Angel from Hell

I caught about ten minutes of, I think, the second episode of this show and was in absolute stitches. Jane Lynch (adore her) is at it again and funnier than ever before. I hope this show is an enormous success and continues to bring the laughs in a big, big way. Can't wait to try and get caught up!

(photo kidnapped from toptvshows)

Trumbo

(photo kidnapped from mposter)

Netflix, knowing full well of my love of documentary films, recommended this to me and I finally got around to bumping it up in my queue. Clearly I had heard of Dalton Trumbo years ago and knew of him from the HUAC hearings and his being on the blacklist. Hearing and seeing Trumbo's letters being read and re-enacted were a wonderful way to demonstrate his incredible way with words as well as his ability to  convey emotion  and sentiment so eloquently. Just a superb documentary.
 

Carmen Agra Deedy

Good storytelling is crafting a story that someone wants to listen to. Great storytelling is the art of letting go.

(photo kidnapped from clatl)

Yarn

The Stray Cats - I Won't Stand in Your Way
Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
Frank Sinatra - The Last Dance
Johnny Mathis - Didn't We
Elvis Presley - Love Me
Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know ('96 Grammy's)
Bobby Darin - Beyond the Sea
Nikka Costa - Everybody's Got Their Something
Tommy Edwards - It's All in the Game
Duran Duran - Planet Earth
Antony & the Johnsons - Man is the Baby
Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea
Billy Squier - Rock Me Tonite
Bryan Ferry - Slave to Love
George Michael - Hand to Mouth
Oasis - Acquiesce
Brian Setzer - Malagueña
The Coral - Goodbye 
The Heartbeats - A Thousand Mile Away

(Spring 2005)

The Dalai Lama's Wisdom!

When I see beings of wicked nature oppressed by violent misdeeds and afflictions, may I hold them dear, as if I had found a rare and precious treasure.

Achieving this way of thinking is the nearest thing to impossible, but I'm trying...

(photo kidnapped from tibet)

Seeing someone...

(saw this quote in December of 2013 and still think it's pretty damn fantastic.)

Kindness

If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world.

This quote from Deepak Chopra gives me pause and makes me think that I need to always do my best to push aside nasty thoughts towards others and take the path towards grace. It's so easy to sit back and be cruel and make snarky comments, and believe me, I am so guilty of this, but I think I should write this quote out and post it in my house as a reminder that being kind is the best way to live your life.

Don Pietro

It is not difficult to die well, the difficult thing is to live right.

-from Rome, Open City

(photo kidnapped from jonathanrosenbaum)

Budsies

Oh-mi-god, have y'all seen this?? They take your drawings and turn them into stuffed animals. How freakin' awesome is that???!!

Things That Make Me Happy

In my Steal Like an Artist journal there was a section telling me to ask someone what to do with the blank page. Isabella told me to write down the things that make me happy, so here they are for me to share with you!

Daydreaming
planning an adventure
working OHD
Maria Bamford
spending time with:
-Xavier
-Ashlee
-Bishop
-Bella
-Kayla
-Jaeden
-Marina
sleeping
days off
yummy guilt-free eating
shopping online
making someone laugh
reading old emails from Bryan
writing on my blog
losing weight
gaining better health
smoking cigarettes
genuine hugs
driving
getting mail (letters!)
inspiring conversations
kindness - kind people
kind acts
coming home to a clean house
being pain-free
listening to great music
watching movies or fab TV shows!
Jonathan & Jennifer Hart
being perfectly warm (not hot)
seeing my toenails painted
laughing til I cry (w/Marina)
The Onion
reading a really good book
John Waters!!
Blackbird Pizza & Govinda's
getting and giving massages
hope
admiring the male figure...
long, hot baths
amazon.com
Valenzano Cranberry White Wine
choc. chip cookies
audiobooks!
walking around Antwerpen
feeling like a local in Dublin
Hugh Jackman on Broadway
clear skin
taking a great picture
reading my blogs!
Tim Commerford...
visiting museums
Tom Waits' voice
finishing something
letting go of things
cool bookshops
food shopping!!

Port Richmond

I can see the house from here!

(The floor in the Atwater Kent Museum has an enormous map of the city of Philadelphia!)

Classic Roller Rink Mix!

Chic - Good Times
The Gap Band - Burn Rubber
Dazz Band - Let It Whip
Candi Stanton - Young Hearts Run Free
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster
Journey - Don't Stop Believin'
Whodini - The Freaks Come Out at Night
Karen Young - Hot Shot
Shannon - Let the Music Play
Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
Newcleus - Jam On It
Melanie - Brand New Key
Rick James - Super Freak
The Commodores - Brick House
Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall 2
Donna Summer - Last Dance

-  16 April 2009

Tiny House Inspiration

Ever since I first learned of Tiny Houses I thought, "Hmmm....I seriously need to ditch my condo and get me a tiny house on wheels..." There are so many fabulously charming wee lil' homes to see and this one just seemed so super cute.

(photos kidnapped from houzz)

Fuck You Invasion

This painting seriously makes me laugh out loud. The title alone is just hysterical. So glad that I re-watched Beauty Is Embarrassing recently. I hadn't seen it since October of 2013 and I'd nearly all but forgotten about Wayne White and his humour and brilliance. Wayne reminded me a lot of Bryan. They have the same silly and vivacious spirit. Plus the beard and the banjo...

(photo kidnapped from imgur)

This will be mine.

As god is my witness, I shall own this dress and leave cars screeching in my wake as I strut my stuff.

(FAB dress created by versaeyecandy)

Mr. Rickman

Here are my top ten favourite films of a multifaceted performer who first swept me off my feet when he played Colonel Brandon back in '95. (God, he was wonderful.) Oh, and if you haven't had a chance to see Snow Cake, please check it out. Great performances by all and a unique story. Definitely my fave of Alan Rickman's films. It's so sad to think that he's left the earth and taken his gorgeous voice with him...

Snow Cake
Sense and Sensibility
Galaxy Quest 
Perfume
Bottle Shock
Something the Lord Made
Die Hard
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Love Actually
A Little Chaos 

(photo kidnapped from hogsmeade)

Brian and Drew

Do y'all remember this movie? Well, that fella there, the director and star of the film, is Brian Herzlinger and he was my senior year of high school class president and the homecoming king. It was so crazy to see him again, only on the big screen. Not sure where he is or what he's up to now, but he always seemed like a sweet guy - hope he stayed that way!

(ps - Brian was such a huge Spielberg fan that he managed to convince our principal to have everyone in the senior year class of '94 go to the local movie theatre (where Brian worked) and gave us a private screening of Schindler's List. How cool is that?)

Jeepin' It

One of my favourite memories from my trip to Armenia in 2013 was when we rode in the jeep through the mountains in Cocora. On the way back Mario and I stood up in the back and I had the opportunity to snap tons of photos. It was so cool just to take it all in and realise that I was in South America. Everything was so gorgeous and serene. Mario, sweetie that he is, snapped a pic of me goofing off. It's still one of my favourite shots of me ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Cavett

A word to members of the male sex: should you ever feel the urge to send a picture of your genitals via text message to a female - suppress it.

Recipe to Get Well Fast

I pretty much never get sick. And by that I mean, I get sick maybe twice a year and it is always a sore throat and stuffy nose. No flu or anything crazy, just a regular common cold. I have that now and I am less than pleased about it. Since I also never go to the doctor (unless it's my dentist, whom I adore), here is my personal remedy for the common cold. Works every time, well, for me at least...

Medicine (I am a nerd and always follow the directions on the box):

Airborne
Ibuprofen
Benadryl
Saline spray or (fun!) a Neti Pot

Drink:

Pineapple Juice
Green Tea
White Tea
HONEY!
Water (filtered, of course)
Joe Cross Mean Green Juice with extra ginger
Single Malt Scotch (in lieu of Benadryl)

Eat:

Soup
Popsicles if my throat is in agony (especially Chloe's Fruit Pops in Chocolate!)

Watch a classic Nick at Nite lineup of:

The Dick Van Dyke Show
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
All in the Family
Taxi
Maude
Bosom Buddies
Three's Company
M*A*S*H
WKRP in Cincinnati
Sledge Hammer
Moonlighting (mostly season one)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
and just because I love it and it makes me super happy, Pushing Daisies.

If I focus on convincing myself that I feel healthy and laugh as often as possible I soon find myself on the mend. Oh, and I almost forgot - I always use my humidifier!! Now that's nerdy.

Bowie

I am completely and totally stunned. Bishop gave me his copy of Black Star last night to check out (by the way it is brilliant) and this morning I awoke to find that David Bowie is gone. It's just so unbelievably sad. So, so very sad.

(gorgeous photograph kidnapped from consequenceofsound)

(post script - Bishop sent me an email with this lovely statement from Elvis Costello. It's beautiful and I wanted to share it and save it here:

The right words would be written in ink on card, not to be seen suddenly and brutally, like the news. In acknowledgement, the lights on this particular, peculiar little theatre will be lowered for a while. With deepest gratitude and respectful condolences to the family and friends of a truly great artist, beautiful melodist and elegant gentleman.

Elvis Costello is nothing if not a true class act. This brief message from him made both Bishop and myself get very, very weepy.) 

John Adams

I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematicks and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce, and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry, and Porcelaine.

- Letter to Abigail Adams, May 12, 1780

This quote has been slightly misquoted from time to time, but summed up beautifully as I am a warrior so that my son may be a merchant and his son may be a poet. Pretty spectacular stuff.

(photo kidnapped from biography)

Overheard...

...at the office: a mid-thirty something fella wearing khaki floods with duck-like feet was walking from the cafeteria and using his shoulder to press his cell phone to his ear. He was sort of pear shaped and wore Dwight Schrute eyeglasses and kinda looked like Garrett from Community. In short, he was adorable. As I walked past him I heard him say, "We can watch some Star Wars tonight. I'll hook up the Apple TV. Okay. Okay. All right. Love yoooou." Seriously the nerdiest and cutest convo overheard in ages!

Instant Comfort

These are so silly and adorable and I really think I need one. Grab one from kimslittlemonsters today!!

(omg - it's a polar bear with a TATTOO!!)

Cute Compliments

In clearing out all the papers and crapola I have saved over the years, I found a little slip of paper with three super cute compliments/comments that I apparently texted or emailed to Bishop, Ashlee, and Nicole. I see now why I wrote them down and since they made me smile, I'm posting them so you might enjoy them as well or perhaps steal them and pass them along to your own loved ones.

To Bishop: every moment with you is like a two week pleasure cruise...

To Ashlee: you are more caring than all the Care Bears and Care Friends in Care-A-Lot combined

To Nicole: you put the sass in sassy!

The Bitch

Bishop recommended this fabulous and fun read and so far it does not disappoint!

Pseudonyms

I recently picked up Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist journal and I loved the section where I was to create ten pseudonyms for myself. Here's what I came up with:

Cherry Riot - Roller Derby Queen
Mrs. Fleshy Fontaine - MI6 spy
Elizabeth Lawson - mid to late 18th century heroine of English Literature
Lisa Star - beloved author
Stella Aster - stage actress and silent film star
Alice "Ace" McKenna - 1930s aviator, stunt pilot, First Wave Feminist
Lucienne "Luci" Étoile - French-American artist
Violet Sangre - mid-1990s drummer in punk band
Mae MacKenzie - owner of a successful Madison Avenue ad agency in early 1960s
Lily Kiernan - feminist, activist, revolutionist, peacemaker, protester

you have so much light...

(photo kidnapped from thejoysofbeingpureatheart)

Maria Bamford

The Bamf! Oh my lord, I love this lady. She is so original and fresh and absolutely hysterically funny. Word is out that she has a Netflix show coming out (soon, I hope!!) called Lady Dynamite. My anticipation for this series is overwhelming! I hope it is a humongous success that brings her nothing but great fortune and more people to worship at her fabulous feet. MUAH! Maria, I adore you.

(fantastic photo taken by Robyn Von Swank and kidnapped from kcet)

Nicole on the Beach in Positano

Hoping for...

...a 2016 that is filled with tranquility, extraordinary health, adventure, education, prosperity, laughter, and more love. For me, mostly, but for ya'll as well!

(gorgeous photo by Rafael Rozalski - kidnapped from rrphoto)