lipstick & magazines

Lipstick & Magazines #77: Retired!

2007-08-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Returning in another incarnation at some point.
xo

Lipstick & Magazines #76: Too Much

2007-06-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, there is just too, too much. Too many library books on hold, too many dog-eared recipes, too many del.icio.us bookmarks, way too many movies in the Netflix queue. I've been on a hamster wheel of media consumption (electricity-free retreat due shortly).

Josh and I went to Book Expo America in early June. This is the temple of the new book for publishers, booksellers, and librarians (me!) and we schmoozed and grabbed and shipped back about 100+ lbs. of assorted galleys and swag. Good times!

No galleys in hand for me but there will be new books from Alice Sebold and Ann Patchett. From the pile, I am quite excited about, but have yet to crack, the following:

Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee (her publisher started crying while describing this book about an abandoned young Korean girl who ends of getting adopted and growing up in New Orleans, then goes on to become the lover of the famous French founder of L'Occitane - intriguing)

Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood (for obvious reasons and because I like almost everything published by MacAdam Cage)

Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Portraits of Married Life in London Literary Circles 1910-1939 by Katie Roiphe (sounds good)

In the current love pile, find:

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. She's such a crafty writer - you can just about breathe in all the hard work and research she did to create such magical depictions of Chinese cuisine, but the book manages to be a breezy, lovely read. If I had enough spare bucks I'd totally be here.

Decor 8 - color of the month is orange -whee!

I'm sure many of you are reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver with her husband and daughter (that's one articulate 19 year old).

Gearing up for the first San Francisco International Poetry Festival. Grab that beret!

So You Think You Can Dance. Thanks Heather Havrilesky at Salon for saying it so...passionately.

New (to me) intriguing genre - mysteries written by Scandinavian women like Karen Fossum and Helene Tursten. If you shy away from the graphic, don't look this way. If you like it strange and dark and twisty, check it out.

Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations: Season 1 on DVD from the 'flix

If you fondly remember Alberta Straub, formerly of the Orbit Room, (I guess someone once called her the "Alice Waters of booze"?) check out the episodes of Cocktails on the Fly.

A nice list of some good books made into good movies from Bookforum. I always think this would be a fun book club to put together.

Have a great 4th everyone!

Lipstick & Magazines #75: Good

2007-05-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

SHOP

I've been browsing the heck out of Lochers shirts and jewelry. Take some time with the wears on this site, self-described as "sweet yet perverted." They are so sneaky! How french and wonderful!

Gypsyville's junk gypsy style is pretty awesome too. I like their rhinestone bee pin a bunch.

READ

If your inner ballerina would appreciate a gorgeous graphic novel written by former ballet dancer Siena Charson Siegel and illustrated by her husband Mark Siegel, check out To Dance. It's lovely. Perfect gift for 6 year old girls. Or boys!

If you're craving a gorgeously-written, evocative and poignant novel about a little girl's mysterious disappearance from San Francisco's Ocean Beach, check out The Year of Fog. Local author Michelle Richmond leaves you questioning memory and wondering throughout as you follow this restrained yet almost romantic story.

For a healthy (or really unhealthy actually) dose of science and history, check out Steven Johnson's fascinating The Ghost Map: T h e Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic-and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World.

WATCH

You simply MUST see Waitress.
Really. You must. So charming.

Go now. Call in sick.

Lipstick & Magazines #74: Live

2007-05-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, there is someone in your life who is the perfect recipient for a lovingly wrapped copy of Monkey Portraits by Jill Greenberg. These photos are really amazing as are most of Greenberg's pics of all sorts of hot celebs and animals. Something about that crazy light.

Have you seen these Japanese Baby-crying Contest Photos. I can't quite figure out what I think about this - funny? cruel? At least some of the babies are sleeping through it (how?).

Love love love these Apples and Pears pajamas from The Cat's Pajamas and for the younger ones, a Future Librarian onesie from Buy Olympia. So sweet!

Finally, Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by music writer Rob Sheffield is so lovely I'm taking it as slow as I can, which many know is difficult for speedy-reader me. But he is so spot on about the intersections between love and memory and living a life in our popular culture that I can't bear to finish it too soon. Trust me and read this book.

Lipstick & Magazines #73: Menu

2007-04-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

What's on the menu? What's tasting good lately?

I've been fixated on this Cauliflower with Mustard-Lemon Butter from Epicurious. Man, I swear it's like vegetable candy. You will, in fact, eat the WHOLE HEAD of cauliflower in one sitting. And you won't regret it (hopefully). I did cut down on the butter with no dire consequences.

Some excellent vintage menu browsing at City College of San Francisco's Al ice Statler Menu Collection, which "features images of historical menus for over a dozen San Francisco restaurants, and menus used in restaurants at the 1939 World's Fair on San Francisco's Treasure Island."

I finally made it to Miette's new-ish candy store on Octavia near Hayes in SF. It is, predicatably, pink and adorable, and I was surprised to be able to get out of there with less than $5 damage. Definitely worth of visit if adorable is your thing. Especially if you like malt balls that you can purchase by color so your candy bowl can match your decor.

Sweet bird decorative transfers for your cup, wall, or window at Perpetual Kid.

I know, I know. I should be over wanting the Hello Kitty-themed party that I didn't have as a kid. But when they make the stuff this cute, how can I not want it? Plum Party has all the fixin's. You can also start planning your Tie Dye Party to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love!

Lipstick & Magazines #72: Spring

2007-03-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung so time for cleaning and cooking and reading and brightening it all up.

Loving these gorgeous, sprightly chairs at Anthropologie. Maybe we could all start a fund to buy one and pass it around from house to house so we can all appreciate it for a little bit? Well, they're 25% off right now, if that makes it affordable for any of you!

It's Memoir Week at Slate. Some of my favorite recent memoirs writers (Rich Cohen, Alison Bechdel) as well as some "classic" memoir writers (Mary Karr, Maxine Hong Kingston) are writing and being written about.

10 stars for Barefoot Contessa Lemon Yogurt Cake. So tangy and sweet. Only thing I changed was to leave the cake in the pan and poke it with a piece of dry spaghetti to make little holes to help the syrup soak in. Then remove from pan after cooling before glazing. Lemon yumminess.

Have you been to Cooking Gadgets? A fun blog.

Not Martha has a great Dutch Oven round-up and the comments section is helpful as well.

Lulu the Rocking Lamb is a cute, cute Easter gift from Baby Styles! They have lots of other fuzzy lamb items as well.

Recent and upcoming cookbooks I'm coveting:

Time to cook, clean, and decorate!

Lipstick & Magazines #71: Eclectic

2007-03-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

It would take awhile to come up with a theme for these goodies, so just enjoy "as is."

Design Sponge's Guest Blog is featuring handmade wedding ideas - makes me want to plan another! (almost...) These photos are from my lovely hitch-day in Northern California in 2005.

Posie Gets Cozy shows off her fabulous ripple blanket and super cute kittie-cat.

Fashion Binge, a new blog from loyal L & M reader Tamron, features awesome eye candy, and her Etsy store will have you all ready to add to your jewelry (esp. charm necklace) collections! I know I still have my beloved plastic charm necklace from the 80s (no, I don't wear it! but I do think it's cool that I have an abacus charm) and it's time to update...

Even if you're not a librarian or a teacher, I recommend keeping your eye on Google's Librarian Central blog for really smart tips on how to use the site more effectively and info about what goes on on the inside. I was interested to read about their Authors@Google program which has featured Neil Gaiman, Steven Levy, and others. "Generally, we try to provide free copies of the author's book for the Googlers that attend. The writers read, talk on their topics of interest, and take questions. When there's time, they sign books too. The authors seem to enjoy speaking to a friendly audience of interested folk, and eat some of our famous cafeteria cuisine. We have rolled this program out at our offices in Mountain View, New York City, and Santa Monica, and plan to expand to other offices worldwide." And , of course, anyone can watch video of the author's appearance at GoogleVideo.

And finally Emily Chang's eHub is the place to keep up on everything new in the world of social software. In the past weeks, she's posted links to, among many others, ThisJustBrewed, a "social beverage news site," Nurse Linkup, a social networking site for nurses, and an interview with the folks behind Menuism, a community based restaurant guide. Awesome.

Lipstick & Magazines #70: Relax

2007-02-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

I've spent the past few weeks (including Valentine's Day-ick), and will be spending one or two more, on a criminal jury. Very intense process, amidst the tedium that is courtroom process and delays of course. It's a fascinating experience, but it's also requiring me to concentrate in a way that I haven't in a long time - well maybe never have, because I've never felt like a person's future was partially-dependant on whether I listened to my English professor. So, I'm coming home a bit wrecked and just wanting to relax. Hence my appreciation for:

Absolutely yummy Red Hot Three-in-One from Bath and Body Works.

This cinnamon body wash, bubble bath and shampoo was a gift from my honey for V-Day, and is now half-off online or in the store. Highly recommended.

It can be hard to find books that make me laugh out loud - repeatedly - but this one is working overtime. Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums--Tales from the Front Lines by Siri Agrell, a Canadian journalist, is full of truly sinister and hilarious tales of bridesmaids behaving badly, usually because the bride was behaving terribly herself. A lot of fun.

And finally, a few new-ish (to me) crafty blogs that I've been enjoying:

Juju Loves Polka Dots

Posie Gets Cozy

Adorn Magazine Blog - companion blog to the super cute looking hard-copy Adorn magazine which I have yet to come across in my bookstore travels.

Lipstick & Magazines #69: Cookbooks

2007-01-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

Part of my job includes searching out upcoming cookbooks and food-related titles. No, I'm not complaining, I promise. It's an excellent responsibility. Folllowing are a number of the most exciting books that will be published in early 2007:

In the Bay Area, I'm sure that Alice Waters And Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making Of A Food Revolution by Thomas McNamee will get a solid reading. As an "authorized" memoir, we may not be treated to ALL the inside dirt surrounding Berkeley's most famous restauranter, but we have gotten a good bit of that already in California Dish and a few other recent food-gossipy books.

Looks like the reign of the "eating local" book is about to take off with Plenty: One Man, One Woman, And A Raucous Year Of Eating Locally by a Canadian couple, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year Of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver which "explores the modern food industry via a narrative of a year in which the author and her family attempted to eat only food they grew themselves or purchased from nearby farms."

Bloggers in France will be hitting the bookshelves, with cookbook author David Lebovitz publishing an ice cream tome called Perfect Scoop and Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier.

While this one has never been on my shelf, it seems to be a standard in many collections: the Silver Palate Cookbook will be back in a 25th Anniversary Edition.

And finally just a few more that have snagged my attention:

Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables At The Center Of The Plate by Patricia Wells

A Chef's Story: 27 Chefs Talk About What Got Them Into The Kitchen

How To Pick A Peach: The Search For Flavor From Farm To Table by Russ Parsons

The Zen Of Fish: The Story Of Sushi, From Samurai To Supermarket by Trevor Corson

Happy reading and happy cooking!

Lipstick & Magazines #68: Fresh

2007-01-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Some new things to check out in the new year:

Former 80s kids will remember the slightly creepy doll "My Buddy" who also had a creepy "Kid Sister." The new Buddy from Genuine Scooter is a not creepy at all - it's a gem that haunts my SF walks. I've seen two so far, the orange and the non-offensive bubblegum pink - I'm in love!

April's Kittens is a re-issued cute 1940's book.

Hammerpress design has fresh poster and postcards.

Fred Flare is selling Amy Sedaris jars of jimmies.

Tarina Tarantino's adorable ribbon and velvet $130 headbands

Lipstick & Magazines #67: Lives

2007-01-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

I recently finished two memoirs and am pondering how we find the books we read, how sometimes they flow into and through each other, how often reading one will add depth and meaning to another.

The two memoirs are About Alice, Calvin Trillin's slim and lovely ode to his recently deceased wife, and A Three Dog Life, Abigail Thomas' poetic piece about her life after her husband Rich is hit by a car and suffers a life changing traumatic brain injury. Both books are heartbreaking and lovely; both are perfect books to read at the start of a new year, to shine a light on how important it is to treasure the love and connection you have in your life, in whatever form or gesture it takes.

It's been a good couple of years for memoirs, Frey-controversies notwithstanding. Here are some of the others that I've enjoyed:

*Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
*Grayson by Lynne Cox (how can you not love a sweet memoir about finding oneself swimming with a baby whale?)
*Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by
Elizabeth Gilbert
*Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater
*Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

And note that if you're a Trillin fan, he'll be at Books Inc. Opera Plaza in SF on January 24th, 7pm!

Lipstick & Magazines #66: Smart

2006-12-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

Obviously people who buy "books by the foot" and in particular shades to match the den are very, very smart. I think this is hilarious and would love to be in charge of color-coordinating the spines for people with this kind of $ to spend - reminiscent of Chris Cobb's art project at Adobe Books in 2004.

Smart people also would be keen on checking out Babes with Books which restores my faith in...something. Too funny.

I would consider anyone who wanted to sew me anything made out of the Japanese fabric at Super Buzzy to be ridiculously keen. Pink hippos!

I received lots of owl gifts and cards at my last birthday, so owls, a symbol of pure smart, are hanging in there as trendy animal of the year, though I'm predicting deer will take the lead in '07.

Reddingk t-shirts are smart. And cute. Their prints, framed, would be a lovely new year's gift as well (too late to order for the December holidays).

Finally, cookbook lovers would be wise to check out Sur La Table's surprisingly lush collection of autographed cookbooks. Seriously, who doesn't want Martha's new Homekeeping Handbook, with a bookplate signed by the mistress of perfection herself?

Lipstick & Magazines #65: Foreign

2006-12-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

Having just returned from my first trip to both London and Paris, I'm doing everything possible to hang on to the *travel magic*... what a lovely experience. Here are a few of my faves, many of which were suggested by my very cultured friends, some of which, of course, involve the books read along the way, in questionably comfortable beds and on flights filled with adorable (crying) toddlers:

*Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - recommended by the perfectly cast kooky glasses and fly-away hair (no, not me) bookseller at Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore in Paris. I'm now ready to read all her books...

*Laduree's raspberry macarons. Simply ridiculous.

*The Manet to Picasso exhibit at the National Gallery in London.

*Yes, the bone marrow salad at St. John

*Musee Rodin

*The jewelry at Sic Amor on 10 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe in the Marais district of Paris. I could live in here.

*The Parisian chick lit novel Left Bank, bought purely for the cover shown here, designed by letterpress stationary company Hello Lucky.

*The supremely filling lunch at Books for Cooks test kitchen - sweet potato and red lentil soup with lime and creme fraiche, cabbage and feta filo with a salad, and blueberry buttermilk cake. For 7 pounds!

*Aimless wandering with no email or cell phone...

Can you tell I'm ready for the next trip?

Lipstick & Magazines #64: Local

2006-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

My recent hiatus from L&M implies:

a. lots and lots of important work exploding all at once
b. a gnarly tweak o' the back requiring lots of relaxing to compensate for exploding workload
c. tons of fun events keeping me out of the house when i should still keep relaxing
d. all of the above

Yep, d.

But there is so much going on!

Here are some upcoming goodies not to be missed:

Litquake's Lit Crawl! On October 14, if you're in the Bay Area, you have no excuse to miss this unique and incredibly fun literary extravaganza. I'm producing the Mommy Lit venue, so come on by and say hello.

Far Away - my friend Molly is directing this Caryl Churchill play, about whose work I plan to be enlightened. Opening 10/13 and running through 11/4 at Exit Theater.

Luis Alberto Urrea at Books Inc.'s new Opera Plaza store on 11/1 - Day of the Dead. Our SF One City One Book author is a great storyteller, and I'm sure he'll pull out all the stops on this special day. If Books Inc. pulls out all the stops with sugar skulls, who knows what fun will happen?

Here are some recently consumed items of viewing and reading pleasure that I highly recommend:

The Brambles by Eliza Minot
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
The Notorius Bettie Page on DVD
The Departed
Kiddley

Lipstick & Magazines #63: Look

2006-08-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

UC Berkeley has launched Calisphere, which provides access to primary sources including historically themed collections for teachers (Popular Culture, Women in the Workforce, San Francisco General Strike) and specially selected websites created by UC profs, librarians, and researchers (Classic American Food, Bathing Beauties...). Not only is it great to have access to the content, but what an attractive and browseable site! Kudos.

San Francisco Hotel Project - gave me a new appreciation for the grungier and less immediately appealing aspects of my city. These photos by Mark Ellinger, who lives in an S.R.O. on 6th Street, are a must-see.

Fertile Ground Zine - I haven't seen a copy yet, but I love the look of this homegrown parenting publication - reminds me of something that would have been published in the 70s-early 80s (except for the blog and website part).

I like these insulated lunch bags from Reusable Bags.

Melamine ice cream cones and Andy Warhol banana split dishes. Cute cute cute.

Lipstick & Magazines #62: Summer

2006-08-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

This summer is doing one of these evil fly-by time warps. I can't believe it's already half-way through August! Here's what I've been checking out these last few weeks:

Custom-made author buttons or magnets - cute idea

Stila lipglaze sticks in quite yummy flavors - worthy of a collection

Wallaby yogurt - best. yogurt. ever - try the Maple flavor and go a little wild by adding a few extra drops of maple syrup

Sesame Letterpress coasters

Reprodepot children's gifts. What kid doesn't need a book called Contemplating Your Bellybutton or her own Marimekko bowl and mug set?

Retro Recipes

Handmade paper dolls from Black Apple on Etsy.com

Movies that twist your mind inside out a bit (aka Julie and Rosie movies, because my friend Julie and I only go to the theatre together to see these kinds of movies, especially if they are French and disturbing) - recent DVD releases of this sort include Cache (yes, French) and Sorry, Haters (very American).

One of my new fave writers - Elizabeth Gilbert

Lipstick & Magazines #61: Short

2006-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

...and sweet.

Weeds, now on DVD. So good!!

Barefoot Contessa baking mixes at Crate and Barrel

Philosophy frozen lemon custard lip shine. Sparkly and tasty.

The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook

Neko Case - I am pleasantly behind the times in my listening, always happy to be brought up-to-date and discover a musician this awesome.

New Herbal Essences bottle shapes & scents. Orchid & Coconut Milk? White Nectarine & Pink Coral Flower? Yum. Sold.

Lipstick & Magazines #60: Mind

2006-07-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

A few things that have been on it anyway (my mind, that is):

Don't know yet how I feel about these Playaway audio books...have you seen them? They're adorable! And I suppose if people share them, that's pretty cool. But there's something so disposable about the concept that I'm waffling a bit. A single book on a device - it never expires, but so much packaging for one use, no? I guess the same argument applies to an actual paper book, so maybe I'm being sentimental. I do like that they are promoting them to libraries (though they might want to think about offering a discount on ear buds for libraries - nobody's gonna be sharing those with their public library comrades...)

Personalized postage stamps - Zazzle.com is a little clunky, but yes, you can make your own for a wedding, party, or business mailing. You can also find really cool images (like from the Library of Congress) available if you need inspiration and get posters and prints too.

The East Bay's 101 Most Delicious Things To Eat in the East Bay - from Diablo Magazine

Newspaper Snippet Generator - this one's fun...give it a whirl.

Endlessly amused by how complicated it gets to keep oneself organized. See here, the 25 To Do Lists to Stay Productive. Yikes. I'll add it to my to-do list to explore to-do list options...

Lipstick & Magazines #59: Covet

2006-06-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Now which of these things do I covet so much I need to just buy them and stop the website "window shopping?"

Keds are cute again! Look at these adorable pairs with rock poster artist Eleanor Grosch prints (owls, seahorses, llamas). Much lovelier than my last pair (6th grade) which I wore with no laces and had all my friends sign (tacky, tacky).

More shoes to love, the Asics Onitsuka tiger sneakers. Waiting for a sale...

Fred Flare's next BIG thing - just great for cheery colors and good browsing.

My friend Peggy set me up for a financial down-fall by mentioning rock scissor paper's personalized stationary, with images like owls (yes, again - the new cupcake?), scooters, and lanterns. Something for everyone.

And finally, Typhoon has launched in the US - kitchen goods that you can shop by retro color or vintage style. The Vintage Green cake tin is putting me over the edge.

Lipstick & Magazines #58: Potential

2006-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here are ten books (somewhat recently or soon-to-be released) on my virtual nightstand as we head into summer:

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain ~ he's always a good, down-n-dirty food read

Swapping Lives by Jane Green ~ light, but not too fluffy

Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs ~ eagerly anticipated

A Student of Living Things by Susan Shreve ~ the beautiful cover sold me

Elements of Style by Wendy Wasserstein

Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions by Steve Almond & Juliana Baggott

What to Eat by Marion Nestle ~ she's a straight-shooter

Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey

Alternatives to Sex: A Novel by Stephen McCauley

The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez

Any other suggestions of recent good reads?

Lipstick & Magazines #57: Select

2006-05-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

The cream of the crop, the best of the rest. Beautiful, well-curated, stunning, and smart.

Project B: Vintage Photographs & Other Curiosities - If you're intrigued by photo names like Affectionate Sailors, Iowa Woman 513 lbs, and Children in Donkey Cart, take a browse through Barbara Levine's virtual vintage photo albums. Photos are for sale, as are curiosities like McIntyre's Hypnotic Ball and gorgeous Cigarette Cards. Levine's exhibition entitled "Snapshot Chronicles: Inventing the American Photo Album" is currently on display at the SFPL.

The 25 Sexiest Novels Ever Written from Playboy - An interesting book list. How many have you read? Probably the first time Judy Blume has been highlighted in Playboy.

15 Years of the Best Sources from Martha Stewart Living - And even if you bought the print magazine, Ms. Stewart has been good enough to add some "Web Extras" that didn't make the first cut. Thanks Martha!

Lipstick & Magazines #56: Great

2006-05-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Great new...

Book: Sweet and Low: A Family History by Rich Cohen - a voyeuristic treat, Sweet and Low finds Cohen playing the investigative reporter, trying to suss out the truth of his own family, whose patriarch started the company that would go on to create and package the pretty pink packets of sugar substitute. Cohen's wing of the family, or rather his mother and "her issue," as his grandmother's will refers to them, is disinherited, freeing him to dig deep into the complex, strange, and juicy history of his Brooklyn-based Jewish family.

Movie: Prime - written and directed by Ben Younger, who also made the wonderful Boiler Room, this "romantic comedy" is truly refreshing - real chemistry between older woman Uma Thurman and younger guy Bryan Greenberg, an excellent Jewish therapist mother played by Meryl Streep, and an overall tight, sophisticated, stylish and poignant film.

Website: Dive - you gotta love an SF-based food blog that includes the SF Dept. of Public Health on its link list. But seriously, strong writing, a true sense of place, and great photos of food that's not necessarily served up asking to be photographed.

Idea: Eau du PLAY-DOH - I can vouch for their Orange Creamsicle scent; now Demeter Fragrance has created a limited edition Play-Doh fragrance to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. I must admit, I still enjoy a good whiff of Play-Doh, so I'm very intrigued.

Revival: The Babysitter's Club~graphic novels - Props to my former middle school classmate Raina Telgemeier for scoring this cool gig - she's the cartoonist drawing these adorable new versions of the 80's classic pre-teen girl reads. How fun.

Lipstick & Magazines #55: Moms

2006-05-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day all you moms, new and old (well, not old - you know what I mean), and moms-to-be!

Enjoy...

Celebrity Babies

Library Book Card baby announcements from Akemi Designs - oh my!

Turn Here, which needs a new name, but has a great concept: short films about cool places, so you can travel without leaving your computer, or, a million times better, prep for an actual trip. Clement Street is currently representin' for San Francisco

...and after a very scientific study of East Bay bakeries with my friend Katey , I can vouch that Teacake Bake Shop, Emeryville-mall-based though it may be, is producing some delectable treats, especially the Cupcakies (just the tops, with a bit more frosting).

Lipstick & Magazines #54: Grab Bag

2006-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Apartment Therapy's Smallest, Coolest Apartment Contest - excellent voyeuristic browsing of very awesome pads - not how the "other half" lives, but how I (and many of my friends) live.

Pimp My Snack - Another reason to be thrilled about visiting London for the first time this winter - I can get my eye on the ingredients people are using to concoct their food treats on this stylin' site. How cool is this Fizzy Cherry?

A new e-card site! Hipster Cards

And finally, a novel I absolutely loved. It's the early 70's. Inez Ruin is growing up, bouncing between So Cal life with her former-Flamenco dancing, gorgeous mom and abuelita and her Nor Cal (North Beach and Marin) life with her somewhat detached counter-culture/computer genius dad and his revolving girlfriends (from young hippies to a wealthy romance novelist). She also has a Mormon best friend, a half-brother who lives on (family legend says) a commune with his crazy mother, and a proper and prim other grandmother. Check out The Ruins of California by Martha Sherrill.

Lipstick & Magazines #53: Enjoy

2006-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

A few things I've been, yes, enjoying recently:

Shelterrific - a blog started by the peeps who used to work at Budget Living Magazine (sadly no more). All around great posts of products, food stuffs, home goodies, and more.

Covers - The best in modern book covers. Lots of comments worth reading. Submit your faves.

Perez Hilton - Quality celebrity snark. High on the commentary. (thanks Liam)

This Book Will Save Your Life - Out this week, A.M. Homes latest: existential man-life pain mixed with some freak show Los Angeles settings, seemingly random human connections, and a dash of the apocalypse. I read it in a day. And she got a really cool blurb from Stephen King on the back.

Little Manhattan - Toss the cynical shell aside and enjoy this charming film about 11 year-olds falling in strong "like" - maybe love? - in the Big Apple. Captures an incredible sense of the city, the New York space.

Lipstick & Magazines #52: Rain

2006-03-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

At this point, you just have to give into the rain rather than wish it away. While you're stuck inside, fortify yourself with:

Footballers Wive$ - I didn't realize how fun it would be to type out wives with the dollar sign. If you are even slightly intrigued by watching the travails of sleazy, too-wealthy rich British women, and their terribly, badly-behaving husbands, with a dash of dysfunctional family dynamics thrown in, you will love this BBC show, first season now available on DVD.

Vegan Lunch Box - How sweet. And yummy-looking and inspiring.

Public Radio BookSource - What was the name of that book, by that woman, that you heard about on that show?

Hip-Hop Reader - Great site, promoting literacy and reading among urban high school students.

Blow Monkey Nail Dryer - What (??) you say Just take a look. Adorable.

Lipstick & Magazines #51: Cool

2006-03-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

Do you like to stay on top of the coolest of the cool and the newest of the new? I don't buy 1/1000th of the stuff I read about on these sites, but I still think it's fun just to know, you know?

Coolhunting. Aren't you glad someone else is out there doing the hard work and all you have to do is browse?

Popgadget. This very cool site is geared toward women, featuring items (tech, pet, wearable and more) with great design features and, often, really fantastic bright colors. If you're a guy who appreciates these features, you might groove with this one too. Popgadget led me to these book cover iPod cases - too damn cool!

Wired Magazine features the Japanese Schoolgirl watch, so all Americans can know what will be really hip here in a few years.

Agenda Inc. Live Feed. You heard it here. Tupperware parties are hot again. I'm a little bit excited about that.

Lipstick & Magazines #50: Simplify

2006-03-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've heard of all of these, maybe none, but unlike so many websites that offer something great, seduce you into visiting once, and that's the end of the attraction, these sites hooked me. Sticky sites, loyalty-inducing, whatever you want to call them, they offer something that makes my life easier and I love them for it.

Can a URL be cute? If it's possible, Tiny URL is the one making it happen. When you're sending a link, don't send an unwieldy one that breaks annoyingly at line breaks. Plug the long one into Tiny URL and out pops a sweet little address. Lovely.

If you read blogs, you will save so, so, so much time using an aggregator like Bloglines. I subscribe to over 80, keep them organized by type. Book blogs, food blogs, craft blogs, airline deals, jobs ads - all fed straight to me, one site to visit. You can clip pieces you like, email them to friends directly, and streamline your crazy blog life.

Job hunting? Yep, me too. Simply Hired is awesome - it sweeps craisglist, corporate sites, Monster, and tons of other job sites so that with one keyword and location search, you can search them all. Easy! Then you can subscribe to the RSS feed for that specific search though Bloglines...and it just gets more exciting. Lots of other functionalities here to explore too.

Finally, Design Your Life is about the thinking behind design, and the application of design ideas in "everyday" life, as described by this impressive manifesto. This site requires some time for exploration but there is deep goodness here. From Self-Branding with Candy to In Praise of August, there is content here to both inspire and motivate.

Lipstick & Magazines #49: Think

2006-03-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

I'm quite interested in social networks, collaborative filtering, all that new great stuff that smart people are using to make experiencing the web so much more meaningful (LinkedIn, Friendster, Yelp, etc.). Visualcomplexity offers really stunning graphic examples of mapped networks. From transportation networks to mapping the internet, these depictions are incredibly artful and worth a look and a few thoughts.

A respected librarian friend of mine suggested Edward Tufte's work to me, particularly Envisioning Information, which shows many different ways to display information in complex data in non-simple text. I love that he also sells graph paper on his website (see bottom). Great thought.

I'm currently reading Brand Hijack: marketing without marketing (by Alex Wipperfurth, a partner at SF's Plan B), which explores brands that allow themselves, or set themselves up, to be shaped by consumers and enjoy great success because of it (examples: Doc Martens, Friendster, Red Bull). Targeting niches based around values rather than demographic "types," allowing more than enough time for buzz to build, creating a brand "folklore," not taking oneself too seriously (a la Mattel re. Barbie), considering the psychology of the tribe - all interesting ideas that could apply to whatever realm you're working in.

Wipperfurth mentions American Brandstand from Agenda, which tracks "all the mentions of brands in the lyrics of the Billboard Top 20 singles chart." Did you know that in 2005, Jolly Rancher was mentioned 8 times?

Lipstick & Magazines #48: Goodies

2006-02-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

Where-in we admire the following loveliness:

Black Wool Dotted Felt Hat from Pixelgirlshop

"Hairdos" jammies from The Cat's Pajamas

The little mini Mouse Purse at Plain Mabel

The new candy-coated novel Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

Orbit's Sweet Mint gum - it tastes like chocolate mint! But why?

This amazing Pink Floral Swing Coat for babies - jealous!

The Best of Youth - a six-hour film about an Italian family that you will be ready to watch again immediately

Favorite children's book animals like Maisy and Curious George on USPS stamps

Lipstick & Magazines #47: Make

2006-02-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

I first spotted a big orange Sumo Bag at a happening Valencia St. apartment, then cozied up to them in the lounges at Sundance. They're super-cool, filled with little foam beads that conform to your body and hold your shape whether you sit down daintily or launch yourself at it.

For a well-made bag, I've been eyeing Sherpani - "yoga style," "urban pack," even an almost cool fanny pack (here called "small waist pack"). They have a great, slim, close-to-the-body cut.

Geek out a bit with How Products Are Made. From action figures to scratch and sniff to TV dinners, this text-heavy site offers a step-by-step process with manual-style line drawings to entertain and inform you. A great reference site.

Lipstick & Magazines #46: Lit

2006-02-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've been stumbling upon some really lovely novels lately. Not necessarily joyous, heartwarming books, but sad, heartful, contemplative ones, so-called "domestic" novels, about life and love and families and flaws. If you're in the mood for the same:

The Center of Winter by Marya Hornbacher

A Wild Ride Up the Cupboards by Ann Bauer

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Torch by Cheryl Strayed

And then if you want to lighten it up, I loved The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster and continue to love the obscene sweetness at The Daily Kitten.

Lipstick & Magazines #45: Want

2006-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just pure consumer desire here:

Patchwork doll postcards and stuffed robots from Wee Wonderfuls.

Oh-so adorable measuring tape bow bracelet from Fred Flare.

Just about everything from Feisty Elle, but particularly the pinwheel broaches and hair clips.

Tarina Tarantino's lucite owl earrings. Wowee.

Johnny Cupcakes t-shirts.

Lipstick & Magazines #44:Tuesday

2006-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

A few sweets to get over the Tuesday hump. Did you know today is calculated to be the "worst day of the year"? Fight it.

Loloko has ridiculously cute painted goods for sale: card holders, sticky pads, stickers, and more. And cheap!

Little Flower Candy Co. sells homemade caramels and marshmallows. And the owner has one of those envy-inducing life stories about realizing how much she loved making candy when she was staying home with her new babies. Sigh.

If you're looking for a beautiful kid's book, for a kid or for yourself, I recommend The Milkman, which has a vintage comic feel and a sweet, simple old-fashioned story.

Lipstick & Magazines #43: Potpourri

2006-01-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Worth exploring:

Really fabulous fabrics. Check out that apple print corduroy, wish I sewed!

Post Punk Kitchen. Cool.

I only eat fast food about twice a year, not out of any great virtuousness, more because I really associate it with road trips. Why eat fast food in San Francisco? Still, I enjoy scaring myself by looking up the calorie counts at Fast Food Facts, especially for "healthy" choices like salads and chicken sandwiches. No big surprise, but yikes still.

An excellent list of movies based on books at Based on the Book.

Sitting at the children's reference desk, I'm rediscovering my love of picture books and illustrations. Find your favorite character made into a stamp at Kidstamps. Great gift for your favorite kindergarten teacher. T-shirts and tote bags also available (of course) but I suggest small doses.

Lovescool - a very yummy dessert and sweets blog.

Lipstick & Magazines #42: New Year

2006-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

Have you found your new you?? How's he or she doing?

Whether you're a resolution maker or not, this whole fresh calendar thing is just a good excuse to mix it up a bit, try some new things, make elaborate travel plans. Pick up some good habits even?

Thus far, Lipstick & Magazines has tried to share with you the cool stuff I've found over the past year. Here, I offer the recommendations of some of my friends with impeccable taste, sort of an aspirational reference list of great restaurants, beauty products, books, websites, and more.

This list has inspired me. My goals of '06 are now to watch movies that came out before 1980 (Josh will be so proud), eat some new foods (never tried a po-boy, but I'm intrigued), and maybe steal a few of my friends' intriguing cocktails or "guilty pleasures" (see below). Hope you enjoy.

*Twenty Favorites* (in no particular order)

Books:

Watership Down (Richard Adams)
An American Childhood (Annie Dillard)
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
Flaubert's Parrot (Julian Barnes)
Straight Man (Richard Russo)
All the Pretty Horses (Cormac McCarthy)
Black Tickets (Jayne Anne Phillips)
The People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn)
And the Band Played On (Randy Shilts)
Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Joan Didion)
Notes from a Small Island (Bill Bryson)
West with the Night (Beryl Markham)
Bee Season (Myla Goldberg)
Midnight's Children (Salman Rushdie)
A Room with a View (EM Forester)
Sweet Hereafter (Russell Banks)
The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
Kryptonite Kid (Joseph Torchia)
A Fan's Notes (Frederick Exley)

Movies:

Roman Holiday
My Neighbor Totaro
Donnie Darko
Amelie
Garden State
Twelve Angry Men (the original one)
Legally Blonde
Babe
The Professional
The Shawshank Redemption
Do the Right Thing
Love Actually
Things to do in Denver when You're Dead
Lovers of the Arctic Circle
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Local Hero
Smiles of a Summer Night
Philadelphia Story
Magnolia
In the Mood for Love

Foods/Savory:

Mom's salmon croquets w. mashed potatoes
pad see ewe
a good grilled salmon
Japanese sesame salad dressing
Zachary's Deep Dish
saag paneer
pho ba (Vietnamese Vermicelli)
Tuna Poke from Luna Park
peanut butter
brie
egg salad sandwich from Corner Bakery
soup!
Thai pumpkin curry
Tuscan (or Greek) white beans
Parmaggiano-Reggiano
Arugula
duck breast
Lobster
a po-boy in new Orleans
Hawaiian macaroni salad

Foods/Sweet:

Strawberry rhubarb pie
peppermint ice cream
cheesecake
caramel ice cream
carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Milka milk chocolate bar with strawberry and yogurt filling
Chocolate cream cheese brownies
Dark chocolate
Maraschino Cherries
green tea ice cream
Havalah
Banana Bread
my mom's Angel Food cake with strawberries and whipped cream
ice cream sandwich from DiDi Reese, ice cream place by UCLA
lemon tarts
peach pie
Coffee eclairs
raspberry tart
mango
pineapple upside down cake

Beauty products:

Jason Hemp lotion
grainy facial soaps
Eucerin Sensitive Facial Skin Extra Protective Moisture Lotion
Neutrogena lip gloss in "Flirt"
Estee Lauder old lady overnight cream (they don't call it that but that's what the lady at the store told me it was when I brought in my free sample and asked for more)
Benefit Bad Gal eyeliner
Lush butterball bath bomb
The Body Shop Eye Makeup Remover
Burts Bees Citrus Scrub
Burts Bee Eye Jelly
Aveda loose face powder
buzzz honey lip balm
sleep
red lipstick
Bumble & Bumble Curl Cream
Origins Ginger Essence Perfume
Fresh soaps
Cargo lipgloss
Rubis tweezers (THE BEST!)
seaweed soap

Websites:

Craigslist
SF library
The Onion
Engrish
Amazon
Recipe Contests
Lipsticks & Magazines
Epicurious
Netflix
Homestar Runner
Laughing Squid
Entertainment Weekly
Google
CNN
IMDB
Salon
Seeds of Change
Zappos
All Music
Slate

Vacation spots:

Cayman Brack
NE Kauai
Chicago
Santorini
Scottish Highlands
Barcelona
Mendocino
Glacier National Park
Indiana Sand Dunes
Venice, Italy
New York City
London, England
wine country in Ontario Canada (just across the border from New York state)
Ireland
Thai beaches
My bed
Paris
Brittany (France)
Rome
Argentina

Beverages (alcoholic or non):

lemon drops
pomegranate lemonade
sloe screw (sloe gin and OJ)
San Pellegrino Aranciata soda
hard apple cider
Mango margarita
Gin and Tonic
Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda
Red Wine
Root Beer
Raspberry Juice
Water
Midori Sour
Absolut Vanilla and Gingerale (tastes like cream soda - YUM!)
Margaritas
tequila
Jack Daniels and ginger ale
carrot juice
for hot days, the driest coldest Sapporo i can find
almond/fresh fruit smoothie

Restaurants:

Chez Panisse Cafe (never been downstairs- cafe has always treated me right)
O Chame (Berkeley)
Papalote (SF)
Panhandle Pizza (SF)
Ton Kiang (SF)
Le Bouchon (Chicago)
Cafe Beaujolais (Mendocino)
Dali (Somerville, MA)
Luna Park (SF)
Castle Hill Cafe (Austin, TX)
Admiral Ristys (seafood place on a cliff in Palos Verdes)
Jaleo (fabulous tapas place in DC)
Arawan (Sausalito)
Morimoto(Takayama--Japan)
Tangerine (Philadelphia)
Woodward's Garden (SF)
Tra Vigne (St. Helena)
Delfina (SF)
Chartier (Paris)
El Quixote (New York)

Guilty pleasures (30 of these):

Kraft mac 'n' cheese
The whole Star Wars/Lord of the Rings fantasy thing
Romance novels with historical settings (but no pirates, please)
Gregory Peck/Cary Grant, no matter how cheesy the movie
Candy corn!
Vice magazine
Applying for jobs at work
Watching ANTM
Bad teen movies
Blaxploitation flicks and soundtracks (Cinemaphonic: Soul Punch is a good set)
The Beastie Boys, in general
sleeping all day when it's nice and sunny out and everyone says "you should be outside!"
Tartine
Tivo
Shopping
Pedicures
Organizing song on my itunes playlist
Play XBOX football
80s music
eating chocolate and watching sappy movies on tv all day
eating a huge Mexican meal and to hell with the calories :)
trash TV
trash magazines
trash talking
ice cream
Extended showers
Thai massages
Double features
Eonline
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
foie gras
sleeping in late

Lipstick & Magazines #41: Observe

2005-12-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

As the new year starts, entertain your inner voyeur:

As NYC social columnist Jeannette Walls is being driven to a swanky function, she spys her homeless mother dumpster diving. Curiosity piqued? Walls' memoir of growing up as a terribly functional and level-headed child with terribly dysfunctional fantasy-land parents, The Glass Castle is riveting family reading. Or reading about a family, rather. Highly recommended.

Postsecret is an online community art project, featuring homemade postcards with the oft-unspoken secrets. Apparantly the exhibition will end soon (a new book is out) so take a look while you can.

If you can get yourself in the mood to see a really powerful, albeit incredibly depressing film, seek out Down to the Bone, which has recently been playing at SF's Roxie Theater. An incredible performance by Vera Farmiga as a young mother trying to kick a coke habit in gray upstate New York.

Found Magazine - at your local good mag stand.

I'm often compelled to buy books just for the inscriptions inside - how could they have gotten rid of this, you say? Similar instinct to finding old photo albums in thrift stores. Dedicated to the One I Love posts some found inscriptions, with commentary.

Lipstick & Magazines #40: December

2005-12-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

Sweet offerings: Food bloggers are offering up the goods for A Menu for Hope. For a $5 donation to support the Kashmir earthquake victims, you can bid on a pretty stellar line-up of goodies (from "meet your fave food blogger for ice cream"-style opportunities to food baskets to food photography lessons.) Ends on December 23 so get your bids in if you see something you like!

Cute Overload: No explanation needed really. (thanks Katey!)

Appliances that make things cute: Sandwiches with a Hello Kitty face or toast with a "Pop Art" symbol.

Lipstick & Magazines #39: Lists

2005-12-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to a close, everyone seems to like to pull out their pencils and start making lists, lists of goals for next year, lists of books to read or re-read, lists of presents to buy, treats to bake, etc. Lists, lists, lists. If you're tired of writing your own, here are some lists of eclectic origin to inspire you:

A list of the 50 Greatest Independent Films, by British film magazine Empire.

Post-cookie gorge, check out this list of truly good-for-you recipes from The World's Healthiest Foods website. Use the recipe assistant to make sure you're getting all those nutrients lacking in the cookies.

A most excellent list from Chowhound of food-related books. Less cookbooks, more great regional cuisine titles, food reference guides, etc.

No, books aren't a prescription for solving social ills, but if you would like to form a themed book group with a "social conscience," as Arthur I. Blaustein describes in his piece "The Reading Cure," you will appreciate both the commentary and annotated list of books to start with here, from Mother Jones.

A bibliography (very fancy list) of crime fiction set in the Bay Area, thanks to UC Berkeley librarian Randal Brandt.

Not quite a list, but a clump of KCRW podcasts. I'm addicted to "Good Food," and "The Business" (entertainment, that is) has been highly recommended to me.

And finally, a refreshing "Not-To-Do" list from 52 Projects, an inspiring site dedicated to "project ideas, projects to create, projects to check out, and projects to participate in. DIY projects, homemade projects, writing projects, photo projects, projects, projects, projects... And more projects.

Lipstick & Magazines #38: Warm

2005-12-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

Time to snuggle up. Sustain yourself with:

An Elizabeth Noble novel. Noble writes witty, warm, satisfying, chunky British novels about women's friendships. So far she's come out with The Reading Group (available) and The Friendship Test (out in January) and I loved them both.

The first season of Project Runway, recently release on DVD. If you didn't catch this on Bravo, you will have the joy of watching it basically straight through, as Josh and I did. The "characters" on this reality fashion design show are fabulous and some of the competitions are truly challenging. And lots of cat-fights!

A stunningly pretty rib-knit cashmere throw from Garnet Hill in buttercup or apple green. (No, haven't bought myself one of these yet...will when I can!).

Lipstick & Magazines #37: Easier

2005-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Save some time, keep it simple. Try these tools to make life a little bit less complicated.

It's lovely to be able to do banking and bill-paying online, but you still have to call annoying run-around phone systems every once in awhile. Software entrepreneur Paul English has put together the IVR Cheat Sheet so that you can immediately type in the right code to bypass the automated lady and the elevator music and get directly to a human being. Thanks Paul!

If you take full advantage of the fabulous joys of your local library(s), you may occasionally owe late fees, have books on hold so long that they are taken off hold, or experience other annoyances that detract from your experience. Library Elf lets you keep track of your borrowings, your due dates, and your holds on one page. You can also sign up for email or RSS updates related to upcoming dues dates etc. Pretty neat, if you're the kind of person who can benefit from this. Save those fines!

Search multiple sites and find the top-rated recipes with recipe search engine FoodieView. Nice selection of categories, including celebrity chefs, single ingredients, and holidays.

Lipstick & Magazines #36: Gift

2005-11-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

If you're not my friend Peggy, who told me a few weeks back that she was long done shopping and wrapping all her holiday presents, maybe something here would be nice for the sweet folks on your list?

Donna Hay rocks. My friend Katey turned me onto this "Australian Martha Stewart" (crass but true) - she's got numerous gloriously photographed cookbooks and a beautiful magazine, if you can find and afford it. I absolutely love that every recipe comes with a photo - makes all the difference.

Is it wrong to collect silicone rolling pins if they come in amazing colors?

Just about the cutest kitchen-themed ornaments ever. Really- take a look. Everyone should have a Kitchen Aid Mixer ornament. And the utensils to go with it!

New York is enjoying the cupcake retail boom, and looks like chocolate is getting its own stores too - these Chocolate Bar NYC shirts are great.

A Cat & Mouse Cheeseboard!

Gorgeous Chocolate-Covered Oreos: for the person who likes to eat his or her gifts.

Someone you know still eating Cup O'Noodles? Help them enjoy them in style with these classy bowls.

A copy of Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger - one of the best childhood & food memoirs I've read, by British cookbook author Nigel Slater.

And for the kiddies, how about stuffed My Paper Crane plush treats - a strawberry sprinkle donut pillow or quart of Egg Nog?

Happy Shopping!

Lipstick & Magazines #35: Think

2005-11-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

During my second year of college, my 6 female roommates took to calling me "Switzerland" because, for better or worse, I was horrible at taking sides. In my defense, most of these particular debates swirled around whether I believed X or Y was telling the truth in the Great Cereal Thief situation, but it is true that in many cases, I see things as very gray, not black or white, and sometimes this bugs people because it makes me a horrible debater (but a much better negotiator).

Here, then, are three items that have stirred up my brain recently, inspired me to think about all the many fences out there and all the sides to pick from:

Brain Child - No, I'm not in the target "thinking mother" demographic, but I read this smarty-pants literary and cultural magazine cover to cover. If you're interested in women, controversial concepts of "women's work," parenting & lifestyle issues, kids, or quality writing about compelling world issues that affect more than just moms, check out this publication. Great short stories too.

Nextbook- This "gateway to Jewish literature, culture, & ideas" could serve as a model for other cultural websites - what a wealth of articles, interviews, podcasts, and, especially, book features and lists. I recently read Myla Goldberg's books Wickett's Remedy (and have also been reading a lot of bad reviews of Bee Season, the new movie based on her first book) so I was curious to listen to the recent podcast interview with her. In it, she says she doesn't consider herself a "Jewish writer," choosing to right about Irish Catholics in Boston almost specifically to show that she doesn't just write "Jewish" books. Writers and identity politics are forever entwined (is he a "writer" or a "gay writer"? etc.), so I was interested to hear her take on the subject.

Everything Bad is Good for You - I am very much in the target market here: I'll happily entertain anyone who wants to prove to me that my consumption of reality TV is actually expanding my mental capacity. Steven Johnson believes that video games, modern-day television, internet use, IM, and all those other great things that "society" believes are killing the culture, are actually making us smarter in some capacities. The process of weeding through the increasing complexity of narrative structures in television, the video game experience of probing situations and problem solving...these should not be compared apples-to-apples with reading "good" literature, but should be looked at compared to the more simplistic popular culture of old. When done so, Johnson aims to prove, we can see less good vs. evil, and more of a widening of prospective positive experiences. An interesting read.

Lipstick & Magazines #34: True

2005-11-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Stranger than fiction? Maybe.

Nobody Knows - Four Japanese children abandoned by their mother, forced by the memory of her rules to stay inside a tiny apartment, only the eldest son "allowed" out, to spend down the small amount of money she has left them. By no stretch of the imagination is this a light movie, but children are children - they are lovely and innocent and resilient. Highly recommended and based on a true story.

Jesus Land - Continuing the themes of survival at the hands of neglectful parents, this recently-published memoir by Bay Area writer Julia Scheeres, tells of her childhood and adolescence, growing up in rural Indiana as a white girl with two adopted black brothers,a missionary wannabe mother, and an abusive doctor father, and her eventual banishment to a Dominican Republic reform school with her beloved brother David. I picked up this galley at ALA, had started it a few times, and when I finally got hooked in, finished it in a single day. Entirely compelling for being so unvarnished and so relatable.

Dispatches from a Public Librarian - Getting too heavy here? Take a laugh break with this ongoing McSweeney's online feature. Scott Douglas works at a public library "nestled cozily between Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County, California," and tells stories about the craziness of public librarianship that more often than not induce cringing or chuckling - sometimes both. There are 20 here to start with, and he updates every month or so.

Lipstick & Magazines #33: Custom

2005-11-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

You pick the fabric. You pick the color. You make the choice. Options are great.

Queen Bee Creations - The wallet that gets more positive reactions than anything I've ever owned. This handmade beauty has six plastic sleeves so you can really keep track of how many credit cards you shouldn't have. Pick your logo (cupcake? birdie? mix tape?), your leather color, and it'll arrive wrapped up like a special present just for you.

Aaron Sciandra's Brooklyn Bags - You'll see immediately the cutest bag ever here. Right? The Ella the Elephant bag. Pick your own fabric.

Miz Mooz - These shoes may not be custom-made, but most of the limited number of styles come in about 5 or 6 colors, of which you'll want to own 4 or 5. Miz Mooz shoes are so comfortable, no evil break-in period, and really light on the foot. I've found them at all the Shoe Biz stores in SF.

And finally, if you feel like springing for some extra-special holiday cards, Paper Source has great-looking letter-press custom cards this year. If those are beyond your means, plan to send gorgeous "custom" Victorian e-cards, available for free from Susanna's Loft.

Lipstick & Magazines #32: Taste

2005-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Chow Magazine has been on my radar for a few months now. But I could never spot it on the shelves at my "everyday" bookstores, and I wasn't ready to pony up almost $20 for a subscription without taking a look. Well, I finally found it at Green Apple (of course) and I'm mightily impressed. Sure, I flip through Bon Appetit, Gourmet, etc., but I don't really relate. Chow - it inspired my husband to make salsa in less than one day. Not just any salsa, but the mystery salsa from Papalote, which the writer "reverse engineered," after being denied the recipe by the owners (with good reason - it's a nice secret recipe).

Chow is already one of those battered, splattered cooking mags that will stay in the collection forever. The mag has a great layout, really workable recipes, and is especially fun if you live in SF, but great even if you don't.

Looks like we're on a chili roll here - Mary's story of consuming the infamous habanero hamburger in her fun food blog Mary Ladd's Food Finds is at once excrutiating and hilarious - isn't that the best kind of story? She also sniffs out great restaurants, offers up recipes, and shares good deals on cookware. And she always mentions the restaurant's cleanliness, which I have realized I totally appreciate.

What? Your mom didn't make you super-creative, gorgeous bento boxes for lunch everyday when you were growing up? We all probably missed out on this, so live vicariously through Bento Moblog. If you like to look at food you will spend hours here. And your sad, damp little sandwich will just not compare.

Lipstick & Magazines #31: Kids

2005-10-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

I've been buying eeBoo products for a few months now without realizing:

A. It's a kid's toy company. Oops. I thought it was a hipster adult company (Anthropologie suckers me again).
B. I should have visited their website long ago so I could admire ALL their vintage-inspired goodies..

Candy dominos, Storefront Bingo, a really sweet Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and on and on. Plus, to buy from the site you have to "Click Pie to Buy," and, yes, it's a big pie.

If you want to dress the babies in your life fabulously, but aren't into the whole "mini Che or Bob Marley t-shirt look," check out Orange Cupcake. Awwww, little orange cupcakes, chocolate motorcycles, strawberry boots. Pretty darn cute. And despite what women at my gym seem to think, only babies can really work having "Cupcake" printed across their butts.

If you want to support a former graduate of my illustrious high school, or maybe just check out this nifty idea, take a peek at LittleMissMatched, a sock company that sells polka dotted, striped, and otherwise cutesy-cute socks in odd-numbered packs. Missmatched is expanding to iPod holders, pajamas, gloves, and more. You can buy direct from the site or find a store near you.

Lipstick & Magazines #30: Treat

2005-10-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

If stuffing your face with candy corn or "autumn mix" is not satisfying enough for you this month, here a few other ways to treat yourself , ranging from free to not:

Jewelry! I saw Josie Adele's Fluidance jewelry at a Landor Associates art show when I was interning there last year. Gorgeous, clean lines. Substantial but not heavy or "too" dramatic. I'm partial to the Sterling Sculpture collection.

Furniture! Josh and I just became adults - we bought our first non-Craigslist, non-garage sale couch. And matching chair! Shopping at EQ3 was a blast. Basically I just wanted to move into the store, but I don't know if they would have liked that. Our sales guy was really nice though, so maybe he wouldn't have minded. Not only do they have the big pieces, but also awesome pillows, vases, little tables, bedding, and more. And locations around the country and Canada.

Cleanliness! Method, your packaging is so cool. And your hand wash is so yummy, pink grapefruit, pomegranate, lemongrass...when have you ever wanted a collection of hand wash before?

Pictures! Flickr Postcard Browser - this is a fun one. Type in a "tag" - pick a word - kitten, cake, flower, whatever, and see what comes up. An inspired alternative to Google image searches.

Laughs! I could just envy her for winning a Red Bicyclette contest including a trip to Provence (and spending money) just in time for her honeymoon, but since my friend Josie is telling the tales of her blissful month (chased by donkeys! forced to eat cuttlefish!), I can only be ecstatic that she's sharing the stories. Check out her blog: The Chicken Contests.

Treat yourself!

Lipstick & Magazines #29: Read

2005-10-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Five books I wish I hadn't read before, so that I could read them again for the first time. Also, books I like to recommend to people:

The Anxiety of Everyday Objects by Aurelie Sheehan

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

Wickett's Remedy by Myla Goldberg (full disclosure - I haven't finished this yet, and I'm trying to go slowly, but it's hard because I'm enjoying it so much. Testing my limited powers of book savoring...)

Lipstick & Magazines #28: Item

2005-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just wanna scroll. Not too many bells and whistles, just interesting articles, product reviews, and, of course, pretty things.

Arts & Letters Daily has the look of a newspaper and the content of a hundred newspapers. You will find something to read here no matter what you're interested in. Promise. A great site for those moments when you are so sick of sitting in front of a computer and yet, you must sit there for awhile longer.

Shopping blog Mighty Goods has its style down pat. Photo of the item (99% of which I go, yeah, that is very cool, I do want that), a short, pithy description, and a direct link to buy. Done. Shopping fix satisfied.

Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired, has his Cool Tools, the geekier version of Mighty Goods.

And India Romeo, while not serving the same scroll-happy purpose of the last three, is just full of so many gorgeous handmade "lovely things for lovely people" that I must share. These bird mobiles are my fave - sure you could make your own, but she already made them for you!

Shop well.

Lipstick & Magazines #27: Recommend

2005-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to a monthly Trend Watching newsletter that excels at creating new marketing buzz-words. My fave thus far has been "Twinsumer," which they descibe as "taste 'twins': fellow consumers somewhere in the world who think, react, enjoy and consume the way they do." I get this - it's really what blogs are all about, helping us find people "like us" who are weeding through what's out there and can help us narrow in on what we like and want.

A few blogs I've been devouring recently, in search of my perfect twinsumer:

Design Sponge - stellar taste, lots of unique home products recommended

San Francisco Gourmet - fascinatingly anal reviews of restaurants, restaurant reviewers, and more

LJCFYI - always cute, always fun

My Little Mochi - May be TOO cute for some - beware.

Also, Yelp.com, which is part high school yearbook, part review site, is quite entertaining- much more personality and spark than citysearch.com - especially if you like to put a face (or kitten face or pretty image) with a review. A handy source of lists (best SF brunch, good romantic restaurants, etc.)

Lipstick & Magazines #26: Book

2005-09-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

OK, I will now let you all know (again for some - way too much for others) that I am currently working on a very cool program called One City One Book: San Francisco Reads, which is our readerly city's first attempt at a citywide book club, following in the well-shaped footsteps of Seattle, Chicago, and other cities.

If you're from these parts, please do me the honors of reading China Boy, taking part in a discussion or walking tour, and checking out "my" list of novels set in San Francisco - I was surprised that this wasn't all ready for me to use somewhere in Google-land - I had to put it together myself, with help from my librarian-friends of course.

Let me also put a plug in for the upcoming Big Book Sale, put on by the Friends of the SFPL. If you've never been to this, it's joyous madness. If you have, you already know what I'm talking about and I'll see ya there at the end of the month.

And finally, a recent read, The Myth of You and Me. Friendship lost novel meets literary mystery - I loved it.

Lipstick & Magazines #25: Catchy

2005-08-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Free galleys? Sign me up, right? Check out HarperCollins' First Look program. You can fill out a basic form, select the categories you are generally interested in, and enter into drawings for free galleys. Sure it's a process, but I think it's a very smart way for the publisher to reach out and let readers have the early peek and get word-of-mouth excitement and buzz going.

Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray's $40 a Day concept is a catchy one. Becks & Posh, a Bay Area food blogger asked other food bloggers to come up with $40 a Day plans for their cities, and the posts are great reading. Don't you want to know what you'd be eating in Knoxville, TN for $40?

Finally, after two wonderful friends both RAVED about Crossing to Safety, I picked it up and have been sneaking it in at every spare moment. While I tend towards staying relentlessly "current" (as in, very recently published) in my reading, this 1987 Wallace Stegner novel is lovely, poignant, and obsessively readable. Except now I'm at the point where it's almost over, and I just know the end will make me cry. I hate finishing good books.

Lipstick & Magazines #24: Paper

2005-08-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

If you are a paper addict like I am, you may enjoy the following:

SEI - Holy cuteness! That Fruit Stand paper is outstanding. Note also these incredible fruit tags. Must. Place. Order. Soon.
Paper Source - I can testify to their wedding invite packages, paper flower kits, and all-around amazing stock of goods. Order online or visit one of their locations.
All Wrapped Up! Groovy Gift Wrap of the 1960s - People are always stealing my Chronicle Books ideas! But pop culture never dies...

Lipstick & Magazines #23: Three

2005-08-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Three favorite stores in San Francisco where I can always find something adorable and fun for less than $10:

Heartfelt: A reason to make your way up to Bernal Heights, if the great views from the hill-top aren't enough.

Cliff's Variety: A classic, though I always forget they are closed on Sundays and get bummed. Get your lightbulbs, your wrapping paper, and your birthday gifts.

Wishbone: The best selection of cards. Great scarves and jewelry, retro candy. Fun, fun, fun.

Three favorite movies I've seen recently:

March of the Penguins: Even my dentist and I bonded over this movie.

Broken Flowers: Bill Murray and Jim Jarmusch. But really, it's all about Sharon Stone and the teen who plays her daughter. Brilliant!

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring: A Korean film about a young man and an old monk who live on a floating temple. Lovely, subtle, passionate.

Three websites I've been enjoying:

101 Cookbooks: Tons to explore, and recently added discussion forums.

Wikipedia: Trying to figure out how to explain what a podcast is? Still not quite clear on what wikis are? Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia created by the people, for the people. Even you can edit it - share what you know!

Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch: Fabulous for a quick hit of pop culture. Updated constantly.

Enjoy!

Lipstick & Magazines #22: Design

2005-07-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Josh was recently reading a biography of Frank Llloyd Wright - architecture and design are nice fantasies for us - we both drool over Dwell magazine monthly. The spare modernist look is quite the extreme fantasy though, given that we like our stuff, the kind of stuff that never appears in any of those photos. Storage! Storage! Anyway, I found this cool Architect Studio 3D site from the FLW Preservation Trust where you can build a house with "Frank" as your guide - try it out - very addictive.

After you design the house you will want to furnish it, and I think Velocity Art and Design will do just fine. (Hey, why don't they make these squirrel shirts in adult sizes?) Kitty freaks, look how cool this is...

Finally, you'll need some hip photos for the wall. I was recently in Chicago (highly recommend the architectural boat tour) and Terry Evans "Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait" show was on display in Millenium Park. The website is really well-done, and though it doesn't look like prints are available for purchase currently, they would work really nicely in our sleek new house. Hey Terry, come shoot aerial San Francisco??

Lipstick & Magazines #21: Art

2005-07-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to wrangle up a trip to LA before this show closes. Margaret Kilgallan's art has a very folk-art meld of text and image - really big and bold and, I think, strong and lovely. Almost like textual quilts. Incredibly sadly, she died of ovarian cancer at 33 leaving behind a husband and infant daughter - while this doesn't change her art, it may change the eyes you see it through -does for me at least. She lived in San Francisco, and, I believe, used to work at the SF Public Library in book preservation.

Princeton University Library has made available a great new resource for anyone interested in book printing and design - Unseen Hands: Women Printers, Binders, and Book Designers. You can explore by name, date, occupation, or just browse a thumbnail gallery. Quite inspiring - read about Emily Faithfull, who in the 19th century hired both men and women to set type, and was met with "enormous hostility from the printer's union, supposedly on moral grounds. Presses were sabotaged and ink poured on the women's chairs."

And check out current craftster Sew Darn Cute for some remarkably reasonable vintage-fabric homemade baby quilts. Yes, yes, so darn cute.

Lipstick & Magazines #20: Cake

2005-07-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Now that Julie of Julie/Julia Project fame, whose blog about cooking all of Julia Childs' recipes I reads obsessively last year, has gone and gotten herself a nice book deal, I'm checking out a few other food bloggers and bakers.

52 Cupcakes is a nice gimmicky blog from a woman who has given herself the "challenge" of cooking a different kind of cupcake every week, and now she's getting around to posting the recipes, though really, it's all about the photos.

The Girl who Ate Everything has a decadent time chowing down with great shots too - and have you seen the ever-entertaining Airline Meals? Well organized, collaborative - what more could you ask for in a kitsch site?

Finally, if it's all about "pretty" for you, with a nice dose of high quality ingredients, check out Miette Patisserie at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, particularly their cake stands (but pricey pricey!) and small lemon cookies.

Lipstick & Magazines #19: Product

2005-07-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

I drooled over the Benefit catalog for years, but only finally have learned the joys of their stuff after a holiday gift from my guy. Bad, bad move, as now I'm pretty much addicted to a few items, like the Fantasy Mint Wash (which reminds me of my absolute favorite cheap chocolate drugstore candy, the Mint Dream) and Do It Daily, a super simple, not-too-sticky facial moisturizer with SPF.

Also, a wedding make-up *find* is Pout lip products available at Sephora - the gloss is very yummy, and the fishnet print packaging is mighty fine.

And, in the interests of supporting a store I've been shopping at since I was a kid, I encourage everyone to seek out teeny-tiny Common Scents on 24th Street in Noe Valley. Around since at least the very early 80s, Common Scents has my absolute favorite bubble bath flavors - Apricot, Blackberry-Hibiscus, and more. And they package it and themselves in sweet little plastic bottles that you can get refilled. AND they also have a great selection of Kiehl's, candles, make-up bags, soap holders, and more. Check it out.

Lipstick & Magazines #18: Emotion

2005-07-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

So you wanna...have a good cry. It happens. You're overwhelmed or stressed or maybe insanely happy and you know a good cry would be cleansing and wonderful, but you need a spark to get you there.

Or maybe not a cry, but just that feeling, of being alive, connecting - can you find it in a reality show? Probably not, but other media just might work...

Film:

A few weeks ago, my friend Julie said "You are going to LOVE this movie." And she was more than right. Me and You and Everyone We Know is getting insane press, quickly moving from indie needing press, to indie getting so much press people might not consider it "indie" enough any more. But see it. Miranda July, the writer/director/performance artist whose credentials at such a young age will make anyone weep, has crafted an artist's movie, about love and loneliness and growing up that just connects. She also has a blog about the film's aftermath.

Web:

OK, watching a baby's birth may not appeal to everyone, but trust me on this one. "Welcome Jude Roman Fairbanks" is an amazing creation by his media designer father. It is NOT too graphic to watch at work, but you may tear up, so I'd save it for home. And be absolutely sure to have the sound on (Flaming Lips, etc.)

Read:

Mary and O'Neil by Justin Cronin - a perfect lazy hammock read. Time to set up a hammock in my apartment. A set of interlinked stories that I absolutely loved.

Daily:

Do you get enough poetry in your life? If not, subscribe to The Writer's Almanac Daily e-newsletter from Garrison Keillor. I'm not a natural-born poetry lover, but I've been so impressed (and touched!) by many of the contemporary picks, and also enjoy finding out about literary history and birthdays - it's like a great five-minute English class every morning.

Lipstick & Magazines #17: Tips

2005-06-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Back from all the amazement of a super-sweet wedding and the dessert treat of ten days in Kaua'i. As I gather myself back together, here are some goodies for you:

To feel inspired: 43 Things

To think about new ways to search for information and to store your favorites: A9

To force yourself to keep (or start?) writing (well, if you're still in your twenties):
Random House Twentysomething Writers Contest

To find that new job without checking a million sites (terrible name, great site): Indeed

To enjoy someone's amazing creativity and sweet style: My Paper Crane

Lipstick & Magazines #16: Summer

2005-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a pretty constant reader. There's always one book or another splayed on my bedside table, but, more often than not, during busy school or other mentally-taxing times, that book will be pretty soft-serve and simple (hence my recent consumption of The Ivy Chronicles - hey! I found it at Goodwill!).

So my beachy, summertime reads are usually the deeper tomes, that would seem to make more sense during dark winter nights. My last beach time with a friend in Florida found me deeply engaged in Atonement, if that gives you a sense of what I mean here.

So for my upcoming beach time, I've got the following list going (always in progress and subject to change, especially since I find the book stalls in airports tremendously appealing for some random reason):

A Seahorse Year ~ Stacey D'Erasmo (set in San Francisco and I enjoyed her book Tea)

The Child in Time ~ Ian McEwan (he worked last time)

Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times ~ ed. by Kevin Smokler ( a buddy of mine & I've already cackled out loud at one piece)

Robbing the Bees: A Biography of Honey ~ Holley Bishop (well, I love honey, but I must confess I was totally seduced by the cover)

Crossing California ~ Adam Langer (looks like a good, solid novel & I'm going to Chicago--where the book is set--for the first time later in June)

And I also sit, toe-tapping and anxious, waiting for some of my favorite authors (Charles Baxter, A.M. Homes) to write a little faster and give me more gems to read.

Lipstick & Magazines #15: Bite

2005-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

The new online food mag Saucy, from Bookslut's Jessa Crispin, features some lovely and totally right-on features, including this touching article from Colleen Mondor, the mother of a recently diagnosed diabetic, whose foodie sensibilities must now mold themselves to serve more important criteria. Saucy also compiles an eminently browseable collection of food links and recent articles.

I thought the Accidental Scientist's Science of Cooking site from San Francisco's Exploratorium would be totally kid-oriented, but it has some really funky info, including how to make rock candy (cool!), a brief history of ketchup, and a wonderfully geeky food discussion board with topics like "Failed marmalade - Can it be salvaged??"

As a food lover who needs to do a little research before settling on the best birthday-splurge restaurants, I usually end up at Chowhound, which has recently published food guides to the SF Bay Area and the NY area. Talk about passionate. These discussion boards can get a bit feisty as debates rage on about whether Limon is all it's cracked up to be, or if San Francisco has any good pizza AT ALL, but this is a great site for figuring out what the best picks are on unfamiliar menus.

Lipstick & Magazines #14: Contact

2005-05-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I want to share my stash of free e-card links. At some point a few years back, all the sites I used starting charging for all but the ugliest Garfield and bad flash animation cards. So, here are three that I use and I'd love to hear about more from you:

Chronicle Books makes almost all of their high-design images available to send as e-cards. Smart marketing and publicity folks! Bust Magazine also has kitsch fun postcards and SFGate has a stylish variety with Bay Area flavor.

And you can't send them, but the Tacky Postcard Archive is very good browsing and some sneaky commentary. Nancy Reagan on Mr. T's lap? Who knew.

If you enjoy vintage postcards, particularly those thick card-stock, tacky ones you often find in little piles at yard sales, check out the tour of the USA in vintage postcards and the Vintage Vegas Postcard Museum (the site also has some cool vintage matchbooks).

Lipstick & Magazines #13: Chick

2005-04-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have conflicting feelings about the term "chick flick"? I've always worked at video stores to supplement my student loans during school, and when I worked at a store in the Castro and guys would ask for help picking a chick flick to watch with their boyfriend, the request was always delivered with enough kitsch *wink* that I was usually charmed. In Noe Valley, the request was usually either "anything but a chick flick"- from a guy - or "my husband's out of town so I need a chick flick"- from a woman, neither of which charmed me as much, and which made making a recommendation a bit more difficult.

I love complex movies about girls and women, so here is my personal take on the some of the best highly non-traditional "chick flicks" out there:

The Professional: Natalie Portman's relationship with a big-hearted assassin forms the center of this movie that is sometimes bloody, sometimes terrifying, but always wonderful.

Mostly Martha: A German film about a woman chef and her life and loves - some of the best shrink visit scenes ever.

Walking & Talking: With Catherine Keener (always amazing) and Anne Heche (pre-Fresno freakout), this friendship flick is directed by Nicole Holofcener, who also directed Lovely & Amazing. She really nails the complexities of old friends as their relationship continually reshapes itself to accommodate new loves.

Tumbleweeds: A lovely mother-daughter road-trip movie that avoids most of the predictable cheese and feels authentic and real.

Freeway: If you think Reese Witherspoon is all blonde hair and bubblegum you are so, so wrong. This movie played at the Roxie theater in SF for months and months in 1997 and became a raging cult favorite. In a perverse take on Little Red Ridinghood, Reese battles through to find grandma, and stars with an incredible, and incredibly twisted cast, including Brooke Shields, Kiefer Sutherland, and Amanda Plummer.

Lipstick & Magazines #12: Buy

2005-04-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

If Spring brings out your intense desire for new shoes, fresh sheets, and sweet gems, check out these distinctive online stores.

Zappos has a ridiculous selection of shoe brands, including dollhouse, Irregular Choice, and Chinese Laundry. AND they offer free shipping and free returns within 365 days (on unworn shoes). AND they have a feature that allows you to store your "Favorites" so that you can not only compare the shoes to each other, but come back and make your decisions later. Lots of sales, lots of personal reviews, searchable by style/size/color and more.

The Company Store offers a welcome antidote to the oatmealy, cream-colored, pastel, boring boring sheets available in so many department stores, as does Dwell Shop. Dwell's sets are more sophisticated and "subtle, " while The Company Store bursts with polka dots, stripes, flowers, and utter cuteness. CS also offers "jersey knit" aka t-shirt material bedding, which is super comforting and soft.

Plain Mabel brings together jewelry, accessories, and other goods from dozens of indie artists and crafters. New items are updated often, and current goodies include oilcloth totes, handmade knitting needle cases, and fuzzy guitar straps. Uncommon Goods claims to offer "anything but ordinary"; drinking game checkers fits the bill, as do their fabulous glassware and completely adorable juice and milk container covers.

And finally, end the week with Hello Kitty's Psychological test, even more perceptive, in that wonderfully inaccurate translation way then BBC's Sex ID test.

Lipstick & Magazines #11: Join

2005-04-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Really now, sometimes it should be about having some fun, even when you can't control it all.

Do you work for an organization that likes to encourage "out of the box" thinking, or the importance of "leveraging," but only after the appropriate amount of "right-sizing" has resulted in all your good friends being laid off? Business Buzzword Bingo offers a slim ray of light amidst the lingo. Happily, the terms seem as appropriate to non-profit meetings as to the corporate sort. Play on!

Do you feel like sometimes, maybe once in awhile, like every four years, your vote doesn't really have an impact? Well, now Ben and Jerry's offers you the opportunity to turn that sad feeling upside down. Vote to bring back your favorite ice cream flavor from the graveyard! I didn't even KNOW there had been a Coconut Cream Pie Low-Fat Ice Cream. But I do have intense memories of White Russian...

And riffing just a bit more on baby names, the Baby Name Wizard's Name Voyager site is way too cool. Curious whether old-fashioned girl's names are really trendy around the nation, or just in your hipster SF neighborhood? Looking for the most popular names from the 1910s (Myrtle, Ophelia)? Of course you'll look your own name up, but beware the ticking clock if you get trapped looking up all your friends' and distant relatives' too.

Lipstick & Magazines #10: Chill

2005-04-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

The rain, the rain. And for some of you the snow, the snow. It's inspiring lots of "those days," where all you want to do is snuggle in and be entertained. So here's a recipe to make it good.

First, the consumables:

Make yourself some chocolate chip, dried apricot, nut cookies, recommended by Loobylu. Or have someone make them for you. These are ridiculously tasty, especially with regular chips or a mix of white and regular.

Tea is good too, and Mighty Leaf tea comes in little fabric pouches so you will feel your tea is extra-special. And don't ruin it with a tacky teapot. Go for a Bee House teapot in Carrot or Kiwi colors. These Japanese beauties are super-styling.

And on to the readables:

I've been suffering the painful inability to get invested in novels, until I was recently snared by Meg Wolitzer's new novel The Position. Wolitzer follows the lives of four siblings whose lives were forever molded by their encounter with the sex book their parents wrote in the 1970s.

You'll need some magazines too. Topic Magazine has a specific theme for each issue (Food, Family, etc.) and features funky photography, short stories, and personal essays. Topic looks high-design but it reads real-life.

And for watchables:

Julia Roberts? Tom Cruise? Do they really draw you to the theater? Yeah, right. Hope Davis, though. She's a box-office draw for the indie sort, and if you haven't seen some of her movies, get thee to the Netflix page or the video store for Next Stop Wonderland, American Splendor, The Daytrippers, or The Secret Lives of Dentists. Hope, you kinda feel like you can call her Hope cause she seems like she'd be cool to hang out with, invokes instant empathy in all her fabulous, no-frills roles.

And take care.

Lipstick & Magazines #9: Tasty

2005-04-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Given that I am in the final few days of writing my monster let-me-graduate-please papers, today is all about "simple pleasures" (I know a few of you will be able to laugh at that).

Here, then, some websites that just make me happy. And they are all about food:

* Claire Crespo has the enviable job of publishing cookbooks that are really more photography books of food made to look like other things. Her website is just total "flash" fun (be sure to have the sound on).

* Cowgirl Creamery, local cheesemakers, have a really sweet site and (heart aflutter) a "Library of Cheese."

* It will give you tremendous pleasure to read about the items that go into Zingerman's gift baskets. They also have a catalog you can subscribe to for free that is some of the best reading around, if you like rapturous descriptions of olive oils, honeys, breads, cheeses...

Lipstick & Magazines #8: Thinkers

2005-03-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

This week, a couple of items to make you go hhmmmmmm - errr?

Cosmo sex quizzes could be written by monkeys. Hey, I love monkeys, but if I can figure out by the second question that picking all "B" answers will make me seem really outgoing, then it's not really worth the time. Enter the BBC's Brain Sex ID quiz - take about 20 minutes, includes word questions, visual and perception challenges and more, and then the computer will tell you if your brain is primarily male or female. Or hermaphroditic. Fascinating.

Want to make real money bets about the future of the written word, computer intelligence, or the next presidential race? If you want to both stretch your mind, and see what some of our current "great minds" predict will happen over the next decades and centuries, check out Long Bets, which describes itself as a "public arena for enjoyably competitive predictions, of interest to society, with philanthropic money at stake."

Lipstick & Magazines #7: Household

2005-03-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

Utilitarian household items are becoming totally glam.

Witness:

* Hello glitter spatulas.

* Hot little toasters.

Lipstick & Magazines #6: Smirk

2005-03-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

SHOCKING though it may seem, I was a very, very, very sarcastic teenager. Though surviving in the working, and social, world has required tempering that a bit, I still enjoy a really wicked website. I imagine some of you who embrace the juicy side of pop culture will take as much gleeful pleasure from these sites, but if your sensibilities are tender, you might not laugh as much.

The ladies at Go Fug Yourself write ravaging commentary about fugly-dressed celebrities. Endlessly funny, especially the B. Spears section. Oh, Britney.

Diana Goodman, who also makes some funky crafts, comments on postings to baby name websites at Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing. If you wonder about why people name their children after liquor and cars, this is a good site for you.

And to wash it all, down, Television Without Pity is the site to visit when you want to pretend you don't care about "bad" TV, but still want to know what's going on. Or maybe you fully 'fess up to watching bad TV but, tragically, had to miss an episode of, say, America's Next Top Model. Funny, funny writers, and they also cover "good" shows like, mmmm, Lost and Alias.

Lipstick & Magazines #5: Flicks and Reads

2005-03-04T23:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the perfect movie or book recommendation comes at the exact right moment. Other times, you can flounder for awhile, starting and stopping books you hate, watching boring and/or just terrible films. While a personal recommendation from someone whose taste you trust is best, here are a few of the cool tools available for finding ideas when your other sources run dry.

Flicks

Rotten Tomatoes compiles movie (and video game) previews and reviews, and then ranks films as either *fresh* or *rotten* tomatoes. Their movie database features more than 100,000 films and the site has a really good look too,

Google (ah, google) has recently added a movie search tool, so if you vaguely remember something about a film, but not the name or any of the actors, you now have the best shot of finding the movie (and compiled reviews, links to theaters in your area, etc. etc.) Just type, for example, "movie: french kids" (or whatever you remember, even a quote) and see what comes up.

Netflix has also added a new *Friends* tool for members, so that you and all your special friends can see how each other ranks different movies. You can also store suggestions for each other.

Books

Boldtype used to be a Random House newsletter but has been (thankfully) taken over by the ever-cool Flavorpill. They send out a really good monthly e-newsletter full of current book recommendations, each of which has a quick synopsis, a review, and a bunch of related links.

Books We Like describes itself as "collective intelligence and activist e-commerce." People recommend books, and assign tags/keywords, so that you can browse by topic or recommender, and everything grows organically as more people come to the table. If you join in, you can also store a reading list.

As for my personal recommendations, I'm raving about Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, a mysterious, and very smart novel that weaves together a few sneaky story lines: perfect for cold nights. Also, a new-on-DVD documentary My Architect: A Son's Journey about a man trying to discover the real story of his father, architect Louis Kahn, who died when he was 11 years old.

Lipstick & Magazines #4: Kiss and Read

2005-02-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, some true love goes out to our namesake topics, lipstick and magazines. What would I do without you my friends, my little pick-me-ups?

Lips

At 27, I might be old enough to claim MAC's Paramount as my signature color, but I don't want to get stuck in a rut. Without a doubt, Mac lipsticks are some of the best. Once you buy a $15-20 quality lipstick, you won't turn back, and unlike some of the truly frightening and intimidating make-up counter people out there, MAC seems to hire a nicer breed.

For gloss, check out Lip Medic. I was recently looking for a coconut-banana flavor I used to be able to find at my neighborhood hippie bath store. On Lip Medic, you can search by flavor and find some truly cool glosses. Who knew there were more than 5 banana-flavored glosses? They also have a gloss/balm of the month, which would be a nice gift for that specific special someone.

Mags

Never, ever subscribe to a magazine without doing a little price research. Net Magazines has a 5 for $30 subscription package which I used to rave about, but they've lost some of the cooler titles. Still worth a visit. I recently subscribed to a few titles through Shopper Values. First you become a member (ummm, enter your name and email, and unclick all the spam), then you can find Budget Living for $5 a year, and Dwell Magazine for less than $10. Also, if you're looking for a particular title, always search eBay. Magazines obviously benefit by having high subscriber numbers, so these wholesalers can sell subscriptions really cheaply.

Lipstick & Magazines #3: Brain Break

2005-02-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a jammie-wearing freelancer, a drowning student, or an office-bound corporate kid, there's always that moment during the day (for me it's 3pm), when a brain break is absolutely required. I'm a huge proponent of breaks of all kinds in fact, and when going out for leisurely cuppa tea is not an option, sometimes visiting a website that you haven't visited ten million times before is the best you can do. Here are a few sites that do it for me, starting at brain "lite" and moving a little deeper:

* Ferry Halim's Orisinal features some of the most charming and original computer games. Catch an egg in a floating basket! Make the kitties move and stop moving! Bubble bees! Really though, these are so beautiful created and a great way to chill out for 3 minutes - check them out. (*Hidden treasure - under "Misc," second box offer is a link to a "Make You Own Flower Bouquet" e-card. Absolutely free and totally sweet)

* 10x10 is updated every hour with words and photos culled from international news sources to create, as the site describes, a "snapshot of our world." Reading about how the site works is fascinating; seeing the final resort change over time, even more so.

* Identity Theory has some of the best author interviews, as well as a bunch of smarties, funny writers, serious writers and others talking about literature, culture, life, and a little bit of everything else. A great browsing site...and they are currently looking for people who want to blog about the books they're reading.

Lipstick & Magazines #2: Write Me

2005-02-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

I would like to be a better, and more consistent, letter-writer. As a little girl, I had penpals in Pittsfield, MA, and Finland. I received long letters written in crayon and Finnish chocolate and Christmas ornaments. Now, I have one penpal who is owed a woefully late response (sorry J!). My dirty little secret is that I have tons of beautiful cards. I buy them, get attached to them, and then can't let go of them. Ridiculous!

So, my next plan of attack is stationary and card SETS. This way, I can always save just a little bit.

Here are some options I'm eyeing:

* Jack and Lulu note-sets available online at Fred Flare - sweet, simple stripes and dots

* One Creative Girl - adorable fabric-patterned cards

* Snow & Graham - sweet, sweet letter-press cards. Not available online, but in mass quantities at expensive stores in Hayes Valley!

Lipstick & Magazines #1: Cuties

2005-02-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

Sushi is probably on the outs as far as In Style trendy goes, but I really don't care. Real sushi is delicious, and as artistic inspiration, it has limitless potential. I'd seen sushi erasers, bags, even knit sushi, but this is the most beautiful sushi candy I have ever seen. I've never tasted it, so I can't vouch for the flavor, but for now it's good enough as eye candy.

* Find the goods: Kooki Sushi

While homeownership is not in my imminent future, I can still entertain myself with dreams about appliances. I hadn't really had any yet, but Big Chill Fridge is breaking me in. Green Apple, Pink Lemonade, Buttercup Yellow. No I'm not talking about nail polish or lip gloss. We are talking the most drool-worthy refrigerators you have over seen. If you buy one, lemme know so I can come over and touch it

* Find the goods: Big Chill Fridge

Lipstick & Magazines #0: Sampling

2005-01-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

I used to save up my $ and buy grab bags from the Hello Kitty store in downtown SF, big paper sacks, bulging with Sanrio stuff, stapled up. The excitement was almost too much to bear. I would always try to peek inside to get the best one, but I think they were onto my game. The staples were pretty close together.

Home of the Sampler is taking an idea we all love (small, free things) and throwing in that delectable element of surprise. Marie in Berkeley, CA, who runs the site, is now offering a sort of clearinghouse for crafty people and those who love their goods. Subscriptions for sampler bags are full at the moment but will be opening up for the March sampler on Monday, January 31 at 11am. Feast your eyes on the treats that were sent out over the past few months and let the anticipation begin. And if you're a nifty craftster yourself, becoming a contributor is the perfect opportunity for spreading your wares to people all around the world.