The Periodic Elements of Style ("Periodic Style" for short) is a shared fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and shopping blog written by three friends on the West Coast.
Before I reveal what it is, I want to thank again all of the generous and fantastic Etsy sellers who've volunteered to donate their work. Seriously, I couldn't have done it without their kindness, from agreeing to participate to getting the word out to entering and donating. You're all rockstars!
Secondly, I want to thank everyone who's donated so far, whether it's to the general fund (you're wonderful, thank you!) or for extra entries (you are also wonderful, thank you!). Every little bit helps, and I really appreciate your chipping in when times are tough for all of us. (You're still welcome to donate for more entries up until Friday for the Etsy giveaways and next Wednesday for today's giveaways!)
And it's not just Nintendogs -- it's also Nintendogs featuring our favorite Yorkshire terrier! Just like Rusty!
AND. It's not just Nintendogs -- I'm also giving away a Nintendogs Dressables Yorkshire Terrier as well as an additional Yorkie plushie! (He barks when you squeeze his ear! I tried it and Rusty did NOT like that.)
I'll be shipping out this package personally to the winner, so don't be surprised if I throw some extra goodies from me in there, too! (And remember, you can totally donate for extra entries if you reaaaally want this prize... because it is awesome.)
Again, thank you so much for participating and for your help and care for Rusty! I will keep you updated, and we'll have some winners on Saturday!!
- To enter the giveaway, please answer the following question: What would be the name of your Nintendog? - For every $5 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the Nintendogs giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Wednesday, February 4th. The winner will be announced on Friday, January 6th.
Well, everyone, this is it! Rusty and his mom are headed down to the vet to check in on his eyes and start preparing for his surgery.
And so we have our final two grand prizes! The donation minimums are upped for these two to $5 for extra entries. You can still enter all the rest of the Etsy giveaways at $2 an entry, too.
Our first grand prize is a custom digital illustration or one-page comic from L. at MySky.net! L. did the artwork for both PeriodicStyle and PeriodicBeauty, and she's graciously offered to donate her talent for you!
This can be a single figure portrait/avatar of you, a comic of your day (or of your favorite blog post, if you're a blogger!), whatever you like!
Here are some samples of L's comics work (click for bigger!):
L. was also gracious enough to answer my five questions, and so here they are!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your site!
Well, I'm a total nerd who can't stop drawing and crafting. I got started with comics a couple years ago because of how free the medium feels to me (there's still a lot of growing room for comics and a lot of things that just haven't been explored yet). But I still have a soft spot in my heart for, like, crocheting stuff out of old plastic bags. Jewelry is also a new and exciting passion of mine. My etsy shop isn't up quite yet (alas!), but my website is www.mysky.net.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
I'm pretty milquetoast as far as drawing supplies, but I love finding a way to reuse scraps. One of my favorite paper sources are the disposable little "we didn't clean your room today" notes they toss under your door at hotels. I just flip 'em over and draw things on the reverse side (they're surprisingly good quality paper!).
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
I get a lot of inspiration from the mundane, oddly? I love the little tiny quirks and details from a daily routine and how they gain significance over time as part of a larger pattern. One of the things I really strive to do, with drawing especially, is to capture and celebrate quiet moments.
4. What's your favorite thing you've done?
I'm particularly fond of a minicomic I did about my trip to Japan. Which will be available soon! (Jeanne: It features me, too!)
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
dcorsetto.etsy.com: She's a really versatile artist who posts a broad range of pieces. Her comic pieces are hilarious (and usually sold out) but her life drawings are very powerful.
minniekins.etsy.com: SPATS! The world needs more spats, especially ones in such whimsical fabrics.
boxbrown.etsy.com: Minicomics, original comic art, colored comic prints all done in a really charming and subdued cartoony style.
Hooray for L.! And hooray for you, getting a custom piece of art to your liking!
- To enter the giveaway, please answer the following question: What would you like to have illustrated? (This isn't binding -- L. will work with you to figure out what you really want!) - For every $5 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the MySky.net giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Wednesday, February 4th. The winner will be announced on Friday, January 6th.
And now, our final Etsy giveaway! (Don't worry, I've got two more for tomorrow, but this is the last Etsy giveaway!) It's a lovely Rainy Day necklace from HarperStreet.etsy.com!
I actually bought this necklace from HarperStreet for myself a couple of weeks ago! So I'm stoked that Jennifer's giving one away, because I think it's darling and appropriate (since Rusty and his mom are Seattle natives!). Here's more about Jennifer (also from Seattle)!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
My name is Jennifer and I am the owner and creator of Harper Street. You can find my jewelry both on my website, www.HarperStreet.com, or my Etsy site: harperstreet.etsy.com.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
I adore working with sterling silver and 14k gold-fill chain, along with organic-feeling gemstones.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
I find that my inspiration comes from many different sources. Sometimes I am inspired by a gemstone itself - merely finding a new stone to work with can cause an immediate spark of creativity. I also get inspired by fashion trends, locations, nature... and everything else!
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
At the moment, my favorite item in my shop is the "Morgan" 14k gold-filled circle chain necklace.
Thank you so much, Jennifer! Now someone out there gets to be twinsies with me...
- To enter the giveaway, please visit HarperStreet.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the HarperStreet giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Our second giveaway for today is a custom-crocheted hat from adorkable1.etsy.com!
She made this hat specifically for the Rusty giveaway! What a sweetie!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
I guess you should know that I am 26 years old. See... crocheting is not just for grandmas! I really try to think up new and exciting patterns. I even created a skull with crossbones pattern! If you are wondering a little bit about me, I am married to a wonderful man, and we have a baby boy who is almost a year old. Wow, almost not a baby anymore, huh?! We live in California where there is no winter. So all my scarves feel pretty neglected.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
I love crocheting with natural fibers! I can't tell you how exciting it is to sit down with a really soft, silky, high quality yarn and start a new project! (Jeanne: I think I know this feeling a little too well -- it's why I never finish anything!)
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
Well my grandmother taught me when I was 8, so she would be partly my inspiration, along with... fashion. I love fashion and design!
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
Wow, hard question! Of the things I haven't sold yet, I'd have to say this because I am very proud of it! I designed it myself and it took quite a while to make! Lots of detail, plus the yarn is obviously gorgeous!
Thank you so much for the darling hat! As a knitter, I salute your crochet-y goodness! And there's still plenty of winter for the winner to sport this jaunty cap...
- To enter the giveaway, please visit adorkable1.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the adorkable1 giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Happy Monday! (...yay, Monday.) But here's something to brighten up your Monday: two new giveaways! And the first one is an adorable print of a girl and her dog (how perfect!) from cutiepiecompany.etsy.com:
Here's a close-up of the print, "Snow Day"!
Absolutely adorable, don't you think? (Look at the doggie's little sweater!!) Here's more from the artist!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
My name is Milly, and I live in Bronx NY. I have a wonderful beagle named Hunter. (Jeanne: Yay, beagles!!) In my shop, Cutiepie Company, I have screenprinted paper goods, cards and prints. I also have a 2nd etsy shop, named after my dog. It's called Hunter's Hideaway, and I sell magnets, pins, supplies and vintage goodies there.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
All kinds of paper--vintage ephemera, photographs, etc. Ink, gouache, fabric, wood.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
Color, light, nature, old photographs, vintage books, stories, memories, my dog.
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
Right now it's the Valentine's card I made, "Lab Partners," and the "Snow Day" print in this giveaway.
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
wow, I have so many favorite Etsy shops! I would have to include my boyfriend's shop of course, Corporan Glass. A couple other faves are Tutti Studio, and Heidi and Seek.
Thank you so much, Milly, for your sweet donation! I know that it's going to make someone very, very happy!
- To enter the giveaway, please visit cutiepiecompany.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the cutiepiecompany giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
It's been a rainy, drab week here in California. The Obama inauguration was truly the highlight of an otherwise dreary January, we're all as excited as punch for a fabulous next four (eight!) years. For this week's Science Fair, here's a nice, tall pour of some interesting news you might have missed:
-An amateur historian believes he may have discovered the real-life inspiration for the character of Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest: an exiled earl who dressed as the devil and tried to prevent King James VI's coronation. That was the good ol' days, when believing in the occult got you exiled for life and you end up dying penniless, far from home!
-I will admit to being quite surprised by the title of the next tidbit, Pigeon girl's quest for fanciers". My first thought was reminiscing about the days when Kids in the Hall was on every day after school, and the Chicken Lady (warning: link NSFW, sort of). Fortunately, this little girl in the UK just wants other kids her age to enjoy her hobby: pigeons. We here at Periodic Style HQ love our pet birds, too!
-Queen Elizabeth II is reportedly "intrigued" by the phenomenon of crop circles in the UK, and has written personal correspondence to that effect. Oh, sweet memories of sleepovers with so many episodes of the X-Files! If only we had known that QE2 was a fan as well, we would have felt so special.
-Coming up, keep an eye on our various giveaways to benefit our little buddy, Rusty the dog! They'll be going on until next week and you could win loads of lovely things from our friends at Etsy!
-I'll be traveling next month to China (maybe), San Diego (definitely), and Las Vegas (probably) on business and need advice! I've been all over the West and East Coasts plus East Asia, but not to China for at least twenty years. Things have probably changed since I was, you know, a little girl in pigtails. I'm also on the lookout for a lovely leather overnight bag for travel purposes. Business only, of course.
Have a great week, everyone, here's hoping your skies are clear and your inaugural ceremonies fabulous!
Our second Sunday giveaway is the adorable Petal Pink Starling Pouch from allisajacobs.etsy.com -- super-cute, super-useful, and super-sweet!
Allisa also does incredibly sweet gifts for baby -- I know of at least two first-time mommas who might be getting something from Allisa's shop from me! (If, you know, my yarn doesn't get here in time...)
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
I am a new-ish mom to one-year old baby Jack. Right now, I'm taking a break from teaching students with special needs to raise my little boy and am so grateful to stay home with him and watch him learn & grow. My shop, which has grown to make staying home possible, really started with my totes bags- as a teacher these were a much needed accessory- however, I'm loving my new pouches & the functional & bright baby collection inspired by Jack.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
Love, love, love Alexander Henry fabric.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
Color & functionality. Baby Jack inspires my baby items. The need to stay organized gives me ideas for my handbag collecton.
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
Oooh, my favorite item? Well, I love the Mini Tote in Plum Mod Dot & the Welcome Baby Set in Petal Pink Starling.
Thank you so much, Allisa! Someone's going to love this sweet little pouch!
- To enter the giveaway, please visit allisajacobs.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the allisajacobs giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Yes, it's Sunday, and yes, we have more giveaways! (We'll also have a Science Fair from Karen, just in case you're tired of me, but I hope you're not!) Our first Sunday giveaway is from lyndee495.etsy.com. She's giving away this elegant pair of silver tear drop earrings:
She also has incredible gemstone jewelry that you definitely need to see! Here are her five questions before you jump to check out her work!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
My shop is Lyndee495 at Etsy and I design artisan jewelry. I've been making jewelry for about 4 years since I sold my restaurant business.I make beaded and wire wrapped, one of a kind pieces right now but hope to some day expand the business.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
My favorite materials to work wih are gemstones. All the colors and shapes hold infinite possibilities for design. I also love nature and my garden where I find inspiration in the beautiful flowers which are truly works of art. I love to make wire wrapped gemstone flowers.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
I'm also very interested in the spiritual properties of the stones and their healing abilities. (Jeanne: Me too! That's why I wear amazonite.)
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
My favorite piece in my shop right now is the Sea Goddess Necklace because Aquamarine is one of my favorite gemstones. The necklace reminds me of the cool blue waters of the Caribbean. Very soothing!!!!
Thank you, Lyndee, for your generous donation! You can even see on her Etsy page that these earrings are reserved for Rusty!
- To enter the giveaway, please visit lyndee495.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the lyndee495 giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Our next prize is from tellmeastory.etsy.com, who makes fantastic collage jewelry with polymer clay and selections from vintage books, as well as the lovely double-strand pearl bracelet she's giving away here on PeriodicStyle!
Simply elegant and goes with everything! And, of course, we have five questions with the artist!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
My shop primarily consist of collage jewelry — items that contain pieces of text or image that I’ve cut out of books, magazines, maps, take-out menus, and anything else that inspires me. I love the idea of “wearable art,” and I aim for that in my shop. I love the process of creating unusual jewelry, I find it both soothing and exciting. I have two very cute small dogs named Olive and Artichoke (Artie for short). (Jeanne: Cutest names ever!!)
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
I work with polymer clay to create beads and frames for my collage materials, I also love working with genuine gemstones, vintage findings, and anything filigree.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
Finding new ways to combine text and image so that interesting feelings or thoughts are evoked. I love finding a vintage book in a used bookstore or a beautiful old map and making something wearable out of them so they can continue to be enjoyed.
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
Probably the Green “Greed For Pleasure” Romance Novel Necklace! I think it’s fun, and I love the vintage green chandelier crystal and key charm.
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
I have so very many favorite Etsy shops it’s hard to pick just 3!
Thank you so much! Want to find this lovely pearl bracelet in your mailbox? Here's the deets. (Yes, I said "deets".)
- To enter the giveaway, please visit tellmeastory.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the tellmeastory giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Happy Saturday! Here's the next giveaway for Rusty, a fab bird print from ArtisticAnimal! Look at its expressive little face!
Her specialty is her amazing custom portraits of animals; definitely take a closer look at them when you're checking out her shop! Here's more about the artist and her work!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
I'm a professional artist and illustrator based in lovely Portland, Oregon. (Jeanne: Yay, Portland!!) Utilizing a variety of mediums, I explore various themes drawing from both ancient and modern cultures. An endless fascination with the interconnections between science, nature, myth and symbol provides me with endless inspiration. One of my deepest passions has always been creating art for and about the animal kingdom. I received my BFA in 1991 and have been fortunate to be able to work on projects ranging from costume and set design for the theater to My work has been collected throughout the United States as well as England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway and Denmark. My complete CV is available upon request.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
Oooh, pretty much all of them. I tend to focus on acrylics at the moment due to lack of studio space, but I also love charcoal, pastel, graphite, sculpture and mixed media. I have endless boxes filled with material for future projects!
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
Life. While it can be distracting sometimes, I love that I can get lost in the patterns of a leaf or the way a dog cocks its head. As I mentioned, I'm also heavily influenced by mythology and science (I'm absolutely hooked on the books of Joseph Campbell). I have tons of sketchbooks filled with ideas and more come every day.
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
I love doing the custom portraits. The people I've worked with have been wonderful and so appreciative. It's a true joy to get to know these animals and their families.
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
Oh, that's hard! There are so many incredible etsy artists. Right now my husband and I are collecting the wonderful photo blocks by Littleputbooks. The wood burnings of TheHauntedHollowTree are simply stunning. And I have to mention the incredible jewelry by Robandlean - they made our wedding rings!
Thank you so much, ArtisticAnimal! I wish I could have this bird print for my own, but it's going to go to someone else, and here's your chance to win it!
- To enter the giveaway, please visit ArtisticAnimal.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the ArtisticAnimal giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Our fourth giveaway and first piece of art is from the great photographer toeNja.etsy.com!
I love nature photographs, and I particularly love ones of vivid flowers, so I'm pleased to let you know that she's giving away a 4x6 print of "Love", her wonderful tulips photo.
Five questions with the photographer~!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
My name is Renee. I’m 28 years old, married for almost 6 years and have two kids. Photography has been my passion since even before I started kindergarten. My first “camera” was a toy Polaroid. After that I moved on to 110 cameras and working Polaroids, then to 35 millimeters, to digital, and finally to the digital SLR that I use today.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
In photography, the most important material is light. :) Having a great camera, lens, and photo paper helps, too.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
I get inspiration everywhere. After so many years looking through a viewfinder, I actually see the world in a way that my eyes subconsciously focus on the most pleasing elements, and I frame “shots” in my head all the time.
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
That’s a hard one. Could I pick two? I like "Peace", which is a photo of my daughter’s hands holding a single yellow dandelion flower when she was 18 months. I also like "Here I Come", which is a photo of my son as an infant, wearing just his diaper, crawling towards me on the sidewalk. I had so much fun shooting that photo. I kept running ahead of him and then laying down on the sidewalk to frame the shot. I took it over and over using different lens lengths and changing the settings.
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
Three of my favorite Etsy shops are Lennon’s Lovelies because she has cute earrings and they’re named after Beatles songs. Another shop I like is Rebecca Novotny Designs because her items are beautiful and unique. And I also like Knitberry.com because she has a wide selection of gorgeous hand knit items in her shop.
Thank you, toeNja! I bet this photograph will be treasured by the winner of this giveaway...
- To enter the giveaway, please visit toeNja.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the toeNja giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Yes, it's noon, and that means more giveaways! And the third giveaway is from EnchantedLoves.etsy.com!
Check out this gorgeous locket she's giving away! It's perfect for spring with its chunky turquoise beads and rose cabochon. It would look super-cute with all of your light spring blouses or over a plain white tank, no?
Here's more on Tessie, the artist behind EnchantedLoves!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
Hi! I am a student majoring in Microbiology with a minor in Genetics in Raleigh, NC. I love making beautiful and unique jewelry! My mother has always been very crafty, so it's only natural that I create things! I have another shop on Etsy that is suppose to be devoted to creations that my boyfriend and I make (dtdesigns), but is mostly a destash shop among other handmade items I've made.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
Well, I love beads, wire, old vintage brooches, and other jewelry findings to make my OOAK jewelry. I ADORE cameos! I also love to make crafty items from paper, ribbon, buttons, rubber stamps, ink, paper punches, stickers, roving, fabric, and cardstock.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
My key inspiration is my family. They are always so encouraging of my crafts!
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
My favorite item from my shop would definitely be the Carousel and Candy necklace. I love it! I've always loved carousels, I used to collect carousel horses and other animals when I was younger.
5. Name three of your favorite Etsy shops!
1.) kaylim: Her clothes are gorgeous!! I got two of her dresses as gifts for Christmas. 2.) thebabykitties: I love her vintage items!! I've had many great transactions with her from my other shop. 3.) NemesisProductions: She has wonderful soaps and other bath and body items! Her photography is beautiful, too!
Thank you so much for participating, Tessie!!
- To enter the giveaway, please visit EnchantedLoves.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the EnchantedLoves giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
Our second Etsy giveaway is brought to you by happyhound, which features beautiful gift tags with antique-inspired images of all sorts of dogs, as well as homemade organic doggie treats!
The prize in this giveaway are two sets of 12 tags -- a set of custom antique engraving tags featuring dogs and other Victorian images, and a set of love/heart engravings.
Without further ado, here are five questions with the artist!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
I am a new Etsy seller that is currently selling Custom Gift Tags with an emphasis on doggie related themes. I have also done several custom orders for dogs and their owners! I will be adding new items in the next several weeks.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
My tags are cardstock with satin or raffia tags. I put a special emphasis on packaging as many of my items make great gifts.
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
My inspiration comes from my Italian Greyhound, Winston, my heart dog who provides daily inspiration with his goofy, gentle and sweet nature. (Jeanne: I love Italian Greyhounds!)
4. What's your favorite item in your shop?
Probably the Organic Cheesy Sunflower Seed Cranberry Oat Wheat Free Cookies. I don't like all of the unnatural fillers and ingredients found in storebought cookies. I want only the best for Winston, and make these wheat free biscuits with only the freshest, organic ingredients for his continued good health.
Thank you so much, happyhound! Here are the rules if you'd like to win these beautiful tags...
- To enter the giveaway, please visit happyhound.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the happyhound giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Saturday, January 24th Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
The prize she is giving away is this darling red and gold necklace, full of heart. This would be great for Valentine's Day (yes, it's coming up sooner than you realize! And on a Saturday!).
And now, five questions with the artist!
1. Tell us a little more about you and your shop!
Hello! My Etsy shop, MsAnomaly, features necklaces using mostly repurposed vintage components. The style is known as Vintage Redux, and each piece is unique.
2. What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
I love vintage beads and findings, but I also use things not commonly associated with jewelry-making. I love the challenge of using unusual materials in my jewelry!
3. What is your key inspiration for your work?
I am inspired by anything and everything. Usually, the main focal component inspires the design for the whole necklace.
Wow, just 3! :) I love the glass pendant work of FrumsGlassMenagerie, NanjoDogz has wonderful handmade animal focal beads, and my beagle, Flash, is especially fond of the treats from CiaoHound.
Thank you, MsAnomaly! And now, here's how you can win the charming (!) red necklace above...
- To enter the giveaway, please visit MsAnomaly.etsy.com, then comment to this post with your favorite item. - For every $2 donation you make using the PayPal button in this post, you'll receive another entry in the MsAnomaly giveaway! You don't have to donate to win, but your odds increase! - This giveaway will close at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern on Saturday, January 24th Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.
First off, I would like to announce that we have an excellent line-up of giveaways starting today! It should be really fun!
This couldn't have happened without the incredible help of Jamie of oh! how lovely, whose advice and assistance has been so wonderful. And, of course, it couldn't happen without the incredible generosity of those who are donating prizes for Rusty's cause!
Here's how the giveaways are going to work:
- At noon Pacific/3 pm Eastern every day, there will be giveaways posted on PeriodicStyle! - To enter the giveaway, visit the shop of the featured Etsy seller, then come back and comment with your favorite pieces. - At the bottom of every giveaway post, there's a PayPal donate button. For a minimum of $2 per entry (unless otherwise noted!), you can donate to receive extra giveaway entries! You're not required to donate to win, but your odds to win definitely increase if you do! - The donate button will be taken down and the comments will be closed at 4 pm Pacific/7 pm Eastern two days after the giveaway launch day UPDATED: Friday January 30th. - All winners will be chosen and notified on Friday, January 30th; the Etsy sellers will then contact the winners to arrange shipping their prizes!
I'll also post the brief rules and the deadlines within the posts themselves, too.
The best way to keep informed is to subscribe to our RSS feed, which you can do either through your favorite RSS reader, or by following @periodicstyle on Twitter. Or, just keep checking back at noon/3 pm every day! That works too!
And if you'd like to just donate to Rusty without entering any of the giveaways (but you should! because they'll be fun!), there's a general donation button here:
Thank you, everyone, and please enjoy the giveaways!!
This little doggie right here is Rusty, my roommate's half-Yorkie half-Pomeranian rescue. He's almost eleven, we believe, and C. rescued him when he was about five years old.
We don't know much about Rusty's first five years, but we do know that they were unhappy, neglected, and likely abusive. His skin was so badly inflamed that all of his hair fell out (so he has an excellent wardrobe of doggie shirts and sweaters), he only has six teeth, he is very, very nervous around strangers (especially men) and doesn't like to be petted by people he doesn't fully trust, and he is very protective of his mom. She's completely devoted to him and he's completely in love with her -- he knows that she saved him.
I came in as her roommate because I was the one that Rusty liked best. And I am extremely fond of the little guy, even if he's still not sure about me. We're still working on it; he's definitely warming up, and I know that it takes time. He's the one in charge of our relationship, and I'm following his lead.
In addition to everything else, Rusty also has cataracts that need expensive surgery within the next week and a half or so -- we found out on Wednesday. The vet says he's still in good health, and so it's time to move quickly to save his sight. It's scary as a little dog to not be able to see, especially one who has such big trust and stranger issues.
So I want to help Rusty and C. out with some of the costs for the surgery, since they took such a big chance on me and welcomed me into their home. Therefore, I'm hoping to have a fundraising giveaway where you, the readers, can enter to win neat prizes by both standard giveaway rules (commenting on the giveaway post) and by donating to Rusty's fund for extra entries.
I'm trying to pull some strings and make some things happen, but I'd love to have your help here too -- if you're an Etsy or indie seller and you'd like to participate, please let me know! I'd love to have your shop and your goods featured here at PeriodicStyle to help Rusty and C., so if you're interested, please email me at periodicstyle at gmail dot com by 3 pm Pacific tomorrow, Tuesday the 20th if you'd like to help out.
If you'd like to know more about C. and Rusty, please visit her doggie-cake baking site (so! cute!) at Caroline's Barkery.
Again, if you're interested in contributing as a giveaway prize donor, the deadline to email periodicstyle at gmail dot com is 3 pm Pacific tomorrow, Tuesday the 20th.
Thank you so much, everyone, and hopefully all of this will come together in the next few days, so I will keep you posted!
Here's a quick little Science Fair this week -- I have to be helping at the Jonathan Coulton show in San Francisco tonight (woooo!)
- You may have seen this in the New York Times -- the 826 Project has published a book of letters to President-Elect Obama written by kids in the 826 Project all over the US. And if you're in the area, there will be a reading by the San Francisco participants at 826 Valencia this Wednesday at 6 pm.
- I've been devouring the Today in San Francisco History posts at SFist, and so I'm thrilled to discover that they're all written by Richard of Sparkletack.com - the San Francisco history podcast. Awesome! I love it so much.
- I totally dig the aesthetics of Haute Macabre, which Gala Darling has been contributing to. Gorgeous gothic eye candy.
- Finally, I'm not going to Fashion Week next month because a. I don't really think I can afford it and b. New York in February oh my god my little California constitution would wither and die. But as always, Sarah of StyleIT is the best resource, and she's created a whole subsite for her Fashion Week posts and information. Seriously, if you're considering going to any Fashion Week, Sarah's got the scoop.
I love a great true-crime book. True crime television is also great, all those stories about women poisoning their husbands with arsenic from the garden shed. Serial killers are always great entertainment, I just cannot stop watching that "Most Evil" show when it's on the boob tube. I sit and stare with my jaw hanging open like an idiot, it's so fascinating. My whole life, watching crime TV, cops and robbers has been a real bonding activity between my mother and I, and now my best friend from college has gotten in on it. We wasted an entire day eating pizza and watching shows about the Manson Family and the Son of Sam, it was great.
On a recent trip to the library, I got my hands on a whole new realm of fascinating crime non-fiction: ART CRIME. Can you imagine my excitement? A whole shelf of books, combining two of my favorite things: art history and federal criminal investigations! I've chosen three to review for your reading pleasure.
1. FAKE: Forgery, Lies, & eBay by Kenneth Walton. What started as curiosity about a local story turned into full-fledged incredulity about Mr. Walton's autobiographical story of transformation from a bored lawyer in Sacramento to a forger of signatures on yard-sale paintings. Oh, this book brought back memories of the early days of eBay auctions, the obsessive nature of it all, and how I amongst many of my friends and family were sucked in by the allure of online auctions. Similarly, Walton got sucked into a life of crime rather innocuously by an old Army buddy whose full-time job was searching for high-quality paintings at antique malls, yard sales, and local auctions, only to pawn them off to unsuspecting eBay buyers as high-value "real" art.
Walton's descent into eBay and art madness, as it were, is largely self-propelled and thus, fascinating to behold. The book itself makes drama out of his foolishness, the eventual federal case built against him, and the depths of obsession a website can drive you to. By the end of it, I just couldn't feel sorry for Mr. Walton--every other page, I wanted to yell, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU IDIOT?" His crimes would be ingenious if only he hadn't been caught. Mr. Walton is obviously a self-taught art aficionado, and not a great crime writer, but his case is a compelling precedent for the internet crimes of today. It certainly makes me want to avoid eBay altogether.
2. The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities--from Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums, by Peter Watson. By contrast, Peter Watson's account of tomb raiders and European antiquities is an elegant and infinitely complex adventure through the world's greatest museums. Mr. Watson, an art critic for the New York Times and hardcore investigator into art theft (see the fascinating SAFE website for info about looted, stolen, and missing antiquities), writes for the art crime connoisseur. As a lover of museums, it was alternately upsetting and captivating to find out the number of entire exhibitions that came from looted sites and a vast criminal network. Mr. Watson's chronicle of art curators taken in by art thieves, knowingly or not, will make you see a Greco-Roman art collection in a different light altogether.
3. Stolen Masterpiece Tracker: the Dangerous Life of the FBI's #1 Art Sleuth, by retired FBI Special Agent Thomas McShane. Who doesn't love FBI stories? I picked up this book after reading The Last Undercover: The True Story of an FBI Agent's Dangerous Dance with Evil, which despite the glowing review by my heroine Mariska Hargitay was sort of disappointing. (The episode of Law&Order: SVU where Munch infiltrates the man-boy love group is much better--the author was a consulting producer on it.) Tom McShane's life of undercover work is straight out of the 1970s-80s, and the alternate personae he created to bust art theft rings are exactly the kinds of guys you'd expect to be wheeling and dealing in the world of stolen masterpieces. Mr. McShane worked on some of the most high-profile thefts of the twentieth century and was the first to introduce a forensic approach to verifying stolen paintings were the real deal. He cobbled together a portable x-ray from bomb squad castoffs and spent hours in hotel rooms with criminals, getting arrested alongside them to maintain his cover identity. Fascinating stuff, and the entire book is a rollicking ride through his career.
One case is especially deserving of attention. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, one of my favorites from the ol' college days, was hit in 1990 by two men who escaped with a stunning array of Rembrandts, a Vermeer, a Manet, and more. The FBI's Art Crime Team is still hunting for these criminals, and in the most heartbreaking part, the Gardner keeps those frames empty on display for all to see. The Miho Museum in Japan is not only funded by cuckoo cult money, but is filled with stolen artifacts and masterpieces from around the world--trust me, I've been there, and it is astonishing.
On your next visit to your local museum, check up on the news stories surrounding it and there may be some juicy heists hidden in the history of those oils on canvas and marble statues!
It's coming up on almost nine months since I initially went blonde back in May, and I'm transitioning back to brunette. My last haircut (in November, so I am super-shaggy), I asked my hairstylist to get to work at cutting out the blonde. She did about half (there's still some blonde going on in the front half, since it would have been too short had she cut it out), and so my next haircut, scheduled for next week (she was out of town for all of December, thus the super-shaggy), will be the end of the blonde days o' Jeanne.
So when Brunette Blonde Redhead hit counters last week, I went to Brunette... and Redhead. I think I figured out the theory: Brunette eyeshadows are designed for brown eyes (deep navy, creamy gold, olive-green gold) while Redhead shadows are for green eyes (pink, bronze, burgundy-purple). Since I'm a warm-toned nearly-brunette, the cool silvers and greys for Blonde weren't right for this still-blonde-for-now. (Plus I already have a lot of silvers and greys -- I do love 'em!)
That said, I still did pick up one thing from the Blonde section of the display: Strawberry Blonde lipglass (as predicted by Laurie!). I knew I was interested, I tried it on, and I love it. So of course it came home with me too, along with Henna and Deep Shade (Brunette) and French Cuff and Flip (Redhead).
Finally, as you may recall, I always dreamed of being a redhead like Scully or Anne Shirley. I think my experience with being blonde has confirmed that I probably can't go red. I don't think it's a personality thing so much as an upkeep thing -- dark brown roots with bleach-blonde hair is one thing because it looks cool and intentional, but big old roots on a redhead, not so much. Part of the reason why I'm letting the blonde go is that my cousin S., who's now a full-time colorist, does such good work that I can't afford to pay her what she's worth, and she can't afford to give me a discount. Ah, the struggle of living in the big city! And so going red, even if I did decide to go kitchen-sink on it, would be a lot of upkeep that, frankly, I am kind of lazy about. That and I'd want to have long red hair, like Cintia Dicker (note: I will never have hair like Cintia Dicker), and I'm in no hurry to grow my hair long again, as it will look like an upside-down yield sign.
But I do have the magic of Photoshop and widgets! MAC has released a Brunette Blonde Redhead widget where you can upload your face into the various models' hairstyles. So, of course, I needed to have the giant red bouffant. It's so me, right? (Umm. Sure!)
If you're thinking of switching up your hair color soon, what would you pick? Or are you already rocking something new? (I know Kati is!) And let's see your widget photos if you have them!
Throughout the year, I kept a running tally in my mind of my favorite things just for this post. I'd be applying lipstick and I'd go, "Oooh, I like this. This is going to go on my best of '08 post!"... in March.
So here we go!
- Charred eyeshadow from MAC Originals - This was released in late '07, so technically it's an '07 pick, but it hung around on MACCosmetics.com for a while, and it hung around in my make-up box for a while too. But this year I took it out, played with it, and realized it makes for an awesome, awesome, and easy smokey eye. I love it.
- Strawbaby lipstick from MAC Fafi - This is from... February?, and is a coral pink/red with rainbow pearl. I love it, as I tend to do well with corals, and was stoked that in Cult of Cherry, there was a very similar lipgloss (Rich'n'Ripe) to Strawbaby. (My only complaint with Strawbaby, and the rest of the Fafi lipsticks, was that the decorative sleeve slips off of the tube.)
- A TIE: Mure et Musc Extreme and Dzing! from L'Artisan Parfumeur - I went poking around a beauty boutique in the spring, wasting time before having to be somewhere, and I was eying the L'Artisan shelf. The saleswoman (who I think might have been the owner, or at least the manager) talked to me about perfumes and I said things like "oh, I like citrus, I like flowers..." She sent me away with samples of Mure et Musc Extreme, Dzing!, Ambre Extreme (nice but not for me), and La Chasse aux Papillion. Of those four, only La Chasse Aux Papillion smells like flowers; the rest are musky, leathery, smoky, and AWESOME. I fell hard for Mure et Musc Extreme (blackberries and musk) and Dzing! (supposed to smell like the circus, smells like AMAZING). I took my mother to Barney's fragrance counter to find a new cologne for my brother (we got him Navegar, and when the sales rep took us over to the L'Artisan counter, I said, "Oh, Mure et Musc Extreme, that's a perfume I want for Christmas..." and so I now have a lovely full bottle. Dzing! will be my next one.
- Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask from Bliss - I went in to Bliss for a facial in January (since I had a day off in the middle of the week) and while I almost had a minor claustrophobic freakout, I really did like the Triple Oxygen mask (even though it was a little creepy). I first tried out the little travel-sized one from the Travel/Trial Essentials kit, and then went for the full size afterwards. I like how my skin feels after using it, I like the smell, and I like watching it foam up and then all the bubbles popping on my skin. Woo!
- China Glaze, period - This was the year that China Glaze rocked my socks off. I love OPI, but I kept reaching for China Glaze's fun colors over and over this year. From For Audrey to Ruby Pumps to Rodeo Fanatic to Tree Hugger to the entire Bahama Blues collection, I had to have all of it this year. And the best place to get it, I found, is Head2Toe Beauty.
- Imperial Bedroom palette from Fresh - I mentioned this in the second Sephora University post, but this is a great little palette. Sometimes when you get a palette of something, you only use one or two colors, but this is a complete face right here. I've used this for going out, for Halloween, for Christmas eve, for everything. It's easy to throw this (and an eyeliner brush) into an overnight kit and just take it traveling with you.
- SkinFlash from Dior - I just told you all about this magic trick illusion, but it has absolutely been a lifesaver for me and my dark undereyes. I use it pretty much every day if I'm going to be leaving the house for any reason.
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with SPF - I've been trying out tinted moisturizers left and right, since I want decent coverage without looking cakey and SPF without it smelling like sunscreen (I'm looking at you, Revolotion!). And I think the Laura Mercier is the best one I've tried out. I'll dust some powder over and my skin looks amazing, which pleases me (as it is not amazing).
Karen:
Hi, folks! It's not often that I get all ga-ga over beauty products. This year, mostly thanks to Ms. Jeanne up there, I've invested a bit more time and energy into finding the right products that are worth my hard-earned dollar. I like to parse out my products sparsely and hold onto them for ages and ages--case in point, I've been using the same Neutrogena MoistureShine lipgloss in Chic for probably the last five years. Definitely at least three, since I had to throw out the last one at my brother's wedding when another bridesmaid PICKED IT UP AND USED IT...in 2004. Isn't that just terrible? Here are a few of my favorite products from 2008 that have left a good impression:
- Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Delicious Dark. Believe me when I say that I have tried every brand and shade of dark-purple nail polish on the market today, only limited by price. (I refuse to pay over $7 for a bottle of nail polish I'll inevitably spill.) Rimmel's quick-drying polish took a few coats and a very steady hand to achieve a chip-proof end result that was positively dramatic. The paint job lasted a good ten days until a bout of dishwashing and stovetop-scrubbing caused some chips.
- Laura Mercier Lip Colour Creme in Mistress, a la Joan Holloway. This was a lovely, lovely gift from Jeanne and I've worn it for work and play at least three times a week since she gave it to me! It truly brightens up my face without looking garish or too orangey-pinky. I feel like a fancy-schmancy lady when I wear lipstick instead of just chapstick, doubly so when I get to use Laura Mercier's.
- The Almay Bright Eyes Liner/Highlighter Duo is super smooth and easy to use, I keep one in my purse when I don't have time to put on makeup in the morning before I leave for work. The two ends are very complementary and frankly, I like the way it looks when they smudge together for a shiny, smokey eye.
images from artisanparfumeur.us, fresh.com, and strawberrynet.com
You guys, I'm really tired. Early train, lots of walking, busy weekends so I can't sleep in. I seriously don't know how other people do it.
Luckily, it's much less obvious lately that I'm dragging my feet all the time. I have added something new to my routine: the illuminating concealer (fanfare!).
The classic illuminating concealer is the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Luminizer, which beauty editors and make-up artists and celebrities swear by. And I always thought, "Man, that is expensive, I don't know..." Plus the fact that I'd have to go to a counter and ask to test it... I opted out. Mistake? Probably. But then Sephora started to carry YSL this fall, and so I thought, why not? It was my first weekend in the city, I'd spent all day moving, and I was meeting some of my coworkers for drinks at a swanky bar. Why not swipe some fancy shimmery concealer under my eyes? (Because it could have turned out gruesome. Luckily, this is not a story where things turned gruesome.) Instead, I blinked in amazement and wonder. Oh, I get it now!
But I didn't jump and buy the Touche Eclat. For one, they were out of the color I wanted. For another, I already had the Dior SkinFlash Radiance Booster Pen, which I'd bought at a Dior makeover event earlier this year. I'd seen Lilan of the Daily Cookie's post about visiting with Nordstrom's Beauty Director about Dior products, and so I asked the artist to show me SkinFlash. I wound up taking it home, but didn't actually use it until this fall. I like it a lot (I have it in 002, Candlelight), but it occurred to me that it's actually technically more expensive than Touche Eclat -- yes, it's less expensive overall, but you get .05 oz in SkinFlash versus .1 oz for Touche Eclat. Yeah, you're paying seven bucks less... for half the product.
That said, I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of click-pen products, whether it's a concealer pen or a lip gloss. I always wind up clicking it forever just to get the initial flow going, then get a big gooey mess when it suddenly starts oozing out the brush all over the place. (I'm not the only one that happens to, right?) Plus dropping at least $33 for an illuminating concealer is a lot of money, even if you do use it every day. Stila has an illuminating concealer as well that comes in a non-click format -- it's a tube with a little brush, like a lip gloss. Plus it's cheaper at $22, and comes in a wider variety of colors. How it holds up to Touche Eclat and SkinFlash, I'm not sure, but I'm curious.
So yeah: illuminating concealers! Magic! (Illusions!) Thumbs up from Jeanne.
Hi everybody, did you have a lovely New Year's? It was tame here in the Bay Area since the sky was covered in fog and clouds--no fireworks for us! What a shame. Otherwise, I got to watch Kouhaku, eat delicious Japanese New Year's food, and work all though the vacation time. I can't complain, it is only my first six months at this job, right?
This week's Science Fair is classically eclectic as you'll see, only the best of the past week's news, music, crafts, art, and fashion. What can I say, I share only what I love with you all!
-Business Week, a publication not often utilized by those of us here at Periodic Style (we are all about Jezebel for our daily business news, hello), had an interesting article about the new economy of blogging. Will Work for Praise points out the amazing business innovation that is blogging for profit...except for when you don't get paid to contribute. Fascinating! It says a lot about the "new" fame phenomenon in America, when a short video or blog post can give you your fifteen minutes in the spotlight for minimal effort.
-For a broader spectrum review of the past year, Newsweek has their list of the Most Overlooked Stories of 2008. Overlooked, really? I was paying pretty close attention to all of those, Newsweek. What are you saying here? Am I addicted to news that I shouldn't know about these things happening? I was particularly concerned about those missile nose-cone components in Taiwan and the missile defense system deal in India, it may not be my specialty but it is certainly my field! What stories do you think the mainstream media really missed out on in 2008? Care to share?
-As you may recall, I have a newfound love for the country of my paternal grand-forefathers, Sweden. This Sverige passion was particularly sparked by Hello Saferide and its members, Annika Norlin, Maia Hirasawa, and Firefox AK. Check out Hello Saferide's blog for their new music video! The transcribed dialogue is great. Hello Saferide, will you be my friends forever?
-To satisfy your weekly historical-loveliness quota, I present Miss Philadelphia 1924, Ms. Ruth Malcomson!
-Did you know that you can cover your bare walls, contribute to a good cause, and support independent artists? WallBlank offers neat-o art and photo prints on high-quality paper, I've been checking them out. I love the story behind this Bowl-O-Rama photo. I also am quite good at bowling, FYI.
-Now on to the girly stuff! I've read DomestiFluff's tutorial on hwo to make the most adorable pom-pom flowers a thousand times over, but I can't imagine mine would turn out that CUTE! I love that she adds one to a simply-wrapped present, sometimes those are the little touches it takes to make something really special. Lovely!
-Only Style Remains the Same presents, for your approval, a week's worth of date night outfits. Personally, I only ever have first dates and then I am bored, so all five are not an issue. What would you wear for a blind date VS a friend-date VS a group date, pray tell? This may become a Polyvore challenge, so put your thinking caps on, ladies!
Have a great week, everybody--coming up we've got our Favorite Things from 2008, Jeanne shares all about her under-eye problems, and true crime book reviews from me!
February: Soon the daphne's going to be blooming again, and so I'm thinking of nymph-chasing again. (Still haven't found that perfect daphne perfume...)
March: For a great post that all three of us contributed to, it has to be the top ten basics.
April: April was my first trip to Sephora University, so it makes the list!
May: May is when I went through my biggest change: going platinum blonde.
June: Only at PeriodicStyle will a product review feature LOLcats. (Well, maybe not only PS, but...)
July: I'm not only picking my own posts, yo: Kati wrote a bikini post about how dumb it is that bikinis go on sale at the end of June... right when summer's still just getting started.
August: And I loved the photo/Polyvore Karen put together for this post on heel heights. I would like all of those shoes, please and thank you.
September: Man, it is hard to choose what I love more: dinosaurs or nail polish, so I'm linking both.
November: We started up with our gift guides much earlier this year, and our first one, handmade and homemade gift ideas, was a fun post to put together with Karen. (I didn't wind up knitting anything for anyone this past Christmas, which was good.)
December: Yeah, December was kind of a sparse month for posting for us, since we were all so super-busy, but Karen and I managed to put together another gift guide, this time for dudes and such. (My subtitle for it is "Dudes And Other People Who Like DVDs and Books".) Also, soap stache.
All right, now you tell me -- what post of '08 do you think I should have included on this list? And, if you think there's a particular post that you really like (future or past), please go ahead and click one of the "add to kirtsy" or "stumble it" links at the bottom of our posts to share it!
On New Year's Eve, you won't find me in Times Square with a glass of champagne. Nor will I be shivering on a rooftop to watch fireworks and drink wine. No, I spend my New Year's Eve with a belly full of Grandma's soba, fried fish fillets, chirashi sushi, and mochi, glued to the TV screen. From one o'clock in the afternoon to six at night, our local Asian programming station gives my family the gift of music, ridiculousness, reminiscence, and total hilarity--yes, it is time once again for the Kouhaku Utagassen (紅白歌合戦)! Now in its 59th year, Kouhaku is essentially a humongous, staged battle of the bands, only the bands compete on behalf of their gender as a whole. Women represent the red (紅, kou) and men represent the white (白, haku). All of the top-selling artists of the past year perform, and it is an honor to do so. The preparations take an entire year for costumes, scheduling, stage design, choreography, you name it. It's a massive, internationally broadcast singing-dancing-costumed battle of the sexes!
NHK's website has an appropriately festive website for its 59th annual Kouhaku. That's the official NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoku, or Japan Broadcast Station) website, with a full list of the artists and songs performed. Listen Japan even has a page chock-full of songs featured in recent Kouhaku competitions for your sampling pleasure!
Personally, I love seeing how Japanese music has (or hasn't) changed over the years. Compared to the Kouhaku five years ago, this year's songs incorporated influences from rap and hip-hop and had a far more international sound. With live broadcasts from Sao Paulo, Brazil's Japanese quarter and an awkward lip-synched performance by Enya beamed over from Ireland, Kouhaku is starting to embrace the outside influences in its pop music.
My parents, who lived in Japan in the 1970s and '80s, remember the pop music of that time and are big, big fans of Fuse Akira, Maekawa Kiyoshi, and Mori Shinichi. My grandmother, who believe she is the last "real" Japanese person on the planet because all of those young Japanese kids don't know what it is to be Japanese (I get this lecture a lot, despite the fact that I am her mixed-race grandchild) loves all of the traditional enka songs. She remembers taking the trolley to downtown Kobe as a teenager to the only record store that sold Western music. So really, what could be a tedious five-hour torture chamber of J-pop is a funny, memorable family affair. My mother has an incredible knack for singing along to songs she's never heard, helped by the naturally predictable melodies and transcribed lyrics on the TV screen.
Once upon a time, I was heavily into J-pop, and let me tell you it helped my Japanese-language vocabulary acquisition like no other. That was about seven years ago, so I've moved on, but once a year, I get to experience the glory and splendor of five hours of Kouhaku. Here are some of my favorite highlights:
-The adorably diaper-wearing techno-pop girl group PERFUME performing "Polyrhythm":
I love them! So manufactured, so upbeat and club-kid-esque, so well-coordinated! This is how J-pop should be.
-American-born enka singer Jero made his first appearance on this year's Kouhaku with a touching performance dedicated to his Japanese grandmother:
I have a special place in my heart for this guy, seeing as we are QAPA brethren. (QAPA is a term my brother and I invented when we were little to identify as, meaning "quarter Asian part American". Spread it around!) See his mother in the audience, weeping? Check out Jero's grandma's smiling face painted on his shirt! Way to go, buddy!
-My most favorite songs of all are the traditional enka performances. The singers are so impassioned and obviously moved by the lyrics, which have actual meaning compared to J-pop. Enka is mostly about longing, leaving your loved ones behind, the ocean, crying, mothers, and really just a lot of drinking. In the world of classic enka, sake is the purest expression of emotion possible for men. For women, it's all about the kimono: This is the lovely Godai Natsuko performing "Kyoto Ninen-zaka" about an old district of the city. Doing an adorable dance to accompany her are twins Kana and Mana. I love Ms. Godai's peacock-themed kimono and matching oversize-pattern kimono! Did you know that the peacock features in the Jataka tales, stories of the Buddha's previous incarnations? Like Aesop's fables, Jataka tales end with a moral and pause for reflection. The peacock is also associated with Kannon-sama, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Believe me, I took a class on this in Japan. Even the colors and patterns of Kana and Mana's kimonos evoke meaning and emotion. For now, we can just enjoy them aesthetically!
This dramatic performance featured infamous sixteen-year-old kabuki onna-gata Saotome Taichi (in the white kimono), with Fuji Ayako singing "Akai Ito," or "Red String." Here's a close-up of her ensemble, complete with obi tied in the front. Befitting the kabuki performance in the background, Ms. Fuji's kimono is evocative of Edo-period fashion.
Here is Sakamoto Fuyumi in a lovely East-Meets-West kimono, rainbow on the top and woodcut style foamy waves on the bottom.
Also big this year were decorative hairpins--coincidentally, our favorite accessories here at Periodic Style HQ! Traditionally, women in kimono will accessorize with kanzashi in similar themes to the patterns on their kimono. Wisteria, cherry blossoms, pine, plum blossoms, maple leaves, and all other manner of seasonal flora are popular hair adornments. Like all great wardrobe accoutrement, kanzashi began as functional hair-pins and quickly turned into a full-blown art form. Here's a few examples from this year's Kouhaku:
Nagashima Miki wove her dramatic white feather-laden hairpiece into a thick braid--Etsy seller Marissa Joanna Rojas has some lovely feathered hairpins to show off your combined Japanese-chic/flapper style!
Taiwanese-Japanese actress/singer Hitoto Yo always has large hair decor, this year it was a tulle number that matched well with her ethereal, bird-like dress. Does it overpower her short hair, though? What do you think?
Singer Aiko's flower has a zesty Spanish flair, tucked behind but under the ear. Simple, cute, and elegant! With a matching wristlet, it's a little prom-ish and adorable.
Ultimately, this year's Kouhaku was won by the men's side. I disagreed, the ladies really pulled out all the stops, but you can't contest the men's side when they have a whole chorus line of samba-dancing transvestites on their side. Ah, well. I'll leave you with this lovely reminder of good times past, a celebration of one of Japan's most vibrant, food-crazed cities: OSAKA. Wishing you all beautiful, fun, and joyous 2009!
, which despite the glowing review by my heroine Mariska Hargitay was sort of disappointing. (The episode of Law&Order: SVU where Munch infiltrates the man-boy love group is much better--the author was a consulting producer on it.) Tom McShane's life of undercover work is straight out of the 1970s-80s, and the alternate personae he created to bust art theft rings are exactly the kinds of guys you'd expect to be wheeling and dealing in the world of stolen masterpieces. Mr. McShane worked on some of the most high-profile thefts of the twentieth century and was the first to introduce a forensic approach to verifying stolen paintings were the real deal. He cobbled together a portable x-ray from bomb squad castoffs and spent hours in hotel rooms with criminals, getting arrested alongside them to maintain his cover identity. Fascinating stuff, and the entire book is a rollicking ride through his career.
