Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Today, as all good comic book movie nerds know, is the day that Iron Man 2 comes out in theatres. Yes, this is exciting, and yes, we love us some Robert Downey Jr. (Hey-yo!) But the comic book movie I'm really waiting for this summer has to be Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

In fact, I was talking with Kati on the phone and I mentioned Scott Pilgrim, and she said, "what?" I said, "HOW HAVE YOU NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS MOVIE. YOU WILL LOVE THIS MOVIE."

Thus, Things in this Movie that Are Awesome:

- Michael Cera, who is one of PeriodicStyle's favorites ever, stars as Scott Pilgrim. Scott is a happy-go-lucky unemployed bass player who meets Ramona, the rollerblading delivery girl of his dreams. But in order to date her, he has to defeat her Seven Evil Exes.
- It also features Mae Whitman (Ann! from Arrested Development! and she has to FIGHT MICHAEL CERA!), Brandon Routh, Chris Adams, Jason Schwartzmann (as the Big Bad Ex, Gideon), Kieran Culkin, and Anna Kendrick. Just the cast makes me bounce up and down.
- It is based on a comic book series (which I own and have read), which has lots of video game references, including K.O.s, 1-Ups and power items, save points, and boss battles.
- It is directed by Edgar Wright, who also did Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (both of which I loved).
- The soundtrack features Metric, another PeriodicStyle favorite, as "Clash at Demonhead", the band fronted by Scott's own Evil Ex, Envy Adams. (You can hear their song for the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack, Black Sheep, on YouTube.) The whole Scott Pilgrim soundtrack is going to be completely epic.
- They're also making a game with Ubisoft, complete with old-school graphics and music. (Check out the preview from Penny Arcade Expo East here on YouTube.) I know Kati kicks it old-school gamer a lot more than I do, so this is totally for her!

Basically, it is going to be amazing and exciting. And I'm going to be there opening day for sure.

I mean, look at the trailer: how is this not something we'd totally dig for days?



While you're waiting, go ahead and pick up the series -- right now it's at five volumes, with the sixth (and final) one due out this summer. Get started with Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, and go from there. It's a fun read, and it will definitely get you pumped for the movie.

What movies are you looking forward to this summer?

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Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Supporting Crafters and Other Good Deeds

Jeanne:

I've mentioned before that I'm a knitter, and this year my mom asked me if I wanted any knitty things. Well, no, not really, I have a lot (probably too much, considering how little I knit now), but I got to thinking -- if you're thinking about buying gifts for a crafter, what do you get them? While my expertise is in knitting and most of my suggestions are gifts for knitters and fiber-y types, you can apply the basic ideas below to any DIY type.

- My first gift choice? Books! There are always great how-to books for any skill, be it knitting, scrapbooking, crocheting... the sky's the limit. Some of the knitting books that I'd recommend for any level are Scarf Style, which has a great variety of scarves, and the all-mighty Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques. That book will save your knitter a ton of heartache and teach a lot of important skills. (I actually asked for it, and got it, a few years ago, and it's still teaching me new things.) If I had to pick one knitting book that I'd want this year, though, it would definitely be Knockdown Knits, the roller derby knitting book. I totally could use a Jammer beanie while I'm ducking and dodging through commuters this winter...

- Knitters love yarn and needles and other goodies, yes. But if you're completely in the dark about what your knitter prefers (double-points? circulars? worsted? sockweight? cobweb? merino? tencel? bamboo? turbo?), you really can't go wrong with a yarn store gift certificate. kpixie.com is one great online yarn store, with a lot of cute knitting kits, as well as a variety of gift certificate options available. That said, I highly encourage you to check out your local yarn stores -- they may already know your knitter's likes and needs! Plus, there's no replacement for getting to feel the yarn in person... If you need some help finding a shop near you, Knitmap.com is a directory of yarn stores, and even has an iPhone app for the knitter in need of yarn or needles far away from the LYS (Local Yarn Store).

- Even if you're not sure what yarn or needles to buy, you can be assured that your knitter needs something to put said yarn and needles in, especially for carrying around to KIP (Knit in Public).

A quick search on Etsy for "knitting needle roll" brings up lots and lots of options, and I found some cute ones! This black and white double-pointed needle organizer from knitonebeadtwo.etsy.com keeps those tricky needles in place -- I can't tell you how many multiple sets I've bought because one of the five has gone a-wandering. lenabrowndesigns.etsy.com has many options for needle rolls, including this 30 pocket (whoa) needle holder -- it also doubles as a paint (or make-up!!) brush roll for any painters or make-up artists on your list. And if you want a coordinating set, the knitting needle traveler and DPN Manager from thesilverpumpkin.etsy.com come in a sweet matching bird print.

And to carry around the yarn and needles... well, anything can be a knitting tote, technically, but there are bags designed with knitters in mind! I love the Scoot Scoot tote from roseknits.etsy.com -- you think I could fit my make-up in there? Maybe not all of it, but at least my travel stuff...
If you want to keep a big project in one place, the large knit project bag from yarnplaycafe.etsy.com will keep it tidy and adorable. For truly serious knitting, the knitting bag with yarn dispenser from debdonnellydesigns.etsy.com keeps yarn contained and organized -- many a knitter has dealt with a major yarn barf at least once.

Plus, when you buy off of Etsy, you're supporting an independent artist and handmade work, which will always make your crafter happy, too. It's amazing what you can find; I only scratched the surface for knitting goods!

- If you honestly and truly are really stuck, and your knitter has everything ever made for knitting ever and really doesn't need anything else ever and is begging you to "please don't give me any more yarn, I don't need any more", give your knitter a share or a whole Knitting Basket from Heifer International. This gift provides four wool-producing animals -- two sheep and two llama -- to be raised for their wool to be turned into not just yarn and knitted/woven goods, but income and hope.

- Finally, if you've got a crafter on your list, odds are that YOU'LL be getting something handmade back. And if you do, the best gift you can give your crafter is to appreciate it fully and truly. For real.

Karen:

I am an aspiring crafter, as in, I always start project or have great ideas and never complete them. It's a common problem. My favorite part of the Japanese bookstore outside of the fashion magazines is always the new craft books section, where they always have THE CUTEST IDEAS EVER. I've always liked getting books as presents, they are always useful and not so invasive as more personal gifts like jewelry or clothing.

- Amazon can provide your lucky giftee with a whole package of Japanese-style craft books, all part of the Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! series. There is Amigurumi, Woolly Embroidery (too cute!), Lacy Crochet, and Lacy Crochet that are so cute I could just eat them up. I saw a Japanese book of Scandinavian felt crafts at Fancy Tiger Craft in Denver earlier this year, Etsy seller FeltCafe has a copy for sale if you are as completely enraptured by that combination of greatness as I am!

- Although I may not be pumping out the craft projects myself, I do always recommend those looking for philanthropic causes to donate to check out our locally founded Kiva.org, where you can find small business owners in developing countries who need microloans. Many of these entrepreneurs are women working on collectives, on clothing, crafts, and cottage industries. The great thing about funding microloans through Kiva is that you get a 100% return on your money at the end of the loan cycle. I recommended Kiva to my father, who in turn took the proposal to his company for a company-wide microfinance program through the website, and now he maintains a whole portfolio of charitable loans he's cycled through for over a year, with 100% returns!

- Another resource that benefits crafty entrepreneurs is Global Girlfriend, an online shop with profiles of the craftswomen. Each item benefits the specific collective or group of women, be they victims of domestic violence, sex trafficking. Talk about value added! Who wants a random thing from the mall when you can say your tote bag (I like the funky recycled plastic market totes!) is helping women living in poverty in India?

images from amazon.com and roseknits.etsy.com

This post features Amazon affiliate links.

The Japanese Skincare Revolution

Back in, oh, February, I was browsing through my knitting blog feeds on Bloglines (because I still check in on those every once in a while) when a super eggplant's post jumped out at me. (And, on checking in again, now she's talking about BB creams -- stop, no, pull me away from the eBay shops!)

Anyway, Mariko had just purchased a copy of The Japanese Skincare Revolution, and me, always looking for new skincare solutions and ideas, ordered a copy for myself.

I've flipped through it and, honestly, I'm kind of slacking on revolutionizing my skin (oops?). I've already purchased the NARS Hydrating Freshening Lotion for the Lotion Mask, which is when you apply cotton and lotion to your skin. This is Saeki Chizu's cure-all for everything -- clogged pores, oily t-zone, dry skin, and hangover-skin (!). She also suggests upping the ante by cutting holes in a shower cap and placing that over your face, while sitting in the bathtub, for a quick (and cheap!) steam treatment.

I've also done some of the lymph node massaging, which is where you try and "unclog" your lymph nodes behind your ears, then massage your neck, collarbone, and ultimately, armpits. Whether it really works or not, I'm not sure, but it's a good thing to do while you're in the bath or shower or even at the office (if no one is looking). She also has massages for eliminating the double-chin (!) and sagging neck or cheeks.

I will say that I was disappointed in that both Amazon and the bookcover are all about "the secret to get rid of blackheads!" as one of the selling points, because, yeah, actually, I would like to know the secret. And the secret is... don't pick at them and use a scrub twice a week. (That's not really a secret.) So I was disappointed that, you know, there wasn't a better secret or system to get rid of blackheads.

All in all, the advice is pretty solid (be happy, eat good food, get good rest, and don't overload your face with products, including taking one day a week to just let your face go without products), and the book itself is a good resource, including suggestions on how to adjust your skincare routines depending on the time of the year, since summer skin is different than winter skin is different than spring skin, how to revive hangover skin, how to look ten years younger the next day, and the proper ways to remove eye and lip make-up.

Any skincare tricks, techniques, or books you'd recommend? I've always got an open ear for successful secrets...

images from amazon.com

Braaains! and Etsy!

We're not dead, just kind of lurching along through the week! I promise things will perk up again soon...

In the meantime, while I'm dragging my feet, here's a various collection of some excellent zombie stuff from Etsy and beyond.

- Last weekend, I picked up Zombies Calling, the story of three college students who suddenly realize that yes, the z-words are real and taking over their campus. For more about Zombies Calling, check out the creator's website at FaithErinHicks.com.

- This zombie lolita dress from wearydrearies.etsy.com is absolutely haunting and gorgeous. (Is it too soon to start thinking about Halloween?)

- rockythezombie.etsy.com is a shop dedicated to the sweetest little zombies. I mean, they love cupcakes! And flowers!

- Bloodbath.etsy.com has some ghoulishly nifty products, from "Lip Embalm" to sugar scrubs with scents like Petrifying Pomegranate.

- HushHush.etsy.com has some killer (ahem) jewelry, including a ZOMBIE necklace and the slasher fan necklace.

- Oh, and how could I forget! Re: Your Brains. I'm among the zombie hordes here in this clip, and I would say "listen closely and you can hear me", but you can't. It's just too much zombie goodness.



Here's hoping this week doesn't continue to eat my brain!

image from amazon.com

The High-Stakes, High-Falutin' World of Art Theft

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!

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Dudes

Jeanne:

I have my dad and my brother, and until recently, I had to buy boyfriend (or we-broke-up-but-you're-still-pretty-much-my-boyfriend-so-you-get-a-present) presents. But not this year! I am actually kind of relieved by it, and have decided I'm going to hold off until 2009 because then I don't have to buy another guy present. (It's kind of like the opposite of the Margaret Cho bit about breaking up: "There's never a good time to break up. You just bought concert tickets. A war broke out. You want your birthday present first." Except for me right now, it's: "No, sorry, I can't date you, I don't want to have to buy you a present.")

Last year also added a complication in that I was supporting the WGA strike and didn't buy any DVDs. Well, since they settled the strike, I feel I can recommend DVDs to you this year now!

- BUT FIRST: books. I've already purchased my brother's gift, the delightful John Hodgman's newest book, More Information Than You Require, the sequel to his hilarious first book, The Areas Of My Expertise (which he will also be receiving). The Areas of My Expertise audiobook is amazing and features the wonderful and adorable Jonathan Coulton, whose music is also a good gift choice. I wrote about them both last December, and I am still a fan. (You can also follow them on Twitter, which I highly recommend -- @hodgman and @jonathancoulton.) ALSO: that is all.

- I was among those who were pretty dang peeved when Fox cancelled Futurama. And then when Fox restarted Family Guy after Family Guy's popularity soared on Cartoon Network, I was one of the people shouting, "AND WHAT ABOUT FUTURAMA YOU GUYS C'MON." So when they announced that Futurama's "back, baby!" at San Diego Comic-Con in 2007, I was (and remain!) thrilled. The deal is for four straight-to-DVD movies that will be cut up into four new episodes each, so sixteen new episodes of Futurama made out of four movies. Three of them are already out: Bender's Big Score, The Beast With A Billion Backs, and the newest, Bender's Game. Hooray, Futurama!

- Now that the strike's over, I have been buying a lot of DVDs. And I tend to be pretty generous with letting people borrow them. Unfortunately, some of the guys in my life have kidnapped some of them. Luckily, two are with my brother, and I know where he lives, but the other... may be gone forever. I know that I can get my copies of Freaks and Geeks and the first season of Flight of the Conchords back at any time from my brother, but he's holding on to them for me right now. Tragically, I am probably never going to get the complete series of Arrested Development back. That one is a heartbreaker, and has been killing me since the break-up. Keeping a girl from her GOB Bluth? That's just cruel. COME ON.

- If I were to buy something for someone this year, I would most likely get him the Amazon exclusive DVD of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It was a side project for Joss Whedon (hooray!), Neil Patrick Harris (hooray!!) and Nathan Fillion (hooray again!) during the writer's strike, and originally was all online. Now you can have it in a DVD! Also, we are in full support of blogs, even if they are run by mad scientists who have unrequited crushes on the girl at the laundromat. Seriously, this is worth buying and having for yourself, not just as a gift. And! It's on pre-order now for only ten bucks. Yay!

- Finally, I have two words for you: Soap Stache. Yes, it is soap in the shape of a mustache. dennisanderson.etsy.com sells Soap Stache and many other wonderful soaps that everyone can enjoy, including beer soaps (!!), so you can pick your (or his) favorite brew. (Blue Moon, anyone? Or maybe you're more of a Guinness or Sierra Nevada drinker...) I have found that boys do like soaps and skincare and cologne if you buy it for them. So don't be afraid to do so. (Sephora can help with the cologne-finding, too.)


Karen:
Like Jeanne, I've just got my dad and my brother to gift this year. At my house, we have a very, very low-key Christmas because we do a bang-up job on New Year's in the grand ol' Japanese fashion. (Sukiyaki this year! Yes!!) Every other year, my brother and his wife come out to California to celebrate Christmas with us. This year, it's no big brother, and I already know what Dad's getting, so it's very simple:

-I've composed a Mad Men-themed stack of goodies, including the Mad Men Season 1 DVD set, Meditations in an Emergency, and to put a personal spin on it, a great bottle of sake. Apparently my grandfather drank rye a la Don Draper, so that's another option for your liquor-connoisseur father figure. Is that weird, to give your tee-totaling father alcohol for Christmas?

-I actually take after my father in several ways besides our shared lantern-shaped jaw. Both of us will be chained to our office desks when the rest of our respective companies have forced shut-down over the holidays. Fortunately, I have the solution to office doldrums, and it's these totally sweet Origami Post-It Notes. What better time to perfect your nimble paper-folding skillz than when it's quiet?

-Gifts that hark back to a family tradition are great for dads, who want to always think of their daughters as their little girls. My dad and I always loved listening to Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion on weekends together. Probably because we are mysteriously drawn to stories of Americana, it seems foreign and familiar at the same time. NPR.org has a specially-recorded session of songs by Garrison Keillor and his Guy's All-Star Shoe Band: When I Get Home.

-For the well-seasoned traveller in your life, Bedol has an amazing eco-friendly, water-powered clock. Isn't that great? Personally, I hate scrounging around for batteries for a travel clock when I'm traveling, so ta-da! I imagine a guy being endlessly captivated by this kind of wee device.

-In a perfect world, we'd have these hot, new technological marvels on the market for our male comrades to ogle and enjoy. The pod-dining-set looks like interior design FROM THE FUTUUUURE. I love it!

Have a happy holiday season, everyone, we'll be back soon we another gift guide for you!

image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

The Lettered Woman

It's the strangest thing. All this toil and trouble I've been through trying to finish my M.A. thesis, running around the world from Japan to California to New York and back again, the thing I most looked forward to has been reading for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is not something I take lightly. As someone lacking in the hands-on skills to knit, the athletic fortitude to take up a sport-related hobby, and the eye strength for video games, I am forced to use my free time on my first love: books. Having the luxury of time to read books, magazines, comics, anything that has NOTHING to do with biodefense, nuclear nonproliferation, and all the other things I've been spending the last two years on is an absolute joy.

I've been busily collecting a list of books to read "when I have time," which is now--I start my first Real Big Girl Job on Sept. 2nd, hooray--and I started with a bit of frivolousness. Three rather frivolous books, in fact! These three titles all deserve glowing reviews, and even managed to hold my usually chick-lit-averse attention, LOVE THEM.

1. My mother brought me a copy of The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable, by The Guardian's own Hadley Freeman, saying that she appreciated Ms. Freeman's position on women who wear glasses. You know the old saying, "Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses"? Totally untrue. As our girl Hadley says, girls who wear glasses are showing their smarts on their sleeves, and specs make the best fashion accessories. Hadley despises animal prints, loves wedges, and wins your heart over with sassy, snarky chapters on everything your fashionista heart desires. It's enlightened, sharp as a tack, and even if you aren't "into" fashion, it will open your eyes to the reality of transitioning personal style from what people like La Wintour tell us and the cold, hard, real world. The Meaning of Sunglasses was so charming, funny, and spot-on that once I finished it, I passed it right on to my friend Courtney, who also devoured it. Isn't that the sign of a great book, that you just have to share it? Passed back and forth, like Lady Chatterley's Lover--which I need to add to my list!

2. How to Get Along with Boys, first published in the 1930s with advice for girls on, well, take a guess. It's GREAT and HILARIOUS. It's exactly the kind of advice my grandmother gives me--this is the grandmother who says, "You know, Karen, I never even SPOKE to a boy until I was twenty-one years old! Don't worry about being a late bloomer. Grandma thinks it's okay." Only in Japlish, which is difficult to transcribe. How to Get Along with Boys compares the rigid social mores surrounding dating in the 1930s favorably with the even-more rigid rules of romance in Victorian times. Aren't you glad you don't have to entertain your beau in your living room with a chaperone present, and you get to take lovely walks together instead? If you are an old-fashioned girl trying to manipulate an old-fashioned, bumbling but handsome and strong boy into your arms/a wedding, this is the book for you. It's basically step by step how to snag your man and make him ask for your hand. Amazing! Quaint! Quirky! I love it.


3. I Feel Bad About My Neck, by the illustrious and most-revered (not to mention hilarious) Nora Ephron. Ms. Ephron waxes philosophical about her live, loves, work, moves, children, aging, and above all, being a woman. You're let in to her beauty regime, her friends who go in for Botox injections, the ins and outs of New York City's most desirable apartment buildings, and the delights of aging not-so-gracefully. Nora and I are somewhat connected (lady-school!), I admire her and her place in history with the glorious When Harry Met Sally, so it's great to read her candid recounts of her personal trials and tribulations. Not out of an obsession with fame, mind you, but more of a, "Gee, I wish she could be my mentor and we could sit around laughing about face creams and sexualized lipstick ads, then write movie scripts all day" mentality.

Right now, I'm about halfway through the fascinating new biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, infamous Gibson girl, political powerhouse), and it makes my heart yearn for THESE BOOTS. Is that materialistic of me, or is it just inspired?

Images from Powell's Books and the EverAfterStore.com.

In the Buff

A couple of weeks ago, I lost the fight with the nail polish I'd been wearing for about two and a half weeks. And instead of going and repainting them (as I'd been planning on doing), I stopped and thought I needed to give my nails a bit of a break. So I buffed them -- I got out a little nail buffer block and buffed my nails smooth and shiny. And I got to thinking -- does anyone actually buff their nails anymore?

I first started buffing my nails when my grandma (this should tell you something, yeah?) gave me a little nail buffer along the lines of this one -- shaped like a nail file, with one side having the first two steps and the second side the third and final "shining" step. And so I, being ten, thought this was awesome. While I haven't been keeping my nails buffed consistently since then, it's always been somewhere in the back of my mind.

Anyway, I thought I'd find some fun buffing products, especially since summer is the time to get smooth, and, uh, buff. So here we go!

- The Red Flower Japan Rice Buff is a bag of rice bran with aloe vera and various scented oils. I'm a huge fan of Japanese-inspired products, obviously, but at the same time, I don't know if I'd pay $24 for a bag of rice bran that's good for about seven washes (about $3.50 per wash!). Even if it is cherry blossom-scented. Still, I do like Red Flower's products in general; I'm just not super-sure about this one.

- I use Bliss skincare and love it, but I mostly keep it to my face -- I haven't branched out into their body stuff, really. They have a carrot and sesame body buff spa set that includes a scrub and a moisturizing foam thingie. I sniffed the scrub at Sephora and wasn't totally thrilled (maybe I just don't really like the smell of raw carrots?), but I've heard good things -- the Non-Blonde loved the scrub. I would rather get the Lemon & Sage scrub, if I had to have a Bliss scrub, but I'd rather get another Product Body scrub anyway. Mmm, Butter Scrub...

- Benefit makes a lip gloss called "Streakin'", which is described as "buff nude". Oh ho! I very much like Benefit's glosses, and a good neutral lip gloss is always good to have. (Which is why I have, like, a bajillion of them.)

- When I was in Vegas, I picked up a "Buffy" bar, which I think used to be called "Buffy the Backside Slayer". Clearly there was a name change...

- Speaking of our favorite Slayer, if you haven't already started reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, you definitely need to check it out. It's the continuation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer after the TV show ended, written by Joss Whedon; because it's a comic instead of a TV show, so much more can happen that would just be impossible to put on TV... (And actually, my favorite slayer is Faith, who doesn't show up until No Future For You (Volume 2), which I haven't picked up yet. But apparently she is awesome. Would you expect any less from her?) For a preview of Season Eight, check it out at DarkHorse.com.

Have you ever buffed your nails, or am I the only one who does this? (I've never seen any other beauty bloggers refer to it, at least that I can remember.) Any favorite buffs/scrubs you want to share? Or any favorite Buffy moments? And are you looking forward to Dollhouse, the new Joss/Eliza Dushku collaboration? (I'm not sure yet, but I'll probably be checking it out...)

images from drugstore.com and darkhorse.com

The Beautiful Fall

I think I'm probably the last to talk about the passing of Yves St Laurent almost two weeks ago now. While I feel like a Jeanne-come-lately to the whole thing, it's only been really recently that I've been realizing the impact.

The first real exposure I had to YSL was through fragrance, through my mother's bottle of Opium perfume. It was the first scent that I knew by name, by bottle, by smell. Back in the day, when the coolest restaurant I knew (okay, it was Planet Hollywood -- also, I was in elementary school) had bottles of perfumes for you to touch up, Opium was the one I recognized, the one I wanted to spray onto my red paper napkin rose, and the one I proudly brought back to my mom as "Look! Opium! You have this!" and sniffed constantly through dinner. I haven't smelled it (the fragrance, not the paper rose) in years, but just thinking about it, I can remember it.

I have a stack of fashion books to read through, and I'll be writing more about them, but the one I took to Vegas and read through the airport, through the flights, and in my downtime at the hotel was The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris, the story of the rivalry between YSL and Karl Lagerfeld. Susie Bubble did a fabulous review of this book early in 2007, and this book had been on my list since then, but I only got around to reading it just this past week. (I'd had it since, oh, February or March, but my stack of books just keeps growing lately.)

And the passing of YSL definitely colored it -- reading about the relationship between YSL and Pierre Berge, of course, but particularly about Lagerfeld's own fear of mortality. Lagerfeld didn't attend either of his parents' funerals, and sure enough, he didn't attend YSL's, either. And I definitely felt a pang of sympathy -- how awful it must have felt for him, to have mortality stare him right in the face like this.

And while I don't always agree with everything Lagerfeld does or says (like when he takes over the Manolo's blog), I know that he, like a lot of people in fashion, is a wounded person. It's like Drake says at one point -- fashion attracts people who want to be consumed by something, and that's what it does. (Does it still? Have things changed enough?) But he's made it in the industry for over 50 years now -- and he's paid a lot of prices for being able to.

The book itself is an amazing piece of journalism -- I even read through all of the sources and notations, which had some excellent adventures briefly alluded to. (I would definitely read a book just on the research process for this one.) I was sometimes surprised and giddy that I was "in the know" when I picked up on name drops and brief passing references -- I've learned a lot since my days of red paper roses.

image from yslbeautyus.com

Double your pleasure, double your fun

Something magical happens at this time of the year for me. The fall semester has finally wound down, I am all pumped for my upcoming move to the Big Apple, the hectic holidays are behind us, and all is quiet. It's this quiet time during which I always remember how to read for pleasure instead of what I call "reading" during the school year--that desperate middle-of-the-night skimming and searching for the key ideas so you can raise your hand in class in four hours and say something approximately intelligent. Not that I'd ever do that, of course. I am a studious little bee when it comes to pleasure reading, I devour every word and phrase with the utmost gusto. If you are descended from librarians, telephone operators, writers (Interesting fact: my great-grandmother was Marg Nelson, author of many young adult novels about the Pacific Northwest in the 1950s. Her books consisted of a lot of magazine-reading on beds, sailing in fishing vessels/love boats, and thinking about the latest Paris fashions.), and fishermen as I am, relaxing with an engrossing book is just about the sweetest respite in the world.

Once upon a time, I dove into 100% fiction, with nary a glance into that scary, dusty, heavily-bound section of the library assigned to non-fiction. My tastes have changed since college: I want to learn about disease, genetics, history, all that good non-fiction stuff. I want to read about the craziest non-fiction things that you wouldn't even believe...if it weren't true. I am talking about TWINS. Multiples. Twins separated at birth and put into studies. Conjoined twins. Thalidomide babies. Thank goodness I'm not going to be pregnant any time soon, because all three of the books I've inhaled over the past two weeks would make me absolutely freak out.

Before Christmas, I spotted a summary of Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein's Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited in my girl-college alumnae magazine and knew I had to have it. This rarely happens to me with books. Knee-high black leather Victorian-detail boots, yes, tart pans and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, oh hell yes, but a book?
The title really says it all, but this story is so unimaginable, quirky, lovely, and poignant that I had to share it. Paula and Elyse were born as identical twins, put up for adoption and lived in a foster home as infants until they were adopted separately by two different families, specially chosen by the Louise Wise Adoption Agency for their suitability. Thirty-odd years later, Elyse embarks on a quest to find out about her birth mother and in doing so, finds out that she has an IDENTICAL TWIN. They tell the story of their reunion, "twinness," and post-adoption information search, switching off narrative duties and sharing every intimate detail of their thoughts and feelings through the process. You can't make this stuff up. It's rare that I cry while reading, but the last two chapters saw a few fall onto the pages, I'm not embarrassed to say. I'll also admit a certain affinity for the author's shared love of auteur film, but that's a different story.

After finishing Identical Strangers, I got a hold of Dr. Nancy L. Segal's Indivisible by Two: Lives of Extraordinary Twins and dove headfirst into it. Dr. Segal, like me, is a fan of Oliver Sacks (who isn't? For real.) and presents stories of twins lost, twins found, twins with seletive mutism, sets of identical twins married to identical twins--their children are all full siblings! what!--exploring the unique connection between identical twins throughout their lives. It's the kind of book where you read each chapter, your eyes go wide and you have to read bits of it aloud because you just can't believe it. It's fascinating, engrossing, and touching.
I was 100% invested in Dr. Segal's stories of twins until the very end, when a stray chapter all about cloning and "intergenerational twins" threw me for a loop. That said, I strayed even further from my twin objective with a book I picked up yesterday at a used buy-sell-trade bookstore:

Armand Marie Leroi's Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body I've only just tucked into, but it's equally fascinating, in a P.T. Barnum/Carnivale way. When you think of the human genome and all the little variants that we can't control when making babies and whatnot, it's amazing to think of the genetic variety in our single species. One split ovum makes identical twins, but what makes skin discoloration, babies born with two mouths, or without thumbs any more of a miracle? I love it, and I want to read more, but I am conflicted. I started out reading Elizabeth A. Fenn's Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 before this whole twin obsession, and I hate reading two books at once. What do I do, follow my original allegiance to contagious disease or explore genetic mutations until my eyes fall out? What a terrible reading life I lead.


Note: Images and links from Powells.com.

Gift Guide 4: Books!

You know it's inevitable: it's down to the wire and you find yourself standing in Borders, looking around desperately for books or DVDs. Well, I'm taking a stand against DVDs this year and supporting the WGA in their strike, so I'm not buying or asking for any DVDs this year. This, of course, makes things more difficult for me when it comes to "oh god, oh god, what do I do for so-and-so" presents. (And I'm sure made things more difficult for my family, since I usually get a healthy little stack of DVDs from my brother. Sorry, dude!)

Thus it all comes down to books this year. Fiction tends to be really hard to pick out for gifts, or at least for me, and literary non-fiction is pretty fascinating to me currently. I've written a guide to short fiction before, which I may repost here at some point if there's a desire for it, but here's some of the things I've read and loved, some of the things I'd like to read, and some delicious recipe books.

I will say this: I'm leaving the prices off because everywhere's different -- you can pick up books anywhere from Amazon to Borders to Powells (if you're lucky!) or the used bookstore of your preference. Some of these are new hardbacks, so keep that in mind.

- Persepolis I and II by Marjane Satrapi. Yeah, I'm starting you off with a graphic novel because I'm a bit of a comics nerd. But this is one of those graphic novels that you can give to your non-comic-reading friends, as it's a fascinating story in itself. Originally written in French, it's the autobiography (although perhaps with some embellishment; who knows?) of the author's childhood growing up in Iran, then her growing into adulthood in Europe. It's very well-done, and I learned a lot from reading it. It's coming out as an animated film this winter (Christmas for major markets, early 2008 for the rest of us), and I'm super-excited about it all around.

- Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody. I don't know if I should be uber-jealous of Diablo Cody or make her my newest girl crush. She got the book deal for Candy Girl on the power of her blog about being a stripper (the original is down, but she now blogs at Blogspot), then got a screenwriting deal, which produced the new film Juno, which I totally want to see a lot, and now is a columnist for Entertainment Weekly. Basically, she is pretty much everything I want to be. Except for maybe the stripper part. Anyway, when I bought the book, I didn't know any of this. I brought this on my trip to Japan and lent it to my traveling buddy on the flight back... and kept peering over her shoulder. I was so intrigued by these over-the-shoulder glimpses that I devoured it as soon as she was done. It is an awesome book, and I am sorry, Kati, that I forgot to stick my copy in your package.

- This is Not Chick Lit by Elizabeth Merrick (editor). Don't get me wrong: I like chick lit! At least, well-written chick lit. I have recently come around to it after years of creative writing classes where everyone's writing about divorce, drugs, or death (or sometimes all three). So I do enjoy the happy release of chick lit. But that's not all that women write, and that's not all that women read. This is Not Chick Lit is a powerful collection of short stories that happen to be primarily written by and about women. If you or the person you are buying for lean more towards the short fiction side (and if you do, let me know!), this is definitely a good collection to pick up.

- Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin. I am considering getting this for my dad, as he is very hard to pick books out for, as he's not really a recreational reader -- if he wants a book, he will let me know specifically what book, and he will only read the books he wants to read. But Steve Martin is well known for his writing as well as his comedy, and a memoir of his early stand-up career sounds really promising. It got a good review from Entertainment Weekly a while back, and it sounds like it would be something my dad (and my mom and I) would really enjoy reading. Edited 12/20: I did purchase this last night.

- The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy by Bill Hayes. I just read an intriguing article on the author of this book in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday, with a short selection from the text. And I am so, so interested in this book, just from reading that excerpt. It's the story of the medical reference book Gray's Anatomy and the men who put it together, Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter (the illustrator). In addition, it's also the story of Bill Hayes learning about anatomy itself through classes at the University of California San Francisco medical school. I really want to read this book, just based on this article and excerpt alone. And I think this would also be a good fit for my dad or my mom, just based on their shared interest in health and science. Edited 12/20: I went to the bookstore last night and asked the information desk about it when I couldn't see it on the shelf. This book won't be released until 12/26. Alas!

- Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery by Rose Carrarini. I did not make it out to the Rose Bakery when I was in Paris this spring -- it was on my list, but I didn't make it. The best next thing, I suppose, is this recipe book, which I've only flipped through briefly at the San Francisco Ferry Building (another foodie destination, just not in Paris). The photos are beautifully done -- this is a recipe book you could leave out on your coffee table. And if you know bakers, this would be a great gift for someone who wants to branch out and try something new. It also has many vegetarian and vegan options as well, according to an Amazon reviewer. Here's the Rose Bakery recipe for carrot cake with beautiful pictures at BigCityLittleKitchen.com, in case you want to see for yourself.

- The New Best Recipe by the editors of Cooks Illustrated. How many times have you made an apple pie using different breeds of apples, different spices, different flour? Probably not all that many. But if you're familiar with Cooks Illustrated, you know that they have an amazing test kitchen where they do go through every single variable for every single recipe. I love the Libby label pumpkin pie as much as anyone else, but we've never had a better pumpkin pie than when we started using the recipe from The New Best Recipe. I remember disagreeing with their choice of cheese for the best macaroni and cheese, but that's their (and ultimately my) choice too. An excellent reference for any cook. However, I will say that if you're more of an improviser in the kitchen, it may be a little too precise for your liking.

If you find yourself wandering in the wilds of the bookstore this weekend (because I know I will be), good luck, fellow soldier. Good luck.

images from amazon.com and powells.com

You've finished Harry Potter? Here's a few mysteries to read.

While most everyone I know is busy reading Harry Potter, I've been busy compiling a list of my favorite beach reads to share. The problem was- it was way too long! So I decided to go with a mystery theme, since my local library is doing a mystery-themed summer reading program this year, and I've been reading more mysteries than usual. Mysteries aren't always the best beach reads, since it's harder to pick them up and put them down, but I have to recommend something engrossing to read after you all finish Harry Potter, right?

Right.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, By P.D. James
Blame Jeanne for this one. Her copy has traveled quite aways with her, and while it never made it to a beach with either one of us, it is an excellent read. Despite being set in the 1970s, it's got a timeless old-world feel to it, and Cordelia Gray is a clever detective you want to see succeed.

The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammet
This is a classic! It's lighter in tone than his other mysteries, and Nick and Nora have one of my favorite literary relationships to date (and I'm not the only one who loves them.)

Size Twelve is Not Fat, by Meg Cabot
Anyone who knows me knows I love Meg Cabot, so obviously this was bound to end up on here. Cabot is clever at including pop references, and she writes a great love story. While the underlying mystery isn't the most difficult to solve, it's a nice change of pace for me to be actually able to guess who the culprit is and have a good chance of being right.

Bad Kitty, by Michele Jaffe
Okay. So this is a Young Adult Book. Whatever. You're on vacation. Everyone knows that's the best time to be reading silly books. Bad Kitty is a delightful piece of fluff, with cute boys, excellent setting(Vegas! Who doesn't love Vegas!), and several mysteries in one (like why the cute boy does not make out with Jas sooner. COME ON.)

Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Phillip Pullman
Pullman's been getting a bit of a reassurance lately with the buzz behind the His Dark Materials trilogy and the movie getting made for that. Having read most of Pullman's books while I was actually in the Young Adult target range, I kind of find it hilarious that all these adults are reading his books now. But why not? They are quite good. The Lockhart series is quite obviously aimed at younger readers, but it also presents an engaging web to entice the readers in. Sally as a heroine is quite clever, and Pullman uses the Victorian setting to it's fullest advantage.


And the nice thing about mysteries is that they often have sequels. I'm working my way through the second Cordelia Gray mystery as I type, and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion to Meg Cabot's Heather Wells Mysteries, Big Boned, due out in November. More to read!

Images from powells.com.

Armed to the Teeth

Looking at the resurgence of popularity in the notion of 1950s housewifery and all that it stands for, the perfectly dainty female who makes a shoo-fly pie like a pro and keeps her house without a speck of dust yet retains her wit, charm, and style, the Periodically Stylish girl today faces a conundrum many women have struggled with for decades. We want and deserve careers, respect from our peers, equal rights and education, and yet there is something particularly alluring about the Becky Home-Ecky life, ruling over the mysterious domain known as Kitchen. Do you remember June Cleaver? I do. She was the uber-Mom. The woman vacuumed in heels, petticoats, and pearl earrings. Maybe it's just me and how I've grown up, but I have to say that today, there is no question that young women of our generation will be able to "do it all"--raise a family, work to support them, and cultivate an engaging intellectual life equal to (if not greater than) men. Then again, you have to learn from somewhere, and cooking is a complex sport. In fact, my mother is a non-cooking stay-at-home mom, of all things, so my brother and I are just discovering that making your own food is a genuinely enjoyable experience. This may be the first step on my journey into domesticity.


Thus, somehow, over the last week, I have succumbed to my inner 1950s housewife and accumulated an astounding amount of kitchen-y tools and things for baking. Behold:
1. A red three-cup Kitchenaid food processor. No longer will I labor over flour and butter pieces with a pastry cutter!
2. A new pie/tart spatula (it is very thin and sproingy).
3. A food scale that weighs in grams and ounces--no more bemoaning the fact that I can't use non-American-measured recipes! Quickly, bring me all of my Japanese cookbooks on muffins and pies, whither the British scones and shortbreads!
4. A sifter, definitely a tool that will have to take some getting used to. Here's to hoping it makes clumpy powdered sugar easier to deal with!
5. A glass bowl with which I can melt things like chocolate and butter over a makeshift double boiler.
6. Red wire shelves for my kitchen, upon which to arrange my cookbooks and recipes that seem to be scattered all over the apartment.
7. Three new cookbooks: 1 Noodle, 50 Sauces all about pasta with lovely photos (who knew you could get macaroni that wasn't already cut into short little elbows?), The Best 50 Dessert Tarts, and a surprisingly fascinating copy of The Original White House Cookbook, 1887 Edition, found at an antique store in Danville, California of all places. I love vintage cookbooks more than words can say, not only for their home remedies (warm borax water cures dandruff? chloroform rubbed on delicate fabrics like silk will remove even the toughest paint stains without damaging the garment, apparently), but all of those great recipes for cuts of meat and pieces of animals that you would never see in grocery stores today. Anyone for calf's head cheese?

Cookbooks make for excellently entertaining bedtime reading, if you are into cooking and all--I used to be a crossword-puzzle-before-bed girl (yes, I am very single), but the pleasures of a cookbook in hand are many. Yes, you may get an odd middle of the night craving for banoffee pie, but unlike an engrossing novel, the cookbook is easily abandoned for sleep and you need never worry about losing your place. These three new cookbooks of mine already added to the massive list of recipes I have to try.

From 1 Noodle, 50 Sauces:
Pinzimonio Rigatoni
Spaghetti with Shrimp and Raisins
Farfalle with Two Types of Peas
Rigatoni with Pumpkin Mousse
Linguine with Salmon and Mint

From The Best 50 Dessert Tarts:
Pastry Nut Crust, with walnuts or salted peanuts
Ginger Pear Tart
Blueberry Buttermilk Tart
Pine Nut Tart

From the White House Cookbook:
A corn bread recipe from the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans using buttermilk and molasses.
Pop-overs, those ever-elusive buttery babies.
English crumpets (how I love them!).
Boiled frosting, and frosting without eggs, described as: "An excellent frosting may be made without eggs or gelatine, which will keep longer, and cut more easily, causing no breakage or crumbling, and withal is very economical."
Not one, but FOUR recipes each for apple custard and lemon pies.

All told, those half-empty bags of white whole wheat flour in my cupboard and that unsalted butter in the freezer had better WATCH THEIR BACKS once schoolwork calms down a bit. Perhaps my next investment will have to be in a couple of removable-bottom tart pans and a cake stand?

Can a girl survive on tarts, pies, cakes, and pasta alone? With all my education and credentials, will I end up slapping on an apron and a string of pearls to keep a home, making pot roasts for some hard-working spouse someday?

Images from 180degreeimaging.com, tabletools.com, silverbackbooks.com, and cooking.com.