Filed under: Internet Finds | Tags: brooches, cufflinks, earrings, etsy, jewelry, necklaces, tillybloom, typewriter
It would be unfair to say I’m not completely addicted to Etsy, which has fast become a source for amazing DIY Christmas gifts for all of my funky friends. I might have also purchased a thing or two for myself, including a nifty and oh-so-apropos typewriter necklace fashioned by my current favorite Etsy-er, TillyBloom. Tilly, a Brooklyn native, handcrafts super-adorable and extraordinarily unique illustrated jewelry, which draw cues from original artwork with an early-century flair.
I absolutely cannot get enough of her quaint creations, which range from brooches of old world libraries and necklaces depicting folded glasses to teacup bobby pins and pumping heart cufflinks (talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve!), especially because they come wrapped in the most darling of packaging (twine encompassing a page from a vintage book and a business card, all cinched with an original DIY pin for the smaller treasures, and a hand-stamped box for the more delicate ones). Her adorable personal touches and lightning-fast delivery will also leave you in all but a tizzy. And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for monthly updates on her little nifties. More Tilly, please!
Filed under: Events, Everyday | Tags: 12 string, andy warhol, anniversary, biodome, couche-tard, double pizza, fender, la brioche lyonnaise, le quartier latin, mcgill, montreal, musee de beaux-art, musee redpath, orange amp, poutine, shure 55sh, the byrds, vieux montreal
For those who know the personal reputation I’ve garnered over the years as a serial dater, the fact that I have somehow managed to tie myself down – and happily so – for three years (and counting) with one man is, well, quite impressive. Somehow, I’ve morphed into the most likely candidate for the next alter waltz, and somehow, I’m far from running scared. Boyfriend and I have celebrated our successful past and impending future each year by jaunting off to our favorite pseudo-Euro hideaway in Montreal, Quebec. This year was no different, with the exceptions of strangely balmy weather (the last two years brought blistering blizzards) and the best B&B we could stumble upon (a full French breakfast made especially for us each morning!).
We also checked out some new haunts, namely, the Biodome – a barrage of simulated indoor ecosystems ranging from the Amazon to the Antarctic, Le Musee Redpath – conveniently located in the heart of the McGill University campus, Warhol Live at Le Musee de Beaux-Arts – an extensively comprehensive composite of the artist at one of our favorite museums, as well as Vieux Montreal, Le Quartier Latin, Rue de Ste-Catherine, La Brioche Lyonnaise, Double Pizza (home of the world’s best poutine), and the ever-incredible Couche-Tard (think Wawa on Canadian crack). And because Boyfriend generously paid for every stitch of our romantic getaway, I felt compelled to find a really stellar anniversary gift. God bless eBay, which directed me to a vintage 12-string Fender acoustic guitar in a neighboring town.
As a big-time fan of The Byrds, Boyfriend has been pining over a twelve-string for as long as I can remember. We also have collective aspirations of owning a plethora of musical instruments, and now, between the two of us, we own six guitars, one bass, one Shure 55SH microphone, one omnichord, one theremin, one mini-keyboard, a bass amp, and two guitar amps (including my amazing Orange combo). We hope to one day create an epic music room, and seeing as we also just decided to move in together next year, this might actually come to fruition sooner than we thought. This will be our year, it took a long time to come.
Filed under: Events | Tags: asbury park, jason hammel, kori gardner, mates of state, wonderbar
My favorite husband and wife team Mates of State have long been the subject of all-day treks to New York and Philadelphia in order to partake in their splendiferous live shows which boast jarringly beautiful melodies screeching out of organs, keyboards, synths, and drums. The indie duo, who were hitched in 2001 after ditching their day jobs (as a teacher and a cancer researcher, no less – talk about model America) recently welcomed a second daughter – and a brand new album. In order to usher in the new release, the couple hit the road once again for a nationwide tour. Their first stop? Wonderbar in Asbury Park, New Jersey – a mere five minutes from my house.
Naturally, my friends and I skeedaddled over to Asbury, ordered a couple of brews, and meandered stage-side for a stately delight. The last time Roommate and I saw them, wife Kori was feigning ill and invited audience members to flank her organ and belt out the tunes themselves, into her high-powered microphone, of course. Sure, this was a cute idea for the first song, but by the fifteenth zitty, tone-deaf teenager, we were a bit spent and a bit brain-dead. However, this latest show offered true redemption for darling duo, who not only delivered a smashing set that made me dance my little boots off, but also candidly (and adorably) posed for a few of my personal Polaroids (which I’m too lazy to scan). Hats off, Mates – you may be parents, but you’re catchier than ever.
Check them out for yourself here.
Filed under: Movie Reviews | Tags: bobb'e j. thompson, christopher mintz-plasse, david wain, Movie Reviews, paul rudd, role models, seann william scott, stella
Perhaps the surprise hit of the fall film season would be the comedy sleeper Role Models, a movie Boyfriend and I decided upon for a rainy afternoon matinee. Sure, the trailer looked amusing, and sure, I knew it would appeal to a certain crowd, having projected it to perform well at the box office, but perhaps not so well with the critics. Despite the pact that Boyfriend and I made a pact to never, ever, under threat of death by middle schoolers and soccer moms, visit a movie theatre on the perilous weekend, we made the trek in the name of mindless entertainment and stadium seating. Unsurprisingly, the theatre was packed to the gunnels like a sardine can. Our cooperative clairvoyance foresaw a bevy of cheesy, trailer-hitched jokes which would induce thoughtless belly laughs and cat calls throughout our collective audience (really, has no one seen a commercial for this movie before?). However, to our utmost surprise, we were the ones unable to control our laughter as a potential dud transformed into an uproariously good time.
The comedy’s dual protagonists, Danny and Wheeler (respectively, Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott) are sentenced to community service at Sturdy Wings, a Big-Brothers-Big-Sisters-esque program founded by a former crack addict (an obscenely hilarious Jane Lynch – honestly, is she ever not funny?). But what makes this film truly work is the relationship with their subsequent antagonists, also known as their “littles” (Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Bobb’e J. Thompson). The chemistry conducted between the four is undoubtedly golden; not a single one falls dead weight or outshines the rest. It’s perfectly balanced writing with a candid hilarity, polished off with spot-on delivery and rolling farce. Co-written by David Wain of Stella fame and Rudd himself, it incarnates moments from The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and merges them with the likes of Superbad and Knocked Up. Sure, the first thirty minutes were pitch-perfect for the trailer, but the subsequent hour delivers heart and prolific amounts of poignant profanity by the truckload, which somehow seem to work well together. I’d say it was even worth the wrath of the soccer moms.
Filed under: Movie Reviews | Tags: elizabth banks, jay and silent bob's secret stash, kevin smith, new jersey, quik stop, seth rogen, zack and miri make a porno
Having lived in Kevin Smith territory for some time, I have often been able to recognize nearly all of the filming locations he uses for his movies (except, of course, the ones he films out-of-state and tries to pawn off as the native land, a la Mallrats and Clerks II). Holden and Banky’s apartment in Chasing Amy is also known as the local record store Jack’s, and the cigarette-butt-laden boardwalks seen in Dogma are where Boyfriend and I jaunt off to on date night. The famed Quik Stop was where I’d stop for a soda when en route to work (and yes, it is as funky-smelling as one would assume). Local celebrities grace the insides of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, and even Smith himself comes by every now and again to visit the local haunts or promote some new schtick. So when I learned that his latest foray didn’t even pretend to take place in America’s armpit, I was simply stunned.
Perhaps it’s because Zack and Miri Make a Porno doesn’t overtly attempt to brand itself with Smith-esque qualities; there are no recurring characters (actors, sure, but what else is Jason Mewes supposed to do?), the general smut level dips to an all-time low (or would it be an all-time high?), and it employs a great number of the usual Apatow crew, making it at times nearly indistinguishable from a run-of-the-mill Seth Rogen vehicle. However, for all its foibles, it has a lot of charm, most of which is mass-produced by platonic pals Zack and Miriam (Rogen and an adorably self-deprecating Elizabeth Banks). The jokes are forgettable, but they get you while they’ve gotten you. The script isn’t stellar, but it’s endearing, nonetheless. The motley crew of characters is unlikely, but it works. The film isn’t Kevin Smith, but it’s entertaining in the long run. It’s a sell-out that hasn’t jumped the shark, even if it has moved to Pittsburgh.
My final assessment? Sure, it’s worth the jaunt to the cinema. If nothing else, it’s a stellar chance to see a woman blow a bubble with her who-si-whats-it.
