Rock-afire Explosion!

When I was a little girl I spent many Friday nights at Showbiz Pizza Place. I played lots of Ms. Pac Man, Spy Hunter and Whac-a-Mole. I played these games very poorly, mind you, but I loved to play, sweat, get angry when I lost and then gorge on pizza in the dining room. Not only would I eat pizza, but I would be soothed by the sounds of Billy Bob and the Rock-afire Explosion.

via

I loved that animatronic band! And now I love them even more...a very clever man, named Chris Thrash, grew up watching the same band as a young boy in Columbus GA. Fast forward 25 years to the present day and he actually has a Rock-afire Explosion band of his very own! Not only does he have all the members, but he has programmed them to perform such hits as MGMT's "Electric Feel", the White Stripe's "Conquest" and Madonna's "4 Minutes". He has posted many of these videos on YouTube and is causing quite a sensation. It is truly amazing and I really think I want the Rock-afire Explosion to play my next birthday party! You can read more about Chris and his hip, robotic band in the newest issue of Spin magazine. The article is online here and now, enjoy a few of the following masterpieces:

What a concept!

Strangely enough, I found a French website, ViaComIT, that has an amazing article on American concept cars from the 50's and 60's. I don't really know what the article says (the French that I remember from high school is only good enough for me to know if cheese (fromage) comes on my ham (jambon) croissant (croissant). But the pictures tell it all! I must admit that I actually love car shows and the concept cars are typically my favorite part. I am also a huge fan of the aesthetic from the 50's and 60's, so this article, at the least the pictures anyway, was right up my alley!

Here are some of my faves:


The GM Firebird, II from 1954 and III and from 1958, looks like a jet on wheels!


This is the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket from 1956. Appropriately named.


This the Pontiac Club De Mer (1956) and if my French serves me correctly, I believe that can be translated as the Pontiac Club of the Sea. Very torpedo-esque.

This is the Ford X 2000. I guess in 1958 they thought, in the future, all cars would come with rudders.


I think this Cadillac Cyclone (1959) is my favorite. It reminds me of Wonder Woman's invisible jet...




This crazy Ford Gyron looks INSANE! It is like a car-cycle. Does it really only have 2 wheels???

There are so many more! Check them out, plus some rad video, here. I wonder what happened to all of these?

Where have you been all my life?

I love having get-togethers...clothing swaps, game nights, whathaveyou. And of course, being the good hostess that I I try to be, I always have snacks and drinks for all of my guests. A problem that I have run into on more than one occasion is not having a way to differentiate one person's wine glass from another's. From time to time, I will see wine glass charms sold, but they are typically tacky beaded ones or have some sort of silly animated character on them. Until now!


They are called VinoTagz, are super stylish and can be purchased right here. Only 12 dollars for 6 of them and they come in 4 different styles. These being my favorites:



I'm seriously so excited to buy these! I'm trying to curb my spending habit, but I'm doing this not just for myself, but for my PEOPLE! You are welcome.

The future is goofy...

Ever since their grand unveiling, I have thought that the Segway is super dorky.

Just look at it in action:


It doesn't matter who you are, there is NO way you can look cool riding one of these things. I don't care if you have one made by Ferrari or not.

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Not to mention, it has got to be THE laziest possible way to get from one place to another. I mean, ride a bike, for pete's sake!

But, believe it or not it actually can get dorkier (and just as lazy). Check it:

Yep, that's a man on a hover scooter. And while the technology may be cool, this gentleman is decidedly NOT. With his tie blowing in the wind, I am embarrassed for him. But, hey, if you think that this might be your thing and you have an extra 17 G's lying around, buy one here.

Or perhaps you would like to sit, since standing can be so very exhausting.


What is that, you ask? It is none other than a motorized monocycle. You can try to be as hip as this guy, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.


Oh future, what other ghastly, technologically awe-inspiring, inventions will you deliver to us next?

I won, I won!

I entered a contest last week through one of my favorite websites Apartment Therapy and one of my favorite stores, Target (maybe you've heard of it?). I was randomly selected from over 650 entries and I won all of these super cool items!

The prize package consists of a DIY Cube Clock, Gama Throw Pillows (I LOVE these!), Gummy Light, and Grobal Self-Watering Flower Pot (I hope to never kill a plant again). Thank you to Apartment Therapy and to Target!

Muppets and mice and pigs, oh my!

When I was growing up I was considered one thing. A nerd. Thick glasses, bad perm and an insatiable need to read. I read anything I could get my hands on and loved going to the library every chance I could get. I turned many pages, but I thought I would share some of my most beloved childhood reads with you.

One of my all-time favorites was The Monster at the End of This Book.


It was SO suspenseful, but then had such a happy ending! And who doesn't love Grover (Elmo is overrated, people).

As I got older my tastes changed and I wasn't much interested in Sesame Street anymore. I was given a book called Alexander and the Magic Mouse and this became my new favorite for quite some time.


The illustrations were gorgeous and would get my imagination running for hours at a time. If only there had been a magic mouse living in my house, my life would have been filled with adventure!

As I entered into early adolescence, my literary tastes changed yet again (as did my hair...enter the bad perm I mentioned earlier) and my favorite go to guide for style and beauty tips was none other than Miss Piggy's Guide to Life.

(Isn't she lovely?)

Within these pages, Miss Piggy gave advice on fashion, love and makeup application (isn't there a saying about lipstick on a pig?.... but I digress). There were great pictures inside and this handy guide went with me everywhere.

Once I went to junior high, innocence was lost. I started reading Stephen King novels and lots of True Crime stories, but the books that will always hold a place in my heart are the ones of my youth.

P.S. Hannah Montana has NOTHING on Miss Piggy.

Your favorite 80's videos...literally...

Well, these may not be your favorites, but they are definitely literal.





I want more!

These are a few of my favorite things...

It's been awhile since I talked about my online love affair with Etsy, but in case you were wondering, it is still going strong. Here are just a few of my newest obsessions:


This gorgeous painting by Shelby Healy. If I buy this from her, I think I'll pick it up myself since this is where she lives.


I'm in love with this plaque by The Runny Bunny. I think it will look perfect in my navy bathroom!


This bag from Cha Cha is beyond perfection. The color, the size, the shape. I must have it, meaning...someone who loves me should buy it for me!

So, in the midst of our country's economic crisis, I encourage all of you to go shopping. I'm simply trying to help.

It's a Wold, Wold World

While reading one of my favorite websites, Design Milk, I discovered the amazing work of Thomas Wold. He writes a column for Ready Made magazine where he actually tells you how to re-create some of his gorgeous projects, like this one:


This is called Fractured Fairy Tales and I LOVE it! One day, when I am really rich, I will commission him to make a Fractured Fairy Tale of my very own.

He also made this totally radical cobalt blue entertainment center:


It's even cooler when you see the before pics. Yeesh!

And last, but not least, is his BlockParty bookcase:


Isn't it so retro cool?

I'm saving up!

I think I have found the headboard that I have been searching for. Picture this on my eggplant wall:

I found this on a great website called Room Service. They have some awesome stuff AND they deliver!

Baby on the brain

Seriously? Am I the one writing this post? I am, but I am shocking even myself with this whole fascination of all things little, human and smelling of baby powder. I suppose it makes sense. One of my best friends, Renee, just had a beautiful baby almost 2 months ago and my best friend, Julie is having a little bambino next month and Joel's sister, Nicole, is having baby number 2 sometime in January. Babies, babies everywhere!

Needless to say, I have been shopping for baby clothes and accessories a good bit lately, but it goes farther than that. My daily blog reading typically consists of one of my favorite sites, Apartment Therapy, but as of late I have been spending as much time (if not a little bit more) on their site dedicated to all things baby, Ohdeedoh.

I am finding lots of cute baby things and bookmarking them for the future. My future, someone else's future. Who knows? And I thought I would share some of my findings with you, in case there is a baby in your future.

I love this nightlight from White Rabbit England. And of course, you don't have to be a child to enjoy this.

I love this modern bassinet from fawn&forest, although for $799 I could probably buy a baby on the black market for less.

And my favorite item, by far (and I may buy it for myself whether I end up with a child or not) is...
The Rocking Sheep by Crafts Collection. Here are a few more shots of these guys for your viewing pleasure!



Aren't they ridiculously cute? I may want one of each. Too much, do you think?

My lease is up in 2010!

And I think this is the car that I want when it is...


This is the Mini Crossover, the new SUV from the makers of the Mini Cooper. When the new Mini came on the scene in the US in 2001 I wanted one SOOO badly, but as a real estate agent their small size just didn't cut it. I definitely need room for at least 3 other people aside from myself, so I was suoer excited to see this Mini concept car. With any luck they will be hitting the cars lots in 2010 and I sure would love to have one. It is all the things I want out of a Mini Cooper (the sweet design) plus the space of a larger car (but no Escalades, please...hybrid or no). Just look at the dashboard on these babies...


Check out the crazy 3-D globe thing-y off to the right:

Displays are "stratified" in different levels and highlighted to varying degrees, depending on what's needed at the time. The view can look entirely different from the drive and passenger's perspectives, allowing the passenger, for instance, to check e-mail while the driver sees navigation information.

The driver and passenger can interact with the globe using its touch-sensitive surface, a seperate trackball or controls on the steering wheel.

Totally radical.

I heart Domino magazine!

A few weeks ago I was reading my friend Leah's awesomely inspiring blog, House Obsession and she mentioned how she had discovered the My Deco File feature on their website. It is a great tool for collecting all those awesome images and ideas that you find online. I don't know about you, but I always have a ton of bookmarked images saved on my computer. This makes it super easy to save them all in one place (and you won't lose them if your computer crashes!). You can even download an image grabber link so it is a easy to save any piece of irresistable eye candy that you come across.

Well, I immediately signed up for my very own deco file and was completely flattered and floored when I received an e-mail from Domino magazine saying that the deco file that I had created for my new condo was going to be featured in their best deco books gallery! (I'm number 7!) So super cool! Thank you, Domino!

If you don't have a subscription to this magazine, I highly recommend it. I am like a giddy child on Christmas morning when I open my mailbox each month and see a brand new issue waiting for me! And it makes a great gift, too! (I swear I am not getting a kickback from Conde Nast for this glowing endorsement.)

Hello again...

I'm sorry I have been incommunicado lately. I haven't been compelled to write much since Nestor's passing, but we got something recently that has helped ease the pain a little.

Introducing Biscuit!

Isn't she pretty? Joel and I are quite smitten with her. I still miss Nestor and she will never be replaced, but our house felt kind of empty without a sweet, furry kitty running around. Now we are starting to feel a little normal again. I promise not to make this blog all about kitties, but you probably will see more pictures of our little Biscuit. I felt like Annie Leibovitz last night when I was taking photos. I was on the ground, on my back, almost upside down. I was really working for these shots, let me tell you!

I do want to thank all of you for your kinds words and cards and flowers. I know Nestor touched alot of people and I love that you all loved her. I'll be back with new posts about happy things soon! In the meantime, here is one last photo of Nestor for you to enjoy.

Crushed.

My precious Nestor died today. It looks so strange...that sentence. I'm in shock and will update you on the details later. I miss my sweet kitty so much.

Welcome to the neighbohood...

It only took a month and a half, but I am been officially welcomed to my new home by a bat wielding neighbor. Maybe it wasn't a bat, but whatever it was it totally busted out my passenger side window. If you are a potential thief/welcome wagon and are reading my blog (assuming that you are literate), I would appreciate a nice bottle of red wine next time. Now I have to buy one for myself in order to help deal with the stress of this violation.

In case you are wondering, I had NOTHING in my car to steal. No Ipod, no CDs, nothing of value. Not even an umbrella in the back seat. So my new friend smashed my window and opened the glove compartment to find my registration and about 20 Dunkin' Donut napkins (I'm always prepared for a spill). That's it. What a waste of a perfectly good window. And I was parked on a main street..my street...right across from my bedroom window UNDER A STREET LAMP. I don't know how I could have done anything more to keep this from happening. So now my question is do I buy The Club for my car? Or do I just leave my glove compartment open and a note on the dash that says "There is nothing in here worth stealing. Please don't break my window"? I'm just bummed because I love my new condo and, up until now, my new neighborhood. Any suggestions?

My favorite movie is on!

I must have watched this movie 100 times when I was a kid.


I LOVE the montage during Rainey's "I Can Fly". I want my life to have a montage like that. Where I just start breaking into dance with a Joey Lawrence look-alike. Seriously, I want this.
I just wanna...


And the dance off. The Dance OFF!!!

Those crazy kids...

Joel and I spent a good part of Thursday evening looking at hysterical and super-cute videos on YouTube. I feel inclined to share our findings with you. Enjoy!

This kid is my hero:



I love her Michael Jackson impressions....Ooh! Oooh!



Blood is NOT funny.



Haven't we all felt this way at some time or another?

Kitties and doggies and bunnies, oh my!

Today I went to visit the MSPCA. It is located right across the street from my new place, so I've been meaning to get over there for awhile. I was there for at least an hour and had such a great time, although I did get choked up once or twice. There are so many adorable kitties and dogs that need good homes. If only I could have rescued them all! As sad as it made me, I was glad to know that several kitties had already been adopted today and a couple that I was talking to ended up adopting a beautiful adult kitty just as I was leaving. She was all black and super sweet. I fell in love with a beautiful calico named Glory. I spent alot of time petting her and trying to figure out how I could convince Joel that Nestor REALLY needs a feline companion.


I was in the cat adoption center for most of the time (I tried to pet each and every kitty if I could), but I didn't want to neglect the pups. They had a smaller selection, but those dogs were so sweet and promptly broke my heart each time I stopped at a new cage. My absolute favorite was a black hunting dog (I think?) named Brady. He had these beautiful white and black mottled markings on his coat and he would sit as close to the cage (and me) as possible when I was visiting. It makes me sad just thinking about him in that cage tonight. Next time I go I'll bring my camera and post pictures. If you are in the Boston area you should really stop by and give those guys some love. Even if you can't take one home, just spending time petting and holding them can be really rewarding...for you and for them. If stop by, let me know...I'll try to join you!

Ménage à trois, anyone?

Just you, me and the love rug.

via Frostfirezoo

A shower fit for a queen...

A really tacky queen.

via Apartment Therapy

I mean, I love a chandelier and I love a shower, but this might be a bit much. Plus, is this even safe?

Like, wow...

This is truly unbelievable. A super-genius, named Amit Goffer, has invented the ReWalk. This is a device that actually allows paraplegics to walk! Observe:

via Geekologie

The system, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries.

The user picks a setting with a remote control wrist band -- stand, sit, walk, descend or climb -- and then leans forward, activating the body sensors and setting the robotic legs in motion.

This makes me so happy to be alive in the 21st century. It is amazing that someone who thought that they could never walk again, can actually have the opportunity to do just that. Thank you, science, thank you.

What in the hair?

It seems to be that time of year again when I start to get bored with my hair. This leads to me peruse the web and look for the "perfect" new style. Typically, I don't find much which is why I have had a variation on the same style for about 6 years now. I did manage to find a great resource for new inspiration at the Hairdresser's Journal website. There are thousands of photos to browse through and you can narrow your search by length, color and even decade. Some of the styles from past decades are insane! Check out this updo from the 50's:


Yikes! And this updo from 1969 is no better!


Hilarious!!! And the 70's did hair no favors...


and then...


Holy moly. All of this makes me start to think that my hair looks pretty good.

But just to show you that current styles can be just as out of control, take a look at the "striped series":


Although, I must admit that I think there is something kind of cool about this look. But these next ones take it to a whole other level:





I could seriously do this all night. I suggest you check out the gallery yourself and if you find a look you think I might like, please e-mail it to me!