Guilty Pleasures: Michael Jackson T Shirt Collection

Hmmm... what to wear, what to wear?

Am I the only one that has a hard time choosing what to wear when I go out to Michael Jackson related-events? I am always wondering what to wear and I guess that's why I have almost 50 Michael Jackson T-Shirts in my collection. Yes, I know, perhaps 49 shirts too many for the everyday person but, not nearly enough for the avid MJ Fan.

What is the one Michael Jackson item you just can't enough of?

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Album Review: Michael Jackson The Stripped Mixes

This CD has been on heavy rotation in my Discman lately....

Just kidding--- it's been on my iPod (haha). But, seriously, I have always been so blown away hearing Michael's voice without the distraction of background music and the tracks on this album are no exception.

Michael Jackson: The Stripped Mixes came out about a month after Michael's untimely passing, on July 28, 2009. I can remember how many different compilations and DVDs and other kinds of merchandise were coming out around this time so, when I first heard that this was being released, I was a bit skeptical. But one Autumn day, I was walking around in an NYC bookstore and heard this playing on the speakers.

The song that blew me away was "Darling Dear" by the Jackson 5. On this version, you only hear Michael's voice. No background vocals or music, besides the string arrangement. Just hearing his voice is perfection! I was never really into this song but, when I heard it on the "Stripped Mixes" I was super impressed. If you are new to the solo MJ music of the Motown era, I would recommend this for you. Although you don't get to really experience the magical harmonies and interactions between the Jackson brothers on this CD, it's totally worth it.

Other songs included on this CD are "I'll Be There" "With A Child's Heart" and "Never Can Say Goodbye" (which I will argue is the best vocal performance on this release.) If you get this CD (which is on sale for less than $10 on amazonright now) only to hear the acapella of "Never Can Say Goodbye"... it'd be worth it. Just trust me on this.



(photo: original mjfangirl.com)

Anyway, this past weekend was President's Day weekend and I did a good deal of MJ related partying! One of my friends told me that I always find the best MJ-esque (is that even a word!?) things to do on the weekends. I will say that I have been getting a lot more adventurous and outgoing lately, mostly to keep my mind clear and free of things that stress me out. Michael Jackson's music has always been a great release for me in that way and I'm sure that a lot of other fans feel the same.

I'll be back later this week to show you photos and fun from my recent outings (and maybe even a new look book!)  Don't forget to like me on Facebook or Follow Me on Twitter!

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Why the death of Whitney Houston hurt this Michael Jackson fan.

I am sorry that I haven't had any really great posts lately the honest truth is... the sudden death of Whitney Houston has had me feeling quite down in the dumps.



(photo: MediaGab.com)

I can't say that I was a mega-fan of Whitney or her music. I've never met her or been to any of her concerts. In fact, the only time I've ever seen her live was at the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary celebration in 2001. At the time, I was most looking forward to seeing the Jackson 5/Jacksons reunited and other artists that performed during that tribute show are simple vague memories in my mind. Sure, I grew up on her music, just like many others in my generation did. I remember women in my family singing along to her songs on the radio, men in my family talking about how pretty she was, and hey- I even remember watching Waiting to Exhale as a young girl and wishing that I had a group of girlfriends and a beautiful, slender frame- just like hers.

Whitney Houston and her music were never a part of my daily life. But it was there for me when it mattered. When I have my feel-good R&B jam sessions in my room, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" is always on the playlist, when the holidays roll around, you can bet that her soulful rendition of "Joy to the World" can be heard somewhere, and when I fell in love for the first time, "All The Man That I Need" was my anthem. I've always had 20 or 25 Whitney tracks on my iPod at all times. Her music was so powerful and she sang the pages from my book of emotion. She was brilliant.

My fandom never went past that.

So why did her sudden death hurt me so badly?

It could be the parallels between the life and death experiences of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. I'm not sure though. I'm still trying to figure it out. I feel less stunned and the news is settling in, as the days pass by. Although, I have an understanding of what MJ fans might consider "bandwagon fans" felt after his death in 2009. Artists like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson are ingrained into popular culture and woven into the very fabric of who each and every one of us are.

For me, Michael makes up the majority of my patchwork. And sure, when we lost MJ, it was one of the worst times in my life. Michael Jackson and being an MJ fan was my everything. Whitney may have been just some delicate needlework here and there but...  her death broke a thread that will forever remain unraveled.

And with that, I give my gratitude to Whitney Houston and every artist like her who we've lost. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world and enriching our lives. Thank you.

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Happy Valentine's Day 2012.

I hope everyone has an amazing holdiay today.

I am not super into Valentine's Day but, I do believe in recoginizing and celebrating love!

Of course, I am in a long distance relationship so I won't be going out to dinner or spending a night with my love but, I will definetely be feeling the romance in the air.

Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day? Tweet Me!

Treating yourself? Check out my list of Top Picks for MJ Fans.

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Rest in Peace, Whitney Houston

"If I should die this very day
Don't cry, 'cause on Earth we weren't meant to stay
& no matter what the people say
I'll be waiting for you after the judgment day"

- My Love Is Your Love Whitney Houston

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Prince vs. Michael Party.

Hey everyone!

My work week has come to a close! We had some hectic days but, I have been really gaining a better sense of work/life balance lately. A lot of that has to do with sleeping longer at nights, doing a lot more slow, relaxing things to help me wind down and reach a restful state, and of course, planning out/scheduling fun events during my evenings and weekends to look forward to (including updating MJFanGirl!) I actually fell asleep before midnight two nights this week and I attribute my good mood today to all the rest I got!

As I told you earlier this week, I planned to go to this Prince Vs. Michael dance party in NYC this Friday night. The last Prince Vs. MJ party I went to was a Keistar Production and DJ Spinna was on the wheels of steel. DJ Spinna has the most amazing MJ sets and whenever he has an event in NYC that is MJ related, I try my darndest to be there. When it comes to Prince vs. Michael though... To be honest, I do not have the best time in between MJ songs.

I can say that its because I am so knowledgeable when it comes to Michael's music and totally in the dark when it comes to Prince. I know about 15 of his songs very well, which isn't saying much when he's got hundreds of songs under his belt. Anyway... back to last night.

When it comes to what I wore, I wanted to keep my outfit simple but still wanted to represent Michael in a creative and stylish way. I decided to put my CTE shirt on!

What I'm Wearing

CTE Shirt, eBAY

White Tee, Forever 21

Black Jeans, GAP

Motorcycle Boots, Nine West (old but here are some similar ones)

I didn't have a chance to take many pictures but, I did manage to get a nice close up of my CTE shirt. The shirt was modeled after this one:

So my review of this party will be short and sweet. I only stayed for 3 hours or so because it was a bit of a trip away from my house and I didn't wanna stay out too too late. I went with a huge group of my MJ fan friends, most of whom I met through Legacy Of Love: MJ Fans United NYC. It was a lot of fun when Michael came on because the crowd went wild and sang along in their loudest voices. I felt that the DJ played more Prince than MJ... making it a totally unfair fight. BUT,  I will say that if I was in charge, I might be guilty of playing more awesome Michael than Prince songs. (What can I say? I'm loyal to the King.) All in all though, beggars can't be choosers though and when it comes down to it, I have lots of respect for anyone paying tribute to Michael's legend.

Have you guys ever been to a Prince Vs. Michael party?

What do you think about the concept of it?

Talk to me on Twitter! If you were there last night, tell me what you thought!

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Michael Jackson Lookbook: Off The Wall Era at DisneyLand

This outfit was inspired by:

(photo: elusiveshadow)

Books I'm Reading Right Now

MoonwalkBy Michael Jackson (re-reading!)

I Will Teach You To Be Rich By Ramit Sethi

Women Don't Ask By Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever

Totally inspired by the wholesome, preppy, and absolutely-work appropriate outfit that Michael wore to Disneyland during the Off The Wall era. Michael did so many of these sweater/collared button-layered looks and to be honest, this style has been a staple of mine at work all winter. Since it is warming up here though, I decided that it was okay to break out the coral sweater (one of the colors I am going wild over for this Spring.) Most of my spring wardrobe will be cenetered around baby pinks, mint greens, creams, light grays, and my favorite... light denim! 

I actually wore this to work today but, took photos of this outfit earlier this week (when I was able to take some time out of my day at a decent hour to catch some sunlight).

Work has been really hectic for me because it is my first time actually doing the event execution (from start to finish) on my company's debut at one of the biggest beauty events here in NYC. Very excited, especially since my dream career is to run my own event planning business. Someday I know I will be able to plan these types of things without any major headaches but, for now, I am kind of (notice I said, kind-of) enjoying the organizing, reading and reviewing, negotiating with vendors and such. I am very business minded and I truly enjoy the challenge that I am now experiencing at work every day.

Anyway, am I the only one that is very excited for the Spring to come? I can't wait to start taking shots of more creative MJ-inspired Lookbooks. I hope you guys enjoyed my Disneyland Lookbook today. If you enjoy my blog posts...

Don't forget to LIKE ME on Facebook and FOLLOW ME on Twitter!

& until next time...

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Valentine's Day Top 5 Picks for MJ Fan Girls

(photo: random tumblr.)

I am a simple girl when it comes to V-Day to be honest. Just a card  (I love cards!) and a small token of love is enough for me. I think that I speak for all MJ Fan Girls when I say though, that Michael Jackson gifts are always well received and appreciated- am I right?

Here is a list of my Top Picks 5 for Michael Jackson Fan Girls (both single and taken!) on this Valentine's Day.  We are only 7 days away from the big day, so feel free to share this post with other Michael Jackson fans (or your significant other to give them a hint *wink wink*)!

1. Tom Ford Black Orchid
This is my first pick because as I am sure many of you fan girls already know, this was one of Michael's favorite colognes. I have personally smelled it and it certainly is dreamy! I know that I am not the only one who has ever daydreamed about what Michael might have smelled like. I never got the chance to meet him but, I have heard from other fan friends that he smelled amazing. :-) For those of you who are MJ Fan Girls looking for gifts for significant others... I love Ralph Lauren's Romance for Women and D&G's The One for Men.



2. Michael Jackson Magnetic Journal
You may remember my post about Michael Jackson stationary a few weeks back, this book was featured. This is a fully functional Michael Jackson notebook with a magnetic snap closure. Very appropriate to use as a diary, note-taking book, or even great for some classes that don't require you to rip pages out. I highly recommend this as a very affordable and practical present.



3. Michael Jackson Love Songs
All of these songs are performed by a younger Michael. With a live performance of "Maybe Tomorrow" (a version that I haven't found on any other CDs) and ranging from sappy love songs like "Got to Be There" to soulful break-up songs like "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" to "We're Almost There" (a song about never giving up on love/life), this is the perfect album for those who want to Michael really sing about all of the ups and downs of love.
MJFanGirl's Top Songs: "One Day In Your Life" & "Maybe Tomorrow"



4. Tickets to The Immortal World Tour
I have not personally seen this but, I have heard that this tribute is beautiful. To be honest, I've always heard about the high caliber entertainment and awesome talent at every Cirque Du Soleil show but, what's not to love about a show in tribute to Michael? Check the Official Website to find out when the show will be in your area!



5. L.O.V.E.
A wise man once said...

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with." - Michael Jackson

Love is the most important and sacred gift that you could give to a loved one on Valentine's Day... and every other day in between.

Did I miss anything that you would have loved to recieve as a gift on Valentine's Day?

Have you ever recieved an MJ-Themed gift for Valentine's Day?

Let me know in the comments below or leave it on the MJ Fan Girl Facebook!

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Michael Jackson Lookbook: Darryl from BAD

Hi everyone!

Although we had some warmer days during the week, it quickly froze up again here in NYC.

I didn't have too many special things planned for the weekend but, I did end up going out with a friend to get a new Kindle earlier this morning.  (I am a Kindle addict!--

I should do a post about how awesome the Kindle is in the future, note to self).

I decided to spruce up a normal hoodie and skinny jeans look and add my peacoat on top of it. This look is not only city chic, it is direcly channeling the character "Darryl" that Michael plays in the BAD video. If you have never seen the long version of the BAD music video, I highly recommend that you check it out. You can see it on YouTube or get the actual full version on the Michael Jackson's Vision DVD set (my fave!). The first time I saw it, I was really intrigued by the story (and of course, by how gorgeous Michael is!)

 The Look

Coat-Via Spiga

Jeans- GAP

Boots- Naturalizer

Sweater- Abercrombie & Fitch

Glasses- Tortoise Shell, homeboy.

I am usually a jeans and sneakers kinda girl on the weekends, especially going to the mall. But, ever since I got these shoes from Naturalizer, I cannot stop wearing them! They aren't super high and they are comfy enough to wear all day (even walking down long city blocks and up and down the subway stairs.)

I was so burned out this past week at work and I know that I have lots more busy days ahead of me.

Hopefully I will find some time to show you guys some of the cool new MJ items that I snagged on eBay a little while ago later next week.

For those of you who are new to MFG, check out my first Lookbook, inspired by Captain EO! Stay tuned here at MJFanGirl for more merchandise reviews, Michael Jackson inspired Lookbooks, song reviews, and MORE!

 Do you have any suggestions for Michael Jackson videos or moments that you want me to feature on Lookbook?

PS: Please don't forget to follow me on Twitter or Like Me on Facebook!

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"Don't Let It Get You Down" and this week in photos.

Hello everyone,

My work week has been super busy but, I wanted to come over and write an update on some of what's been going on with me lately. I think if I had to choose a theme song to describe my life over the past few days it would be "Don't Let It Get You Down" (found on the Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection album). To be honest, I have had a lot of emotions and a lot of ups and downs and decisions to make. I almost let ME get the best of me but, I am definitely feeling better and am looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend.

Here are a few photo reflections from my week of ups and downs.

Snow tubing over the weekend. Photos were taken in Instagram!

I've been listening to this album all week. Something about listen to Michael's live performing voice is so therapeutic for me.

Yummy Salmon meal that I made one night after work. And a bento box from a Japanese resturant in Chelsea.

It is still pretty cold here in New York city so, I have been staying bundled up. I seriously cannot wait until Spring and all of the great fashion that comes along with it. Cannot wait to wear my baby pinks, mint greens, and light denim.

On my agenda this weekend, working on some really exciting Michael Jackson related projects that I will be letting you all know about soon. Also, I will be playing around with some of my cute MJ looks because there is a big Michael Jackon vs. Prince party here in NYC on February 10th. I personally have never understood the whole Prince versus MJ phenomenon, especially since Michael's career was so much longer and his music cataologue, so much more diverse. I must say though, that I really do enjoy these parties and any excuse to get together with Michael Jackson friends is okay with me!

If you are in the New York City and would like to attend with fellow fans, check out the

 NYC Meetup Group: Legacy of Love MJ Fans United.

Are any of you guys going to that?

What will you be wearing?

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Michael Jackson on GLEE - an MJ Fan's Review

I know that I am not the only Michael Jackson fan who turned into the GLEE tribute episode last night.

This was my second time ever seeing GLEE. (The first time, was when they performed Thriller last season). For the most part, I really enjoyed the show. I personally am super proud during moments like these, when maistream media recognizes and takes time out to do a tribute to Michael. I feel so happy to know that so many other viewers out there got to understand the awesomeness that is the King of Pop!

(idolator)

Anyway, here is my rundown of the show last night:

• Wanna Be Startin Something- The opening was fun and exciting! I loved all of the costume tributes. If you are like me, you couldn't help yourself and had already seen this sneak peek on YouTube or on the GLEE website.

• BAD- The choregography was interesting! It was very reminiscent of the BAD music video but, in a dark parking lot, instead of one with high beam lighting (haha!).

• Scream- Okay I must say that this is totally unexpected! This was my first time ever seeing the Scream video being the subject of any type of parody. Very cool! I love the robotoic dance movements done by the guy playing Michael's role... but, yet again, this just reminds me of how AWESOMELY innovative Michael Jackson has been throughout his career. GREAT JOB on this one GLEE!

• Never Can Say Goodbye- I love how this was tied into the storyline. The actress that performed this had a beautiful voice and captured the innocence while also capturing the depth in Michael's voice.

• Human Nature- One of my favorite songs. Of ALL time. Human Nature was played on the guitar and performed as a duet here. I personally loved this but, was I the only one who had a memorial flashback? I have to say that hearing this made me start missing Michael. The two actors here really performed the songs quite well and I feel like Michael would have loved it. (Did you guys get that feeling too?)

• Ben- This was actually the first time I have EVER heard Ben sung by anyone other than Michael Jackson! What was interesting for me, was the layers of the vocals of all 3 who performed it. It actually translated pretty well to a group performance.

• Smooth Criminal- WHOA! Dueling Cellists! A boy/girl duet! SMOOTH CRIMINAL! The dance break right before the climax was really cool. I think the highlight of this song for me, was how the ad-libs were paid tribute to. The Smooth Criminal adlibs always stand out in my mind because of the raw emotion and I definetely felt that the actress understood and made that a strong point in her performance as well.

• I Just Can't Stop Loving You- Another song I've never heard anyone sing (other than Michael). How sweet..... a proposal! *AHHHHHHHHHHH!* I would love a moment like this, how romantic. P.S. BONUS- they nailed the adlibs as well!

• Black or White- Fun stage performance. Face Morphing Special Effects. A Choir. Enough Said.

Honorable Mentions- Workin Day and Night background music. Lots and lots of mentions about the Cirque Du Soleil Immortal Tour... (I can't wait to see it-- still haven't been able to snag my tickets!)

If you really enjoyed the show, check out Glee: The Complete Third Season!

Overall, I thought this was a well done (and well deserved) tribute!

Did I miss out on your favorite moment?

Are you now officially a GLEEK or did you not enjoy the show as much as I did?

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