Light at the End of the Funnel Neck: Shirts of Schrute

Skirt: Celebrity Pink, Macy's

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Top: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Wrap: Amazon

Headband: Lady Arya, Zulily; Mustard bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City; Brown ring: Charlotte Russe; Black bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Yellow bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Black and white bracelet: Mixit, JCPenney; Magenta ring: Express

Bag: Kohl's

Shoes: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohl's

I thought I knew everything there was to know about The Office, but now that I'm reading The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, I can see that I was wrong.  Written by Rolling Stone veteran Andy Greene, this comprehensive, interview-rich history of how The Office went from underdog British knock-off to one of America's most beloved shows is nothing short of pure joy.  

The Office began life as a dark comedy, and when it first aired, I, like many others, didn't like it.  But when it hit its stride in Season 2, I began to appreciate, then love it, understanding that it wasn't really about an office at all, but about the people who felt trapped inside it.  The hilarious and sometimes sad way they got through their day was a spark of hope, that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  So, it's inspiring to read about the cast and crew experiencing the same kind of slow success as they rode the wave from obscurity to fame.  It's cool to hear how Creed (Creed Bratton) weirded his way into becoming more than an extra, or how Andy (Ed Helms) started calling Jim (John Krasinski) Big Tuna because showrunner Greg Daniels once had tuna twice in a row for lunch.  There's even stuff about the set design and camera style, which I didn't expect to like but did.  I learned that in most sitcoms, the crew curates the set to look like a painting by choosing prop and costume colors that pop and complement.  This makes sense; I can think of tons of mediocre sitcoms I've tolerated over the years just because they looked pretty.  But The Office didn't want to look like a painting.  It wanted to look like an office, a real office.  And despite my love of color, that (eventually) made sense to me too.  The Office would never have been as believable if Dunder Mifflin and the people who toiled there looked glamorous.  

Nevertheless, one piece of clothing in the series stands out.  No, it's not one of Kelly Kapoor's (Mindy Kaling) outfits, the wrap dress that Pam (Jenna Fischer) wore during the fashion show at lunch, or even Michael's (Steve Carrell) Burlington Coat Factory fur from the infamous budget surplus debacle.  It's Dwight Schrute's (Rainn Wilson) mustard dress shirts.  Dwight's shirts became so integral to his identity that he complained about not getting to wear them during his short-lived and ill-fated stint at Staples.  Dwight's signature color is fitting because mustard is kind of like Dwight himself, unpalatable at first but strangely appealing once you get to know it.  So I decided to devote this post to outfits where this warm yellow shade, well, cuts the mustard (even if in just a few drops).  Sure, these ensembles also feature un-officey looks like a bold funnel neck top and hot pink faux fur.  But in the spirit of The Office's more, ahem, workaday aesthetic, I included a version of each with a muted, nearly black-and-white filter.  

Although I don't have any Schrute loot to use as a visual aid, I do have this Dunder Mifflin snow globe and Michael magnet.  The snow globe used to be in my cubicle. 

Speaking of keeping it real wardrobe wise, here I am in, of all things, a sweat suit.  (The husband suggested I say that "I mustered the courage" to wear it.  Husband and French's, you're welcome.)  Despite having been voted least likely to wear sweatpants in eighth grade, this quarantine's got me collecting -- and living in -- loungewear.  

Sweat suit: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's      

Now that I work from home, I'm the one wearing mustard to the office -- not to mention any number of other unsightly things (my ratty old bathrobe, pajamas, even, on occasion, a muumuu).  And I've discovered that there's something nice about writing reports and editing documents in the comfort of my down-home duds.

Art imitates life, life imitates art.  The heart wants what it wants, and what it wants is the heart.  And the art.

It's lines like this that make me think of the mumbo-jumbo monologues of Michael Scott.  And remind me to not quit my day job.

Book Report (sort of): Geeky Dreamboats: A Celebration by Sarah O'Brien and Lacey Soslow

When I saw this Geeky Dreamboats: A Celebration book on Fred Flare, I knew I had to have it.  So when I opened it on my birthday last weekend, I was pleased as punch.  Once I started leafing through it I found it was - gasp - even funnier than I could have imagined.  Chock-full of favorites such as Michael Cera, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, Topher Grace, Adam Brody, Conan O'Brien, John Krasinski, and Paul Rudd (my personal favorite), this nearly pocket-sized who's who of nerdy knights in shining armor delivers a refreshingly quirky perspective on what makes a dude drool-worthy. 

Of course, some of the selections may raise an eyebrow.  But as O'Brien and Soslow explain, "Some of these cuties may appear a little dreamier than geeky or a little geekier than dreamy, but remember, the prevailing theme here is the beautiful and poetic combination that makes up the sexy nerd.  Not everyone strikes that perfect balance, but we've found a slew of cuties who come pretty close, and we've ranked their appeal with our trusty Geekboat Meter." (Introduction)  Well put, ladies. 

Whether you're thirteen or thirty, Geeky Dreamboats: A Celebration is sure to earn a top spot on your list of guilty pleasures.             

Movie Moment: Something Borrowed

Each spring, movie theaters are flooded with flicks about weddings. Something Borrowed, a story of unrequited love and back-stabbing best buds, is text book. Like Water for Elephants, it's based on a novel of the same title (which, also like Water for Elephants, I didn't read). But before I even begin to talk about the plot I feel the need to say this: It was icky.

I've never been a fan of the home wrecker romance. Most of us have shoulda woulda coulda moments, but trying to rewrite them doesn't make destroying other people's lives okay. And Something Borrowed is about just that. The main character is Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), a lawyer and your typical buttoned-up, hard-working good girl. Her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson [can't help but think of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy every time I hear that name]), is your typical self-absorbed, manipulative party girl. Darcy is engaged to Rachel's law school friend, Dex (Colin Egglesfield), aka Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome but Jerky. The problem? Rachel's always had a crush on Dex and still does.

You see where this is going, right?

Yes, Darcy is awful. Shallow and over-the-top, she's the embodiment of every high school mean girl all grown up. But I couldn't help but feel that she's painted that way so viewers don't feel guilty about rooting for Rachel. As for Dex, he masquerades as a sensitive guy who's just doing what his parents want. But he's really a coward who wants to have his cake and eat it too. Although put-upon, Rachel is only marginally sympathetic as the other woman. Not only does she poach her best friend's fiancé, but she allows herself to be treated badly, fulfilling the tired old mistress cliché.

From this mess, only Rachel and Darcy's childhood friend Ethan (the ever-affable John Krasinski) emerges as likable and funny, offering up witty observations from the sidelines during the crew's seemingly endless Hamptons weekends. Sure, he spends most of the movie dodging a woman he slept with and then dumped. But next to Dex and their mutual sleazy slacker friend Marcus, he still manages to channel the nice guy vibe of his "Office" character, Jim. (Who says there's no such thing as type casting?)

At one point, I thought the plot was going to wrap up in a predictable but still feel-good-sort-of-way that would have saved things. (Good little blogger that I am, I won't spill any more, should you decide to see the movie despite this uncharitable review.) But it didn't. It ended in a crescendo of insultingly cheesy soap opera incidents and a finale that could be described as only -- you guessed it -- icky.

If I have such an aversion to cheating hearts, then why did I see this movie? Because it's a romantic comedy, and I feel compelled to see all romantic comedies, no matter how seemingly stupid.

Next stop, Bridesmaids. I know the fuchsia taffeta won't disappoint.

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?