of the watches the gals liked were a $1,000 to $2,000. The Spa gift idea is still #1.

3. Tickets to the theatre – $$ If there’s a play in town and that you can surprise her with great seats and a night on the town I would highly recomment this as a gift idea. What women doesn’t love the theatre! I also recommend Wicked as a play to go to. Think about this, dinner at her favrotie restaurant and drinks after the show. . . ! Tough to beat this for cost and enjoyment. Keep in mind that women love the entire event surrounding the theatre. Getting dressed to go out is fun for us. The bath, the champagne, the outfit, the entire experience is a great feeling. Plus, having a man who enjoys the theatre is a big turn on.

These are three great gift ideas that will take the stress out of what to get that special women in your life if you struggle with Christmas morning. Picking up bath lotions and anything personal as little openers are great and then the big gift makes Christmas morning fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jill

The All You Need Is Love butterfly painting by artist Damien Hirst which incidentally sold for $2.42 million at auction is now being plastered all over a Chuck Taylor All Star High Top tenny shoe.

You can buy this little keepsake for $100.00 at Converse.com and it will be available on November 15th.

It seems to me that Converse is trying to take some market share away from Ed Hardy. Good luck! Hardy is now everywhere and they even design home furnishings. Hmmm!

Jill

Hi everyone! I’m new to the site and part of my training is to write about topics that interest me with the hope that they interest you as well. I’m a graphic designer by trade and a fashion nut by hobby and one of the most exciting things I get to do for this job is go to fashion shows and then the after party. Later on of course I have to write about it so I secretly take notes on my iPhone and while I’m doing that it looks like I’m sending an email or a text. It’s actually pretty sneaky.

Gucci is one behemoth of a fashion brand and although I didn’t actually get to go to this show I found it on YouTube for you to enjoy. I love everything Gucci! Men’s and women’s Gucci and if my boyfriend is out there reading this I’ll give you a hint regarding the perfect Christmas present. That Gucci watch we both saw in the window the other day. Remember? As a reminder for any of the guys out there if you are clueless about what to get your wife or girlfriend for Christmas, a watch is an excellent gift idea.

Gucci shows us in this video why they are where they are in the fashion world. At the top. Style and a fashion sense similar to an artist creating wonderful pieces of clothing to make you feel one of a kind. The other interesting thing about Gucci is that they’re know for more than just clothing. They have large product lines in watches, shoes, brief cases, ties and a wide assortment of accessories and even home products. Gucci is another word for excellence similar to Armani and Prada.

So watch the video and leave a comment if you like.

Jill