Dandy Candy

I wanna Twin Bing. Along with Goodies (maple-y nutty mounds) and Rolos (chocolate covered sticky caramel), Twin Bings were something my mom always carried to give my sister and I. With the hot pink center the consistency of sort of dried out, rubbery frosting (fondant?) and the two blobs (twins) covered in milk chocolate and crumbled peanuts, it's sort of the perfect little girl food. When my aunt would visit from Louisiana, my mom would buy her a bunch of Bings and a few bottles of good old Nebraska Dorothy Lynch. The Bing was first produced in 1923, the Twin Bing (two Bings side-by-side) came along in 1979, just in time for me and little sis. There’s even a King Bing, which is three bings!!! Bings were invented in Palmer, Iowa which is probably why I can't find them here in Cloudsville. Hrm.

Celebrating 700 Years of Specs Appeal!

Ever since the early nineteenth century, the Theunissen family has had a strange obsession with eye wear and the mark they've made in the history of fashion. Over 35 years ago, the father of the museum's current owner decided to share his family's most beloved passion with the public.

The National Museum of Spectacles in Amsterdam is itself something of a spectacle, fittingly located above an old optician's office in a building that dates back to the mid-1600s. The house's two floors overflow with monocles, lorgnettes, and the once-beloved Roosevelt style pince-nez. Exhibits detail the 700-year history of eye wear and the role that spectacles have played in art and fashion. Included among the museum's extensive holdings are the glasses of such bespectacled luminaries as Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, and Franz Schubert. Four eyes everywhere have reason to push their glasses up a little higher today. Sigh.

Refrigerator Raider

If you substituted the crumpled plastic bag for 15 jars of jam, and added 3 Cheez Whiz jars of homemade kombucha, you'd have an idea of what's happening in my own lonely fridge. I love checking out what people have in their refrigerators (and sneaking in plastic toy rats). It's a great way to see what people have or in my case, have not been up to lately. Mark Menjivar has done a series of photos of the insides of various peoples iceboxes called (pretty obviously) "You Are What You Eat". The one to the right is the fridge of a street advertiser in Texas living on a fixed income of $432 a month. See the personal narratives arranged in the great appliance at http://www.markmenjivar.com/

Grizzly Bears First Bachelor Pad

Claudia Kishi, You're My Hero!

I found this amazing blog today devoted to the one and only CLAUDIA KISHI!!!! Of all the savvy teenage business women in the world, when I was 9 years old, Claudia was the most amazing. In addition to being the vice president of a lucrative female only babysitting enterprise, Claudia was far and away the coolest of all the other BSC ladies. Living in the shadow of her brainiac sister, Janine (Read "Claudia and Mean Janine" September 1987 for details) Claudia carves out a place for herself with her A+ fashion, make-up applying know-how art and junk food eating capabilities. She studied in New York City with Mackenzie Clark in Super Special #6, New York, New York, but the majority of her classes are at the Stoneybrook Community Center. What a gal! So check out this blog for some sweet reminders of all the glorious outfits of the amazing Claudia and some in depth analysis of most of the books in the series by the great Ann M. Martin. And J.K. Rowlings? Eat a bag!
http://whatclaudiawore.blogspot.com/
And just in case you are not already navigating your way to an afternoon of laughs and gleeful head nods, let me give you a sample of what you are missing. Here is a cover illustration breakdown of #67 Dawn's Big Move: Our Heroine needs to consider wearing longer shirts with her leggings. But I'm a kind soul and I can forgive (unless you're Stacey). Especially since this outfit really sums up what The Kishi is all about: cowboy boots, wacky-ass patterns (her weapon in the war against normalcy!), side ponytails, and unattractive hats. (After extensive zooming, possibly also earrings the size of jar lids.) Work it out, girl. A+.

What I'm Reading This Week in The Discover America Summer Reading Club Program

I love the way this book looks like an old textbook. The inside cover has a map of the U.S. illustrated with highlights from each state. Each essay has a cover page of fun facts about the state to get the reader primed for excitement. My favorite so far is Arizona (I'm well into the Ns by now though, swear), written by a woman who moved there on a whim from New York City. Living 40 miles from Tucson in the middle of the desert, she writes about trying to fit into the local scene, a gas station called the Minit Mart. "I didn't want to be a class warfare cliche with my dismissal of all the Kools and Kid Rock CDs and necklaces bearing the flowery, gold-washed words Angel/Slut. I told myself I could reach an accommodation with these items. I tried to develop a companionable familiarity with them; I referred to the store fondly as the Mullet Market, started drinking four-packs of Red Bull, and sometimes stood in the parking lot for long periods of time doing nothing but smoking, quaffing my Bull, and leaning against the faded hood of my pickup watching traffic.

Summer Loving

The new bug love videos are out! I can't stop laughing at "Why Vagina?" my favorite of the bunch. Watch them on The Sundance Channels website so we can all talk about how much we love Isabella Rosselini. Show your love for paper mache and science!

If I were a praire girl, I'd be a very cold one

I finally opted to harvest my bed pillows and get this monkey off my back. Har Har. There isn't a craft store anywhere in this town. Where's a girl gonna get her polyfill and googly eyes need met? But I was sick of looking at that deflated monkey with no eyes somehow glaring me down. Sewing by hand is insane, even sweat shops provide machines for crying out loud. Laura Ingalls Wilder was one hardcore motherf*****. I'll bet I still beat Spencer, who was last seen wearing his sock monkey.