scream moon tiara boomerang!

Today is the stateside premier of the new Sailor Moon series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal. Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I'm a huge fan! It's a beautiful magical show about a charmingly clumsy, hapless teenaged girl who one day is beckoned by a wise and mystical talking cat into the magical parallel universe that exists all around her, one of shadowy figures and apparitions, which she is destined to rule as Princess of the Moon--if she could only find her allies and defeat the villain! It's Just like Harry Potter! 

Celebrating the the 20th anniversary of Naoko Takeuchi's original manga, the series promises to be a more faithful adaptation than the animated version that aired in the 90's (which, as I said before, I loved). I was especially excited to see the new theme song and transformation montages--they didn't disappoint! In particular, the lyrics to the new opening theme, "Moonpride," by Yasuharu Takanashi, were too good to be true… and worth transcribing myself to share with you:

moon pride

I want to support you

the tears rolling down my cheek

my eyes burning scarlet

someone is shouting love outloud

like a flash of lightning

no matter how dark it is

I know I'm not alone

moonlight shines upon us

we all have unshakable wills

we will fight on our own

without leaving our destiny to the prince

shiny make up 

we are gonna shine bright

under the starry sky

we are not helpless girls

who need men's protection

so… 

shiny make up

we are gonna fight

with power from the starry sky

a new legend begins right now

right here

la la pretty guardian

sailor moon!

I'd also recommend watching the Official Extended Trailer:

 I loved the first episode! Apart from the initial clues we are given towards Usagi's ultimate cosmic destiny, it features a classic early-series sailor moon plot line in which an evil, otherworldly vixen comes to steal human energy by brainwashing the people of tokyo with cheap tricks like 95% off jewelry sales, before ultimately crumbling into dust after being hit with one of Sailor Moon's accessories. 

You gotta check it out! And while we wait for the next episode to air, here are some more of my sailor-themed posts from the past, including who I'd cast if I were to produce a live-action adaptation; sailor-scout accessories; and some Usagi-esque fashion on the runway . 

Happy Scouting! 

mothers day gifting, 2014

Mother's Day is a week from tomorrow, you guys! What are you even going to do about it!? Welp, Here are some ideas of mine!

I struggle with the notion that mothers day gifts ought to be domestic, and I don't know if many Modern Mothers truly have time to hang around baking these days. But, Chase gave me one of these pie birds for my very first mother's day, and I thought it was the sweetest most perfect gift! You'll know from personal experience if this is the sort of thing your mother would actually need... $10, Le Creuset

So she isn't the pie-making kind? Rather than suggesting that she prepare you a pastry, how about something a little more functional? I use my Keep Cup every single day, and I bet if she had one, she would too. You can design one in her favorite size and color-combo, or choose the somewhat chicer limited edition cork-and-glass model. Include a gift card to her favorite coffee shop for a more comprehensive offering. From $9.80, KeepCup

Or how about my good old fall-back suggestion, the zippy pouch! I turn to them again and again because, well, ladies love them! There's one for every taste and pricepoint, of course, and you'll have no trouble finding one to suit, but I'm particularly taken with the ones my friend Ogechi makes by hand in Chicago. So chic!  From $50, eyeofthesunoa

I'm so excited to see that Garance Doré has released her own line of stationary! Something about it strikes me as particularly appropriate for mothers-day--so feminine, so stylish! From $4.50, Rifle Paper 

Speaking of feminine and stylish, I just discovered this Etsy site that offers the loveliest hand-made underthings. Sexy and comfortable in equal measure. A floral print always says 'mothers day' to me!

From  $24, Egretta Garzetta

Or tell her she's beautiful with the gift of her own face! Etsy is a great place to find vintage hand mirrors and vanity sets, and you can basically name your own price--I like these ones!

For something a little more modern, this water-resistant sunnylife spearkerbox beach radio is perfect not just for the beach, but for picnics, patios, or anywhere the summer takes her! Keeps smartphones and mp3 devices safe from the elements while allowing you to play your own music anywhere, all summer long! So handy, so cute! $49.99, anthropologie

How about her very own picnic throw blanket to go with it? These are striped to perfection. Go the extra mile and have it monogramed for a mere $8.50, with her initials, or even "mom"! Currently on sale for $39, West Elm

Make it a picnic she'll remember with a box of sea salt caramels from Goumas Confections. You can't possibly go wrong! 

But if you really want to knock her socks off, spring for tickets to that show she's been dying to see. Both paul mccartney and fleetwood mac are currently touring; either are sure to be a hit with mothers across the land! (this mother anyway...)

p.s. Some ideas from last year, and the year before!

Its April?!

In the hubbub of working, the spring weather that makes me blog less, apparently, and my laziness, I totally forgot to tell you my april resolutions! Remember? And now, April is almost over anyway! Oh lordy, where has the time gone? Anyway, this month, Im working on: 

Making fewer impulse purchases at the supermarket

Trying to get in some extra time at work

Living in the moment (always)

& My Arms

What are you trying to get done these days?

self portrait by Paolo Roversi

Shaka, Indeed

 On a completely unrelated note, I want to take this opportunity to recommend to you some choice television programming from years past. Im talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 5. Now, please dont get the impression that because Im only just now recommending this to you, that I havent seen this season before, a million times. Because I have. But I wasnt blogging any of the other times Ive watched it, and I dont know, maybe its the reading Ive been doing lately, but I find the episode titles (and the episodes themselves, naturally) so cosmic and fanciful and inspiring--in general, I hate all those political episodes about the cardassians and diplomacy and the neutral zone... 

I can tell you right now that one of the very best episodes is Darmok, in which Picard has to interpret an alien language that operates entirely in metaphor (and frustratingly seems to be made up of only about five sentences in total). Also, The Game is creepy, sezzual, and not to be missed (this is the season in which Jonathan Frakes began directing episodes, if that means anything to you). Also of note, I believe, is the striking resemblance between Worf (my favorite character) and one Ms. Anna Wintour. 

See what I mean? That hair is like, totally Shaka When The Walls Fell, amirite?!

images via here, here & here; screenshots of netflix by me!

home decor, on a budget (of nothing): part one

When youre nomadic, as I recently was, the last thing to which youd devote money or space is artwork. Where would you keep it? And why? Theres simply no need for it, and its much easier not to have any. But we are no longer nomads. Before moving to Pittsburgh, we were very lucky to receive all the furniture we really needed from Chases parents (you dont keep much furniture around when youre traveling, either) But as soon as we begun settling in, I became acutely aware of one fact, which is that a house doesnt really look like a home until its decorated. You know? I felt a strong urge to rectify this immediately. 

Unfortunately, the second fact of which I have become aware is that decorating isnt cheap. Do you know how much it costs to frame something, for example? And even if you wanted to spend the money, youd have to have something to frame in the first place. But youd be surprised what you can do with some clothespins, some cardstock, and a little ingenuity. 

Like I said before, I dont have much art; however, what I do have are postcards and pictures--two things readily acquired and easily retained while traveling, which are at least as personally meaningful as any larger framed piece of artwork one might acquire, and virtually free of cost. Since there was already a hook-eye sticking out of the wall in the corner of our living room, I thought the easiest, cheapest, and most immediate way to get some art up in our living space would be to hang a sort of clothesline across the wall, to display some of my favorite postcards Ive received over the years (and even a sketch I did myself, there in the middle). It was easy, and, while it might not look like much (Im just working with the camera on my iphone here, you guys) it really filled up the space nicely. 

A few years ago, a friend and I rode a train from France, all the way to Budapest, and of course I took dozens of pictures. Ive always liked these three together, in particular, and one day Id like to have them englarged and framed... but I wanted to see how theyd look more immediately. On their own, these 5x7 prints were too small to occupy an entire wall, so my second super-quick project was to fashion these  mock-up frames out of a few squares of white cardstock I had lying around. I drew black frames right the way round with sharpies, and then centered, and taped, the photographs in the middle. The resulting faux-matting effect more than doubles the area taken up by these images. It may sound a little rinky-dink but they dont look nearly as unprofessional as they most certainly are. I actually think the resulting effect is quite pleasing. 

Thankfully, the walls of our sunroom, which is just off the livingroom, are mostly windows and as such need no embellishment. But I wanted to do something about the wall just by the front door, as it faces me directly when I sit at my work table. Now another problem Ive been having lately is that I own no paper calendar or planner, which is something Im pretty sure I need to stay organized (fuck the icloud). So I thought Id kill two birds with one stone ad make my own, using yet more spare cardstock. How I do love measuring out a grid! Below my calendars is the paper map of downtown(ish) Pittsburgh I got free at the Library, another combination of form and function. 

Like I said, all of this may not look like much. But in comparison to bleakly blank walls, what little I have done has made a huge difference, at least in my mind. And as it cost me not a dime to produce, you can hardly say it wasnt worth it... 

Hey, and now you know, sort of, what our living room looks like! 

for the child

This 20Q ball is awesome! You think of anything in the world, and it tries to guess what it is in twenty questions. Remarkably, spookily accurate... a friend of mine had one once and it was so fun! For around $20 on amazon (theres also a Harry Potter edition, if youre into that kind of thing...) 

Kids love stamps because stamps are fun! And the coolest, cutest (handmade!) rubber stamps are to be found at etsy shop Memi The Rainbow. Ive had my eye on this seven-piece Ice Cream Changing Faces set for months now. The cupcake, cloud, and galactic sets are good choices, too! $25 or less a set.

The collection of kids literary T-shirts at Out of Print is full of classics. And for every shirt purchased, Out of Print will donate one book to a community in need, and support childrens literacy initiatives in America. Choose their favorite book, or yours, $22 each.  

Speaking of classics... how much chicer will her dollhouse look when filled with these miniature mid-century designer chairs? For the girl with great taste who has everything. $54 per set at Poketo. 

Simply provide the complete address upon which you would like your map to be based, and BoardStiff will create for you an easy-to-clean vinyl street map mat of your very own neighborhood (presumably using the magic of googlemaps?) From $28.50. What a good idea!

A friend of ours gifted Felix these good citizenship flashcards, and I love them! Theyre all about teaching an encouraging children to be polite, friendly, and responsible, for themselves and their communities. The story-book style illustrations are really sweet, too. For $11.95, its a gift for the child, and the parents, too!

If youve never heard of him, Blexbolex is a seriously cool french illustrator, and author of several seriously cool quasi-childrens books. His latest, People, is a simply-illustrated and highly conceptual word book like no other--though, due to some of its darker imagery, its somewhat controversial; the wildly popular Seasons is a tamer alternative. Get them for around $13 on amazon. 

How perfectly precious is this little Mouse in a Box!? Standing a mere four inches high, each comes in their very own vintage-looking matchboxes, complete with bedding. Their adorable little clothes are removable, too, and have a little hole for the tail! So sweet. Choose from brother or sister, $26.75 each at Huset. 

If Id been a stronger swimmer, I would have been so jazzed to receive one of these Oceanika Merfins packages as a kid. Theyre not cheap, but for $189 you get a merfin, a dreamy fish-scale print bikini top and bottom, and a matching pair of waterproof leggings. In coral pink or aqua marine. All the way from Australia!

This inflatable, astronaut-view globe is three feet wide! How cool is that? $37 from Ultimate Globes. 

Happy Shopping, everyone! 

for the baby

Doesnt felix look adorable in this Helvetica Initial onesie? They also come in a long-sleeved lap tee, which he also has (in G). Oddly enough, this one still fits, eight months later... $12.50-$13.50 at American Apparel. 

Speaking of adorable stuff Felix wears, I highly recommend these Little Life toddler daysacks. They come in lots of different animals--turtle, bumble bee, dinosaur, cow, clownfish--for around $35 on amazon. Theyre durable, adorable, and the perfect size for new wakers. Felix loves his!

How sweet would these loopzart animal prints look hanging in a nursery? Choose from an upper-and-lower-case alphabet, counting, or colors print (which comes in english, french, german, spanish, and italian) for $15 each, or for only $23, you can have a custom name print made. Find them in the loopzart nursery shop.  

I love all the board books in the Mini Masters series, by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober. The text is short and sweet, and they each focus on a master of modern or impressionist art. You can get them new on amazon for about $7 each, or for $13.59 you get this giftable set, which includes Degas, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Monet--felixs personal favorite!

But if its a mini master chef youre raising, this $15 set of wooden baking tools is the perfect thing for them to play with--or chew on, depending on the age of the baby in question. Plan Toys has lots of great food toy sets like this one (how adorable is this wooden toaster?) ... but dont bother with the pots and pans, since hell just end up playing with your real ones, anyway. 

Serve up whatever dish they prepared in one of these three piece Beatrix Potter enamelwear dish sets, in Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, or Mr. Jeremy Fisher. For some reason, enamel dishes seem giftier to me than melamine, and love the artwork on these. The bowl even comes with its own plastic lid, perfect for travel. $39.98 each from Magic Cabin.  

This set of snack-and-stack utensils, by Fred & Friends, hits all your bases: its useful, baby-friendly, durable, portable, and fun. The soft silicon handles are so easy for a baby to use, and its so convenient the way they stack together like that! Theyre about $12 on amazon, and would make a great baby stocking stuffer!

Another good combination of practical and fun, this wale bath pod turns into a scoop to collect all of babys bath toys, for easy draining and storage. And you can use it to hold the bubblebath. Plus its adorable! Get it in white, grey or blue, for $34.99, at Boon. 

If they dont already have a set of these wooden ABC blocks, they need one. Baby will be occupied for hours, and this is definitely a toy that grows with them. You can find lots of versions, but Im partial to the artwork and color scheme of this set, by Maxim. $22.69 for forty blocks and hours of playtime. 

How amazing is this wooden rocking rabbit, by Björn Dahlström? With its solid wood construction,   floppy leather ears, and classic design, this is sure to be a favorite toy for generations to come, making it well worth the $165 pricetag (if you can afford it). It comes in red or black, and I just can not decide which is my favorite! 

tomorrow: gifts for the child

(the last installment!)

for the sweetie

When you buy a set of these Best Friends hats--made by Band of Outsiders, for the Neiman Marcus + Target holiday collaboration--you get a gift for you, and a gift for them! Because youre besties! Available at Neiman Marcus or Target, $29.99 for the set (why not wrap it in this besties paper, while youre at it?!)

These wishing bracelets are so sweet: made of semi-precious stones on little pieces of string, you tie them on and make a wish. When they fall off, your wish comes true! At $16, theyre a good secret santa gift, or for someone you love but cant afford to gift more extravagantly. 

And because nothing says I Love You like a heart, check out this sweet little leather make-up pouch, for $28 from American Apparel. It comes in a dozen different color combinations, so you can pick her favorite. (Alternatively/additionally, how about this coordinating leather heart key chain, which also comes in a zillion colors) 

This Hello There stationary set is cute--but thanks to the navy-and-coral color scheme, not too cute. But still, very cute. And the best way to ensure she actually writes you back... I really think people should  be sending more mail. $13 for five notecards and five envelopes at Sparrow Nest Script. 

How about this sweet little initial heart locket, $18 at Urban Outfitters. Go ahead and put a little pic of yourself inside before you give it to her, if you want!

This kiss-clasp Pochi-Mon purse, made from a unique suede-like silicon, is bigger than you probably think it is--at about eight inches square, its perfectly clutch sized. And in black, I think it looks really sweet and elegant, in an unusual way. But you can get it in other colors, too. $34 at P+G Designs.

Smiths rosebud salve is the best lipbalm in the whole world. You can use it as a cuticle cream, too! And the packaging is such a good mix of romantic and old-timey medicinal. This gift set includes three flavors--strawberry, original rose, and minted rose--and comes in an adorable gift tin, for $13.45.   

With their beautifully designed cover illustrations, and for only around $5 each, any one of the twenty volumes in the Penguin Great Food series would make a great gift. Or for $75-ish, you can give the entire collection! 

All of the mittens in Kate Spades Big Apple collection are good and gifty... and super expensive! But you can find a lot of them brand new on Ebay, for a seriously lower price. For example, this Air Quotes pair (my favorite) goes for as low as $25.99.

These vintage gold-plated wishbone earrings from the 70s are so sweet and teey-tiny--5mm x 4mm, to be exact--And I love them! Available in limited supply for $14, from diamentdesigns (they only had eight pairs when last I checked!)  

Finally, what could be sweeter than chocolate? Made by the expert, fourth-generation candy makers at Goumas Confections, no less. Visit their website for more options, or call the store  at 740-364-0365 to place an order. Based in Ohio, they ship world-wide, and offer complimentary gift wrap, too! (the english toffee and sea salt caramels are to die for--or try the chocolate-covered potato chips!)

tomorrow: gifts for the baby