My Favorite Things: Oscar Edition

It's been awhile since I've done a 'Favorite Things' post so even though its a couple weeks late, here is my Favorite Things: Oscar edition. 

1. My favorite dress of the evening goes to Amy Adams. I love the soft blue color against her pale skin and red hair. I love the way the bodice fits and I absolutely love the full, feathered skirt.  It's perfect for the event, but could I also see this in white as a wedding dress? Absolutely. 

2. Les Miserables cast performance. If you haven't yet seen this movie, you need to put down the computer right this moment and drive to the theatre. Granted, you're going to want to make sure you've got at least 3 hours to kill and know ahead of time that the entire movie is sung. But with those two things in mind, it was definitely one of the most captivating movies I've seen in a long time. The Oscars focused a lot on the return of the musical and when the cast of Les Mis took the stage and sang, I had goosebumps. 

3. Samantha Barks. Most of you know that for years now I've had a bit of a crush on Keira Knightley. Can't put my finger on it, but something about her off-beat beauty and pouty mouth has always captivated me. But ever since seeing Les Mis, seeing her red carpet interview, and watching her sing with the cast at the Oscars, Samantha Barks, who plays Eponine in Les Mis (and was actually plucked from the London stage where she was playing the same role, to play it in the movie), has grabbed my attention. Apparently I have a thing for abnormally skinny, British women? I never thought I had a big thing for accents, but maybe I was wrong. Here they are side by side. What do you think?

4. Jennifer Lawrence. Who isn't captivated by the Girl on Fire these days? She caught my attention playing Katniss in The Hunger Games but she really impressed me as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook. I had very little expectations walking into that movie, but it was definitely a winner all around. But more than her roles, I love her completely humble and self-depricating personality. I hope she never changes! These are two of my favorite videos from the night: her answering reporters questions after her win and her run-in with Jack Nicholson backstage. 

Love

KayCee

TRUTH.

Favorite Things

I've been MIA from the blog world lately because I've felt a bit daunted when trying to come up with something interesting/entertaining/inspiring to write about. I don't want to get on and babble just for the sake of typing something. But one thing I'm always excited to share with you is my favorite things of the moment. Since I've decided to make this a reoccurring topic, here are my favorite things for June 2012...

Channing Tatum comes as close to physical perfection as any male could hope to come and the fact that he can DANCE just adds to his attractiveness. Well on June 29th we will get 2 whole hours of him dancing and stripping just for our female enjoyment. And if Channing doesn't do enough for you, feel free to also enjoy Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. If you're not sexually frustrated after watching this preview, we may no longer be friends.

This girl, and getting back to the gym. I know, this statement may surprise many of you (the second part of the statement, I mean!) But ever since I've met Tiffany, a fellow nurse on my Neuroscience floor, we've been fast friends. She is constantly smiling, happy, and optimistic which balances out my realism and occasional pessimism. She has become my constant cheerleader and has been a great motivator in terms of gaining control of some parts of my life. As you can see, she's pretty close to physical perfection and will be competing in some national figure fitness competitions this year. Well, we now have a new goal together... since I will be accompanying her to Las Vegas at the end of July to cheer her on at one of her National competitions, we not only have to make sure she's ready to kick some butt, but we have to make sure I'm in shape enough to walk around a Vegas pool in a bathing suit as well! We've got about 8 weeks left and I've actually been excited about getting back in the gym. So far I've been going every day that I'm not at work and doing 30-45 minutes of cardio followed by a good hour of weights/further exercising. Yesterday she took me through a back weight training work out and today its painful to move my arms or shrug my shoulders. But I've missed the burn and I'm excited about toning up and slimming down a little bit over the next two months. Ready to get my confidence back! Want some of Tiffany's advice on getting in shape? She's starting a blog right here on blogspot soon! So stay tuned and I'll advertise the link when she gets it up and running!

Keira Knightley is engaged! I've had a bit of a crush on her for pretty much as long as I can remember...I don't know, I have a thing for quirky, atypical beauty. And I am so happy to hear that she's found some happiness! Her finace, James Righton, of a British rock band the Klaxons, proposed with a 2 carat solitaire diamond on a platinum band. So not only does he have good taste in women...he has good taste in diamonds! I love simple, classic engagement rings. I've always thought a single, beautiful stone with no extra adornments was the way to go. So congrats Keira and James!

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Onto the music front, I believe I have a new favorite song and possibly a new favorite artist. I know I'm a little late to the game in my discovery of Florence and the Machine, but I was actually introduced to her song 'Shake it Out' from an episode of Glee when they did a really cool rendition of it. I searched out the real version of the song and fell in love. Now I'm on a mission to hear more of her music and I hope I love it as much as I love 'Shake it Out.' My favorite music has always been quirky, off-beat, non-mainstream music and I think Florence will fit right in to that. Here's her video for 'Shake it Out':

And finally, my offerings in animal cuteness for the month of June. First we have Donna the 2 year old elephant of England's ZSL Whipsnade Zoo playing soccer:

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And finally, awhile back my sister sent me a link with pictures of dogs that look like Panda bears and I've basically become obsessed. So if anyone is wondering what to get me for my birthday in August... just a thought! :) I've posted a few here, but definitely go to the site and check out the others! The adorableness is pretty out of control.

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Love,

KayCee

Cream colored ponies and fresh apple streudels

I so enjoyed sharing some of my favorite things with you guys a couple weeks ago that I thought I might make it a bit of a regular post. Sort of a tribute to Oprah's Favorite Things but this is going to be KayCee's Favorite Things instead.

First is a song that has been on repeat on my iPod for the last couple weeks: Gotye's "Somebody that I Used to Know" feat Kimbra. I love the offbeat sound, the lyrics, and the tone that Kimbra's voice adds to the song. For once I'm actually grateful that I don't have a recent ex because I don't identify this song with anyone and therefore it won't be ruined by constantly causing someone to pop into my head when I hear it. (I have countless songs that I love but often don't want to listen to because it will bring particular people or situations to mind that I prefer to keep in dark corners of my memory) So here is the video for your enjoyment:

Another of my favorite things lately is planning my upcoming trip to Chicago with my roommate, one of my coworkers, and one of my roommates friends. We will have 4 full days and 3 nights there. I was in Chicago once when I was about 12 but I'm looking forward to experiencing it as an adult. So far we know we're going to a Cubs game, which is super exciting because my dad is a huge Cubs fan so I grew up watching games as a child. I can't wait to be back at Wrigley Field and cheering on the team against the Cincinnati Reds. We're also planning to go to Millennium Park and take pictures next to the big 'bean' and get some authentic Chicago pizza. If anyone has any further ideas of what we should do, I would love to hear them and add them to our list!

Every year I try to treat myself to a new bathing suit. Normally I get them towards the end of the summer while they are on sale and save them for the next year. But this year I broke my rule. First because I cleaned out a lot of my bathing suits during spring cleaning so I thought I deserved a replacement. And second because I've been trying to get in better shape and have officially gotten my first "have you lost weight?" comment so I thought I deserved a reward, haha. The numbers on the scale haven't changed yet but my scrub pants at work have been getting increasing looser so I'm going to call that progress. Now I just can't wait until I'm finally over this cold/flu funk I've had the last two weeks and I can start hitting the gym again. Hopefully I'll start seeing some even better results. But this bathing suit on the left is the one I decided to treat myself to. Whenever I get a new suit I try to pick a color that I don't currently have, so this year green is my go to color. I love the combination of stripes 

and polka dots. Plus I love the removable straps that make this a bandeau top because I despise tan lines so I always try to lay out in strapless tops. Otherwise I end up untying the top of my bathing suit and I'm always scared I'm going to sit up and forget that its untied! But because I don't like going to social outings (pool parties or beach) in strapless tops, I also got a second top in the same green polka dots that is a halter (see right) for more secure control over the girls. Hey, when you've got my curves its something you've always got to consider!

This last favorite thing is just a fun picture I came across yesterday during my daily People Mag Online stalking. Pictures of a baby pygmy hippo from South Africa named Prince Harry. I love pygmy hippos because they always look like they're smiling and are much less scary than their much larger cousins. So please allow Prince Harry to brighten your rainy Saturdays!

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Love,
KayCee

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

The moment I'd been waiting for finally happened at 12:04 am on Friday...the first scene of The Hunger Games appeared on the movie screen. I was in one of 20 sold out showings at my local theatre and my friends were finally admitting to me that I was right for wanting to show up to the theatre 2 hours prior to the show starting. And I have to say...it was all worth it. There was so much they did right and so many scenes were shot to perfection...from the reaping in District 12 to that first fight at the Cornucopia at the beginning of the games, they really brought to life the world that Suzanne Collins wrote about in her trilogy.

HOWEVER, being a true fan of the the novels, I have to lament a few things that I thought were lacking. (Spoilers included below for those who have not read the book or seen the movie!!)

First, this is a fight to the death. Twenty-four teenagers enter a fight for their lives and 22 of them die horribly. I understand that this was a PG-13 movie (and rightfully so since the book is largely aimed at a young adult audience) but I felt as though the violence and deaths were actually glossed over. All of the violent fighting scenes were filmed almost in flashes, with just fast glimpses of what was happening. There is nothing about this that was wrong, but I felt like it cheapened the horror of the experience and, for those who had not read the book, I felt as though the trauma was glossed over. It's not that I wanted or needed more blood or gore, but I wanted to feel the wastefulness of this loss of life more than I did.

Secondly...Rue. The book took such pains to explore Rue's innocence and the world she came from. Her intelligence in foraging through the games and her passion for music. Reading the book, all you wanted to do is wrap this child up in your arms and protect her. I didn't feel as though the movie took enough time establishing Rue's background or why Katniss felt such a kinship with her (she reminded her of Prim). Again, I felt the death was rushed though. And while I was glad it showed Katniss's 'burial' of Rue and her signal to District 11, I missed  the explanation that her burial was supposed to be a slap in the face of the Capitol. Also, when I reread the book a few weeks ago, I got most emotional at the point when District 11 sent Katniss bread to thank her for Rue's tribute. This is where in the books she signals to District 11 and thanks them. So of course I was sad that part was missing. However I will say, I got a little emotional in the movie when it showed the rioting in District 11 after Rue's death and Katniss's gesture, so that made up for it a little for me.

And lastly...Katniss and Peeta's relationship. This is one of the most complicated aspects of the book so of course I was not surprised that I felt too much of it was left out in the movie. I loved their back story in the book...how he purposefully burned bread and risked punishment from his mom just to feed Katniss when they were young. They did a good job showing this in the movie, but I wish they had elaborated more on how desperate she was at the time and how much he risked doing this for her before they even knew each other. Also, until the point where she finds Peeta hurt towards the end of the Games, Katniss does not believe Peeta actually has feelings for her and thinks he's just playing the game and working against her. Finally when she does give in to the fact that his feelings are real, she only returns those feelings as part of strategy at Haymitch's prompting. She does care about him as a friend but she's confused and just trying to make it through the Games alive. Once the Games conclude she tries to take a step back and revert back to just being friends but realizes she has to keep the charade up to basically keep the Capitol from coming after her and Peeta. And when Peeta realizes this he is extremely hurt and angry. I guess after this long paragraph, what I'm basically trying to say is that I felt the movie too easily simplified Katniss and Peeta's relationship and I was sad to also lose the dynamics that almost all of Katniss's motivation in her behavior towards Peeta was intuiting what Haymitch wanted from her. And to oversimplify their relationship, to me, is to cheapen it. 

Honestly, I really did enjoy the movie. The fact that I'm picking on the small details says two things...a) the book was just so good that no movie depiction can actually compare and b) they obviously did most of it right if the main things I find wrong is just not elaborating enough. They hit all the important points, they told the story, and they set up the sequel perfectly. I'm anxious to see it again and see if and how my opinion changes.

Love,
KayCee

A moviegoer dressed as Effie at the Hunger Games premiere

These are a few of my favorite things

I've had lots of little things I've wanted to share with you all lately so I thought why not combine them all into one big post?? So here's some things that have gotten me excited lately:

Books:

Goodreads

I am an avid reader. Have been since practically birth. My mom, sister, and I would walk into our local branch library bi-weekly and everyone there knew us by name. We could spend anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours in there and inevitably I would walk out every time with a stack of books all the way up to my chin that I could barely carry. I'm constantly looking for new books to read and this website has everything I could possibly want. You can rate and review books you've read, read other peoples reviews, track your progress in what you're reading now, and reserve books on your "To Read" bookshelf. You can friend or follow people on there with similar tastes to you and you can research lists of books you might like; my personal favorite is the Paranormal Love Stories list. If you're a reader, do yourself a favor and sign up!

Speaking of books, there's two that I would particularly like to recommend. Awhile back I spoke on this blog about The Hunger Games trilogy and why I am such a fan. Well, there is another dystopian trilogy out there and I wanted to devour it from page one. The book is Divergent by Veronica Roth. The second book in the trilogy is called Insurgent and comes out May 1st and sadly I will have to wait until 2013 for the conclusion. The second recommendation ironically is also the first book in a trilogy, though I was unaware of this until the final pages. It's called A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. The sequel comes out this summer and the last one in this series will also be out in 2013. I urge everyone to click the links below to read the descriptions on Amazon:

Divergent

A Discovery of Witches

Movies:

Speaking of Hunger Games...the movie opens March 23rd! I need to get on this and go get my midnight tickets! Because, yes, I am the girl who buys midnight tickets and then makes sure she is not working the following day. Just being honest. If you have somehow not seen the preview by now, please enjoy below:

In other movie news, there is a new Nicholas Sparks movie coming out soon. If you know me at all, you know that I hate Nicholas Sparks books, however I admit that I normally cannot stay away from any movie based on his books. And when you add in Zac Efron looking sexier than I've possibly ever seen him look before, you've pretty much already sold me a ticket. So please enjoy this trailer for The Lucky One:

Other things:

I am admittedly certifiably obsessed with chapstick and though 95% of the time you will see me carrying around my green LipSmacker's strawberry kiwi flavored chapstick (that I buy in bulk) from room to room, I have discovered a new one that I might just be able to fit into rotation. Maybelline has a new line of tinted chapstick called Baby Lips that has the perfect combination of moisturizers, lip renewal, and color. My personal favorite is Grape Vine, but they're definitely all worth checking out. 

Skinnytaste is another one of my new favorite obsessions. I admit that I may have spent an entire afternoon browsing through and printing out recipes for my weekly cook-something-new movement. They have a ridiculous number of recipes that include everything from soups and salads to crock pot recipes to vegetarian dishes to holiday and seasonal themed meals. This is where I got last week's chicken thighs with artichokes and feta recipe from and it was delicious! And tonight is the night I've been waiting for: I'm officially making my Layered Chicken Mexican Lasagna!

Octavia Spencer wins Best Supporting Actress at last night's Oscars! If you haven't seen The Help, go rent it now! And then one up that and go read it! Because, as always, the book is 10x better than the movie and goes into much greater depth. Octavia plays one of my favorite characters, Minnie, and she so deserved this win. I don't always agree with the Academy's choices, so I'm always happy when at least one of my favorites wins.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their Monday! After only working 1 day in the past 11, I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow and get my RN on!

Love,
KayCee

The smell is in the air

No, I'm not talking about fall. I'm more of a spring/summer girl anyway. But what is in the air is COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!

I've got split loyalties when it comes to college football. I'm a born and raised Nole girl. I bleed garnet and gold. I can't imagine feeling this strongly about any other team. But I also got two degrees at UCF and I'm passionate about my Knights as well. Lucky for me, the two have never played each other so I've never had to choose between the two. And hopefully it will be many many years before that happens. When it does I might just have to wear gold because at least then I could plausibly be supporting either team.

So this morning I ran some errands and went to a bridesmaid dressing fitting and then ran home in time to watch the Florida State season opener. It was home at Doak Campbell so I got to see this guy run out on the field:

Something about Chief Osceola riding out onto the field on Renegade and planting a spear on the 50 yard line just gets my blood pumping. Needless to say it was a great game. We played University of Louisiana at Monroe and shut them out 34-0!! Great way to start the season! One of the best parts was this guy's punt return:

Most teams purposefully kick as far away from Greg Reid as possible because he is the king of punt returns but ULM made the mistake today and regretted greatly. I can't wait for next weeks game! Unfortunately I'm going to miss week 3 when we play #1 Oklahoma but I'll be there in spirit. (We're ranked #5 currently and will be going into the game 2-0 so its going to be an awesome game!)

Unfortunately, the UCF game wasn't broadcast today so I'm currently watching like a good little Knight fan on ESPN's game cast. I'm so proud of my Knights. We're currently kicking Charleston Southern's ass 56-0 with 7 minutes left in the 4th. I definitely need to make it back to cheer for my alum sometime this season.

I'll leave you with the beginning of the UCF chant that I've had stuck in my head all day.

U-C-F charge on to the field...

Backstreets Back -ALRIGHT!!

So I realize that my most recent post was only about an amazing concert that I attended but get ready...because this one is going to be the exact same.

Some background: since the tender age of 11, when I first heard them on the radio I have been obsessed with the Backstreet Boys. CD playing on loop, European import buying, VHS behind the scenes viewing OBSESSED. Unashamedly. Luckily my best friend Alyson has been exactly the same. BSB was actually a significant portion of our bond. We loved the music and the harmonies and discussing how, when we finally met them, Kevin would fall in love with her and Nick would fall in love with me (obviously). In 9th grade we were actually able to get tickets to the Atlanta BSB show but unfortunately our ride fell through at the last minute and we weren't able to go. Finally, in our senior year of high school, Nick Carter was touring for his solo album and came to a small theme park a couple hours outside of Tallahassee. So the morning after our senior prom Alyson and I, along with our friend Megan, woke up early, drove to Valdosta, GA and I finally got to see 1/5 of the Backstreet Boys in person.

Fast forward to 8 years later and BSB is back on tour again and there is no way in hell that Aly and I were missing them this time around, no matter what the cost. And it was worth every penny.

Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shu from Glee) opened the show and did a fantasic job! He sang a number of Glee tunes as well as some songs off his new release. Then was the moment we'd been waiting for: Backstreet Boys (and New Kids on the Block, but they were slightly before my time) hit the stage. I can't even describe the show except it was everything I ever dreamed it would be when I was 13. And I definitely reverted back to my adolescent self with the amount of screaming and jumping up and down that I did. They sang a good number of their most popular hits, some of the most recent ones, and to my absolute delight they even sang a song that was never even released on a US album (but of course Aly and I knew bc we imported everything that wasn't released here). I have to give NKOTB a lot of credit too. I knew their most popular releases but never really counted myself as a huge fan. But they also put on an amazing show! So they may have come out of that concert with a new fan.

Backstreet Boys came together in Orlando, where the concert was taking place, so they threw in a couple extra surprises for their hometown crowd. Most notably they brought in a surprise guest performance: Boyz II Men!! All of my guy friends in high school were obsessed with that old school R&B so I have a special appreciation of B2M and was ecstatic that I got to see them in person. They sang "Motown Philly", "I'll Make Love to You", and "End of the Road." BSB also came out at the end of the concert in Orlando Magic jerseys, while NKOTB came out in their hometown Boston Celtic jerseys.

And yes, just because I know you were wondering, Nick was just as sexy as ever in person.

Here's a few pictures of what has quite possibly been my favorite night of the year so far:

Super excited, waiting for Backstreet to come on!

Boyz II Men!!

Nick was obviously thinking about me at this moment.

Oh yes, we got shirts!

Slacker

I know, I know, its been much longer than it should've been since my last post. And even more importantly, I missed my two-week weight check in. So instead, here's my 18-day check in. I got on the scale this morning and I've lost three pounds, not too shabby! I'm not going to put my measurements up because I know they haven't changed, but I will check them again at the next check-in point. And hopefully my dedication will have improved by then. I've been great about watching what I eat and cutting out some of the extra calories but I haven't quite made significant strides in my work out plan. But I found what seems like a really great, simple work out that I can do at home in Women's Health so I'm going to try to kick that into gear after these next two days at work. But right now, I'm going to be happy with my 3 lbs!

I had the most amazing day last Thursday. To start it off, one of my absolute favorite artists, Kate Voegele, came to Tampa on tour with Natasha Bedingfield so my roommate and I went down to Ybor for the concert. It was in a smallish, standing room only venue which I love because it gives off such a more intimate vibe. We went early and had a few "Pocketful of Sunshines" (the drink special of the day, ha) and then ran to stage as soon as the doors opened. We managed to grab spots right at the stage, in front of the mic. An artist named Andy Grammer opened first. I'd never heard of him before, but he was certainly easy on the eyes and a lot of his stuff was really catchy. Certainly worth a download and another listen. And it was all I could do to keep Meagan from jumping on the stage and on him!

Next was Miss Voegele herself. If her name sounds familiar, she occasionally guest-stars on One Tree Hill and has for a number of years. Thats how I first discovered her years ago but my appreciation for her voice and song-writing ability has grown so much. Her third album came out in May and its amazing. She mostly sang songs off that album but a couple from her previous two. The girl is maybe 5'2" and weighs possibly 90 lbs soaking wet but such a powerful voice comes from that little body!

And finally, the fabulous Natasha Bedingfield took the stage. I've always enjoyed her music (Pocketful of Sunshine has been one of my phone's most used ringtones for the past number of years) but have never given her much thought past what I heard on the radio. I have to admit, she absolutely blew me away in person. Her voice was crazy powerful and she had great stage presence. I'm definitely a fan now!

But the absolute highlight of my night was that after they sang, Andy and Kate came out to meet the fans, take pictures and sign autographs. We went to meet Andy because he was out first and Meagan had to see her 'future husband' up close. Plus, hey, he could be a big deal one day and then we can say we met him way back when! This pic of the three of us actually ended on his facebook page so we're famous! Then Kate came out and I must have elbowed a crowd of people out of the way, haha. Most of the time I'm too nervous to say anything but "great show!" to artists I meet but I actually made an effort to be coherent and got to talk to her for a minute. She was so cute and sweet. I'd stolen her set list off the stage after her set and got her to sign that and her CD. I hope more of the world hears of her soon and begins to appreciate her as much as I do!

And we can't forget the final piece of excitement that night: the final Harry Potter film! We actually had to leave the concert before Natasha's set was over because we wanted to make it back to the theatre a couple hours before the midnight show started to get good seats. And after meeting up with Meagan's coworker and spending the next hour and a half discussing the previous night's So You Think You Can Dance episode, the moment I'd been both waiting for and dreading begun. And it was fabulous. A few minor changes that didn't deviate too far from the books and all of the major highlights we'd been waiting to see ("Not my daughter, you bitch!"). I can't believe its over and now I want to go back and reread the entire series. And rush back to the theatre as soon as possible. Harry has been a part of my life for the last 15 years between the books and the movies...what am I going to do without anything new to look forward to?

I Wanna Do Bad Things to You

Many of you know that I have been a loyal fangbanger (to borrow a term from a certain popular tv show) since before I'd even hit my teen years. Which, is to say, before vampires were the "it" topic and before they ever sparkled in the sun. So it may not surprise you when I admit that I added HBO to my cable line up last week purely to catch the True Blood premiere Sunday night. Unfortunately I have little to no time to write tonight, but for those of you who didn't catch the episode I wanted to share my favorite parts with you. And don't worry, I brought something for everyone...fangbangers and those who's tastes run a little more toward the warm-blooded (though future were-panther) variety.

May I introduce Alexander Skarsgard...

...and Ryan Kwanten.

Sweet dreams ladies :)

So YOU Think You Can Dance

There are many reasons why summer is my favorite season...beach time, my birthday, no school (unfortunately that one no longer applies to me)...but one of the top reasons is that my favorite show is back on tv: So You Think You Can Dance.

Those of you who know me know that I was a dancer for about 12 years at a dance studio in Tallahassee and was on my high schools dance team for 4 years. I was on competition teams for each and was co-captain on dance team my senior year. So I grew up around dance and still can't get enough. I haven't missed one single episode of SYTYCD for 7 (now on its 8th) seasons. The obvious reason is that the dancing ability and level of choreography on the show far surpasses anything else on tv. But another reason I love it is every year I come out of a season with a small handful of unique songs that I would not have discovered anywhere else and that I relate to in very strange, personal ways. Last year was the first year that my favorite song of the season actually became popular and got radio play. Some of you may recognize 'Jar of Hearts' by Christina Perri. Last fall she made a music video for the song and those more astute viewers will recognize SYTYCD alum Alison and Katherine featured in the video. Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Other favorite songs from past season that are worth a download...
The Nicest Thing - Kate Nash
Where I Stood - Missy Higgins
Gravity - Sara Bareilles
The Garden - Mirah
Breathe Me - Sia
Dancing - Elisa

But of course I can't write a post about SYTYCD without showing you some of its best products. So here are (what I consider to be) the top 3 dances from the past 7 seasons.

Chelsea and Mark: Bleeding Love (Lyrical Hip Hop)

Kayla and Kupono: Gravity (Contemporary)
I think its important to understand the "story" behind this one. She is an addict and he represents the drugs/addiction.

Janine and Jason: If it Kills Me (Contemporary)

And a freebee just for fun to show that not everything is so serious and there is lots of fun to be had as well...

Robert and Dominic: Scars (Hip Hop)