Narcoleptic Squirrel

Happy Monday! I don’t know how I racked up so many links for today! I even had some that I wound up setting aside for later, so you wouldn’t go into overload. Plus, it was taking me long enough to put this together, so I figured I should just get this out there, so you have something to finish off your Monday with!! Hope you have a great week, friends! xoxox

So, I read this Onion AV Club article, and it reminded me of the bit on 30 Rock, where Liz had a talk show based on her “Dealbreaker!” catch phrase. While I don’t know that I have any cultural dealbreakers for friends, there are definitely some that if my spouse were into, he wouldn’t be my spouse. Do you have any pop culture dealbreakers?

Having just spent some time at Walt Disney World, and planning some Disneyland time later this year, the original proposal documents for Disneyland were especially fascinating! I’m really hoping that somehow the originals wind up in the hands of Disney so they can be properly shared with the world.

I maybe have an above average obsession with macabre history. The hairpin is helping satiate that obsession with their new series on female killers. The first installment goes way back, with the first known female serial killer!

Plagued by a haunting? Here’s a guide to the ghost zodiac, which might provide some insight to why things go bump in the night.

As a performer and artist, I often wrestle with the problem of wanting to pursue my dreams as careers, but they are dreams that people don’t want to compensate for as careers. Most folks assume that if someone has any level of celebrity, they must be loaded. By any level of celebrity, I mean anything from actors who have a pilot that got picked up for a few episodes to a professional sports team’s cheerleaders. I think this piece on being seen is a great breakdown of why settling for minimum compensation isn’t always wise.

Even before we downsized by about 300 or so square feet, I was trying to lighten our load of belongings. I still seek to pare down, and while I’m not at a truly minimalist mindset, I find there is plenty to learn from minimalists. This list of highlights is an excellent guide.

Speaking of paring down, have you ever wondered why you just haven’t been able to find the perfect pair of boots? Or just the right blazer that you’ve pictured in your mind’s eye? It could be your closet clutter blocking your fashion chakras.

One of my fashion quests is to find a bike helmet that will protect my noggin while still rockin’ some serious style. These helmets styled to look like hats might fill the bill.

Having a mastectomy is a pretty complicated situation. One is already going through a lot with cancer or risk of cancer, and a woman’s breasts are often closely tied to one’s sense of femininity and sexuality. Some Finnish designers looked to create swimwear for women who have had mastectomies. The results are stunning! (I wouldn’t call them NSFW, but I can see how some workplaces might raise eyebrows.)

As the mercury rises, tips for getting your body ready for summer populate magazine covers and e-mail newsletters. I think these tips for getting yourself caftan-ready are the only tips you’ll need.

Bodies come in all types, and some of them even have ribs. Many are seeing LaPerla removing mannequins that have ribs as a victory, but as someone whose ribs show no matter how much weight I’ve gained I think the mannequins should stay. Bodies are all different, why is it okay to shame some of them?

I’ve been waiting for these two crazy kids to make a go of it for about 20 years! I’m crossing my fingers it works out for them!

While we’re thinking of 20 years ago, I had fun looking through this collection of people magazine covers from the ’90s. I owned several of them, and it was a fun walk down memory lane.

Looking for a little inspiration for a decorating project or art piece? This site offers a color palette-a-day!

I’m guessing you’ve seen one or more of those maps highlighting what your state might be known for. I was quite delighted by this map highlighting the deep, dark secrets of each state.

Finally, last week saw the mid-season finale of Mad Men. I thought it was lovely, and can only hope the final finale is half as delightful. This interview with Robert Morse was just as lovely as the finale, though if you aren’t caught up, there be spoilers in that link!!

I thought I was going to do so well with my vacation. I had grand plans of prepping posts and getting them out and those all fell apart. My brain is on work overload, and our vacation was jam packed with action, so those plans fell by the wayside. Hopefully all these goodies help make up for lost time!

First up, some rejection letters to famous people. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel a little better knowing that I’m not the only one who doesn’t make it on the first try. Gives much more hope for all that future success!

This infographic on what happens to you when you don’t get enough sleep…both after one night and after many nights makes me glad I’m working on the narcolepsy thing, but also a little worried. Eep.

I love this list of now gone Victorian words. I think we need to bring these back!

This one is from April, but I still had to share. Victoria Beckham shared some snaps from her 40th birthday celebration. It looks like she had quite the time! I hope that my 40th is even half that fab!

I only read Ladies Home Journal in waiting rooms, but I am sad to see it go. I am always sad to see a magazine go out of print, as it signals a disturbing trend away from print media. I did enjoy this slide show looking back at the magazine, though.

The buzz about the upcoming Jem and the Holograms movie has me all aflutter. While I dreamed of rocking out like Jem, I never knew that the costumes on the animated show were designed by an actual fashion designer! Vanity Fair takes a look at the glam looks from the show, and wonders if the designs in the flick will live up.

The recent Met Gala was dedicated to designer Charles James. Vogue took a look at the heaviest of his gowns, and put it in terms of adorable puppies for the non-couture crowd. I would still be glad to wear one of gowns.

Speaking of adorable puppies, what is it about photos of painfully cute animals that makes us want to squeeze them? Here’s a look at why we feel that way.

‘Tis the season for superhero movies. Here’s a slideshow of your favorite action heroes, before and after their superhero training.

If you’re anything like me, all those clickbait headlines in your newsfeeds drive you crazy. Yet, the do somewhat pique your curiosity. I mean, there is this tiny part of us that wonders what is so dramatic on the other side of those headlines. Personally, I blocked all the clickbait sites from my feed to keep me from the temptation. Thus, I appreciated this look into the grammar of clickbait headlines.

Growing up, I read and re-read all of the tales of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her frontier life. This letter from her daughter, giving her notes on her work was a fascinating look into her books.

Here’s another look at the past. I vote we bring back the trend of “horsemanning!”

Finally, since we are without an episode of Game of Thrones this week due to the holiday. Here’s an alternate look at the series. I admit, I kind of want to see this version!

Have a lovely holiday, friends! xoxox

Whoa! So much going on this last week, and I didn’t even make my usual internet rounds!! G and I left the house three nights in a row to go out and about on the town, so my adventures in the real world cut into those in the virtual world. However, I still have links a plenty to distract you on a weary Monday. As I listen to the wind howl and hail tapping the windowsill, I hope the weather is cheerier wherever you are!!

Over at The Cut, check out a slide show highlighting collegiate style of years past. Highlighting the new book Seven Sisters Style, I found many of the looks to be classic enough to look at home on current college campuses. My personal favorite was from Smith in 1929!

I may have let it slip once or twice that I am obsessed with Tilda Swinton. Paper Mag takes a look at some of her most memorable moments. *swoon*

Game of Thrones fan? I thoroughly enjoyed this compilation at Buzzfeed, imagining how real life media would have reported recent events on the show. I think my favorite is the take on how the NY Post would have reported!! (Note: SPOILERS if you haven’t been watching the current season/haven’t read more than half of the third book.)

I love good design. I really love good design that solves a problem, such as keeping common items out of landfills. I was thrilled when I was introduced to Fireclay Tile via Apartment Therapy. Like the author of the article, I have been burned by Kickstarters in the past, but this project is fully kicking butt and gives me some hope. These tiles are so gorgeous, I almost wish I had a reason to tile something!

I’ve worked many years in retail. It has long frustrated me that the louder the customer, the more they seem to get. My motto whenever I’ve been a manager is the nicer the person, the more I’m willing to work with them. They demand things from the start, I give nothing. Also, I support the coworker. There is nothing more frustrating as a lower-level employee, than following policy, then having a manager turn around and not offer their support, and give in to demands! So, I was pretty thrilled by this article on Huffington Post that points out that “the customer is always right” is not the best method.

Even ten years after the finale, my love of Friends still holds strong. I sure wouldn’t turn down a reunion special, such as the one announced as an April Fool’s joke. However, I appreciate the creators for holding strong, and being confident in the finale. I enjoyed the interview they did with Entertainment Weekly, and found that their statements articulated everything I found problematic with the How I Met Your Mother finale.

I was a little skeptical of the headline of this article from Salon about gender issues and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. However, I’m glad I gave it a chance. Gender identity is so complicated as it is, we don’t need a corporation telling children what is acceptable for them to want and enjoy. Particularly for children who are already struggling with being something other than the body they were born in. Also, since I know more boys than girls who are fans of My Little Pony, they clearly can’t assume to know what a child is going to want to play with.

Growing up in its suburbs and having a mother who grew up within its limits, I am fascinated by the journey of Detroit. I am fascinated by the Detroit Urban Index site which provides an interactive slideshow of Detroit then and now. It is well designed, and the overlay of photographs is phenomenal. I still hold out hope that the old glory can return, though I know there is still a long road ahead. The slideshow on the unrest in the city illustrates what I am saying when I try to describe the impact on the city of the riots in the late ’60s.

Finally, thanks to a hometown news site, I was led to the genius that is Jimmy Fallon’s team carefully editing footage of Brian Williams. This time, Brian Williams is performing the rap classic “Gin and Juice.” I could watch Mr. Williams all day anyway, but watching him “rap” is especially amazing!

So, go forth and conquer Monday!
xoxox

So, a wee adorable kitteh has been unexpectedly taking up much of our time. He’s awesome and sweet and totally cuts into my time for finding sweet things on the internets! But, I still found some super rad things to share! Just the thing to get you through a post-holiday Monday!

I think just about everyone, at one time or another, has wondered if their favorite television characters could really afford their digs. Friends was one of the first I remember everyone really questioning the income to rent probability at play. Over at Fast Company, check out a great graphic breakdown of your favorite shows, including Friends.

Another great find at Fast Company, a former Googler created a revolutionary way to buy bras! She is also working to create more affordable options, particularly for those with hard-to-find sizes or who aren’t quite an existing size. I’ve seen some sketchy ideas getting a lot of publicity lately, but this one is genuinely genius! I can’t wait for the android version to be developed.

Something I think many readers would like to see, Elle shares the newest round of ads for David Bekham’s collaboration with H&M. Nothing innapropriate there, but you may get a little hot and bothered, FWIW.

A beautiful statue of my beloved Edgar Allen Poe will be unveiled in Boston later this year. I think I see a vacation to the East Coast in my future!!

A new full body dryer seeks to do away with towels forever. I am in favor of less laundry. However, I can’t help but think that this will just be covering us with hot germs instead.

Finally, head over to Buzzfeed for something that can only be described as the most delightful combination of unicorns and rainbows and magic and glitter. Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart play the Newlywed Game, and it’s wonderful!!

I hope that helps cheer you up on this Monday! Have a lovely week, friends! xoxox

Man, I am ready to start a new week! Surely, this one must be better than the last. If it’s not, then at least there are distractions to help get me through, right?

I found some goodies to help get you through Monday. They run the gamut, but surely will keep you going as you recover from the weekend.

I can totally relate to this piece from A Beautiful Mess. My hubs and I just seem to have differing schedules, and I occasionally have to go out of town for work and leave him home. She gives a lot of good advice for how to get through lonely days.

If I had a nickel for every time someone complained about a film trailer, I could quit my day job. Often trailers contain elements that don’t make it into the film, make it look like a totally different film, or give away spoilers. That’s because trailers are in the hands of an agency that gets some raw footage and a brief synopsis, then puts something together they think will appeal to the target demographic. This article gives even more insight into film trailers, from where they began to how they wound up like they are.

As a childfree lady with some ink, this list of reasons why tattoos are bad and having babies totally makes sense made me laugh and laugh. (If you have children and not tattoos, both or neither, it will probably make you laugh, too.)

It’s probably not a secret that I think H&M’s home line is lovely. This sneak peak into the home of the head of H&M home was delightful! It’s nice to see the balance of high and low end pieces, and elegance with a wink.

Navigating everyday life can be hard as it is. Add in the stress of whether to tip someone, and how much can make life even more difficult. Restaurants are usually pretty straightforward, but this piece gives lots of insight into everyone else. Except tour guides. Despite what the little cartoon says, just offer to tip the tour guide. They deal with a lot, and work their asses off to provide you with a good time. I can’t think of a time when I offered a tip that was turned down.

Finally, here’s a clip of a server I would tip the hell out of! Before he was Don Draper, Jon Hamm was on a dating show hosted by Mark Walberg. Not that Mark Wahlberg, Mark Walberg. Even with his floppy ’90s hair, he was still pretty good looking. I wonder if the lady is kicking herself now?

I missed last week due to spending hours in urgent care after slipping and falling on some ice and hurting my wrist/hand. I’m still wearing a brace, but I’ve figured out a bit better how to get around typing, so on to the linkage!

Funnily enough, I read this piece before injuring myself. Now, that I haven’t been able to really use my thumb for a week, I appreciate it all the more. I also realize that in my case, it is only a temporary annoyance.

As a creative, this piece on saying “no!” really spoke to me. Actors, artists, designers, all are often expected to provide work for nothing, or next to it. We are expected to supply whichever skill it is we have honed, and for many creative types who have honed many skills are easily roped into providing more than one service because they’ve already been roped in for one. I’ve mastered saying no, but I know a lot of artists and actors who haven’t. Until we all stand up for ourselves, the cycle will continue.

Lighting for photography/film is a skill set I have not mastered. This video illustrates the power of lighting, and is downright hypnotic.

My inner design nerd found this breakdown of chain restaurant menus fascinating. I will be studying those menus even more, now. Also, IHOP and Applebee’s are sister restaurants. Who knew???

My merchandising nerd devoured this piece on UK thrift stores.

Alexis Carrington will eternally be a style icon. Fortunately, someone culled her style tips into a handy list.

The seldom photographed Tom Mison ventured out for Paley Fest. Lucky for us, there is much photographic evidence. *swoon*

I kind of want to visit this abandoned theater in the Sinai desert. It’s not so old, but it’s still pretty amazing.

Looking for an article to get lost in? The AV Club compiled a list of mysterious disappearances from Wiki. (See what I did there?)

Just in case you thought peeing in the pool was no big deal, here’s scientific proof that it kind of is a big deal.

A little something for my literary pals, see into which Hogwarts house your favorite literary legends would be sorted.

Finally, to help you get through the week on a positive note, here is Skeletor to provide you with some daily self-affirmations.

It’s Monday! How does it always show up so quickly? *sigh* At least there are distractions aplenty out there! (Of course, maybe your distraction is playing hooky and drinking green beer today. If that’s the case, these should get you through Tuesday’s hangover.)

Bored Panda shared a list of obsolete professions. There were a couple that I didn’t realize were ever professions! I think maybe a human alarm clock is just what I need. This also go me thinking about new professions that have come about due to technology, and if the new ones evenly cancel out the old, or if one is edging out the other, thus skewing unemployment figures. Just wondering.

Ever wonder why only a small fraction of the pages and people you “like” on Facebook show up in your feed? Someone cracked the algorithm! Since I’m not a mathy-statisticy kind of person, I admit some of the specifics made me zone out a bit, but the data is a little mind blowing, especially if you’re trying to reach an audience with your page. (*cough*golikemypage*cough*)

I admit, I haven’t been sucked in to the Scandal hoopla. However, President Fitzgerald Grant does a crossword over on The Toast, is still hilarious.

This one is totally cray-cray. A woman is unwittingly a part of a search party. For herself.

On MonkeySee over at NPR, there is a list of 20 very silly inventions pitched on Shark Tank. Some of them are so bad, they come back to amazing!

Finally, if you really want to burn through your Monday (and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the rest of March…) you need to try 2048. You can thank me or curse me later.

Until next time, Happy Monday, friends! xoxo

Harumph. This whole Spring forward thing is not sitting well with me. I had a hard time falling asleep last night because my body was sure it was an hour earlier (yeah, I’m aware of the irony of having a hard time falling asleep), then I struggled to wake up and stay awake today, because my poor narcky self is wondering where that precious hour of sleepytime went. Oh well. At least the internet is always up to providing entertainment!

It was just International Women’s Day! Did you know that Germany founded this day? Me, neither! I also didn’t know so much about all these super rad German women that kicked ass, most in a time when it was not the popular thing to do!

Speaking of people changing the world, Cracked assembled a list of four people who are doing so right now and in unexpected ways! The list contains some seriously unexpected folks. (Which, what I love about Cracked is that it’s learning via comedy!)

Over on Reddit, Martha Stewart participated in an AMA. Her answers delighted me beyond even my high expectations!

I am a huge fan of Parks and Recreation, particularly because of the delightful characters. I adored this piece on Donna.

With The Grand Budapest Hotel making its debut, I have been thinking of all the beauty of Wes Anderson’s work. This compilation of some of his best dressed characters is swoon worthy.

While we’re on the topic of fashion, can I confess my love of false lashes? I’ve worn the tasteful variety to work, and the flashy variety to clubs and parties, and just about every type in between to all sorts of places! So, I devoured this piece on A Beautiful Mess! She speaks to all the varieties and tricks better than I could, and even gave me some ideas to try!

In case I’ve not mentioned it, I love Dick Button! I miss his commentary on the Olympics, and even the presence of Johnny Weir can’t replace him. This interview was fantastic, and makes me long for his commentary! Oh, and in case you weren’t aware, his home is FAB-U-LOUS!

Finally, unless you’re under a rock or maybe in a cave, you are aware that SXSW is happening. The hip kids are all atwitter about it, and several have taken the iron throne at the Game of Thrones area. However, I think we can all relax, because the true heir to the throne has been found. Long live the Queen!! (WARNING: LINK CONTAINS PAINFUL ADORABLENESS!)

Hope that helps you get through this sleepy Monday! xoxox

Whew, mama’s pooped. We finished the Oscar best picture marathon on Saturday, and attended an Oscar party last night. I champagned it up and had a fun time, but whoa did my alarm go off too early this morning! I’ve still managed to pool some of my favorite finds around the interwebs for you!

It’s not a secret that I find Scientology a questionable organization at best. Leah Rimini leaving the church and her revelations this last year were startling. This article on Buzzfeed (not the quiz and list part) adds further enlightenment to her journey, and further cements my feelings about Scientology.

This piece on the restoration of a historic costume once worn by Ellen Tracy hit pretty much every nerdy love of mine. History, costuming, restoration. The details of the process, and the final outcome are incredible!

I often question some of the choices parents make in naming their offspring. Blair at STFU Parents has much to say on the topic, complete with some, um, interesting examples shared on social media.

Things fitting perfectly into other things does live up to its promise of satisfying your over-developed sense of order. Though, I got a little icked out by some of the match ups. Like, the sugar cube in the wrench was really gross. So, I’m torn. What do you think?

Much like amusement park roller coasters, a haunted house in Canada snaps photos of its guests at the scariest spot. The photos are pretty amusing!

Happy Monday, friends!
xoxox

It’s no secret that I’m a crazy cat lady cat person. I think everyone would be happier with a kitteh in their life! Nancy Mitchell over at Apartment Therapy has compiled a lovely list of reasons you should have a cat in your life, too. Make sure to watch the video at the end…it contains a most lovely ginger!

I am a little weirded out that one of my favorite flicks, Reality Bites is a whopping 20 years old! How do these things happen?? Luckily, this list of reasons why Vickie Miner rocks helps.

I just saw Dallas Buyers Club as part of our annual ritual of watching all the best picture nominees right before the Oscars. As a film, it was mostly so-so. However, the acting was excellent, and the looks were pretty authentic. Thus, I was blown away to find out that the entire make-up budget was two hundred fifty dollars. Two Benjamins and an Ullyses S. Grant. Definitely rooting for them to win the Oscar for make-up!!

I couldn’t let you go without a little Olympic action. The closing ceremonies are over, but I needed to keep the excitement going for just a little longer! I loved this piece by Will Leitch on the ladies free skate. He watched them all, and it is awesome to know what we don’t see on prime time.

Finally as Jon Stewart might say, your moment of zen. You will want to be sitting down when you watch this bunny show.