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.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #52: Rain
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.
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.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #51: Cool
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #50: Simplify
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.
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.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #49: Think
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?
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?
Monday, February 27, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #48: Goodies
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
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
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #47: Make
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.
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.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #46: Lit
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.
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.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #45: Want
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #44:Tuesday
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.
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.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #43: Potpourri
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Lipstick & Magazines #42: New Year
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
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #41: Observe
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.
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.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #40: December
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.
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.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #39: Lists
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.
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.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #38: Warm
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!).
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!).
Friday, December 02, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #37: Easier
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.
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.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #36: Gift
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!
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!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #35: Think
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Lipstick & Magazines #34: True
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.
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.
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