My Life Is an Odd Venn Diagram

I know these aren't two audiences that often overlap, but is there anyone out there that watches Project Runway AND has read The Picture of Dorian Gray? It seems odd that one person would watch reality television and read classic fiction, but I do. I hope you do, too.

You see, whenever I read a book I always picture the character as being played by actors, celebrities or people I know. It helps me keep the characters straight, and it brings the story to life. For example, when I read The Fountainhead Peter Keating was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce and I imagined Howard Roark as this rugged red-headed guy I went to school with. I never learned his name so I always referred to him (in my head) as Howard. Is that weird?

But back to The Picture of Dorian Gray. I recently read this and the titular Dorian is described as a young, rich and stylish man living in Victorian-ish England. Given the time period his stylishness lent itself to vanity, foppishness, ascots and (possible) latent homosexuality. And who better to fit that description than Project Runway alum Austin Scarlett?

That hair, that smirk, that flawless application of foundation! Is there anyone better suited to play a self-centered Victorian playboy? And, let's face it, girlfriend can wear the hell out of some neck accessories.

Is it just me? Tell me you see it too.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

A few days ago I was reading one of those Shop Your Closet, Wardrobe Re-Mix articles in a fashion mag. You know, they show you all the outfits you can make by combining all the clothing basics you already own.

One that caught my eye was skinny jeans (cuffed) + fun top + ankle boots. I thought it looked cute, and I do have all of those items, but I was afraid the outfit was too rock-n-roll for me to pull off.

Then fate intervened. The next night I saw Liz Lemon, self-proclaimed schlump, wearing ankle boots with cuffed skinnies on 3o Rock. I thought, if Lemon can do it so can I.

Bad-Ass?

So here I am. Cuffed skinnies, ankle boots and a sequined top. I threw on my cotton blazer for structure and warmth, then added a chunky black ring for some extra bad-assery.

booties and skinnies

subtle sparkle - it doesn't scream rock-n-roll, but it might whisper it a little

So, that's the closest I'll ever come to looking like a rock star. Let's call it bad-ass lite. Is it the most figure-flattering ensemble I've ever worn? Probably not. But I'm proud of myself for trying something new.

Sources:
Jeans - Old Navy, Sweetheart Skinny
Boots - Candies, via Kohl's
Top - BJ's, yes, BJ's
Blazer - Target

Blast from the Past

Over the past few months my grandmother has been going through some of the things she has kept from her children's lives. Given that she had five children, I am willing to bet that she has lots of memories tucked away!

She found a box of letters my dad wrote home while he was away at college and law school. She gave them to him and he, in turn, sent a few my way - I was dying to get a sense of what he was like as a younger man!

Most of the missives were the usual fare - updates about schoolwork and roommates, requests for money and arrangements for visits.

What really caught my eye was my dad's resourcefulness. Many of his letters were written on the back of scrap paper - presumably from the library waste bin - and he even crafted an envelope out of a page torn from National Geographic Magazine.


If I were to do that today, you readers would assume I was being crafty or trying to be green. Which, inadvertently he was, but it was mostly because he was a poor student and envelopes cost money.

His money-saving technique is so clever I might have to recreate it for my next stationery project!

Decorating: It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like...

... someone actually lives in my house! You guys thought I was going to say Christmas, didn't you? Well, I have a Christmas post coming tomorrow, so sit tight.

It's been almost a month since we moved into our new house and we have been busy unpacking and trying to get things in place.

When we first looked at the house, one of the only things I didn't like about it was its so-called 'architectural feature.' The public side of the house is laid out with an open plan with a vaulted ceiling. Not too shabby. But, there are these pesky things like coat closets and laundry rooms that have to go somewhere, so they're in the center of the house with a regular ceiling, leaving this weird ledge below the vault. (I apologize if this is hard to follow. Just look at the pictures.)

Everyone else seemed to love the 'feature' but, being a bit of a snob (architects are known for this), I had yet to be convinced. Until...


One day the hubby suggested we use it as a bookshelf. Between all of our architecture books from school and my penchant for classic fiction, we have a lot of books.* I have to say it's nice to be able to display them in an out of the way place and not have to forfeit valuable floor or wall space to a massive bookshelf.

Also, I apologize for the crummy pictures. I wasn't trying to win any photo contests, I just wanted to prove a point. Empty ledge: terrible. Unique book storage: genius. Point for the hubby.

*For those of you on nerd watch, in the close-up photo you can see my massive 'American Short Stories' volume and my large collection of Shakespeare. Yes I took Intro to Shakespeare in college... as an elective... and I sat in the front row and answered every question. I was that kid.

Remembering: Childhood Favorites

In honor of National Corduroy Appreciation Day*, I thought I would take a moment to remember one of my favorite childhood books.

Corduroy is the story of a stuffed bear, named Corduroy because of his overalls, who lives in a department store and comes to life at night. He searches for a new button because he fears no one will take him home with a missing button. The book tells of his adventures and the love of the little girl that finally takes him home in the end. It is a touching story and I encourage you to read it to the little boy or girl in your life.

* I love that 11.11 is Corduroy Day because the repeating 1 "approximates the texture of a cotton fabric with vertical wales."

Reading: The Beatles

As I grew up I listened to the same music as my parents - no kiddie tapes for me - and because of that I have a deep appreciation for all types of music: bluegrass, beach music, classical, rock & roll and everything in between. One of my Dad's favorites was the Beatles, and now they are one of mine. When I was little my Dad still had all his records from college and he would let me pick an album, put it on the record player and gently put the needle in place. I knew all the lyrics to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the time I was 9. In 8th grade I wrote my first 'real' research paper (footnots, in-text citations, etc) on the Beatles. My thesis was "The Beatles are the most creative, innovative and prolific band of all time." I stood behind it then and I stand behind it now.



As if I needed more proof, I recently read The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz. I got this for Christmas from my step-dad Bruce* many Christmases ago. At 900 pages, it would require quite a time committment because I didn't want to read it off and on while I was busy with school. I started reading it when I graduated from college and it still took a long time. I'm not going to lie: it's long, dense and contains a wealth of information. But I was hooked. The author goes in depth on topics that most Beatles legends only skim. I loved them before, but now I have such a huge (and I mean HUGE) respect for them as musicians. I could go on and on, but I will let you read for yourself.


*The first time I met Bruce he disarmed my usual mis-trust by striking up a conversation about the Beatles and I figured 'He can't be that bad.' When I left for college the next fall he gave me a Beatles poster for my dorm room. At that point I knew he was a good guy, so I'd let him keep seeing my Mom.

Reading: RSF

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Reading: Young House Love

I cannot say how much I love the magic of the internet. I was reading one of my usual blogs, Apartment Therapy and I clicked on a link, which led to another link, which led to a blogsite. And the blogsite I was brought to is amazing.

Written by John and Sherry, Young House Love gives out affordable design/decorating advice, provides DIY inspiration and major renovation How-To's, among other things. I don't have a house yet, but when I do I have a feeling I will be spending alot of time on this blogsite.
[EDIT: The fabulous blog now goes by a new name, so all links and references to their old URL have been removed.]