For Those of You Who Like MST3K,

Dylan and I quote this one all the time. The commentary is funny, yeah, but the actual clip is awesome too. Remember kids, "Always wash your hair on the same day every week!" and don't forget, "You're not clean if your fingernails aren't!" 

Extra points if you get the subtle Fonzie reference. :)

This Makes Me So Happy

There are a dozen reasons to love this movie clip: it's general vintage appeal, for example, or the 4 year old hula prodigy. Watch it! I swear it'll make you smile.

I originally was introduced to this by my History of Music professor, who used the short as an example of how classical music can be used to great effect in film. If you keep that in mind as you watch, you'll be thinking no kidding! just like I was.

Shiny

Found at TopShop

Mmm. Vintage-esque eyewear with horn-rimmed detailing. Shiny.

Curious About the History of Wedding Cake?

While I don't know why anyone would volunteer to read a 12 pg research paper just for fun, Piece of Cake: The Revolution of American Wedding Confection, is now available if you wish to read it.

Photo by Eliot Elisofon for LIFE magazine, 1942.

Please note that my paper isn't perfect; I'm just an undergrad and I don't care too much. Also, I apologize for its dry nature. If I'd been able to include all of my fun research, this would have been WAY more interesting. Apparently scholarly writing only includes authoritative-mumbo-jumbo and is limited to facts that impact your thesis. *eyeroll.* I think for AurelianBall I'll include an addendum with random tidbits. Stuff like this:

DID YOU KNOW:
Queen Victoria's wedding cake was 10 ft wide, and 300 lbs, but
Queen Elizabeth II's wedding cake was 9 ft high, and 500 lbs?


...the best part is that I know why Victoria's was tall and Elizabeth's was wide! Ahem.Exercising restraint. Must stop gushing.

History Rhymes

Jason Powell has done remarkable work with his "Looking Into the Past" set on Flickr. Using Library of Congress photos, he has gone to where they were taken and posed their images over where the present now stands. It's incredible.


This one is my favorite.

Guessing Game #2 - Clue #2

Same kids, different get-up. Recognize them yet, Mom?

I Like Brussels Lace

...because it looks like frost and snow.

Circle Skirt

Found at TrashyDiva

Poppies! Dig it.

I'm Back & Don't Forget Your Corset

May I be so fortunate as to wear this dress... if only in fantasy land*.

I'm back! Safe in the land of altitude! I had so much fun while I was away and I'll tell you all about it. But before I talk about my trip I'd like to address the subject of humidity in summer heat.

I don't think humidity is as terrible as people claim, WHEN and ONLY WHEN there is a slight breeze to accompany it (then the moisture feels cool on your skin, etc etc,) or you're in the open air (again with the air circulation thing). If however, you are standing in a stagnant, enclosed space --say, my sister's sun-room in Houston-- it may be difficult to breathe and you'll feel sick to your stomach.

But outside in the summer heat, do I find direct sunlight with no humidity to filter out the sun's death rays of I-will-incinerate-you-on-the-asphalt-if-you-even-think-of-leaving-the-shade more oppressive than humidity's good-afternoon-step-outside-and-I'll-steam-every-wrinkle-from-your-khaki-linen-pants? Yes. Yes, I do. Now I can hear what my parents are thinking. They're thinking that I didn't get to feel humidity when it was hot enough, but you know what? I still don't buy it. Dry heat is worse.

Try Arizona. I have a friend working for a roofing company down there, and after the heat-rays reflect from any given surface you get the heat not once but twice, and you are literally scalded by the sun.

During my way down to Texas my sister's family and I stopped at Four Corners. Man was that hot. Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot with all capital H hhhhhhhhawts. Way worse than Houston was.

Final Verdict: dry heat is easier to escape from than humidity; all you need is shade, whereas with humidity you have to find an air-conditioning unit. But if you're just gonna get chucked outside for a few hours, left alone to the elemental power of summertime heat, dry heat will kill you faster.


Bet you're wondering why I posted the picture of that delicious Victorian gown? For just a moment, pretend you're in the 1860's. Take whatever awful summer symptoms you're suffering and add petticoats, bloomers, a shift, stockings, a hoop skirt, and of course--a corset. Poof! We've just made summer worse!

Summon the tone of voice the alien uses on Galaxy Quest to describe the fate of the Gilligan's Island folk--"those poor people"-- and you'll have it just about right to describe ye olde populace. In those clothes, and under the skirts they wore, there would be no escape from humidity wherever you went. Talk about grim, grisly, greusome! Sounds more like dead, deathly, and dying to me.


Perhaps you were thinking that you'd get away without a corset? That you could escape its fate? Many think corsets weren't necessary and that they just gave people a smaller waist. No. That's not it. At least that's not all of it. Corsets also provided bust support (which, when you have a bust, is quite necessary to be comfortable for long periods of time, thank you very much). Don't forget your corset.

*I've visited this dress several times in fantasy land. Not to be a southern belle; if I were going to be a debutante in my head I'd be wearing a frilly, frothy, shoulder-revealing silk piece involving any number of ruffles. Yes, Kaylie, ruffles. But when I first saw this dress I instantly thought it carried the exact description of the plain dress Beauty wears in Robin McKinley's book Beauty, A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast, after refusing a ball gown out of fear of looking drab in a fancy dress. Ahhhh, what clever enchantments books are. Fantasy land is a lovely thing.

Shopping With Mom

Dear Mom,

If I could, today I'd take you and Miss Kate to FuzzotFurniture to browse. I know just what would happen! Together we would critique and salivate, you and Kate would explain to me how everything was built, and then we'd turn a corner, collectively gasp at something and say "ooooh, that's a great piece."

Old Radio Show

If mystery radio shows were still on the air, I might be tempted to "forget" my ipod when I drive. Who could forget that deep announcer voice (with incredible diction especially for the airwaves) when he said,

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Who knows? The Shadow knows ... "

*aaaaaaand... cue Saint-Saens' theme music*

Shine Like a New Penny

Lincoln is the only person to be featured on a US coin for more than 100 years. His face was first featured in 1909, the 200th anniversary of his birth.


For the 150th birthday anniversary, the Lincoln Memorial penny was completed. I'm going to miss it; it was my favorite coin.


2009 is --you guessed it-- his 200th birthday, and this year these four penny designs will be issued. Have you seen them yet? I just saw the log-cabin this morning (which is how I found out about the new pennies in the first place).




According to Wikipedia, "in 2010, the cent's reverse will be redesigned again, with a new, permanent design being released into circulation. The redesign will bear an image that is emblematic of Lincoln's preservation of the United States as a single and united country. Lincoln will remain on the obverse, though a new obverse design is possible."

I really hope the 2010--foreseeable future penny isn't hideous.

Politically Correct

In 1949 the Crayola factory first produced the "flesh" colored crayon. Civil rights actions led to the company changing the color's name to "peach" in 1962. Isn't that just peachy.


For more history of discontinued crayons, visit the factmonster.

Um, no. The Retro Version.

Do you ever see or hear something that causes you double take and say, that's just not okay? Yes. That's what I call the "um, no" moment. Here's a few I stumbled on recently. 

How to be what you think other people want, aka how to NOT be yourself.

What phrase you should not use as the title of your album. Not everyone will think you're referring to the "Sounds-of-the-Sabbath."

How to wear hair three sizes larger than an your head on a record cover. 

How to create propaganda--  wait. Just... okay. Um, no. 

Almost Perfect? Too bad.

"Her mouth? Delicate. Her cheeks? Blush pink. Her eyes? Alluring. Too bad she's bald." Ahaha! I haven't been able to stop laughing since I saw this.  I just can't get over the stare he's giving her. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you meet someone who's almost perfect for you, but there's just that one thing you can't ignore? Well. Here's my suggestion. The next time you face that situation just smile and remember this; I guarantee your sides will split in no time. 

Also no, this picture has nothing to do with cancer victims. It's an advertisement for a product called "hairgreaux." Ahahhahhaa-- I still can't stand it. It's just too funny. 

Well Deserved

I almost posted about these costumes when I saw the movie months ago, but decided that nobody would actually care about them, so I hesitated. However, I still had the file and decided to post them. Good thing too, they're lovely! Please note the ruching on the day dresses, and observe the button holes on everything-- that my friends, is called detail. 

Rarely do the Oscars give the golden boy to the movie that deserved it; this year they rightly chose THE DUCHESS for best costume design; every wardrobe piece was perfectly suited to each scene and character, and was beautiful period work as well, the hats too. (The wigs were also good, but "Amazing Grace" still takes the cake for wigs, the exception being Georgiana's towering wig! That really was a piece of work. Anyway.) 

Before I forget, I must mention three more things. #1. The soundtrack is unforgettable, stunning work that I loved just from the trailer. #2. There is more emotion in this movie than most I've seen in the last three years. #3. I cannot bear to see this film again. Its thematic storyline is awful, horrible, no good, very bad, depressing, and tortuous. That being said, it is an excellent piece of film: well executed, witty, and dramatic. 

Reaching high vertically (importantance) and horizontally (perfection), THE DUCHESS scores high on the J. Evans Pritchard, PhD scale. "Showing the [movie] to be truly great..." 

OPEN PICTURES IN NEW WINDOW TO VIEW LARGER. ELSE YOU WILL MISS THE POINT OF THE EXERCISE BY NOT SEEING THE DETAIL WORK. THIS MEANS YOU!

Knit Cobalt

It reminds me of Kitty in the movie Exodus.

Tap Dancing On Roller Skates

I'm always surprised to find out how many people have never heard of this--Gene Kelly tap danced on roller skates. It's really cool! And I even like the song he's singing.

YES, Matt and Heather, I like to post youtube vids. Apologies if you find the quantity annoying. The whole point of this blog is so I can share fun stuff. This qualifies. :)

Movie Classics: GiGi, 1958

"Bad table manners, GiGi have broken more households than infidelity."
"You look like an organ grinder's monkey!"
"It sometimes happens that rather than being married at once... we are married at last."
[Gaston, do you make love all the time?] "Good heavens, no! The only people who make love all the time are liars."

I love this movie; it's so funny!Thoroughly recommended, naturally. It's set in turn of the century Paris, but made in the 50's, so the clothes are not entirely accurate (but nevertheless scrumptious!) and the music is cheesy, but also tongue-in-cheek. It's not your ordinary movie-musical; fast-forward through two of the songs and there's no reason for distaste. You'll love it!

Smoke Silk Frock

Given half a chance, I would wear this. Isn't it gorgeous? And the color would look so good on me! Ooooh, with deep blue crystal jewelry.... SO pretty.