Category Archives: Stuff I Like

Not Shallow: The Podcast

Not Shallow: The Podcast is on its way!

That’s right, there is a podcast in the works – the first episode will be unveiled this week.

It’s everything you didn’t know you wanted, all that your ears have ever needed.

Dogs everywhere are excited. Not that it has anything to do with dogs, per se, it’s just that dogs are, in general, very excitable. Which is nice.

Library Lovers Unite!

Unlike health care, no one ever complains about socialism when it comes to the library. Everybody loves the library. Where else can you hang out all day long without having to buy a vanilla latte and a chocolate-covered graham cracker?

Medieval girl loves free stuff!And it’s all free! All of it: whatever you want to take, take it, check it out! Yeah, you gotta bring it back, but by then your big idea to do the exercises in Shape-Up Shortcuts is played out anyway and you want to get that book that might supposedly explain wtf was up with that movie The Room.

My History At the Library

I progressed from picture books and story hour to checking out enormous stacks of books. Sixteen books at once was pretty much my speed. When we weren’t at the library my sister and I often set up our own library at home and took turns being “patron” and “librarian,” using a flashlight to check out books.

I became obsessed with books about whales. Then I became obsessed with a particular biography of Hitler, which I checked out seven times, probably baffled that it wasn’t fiction. From there the world cracked open: Anne Frank, Judy Blume, books of dirty cartoons, the mafia, the Impressionists, children who solved mysteries…

The library was a safe place and a refuge. I made my first phone call to a boy at the public library (first call that was not a prank), calling up some guy I thought was hot, although now I really only remember that he had brown hair, and asking him to homecoming even though I’d never had a date to anywhere, not even a study date at the library. He had a friend over and they both got on the line, making fun of me for calling, crushing me.

I so didn’t get how things worked in a small-to-medium-sized city in Wisconsin in the late 80’s.

Most likely I retreated to the aisle where the dirty cartoon books were. Half of the cartoons I didn’t get, a quarter of them were ripped out of the book by some pervert and the other ones were not funny. But that didn’t stop me from looking.

By junior high I had long-since ditched the children’s section and even most of the teen fare, preferring to spend my time in the adult fiction aisles. My mom had to give permission for me to go into the adult section. I guess maybe they were worried that I’d stumble upon The Clan of the Cave Bear or something.

In college I spent a lot of time hiding at the library. I wouldn’t do much studying. Mostly I dragged the enormous reference books that listed other colleges into a study carrel and tried to plot my escape. Or I looked at listings for international cooking schools.

Once, I persuaded a boyfriend to help  me steal a book I thought was important – The Decade of Women: A Ms. Book, edited by Gloria Steinem. I guess my Women’s Studies classes inspired a life of crime instead of fighting for social justice.

We had getaway bikes and everything, which we jumped on just as the alarm went off and pedaled for our lives. Then I did something stupid and cut pictures out of the book for the purpose of a womyn-centered collage.

I still have the book, holes and all. It’s sitting on my shelf:

Photo of books including Decade of Women a Ms Book

I would never steal from the library now. That is literally one of the dumbest things a person could do – steal from the library, where all the information is free. All you have to do is slide your card and you’ve got five vegan cookbooks and a novel about a family that fights all the time. Just bring them back in a reasonable amount of time, like after you’ve renewed them 4 times and kept them two weeks past the due date…

But no one asks you where the hell it is. They don’t call you up and say, “Are you ever bringing that book about the Gabors back? Huh? Are you? You are not even reading it.” But the cover is rad…

photo of the Gabor sisters

Today, I’m a Friend of the Hennepin County Library (my neighborhood library is Washburn in south Minneapolis. Represent!) which means that I pay a membership fee in the hope that they can put that money to use buying more stuff for us all to feast our eyes on. Or whatever they need to do with it – clean the bathrooms? I don’t care!

Today HCL is participating in Give To the Max Day, a 24-hour fundraiser for Minnesota nonprofits. I don’t know about you, but I want the library to have millions of dollars for books and programs – who knows, if we all give a little bit maybe more Minneapolis libraries can be open on Sundays. Education is what’s going to change the world. Plus, People magazine for free, yo.

Want to learn more about HCL and Give to the Max? Please go here and DONATE. Because where else am I going to spend three hours on a winter afternoon reading about the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871?

Xciting Xmas Gift Guide… Er… No… Something Better

I was going to come out with Part IV of my Xciting Xmas Gift Guide but today I decided no, I will not. It’s every human for themselves when it comes to gift decisions and procurement at this stage of the game – there are so many gift guides, sales, promotions, stores, etc., that surely people can manage to find something.

When in doubt, make a donation in someone’s name to the Human Fund. Done and done.

So let’s talk about Family Feud instead.

Richard Dawson hosting the game show Family Feud.

The other night I was cycling through my limited TV channel options (no cable) and I saw Steve Harvey hosting Family Feud. They finally got around to a black host! He seems to do an OK job for a game show host, although he’s not off the Danger List yet because of his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment, which reduces women and men to easy cliches who all want, think, need the same things. Actually, I might make my book club read this.

The Family Feud moment I caught was Steve complaining about his wife scolding him for peeing on the toilet seat (clearly, in complaining about this, she was not thinking like a man). She admonished him with this rhyme:

“If you sprinkle while you tinkle, be a sweetie and lift the seatie.”

High hilarity, that. I think I saw that  on a dusty cross-stitch at a thrift store the other day.

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. How many hosts has this show had? It seems like 20 but the actual answer is six. Let’s start at the beginning of the Family Feud timeline with the host I grew up with (and will forever judge all other hosts against): Richard Dawson.

The King: Richard Dawson, 1975-1985 & 1994-1995

Richard Dawson was the coolest host of Family Feud ever.Richard Dawson is a Brit with a melodious voice and the wearer of sweet haircuts that rivals those of early 00’s George Clooney. You may, if you are old(ish) or just really into TV, recall that he was on Hogan’s Heroes, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and a year of The New Dick Van Dyke Show.

Question: Could someone with the last name Van Dyke make it in showbiz today?

Why was Dawson the best host of the Feud? Because he always seemed tipsy, jonesing for a smoke and completely uninterested in who actually won the game, preferring instead to concentrate on his real hobby: kissing the female contestants. When I was a girl watching Family Feud, I tried to imagine what Richard would smell like when he came in for the smooch – cigarettes, expensive cologne and maybe a bit like pastrami on rye.

Here is a round-up of the best things about him:

1. He ran away from home to join the Merchant Marine.
2. His early stage name was Dickie Dawson.
3. His first marriage was to a British sex symbol, back when people still said things like “sex symbol.”
4. In 1967, Dawson released a psychedelic 45 record – just two songs – and then never released any more music.
5. At one point he was on a show called Masquerade Party that also featured Nipsey Russell. Do you know Nipsey? He’s rad.
6. His love of kissing the ladies on Family Feud earned him the nickname The Kissing Bandit. I don’t believe any lawsuits were ever filed against him. It was a simpler, less litigious, time.
7. “On Dawson’s first show (on Feud) upon his return (1994)  he received a 25-second standing ovation when he walked on set.” Seriously. They timed that shit.

Dark Legacy: Ray Combs, 1988-1994

Ray Combs was the second host of Family Feud.Combs was a comedian who quit his job as a furniture salesperson in Ohio to move to Hollywood with his family and make it. He found work doing audience warm-ups for shows like The Golden Girls and Amen. He appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and got roles on sitcoms… he was a hard worker. Finally, he got the regular gig hosting the Family Feud reboot. However, by 1993 the rating for the show were on such a slide that the network decided to bring Dawson back in order to save the show and Combs was fired.

Can I just share with you this awesome anecdote about this?

“The taping of his final episode aired in first-run syndication on May 27, 1994. During the “Fast Money” bonus round, the five answers given by the second contestant each netted zero points. Ray joked, “You know, I’ve done this show for six years and this [is] the first time I had a person that actually got no points and I think it’s a damn fine way to go out. Thought I was a loser until you walked up here. You made me look like a man.” Then, instead of mingling with the two competing families at the end of the show, Combs walked off the set immediately after his sign-off.”

Here’s where it takes a dark turn: Combs never really recovered after the Feud. He had a car accident that messed up his spine, he had some comedy clubs that failed, he got divorced and he lost his house in Ohio. He became suicidal, was admitted to a psych ward for 72-hour observation but managed to kill himself by hanging himself in his closet with bed sheets.

Wow. Sorry for the downer. I’m going to take a short break.

The Caustic Clown: Louie Anderson, 1999-2002

Louie Anderson hosted Family Feud for several years.We all know Louie. Well, we do here in Minnesota because he’s from Minneapolis and we cling to our few celebrities here pretty tightly. See, we’re funny! We’re talented! Home to Louie Anderson and don’t forget those Coen Bros.

Louie is a stand-up comedian who had some runs at shows of his own – an animated series for Fox and then The Louie Show for CBS, which aired 6 times. But kudos to Louie for portraying someone from Duluth on national TV.

What stands out about Louie’s tenure on the Feud is contentiousness. First, he beat out Dolly Parton for the position and I think we as a nation would have benefited from a Dolly Parton-hosted Family Feud, so thanks, Louie, for robbing us of this opportunity. Next, he asked Richard Dawson to come on the show for the first episode and kind of, lay hands on him, or crown him as the new king  but Dawson refused.

Well-played, Dawson.

Finally, Louie got the boot and was replaced by Home Improvement star Richard Karn (yeah, that other guy from Home Improvement). On his way out, Louie said the show would not last, could not possibly go on without him, for more than a season. It did, and of course it would, because that’s life, Louie. Everyone is replaceable.

That Guy From Home Improvement: Richard Karn, 2002-2006

Richard Karn hosting Family Feud.Maybe the coolest thing about Richard Karn is that he found out about the casting call for Home Improvement while at traffic school for a ticket he received. This seems to be right up there with sitting at the soda fountain at the drug store and being discovered by an agent. We do like our Hollywood Lore, after all.

He was a guest star on the pilot episode of the show and then became a regular.

And that about sums up the coolness factor of Richard Karn. After he was replaced on Feud, he went on to host a game show called Bingo America.

I think our examination of Karn is complete.

J. Peterman 4-Evah: John O’Hurley, 2006-2010

John O'Hurley hosting Family Feud.No matter what crappy show John O’Hurley might show up on for the rest of his professional life, he gets a pass because he played J. Peterman on Seinfeld. For example, he could host Bingo America and be known as The Beloved Host of Bingo America. In fact, I can do better than that and give you a real-life example – he was on Dancing With the Stars but that shit rolls right off him, like hurling turds at a Teflon wall.

But what really gives this guy cred is his love of dogs. Dude loves dogs and hosts The National Dog Show on Thanksgiving every year.

Also, in 2001 he financed the relaunch of the real J. Peterman Company and became part owner. How much does that kick ass? Go take a look at their clothing  here and pick up something for that upcoming safari.

Pretender To the Throne: Steve Harvey, 2010-present

Steve Harvey hosting Family Feud.I tried to like Steve Harvey at one point in my life, specifically after seeing the movie The Original Kings of Comedy. He’s a stand-up comedian and he can command a stage, which is really what the Feud needs. It needs to be led, damn it!  But after reading the following, I can’t throw  my full weight behind Steve, although I’d rather wish him luck as the host of Family Feud than, say, U.S. Senator or even a science teacher.

From Wikipedia:

On March 27, 2009, Harvey appeared on an episode of  The Tyra Show with Tyra Banks to promote his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. During the course of the interview, Harvey advised that women should not date atheists, saying: ‘You sitting up there talking to a dude and he tells you he’s an atheist, you need to pack it up and go home. You talking to a person who don’t believe in God . . . what’s his moral barometer? Where’s it at? It’s nowhere.’

Later that year, on May 30, Harvey appeared on an episode of Larry King Live guest hosted by Joy Behar.  During that interview, Harvey reiterated his assertion that women should not date atheists, who he claimed have “no moral barometer.”  Harvey stated that he refuses to speak to anyone claiming to be an atheist, who he said are “idiot(s)”. Harvey went on to suggest that modern astrophysics and evolutionary biology are without merit.”

This is the kind of jack-assery that Richard Dawson would never have engaged in. Instead, he would have had a belt of whiskey, a smoke and asked the show’s producer if there were any foxes on the show that day.

Long Live The Family Feud King.

Richard Dawson, the best host Family Feud ever had.

 

Charlene Tilton Week: Day 6

Just when you think that maybe you’re getting tired of Charlene, something like this comes up:

charlene made in usa

Charlene Fun Fact O’ The Day: Charlene was married to country singer Johnny Lee from 1982 to 1984. I thought I’d never heard of Johnny Lee, so I went out on a search. And it turns out I sure as shit do know who Johnny Lee is! This song used to play on the radio when my dad drove my sister and me to Wednesday night CCD class in his pick-up. For those of you who aren’t Catholic, that’s a class where public school kids are indoctrinated into the Catholic faith, in the evenings, after being at school all day. You can imagine how excited we were to go!

Anyway, watch this and see if you, too, remember Johnny Lee:

Johnny had love with Charlene for two years and they had a daughter, but then he was adrift again, looking for love in all the wrong places.

Ranking The Hits of Duran Duran

DD DecadeOn a recent afternoon I pulled out my copy of Duran Duran’s Decade, their collection of mega-hits from the 80s. I don’t think DD gets its due when it comes to discussing the hit makers of the 80s – some even described them as a “throw-away pop group.” Shudder. What other band so perfectly exemplifies the 80s use of heavy synth, nonsense lyrics and sex appeal? NOT Def Leppard, that’s for sure. If I were to order the songs on this disc into my perfect DD Queue Of Good Times, it would go like this:

1. Rio – my favorite DD song, hands down. I recently put it on a playlist that I will listen to while I fly to NYC. “Dancing on the sand” is such an 80s, Eurotrash thing to do. I love it. I wish I could say it was one of my hobbies on Facebook. I also hope that at some point in my life someone comes up to me and says, “I’ve seen you on the beach and I’ve seen you on TV.” The best DD beats. If you played “Rio” in a club today, people would still get out there and dance it up. Of course, they also still get out there for “YMCA.” There’s no accounting for taste.

Continue reading Ranking The Hits of Duran Duran

Promote Gentlemanry

GGFundraiser blog

If you’re a regular reader of Not Shallow, then you may have read an earlier post about the webcomic Gentleman’s Gentleman, which is drawn by my husband, Keith Pille. He’s currently raising funds on kickstarter.com for a print edition of G.G., with an entire “rewards” system set up for backers (my only complaint, really, is that I feel a gian SloPoke should be a reward for the $20 level, just like in grade school when you sold magazine subscriptions). He just started fundraising last week and he’s already about 30% there, which is tremendous, I think.

Even without the hoopla of physical rewards, backing G.G. is pretty great just because you’re supporting a specific endeavor of someone who works a day job and then spends a hell of a lot of time drawing cartoons because he loves it and believes in it. Every time I start to feel lazy about Not Shallow, he’s at his drawing board, cooking up another comic and I think, “Damn you! Damn you and your DIY ambition to hell!” But I’m not really mad. I’m inspired.

I’m asking anyone out there who gives a damn about comics, cartoons, etc. to consider backing this project for $10 or $20. Today we all got the news that Harvey Pekar died and I saw that someone tweeted, “In honor of Harvey Pekar, spend some time today drawing comics that are yours and don’t belong to a big corporation.”

I feel the same way about writing. Spend some time today writing (or painting or crafting or cooking) just because you can and because you love it!

If you’ve never been to kickstarter.com before, you’ll find many other worthy projects there as well. If comics aren’t your thing, at least take a look at all the other projects people want to do. If you would rather fund a short film about a school for clowns or a photography exhibit about dog noses, that’s your prerogative, just like Bobby Brown sez.

Funny WebComic Shiz: Gentleman’s Gentleman

Gent 2Another Fun & Exciting Summer item: the webcomic Gentleman’s Gentleman. The most recent lesson is about drinking games. The aim of Gentleman’s Gentleman is simple: to bring the light of gentlemanly manners to an uncouth, faintly scuzzy world. You may recall my post about the rules of being a gentleman’s gentleman… oh, you don’t? Well, you can read it here.

Yes, the artist/cartoonist is my ball and chain, Keith Pille. Ball and chain! Ha ha ha! I just made that up.

My top Gentleman’s Gentlemen (this week):

1. Tim Gunn
2. Dominic Dunn
3. George Clooney
4. Tony Bennett
5. Paul Newman

Check out the comic, bookmark it, learn the lessons, LIVE IT!

Hey, Here’s Summer Stuff

freja in waterIt’s summer and there are suddenly some new things to be excited about… As the group of bums standing around outside Hums Liquor yelled at me today, “It’s time to hit the beach!” Yeah, totally! I thought to myself, “What if I took them up on their offer, went to some beach with them and never even called work to say I wouldn’t be returning?” What if? This seems to be what life is all about, people.

First and number one, there’s this. I’m so excited for Season 4 I find myself dreaming about it sometimes. When I’m not dreaming that I can’t find a house I’m looking for because the address on the piece of paper I’m holding keeps changing. That’s a fun one.

Continue reading Hey, Here’s Summer Stuff

The Bears Are Out Of Hibernation

I stumbled across the Minneapolis Movie Bears site when I heard about a rummage sale they are having. It makes me supremely happy that a group like this exists in Minneapolis. I like it when people come together and do their thing, whether it’s bears who love movies or middle-aged women who love dolls. Whatever it is.

I also ♥ their logo, which looks like we’re peaking in on the A&W Root Beer bear when he’s off the clock and living his real life…

Continue reading The Bears Are Out Of Hibernation

Yo. Word. Adjective. Pronoun. Adverb…

Reggie Watts opened for Conan O’Brien last night at the Orpheum Theatre in Mpls. He ruled the school.

This video ain’t for everyone… cuz of the naughty words. But it’s random and hilarious. Love the dancing clown.

His new CD/DVD is on sale now… you can get it through iTunes. It’s called “Why S*** So Crazy?” Indeed.

Birthday Jamz

teddybears imageYesterday, I put together a new play list on iTunes in honor of my birthday. Here is what I picked:

1. Maneater by The Bird and The Bee; yes, a cover of Hall & Oates. I happen to love H&O, Keith hates them. He hates them with a passion usually reserved only for Steely Dan. I had to admit that “Private Eyes” isn’t so wonderful but I greatly enjoy the rest of their catalog. “Rich Girl?” Come on! Anyway, this cover is great. After I bought it I realized that I have another song of theirs, a cover of the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love.”

2. Dim’s Jazz (Latin’s In The House) by Dmitri From Paris – this is all about my quest to not only embrace the 1990s World Beat sensibility but also to listen to French electronic/jazz/house music. I feel as if I need a musical niche. And yes, I’m pronouncing that “neeche.”

Continue reading Birthday Jamz

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

madmendolls2

So my Mad Men Season 3 discs arrived yesterday and when I opened the box, a little postcard fell out. On it is a sketch that is labeled, “Ken as Roger Sterling.” Flip the card over and it says, “Award-winning Series. Award-winning Style. Mad Men and Barbie Debuting Summer 2010.”

Woah. Hold on. This is a whole dimension I never thought of before. And of course I want every single doll.

Continue reading Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Somebody Sure Is Going To Look Sweet

If I were a single woman and a date came to pick me up in this, I’d be pretty impressed. Hell, if my husband came to pick me up in this (from work!) I’d be pretty impressed. This seems to me to be the perfect transport for snow-bound Gentleman’s Gentlemen everywhere.

Snowmobile Front blog

Sweet Snowmobile blog

I looked it up and this phone number should be area code “601” if you feel inclined to call and strike a deal!

Snowmobile Listing blog

Forget Original Gangsta! Gentleman’s Gentleman Is Where It’s At

louis-malleKeith and I were having a discussion yesterday about our dog, Freja, being “a dog’s dog.” What this means, we decided, is that she’s loved by dogs and humans alike just for her very unfussy, no-holds-barred “dogginess.” This stems from another ongoing discussion between us about being a “Gentleman’s Gentleman.” Just what is a Gentleman’s Gentleman? With kind regards to Mr. Grant Weeks (truly in the running to be a GG), here are some pointers Keith and I came up with.

1. Have a flask on your person as often as possible. The flask must be filled with good liquor, no rotgut. Whiskey is preferred but not required. A true Gentleman’s Gentleman would have an engraved flask, possibly with a picture of a bulldog.

Continue reading Forget Original Gangsta! Gentleman’s Gentleman Is Where It’s At

It Blows My Mind That You Would Even Talk to Me

On this drab, January day, what I feel like doing is putting on a tiny black dress, going into my big white studio and dancing around.

Does anyone else feel a little bit of nostalgia for songs like this? The young, virile Bobby with his floppy dance moves, waxed chest… It reminds me of summer, 1988, when I was most likely bored. Maybe I danced around to “Every Little Step” in my bedroom or something. I was quite the fan of New Jack Swing.

I think a commenter on YouTube said it best when she said, “Bobby Brown IS KILLIN it on the Dance floor.”

The Revolutionary Costume – T-Shirts Now Available

little edie tshirt blogOh, hi. Thank heaven you’re here.
You look absolutely terrific, honestly.
(Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono so we had quite a fight…)

OK, I finally did it. I put the Little Edie t-shirts up for sale on etsy.

Visit my little shop with its one t-shirt style! Less is more, right?

Everyone is always bragging about how great etsy.com is but I found at least the initial store set-up bewildering and time-consuming. But still. I’ve got a Not Shallow store and it’s open for bidness.

I’m going to add more portrait t-shirts in the months to come. But who wants to think about that after all the labor of just getting these first t-shirts up there? Guess what? I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon.

Really, all I wanted to do was make a Little Edie t-shirt available to the masses. Or, uh, about 13 of you.

Was anyone else scandalized that Drew Barrymore didn’t even give any thanks to Little Edie or Big Edie in her acceptance speech for her Golden Globe on Sunday? She’s no Little Edie!

And that’s the revolutionary costume for today.
To show the polo riders, in khakis and topsiders,
Just what a revolutionary costume has to say.
It can’t be ordered from L.L. Bean.
There’s more to living than kelly green.
And that’s the revolution, I mean.

Da da da da dum…

Little Edie T-Shirts On The Way

Beautiful Edie blogSome of you (five of you) may remember my design for a Little Edie Beale t-shirt. I’ve just ordered some! I’m only getting a small amount and right now I believe they will be for sale on etsy.com when they become available. They are white, crew neck shirts with the design on the front. About as simple a t-shirt as one can get and yet… so chic! Layer one over an oxford shirt or long-sleeved t-shirt for winter, add a cardigan or blazer and you’re good to go.

Confession: these are not American Apparel shirts. Horrors of horrors! I’m still really pissed about what they tried to do to Woody Allen, so I’m saying no to A.A. Actually, I just decided to go with a less expensive shirt that is still soft cotton but probably made by one-armed, 3-year-olds in a Romanian factory. Not that I’m trying to make light of that situation… sweat shops and all… OK, I’m a horrible person and you shouldn’t buy my shirt!! No, buy my shirt! It will be reasonably priced ($20 to $25), which is pretty good, right? I don’t know. I’ve seen $45 t-shirts on the Internet. I’ve seen $40 t-shirts at J. Crew.  My sense of what’s reasonable for a t-shirt has been called into question.

T-shirts will be available at the end of December or early Jan. 2010. Very limited number so, if you want  one, check this blog and RUSH to etsy the moment I post them. See what I’m doing? Creating a sense of scarcity. That’s called Marketing, people!

2009: The Year In Food

Chef Curd

Like this little guy? He’s a cheese curd from the folks over at Eat Curds.com. Curds are just one thing I ate in 2009 that I liked. I like to eat and I like to make lists so here’s my look back on the year in food that was as I gear up for the Year That Will Be. I’ve compiled this list of amazing things consumed in the past year (uh, amazing to me. I’m not one of those Adventure Eaters scouring the globe for jam made from the thoraxes of sweet beetles), all of them worth the calories. While making this list I realized that I’m incredibly Minneapolis-centric when it comes to eating… unless I’m on vacation. Here’s to branching out to eat in other cities and suburbs in 2010. But first, here’s to some of the best things I ate in 2009.

Continue reading 2009: The Year In Food

How Working Women Can Cope: Make A Hot Dog Fondue

Woman in purple top 1977Somewhere along the line, I acquired a random copy of a Woman’s Day magazine from August 1977. Every so often I take it out and page through it. Although 1977 wasn’t THAT long ago, it’s like paging through a manual for another way of life. What I love most are the products, most of them long gone, the poor design and the absolute innocence of the copy. It was enough to say, “Emeraude. The liquid jewel no one can see, yet no one can ignore.” Would that work now? Probably not. Now we’d have something more along the lines of “Emeraude. The liquid that will get you laid.” Well, something like that.

So, here are some snapshots of Woman’s Day from 1977.  Settle back with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy… but wait… what’s this?

Continue reading How Working Women Can Cope: Make A Hot Dog Fondue

The Mighty Whitetail Deer Dress

Earlier in the summer, I used a coloring book from Fleet Farm to find an embroidery pattern of a whitetail buck. I eventually chose a buck’s head that I wanted to work with. I found a dress at Arc in Richfield that was cute and polka dotted but need some detailing. I embroidered my deer head onto it, took in the sides quite a bit and cut off about 4 inches from the bottom and hemmed it so that the overall effect was less frump, more fab. I found a purple belt to go with it but there is also a polka-dotted sash that came with the dress.

Here is the result of my handy work! The dress gets its official unveiling/first wearing on Monday.

Keep reading to see the photos…

Continue reading The Mighty Whitetail Deer Dress

The Way He Lived

dominick-dunneFailure, if you can get through it, is a great experience to have had.” – Dominick Dunne

Today I got the news that Dominick Dunne died at age 83. I had only recently, within the past year, discovered Dunne’s collected writing about high-society crime, although I’d read various pieces in Vanity Fair off and on for years. I became so intrigued by him that I bought his memoir The Way We Lived Then, which is narrative but also a collection of incredible photos from his years in Hollywood, when he was married to his wife, Lenny. He was a compulsive photo-taker and scrap-booker (not in the way people scrapbook now, with all the doodads and foo-foos and cut-outs), in addition to an avid party-giver, and the book  is a moving document of a bygone era when life, for Dunne, was easy and he was living in Shangri-La.

Continue reading The Way He Lived

Voltage: Fashion Amplified & Feet Tenderized

I suspected, going into Friday night’s Voltage: Fashion Amplified show at First Avenue, that I was wearing the wrong shoes. I’m the Mistress of Flats, not the Mistress of Peek-Toe Patent Leather Heels. But flats didn’t cut it with a short black skirt and a vintage wool tank top covered in beads and sequins. Besides, the heels elevated me above the crowd, allowing me to see the runway from the floor, not as easy thing to do when the place is packed.

My friend Ellen, always my Comrade in Arms when it comes to 1) shopping 2) fashion and 3) making fun of things, looked very pretty indeed in similarly high heels (not patent leather though) and a black, sleeveless dress. She also had on thigh-high nylons, which she announced she wasn’t pleased with as soon as she got in the car and proceeded to strip off.

Continue reading Voltage: Fashion Amplified & Feet Tenderized

The Perfect Date: Spargelfest & Taking The Air

Two friends of mine have commented, at different times and unbeknownst to each other, that I’m pretty much an old lady. Why? I guess because I prefer to stay home, pretty much, and I go to bed early. And I drink a lot of tea. And I use words like “unbeknownst” and say things to myself like, “I’m having a devil of a time threading this needle!”

But the Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis is having a celebration from May 22-31st that all dorky “old ladies” of German heritage like me (and I suppose people who refer to themselves as “foodies”), will coo over: Spargelfest! What is it? Why, it’s a celebration of that most old lady of vegetables, asparagus. One eats many asparagus-laden dishes and then perhaps “takes the air” on Nicollet Avenue. A promenade, if you will, down a street filled with “boom cars” that need to be tsk-tsk’d.

Continue reading The Perfect Date: Spargelfest & Taking The Air

Grey Gardens Odds-n-Ends

Check out this post on the blog Jezebel that shows all the fashion that’s going to be in the HBO Grey Gardens movie on Saturday, April 18th. Yes, the movie stars Drew Barrymore as my beloved Little Edie and I’m not really OK with that but the fashion in this movie is absolutely outstanding. They went to great lengths to find the best revolutionary costumes.

Continue reading Grey Gardens Odds-n-Ends

That’s The Revolutionary Costume For Today

I’ve been intensely studying the Bouvier Beales lately to prepare for reviewing the Ordway’s staging of Grey Gardens, the musical, for TC Daily Planet.

My review and a short essay about why I love Little Edie Beale are now posted on the Daily Planet’s site for your reading pleasure.

In my quest for more knowledge of the Beales, I got a book called My Life at Grey Gardens: Thirteen Months and Beyond written by Lois Wright. Lois was a painter and palm-reader who had known the Bouvier Beales for a long time and actually lived at Grey Gardens while the Maysles Brothers were filming the documentary in 1973 (not sure on exact year but that’s about right – the film came out in 1975).

Continue reading That’s The Revolutionary Costume For Today

Ripitude Adjustment

The third workout, Resistance, went by like a dream.

Then I was struck with a bit of a cold. Just enough to make even contemplating another round of cardio (next up on the rotation) painful.

But today it was time to bell up or shut up. I insisted on repeating Cardio Workout Week 1 again because I felt that I hadn’t “mastered” it. The truth is that I’m scared of what Week 2 will entail. At least this way I knew what was coming even if I didn’t like it.

Continue reading Ripitude Adjustment

CORE!

I admit to being scared last night before the Great Core Workout of 09. First there was the fact that I am still having trouble sitting and walking after the cardio workout. Next there is the Mystery Foot Problem. Some mysterious hurt has been angering my left foot for over a week. But you don’t want to read about that.

You want to read about CORE!

Continue reading CORE!

Ripitude Devolves Into Suckitude

Workout Number One.

What a joke.

Before our first workout, Cardio Week 1 (the Six Week Transformation takes you through 3 DVDs that you rotate continually: Cardio, Core, Resistance), on Saturday, we were all laughs and smiles. “Ripitude!” “Let’s do this!” Halfway through I felt as if I was in the middle of a nightmare about a boot camp. Before the workout, I was worried that we wouldn’t get enough out of just one session per workout. Perhaps we’d want to do two sessions per day. After all, a session is only 20 minutes.

Continue reading Ripitude Devolves Into Suckitude

From Here On Out, It’s All About Ripitude

Last Saturday morning I woke up and plopped myself on the couch to watch KARE-11’s Saturday morning “news” show. I tune in so I can complain loudly about the parade of paid-advertisements they have on in the guise of “guests.” Horribly drawn books for children. People shilling products that are really their at-home craft projects. And then there’s the constant stream of local restaurants and grocery stores telling us what to make for every occasion. Never before in my life have I ever ordered anything from TV or, to my knowledge, something featured on a TV show. The only regret I have is not ordering Freedom Rock back in the day. Continue reading From Here On Out, It’s All About Ripitude

Money’s Too Tight To Mention: Entertainment Edition

Know what’s been on my mind lately? Money. Minnesota has a 5 kabillion dollar deficit and I work for an organization that gets most of its money from the state (although not all so maybe we’re better off than some will be). My strategy is to try to squirrel some money away in a coffee can and hope for the best, which means cutting corners.

Many might be in the same gun boat right now, so I’m launching a series on money-saving tips. First, we visit Entertainment.

Continue reading Money’s Too Tight To Mention: Entertainment Edition

All I Want For Christmas

I don’t know where I’ve been lately, just certainly not posting anything. Oops.

If I could afford just any old doodad, trinket, pretty thing for Christmas, I would buy this, the coolest bracelet/cuff every made… to help me enhance my Kiss of the Spider Woman image. But for just about $600, I think I might have to forgo it and maybe get Hollywood Dominos instead.

Although, if you’ve ever played Mexican Train (don’t ask me how it got that name) it’s basically the same thing.

But once Charlize Theron and Salma Hayek start getting involved, things have a way of getting out of control.

Exercising… It Doesn’t Have To Be a Dreaded Chore Anymore

pilates2.jpgI’ve heard all the hype about pilates for years. I’ve never been enticed by the kind that requires working on those wicked -looking machines, although I’m sure it works wonders on the old bod. But a couple months ago I got a Stott Pilates DVD from their Matwork Series. It’s a beginner level program (level 2 on a 1-4 scale) and I thought, “Why not give it a whirl?”

So at first the DVD kicked my ass. I really hated it. I was as weak as a kitten, as the saying goes. As weak as a newborn kangaroo using all its strength just to climb into my kangaroo mommy’s pouch.

But I stuck with it. And things started to change.

Continue reading Exercising… It Doesn’t Have To Be a Dreaded Chore Anymore

Finding My Style Mentor (Tim Gunn Style)

christie-julie_1.jpgThe closet and dresser are cleaned out. All the clothing not currently in rotation is boxed up. So. Where does this leave me, Tim Gunn? Besides with fewer clothing options (which is actually strangely liberating)?

It leaves me to figure out my style identity. According to Tim, I need to find a style and “mentor” to go along with it. He offers the following suggestions:

Continue reading Finding My Style Mentor (Tim Gunn Style)

Fashion Parade

vegas-prance.jpegLast Saturday was my fifth wedding anniversary. Although there is a vacation in the “offing,” (how come that word is usually only used in relation to wedding announcements?) we did go out and do the dinner and dancing thing.

That’s right, I said dancing. OK, it was two dances. But that is probably more than I’ve had in the last couple of years of our marriage. I kind of let Keith off the hook when it came to dancing awhile ago and he usually only pulls out the moves for one dance at a wedding.

Anyway, this is not about dancing.

Continue reading Fashion Parade

American Apparel Off Our Backs!

powerfist.jpgI went into American Apparel: The Store about a month ago. While there, I felt very uncomfortable. It could have been the blaring rap music with lyrics that went something like this: “When you see a fine nigga, holla, don’t trip!” Wow, that gets me in the mood to spend, spend, spend! Apparently, AA hasn’t heard about the market research that’s been done on what kind of music makes people want to open their wallets.

Continue reading American Apparel Off Our Backs!

City Mouse vs. Country Mouse

One of my favorite fashion blogs is The Sartorialist because it relies on photographs and just a bit of copy. The point is to let the pictures speak for themselves and give you ideas and inspiration. The photography is also great. The posts get a lot of comments but I never read them because the photos are enough for me and, if I really like one, I don’t feel the need to read all the commentary.

Continue reading City Mouse vs. Country Mouse

The Ties That Bind Me

If you’re ever in thrift store and see all the men’s neckties hanging about and think, “There’s got to be something I can do with those,” you are not having an original thought.

Every fashion student at one time or another has tackled the question of what to do with ties. Most often, the neckties are fashioned into a skirt of many colors and patterns. How do I know this to be true? I mean, I never attended fashion school.

Continue reading The Ties That Bind Me

Cute Little Thang

keychain-small.bmpThis is the new keychain I got today at Robot Love in Minneapolis. It’s from the Kidrobot Yummy Breakfast collection. You buy one for $5 but you don’t know what you’re getting until you open the box and the mylar-like bag inside. Before I opened mine I said I wanted the pancakes because of my great love for pancakes and low and behold… Pancakes! I think I screamed in the parking lot.

His name is Mr. P. Pannekoeken. He’s fuzzy.

My new quest is to get one of the mystery ones… there is a burnt piece of toast with a tear coming down his cheek that is apparently very hard to come by. I covet the burnt piece of toast!

Continue reading Cute Little Thang

My PTA Blouse

I got a blouse at Buffalo Clothing Exchange this weekend that I’ve named my PTA Blouse. I don’t know why, but I tend to love clothes more if I give them a nickname or some kind of personality. I have a polka-dotted shirt dubbed The Galaxy Shirt because if you concentrate on it, it becomes mesmerizing, like space. I have another polka-dotted blouse I call The Claire because that’s the name written on the inside in ballpoint pen.

Continue reading My PTA Blouse