An ode to the season of heat…the ultimate road trippin’ summer set playlist loaded with lots of oldies and some new goodies, perfect for parties or long rides on the open highway…
Load up the iPod, gather your friends, get out the map, throw caution and inhibitions into the wind…Jack Kerouac would be so proud.
I’ve always been drawn to glass. From my ridiculous collection of wine goblets and barware to blown glass home accessories and sculptures bursting with vivid pops of color. So what better way to nourish my glass obsession than wearing it?
Kathleen Plate may not be a household name, but her work, Smart Glass, is. This remarkable jewelry line was way ahead of its eco time. She’s cutting edge, creative, and yes, very, very smart.
Photo illustration courtesy of The Economist
I wonder what William Randolph Hearst would think about the notion of blogging. Would Ernest Hemingway have traded his typewriter for a laptop with a super fast wireless connection to update his loyal readers with his latest musings…
Went to the cellar. Drank three liters of wine. I lost all track of time. Stopped by Sloppy Joe’s. Had a conversation with some guy, called himself Danny. He showed me the contents of his knapsack. They included an elephant tusk, British pounds, swatches of fabric woven from the Incas and a withered photograph of him as a young boy, sitting in the front seat of his father’s Hudson Hornet. After that, I headed home to pet the cats.
I’ve been thinking about journalism a lot lately. I guess you could say that I’ve been a part of the industry since birth – my father was a print journalist – a reporter in the Army and later a public affairs officer. I loved hearing him talk about covering 1967’s Six- Day War or transporting high-profile prisoners to Ft. Leavenworth. I just knew that I would eventually follow suit. And I did. I graduated in 2000 with my B.S. in Broadcast from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas (on the six-year plan).
I remember my father saying how broadcast was the next step in the industry (it sounds archaic to even say less than a decade later). So, in theory, print bred broadcast (TV and radio), which bred online, which bred blogs. And so it goes.
Everything old is new again, and so it goes. Maybe it’s the economy, maybe it’s the fact that formulaic “reality” television has run its course as a source of entertainment. But, suddenly, I’m seeing everything in retro with a resurgence in all things mid-twentieth century, and women taking up knitting, sewing and the iconic Potluck supper.
Here are the trends making the retro rounds…
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Do you have a place in your mind that represents paradise to you? Although I lived on Oahu for a short time when I was quite young, Hawaii occupies that place for me. Hawaii holds such a dear place in my heart and mind but, it’s an image forged within the mind of a child; and so I wonder if the place that the little girl remembers truly exists? Yet I have this fear that if I went back, I would never leave.
Several years ago, I read West of Then by Tara Bray Smith when it was first published. It is the story of a mother and daughter’s journey in that Hawaiian paradise; a story so remarkable and so profound that it became etched in my mind, so much so that I wanted to talk to the woman behind the book. I am so honored to say that this week’s culture piece is an interview with this fantastic author, where she talks writing, family and of course, our shared adoration of magical Hawaii.
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It’s pretty inspiring to meet people who do what they love, and if what they love has taken them off the beaten path, even more so. My friend Melissa Simmons does just that. She manages musician Edwin McCain as president of Harrington Management. You might remember McCain’s 1993 hit, “I’ll Be,” better known as the first dance wedding song anthem. But, he’s so much more than that…a platinum-selling singer songwriter who crosses into folk, soul, and rock genres seamlessly – and a nice guy to boot.
This summer marks her 10th year working with Edwin and I recently spoke to her about the ever-changing music business, memorable travel, and of course, those pesky groupies. And just to amp up the coolness factor in a bit more – Melissa’s in Japan right now…for her job. Jealous.
In On the Road – Jack Kerouac’s defining work of the beat generation – the existential query, “What’s your road, man?” served as a siren song that lured thousands to answer the call of the open road, leaving the establishment behind in search of new meaning.
Beat Studies Productions - an Atlanta-based independent hip-hop label, like Kerouac, calls out the establishment (the hip-hop one) on its complacency when it comes to the commercialization of the genre. Beat Studies is paving a new road for a new generation of hip-hop artists who want to make what founder B.J. Alden calls “intelligent music.”
One of those artists is SIMP (a.k.a Duran Butler). For the record, SIMP is just about the freshest thing to sprout out of the South since, well, the Dogwood.
Here’s my enlightening Q&A with SIMP.
Design*Sponge is one of my favorite go-to websites when it comes to matters of the home. Its before and after projects have stunning results, always teach me something and make me have enough confidence to believe I can actually tackle some jobs around the house myself.
In addition, I’m always inspired by the images on the site – from vials of sand or spices used as decoration, or cool fabrics to breathe life in a struggling piece of furniture; the concept is all Grace Bonney. I had a chance to connect with its founder from her locale in Brooklyn and I’m so happy I did. Q&A follows…
You just might know Emily Schuman. Maybe you heard her name via the amazing fashion advice she gives in Glamour.com’s Smitten column. Or maybe you caught a glimpse of her “working” in the background of The Hills reruns. Or possibly you know her as I know her – as Cupcakes and Cashmere – her fashion blog, where she combines frugal finds mixed with high-end design.
I’ve been a fan of her site for a while now, and wanted to share a bit of it with you…so, here’s the Q&A with the Los Angeles chic lady herself – where we talk food, flea markets, and spotting fakes.
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I’ve always had a special appreciation for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations – my top three reasons:
1. One of my nieces was born on this day…she’ll be celebrating with shamrock shaped birthday cakes and green Bud Light (post-21, of course) for the rest of her life. Happy 3, E.
2. One of my best friends was born and raised in Dublin – she and her family are just about some of the dearest people I’ve ever met.
3. The first St. Patrick’s Day my husband and I spent as a married couple we were at an all day pub crawl – I kept complaining about side ache – he told me to just keep drinking – some 12 hours later we realized I was having an appendicitis. Oh, and apparently, I’m HILARIOUS on morphine. Good times.
So, in honor of the Irish, I’ve put together a playlist of my favorite artists from the Emerald Isle.
Since 2000, the WWII-era propaganda images that appeared on a number of posters loosely known as the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ series have been experiencing a steady resurgence in popularity. The original poster, produced in 1939, is a perfect reflection of the then and now-famous power of British resolve with those five simple words – keep calm and carry on – neatly typed beneath an image of the royal crown. Although there were others, and I love them all, this one is my favorite with its simple message to not panic. It’s an image I want to wrap myself in daily and one that is currently striking a resounding cord with people around the globe.
While the original poster was mass-produced (it’s said that 2.5 million were made), it never saw the light of day; two others that were also created suffered a similar fate. And they might have remained hidden in the proverbial closet except for one man who, it has been reported, found one of the posters in a box of old books he bought at auction. That discovery was then copied and eventually led to it being featured as a holiday gift item in a British newspaper supplement – and the imagery took off.
So what was the original intention of the series and why the strong connection to it now, some seventy years later?
I got the opportunity to interview the amazing Hayley Thwaites and Lucas Lepola of the Keep Calm Gallery in London. The gallery is run online, out of their home and features not only the ‘Keep Calm’ prints, but several other propaganda posters as well. Below is the interview, where we talk art and politics. Both, I think, are perfectly socially acceptable dinner party conversation.
Pop life. Everybody needs a thrill. Pop life. We all got a space to fill.
This is my space to fill and I can’t help but fill some of it with music. After I chose the name danapop I kept coming across songs with the word “pop” in the title or lyrics. One day while brainstorming with my graphic designer (the fabulous Kristen Alden) when the site was still in its peanut of an idea phase that morphed into the idea for a pop playlist. A few of these songs’ lyrics made it to the site’s sidebar menu, but so many others that I love didn’t survive the necessary design cut.
So now that we’re up and running, here’s the extended playlist for you to enjoy – a token of my affection and appreciation for the fabulous readers and those in my life who’ve supported every step of this crazy mess of a concept. So, pop your collar, pop the champagne, and just keep it poppin’.
While I won’t admit to being a full-fledged product junkie, I have been known to blow a perfectly good afternoon wandering through the aisles of Sephora or Ulta.
That’s why I’m surprised that I’m likely the last person to find out about this rocking company called Bella il Fiore…the company is one part makeup, one part lingerie, one part bath and body – all parts hip and girlie. The perfect posting for any pre-Valentine’s Day gift hint lists.
Bella il Fiore founder Jennifer Maloy and I had the opportunity to chat – here’s the Q&A.
Most of the time, I try to let the experts guide me when it comes to what’s in my closet. Because if left to my own accord, I might end up wearing up wearing a pair of jeans, a tank top and Havaianas everyday (not the worst thing in the world, I suppose).
My fashion reference bibles are Nina Garcia’s The Little Black Book of Style and Rachel Zoe’s Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour. One thing that both Garcia and Zoe agree on is to pay the bucks for wardrobe classic staples and spend less on trendier items. The theory is that if you invest in the good stuff, the styles will eventually come back around and you can rewear them because they’re that well made and classic. I was thrilled to be enlightened to read that shoes are in fact, a staple.
So about those shoes…a friend of mine went to high school with Monica Favela, designer and owner of Gigi Favela, purveyors of to-die-for gorgeous Italian shoes. Using the six degrees of Kevin Bacon method and the magic of email, I scored an interview. Here’s the Q&A.
Drew Barrymore’s sartorial wink and a nod to the Valley of the Dolls at the Golden Globes last week made me realize it’s a good time to talk about that literary gem. I finally got around to reading it recently. Now, I see what all the fuss is about.
Valley of the Dolls is loaded – with sex (and more sex), celebrity, and of course, all those dolls (for those of you who are still wondering – dolls are pills) – all chewed up and spit out by the sacrificial beast of Hollywood. Upton Sinclair, it’s not – nor does it even try to fake it – it’s just true chick-lit all in its delicious glory. All those authors out there with their cotton-candy pink-hued book jacket covers could learn a thing or two from Jacqueline Susann about how to write a timeless piece of fiction. A piece of fiction so great you fly through it over a weekend (preferably a weekend where you’ve stocked up on a couple bottles of wine to compliment the reading – dolls optional).
