Girl Friday: The Perfect Day

Have you ever had one of those perfect days? You know, the day that your skinny jeans are actually a little loose, or you only set off the smoke alarm once while you were cooking supper, or maybe you were able to easily liberate a new CD from it's hermetically sealed plastic wrapping without losing your religion. Well, that's the kind of day I'm having, because in addition to the aforementioned milestones, my friend, Stan Williams, is coming to see me. Well, me and a lot of other people interested in getting a signed copy of his newly released book, The Find. My other dear friend, Jean Heath, has very graciously offered up her great Mid Century Modern furniture store, Uptown Modern, as party central! So, in homage to Stan's Francophile nature, I get to be the "hostess-with-the-mostess" and throw a shindig on July 14th - Bastille Day, as fate would have it. We will have tasty treats and drinks, lots of books to sign, and more fun than you can shake a French revolutionary stick at.

If you're not familiar with Stan and his work, I posted a great interview with him last month, which you can find here, and an introductory post here. When I received the "it's a done deal" e-mail from Stan saying that he would able to fit an Austin stop onto his agenda and the offer from Jean to be our location, it was one of the most exciting days of my life - not withstanding the big ticket items like the birth of my children or my wedding day! Thanks so much Stan, I can't wait till you get here - and Jean, thanks to you as well for your hospitality! I can't wait for you all to meet him! I'll keep you posted about the exact time and such as it gets closer. If you would like a reminder, however make sure and either enter your email into my Feedburner or follow me with Google Friend Connect - both are located at the right side of the blog.

Comfort Food: MaMa Jo's Magic Pie

As most of you know, I've never been a "knows-her-way-around-a-kitchen" type person. It's not the kitchen part per se, it's just that... so much of what goes on in there involves cooking tasty dishes that people can actually eat without summoning their gag reflex.

I'm just back from a visit with may darling Mother, MaMa Jo. When the kids and I visit her, we have such fun and miss her dreadfully when we get home. Although, and I love a good "although," one of the less pleasant results is that my ego is confronted 3 times a day with the realization that I'm a "sucky" cook. My Mom is the queen of gastronomic delights, she can quite literally take 2 pieces of bread, rub them together and "presto!," a 4-course-super-delicious-meal magically appears on our plates! Upon seeing my crest-fallen ego, my Mom suggested that while visiting I try my hand at baking. After hearing this, I figured that this was an idea that might give a bad idea the will to live . . . . Bless her! She has no idea of her daughter's lack of skills! But, I gave it my best and as fate would have it, she was right - baking might actually be my thing!

I've perfected one of her most requested pies, and I would love to share the recipe with you. This "Becky-Home-ecky" moment will provide you with a couple of opportunities; the first being a chance to find your insulin shock threshold and second, offering you a way to shed the pale imitation of a life you presently posses without the knowledge of this tasty recipe.

Also important to note is that this pie might provoke the sounds that my Golden Retriever, AJ, makes when he's been licking himself too long.


MaMa Jo's Magic Pie

• Use an electric mixer to blend 8 oz. of Creme Cheese, 2 tsp. of Vanilla extract or 1 cap full of Almond extract.

• Mix in 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (I use Eagle Brand) - a little bit at a time, until thoroughly mixed.

• Add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and mix, again.

• Take a 12 ounce "do-hickey" of Cool Whip and fold half of the container into the above mixture.

• Plop all that into one of those crusts from the freezer section at the grocery store or one of those Graham-cracker ones - that would be tasty, too. (Just get over yourself and buy the pre-made kind. Don't be all Ina-Garten-Barefoot-Contessa-y about it!)

• Place in the fridge and guard with your meanest "don't-make-me-stop-this-car" face for about an hour before serving. You can top with fresh blue berries, strawberries or canned cherries, but I like mine naked-y.

• Serve with a smile and the number for Jenny Craig, whenever possible.

The "Anthropologie" of Austin

It's possible that it's just my civic pride getting carried away here, but presently, I'm throwing my hat up into the air, a la Mary Tyler Moore, because some of my favorite places and some of Austin's most nostalgic landmarks have been used as backdrops for the models in the new June Anthropologie catalogue. I think it reads more like a tour guide than a summer collection catalogue - love it!

Additionally, Anthropologie has collaborated with Nashville printers Hatch Show Print to produce this inspiring issue. Scattered throughout the catalogue are amazing print elements, as well as a frame-worthy back cover.


Photo credits: Anthropologie

At home with . . . Amelia E. Valentine

As a college Freshman, I was introduced to vintage clothing. Shortly after that blind date, we (vintage couture and I) began a torrid love affair that has lasted for 26 years. Actually, the relationship has taken a turn toward the voyeur-esque nature, since most vintage fashion seems to be constructed in one of only two sizes: "-YOU-HAVE-GOT-TO-BE-KIDDING-ME" and "ARE-YOU-SURE-THIS-IS-ADULT-CLOTHING?"!! Due to the fact that I'm fond of that stuff they call "FOOD," and on occasion like to participate in that other thing . . . what do they call it? . . . Oh yes, "EATING!", fitting my body into vintage garments these days is rare. In college, however, a friend and I thought it might be fun to see if we could pull off a "silent-film-starlet-flapper" type look for a Gatsby themed party we were invited to. Well, a can and a half of Aqua Net, two tubes on "Riotous Red" Clinique lipstick, three broken tweezers (heavy brows did not fit the profile), two $20 fringe flapper dresses, and a couple of Route 44 Lime-Aides with a dash or twelve of Jose Cuervo later, we resembled the cast of To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar - except not as feminine - Think more like Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot or Jack Benny in drag.

After stabbing ourselves with fifty-four-bazillion bobby pins and poking a new hole in the ozone layer spraying our follicles into place, we arrived at the party. All the other girls turned as we entered and Oooh-ed and Aaah-ed in unison. However, I was fairly sure I knew what they were thinking, having thought it several times before myself. I had on occasion, when seeing a look or an outfit on another woman that was heinously ugly, had chosen to compliment her instead. Superficial? Maybe. Catty? Sure, but I had to compensate for the dear-in-the-headlights-gaze and the head tilted slightly askew like one of those dogs on a World's Funniest Videos clips that hears a strange noise and can't quite figure out what it is or where it's coming from.

Amelia E. Valentine, in contrast, really rocks the "retro-fashionista immersion look." She is flawless in her present day interpretation of the old Hollywood siren style, with the perfectly coiffed pin curls, flawless red rosebud lips, and lined eyes. She looks radiant in her Peter Pan collar, powder-pale complexion, and auburn bob haircut. It's almost as if Greta Garbo or silent film star Clara Bow had thrown up directly on her - and I mean that in a flattering way. She's simply stunning! A quote made by Coco Chanel came to mind the first time I saw photos of Amelia on The Queens of Vintage social network - "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." I think Amelia has that nailed, and you can share her penchant for altered-vintage clothing at her online Etsy shop. Her posts on her Live Journal called The Life and Times of Archy and Mehitabel where she shares ideas about living the Vegan life, posts photos of daily retro outfits and shares samples of her embroidery and art, is a fun read. Amelia has shared a glimpse into her world in Austin, which one can tell from her photos is quite unique and dear to her heart. The way she's chosen to express herself so uniquely proves another of Coco's adages, and that is elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress - but rather it is something that exists in ones daily presence and interactions, etc. Thanks, Amelia, for sharing your adventures and collections, your funky, fun shop, and your very lovely vintage inspired life!

I live in . . .
I live in Austin, Texas after a time in Oregon for my MFA.

I'm studying to be . . .
I'm studying to be a teacher of Gifted and Talented students at Texas State, but for the time being, I make vegan soft serve and sell Hello Kitty at Toy Joy.

I choose this profession because . . .
I choose this profession because I love teaching young, curious minds.

When I was a child I wanted to be . . .
When I was a child I wanted to be a Biomedical Engineer, someone who makes false limbs and organs. I was always rubbish at science and mathematics so I never thought I could be an engineer. Now I just have an appreciation for the curious and Victorian.

I’m listening to . . .
I have the most varied musical palette ever. I love 1930s and 1980s pop! I've been working of expanding my tastes to more contemporary things so I can open the Austin Chronicle and be familiar with the show listings! Lately, I’m listening to Francois Hardy, Nico, Balkan Beat Box, Spice Girls, Rainer Maria, Vashti Bunyan, The Pipettes, Prince, and Dan Deacon.

I’m reading . . .
Since graduate school, I always accidently fall asleep if I read a book. I have an audible.com subscription and I love listening to books while I'm doing embroidery or while cooking. Steve Martin's “Born Standing Up” was a hilarious tale of his rise to fame and he even plays banjo between chapters. I just finished Neil Gaiman's “The Graveyard Book” and scared myself silly! I never read his books when I was younger but now I can't get enough of him.

My artistic heroes or muses are . . .
My artistic heroes or muses are Doris Salcedo and Tom Friedman - they are both sculptors who use domestic materials in poetic ways. My favorite Doris Salcedo pieces are when she uses clothing such as burying clothing in concrete or caging high heels behind animal skins. Tom Friedman just astounds me! I found one of his books when I was 19 and I just stared at it for hours. His sculptures are out of aspirin, detergent, his own signature, play-dough, anything really. He is what obsessive art making is all about.

I would describe my style as . . .
I would describe my style as 1930s Chorus Girls meets Sweet Lolita meets Flapper Fantastique.

My favorite color is . . .
My favorite color is teal because it matches everything.

If money were no object . . .
If money were no object I would travel the world for five years on a giant food tour: olives in Greece, Mangos in Brazil, Dumplings in China, Fairy Bread in Australia, Curry in India... the list goes on!

I’m creatively moved by . . .
I’m creatively moved by exposure to other busy people. I get my energy from other artists and creative people.

I received my education and training from . . .
I received my education and training from the University of Arkansas (BA), the University of Oregon (MFA) and Texas State (M.Ed, forthcoming).

A perfect day would include . . .
A perfect day would include homemade vegan breakfast, a long walk, good iced tea, a kiss on the forehead before I fell asleep.

My favorite place in my studio is . . .
My favorite place in my studio is the sunlight that falls on my studio desk and illuminates my in-progress projects.

I collect . . .
I collect ephemera: Vintage Valentines, human teeth, 1930s silk dresses, photographs of strangers.

My favorite collection is . . .
My favorite collection is my 1920s/30s valentine collection. I even have two of them as tattoos!

I’m spiritually moved by . . .
I’m spiritually moved by good food (and little else).

If you had a mission statement, what would it be?
The Ladies' Society for the Reinstatement of Proper Undergarments is a self-created group that endorses my products whole heartedly. We have monthly tea meetings where we dress in full regalia and try not to stain our stockings with jam.


How did you acquire your love of vintage?
When I was a kid I watched Betty Boop cartoons and I remember feeling this strange sensation while watching a rotoscoped Cab Calloway sing “St. James Infirmary Blues.” I knew I was traveling in some way, it was like an out of body experience. Since 2001, I have been a part of an online community of "time travelers." We are young people who wear vintage clothing, listen to old music, and watch classic movies. We gravitate towards the period from 1920, when film making came into its own as an art, to around 1948, when the long playing record was introduced. We do this not just in an attempt to appreciate the past, but to adopt it. Our goal is to internalize the gracious values of this earlier era in order to combat a world that is quickly moving in the opposing direction.

Do you have a fashion icon or era in fashion that you emulate?
I study the years of 1929 – 1936 and watch Pre-Code movies to try and grab the style from this era.

Who are your favorite designers?
John Galliano, Milla Jovovitch

What do you do when you're not blogg-ing or journal-ing or Etsy-ing?
I work at a toy store and make little clothes for my Blythe dolls, Violet Crown and Odile. I'm also slowly learning Portuguese from my sweetheart, who is from Belo horizonte, Brazil.

What are your personal favorite blogs or websites?
Roxanne Carter: persephassa.com
Amy van Doren: It'll Take The Snap Out Of Your Garters!
Queens of Vintage

Where are your favorite places to shop?
In Austin, Texas I like to shop at Amelia's Retro Vogue and Blue Velvet. Otherwise, I go to estate sales or shop on Etsy or Evilbay.

Are there any trends your are particularly inspired by this season?
I bought new socks from Sockdreams.com, does this count?

What trend from the past would like to make a comeback?
Tweed jackets with nipped in waists.

What clothing items would you say are timeless?
Peter Pan collars on dresses, t-strap heels, fruit prints, Seersucker, mother of pearl buttons, lace headbands

What beauty product can you not live without?
Lush's entire beauty line, especially Henna for my hair and Aromoco and Massage Bars for my body!


Amelia was also featured in the book What I Wore Today


Amelia's embroidered hankies are part of an exhibit at The David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University called Inappropriate Covers, an exhibition of multimedia works by 11 established and emerging artists, through Friday, May 29, 2009.

Etsy Treasury

Hey many thanks to Kim over at Thatsomething. She featured my Louis chairs in a Treasury West on Etsy last week.

Girl Friday: Greetings From the Dangerously-Over-caffeinated

Greeting from the "dangerously-over-caffeinated",

I greet each new day with the firm conviction that there is entirely too much blood in my caffeine system, and if the past few days is any indication of the coming weeks, my kidneys will be gone entirely by Flag Day. I'm sure that they are already the size, shape, and consistency of an overly saturated cleaning sponge due to my heroic intake of Diet Dr. Pepper. The worst of it is that I've just dropped a 20 oz. bottle of said soda all over my computer desk. And, now I'm having to lift the keyboard with my left hand and tilt the monitor with my right hand, pick up the chenille throw from the sofa with my teeth, and drop it on the stream of soda headed for the printer, while simultaneously dabbing up the soggy mess with my elbow. And the only thing I can concentrate on throughout this whole contortionist exercise is whether or not I should get another DDP out of the fridge downstairs. Which really is kind of silly because, let's face it, if I've reached the "over-caffeinated-hand-shaking-dropping-things" period of the day, then it's highly unlikely that I will be able to keep a firm grasp on the next bottle. However, we all know that I'm going to get another one and then another after that . . . so, there goes that debate and such is life for this caffeine junky!

I'd wax on further about the love and craving I have for DDP's, but apparently my caffeine intake has been so extreme that I've completely lost the ability to sit for more than a couple of minutes at a time, thereby making it impossible to write coherent thoughts on a post. So, I'll just have to leave you with links to some interesting new discoveries. Look for posts with more detailed information featuring each of these new friends in the future.

• Jonamor Décor

• French Kissed Design

• Queens of Vintage

• August Morgan

• Landon Pigg

Grey Gardens

For your amusement, here's a list of items I have painted in the past 24 hours.

1) My Golden Retriever, A.J. - his tail swished across the freshly primed leg of a shield back chair

2) My black Chuck Taylor's - apparently depth perception is not my forte'

3) A.J., . . . again - he's slowly turning into 100 lb Grey Schnauzer

4) A pair of vintage Louis chairs, 2 benches, 1 chandelier, 1 shield back chair, 1 Mid Century side chest, 1 Asian side chest

5) Our deck, my neck

6) My inner thigh, A.J.s inner thigh

7) My nails

8) A pretty picture


Primed pieces waiting for their paint color. Some will need upholstery - some may need some mirror or new drawer pulls.

If I ranked my least favorite ways to pass a day, painting my latest vintage finds out in the blazing Texas sun would fall somewhere between a visit to the "snatch doctor" and watching a 4-year-old with too much hair product in her extensions with a flaming baton compete in the talent portion of the "Ain't She Sweet Beauty Pageant" down at the Wash & Lube. In the past few weeks a string of vintage furniture pieces with exceptional design pedigrees have come into my possession. So, in the spirit of reuse, repurpose, and rework, I had no choice but to strap on my low VOC paint drenched brush and give these vintage beauties a new life.

To be honest, the eco-friendly agenda isn't my main concern. My real motive is far more selfish and shallow. You see, I need to produce some cash flow so that I can maintain my degenerate shopaholic status and dig up and purchase more vintage treasures. So, to indulge my thrifting addiction (and it truly is an illness) sans the bitter aftertaste of shame and guilt, I will be listing these pieces on my website and Etsy store in the next few days.

And like "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, from the Grey Garden story, these charming vintage furniture pieces have a glamour that will never fade.

Make That Two Pink Martinis

I'm off to the Pink Martini concert in San Antonio tonight at the Lila Cockrell Theater. They will be performing with the San Antonio Symphony beginning at 8:00pm. tonight and tomorrow night. My son is on a field trip to Six Flags in San Antonio today, so, we are "springing" our daughter out of school early and driving to San Antonio to pick my son up at the park. The plan is to get all dressed up in our "swankiest" duds, have a nice dinner and cocktails (not the children, but the adults) and go see Pink martini (the band, not the drink) HA! I slay me!!!!! As you can see, I'm beside myself with excitement! This will be the first opportunity I've had to see Pink Martini live, though I've been smitten since one of my dearest friends introduced me to their music earlier this year. I posted a lengthy piece about Pink Martini and it's band members here.

Pink Martini, time with the Hubbs and kidletts and cocktails - I can't think of a more perfect weekend!



I leave you with a few Pink Martini recipes that I found on the Swank Martini website

Pink Martini Recipe

1.25 oz greygoose vodka
0.25 oz lime juice
0.25 oz triple sec
0.25 oz cranberry juice

Serving Instructions
Shake with crushed ice. Strain into glass. Serve in a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime.


Pink Panther Martini Recipe


Splashed with champagne.
2 oz. Gin
1 oz. Campari
½ oz. Grapefruit juice
½ oz. Champagne

Combine gin, Campari and juice in mixing glass. Add ice and shake.
Strain into your Swank Martini Glass and top with Champagne.