Play Like a Girl: Peacock Rocks

Clip: Buffalump, Etsy; Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Peacock rocks, but I'm not talking about "Peacock" by Katy Perry (although I do like that tune).  I'm talking about NBC's streaming platform and its not one but two new comedies about all-girl rock groups, Girls5eva and We Are Lady Parts.  

Girls5eva follows four forty-something New Yorkers trying to resuscitate their defunct '90s pop group.  The players include Dawn (Sara Bareilles), the sensible one; Summer (Busy Phillips), the dumb one; Wickie (Renee Elise Goldsberry), the crazy one; and Gloria (Paula Pell), the workaholic one.  It's wacky and witty and reminds me of 30 Rock, which tracks because Tina Fey is one of the producers and also cameos as a faux Dolly Parton.  Indeed, Dawn is like the Liz Lemon of the gang, which is to say that she's no-nonsense yet put-upon and the glue that holds them all together.  The songs are hilarious, and the fashion is fierce.  As a bonus, Stephen Colbert, Bowen Yang, and Vanessa Williams guest star.  Girls5eva is a snarky-yet-feel-good treat for anyone who grew up in the '90s or appreciates Fey's brand of humor. 

We Are Lady Parts is the coming-of-age tale of Amina (Anjana Vasan), a twenty-six-year-old Muslim Londoner academic torn between tradition and joining a Muslim punk rock band.  Amina is my favorite kind of heroine, which is to say earnest, awkward, and always getting in her own way.  She has such a severe case of stage fright that she always vomits -- and also sometimes has diarrhea.  Yet We Are Lady Parts frontwoman Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey) is looking for a guitarist and is convinced that Amina is it, barf bucket notwithstanding.  Passionate and serious about her music, Saira spends the greater part of the series resisting her bandmates' pleas to take to social media, insisting that We Are Lady Parts "is not about being famous; it's about being heard."  Being true to yourself and your art, even when it's hard, especially when it's hard, is a major theme in We Are Lady Parts and one that will resonate with artists and misunderstoods everywhere.  

So, two girl power anthems and two ways to rock add up to heart and limitless laughs.  

Peacock, you've got something new to strut about.

Restasis Oasis: Arizona Iced Weeee! What a Well Watered Cactus

It's no secret that I love cacti.  So much so that I decorated my office to be a little paradise of these prickly pals.

Now that I've shamelessly showed off one of my sanctuaries, let's get back to our regularly scheduled (and equally shameless) show-and-tell of my crafts and closet!  Still stuck on saguaros, I decided to make more cacti barrettes.  I've always been a fan of that whole iconic cactus against a sunset aesthetic, so I decided to play with that.  To me, the contrast of cool green against the red/pink, orange, and yellow explosion of a dying sun is dazzlingly dramatic.

Tops from top to bottom: Fifth Sun, JCPenney; Derek Heart, JCPenney; Almost Famous, Boscov's

 Fabulous Felt Green Cactus Barrette

Fabulous Felt Mint Cactus Barrette 

Fabulous Felt Green Rainbow Cactus

Fabulous Felt Mint Rainbow Cactus

Anyway, cacti come from Arizona, and so does Busy Phillips.  I just finished reading her autobiography, This Will Only Hurt a Little, and binged her new E! talk show Busy Tonight, and I can say that she's as sharp and tough as the Southwest's spikiest succulent.

I was expecting This Will Only Hurt a Little to be a laugh-out-loud lark.  But it isn't.  Busy's breezy, conversational writing only ups the intensity of her memoir, which is emotional, raw, and sometimes hard to read.  (You know, hard to read as in contains heavy stuff.  Like all those Oscar-nominated movies that are hard to watch.  Which is also, incidentally, the title of Tracy Jordan's [Tracy Morgan's] EGOT-bait feature film on 30 Rock.  Fun fact: Tina Fey produces Busy Tonight.  Coincidence?  I think not.)  I should've realized that This Will Only Hurt a Little wouldn't be a sitcom anecdote-studded giggle fest made R rated by a few f-bombs.  First of all, there's the title.  Sure, it'll only hurt a little -- but that means it will still hurt some.  And then there's the front and back covers, which feature a pink suit-clad Busy perched hopefully yet apprehensively on what can be only a waiting room chair on account of its uncomfortable-looking 1970s-era harvest gold pleather.  It might be the waiting room of a doctor's office or for an audition, but the message is clear: whatever's on the other side of that door has the power to make or break you (and Busy.  Because this is her book.).

So, what makes This Will Only Hurt a Little an uneasy read?  It isn't just the Time's Up/Me Too-tinged accounts of chauvinism in Hollywood -- although those certainly make an impact.  It's Busy's teenage years.  Some seriously scary things happened to her, the kinds of things that could destroy a girl's faith in herself and in men for the rest of her life.  We all know that high school can be awful and about as far from a sock hop as a corn dog from a vegan buffet.  So, it's all the more meaningful when Busy describes rising above her own chilling chapter to follow -- and achieve -- her dream of becoming an actress.  Even when one of her high school boyfriends steals the credit for writing Blades of Glory.  That's right; Ms. Phillips is responsible for that hilarious Will Ferrell (and okay, John Heder) movie about competitive male figure skating.  Which, now that I think about it, makes perfect sense, as it's funny and glitzy and raunchy and has lots of heart, just like Busy.  As for that old plagiarizing ex, no one even knows his name.  He's probably selling corn dogs somewhere.

Now, there is a part in the book where Busy says that fellow Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes was "very sweet," but "wasn't really like a hang-out-and-smoke kind of girl," (171) which gave me pause, as I'm no hang-out-and-smoke kind of girl either.  But then I reminded myself that for better or worse, this book is Busy's truth (she says so on page 8), and if she and Katie didn't click, then so be it.  Also, Katie doesn't have a book or talk show.

That said, here's a part of the book that I love:

"Have I talked about being a sparkly human yet?  Well, I have a theory.  There are certain people who are what I call sparkly humans.  These are people who have things just happen for them or to them because other people see them and seemingly inexplicably want to help them.  Because they sparkle.  From the inside out.  I was always a sparkly human (still am, for the most part, on most days).  Adults just liked me and wanted to help me.  Not kids at my school.  Sometimes sparkliness isn't recognized by peers until much later.  Sometimes sparkly people are even bullied as kids.  Because other kids want to put that light out.  They don't understand it and they want to kill it.  The secret is, if you're truly sparkly, you survive all that bullshit and you don't let them put it out.  And at some point, you started to get rewarded for it.  Sparkly humans aren't always entertainers, and they don't always become famous.  There are sparkly humans everywhere.  And there are also plenty of people who are wonderful and amazing, but aren't sparkly.  It's a very specific thing." (126-127)

I think this is cool and interesting, this idea that some people are marked for greatness like characters in a fairy tale.  And also, that this greatness can take many forms.  But that all of the forms are united by this one intangible but unmistakable thing.

Busy brings her sparkle and pioneering, take-no-prisoners attitude to Busy Tonight.  In her book, she talks about being tired of waiting around for casting directors to decide her fate about this or that project, or to tell her that she doesn't have the right look or that she has to lose weight.  Why not do something where she calls the shots?  Why not create a safe space for topical issues and girl talk and silliness?  Why not host her own talk show?  I'm glad she did because Busy Tonight is so fun!  The set is bright and eclectic, like, as Busy herself says, a sitcom living room.  Busy wears great outfits, and her enthusiasm is infectious from the time she runs out onstage to the time she puts on Mr. Nightgown.  So far, some of her guests include Mindy Kaling, Kristen Bell, John Stamos (the first dude, and a gracious one at that), and even Julia Roberts, all of whom Busy ushers into her photo booth before commercial breaks.  And then, at the very end, she comes out in a long, floral, Bohemian-style muumuu (the aforementioned Mr. Nightgown) and sings a goodnight song so endearing and clever that you can't help but hear it in your head all day.  Listening to it, I always think, I really hope this works out for you, Busy, because you seem to really want -- and deserve -- it.

As they (don't) say, cactus makes for imperfect.  Bring on the smudged glitter.

Waxing Poetic . . .

 Mistress Mustache Necklace

Top: Marshalls

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Venus

Bag: Worthington, JCPenney

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

Trunk Show Trinkets Necklace

Dress: Macy's

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Chinese Laundry, Bloomingsales Florist and Gift Shop

Scarf: Boscov's

Sunglasses: Cloud Nine, Ocean City

Wild Wings Necklace

Top: Wet Seal

Skirt: Material Girl, Macy's

Shoes: Venus

Bag: Merona, Target

Belt: Wet Seal

Sunglasses: Cloud Nine, Ocean City 

. . . about mustaches.  This post isn't so much about poetry as it is about a nineteenth-century novel-slash-ghost story's commentary on grooming, social and otherwise. (But more on that later).  At first I didn't want to have anything to do with these mustache beads.  I thought that the homage to facial hair was tacky, not cute, and I refused to be sucked into a fad that drew its strength from such a slovenly statement.  But the beads were on clearance.  And perhaps even more importantly, they were neon.  So I swallowed my pride and strung them up pretty, illuminating their dubious charms with seed beads in exuberant yellow. (Yellow, I've come to learn, is the cinnamon of the color world, making everything around it sweeter.)  And you know what?  The result was cute, fetching and cheeky like a menswear shirt with a mini, or Liz Lemon and Tom (Selleck) in 30 Rock's heyday.  

So back to that nineteenth-century thing.  No sooner had I typed the words "Mistress Mustache" as the title of my Etsy shop listing, then I (half) remembered a quote from Wilkie Collins's Woman in White:

"I said to myself, the lady is dark.  She moved forward a few steps -- and I said to myself, the lady is young.  She approached nearer -- and I said to myself with a sense of surprise which words fail me to express -- the lady is ugly!"

The narrator is a well-meaning if misguided guy named Hartright, and what he should have said was, "The lady has a mustache!"  At least that's how I remembered his speech going when I retrieved it through the cobwebbed (albeit only ten-year-old) lens of my senior seminar.  Because the lady in question, the gender-bending Marian Halcombe did have a mustache, a detail furnished elsewhere in White's considerable pages.  Indeed, the whole mustache thing may just be the scariest part of this iconic Gothic gotcha ghost story.  It sure made me shudder.  If Wilkie had known that an unwaxed upper lip would become the accessory of choice for It girls everywhere, emblazoned hipster-style on coffee mugs and tote bags and (I take issue with this one) pacifiers, then he probably would've given her a big gross mole instead.

Because Marian is no It girl; in fact, I'm sure that she'd laugh in the face of trends, her mustache dancing with each unladylike chuckle.  Swarthy, masculine, and always up for challenging the status quo, she's the ideal foil for Laura, her fair-haired, feminine, and too-well-behaved half-sister, a girly girl so gullible that her niceness threatens to shackle her to an evil husband -- that is, unless Marian has her way.

Born of the Victorian serial stories that were the great-granddaddy of the mustache-twirling, tied-to-the-train-tracks melodramas that would emerge a century later, this is one caper in which an abundance of facial hair equals virtue, not vice.

When Snacks Attack

 Lemon Snack Attack Corsage Necklace

Dress: Kohl's

Cardigan: Worthington, JCPenney

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Loop, Marshalls

Scarves: A.C. Moore

 Chocolate Snack Attack Corsage Necklace

Top: Merona, Target

Jeans: Vanilla Star, Target

Shoes: Guess, DSW

Bag: Glamour Damaged, Etsy

 Raspberry Snack Attack Corsage Necklace

Dress: Xhilaration, Target

Sweater: Worthington, JCPenney

Shoes: Nine West, Burlington Coat Factory

Bag: Chinese Laundry, JCPenney

Belt: Apt. 9, Kohl's

There's nothing quite like the craving for a pudding cup.  Or, for that matter, a cookie.  But we'll get to that in a minute.  Pudding's cool, satiny texture and parfait-layered pastels are just the thing to quell a stomach that's been eating itself.  So, in the spirit of smooth sweets I upgraded these old corsages made from JELL-O Temptations packaging by garnishing them with delicious duds.  

Speaking of snacks, I picked up these Keebler cinnamon roll cookies to try.  Partly because they're endorsed by Cinnabon, partly because I was fresh off last Thursday's "30 Rock" episode in which Liz Lemon weds James Marsden clad in full Princess Leia regalia.  I'm no Star Wars (or city hall ceremony) fan, but I do love an against-the-grain wedding that's more about people than pretense.  May the force be with you, Liz.  

Make and Tell Challenge, Day 139: Another Tote Completed

Having off today was a real eye-opener. I was able to finish this Scarlet Fierce Flowers Tote and retag and photograph about a dozen items and upload the new pictures to my Etsy and Artfire shops, all while watching the rest of season two of Flight of the Conchords. My favorite episode was the one where Bret forms a gang and he and Jemaine sing that song about hurt feelings. It was kookily hilarious.

Yesterday my mom and I saw It's Complicated. It was one of the best movies that both of us have seen in a long time, probably because it had that mix of funny and poignant. Also, it avoided being a big cliché although it would have been easy to go there. As for Alec Baldwin, he was disturbing, as always. When did he morph from "a Baldwin" into a crazy old man?! I mean, I know he's been that way for awhile now (hey, I watch 30 Rock) but pinpointing the time of the transformation eludes me. But John Krasinski's part was a nice bonus (I heart The Office. And nerds.)

In the middle of typing this I accidentally pushed some combination of buttons that resulted in a font change. Even after scrolling through the font list, I have no idea which one I was using before. So I apologize for the inconsistency. The crazy thing is, now I see the actual italics where appropriate instead of code. Same with the pictures. Did I just prompt an upgrade?

A Very Etsy Christmas

This Christmas, I had the best time searching for gifts on Etsy. My purchases ran the gamut from jewelry to prints. Everyone seemed genuinely pleased upon opening everything. Also, each of these sellers sent everything quickly, so I didn't have to worry about stuff not getting here before the big day. So, without further ado, here's what I bought.

My sister was the easiest person to shop for, as she had helpfully marked several Etsy shops and items as favorites. Here's what I picked:

Andy Williams Christmas Album Notebook, Ivy Lane Designs

Red Sparrow Necklace, Design by Cassandra

Headphones Owl Tee, Gnome Enterprises

Ladder Necklace, Jibby and Juna

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner Magnets, Elloh

Mysterious Butterfly Necklace, Mama's Little Babies

Queen Anne's Lace Jersey Print Scarf, Dwellin Style

Yellow Flower Super Bunny, Murdock Design

My sister liked this Mysterious Butterfly Necklace and Queen Anne's Lace Jersey Print Scarf so much that she put them on right away! And the Yellow Flower Super Bunny was such a hit that she carried it around all day.

Philadelphia Eagles Golf Club Cover, Tracey Knits

Ode to 30 Rock Print, Elloh

At first I thought it would be impossible to find something for Dad on Etsy. But then I interviewed Tracey Rediker of Tracey Knits for my featured artist series. I asked her if she could make a custom Eagles golf club cover, and she obliged in record time! My dad, who is the most diehard Eagles fan out there, got a huge kick out of it. For Dad's next gift, I returned to the tried-and-true Elloh, where I stumbled upon this striking likeness of the 30 Rock crew. 30 Rock being one of Dad's favorite shows, I knew he'd be happy. He was, adding that he had no idea that Etsy offered such personal, unique gifts.

Flirty Brown-eyed Susan Scarf, Babbidge Patch

Mom loves a great accessory, and this Flirty Brown-eyed Susan Scarf screamed her style in brown in gold. She wound it around her neck immediately.

Yoda Star Wars Golf Club Cover, Tracey Knits

AC/DC Vinyl Fine Photograph, Brief Moments

Superhero Fridge Magnets, What's Eating Yin

Looking over my shoulder as I was surfing Etsy one night, the bf spied Yoda and was instantly charmed. "You don't even play golf," I said. "So?" he replied. "You can put him anywhere." I couldn't argue with that, especially because Yoda was so darn adorable. So into the cart he went. The bf started doing a (surprisingly dead-on) Yoda impression upon opening it. 'Nuff said. Yoda now resides on an empty paper towel roll on our bookshelf, on display for all to see. The bf was also excited about the AC/DC Vinyl Fine Photograph (already hanging in our hallway) and Superhero Fridge Magnets. They were my little way of saying, "Here's some masculine décor. Thanks for living in a house overflowing with girly tote bags and shoes."

Nautical Lighthouse Throw Pillow, KelRae Designs

The bf's stepmom loves lighthouses, so when I found this Nautical Lighthouse Throw Pillow, I knew it was perfect.

So there you have it. My first Very Etsy Christmas was a success. I can't wait to see what I find next year!