Revolutionary Road

I saw Revolutionary Road the other day and it was quite depressing but I really enjoyed it. The movie itself would be a great topic of discussion but that's not what's on my mind now. At times during the movie I actually found myself incredibly distracted by the furnishings and the clothing.

What struck me was that they were living in a home similar to mine and yet it was used so differently. You could tell by the way the furniture was arranged. There was a living space that was divided into sections, the largest being for conversation and the smallest area being a television set with one chair in front of it. In our house everything centers around the television set in every room where there is one. The size and type of furniture is so streamlined and simple. The fabrics were incredible and the lamps and side tables were perfect. I found myself taking notice of every little detail from the curtains on the windows to the tile on the bathroom floor.




But it was more than just the furnishings, it was the little accessories too. In one scene in the kitchen I could see the West Bend silver penguin ice bucket my husband used to have. Even the glassware they drank their cocktails out of were superb. The cut glass martini glasses would make any drink taste more delicious.

And then there was Kate Winslet's wardrobe. This blue dress was my favorite...it was georgeous. Form fitting, simple, elegant, and sexy all at once. I love how she took the garbage out in a flowing cotton skirt with a crisp white blouse, pearls, and a pair of espadrilles. There's something to be said about having the appearance of always being put together. I admire that about women of that generation and wish I could be like that myself though I know it's not practical nor probable. Whenever I'm in a shop and see those vintage inspired half aprons it's all I can do to keep from buying one. There's something about them that sucks me in and I know some day I will have one, even though I don't have a thing to wear with it.

Accessory Tip #2: Handbags in Every Size

I feel the same way about handbags as I do about scarves. That's why I give so many of them out as gifts as well. Several years back my friend from New York gave me the cutest little felted purse in my favorite color (green) with a beautiful burst of pink and purple in the form of a flower. If I'm not carrying a lot it's perfect.


I feel the same way about clutches as I do about scarves...they are a great way to add color, texture, or interest to a basic outfit. As with scarves, they are available just about anywhere at every price point.

Most days I opt for a basic neutral colored purse (usually black) that's big enough to carry the kitchen sink. I try to find one that's got some unusual detail or material. With handbags, you just know what you like when you see it.

Accessory Tip #1: Scarves, and lots of them

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big fan of the scarf. I have been for many years. It's one of the few clothing items I don't get rid of. I realized recently that when I give gifts to people, I tend to give things I like to receive. So to all of you who have received a scarf from me in recent times, this will serve to sell you on why it was such a great gift!

Here's why I like to wear scarves. For the most part I stick to pretty basic clothing items mostly in solid colors. Accessories are a way for me to add color and interest to an outfit. I like to wear them in my hair and it's a good alternative to a baseball cap when I'm not having a great hair day. In the winter, I like to have something around my neck to keep warm and a scarf is a fashionable means to a practical end. As the weather gets warmer I use a lighter weight scarf to dress up a t-shirt or tank top. If you're not sold yet, take a look at this video.

Scarves are available just about anywhere and at just about any price point. It's an inexpensive and simple way to change up an outfit you already have in your closet. With all the different sizes, styles, fabrics, patterns, and ways to wear them...there really is something for everyone.

Mixing it Up

This morning I was going through back issues of some design magazines (some 10 years old) and ripping out pages so I could get rid of the periodicals themselves. Sometimes I find great inspiration for projects from looking at the magazines.

I came across a website with "cool business card designs" on it. I thought this one for Matilda Jane was really interesting. It reminds me of my brother-in-law's letterpress art and the birthday invite for a friend's 40th that used stitching. I'm drawn to the mixed media. There's something about the pop of pink thread against the neutrality of the cardboard and silver ink that I find really appealing.

So I checked out www.matildajaneclothing.com which ended up being mostly children's clothing...more specifically for little girls. It's got an Oilily feel to it with layers of patterened materials and ruffles and the appearance that they were sewn especially for you. I was never a big buyer of boutique clothing for my daughter, not because I didn't love the clothes, but because it went against every grain in my being to watch those beautiful garments being slowly destroyed by my carefree and careless child.

The clothing has the same charm as the business cards. It's whimsical with a sense of order and purpose. It reminds me of how my daughter dresses herself. She's not afraid to mix color and pattern, and somehow on her, it works.

Universal Prank

Remember the days when you only had one television, five channels, and zero remotes? Remember when your harmless pranks included ding-dong-ditch, pool hopping, and toilet papering trees?

Recently, a friend was telling us about the newest prank that his teenage son and friends are pulling on unsuspecting targets. Armed with a universal remote control, they head out in the dark to find a home aglow with the embers of televised pictures and the home's occupants comfortably viewing the screen. Amid the safety of some brush or Weber grill or lawn furniture out back, the teenagers wield their universal remote and begin to control the television inside from their post on the outside. Watching these homeowners who are perplexed by their sudden inability to control their television sets makes for an entertaining amusement.

So next time you can't get your remote to work and your spouse and kids swear they had nothing to do with it, look out your window. The culprit may be hiding in the bushes.

Take Time to Smell the Gardenias

I don't know if it's because I'm almost 42, or if this winter seems unusually brutal and endless, but I've been in a bit of a funk since December. While reading the Heart Biscuit entry from today, I realized that it's time for me to pick my head up, take a deep breath, and begin to savor the little things that make my life so great.

My friend and I were talking on the phone the other day about all the things we have to be grateful of and so here we go. Today I am very thankful that we got an invitation to go to open skate at Eble Park. My kids had a blast with their friends while doing something active, I had a nice conversation, and we all got out of the house!

I'm already starting to feel better.

What's Old is New Again

When I got up this morning my son was laying on the couch watching wrestling. As I was cleaning up the kitchen it ocurred to me that wrestling must be one of those things that are just innate in boys. But then I realized my daughter was watching it without complaint as well. Eventually my husband caught a glimpse of what was on and soon he was right there with them explaining what was going on and using terms he seemed so familiar with that I had never heard him speak before.

Finally I asked what exactly they were watching and it was a classic All Star Wrestling match. All at once it was a Sunday morning and I was back on Cathedral Avenue being tossed around like a rag doll as my brothers practiced their wrestling moves on me. If they really wanted to make me scream they'd come at me with "the claw". I cringe at the thought of it.

But then I hear my husband talking to my kids about his memories of All Star Wrestling. How it was always on before the Packers games, about the fighters and their famous moves, about his friends who would accompany him to the arena to watch the fights. Then I realized how even though he and I grew up in different homes, we had yet another common childhood experience. I won't be surprised to find another classic wrestling match on my living room television with my family intently watching and the memories passing from one generation to the next.

"U" Rah Rah!

I realized the other day that this May will be 20 years since I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. What's even more astonishing is that on May 17th my sister's oldest is graduating from Marquette University. He's back in Milwaukee after a semester in Washington D.C. where he interned for Russ Feingold. The year before that he studied in Madrid. Today he was telling me about interviewing for Teach for America, and a similar organization based in New York City. It is what he wants to do after he graduates and he would be amazing at it.

I also have a niece at Marquette and another at Loyola who is very interested in environmental issues and wants to study abroad next year. All of them are not only smart, but they are so much more involved in what's going on in the world. There are so many opportunities available to them and what I find so admirable is that they are taking advantage of them.

Some of my best memories are from the years I spent in Madison and yet I can't help but be a little envious of the college experience this generation has been afforded. I can only imagine what it will be like in another 10 years when my own kids are off to college.

"O"...No You Di'int

I was home sick from school on two momentous occasions that I can recall. Once when Jimmy Carter was inaugurated and once when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. No big deal you think, but it really was for 2 important reasons. First, I was a kid and didn't care and second, it was before cable. Ever stayed home sick when you were a kid and there was the exact same thing on all 3 channels and it was news coverage of politics?!

Now, having said that, I am planning on catching some of the coverage of the inauguration tomorrow. I get the magnitude of it and I'm invested in it. I dare say it is exciting and I'm a bit caught up in the fever.

I do, however, draw the line when Oprah Winfrey is doing her show from the Kennedy Center and her top guests are Demi and Ashton introducing their new campaign to inspire us to pledge to make small changes that will have a large impact. Please excuse me if I'm not inspired by the Kutcher's. I've got two things to say..."Dude Where's My Car?" and "Striptease". Enough said.

I think Oprah's excitement has gotten the better of her.

Good luck to you Mr. President

Tomorrow, the only thing I would want to do less than deal with the cold and the crowds in Washington D.C. to be a part of the historic events there, would be to take over as President. It takes a certain type of person to even want the job, let alone spend the time and money required to compete for it. I've been sick to my stomach for a month just dealing with the water damage in our house from ice damming. I'm just the co-president of my household and that's enough of a challenge to run. I don't think I could even begin to imagine what it would be like to be the one in charge in Washington.

On the news this morning they were talking about a study that shows the President ages twice as fast as average people during their time in office. Obama has already showed signs of aging just during the campaign and compared to what lies ahead for him, the campaining may prove to be a walk in the park.

I am hopeful and optimistic that Obama will do a good job. I heard some republicans talking on t.v. and even though they obviously didn't support him in the election, they all appear to genuinely want him to succeed. We need him to succeed.

And so on this, the eve of the inauguration of number 44, my message is Good Luck to you Mr. President.

I Like Killing Flies

We watched an interesting documentary last night called I Like Killing Flies about Shopsins, a Greenwich Village eatery. Kenny Shopsins is the owner, creator, and cook and is akin to "Seinfeld's" Soup Nazi in the way he runs his establishment.

There are rules for eating there and if you are not in on them, you'll be kicked out. For instance, no parties larger than 4 and if you're not clear on this, there is sign posted outside the restaurant with a full explanation.

Kenny Shopsins is a bit genius and a bit crackpot, and a unique fixture in the restaurant business. His kitchen is a display of chaos and contraptions which gives a feeling of filth and yet the food looks amazing and the menu is endless.

Part of me would love to try Shopsins next time I'm in New York, but I'm not sure if it's worth the possible humiliation if I'm thrown out on a technicality.

A movie worth renting.

Kid Art

Well I'm on day two of canceled school and subzero temperatures so in order to keep my sanity I've found myself alone in the basement organizing and cleaning the kids old schoolwork and artwork.
Is there really anything better than a great piece of kid artwork? There have been times when I've been working on a design that I wanted to have a child-like quality. To recreate the look of something made by a pair of 7 year old hands is near impossible.

My first year in Witte Hall in Madison (1985), room 718 of Pitman House, we decorated our dorm room with a painting titled "Pet Store" that John Melter made. Granted he was in high school when he painted it, but it looked like something a 9 or 10 year old made and there was just something about it. I just loved it.

The problem with some of my kids' pieces is that they are so big you don't know what to do with them. My solution has been to create greeting cards by taking digital pictures of them. With all the companies out there that make cards from photos, it's so easy to do and way more economical and personal than store bought cards. So there you have it. My tip of the day.

If...

One of my brilliant Christmas ideas this year was to create games to be played at an intimate cocktail party. I based one on the games on a series of books called If... which presents a question that is supposed to help start a conversation.

Here are a couple to try out along with my responses:

If you were to have your entire wardrobe designed for you by a single clothing designer for the rest of your life, who would you select? Oscar de la Renta

If you had to lose one of your five senses, which would you give up? Taste. Maybe I could lose that 10 pounds.

If you could have chosen your own first name, other than your current one, what would it be? I like the idea of family names. I would have liked Lydia.

If you could possess one supernatural ability, what would it be? I would like to think of where I want to go and get be there instantly. No planes, trains or automobiles.

If you could be a contestant on any game show, which would you like to be on? No brainer. The Price is Right.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could have the entire music library of three artists, who would they be? U2, REM, and Tears for Fears.

Which brings me to my sidenote about Tear for Fears. This summer we were lucky enough to get a night away at the American Club in Kohler. While we were having cocktails in the library there was a pianist. She played Mad World by Tears for Fears which is a song I love. We got to talking with her and the waiter about the song which took me back to the 80's. The waiter had no idea who Tears for Fears was, but knew the version by Gary Jules because it was the song on the video game Gears of War.

I don't know if I was pissed because he made me feel old, or because I can't imagine another version better than the first. Thanks to iTunes and youtube I was able to find this new version and now it's one of those songs I can't hear enough of. You decide for yourself. Tears for Fears vs. Gary Jules.

Links in Orange

I just realized that it's not really obvious when I've got links contained in my blogs. Anytime a word or phrase is in orange within the text of my blog, you can click on it to be taken to a link.

AI Season 8

As a family, the best way we've found to pass the time from January to May is by following American Idol. Last night season 8 kicked off with the first in a series of auditions shows. I know that some people don't bother with these early installments, but we really don't have anything better to do. I'm not sure if it's the show, homemade popcorn with extra butter, or staying up late, but our kids really look forward to it. Since it's something we can do together that doesn't require me to play Clue Jr. or War...I'm in!

I don't want to dwell on last year, but my early pick was Michael Johns. I really liked him in the beginning, but even I have to admit he didn't do well as the competition progressed. I found a video on youtube of him with his band Film with a song called Get Away. I know he looks like a Frat boy from Madison circa 1986, but I would have downloaded this song from iTunes.

The Coldest Day

I just got off the phone with my sister-in-law who has been in Florida since the beginning of the year and I fear she may not return. I can't say that I blame her. Within the course of our conversation she said I made mention of the coldest day several times and that I should write a children's book called "The Coldest Day". As I'm always looking for creative endeavors and new ways to make money, it was an intriguing suggestion at first blush. With the way I feel about Wisconsin and winter, I may have to take the Carrie Bradshaw approach and write a children's book for adults.

The next couple of days are supposed to be dreadfully cold with windchills below zero. Here's my secret for keeping warm...hot water bottles. While we have the old fashioned red ones from Walgreens, there are some cool alternatives out there.

Maybe I'll go fill one up and start writing my book.