Parrot Parade Brigade: Polly Want a Slacker?

The husband got me this top recently.  Believe it or not, it's actually for a man.  A small man, but a man nonetheless.  I suppose this makes it a shirt, as we all know that real men don't wear tops or eat quiche.  Anyway, it came from Amazon, which is fitting because it looks like a collage from an enchanted rain forest.  I say enchanted because I imagine that real rain forests are more Animal Planet than Magic Kingdom, unphotogenic and gruesome in their circle of life-ness.  Even if "Circle of Life" was a song in The Lion King.  Because if anyone can put a good spin on death, then it's Disney.

In keeping with the parrot theme, here's my old pal Randall.  But for the purposes of this post, I'll call him, or rather her (because if I can wear a dude's shirt, then he can certainly change genders), Polly.  And Polly most definitely does not want a cracker.  Or a slacker.  So, no rum or Jimmy Buffett.  Or rum made by Jimmy Buffet.  She also doesn't want a passel of insects or whatever it is that parrots eat.  What she really craves is a buttery brioche topped with a fresh slice of mango.  She's a discerning one, my precious Polly, demanding only the best from the island's buffet.  Not to be confused, of course, with the island's best Buffett.

Cheeseburger in paradise or not, his kind's not welcome here.

Pre-holiday Hodgepodge: Blue Christmas

 Black and White Glamour Night Necklace

Top: So, Kohl's

Skirt: Marshalls

Shoes: Payless

Bag: Nine West, Marshalls

Belt: B Fabulous

Hat: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Mudd, Kohl's

 Bathing Beauty Charm Necklace

Sweater: So, Kohl's

Skirt: (a dress!) LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: Payless

Bag: Modcloth

Hat: Neff, Fred Flare

Belt: Kohl's

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

 Bubblegum Butterfly Necklace

Top: Mossimo, Target

Skirt: Necessary Objects, Annie Sez

Shoes: Chinese Laundry, DSW

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

Belt: Candie's, Kohl's

Hat: JCPenney

Sunglasses: Michaels

There's something magical about blue Christmas decorations. Elegant and ethereal, cerulean lights, bows, and foliage transform December's dark, gloomy nights into a winter wonderland -- so, depending on your age or viewpoint, Norman Rockwell or Frozen. Growing up, I had a great aunt with an exquisitely decorated blue Christmas tree. To me, the monochromatic ornaments were regal and slightly exotic, raining down on the artificial green boughs like slices of star-studded sky. That said, I also have an aunt who's crazy about Elvis -- and I have the King-stamped Christmas card to prove it!  So, it's sapphire squared in this (blue spruce) family Christmas tree.

Blue is also dear to me because I live near the ocean. Although the water is a sort of brownish green here in New Jersey, it's always a glamorous, azure-crested cobalt in the fun house mirror of my imagination. (I realize that fun house mirrors make things look worse, not better, and that it's department store mirrors that flatter. But somehow a Macy's fitting room lacks the romance of a questionable carny classic.) Indeed, my working title for this post was Pre-holiday Hodgepodge: Accessories by the Sea. Because it sounds like a shop that sells tourist trinkets (and you know how much I love those), and also Manchester by the Sea, which I will most likely not see on account of the husband's hatred of Casey Affleck. But I was looking for a theme to do justice to this week's blue frock-framed necklaces, and this cool yule color was it, especially on this first day of winter.  Chief charmer Bathing Beauty brings blue full circle with her affinity for all things aquatic.  After all, the ocean is nature's bathtub, right down to its thick, bubbly foam. (Last summer I said that the ocean was nature's swimming pool. But here at the Trove we pride ourselves on making the most of metaphors. That and not discounting the cleansing powers of waste-laced saltwater. Coming this spring: the ocean as nature's toilet.)

On that (ahem) notecard, I decided to send out beach-themed Christmas greetings this year (with stamps featuring, sadly, plain old wreaths instead of Jimmy Buffett).

Wish you were here.  And also that "here" was Aruba.

Book Report: Moon River and Me by Andy Williams

I've blogged about my love of Andy Williams's Christmas music and its starring role in my childhood (it's not Christmas until Andy comes out!) many a time.  But it wasn't until I read Williams's autobiography, Moon River and Me, that I met the man (as VH1 would say) behind the music.  For instance, I didn't know that he, along with his three brothers, had been part of one of America's first "boy bands."  Or that after the breakup of said boy band he was so broke that he resorted to eating dog food.  Of course, he was eventually able to upgrade to caviar, and that was when the anecdotes became really interesting.  In addition to launching the Emmy-winning "Andy Williams Show," the "King of Easy Listening" hosted the first televised Golden Globes, the first-ever Grammys (and went on to do so for the next seven years), discovered the Osmonds, owned the record label that released the first Jimmy Buffett album, was a part owner of the Phoenix Suns, was (and still is) an art connoisseur and collector, and topped it all off by returning to his Midwestern roots to build his beloved theater in Branson, Missouri. 

As is the case with almost any celebrity autobiography, Moon River and Me has its fair share of scandal.  Williams's first wife was a nineteen-year-old French cancan dancer who, after their divorce, shot and killed her Olympic skier boyfriend.  Williams himself (and it pains me to say this) sometimes comes off as chauvinistic and lecherous, especially upon shacking up with a baton-twirling coed at the age of 50.  A times the writing seems stilted, not so much in narrative style, but in what Williams is willing to reveal.  Yet at others it's surprisingly candid, baudy even, coming from a personality marketed as wholesome.       

After a Google search I learned that Williams is now 84 and battling bladder cancer.  That made me sad.  Not to mention a little sheepish for some of my less complimentary thoughts. 

Overall, I can't deny that Moon River and Me is an illuminating and entertaining read.  There were times when I was laughing out loud (if not always for the right reasons), and I remain bowled over by Williams's perfectionism and unflinching work ethic.  There's no doubt that the classic crooner has led a fascinating life and is deserving of every ounce of his success.  But for me, and perhaps for others, the heart of his legacy remains his timeless holiday hits.  As Williams writes, "To this day people stop me on the street and tell me how much they cherished the Christmas shows and how much it meant to their whole family.  I've always loved Christmas, and for me it really is "the most wonderful time of the year." (155)               

An apt note to end on if ever there was one.

It's Five o' Clock Somewhere

Two months ago a customer asked if I could make three tropical-themed felt necklaces for her and her friends to wear to a Jimmy Buffett concert.  It was probably the most unusual request I'd received, but parrots and cheeseburgers are business as usual at the Trove, so I obliged.  The result?  "Too cute!" according to my Etsy feedback.  Now that calls for a margarita!