Art: Supplies

I have to tell you...


I love a row of blank journals, that haven't been drawn in yet.

I love full gallons of paints.

I love empty drying racks.

I love all the crayons in one basket, wrapped in paper.

I love colored pencils that haven't been sharpened yet.

I love the randomness of certain items that you save under the pretense of, "I could use this one day," but for now, you have no idea what it will be, or when that day will come.

I love 40 scissors in a bin, none of them lost.

I love 30 white erasers that haven't yet found a mistake.


My new best friend is a hole puncher.

Website: Threadless

Oh, Threadless, how did I miss you?

I admit, I knew you existed. Like the nerdy kid in the back of the classroom, I gave you a once-over but rashly assumed we would not be friends. I should have sat at your lunch table and offered you an Oreo cookie in exchange for your carrot, because you are oh so much more than meets the eye.

Threadless.com is a "design it yourself" t-shirt company, online. It differs from cafepress in that not just *anybody* can submit and print a design. There are no "i heart my mom" t-shirts on threadless. And there are no aprons either.

Instead it's just real people, with real ideas, about real design. Some of the work is gorgeous; not just to wear, but to be inspired by. Once a design is submitted, it goes before a panel of internal judges, who decide whether the design is worthy enough to go before the public. And then once in front of the public, it goes through another voting process - scores of 1 to 5 are entered, and people post comments for improvements and critiques. At the end of the month (or so), the panel selects the top-voted designs, and turns those into buy-able t-shirts. The designer gets 2 grand. You get to look good.

Over the past few nights I've submitted around 10 designs. With each one I get better at it. I find out in 4-8 days if any of my designs get past the judges and land safely into the hands of the public. You better vote for me if I do.

Sometimes I get hooked on a new artistic endeavor and I just cannot quit until I've exhausted all my ideas. I have to tell you, this is one of those times. A sort of manic production house has opened in my mind, and I'm churning these visions out like Monday morning coffee.

(This particular rainbow design is my favorite. It was designed by Rinzen. It's available for sale here.)

Music: John Mayer First Listen

I am not writing a review of John Mayer. I'm saving that for Sept.12, the official launch date of the new album. After I listen to it 1,000 times in a 24-hour time period, then I'll tell you all about it.

In the meantime however, I have to tell you about last night's online extravaganza, First Listen. What is that? What a good question, I'll tell you...

No wait, scratch that. I'll let John tell you:

Isn't it strange how these days, the last thing you hear by a band is their record? You hear the live acoustic performances, the "bonus content", the late night TV appearances - but sometimes you've had enough before you even make it to the one piece of work...

Not this boy. I want you to hear my new music the old fashioned way.

On the radio.

Wednesday, August 23, on STAR 98.7 in Los Angeles, I'll be DJing my ENTIRE ALBUM, front to back. A week later, the record will be made available on other radio stations.

Remember when you used to tape the radio? No? Well I used to. It was fun.

I just want you to hear my music. Is that so wrong?

Did you get all that?

I used to tape the radio. When I couldn't sleep at night I would lay my head next to my "box" (re: small, black radio with a handle, two speakers, two tape decks and AM/FM radio). When I would hear a song I liked, I'd quickly press Record. After a few weeks, I'd have a new "mix tape". Of course, each song was cut off slightly in the beginning, and ended with a wild segue into the station name callout. Unavoidable side affects to radio taping, but not something I saw as a detriment. Free music, man!

Once in a while I'd listen to a particular song so many times that I'd pool together my $7.00 and go out and buy the cassette tape. One such time that was Richard Marx. The song was Right Here Waiting. I ran out and bought "the album" and finally got to hear the first 10 seconds and last 10 seconds I had missed out on all these weeks. That was my technology. Richard Marx did not DJ his whole album on the radio.

But John did. First Listen was a great first listen. Some of the songs I had already heard acoustic versions of, some I had never heard at all. But I'm not going to re-listen to the DJ sessions until I get the official album in my hands. Then I'll write my official review and tell you what I really think (or can you already guess?).

However, you can listen! Click here to preview the new album.

Fashion: The Red Shoes

Have you ever seen such a perfect pair of red shoes? Do you even own red shoes? I think they are officially a must have. If you don't believe me, go to a shoe store, and try a pair on. Tell me how you feel. Part of you will feel like you're 4 years old again, slipping into your red, shiny, fat-strapped mary janes (the red ones, of course). And then the other part of you will realize that these are not shiny, and they don't have straps, and you are 2 inches taller as soon as you slip them on. And damn, you'll feel like a woman.

I just got these. And they will go with everything. The lady in the cute little boutique store said to me, and I quote, "They'll look great with jeans!" I saw Amy Sedaris on David Letterman a few weeks ago, and she said, "What's with sales ladies always telling you to buy something because it will look great with jeans?"

I replied to the lady, "I know, they will."

And then I said, gushing, "You can wear the most normal outfit in the world, and then put on a pair of red shoes like these, and suddenly, you're not normal anymore. You're something more."

She leaned close with a knowing nod and said, almost hushed, "That's right. You're fabulous."

These are the new fabulous shoes I have to tell you about. Purchased today for $64. Otherwise known as the low, low price of, "I'm keeping these puppies for life".

Fashion: Garden Dress

For today's review, I have to tell you about a dress. It's not a deeply spiritual thing to write about, I know. But work with me here.

Think of something in your closet that makes you smile as soon as you put it on. Think of something in your closet that feels like a best-kept-secret. And you own it.

Yes, it's just a dress. I didn't buy it in Paris. I bought it in Target. Which means you could drive to the mall right now, where ever you are, and pick one up in your size. It's called the Isaac Mizrahi Garden Dress, and I have it in Chocolate. Rumor has it, blue and black are also floating around. It cost me $34.

I wore it this weekend to a wedding. Its empire waist makes you feel like you're five years younger than you were before you slipped it on. It's knee-length floaty skirt takes about another year off. Then try dancing in it, next to an ocean, with the wind blowing in your hair, to only your favorite songs. Go on, try it.

I found it in Target when I was there looking for something that was completely *not* a Summery brown dress. Isn't that always how it goes? I walked by it, and made a little girly gasp. You know, the one that you make when you see a new potential best-kept-secret in your size at a great price. The gasp that, if song lyrics were written for it, would be: "I can't believe I just found something that matches the fantasy in my head of the dress I would like to own. OOh baby. Ooh oh baby."

Now, you may think I'm nuts for writing this. And until last night I would have accepted that presumption as a possibility. But last night I discovered that other woman are talking about this dress online. Yes, other women are taking the time to reflect on how they felt when they first saw this dress and how wearing it makes them feel.

Here are some quotes:

I have this dress in floral, navy, and now this chocolate.

Ran into "Tarjay" to get some school supplies and this dress made me stop. Grab it and kept going, knowing I will probably return it later. Got home and tried it on and "wow".

I love this dress and have it in black as well! I got so many compliments... A must have for your wardrobe!

Adorable dress!

I got this dress today at my local Target and love it! This dress looks very flattering on. Superb dress!

See, I'm not alone.

Restaurant: Mystic Pizza

This weekend I walked in Julia Robert's shadow. I sat at what might have been her table. I ate what might have been her pizza.

We were driving home from New England in the fifth hour of what should have been the second hour of our weekend road trip. Or as Sis liked to call it, "Only 3 more panels left to fold over on the map!" Dying for a lunch break around 5pm, Sis and I decided to visit Mystic, Connecticut.

We have a rule when we embark on these drives: Don't pull over for a rest-stop unless you can see it from the road. That golden nugget prevents us from getting lost. It also prevents Sis from peeing once we hit Interstate 95.

But we crossed our fingers when we saw the exit sign for Mystic. With a gleam in our eye and a rumble in our stomach, we decided to risk it. Luckily, we found the town quickly. (Well, there was one moment when Sis screamed at me for not turning left at the light, and I screamed back that it was an entrance to a Home Depot parking lot.)

What we saw of Mystic was: One street. And on that street were lots of tourists, lots of little quaint stores, lots of sailboat and seashell figurines adorning charm bracelets, and absolutely nothing of virtue to buy for our mother who, "doesn't like cute things".

We made reservations at Mystic Pizza, home of the movie staring the aforementioned sweetheart, home of the Slice of Heaven. I didn't see any sisters in the back fighting over married men versus classes at Yale, but the place was packed nonetheless. Clearly Mama has passed on her recipe.

We ordered a small pizza with spinach and mushrooms. I couldn't really see the spinach on the pie when it arrived, but I think that's because it was already engulfed by the cheese. Now that's how you make a pizza! It was cheesy and hot and I have to tell you, it was delicious. It was just as good as the fake review in the fake restaurant regarding the fake pizza said it was. We loved it, for real.

That put us back in a good mood, and an hour later we confidently returned to Interstate 95 to continue our trip. And I can assure you, there were absolutely no driving mishaps or wrong turns that happened after that.

Oh no, dear me, none at all.

Location: Hotel Clarion

Sis and I found ourselves at Hotel Clarion during a recent road trip up the eastern coast for a friend's wedding.

I don't often remember hotels, but I think I'll remember the Clarion. Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was because we had such a lovely weekend as a whole. Maybe you can add up all the maybe's, and there still remains one very simple truth: we were very happy with our home on the beach.

First thing we liked: Valet car service. Sure, our car was parked just a block away on a grassy unprotected patch of land. But still, we didn't drive it there.

The second thing we liked: Having a big room that really did overlook the ocean, just like the website said it would. I could lie in my bed and watch the waves crash.

Third thing we liked: The working fireplace. Yes, it was warm. Yes, it added to the relaxing ambiance. Yes, it gave off some sort of dopamine that nearly drugged us in our sleep. But not in a bad way. We slept better than we've slept in days, and we both had to agree it must have been because of the heat from the fire. We woke up feeling like we had slept 1,000 nights, and needed 1,000 more. Needless to say, we opted not to turn it back on. You know, just in case we didn't wake up the next time.

Fourth thing we liked: HBO and CNN. Nothing feels more like "vacation" than the luxury of watching Entourage reruns and JonBenet highlights round the clock.

Fifth thing we liked: Continental breakfast included. Had we woken up in time, we most certainly would have enjoyed participating in this.

Sixth thing she liked: My sister used the jacuzzi in our bathroom and declared it wonderful. However, that also seemed to drug her, and she was quite "out of it" for a few hours after.

Seventh thing we liked: I have to tell you, the hotel was directly across the street from the beach. It.was.right.there. Hop, skip, or jump... and our feet landed on sand.

Eigth thing we liked: They told us our room was a smoking room, but that they would ionize it for us. Whatever that means, the room didn't smell.

Ninth thing we liked: Triple A membership priveledges. My red white and blue card saved us nearly $50 each.

Tenth thing we liked: Beach-town food, beach-town arcade games, beach-towns, period.

Illustrator: Peter Spier

I have two favorite children's books of all times. I have to tell you about one of them (the other I'll save for later). It's not a well known book at all, and in fact, I can't find an online image of it anywhere. It's called, "Oh, were they ever happy!" by Peter Spier. It's currently out of print, but a few people are selling old tattered copies. If I had a tattered copy, I would not sell it.

I love Spier's work. I find his style utterly unpretentious, and simply funny. I grew up gazing at the pages in "The People Book" and singing the words to "The Eerie Canal" during bedtime story hour. His books contain few words, and that is the true challenge in creating books for children. The art, in itself, must tell the story.

Spier loves details. You have to sit with his books for a while and look closely at the illustrations, finding little secrets between the lines. You have to imagine the characters are speaking back to you, and you have to imagine you're playing with them in their imaginary worlds.

The book I love is about three children who decide that they should repaint the house to surprise their parents who leave for the day (the whole house, including the bathtub). The words are minimal, but the story is full. The unspoken tale is visible in the children's whimsy as they run through the house with open paint cans found in the garage. The details are in the teetering step ladders, the scampering cat, the suspicious dog. And the ending is clear, by the expressions on their parents' faces when they return home. As you can imagine, oh, were they ever happy!

The art example above is not from the book, but it gives you a sense of Spier's style. Any book of his is a classic.

Photographer: Cindy Sherman

I first learned about Cindy Sherman in the prime of my narcissism. College, sophomore year. In my afternoon History Of Photography class I sat in the dark room in the library while Mr. So-And-So flicked through the slides we were expected to memorize, or at the very least, appreciate.

I achieved both with Cindy, a woman who secured herself in art history with a collection of transformative self-portaits. What made her do it? Why was it so revolutionary? Why turn the camera on yourself?

We take photos of our friends. We take photos of our pets. We take photos of old homes we used to live in. And when we look back at these images, we search for moments of who we used to be, and how we chose to live. We all want to be remembered. We all want to know what we really look like.

Sometimes I go on tangents with my art, and get fixated on a new style, a new approach. Sometimes I have an instinct that there is something I'm supposed to learn. Last summer it was watercolors. This summer it's the self portrait.

Movie stars are photographed all the time. They are captured in different light, with different expressions, alongside different people. Each image defines them for us, and we stare and accept the story the image tells.

People take photographs of us, and we respond by saying, "I don't like myself in pictures." Why is that? Is it because we don't know how to pose? Is it because we don't know what we look like? Is it because we don't like what we see? Sherman challenge that. She finds herself through her work. She controls the button. She decides what she will look like.

Thinking of her work, I have to tell you, it's pushed me along in my own photography. It's daunting, to make yourself the subject. It's embarrassing, to indulge self-importance. It's also freeing.

To secure yourself in history, you have to tell your own story.

TV: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

No one is safe from reality TV. Not even Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber. Yes, he jumped on the band wagon, too. And even if this genre is running on its last leg, that doesn't mean a good idea can't resurrect it a bit. Or as I've now learned from this British TV show, a wee bit.

Introducing, "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" A new BBC program searching for the next leading lady to play - you guessed it - Maria, in Weber's new production of The Sound of Music. The winning lady will covet her role on stage at London's West End Theater starting in October.

I live no where near the West End. But thanks to the magic of torrents, you too can see what other countries are doing with insta-fame reality TV.

The last "reality abroad" show I watched was based in Australia, and it was so much fun. But it went on forever. The difference between European and America reality TV is the Europeans have not yet mastered the fine art of "reality editing" yet. They show... everything. Nor have they learned the art of "leading an audience on". I think these hour-long series are broadcasted one day after the next. In America we like to drag these puppies out for months, interspersing "highlight shows" or "remember when we showed you this clip an hour ago" segments.

In America we'll do anything to distract you from the fact that... nothing is happening. Here, reality stars like to say, "I barely noticed the cameras." In Europe, they politely ask the crew to, "Bugger off".

Additionally, Europeans mix the pretty girls in with the not-so-pretty girls. As though they're equals or something. In America we like to pitch an entire show around the concept of not-so-pretty girls, as if the mere idea is so earth shattering we have to broadcast it immediately between commercials for Dodge Sierras and Lucky Charms.

European TV is, simpler. The sets less contrived, the dialogue a bit cheekier, the teeth not as white, the costumes more Target, less Barney's. The contestants rip each other to threads with nary a concern, then pour their hearts out to the camera like they're real people or something. Not wannabe actors who just play real on TV.

On that note, I have to tell you, check out this little clip from my new favorite summer TV show.

CD: Joshua Radin / We Were Here

I was introduced to this new singer by none other than Zach Braff, who is widely known for his role on Scrubs, but less widely known for his grammy-winning choice selection of music, a la the Garden State soundtrack. That man sure knows how to pick 'em.

So for the longest while all I heard were the clips off of Radin's website. And I was captivated instantly. Then this week I finally got a hold of his newest CD, We Were Here. First I'll note that I loved the cover design. Then I'll note that I loved the music.

Think Nick Drake, but alive. Think Elliot Smith, but also alive. One has to wonder what it's like to be the female muse of these poetically tortured boys, but luckily it's great just to be a listener. Radin seems like a nice guy, and probably his happy ending will be by way of a grammy nod, not a tragic demise (re: Drake and Smith).

From beginning to end, this collection of music is dream-like and hypnotizing. It makes you want to take a deep breath and exhale slowly. It's so tightly connected, each song picking up where the last one left off.

I have to tell you, it made me believe in happy endings.

Listen to his song, "Winter", provided by the good folks at freemacmusic.com

Live Music: Ari Hest

Tonight I saw Ari Hest in concert. By "concert" I mean a real small venue out in the middle of nowhere. One of those places where a musician would need to have somewhat of a following in order to convince his fans that they should drive out to see him.

The stage was beautiful. It had a cascading backdrop of lights that transitioned between colors: Blue, green, purple, yellow. The movement of one color into another created these beautiful poignant moments the flowed with the music.

I first saw Ari years ago, when I was just getting into the singer-songwriter, boy-with-a-guitar genre. He had barely finished his first CD. It was a great show, in another cool venue that was most certainly not in the middle of nowhere, but nonetheless closed down soon after and is no more.

So I've been on his mailing list ever since. And this week I got a notice that he was playing near me, and I thought, I have to go.

It was such a great show. His voice is rugged, his songs are deep. He's comfortable on stage. His music can really wrap itself around you.

One of his songs, wow, I have to tell you... it was positively beautiful. It left me beaming. He said it's a duet he wants to have with Norah Jones. Someday. If he ever gets to meet her. In the meantime, he sang her parts for her in falsetto. Very funny. It's a beautiful song called "I Got You", and it's one of the best love songs I've heard in a long while. I can't wait to listen to it over and over. You can listen to it by clicking here or just watch the actual performance below. He'll let you know when Norah is supposed to jump in.

The nice part of the evening was I got to meet him afterwards, and he signed my CD. It's a new EP he has out called, Guilty Hearts. The new big album gets released in the Fall.

Book: The Secret Life of Bees

I sat in Starbucks this evening and read this book for nearly an hour. I'm not even done with it yet but I have to tell you about it. It follows a young girl, Lily, and her search for her mother.

There were plenty of moments through out the book that made me gasp. How often does a book take your breath away in a single sentence? I was reading quietly, absorbed in the story, and then suddenly... *GASP*. Kidd, the author, took me by surprise with a few simple words.

There's one particular line in the book that is repeated over and over. I'm not giving anything away when I share this, yet it moved me particularly:

Lily Melissa Owens, your jar is open.

I keep thinking about that, and wondering how many times in our lives we've heard that whisper. Like a firefly kept behind glass, suddenly feeling a dash of wind above its wings, coming from somewhere bigger than the nail hole poked open for air. The jar is open.

I'm not even done with the book yet.

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Aug.13 EDIT: I finished the book tonight. I text-messaged my mom (who gave it to me) and wrote: This is one of the best books I have ever read.