Lipstick & Magazines #72: Spring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.