Yay! Fug Madness is Back!

Fug Madness is Back! Rejoice!

photo from the Fug Report.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the Rules and Printable Brackets!

Enjoy!

Weekly Blog Round-Up

Talking about sex from the conservative christian point of view. Not mine, but I share a lot of her goals! Found on BlogHer.

It WOULD have to be a Welshman who is an agricultural saboteur! Sheesh! from bldgblog

Art-o-matic via TreeHugger

Apparently, it's not just me. "Even The Rich are Taking Home-Made Sandwiches for Office Lunches." On TreeHugger

Cool! From Pruned - an anonymous hugging wall!

Mexico Cooks wooden boxes photo.

From Idle Speculations the Presentation in the Temple is a feast day that also happens on/near February 2nd. Terry has some examples of religious art depicting the presentation. See, I love these ancient churches in Turkey.

World Wetlands Day on Pruned. Here are their top 8? reasons to support wetlands:

1) Wetlands are "the kidneys of the landscape," able to filter out pollutants from, for instance, agricultural runoffs and urban effluents.

2) Because of their bioremediating properties, wetlands can be a cheap alternative to municipal waste water treatment.

3) During particularly heavy storm events, they act as temporary water storage tanks. They then release the excess water slowly rather than in a deluge, lowering flood heights and minimizing the damage of valuable property downstream.

4) Wetlands also store carbon within their live and preserved (peat) plant biomass instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Therefore, wetlands world-wide help to moderate global climate change.

5) Along the coast, they are good at mitigating the effects of hurricane storm surges, tsunamis, and the less energetic but no less destructive normal ebb and flow of ocean waves.

6) Wetlands help to replenish aquifers that so many people depend on.

7) They are "biological supermarkets," producing annual commercial harvests of fish and shellfish that sometimes amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. Indeed, many people rely on wetlands for their livelihood.

8) As eco-attractions, they inject a sizable amount of tourist income to the local economy.

Wetlands, in other words, provide so many beneficial services for people that they are very much deserving of a sacrificial virgin. Or two.

Marisa Tomei on Fug - but in the "well played" column. I think she looks fantastic. Are those Bjorn Weckstrom pieces she's wearing? I totally love the Fug Report, which is where I found this photo.

It would be nice if Republicans got it, and would stop being the "party of No" but they won't. via NYT.

Google Oceans. Sounds pretty cool! Via BBC

From a friend on Facebook, this discussion of school lunches just reflects my own views so closely. This was written by President Obama's new chef, on his blog: Hull House Kitchen.

Interesting point - that we humans are not really thinking about our "place" within the world-wide ecosystem. And we may end up paying a dear price for that ignorance. Trust TreeHugger to shine a light on this issue. Upshot: it will take a multi-disciplinary course of action.

From BlogHer, here's a v. interesting look at Saints' lives from the viewpoint of someone who was raised Catholic and remembers the "Saints Days" and how exotic the names and stories sounded. She asks us:

"Saints were exotic, mysterious, and did magical things.

It got me thinking -- if I could name five women to Sainthood (spiritual sainthood) what measuring stick would I use and who would be my first five saints?

I guess I would choose woman who lived exemplary lives, role models, grounded and inspiring women. I would choose women who helped me move along spiritually in some way, even if we had never met.

Here is my list -- at least the one I have in my soul tonight. They are in no particular order. Now who is on your list? And why?"

They aren't all women, but nonetheless, my votes for saints.:

Ladybird, a dear friend who has taught me so much about life and its peaks and valleys.
Hiphopopotamus and Rhymenocerous, another dear friend, who has taught me about spirituality and light. She has the sunniest disposition I know.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health
Lawrence Marshall, The Northwestern Law prof. who researched convictions and led to IL Gov. Ryan putting a moratorium on all death row convictions.

There are more, but they aren't coming to mind just yet. Pass it on....

Brief Weekly Round Up

Isn't this language map beautiful? Thanks to Book of Joe for the link.

I'm sad to know that Odetta died. I listened to Odetta for the first time with my friend Lenore, freshman year. I miss her. And I'll miss Odetta. What a great voice!

Megan Powell mentioned a Swedish Vampire Movie on her blog. Sounds good!

Here's a Google book about Vegetable gardening during WWI. Perhaps we should take note in these dire times. I think I found this link at Boing Boing, but I can't remember. My bad.

Pure Awesomeness from the Fug Report.

My new favorite movie is Slumdog Millionaire. You gotta see it!

As always, I love Idle Speculations for the BEAUTIFUL religious Art. I don't know how Terry does it, week after week. But wow! My favorite Religious Art blog out there. Now I want to visit this church (La chapelle de la Vierge, Cathédrale de Saint-Louis, Poitou-Charentes La Rochelle). Go to the blog to see more!

And, in closing, I'm sorry I missed this before Thanksgiving day, but how awesome is it to see WKRP again? I ask you. Thanks to BlogHer for the link to Hulu.

Weekly Blog Round-Up

Apparently, this is the correct video of Angie and Neil at the Flaming Lips' Halloween Parade of a 1,000 flaming skeletons. Look at the 17 seconds marker for Angie and Neil turning around to look. I guess there was awesome music coming from behind them.

Obama on food policy from Boing Boing.

Finnish landscape from Villipiha.

"One Nation, Under Cupcakes" good job Philly!

An overheard dream about Abe Lincoln from Heading East.

Michelle O. in the fab red dress from Huff Po.

Hipsters no more? because of Obama? A treatise on the hipster scene and why to not diss those who work(ed) for Obama, from Gawker. Original source here.

Rebooting computing from Kimberly Blessing. I'm so into usability. Could be interesting to go, but not sure I'm hands-on enough. My cuz is though.

Spooky Polish forest. I'd love to check out this part of the world, in nice weather. Thanks to Vrbovan Blog for the image.

Obama family's secret service names - love them! From Huff Po.

Bush snubbed. wow. it's sorta hard to watch, and realize how much the rest of the world disliked this guy.


And finally, the Dot Earth readers' "10 Earthly Ideas on a Budget" - suggestions for Obama to consider for a greener US. Excellent. I especially love # 10, the idea of a Victory Garden at the White House. Aparently, Eleanor Roosevelt planted one, back in the day.

Easter Outfit Dilemma

This "dressed up is a state of mind" post got me to thinking.

As you all know, I've struggled with fashion choices after the onset of motherhood. It's tough. But, I agree that there is no time like the present. Carpe Diem! And Easter is such a good time to stretch a little bit fashion-wise. I'm not all about the clothes, but I want to look good, and why not take that day as one to "make it work"?

So, this year, I went out and bought a wacky floral print skirt and top (for a grand total of $25 at Target, though I can't find them online to show you). BUT it's going to be pretty cold this year in the City of Brotherly Love. So, I've had a change of plan. A few years ago I picked up a dress very similar to the one above at a Banana Republic outlet for cheap. And then, the other day I saw these giraffe peep-toe pumps and just fell in love. Not sure if I'll get my toe nails painted in time (you know that's a big issue for me). If not, I could always wear these instead.

It's Fashion Week, I Guess

I'm a little slow on the uptake, apparently, what with Mardi Gras and everything! But there's a little thing called Fashion Week going on in our Big Apple to the North, and so, I thought I'd talk style for a mome. From the events going on in NY, I think my favorite has to be Betsey Johnson.

But from my web surfing, I've found fabulous-looking stuff in Spring collections from two of my faves: Paul Smith and Marimekko.


Marimekko is back to bold colors, and very feminine lines, which I like. So pretty.

Paul Smith is also moving away from boring muted tones, and has come back with some nice strong colors and fantastic pattern combinations. I love how his details are so classically British, but not staid. and I love the shoes - nice colors, and they look like they're a good height.

Hot Style News!

Thank you Josiah for this link! Marimekko's coming to H&M! Woo Hoo!

My favorite Prada jacket

... on a real person! See the Sartorialist to see the photo! It's on the lady on the right. Enjoy!

And speaking of Romania, check this out over on Das Artes Plasticas! Wow! How mind-bendingly beautiful!

Enjoy the weekend, all.

Marimekko

Now that it FINALLY feels like Fall here in the City of Brotherly Love, I've started to check out another favorite clothing design source: Marimekko.

I have to say, again, that the color palette, in general, is a little drab for my taste - but there are still some stand-outs:

And if I really get nostalgic for the old-style Marimekko prints, I can always buy an "oilcloth" table cloth or something and ogle THAT all day:

Fashion Week - Betsey Johnson

Betsey Johnson is another one of my favorite designers. So feminine. And what great colors! I love visiting her stores, and am so bummed there is no longer one in Philly - but I guess there's still a store in KoP. I guess it just means I have to make another visit to our megalopolis neighbor to the north.

The yellow one is cute too:

Thanks to the FUG Girls for the link to the Betsey Johnson show.

Fall Collections

It's that time of year again - time for the over-sized Vogue and Elle magazines to come out. In years past Angie and I would get them on our way to our family vacation in Canada and pick out our favorite outfits.

I'm not sure I'm hip to the shoe styles that are coming out - nothing is really striking me as a must-have. Though I do love the new Prada combos (go to the Women's Collections, Advertising and then, my favorite is the black and green skirt w/jacket!) I'm searching desperately for a photo to share!

Of course Paul Smith, and Missoni are coming out with pretty things, but Paul is still going neutral on me - where are his shocking and bright solids and plaids?!?!

Not-so-Secret Weapon - Part II

Back to my drawers.... So, I need help with my tummy, my "pooch" as I call it. It took me a long time, to begin to get it under control, especially post-c-section. And as I explained in Part I I will not surgically remedy this situation. I started doing the "Abs" workout and that did wonders!

But still there is a bulge. And I think there always will be. So, in order to "create the silhouette" that I want, I needed to bring out the Big Guns. Again, I am a cheapskate, so I went to Target and picked up some "girdles." These aren't your grandma's girdles, these are undies with extra control in the tummy area.

I must say, while researching this post, I did learn that girdles are very exciting to a lot of people - collectors and fetishists, historians, etc. It's a little overwhelming.

What I do is wear these undies when I need to see less pooch in my outfit. It makes me feel better about how I look. I use them with or without stockings, but go with control top stockings if I want more flatness in front. I don't perceive this to be cheating.

Not-So-Secret Weapon - Part I

Angie and Josiah are probably mortified that I am talking about my drawers, but there it is. It has to be done - in the name of reclaiming the figure you and I want to have. I want to look as sleek as possible, with some curves, and as always, accentuating the positive.

I learned during the preparations for my wedding, about the importance of what I call, "Foundational Support Undergarments" (FSU). I wore my mom's wedding dress from the 60's which had an empire waist and long a-line skirt. In order for the dress to "look right," for it to look the way it was intended, I needed to flatten my tummy and enhance my bust. I went to the Contessa Corset Shop, and they hooked me up. They measured me, taught me how to put the corset on (though emphasized that on the wedding day I would definitely need help - there were zillions of hooks Angie had to do up!), and how to arrange myself (my breasts) once it was on me.

This experience prepared me for future bra-buying. After my first child was born, my cup size increased considerably, and again with my second. I went back to the Contessa Shop and was re-measured after I was done nursing La Segunda. I bought two bras, which at $50+ apiece, was a bit steep, I thought. They fit correctly for a while, but then, as all bras do, they lost their oomph.

Being the skinflint that I am, I needed to take stock and re-evaluate my priorities. And here they are:

1. I want to look shapely and good
2. I don't want to spend huge amounts of money, but will spend what I need to to look good
3. I will not get plastic surgery to change anything about my figure - so the money I would have spent on that, I can put into FSU's that enhance me
4. Comfort is a relative thing. If I know I look good, that will make me feel better about myself, than concern over a slight tightness around my ribcage.
5. Comfort is, however, important, and I do not advocate for suffering. If a bra fits correctly, it should not hurt, but it's ok (in my opinion) to be able to feel it during the day.
6. Quality is also relative - many more expensive bra's are not necessarily better made.

So, I made a change, I bought 3 enhancing (a.k.a. Padded) bras in different colors that I like at $15 apiece. I have vowed that as soon as they start to loose their strength, I will buy new ones. This might happen as frequently as every 3 months, and that's ok. As we all know, I think the décolletage is important!

N.B. I love how Helen Mirren looks in the movie poster (above) - Hot, right?? But, just for the record, I HATED the film itself. Ugh. So disgusting!

the 3-piece suit

It all started with Lakshmi and me talking about my favorite male, red-headed thespian, and voilà, here I am drooling over Paul Smith's collections of two years ago! How does this happen??

I like some of the cuts from the `07 and `06 collections, but the muted tones aren't doing much for me.

I remembered this clip from Agatha Christie's "Five Little Piggies," and how awesome Toby Stephens looks in a 3-piece suit. Frankly, the scene where he's at the window makes me weak in the knees, but that's another story.

Seriously, when will the 3-piece come back as the staple of men's fashion? I can take or leave hats, but the put-together suit, with contrasting tie or shirt are just drop-dead gorgeous. When will they realize it?? And sweaters on men, just look fantastic. Again, see the Christie clip to see what I'm talking about.

Paul Smith's womens' collection is phenomenal too. I love the bold colors of 2005! And the tartan.... oh, to be independently wealthy!

style icons

In High School people thought I looked like Martha Quinn. I was mistaken for her on the streets of New York, and was even asked for an autograph. When I searched for current pictures of her, our look still appears to be similar (based on the head shot).

As far as I can tell, part of determining my own style is figuring out whose style I admire. This is tough, because most of the images I see in magazines or on the web are of the glitterati. Harsh because most of them are young, rich, and famous. I am none of the above. And, N.B., I Do Not subscribe to the theory that "50 is the new 30" [this from the people that brought us, "Don't trust anyone over 30!" What is this, New Math??]. What nonsense! I want to "act and look my age" which was probably what my dad was getting at (see earlier post).

Anyway, historically, who have my style role models been? And who are they now? I can answer the first question easily. I looked like Martha Quinn, but I dressed like Stevie Nicks. I hung out with all the Dead Heads in High School, even though I hated the Dead. I was more into Led Zeppelin and New Order, but that's another story. I loved all Stevie's ultra-feminine clothes, the scarves, the eye make-up, and the witchy imagery. I must also tip my hat to the punks of the 80's. I just loved their style. I miss seeing punks around, and whenever I do I get a little teary-eyed. They seem so romantic and idealistic. And I love the hair color choices.

In College I admired Edie Sedgwick's look. I know how unhealthy that is.... I just wanted to be skinny back then. Also, I had been reading lots of William S. Burroughs, and was into the Heroin Aesthetic.

After college the grunge debacle happened. I was working temp office jobs and so had to look reasonably professional. On the wages I earned that was a ludicrous idea, but I wore dresses I bought at Buffalo Exchange and must have had some footwear, I just can't remember what look I had back then for my feet.

As far as style icons, I really didn't have any, but I admired Winona Ryder - those Eyes! Still, after all her troubles (which really make her more charming than ever) I think she's beautiful and fabulous.

And then, of course, there's Bjork - if only I could wear fuzzy sweaters like her!

So those are the famous people who I think are beautiful, and whose styles I admire. I think the common characteristic that they share, besides their fame, is their eyes, which they accentuate in their various ways.

What kinds of clothing do I want to be wearing? I can't tell that from any of the styles of these women. They don't dress the same way as I do because we don't do the same things. So, I have to forge my own path.

my current style

The personal style authors* talk about figuring out what physical attributes I want to accentuate and what colors I look good in, and take it from there. They suggest going through the closet and make sure everything fits. Do this at least once a year, and donate anything you haven't worn in 2 years or more. I don't like getting rid of clothes, a trait I've inherited from my mom, but it's a good practice. And I didn't want to do it until I got down to a size, post-delivery, that I felt comfortable about.

I started going through this style process, in earnest, after I got down to my original pre-pregnancy weight. It IS possible! Truly. Before I got there it seemed impossible. And I will give a plug right now for the book that helped me get there: "Healthy Woman" by Rodale Press.** So great! I read it and started going through and doing their suggestions right away. Within 5 months I had lost 10 - 15 lbs, and, more importantly, at least 2 inches around my hips, 3 around my waist, and toned my upper arms and jowls. That kind of change had a huge impact on my outlook, on my self perception. That's how I am more able to talk about my "assets" with apparent ease. I wasn't there a year ago. Who knows if I even would have been blogging. My image and understanding of myself is so different now than it was a year ago!

An additional thing I've learned through this process is that there's no time like the present. In order to be the person you want to be, you have to start somewhere and BE that person. That's true of my physical state of being, my mental health [be present and live in the moment, without the weight of the past or worries of the future seeping in], and my spiritual life. Be the person you want to be now.

I went through the clothes. I knew I owned and loved lots of black, but I went ahead and followed the authors' concept of putting each outfit on and figured out how many "looks" I could get out of each combination that could go together. They call these "capsules". In each capsule you have, let's say, slacks, a skirt, a couple of tops that could match, or jacket, and then accessories: shoes, scarves, jewelry that go along or complement.

I organized about 4 robust capsules in black, brown, green and purple. I had my "colors done" back in high school - sheesh I'm so 80's!!! And I was a "winter" - "with gold highlights". Anyone who has "had their colors done" has as vague an idea of what that means as I do. But basically, I look better in stronger, darker colors than I do in neutrals or pastels, with my skin tone. But then my hair and eye color tend towards the golden. So I need to take that into account when figuring out what looks good on me.

The authors also get into how to withstand fads. If you've taken the time to figure out what hemline works for you, don't cave, just because a fashion trend says that micro-minis are in. They suggest finding a tailor and riding out the fad looking good in what works for you. And even show a graph of the life-cycle of a fashion trend. When to buy as the trend is still going on, and might be on sale, but also how to determine when it will bottom out so you're not stuck w/last season's fashions looking silly.

My "look":

• I like solids. I wear a lot of solids. And mostly dark solids, up by my face.
  
• I've made the switch from regular hose to fishnets - now they come in neutral, skin-tone colors! Ingenious!
• When it comes to patterns, I adore plaids! Skirts or slacks. Maybe it's the British heritage? Or the tweedy academic upbringing?
  
• Texture. I like texture. Anything that looks woolly - but not mohair since I'm allergic.
• Big cowl necks are a fave too. Sweaters in general are good.
• No button shirts - they always gap in the middle. Embarrassing.
• No more mini-skirts. No denim skirts either, just don't like them.
• No crew neck shirts.
  
• A couple of years ago, after a huge sock purge, I made the vow that the only socks I will buy are argyle. So, now I have a bunch of wacky color combos of argyle socks and wear them with whatever color family I choose. It's fun.

I guess this is my homage to punks - fishnets, argyle and tartan - God Save the Queen!




* Looking Good: A Comprehensive Guide to Wardrobe Planning, Color & Personal Style Development (Paperback) by Nancy Nix-Rice (Author), Pati Palmer (Author) "Looking wonderful is less about fashion-designers dictating what's "in" and what's "out"-than about function-what works best for YOU..."

** I've had trouble actually finding the book that I originally bought because it was a supplement to a Prevention magazine edition (hence no ISBN). I've linked to the DVD, above, but I'm more of a 20th Century gal myself, and prefer the book. You can get a sense of the program by using this link to a Rodale article. I bought the "book" at the local grocery store, and recently saw it at Target. So, it's out there. The cover has a pink title with a svelte young woman in white workout shorts and a green jog bra.

"You Look Like a 35-year old!"

What does that mean? My dad always used to say that to me, or my sister, Angharad (Angie) whenever he thought we were dressed inappropriately. If we were wearing something that made us look older than our chronological age. Like too much makeup. And in the era of Big Eyeshadow, my "eye-con" was Donna Mills, from her Knot's Landing days. So maybe he was right!

But, now that I've turned 35, what does it mean to "look my age"? I had a bit of a crisis about this a while back. Having gone through the size and shape transformation of being pregnant, having kids, trying to slim down again, and working. How do you dress for all that? Where were the style guides? Where do I turn for help? This was a big huge problem for me.

When I was 30 and slim, a working woman, on the go, living in a big metropolitan area, I had an idea of myself and my style. There was a part of me that held back, but for the most part, I dressed the way I wanted to - lots of black clothes, lots of polyester from thrift stores, sensible shoes since my feet hurt, eye make-up every day, a shoulder-length or shorter cut for my straight brown hair.

While pregnant, both times, I borrowed some clothes, and bought most of my maternity wear at Target. I went through a period where I didn't really lose the fat I wanted to, and wore clothes that were really too big for me. And I struggled to determine my own style. But how? Where could I go? Was there a magazine out there for me? A column? A Blog? I didn't feel like anyone was speaking to me.

I suggested that my friend, Lakshmi, could start writing a style column. She had moved to an even more fashion-conscious metropolis than Philadelphia (if you can imagine that!). She was facing some of the same issues about defining one's style, and after many talks I think we helped each other, but also realized how at sea we both were. Another member of a discussion board we were both on was going through a similar thing, and so I put my research skills to work. I found a book: Looking Good: A Comprehensive Guide to WardrobePlanning, Color & Personal Style Development (Paperback)

I bought the book. Its drawings are a little bit 80's focused, but then, so am I. It talks about style in ways that I can understand. I'm middle class, and don't want to spend gobs and gobs of money on clothes all the time. The book has a very good way of explaining how to allocate money for your wardrobe. The author suggests plotting out how you spend your time. Do you work outside the home, care for children, cook, clean, volunteer, exercise, etc.? You need different clothes for those different activities. So, base your expenditures on how much time you spend doing each thing. Brilliant! I did this exercise and realized that I had definitely not spent enough money on my professional outfits.

The author then suggests getting a true picture of what your body shape is (with a trusted person) by drawing an outline of your body to step away from and evaluate: where are your "trouble spots" and where are your assets? I always thought I had an overly-short waist. Turns out that's fine. There are areas I can accentuate, and so I should dress to accentuate those areas. Are solids better for me? Patterns? Short hemlines or long? V-neck, collars, turtlenecks, what necklines work for me? Angie and I worked through it all and tried to figure it out.

All good stuff to think about. I tried to think about my "style" and that's the part I'm still struggling with but I've made a few fundamental decisions:

1. I want to have my own style, an evolution of my black and polyester days - the funky side of professional (and in my career that works).
2. I want to accentuate the positive while I have it, so that means v-necks, tops that show my curves without flaunting, long hemlines for my long legs - knee-length at the shortest - and, based on the recommendation of another friend, heels. I wear walking shoes on my walk to work, and then change into heels at the office.
3. I want to maintain my figure - not go crazy with it, but keep it at the state it's in, or better.
4. Continue with the makeup style I've evolved, and start upgrading the brands I use. At my age I can move away from the 99 cents bin at the drugstore.
5. Keep my hair longish, no bangs, but longer than chin-length. Again, accentuate the positive!
6. Finding the kinds of clothes I envision in my mind's eye is the problem. I continue to search.... So far for professional clothes I go to Ann Taylor Loft - it seems to combine what I like best - black and polyester with a teensy bit of funkiness appropriate for work.

more later...