Happy Holidays 2011!

Hooray!

Christmas totally snuck up on me this year, but that doesn't take away the overwhelming little-kid excitement I feel about the holiday.  I always use this time of year as an excuse to play my favorite Christmas song in the entire world on repeat, and if I'm lucky, to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (the claymation version).  Which I maintain as the best holiday movie ever, even over its very close second, Charlie Brown Christmas.  The Island of Misfits?  C'mon.  If that's not a timeless and comforting metaphor for the way we all feel sometimes -- different -- then I don't know what is!

I've also been thinking about a topic that's been kicking around in my head for a while now as a post idea: Volunteer opportunities in Austin.  So why not use this holiday post to talk about them, huh?

To be honest with you, I've wanted to blog about volunteering several times before here on my blog, but I never have because I feared it would be off-putting.  Like ... "you know who's cool?  Me. Because I volunteer.  Boo-yah."  This is always the way I was afraid it would come out sounding.  Self-congratulatory or something.

But Reader, I have to say that one of the greatest times I've ever had in Austin was the time I spent volunteering for Faith in Action Caregivers.  I'm not a member of any church, nor would I even call myself a Christian necessarily, but I do think of myself as a spiritual person and like to feel connected to a greater whole, in whatever faith tradition that can help accomplish that.  Thus: Me, in 2007, just having moved back to Austin, sitting on my couch bored one day and thinking of ways I could occupy my time.  So I Googled "the elderly, volunteer, Austin," and discovered Faith in Action Caregivers.  

Through them, I met a woman who would come to be a very close friend.  Her name was Ann Brown, and I loved her.  We went grocery shopping together every Saturday for a little over a year, until she had to be put into an assisted living facility.  Ann had severe Parkinson's and couldn't drive herself to H-E-B, so I picked her up and off we went to fulfill her grocery list: Coffee, eggs, pie crusts.  Ann adored baking, and sometimes let herself indulge in pre-made fillings.  "The best part about Parkinson's is, I burn off all the calories!" she'd say happily, dropping a can of cherries into our cart.

I miss Ann so much, and ever since she's been gone, I haven't been doing a whole lot with Caregivers.  I've decided to pick volunteering back up again for the holidays and 2012 because ... well.  You don't know this Reader, but I am a very, very selfish person.  Or maybe you do.  Either way, volunteering helps temper that.  Also?  I don't know what it is, but I just get a kick out of old people.  My mom worked with the elderly a lot when I was growing up, and we used to have little parties at our house for senior citizens.  That's a blog post for another day, but anyway, as a kid I felt like I had about 20 grandparents.  Which was pretty awesome.

You might have the same special feeling about animals, or kids, or the homeless.  So I've listed 15 charities + causes in Austin below that I think are neat, two of which I've personally been involved in myself (Caregivers and Ride On Center for Kids).  If you know of anymore or are involved in any yourself, please feel free to list them in the comments section.

* Happy holidays to you and yours! *

** Age of Austin // Angel House Soup Kitchen // Austin Child Guidance Center // Austin Children's Shelter // Austin Clubhouse (recovery from mental illness) // Austin Pets Alive // Blue Dog Rescue // Capital Area Food Bank of Texas // Faith in Action Caregivers // Family Eldercare // Front Steps Austin (ARCH) // Kids in a New Groove (provides private music instruction to children in foster care) // Literacy Coalition of Texas // Meals on Wheels // Ride On Center for Kids (horseback riding therapy) **

Happy Valentine's Day, Husband.

I am a sentimental fool, and everyone knows it.

When I was a kid, I very carefully decorated my Valentine's Day bag with glitter and markers, hoping-against-hope that my 4th grade crush would see fit to drop a carnation inside of it.  That was before I knew that you can't (always) get a boy's attention with glitter, and that you shouldn't (ever) hope for carnations, that most pedestrian of plants, that weed-posing-as-a-proper-flower.

I say, screw that.

I'll take Valentine's Day with its glitter, its carnations, all of its glorious tackiness!  It gives me an excuse to haul out our wedding photos, you see.

Ross and I got married up the street from our house, at the school where we met seven years ago, teaching.  The sweet woman who married us was a mother from the school.

I wore the very first dress I tried on, and was really proud of Ross for picking out his and all of the groomsmen tuxedos.  I learned why fake eyelashes are a dumb idea at your wedding, because you'll probably cry, and they'll probably fall off at some point (which mine did, in the car on the way to the reception).  But I didn't care!

Ross and I took tango lessons before the wedding, at a dance studio in a strip mall in north central Austin.  We wanted to WOW everyone with our first dance, but instead of a tango, we decided on "As Long As We've Got Each Other" instead.  I honestly don't remember dipping, despite photographic evidence ... but as you can see, the maneuver was a big hit with my mom.

Now, more self-conscious husbands might read their wife's blog blubbering on Valentine's Day and think, dear God I am taking her laptop away.

But Ross kindly puts up with it every time I gush to the whole wide Internet about how kickass I think he is.

Thank you for letting me do that, Husband!   Because it's true.  You are my best friend, you're my adventure partner, you're my favorite listener and advice-giver.  You cook me things and you say "yay Wife!" when I successfully cook something.  You sang me Elvis on our wedding day, and I just about melted into a swoony mess.   You don't roll your eyes when I cry (which is all the time), you laugh at me when I'm laughing because sometimes I get so tickled I can't talk for a few seconds.

I am your #1 biggest fan, Husband.  I love you so much!

Three firsts that happened on New Year's Day.

Not gonna lie -- this post is sappy. Venture forth if you dare!

(I told Ross he looked very Punch-Drunk Love here.)

For all of its usual resolutions, its vigorous predictions, its fireworks punctuating last year's memories and leaving an open, empty slate on which to draw new ones, this New Year's -- New Year's 2011 -- was my out-with-the-oldiest and in-with-the-newiest of all. 

On New Year's Day, two of my dearest friends had a baby.
Her name is Tallulah, her mom is an African dancer, and her dad is a drummer in Ross's band.  Both are teachers, and both have a distinct fondness for Bill Murray.  His portrait presides over their living room. 

And really, you should see Tallulah's mom.  She is a total 1970s daydream.  Dad, on the other hand, is a taller, buffer Buddy Holly.  What I'm saying is, this baby has no choice but to be a badass. 

On New Year's Day, one of Ross's oldest friends got married. 
It happened in a little living room in Grapevine, Texas.  I cried when the bride and groom kissed.  It's an unpopular time to cry.  Because at weddings, as you know and I both know, that's the Big Finish: It's happy, and it's triumphant.  (And sometimes awkward).  

But this kiss was just a teensy bit longer than most Polite Altar Kisses.  Just a few moments more, and it would have been a Make-Out Kiss, and the realness, the sincerity of it, was deeply moving to me. 

I guess I cried because you don't see a wedding kiss like that very often.

(Ross and I took that 'prom photo' above at that wedding, too).

On New Year's Day, my Mom and Dad celebrated their anniversary.
Ok, this one happens every year.  But while we're talking about births and weddings, I thought we should get ol' Tom and Christi in on the fun, too!

This is one of my favorite photos of Mom when she was my age. It's the first picture where I realized I looked like her.  Isn't that funny?  I can't tell you how many people walked up to us at the Bleet-Up and remarked on our resemblance -- "oh my Gawd, you two are the spitting image!!" -- but really, it's only been in the last year or so that I've been able to see it.  

I always joked with my Mom that she was holding her cheekbones hostage from her only daughter, nay, only child, so I'm grateful this is finally beginning to happen.  (Although the eyes that scrunch up and 98% disappear in a fit of laughter come express delivered from Dad, and I've always secretly loved that).

* * *

Man.  New Year's has a way of making a gal sentimental, non?  As do periods!  Just kidding.  (Not at all kidding). 

OH.  Before I wrap up here.  I read one of the books you all recommended back in November, Special Topics in Calamity Physics.  I haven't been gripped by a book like that in a very long time, as in, I got all up in the Amazon discussion boards and totally went to town with other obsessives.  

If you would like to borrow it, I have a copy.  I'm sure you fellow book nerds have a long list of new releases to tackle already, but really, you must read this one.  If anything so I can hold you hostage afterwards and pry crucial opinions on specific plot points out of your brain.  I mean, have a discussion group!

Home for the holidays.

I come from one of the goofiest families of all time. 

And, Christmas is one of those times when my heritage is in full effect.

This is my dad.  He has huge facial expressions.  Both he and my mom love to laugh, making them excellent subjects for Christmas morning photography. 

Here is my mom receiving a DVD for Christmas.  Note how my dad is ALREADY giggling.  What do you think the DVD is?  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?  Something starring Tim Allen?

HELL NAW.  We all watched this as a family last night.

I love my mom's facial expression here.  It's like she's saying, "aaayy, whatsa matta?"  She gave my dad a remote-controlled car for Christmas, and Ross got one, too.

Yoga kittens!

My dad gave Mom a new potato peeler, but he was so proud of it (see video below) that he posed with it for the camera.

Ross gave me a little Zoom video camera this year!  So I could more easily record shows, and display them on my blog.  Also, my parents, Ross' parents, and I pitched in to get Ross a Kindle DX, which prompted him to make fun of me and my old-fashioned paper books all night.

Me, baking.  I made someone get a camera.

Ross got concerned, so he came over to help me. 

I took a photograph of my mom's famed Cheese Grits recipe I was telling you about.
It's shockingly easy.

I don't know what my dad is doing here.

And -- below.  My first video with the Zoom camera Ross gave me.  I shot it in weird lighting!  But as you can see, my dad's exuberance over his Mom's new potato peeler cannot be repressed, even by overhead darkness.

Hips do NOT lie.

Ok Austin. This post is going to start out with a random video from the internet, but will end with you knowing your plans for tonight.

So without further ado: Please allow me, to share with you, one of the best instructional videos in the whole world. Why "best?"

A) It is about hip-rolling,
B) The way this woman moves her hips will blow your mind, and
C) While overtly sexy, she is also so oddly endearing in her communication that I can hardly stand it.


Isn't she mesmerizing on several different levels?   I mean, aside from the obvious -- her alluring, serpentine, nearly not-anatomically-logical hip movement -- it's her funny commentary that gets me, even though I don't think she means to be funny.  "I tried to type it and explain to them how to move," "I don't know how good I'm gonna be in showing you how to do it!" and "Imagine someone is pushing the hips BUT nobody pushing them."

Grin.

Anyway.  I found this video long ago when I was earnestly trying to figure out how to do a hip roll, back when this was more of a dance party blog and I had a vested interest in, well, dancing.  I have since come to peace with the fact that despite years of dance team, abundant enthusiasm regarding dance floors in general, and several proactive attempts to teach myself how to master this key dance move, it simply is not going to happen with my body. Something hasn't quite shaken loose. And by "something" I am referring to my badonkadonk.

But!  When I heard about this edgy dance troupe playing in Austin tonight and tomorrow -- LeeSaar The Company -- I couldn't help but notice the way they moved their hips. And, all their other body parts, for that matter.

This next video is part interview, part performance by the LeeSaar dancers, and reveals intriguing details: Like, the fact that this duo earned their American green cards in 2005 for excellence in performing arts (is first time I've heard of that particular route to legal immigration?), and that Harari, the man, is a former member of the Israeli army.

But if you'd like to skip to hips, vacillating, maniacally moving hips, go directly to moment 2:36.

(And, warning: At around 8:01 it shows boobies!  In an artful way of course.  But depending on your workplace that could perhaps be NSFW.)



Like whoa.

"Formed in 2000 in Israel, with varied life experiences from parachuting in Tel Aviv to directing on Broadway, company members are from Taiwan, Korea, the United States and Israel. LeeSaar’s troupe embraces various disciplines in the arts where dance and choreography collide with theater."

That's a snippet from the press release.  This weekend, LeeSaar The Company is performing outside of New York for the very first time, and they are doing it right here in Austin. That's because "Prima" -- their new show -- was accomplished in part by residences at our Fusebox Festival.

So is that a sexy date night idea or what?  And can we also praise the fact that it is free?

“Prima” by LeeSaar The Company

Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30

Begins at 8pm

The Off Center

2211 Hidalgo Street / Austin, TX 78702

Free

sponsored by testperformancetest, Fusebox Festival, PS 122 and the JCC in Manhattan.

One more thing. I was going to do a big Austin Halloween round-up, but am too lazy!  My top three choices are: Zombie Ball, Le Sang de Gitans: Gypsy Blood (at Justine's), and my friend's house, where there will be a bouncy castle.

What are yours?
...

VIVE LE FRANCE!

Happy Bastille Day, everybody!

Do any of you know what your ancestral heritage is? I believe mine is English, through and through. I always fantasized that it was French though, if just a small part, and was even under the impression that I was right. Until my dad swiftly corrected me.

"Where did you get that idea?" he said. "I believe I made it up," I confessed. Sheepishly.

But that's ok! One can still celebrate the French Revolution, even if one is not French. As a French Supporter, I choose to celebrate:

champagne,

baguettes,

chèvre cheese,

Serge Gainsbourg,

creative scarf-tying,

Julia Child's culinary training,

Coralie Clément,

Amélie,

The Triplets of Belleville,

crêpes,

Phoenix (the band),

Yelle (the girl),

a more relaxed attitude about shaving,

...and a host of other less glamorous but equally awesome things, like one of the world's best healthcare systems.

I also celebrate Justine's on the east side, and tonight, they are having a Bastille Day party!

Festivities involve big wigs, "Josephine Baker" and a guillotine!

Man. I was supposed to go to a Tiki cocktail class tonight...but wow?! This might necessitate a change of plans! 

Anyone care to be my date at Justine's?

vive le france!

(For one last kick, go to Google.fr).

Fourth of July in Austin: Eat, Play, Love.

Hey 'mericans!

What are y'all doing for the 4th of July?

This little lady is headed to a lake house. Remember how Ross is gone? His parents, my sweet-in-laws, and I are doing the 4th together, complete with burgers, boating, and babies. (Alliteration non-intentional ... but I'm rather pleased with it).

Here is one of the babies! We have twin nephews on Ross's side, and last time we got together with them, Ross tried to teach them how to play ukulele. As indicated by the instrument being pointed to.

Way too much adorableness!

Anyway, if you're an Austinite, and are sticking around town, here are three ideas I had for local 4th of July fun. Enjoy!

eat:

The Final BUNtier: 4th Annual Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest

What red-blooded Austinite doesn't have a weakness for texturized soy protein? I sure do!

In all honesty, I've wanted to go to this event every year, but I'm always out of town. Someone go, and take pictures?

play:

Everyone needs a place to watch fireworks on the 4th. And you are no exception.

Beginning at 4:00pm on Sunday, the 4th of July Celebration at Seaholm Power Plant is dishing out beer, barbeque, TexMex, and music. But most importantly, killer fireworks viewing.

Entry is free, but the food/libations are for-purchase. You can also bring a donation to benefit the cause, Anthropos Arts, which brings professional musicians into local Title I, low-income middle and high schools (primarily East Austin) to offer free music lessons, workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities to economically disadvantaged youth. That almost made me tear up just typing that.

rsvp here, where you can also find parking info.

love:

Are you cooking and/or grilling for friends? For recipe ideas, please check out my new local blog crush, The First Kitchen.

So, every once in a while, I stumble upon a blog that I frankly geek out over. This time, it's The First Kitchen. And it's written by Natalie, a college student at UT.

Now, many food blogs feature good recipes. Ditto with photography. But The First Kitchen is written by a girl cooking for herself for the first time, which feels like my experience in the kitchen, every time. Also, call me nuts, since I don't know her in real life, but Natalie seems like the type of girl I'd like to hang out with! Her posts are so funny and cute. Observe:

"The First Kitchen is more than a blog. It’s a learning process. It’s you watching me learning how to feed myself. And this week in Natalie’s learning curve: buying too much of one product and then eating nothing but said product for the entire week."

Well this is somebody I can relate to. I am constantly learning how to feed myself, with varying degrees of success, and even more unpredictable levels of culinary inspiration. Isn't it funny how some weeks, you're all, "YAY Farmer's Market! Fresh fruit smoothies and hand-tossed salads, ahoy!" And then the next week, it's back to instant oatmeal? 

Anyway, I am greatly looking forward to learning cooking techniques along with Natalie, and I hope you guys find her food blog as delightful as I do. Her roasted tomatoes in particular look like the perfect complement to your freshly-grilled burger.

happy 4th of july weekend, friends!

EASTER EGG HUNTS = UNADULTERATED AWESOME.

You guys! I am so excited it is almost Easter!!

It's such a goofy holiday that I can't help but getting a little bit giddy. It's also one of those holidays that makes me want to surround myself with children, like a creepy pseudo Miss Hannigan (except I would be nice to the children and everyone in MY orphanage would love me).

Ross and I are not parents yet, but when I see a random baby dressed up as a little duck or bunny rabbit or something else unspeakably adorable / appropriately Easter-ish, I freak out. It makes me wish that we could dress up Claudia as something cute until we DO have a baby, but unfortunately, anything we put on her would be shred into twitching pieces of unrecognizable cotton fibers. So! Gazing at pretty Easter pictures will have to do.

Here are some I've saved to my computer this week:

source

source

source

source

Another reason I love Easter is that it is my first childhood memory.  I remember walking up a wooden deck with my mom when I was about three, holding a bright purple basket, and my mom wearing a plaid purple dress. Perhaps because of this, purple has always been my favorite color.

We are going to try to find a good Easter egg hunt here in Austin this Sunday. Let me know if you hear of any!

For a thoughtful Valentine's Day: Love and transgendered eight year olds. Or: What's love got to do with it?

Talk about a post title, huh? I dare you not to read.

Below is a Valentine's Day post from GARY!, and it contains a little gift at the end from This American Life, our mutual radio show crush.

For the tender of heart, note that GARY! says this particular show made his eyes water ("that's guy for 'cry,'" he said).  Read, listen, ponder.  Then, tell us what you're thinking about love today if you like! (Me: "For dinner tonight...what outfit do I own that involves chains and/or whips?") Here's GARY!:

Well friends, today is Valentine’s Day.  Yes that’s right.  V-DAY!!!!  Which is, in my humble opinion, one of the more pointless holidays on the calendar.

Now if you think that I’m just another love-scorned guy that is hellbent on ruining Valentine’s Day for the masses, stop right there, because you would only be half right.  I actually consider myself to be somewhat of a romantic...even though this strange holiday seems intent on making half the world feel amazing, and the other half feel extremely left out.  To put it all in perspective, I thought I'd share with you guys something I heard the other day on This American Life, but first - a little background on where I'm coming from.

Now I suppose I should start out by saying, in full disclosure, that I did indeed get out of a relationship in November. This was a particularly hard two weeks for me, but I suppose one of the nice things about living in the land of logic is that given enough time, you can basically rationalize anything.  We weren’t right for each other.

If you have ever found yourself in a relationship with someone just as stubborn as you are, then you know what I’m talking about.  Our saving grace was that Dan was smart enough to actually say that we weren’t right for each other, and two weeks later, I was wise enough to realize he was right.  This is a luxury some people will go their whole lives never knowing, because most people never say anything when a problem arises.  They ignore it. It slowly festers and that one thing eventually becomes three things. And then before you know it, words are being wielded as barbed weapons that we hurl at each other with incredible fervor for the sole purpose of hurting the person we at one time loved.  And then, when it’s all said and done, we can’t even be in the same room with the person we were at one time sharing our life with.  Isn’t that insane?  Isn’t love crazy?

The short answer is yes: love IS crazy, and we all know this, and we STILL continue to search for it over and over again.  But I choose to find beauty in that insanity (see. I told you I was a romantic).

All this is important, because this is the first year that I find myself truly perplexed by St Valentine.  A day dedicated to love.  One of the things that got me thinking about an episode of This American Life I heard earlier this week. This particular episode was called “Somewhere Out There,” and dealt with the idea that there may or may not be a person out there for everyone.

The prologue offers up the idea that there is one particular person for everyone (and using the Drake equation, a Harvard physicist paints a pretty bleak picture of your odds of finding that person).  I found the first act amazing, because while it talks about being broadsided by love, it also talks about how hard it can be to hold on to it.

The second act deals with an entirely different kind of love. Self love. It's about two eight year old kids who travel across the country and become best friends for a night.  What I find amazing about these two kids is that they have truly accepted WHO and WHAT they are from the early age of eight.  I say "what they are" because these two kids are actually transgendered.  Transgendered eight year olds that, from as early as two, identified themselves as girls, and not the boys they were born as.

That these kids already understand that people don't understand them, and probably won't, but that it's ok because they love themselves, and for right now that's good enough for them - this is utterly amazing to me.  I'm hoping this resonates with you as it did for me.

If you have 30 minutes give the first two acts, here, a listen.

That's all I got,
GARY

From ThisAmericanLife.org:

Act Two. Tom Girls.

Lilly and Thomasina have a lot in common. They’re both eight years old. And they were both born boys, although it became clear pretty early on that they'd prefer to be girls. There aren’t all that many kids in the world like them, but recently, at a conference in Seattle on transgender parenting, they met. And they immediately hit it off. They could talk about things with each other that they'd never been able to share with other friends back home. And that’s comforting, even if they never see each other after the conference ends. Producer Mary Beth Kirchner tells the story, with production help from Rebecca Weiker. (17 minutes)

Photo credit above: ThisAmericanLife.org

A song for the anti-Valentine's Day soul.

Do any of you have a friend who makes a particular skill seem kind of effortless?  My friend Rene is like this with outfits, and with Nina, it's funny stories. Last weekend for example, she just about broke my laughing muscle telling a story about shopping for running shoes. That's right...running shoes.

Anyway, my friend Jason of The Lennings can pretty much sing "Old McDonald" and I will think it's the greatest thing, ever. Here is a lo-fi rendition of one of their songs, "See You in Hell," with different lyrics. He told me it was ok to post it if I "thought the suck level was low enough."



It's a little hateful, but a lot pretty.

I love it, Jason.

3 good things + Naughty Valentine's.

Hey you.  Today is Wednesday, and I have terribly exciting news to share!

Actually - news itself somewhat mild, but I hope you'll indulge me anyway.

Two - no, three! - things happened already today that confirmed that, despite gross nasty weather here in Austin spawned from the loins of Satan himself, life is generally good. After my cranky post yesterday about Valentine's Day (the movie), I was in the mood for happy self to return, you know?  The satisfaction that comes with ranting, especially internet ranting, is too temporary.  So here are three GOOD THINGS:

1. I discovered the best blog on the whole internet

Technically this happened last night, but the joy of my discovery hasn't waned, even after a full night's sleep. This blog is Hyperbole and a Half, and it is the first time I've become near evangelical about anything on the internet (aside from this psycho cat). It is also the first time I've ever written a straight-up fan letter to a stranger, because I want the blogger behind it, Allie, to be famous. I do.

Thank you to Hipstercrite's blog roll for helping me discover it, as I have basically been giggling about Allie's Paintbrush bear, dinosaur, and unicorn drawings all day. When I was kissing Ross Husband last night, I accidentally giggled in the middle of the kiss because I was thinking about something Allie said, and all crestfallen he goes, "no...no LAUGHING!" This prompted me to hug him even tighter and remind him that I am inept in this department, i.e., The Department of Not Laughing During Inappropriate Times. This happens a LOT and I always feel bad for it. Ross Husband is much better at controlling his urge to laugh, and yet somehow, he married a person who cannot make it through a knock-knock joke without hyperventillating.

Anyway, Allie makes me hyperventilate.

It's all ok though because this morning, I...

2. Made the bed

Are you falling down because this blog post is so interesting? Well, I don't blame you. It's about to get exciting.

I have this new thing that I do now, every morning. Make the bed! People, I cannot tell you how this is changing my life. I realized you may have stopped by this blog to find out about a show or clothes or some such and now you're probably like: "What? Why. Bed boring, stop." But, let me assure you, making the bed has lasting consequences. And friends, these consequences are good.

Brain = More smart. For example, today when I got dressed, I prepared top half of the body for gym, bottom half of body for work, and now, I cannot get over how unbelievably clever I feel. Is revelation! At the end of the day, I never want to change out of my work outfit if I have put even the most minute amount of thought into it, because it's cute (or half-cute) and I am proud of myself, and want the feeling to last.  Today's outfit is just cute enough, meaning, it's business on bottom, party on top. (By which I mean, Gym Party.) This sudden outfit efficiency could be a random breakthrough, or, it could be my made bed, sending its calming logic to other areas of my life.  I'm going with bed.

Cat = More behaved. An unmade bed is irresistible to my cat Claudia.  She thinks we have created a playground just for her, and this puts her in a feisty, ankle-attacky kind of mood. I have to pull on her tail when she gets this way, and that only makes her more blood-thirsty.  Today she did nothing of the sort! Instead, she took a nap on the floor. That's better, Claudia.

Room = More successful.  A made bed room is a successful person room. It's true. Barack Obama? Made bed. Brad and Angelina? Made bed. Self?  Made. Bed. Are you seeing the company I'm now associating myself with?

Finally, here is the last good thing I want to share with you, because you may want to join me for this:

3. Valentine's at Justine's

I'm not sure what this photo has to do with Justine's, but it's on the Facebook page and I like it!

Ok. So on Sunday night, Valentine's Day, Justine's is have a Marquis de Sade-themed party, and if you had to look up this person on Wikipedia like I just did, you would find out that he is a very racy character indeed. (Don't you love how whenever you hear about a historical French person, it's never like, "well, they wrote a novel, and that was that!" It's always: "oh, they wrote a novel alright. A novel about FREAKY SEX.")

Anyway, according to the publicist, "everyone is encouraged to dress to the nines in vintage lace, rubber, latex, ribbons, black silk, whips, collars, chains – anything their whimsy dreams up that has anything to do with bondage."

Well hot dog, chains and whips? Count me IN. I haven't told Ross Husband about the bondage dress-up part yet...will be interesting to see how he responds. He'll either raise his eyebrows and ask what I'm wearing (excellent question), or ask if we can bring Claudia on a little leash.

The event page on Facebook has lots of info, including the burlesque and musical activities that will be happening. Justine's normally doesn't take reservations but I believe they are taking a limited number for this night. We are going at 8:30.

Thanks for everything, Wednesday!

Birds of Paradise.

It is a fact that I've always loved cross-dressers.

There are a few reasons for this. A) While growing up, there was a Moseley family tradition of getting dressed up in costumes for Christmas cards. While most families were posing in front of the the Christmas tree, or perhaps in front of a fireplace mantle, I was putting fruit on my head with my parents and dressing up as Carmen Miranda.

That man on the right? ....Is my father. Isn't he sort of precious? Are you noticing that his lipstick is the brightest??

As you can see, from a young age, I was exposed to men wearing women's clothing for a variety of occasions, including the birth of Christ.

B) My favorite Popple was always Rockstar Popple, who was kind of like the Ziggy Stardust of the Popple world. Androgynous and glittery and awesome.

C) Mom and I both love the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (RIP Patrick Swayze). Have you seen it? If not, stop reading this post, drive to the nearest video rental store, and GET IT. So funny! You will never look at Wesley Snipes the same way again, who is sister sassypants all the way through. Also, Patrick Swayze is a gorgeous woman. Coincidentally - or not - this movie released the same year that above Christmas card picture was taken, making me wonder if the one did not perhaps inspire the other.

So it comes as no surprise that this is my very favorite clip from BBC's Planet Earth, and quite possibly my favorite clip from anything, ever. (Thank you thank you Heather and Eric for giving Planet Earth to R. and I for Christmas!)


I cannot tell you how much I want one of these birds as a pet. Wouldn't it be so great to come home to one of these fancy guys? I would clap for him and make him puff himself out for me again and again.

I die, revive myself, and die again around minute 2:32 when David Attenborough goes, "oh dear. Her departure says it all." Poor bird of paradise.

Lazy Saturday playing with presents.

Welcome back to the interwebs, Austinites! And everyone! Did you have a good holiday?

R. and I were in the Dallas/Fort Worth-ish area on Christmas Eve, where it...snowed. This was very different snow from the light (imagined?) sprinkling we experienced here in Austin three weeks ago. This was a REAL LIVE ALL-DAY LONG snow, i.e., my very first White Christmas ever. Were any of you displaced Austinites out there witnessing it?

For Christmas, R. gave me a Holga camera!!

I am going to Precision Camera & Video today after I finish this blog post to buy film for it.

Also, my adorable just-returned-from-Costa-Rica-on-a-language-immersion-program Daddy brought me back a little pouch purse that's the exact right size for my new Holga baby:

And my mom, from whom I directly inherited my obsession with thrift stores, gave me these awesome vintage earrings:

Speaking of vintage! I gave myself a Merry Christmas at Buffalo Exchange last week with these faded black jeans with zippers at the ankle.

And...to top off this downright vintage-y circus, Gary sent me this video yesterday, "Une Very Stylish Fille." Do you love?

Finally. On Christmas Eve, my wonderful mother-in-law gave R. and I this rad indoor, hydroponic HERB GARDEN!

We have been wanting to be more garden-enjoying people but have yet to set up a garden at home, so this is a perfect solution. Our kit also came with a flashy cookbook that tells us how to make things out of our fresh herbs! Now Reader, I am not a gifted cook, but what would you be more likely to come over and eat if I made it for you: Creamy Zucchini and Basil Soup or Roasted Garlic Thyme Soup?

Off to go purchase film for the new Holga baby!

Vintage Christmas videos that make you go "hmm?"

This post was inspired by minxy local blogger Colours Marie, who Tweeted a link to Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" earlier. It inspired me to put together some other vintage Christmas faves.

Hot.

Next up....Bing Crosby's "White Christmas:"

I like how around minute 1:59, Bing and his lady are suddenly in going-out clothes, and the girl looks just as surprised as we are. "How did this happen? Why am I suddenly wearing a hat and lipstick?"

After I watched this video a link to "Little Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby and David Bowie" popped up - that's right, BING CROSBY and DAVID BOWIE - and I couldn't resist. (Random...?)

Anyway, there are a good two minutes of banter between Bing and David - "oh hello! I'm David Bowie! Let's have a go at White Christmas, shall we?" - but be patient. Their formal duet around the piano - which neither plays, despite both bragging that they do - is coming.

This next one is so funny y'all. Christmas with Boy George, the guy from Duran Duran and other dudes:

Finally. More Boy George Christmas fun, and this one's brand new. Did you know that Boy George loves Christmas?

This video makes both zero and total sense. In between pics of Boy George's pursed-lips mug floating about town, at the art gallery, at the mall, what have you, there are casual splicings-in of stock photography....like, oranges. Mixed nuts. PLANET EARTH?

What these things have to do with Christmas I suspect only Boy George knows, but the money shot is minute 2:50. Pause it, copy it, make it your desktop wallpaper.

Merry Christmas from Boy George and a stack of oranges!