nerdalert: DC4EVA

I first got the itch to re-view a certain series back in January, when BuzzFeed released this most perfect--and too too ridiculous--J.Crew catalogue. But that was back in wintertime, and anyway I had just started the far more seasonally appropriate Felicity. I like to watch inane, usually 90s television while I do my exercises, you see; I find them both distracting and aspirational. Anyway, it wasnt until the day before yesterday that, encouraged/led astray by my dear sister, I 'went Capeside', as the dorks like to call it (no offense, Emma!)

 If felicity was the perfect thing to watch in february (what with all the sweaters) then there is no better ambassador for carefree row-boating, crop-top-wearing summertime style than Joey Potter, slash twenty-year-old Katie Holmes. She set the bar too high for the beautiful, sassy-yet-wide-eyed brunette character on a WB drama, and they never topped it (sorry Carly Pope, Shiri Appleby, Alexis Bledel and Leighton Meister, but its true!) Was there ever a more charmingly sullen beauty?! And so deliciously sarcastic...

My Role Model 4 Lyfe, upinhere. But despite Ms Potters redeeming qualities, Im sorry to say: my dad was right to make fun of this show when it originally aired. I, a nearly-twenty-eight-year-old lady and former slash current fan, find it completely foolish; no forty year old man should be expected to watch it and not have a problem with it. The dialogue is embarrassing even now (imagine watching it with your parents! oh god...) And Dawson is an even bigger dork than I remember. Was there ever a more pathetic loser? Those clothes, that hair, that stupid fucking necklace... Ugh. Plus, a face only the mother of a horse could love. What did Jen ever see in him, anyway? And dont get me started on Joey!!

Also, what is up with them changing the theme song on netflix?! Im hardly a purist; JJ Abrams switched the Felicity theme halfway through the series as it aired, and it didnt bother me at all. But retroactively substituting some stupid song no ones ever heard of was a problem for me (and the rest of the internet, apparently), because I Dont Want To Wait is a part the show. Only, we're wrong, and we dont know anything. Apparently One Hand in My Pocket was Paul Stupins original pick, but when the studio couldnt afford the rights to it, they commissioned Jane Arden to write the original song Run Like Mad specifically for the series; they only switched to Paula Cole after the studio heard her song used in a promo for the show and suggested that it as the theme. Just a little hopelessly dork trivia that I pray you never find a use for... But it goes to show that just because you think you know what things are supposed to be like, doesnt mean you actually know anything about it. 

PS, how about the baby pudding face on that Joshua Jackson!? I cant wait til he gets his tips frosted...

That Diane Kreuger is one lucky girl! 

DC theme background info courtesy of the Huffington Post; J.Crew catalogue via buzzfeed; screen shots by me

can you even imagine?!

speaking of Jackie O, HOW PERFECT is this indigo color-blocked Jcrew boucle jacket?!

I am one-hundered-percent obsessed. I even went into the J.Crew by my work when I got off on Sunday, just to try it on. Just so you know, its perfectly boxy, slightly stretchy and exactly the right weight. Its blue, but not denim, so you (or, I) could truly wear it with anything and everything I could imagine. Unfortunately, even with the store-wide 25% off thats happening, I still cant afford it. What a Shame, What a Shame, What a Shame! Because, you may have heard it before, but this time I really mean it: Ive never wanted anything so badly in my life! *

*clothing category

cosmic mother: a gift guide

I may never determine, dear reader, whether you share my affinity for the sidereal arts; you may find my interests purely foolish. But whatever your official stance on astrology, you must admit, it has its uses as a guide to symbolism--and perhaps, more importantly (jk) to shopping! Take mothers day, for example. Because no mother could ever forget the time of year, let alone the time of day, her child was born, choosing a gift inspired by her sweetbabychilds star sign is particularly appropriate. I have this thing where I wont wear jewelry unless someone gave it to me, or it has some true symbolic/sentimental value, so Ive always wished I had a slightly more romantic reason to wear this rams head bracelet that I purchased for a very reasonable price at Maude Vintage several years ago (unfortunately, in silver):

Perfect for the mother of an Aries, and so Jackie-O (similar styles to be found on Etsy). Or how about this most beautiful crab-claw ring for the mother of a Cancer (ahem)

Beautiful (and vaguely sinister) in its own right, but the symbolism makes it meaningful. Obviously, the animal signs lend themselves most readily to representation in jewelry; other signs require a little more creativity in their interpretation, but its not so tricky really. Why not this simple brass arrow cuff for the mother of a Sagittarius?

Or these sweetest ampersand studs for the mother of a Gemini (bonus points if her geminis are twins!) 

*catbird also makes mix-and-match alphabet letter studs and stacking rings in gold and silver--a great option, especially for the mother of more than one children

But what about those trickier signs, whose mascots defy literal interpretation? Or what if scorpion/goat/cow jewelry wont suit? Maybe youre thinking birthstone jewels are the way to go... but theyre a little passé, no? And anyway, what if she doesnt care for her babychilds birthstone? Personally, I find that gems in rainbow colors are too distracting. Do you know what I mean? But Im overwhelmed easily. Plus, crystals are so fanciful. Instead I prefer gold jewelry; it runs no risk of clashing with whatever it is you wear, and its so much more classic and primal. But! That doesnt mean you cant use birthstones to guide your gifting! For example, though Im never sure what Id do with it if I had one (maybe wear it to the beach?) who could say no to one of these gem-print silken scarves?

Keep in mind, I suggest these options as a means of guiding your gifting process--you need not make your motive explicitly clear to the mother in question (I almost think its better to let them realize for themselves why you chose what you did) But lets get real for a second. Maybe (probably) youre not the richest person in the world, and cant afford to shower your lady mother with the finest jewels and silks? Its the purest shame, but I fall in to that category, myself (though much of the jewelry I suggested is available on the cheap, if you take the time to look for it) So instead, why not be guided by a similar, but more attainable theme, in the form of birth flowers? You can gift them in the flesh (or, petal) of course, picked or potted. But for a more permanent, lower-maintenace alternative, consider framing a lovely print of her childs birth flower, instead! Really, anything floral is fair game for mothers day, so dont get too hung up on coordinating the correct flower--just pick her favorite, if you happen to know it! Anything by my favorite, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, is the perfect thing! Or what this boxed set of twenty blank notecards featuring five of his most beautiful botanical paintings? At $15.95, its thoughtful and (unlike many of my previous suggestions) extremely affordable. 

Just some ideas! After all, Mothers Day is only one week away!

Zodiac by Alphonse Mucha; Fritillaria Meleagris by Charles Rennie Mackintosh 

o! my brain

I may have mentioned to you previously, dear reader, about how husboyf and I are currently working opposite schedules in order to properly care for our child. Remember him? Anyway, not needing to pay for daycare is a huge advantage to this system, of course... But! What about my poor, poor brain? Its all mixed up. Specifically, Im referring to its ability to harmonize with that cosmic rhythm thats meant to regulate my sleeping and waking hours. Because, my waking hours begin pretty early these days--for example, here I am blogging over coffee at 445 am, before I go in to cake-box this earliest saturday morn. Of course, thats not to say that a 530 am shift is prohibitively early. Because really, its not. Only, when youre trying to be awake for when your husband gets off work at 1030, and actually remain awake for enough time to engage in a real conversation or whatever, it is! And I remember how little sleep I got in college, and how fine with it I was. What a life I lead! (thats lead, past-tense) And now, Im awake when Im supposed to be asleep, and asleep when Im mean to be awake, and I take naps in the afternoon whenever I can but it only makes me go to bed earlier! Whats wrong with me?!

I need to get it together!

dmitriy lisichenko

babealert: SHADYLADIES

 

Although Ive already committed to round sunnies, forever, Im digging the super-summery vibe of this editorial by Angelo Pennetta. I used to have a pair of white-framed sunglasses, and Miranda Kerr is making me miss them badly. How does she look so good, all the time? That red and white striped Dolce & Gabbana dress Alicia Vikander is wearing is the perfect thing for the Forth of July, though I dont really care for her Prada frames (too embellished, no glare protection) Obviously, Id choose Lilly Collins round tortoise shell Tom Fords for myself. PS, did you know that shes actually Phil Collins daughter?! I dont know why that wigs me out so much, but Im always blown away when I discover people are related to one another. Its like I just discovered some completely irrelevant secret.  

images via here

feel the prep

I was having a hard time deciding which color should represent May, officially, in my color-comprehension of the calendar. Theres no guiding holiday theme, and no one hue that dominates; I always picture April Yellow against a drab, pre-bloom background, but now that spring is properly underway, virtually every color of the rainbow is in its prime. Clearly, one color simply isnt enough for so merry a month! So, because May is my birthday, Ive decided it can have two: quintessentially springy, the combination of Pink and Green evokes a suitably festive atmosphere for my birthday countdown, and looks so much fresher than the navy and white I wear year round by default. And luckily enough, Im professionally obligated to favor it. Which brings me to my second color-related point. I dont know about you, but springtime makes me want to Shop For Clothing. But six out of seven days a week, I work for the Best Bakery in Pittsburgh, where strictly speaking, the uniform is white shirts and neutral-colored trousers. Obviously, its hard to get excited about buying a new white shirt, and its silly to buy clothing you can only wear one day out of the week. But the other day, fresh out of clean white tops, I took a chance and wore green-and-white stripes to work instead. And my boss (who is, by all accounts, very discerning) loved it! Apparently, anything Prantls green is fair game, provided it looks clean and professional, of course. I also believe I overheard that if something matches the shade of pink on our shopping bags exactly, then its cool to wear to work, too--though I think that applies only to bottoms, not to tops. Anyway, this new information has helped me channel my fantasy-window-shopping energy considerably--because, its ok to daydream about buying work clothes. Right?

Provided they were a good match, wearing pink skinny jeans would improve my mood considerably--though I probably wont be buying the Marc Jacobs floral shorts. And as much as Ive grown to love J.Crews new Punk-Floral print, wearing that silk blouse to the bakery would be madness, as I dont think dry-cleaning can do anything to remove buttercream. So this is, for the most part, the stuff of sartorial speculation. But! These color-blocked Sperry Topsiders are the perfect the perfect shoe for working at Prantls! Practically speaking, I bet they provide good traction, and wear pretty well over the course of the day, comfort-wise. But most of all, those are Prantls colors exactly. Theyre seriously a perfectly perfect match. Of course, behind the counter, none of our customers would be able to see them... but my oh my, wouldnt my co-workers be impressed!

Quick, Somebody! Take me shopping!

for item information, see my polyvore collage