Ellie's art

My little sister, Ellie, is both a mathematician and an artist. Below is a painting she made when she was in high school. A woman offered her hundreds of dollars for it, but Ellie turned it down so it would stay in the family. Right now, that means my home where it has a prime spot in my living room. Robert and I also have a Duy Huynh in our living room (who is a professional artist) and everyone asks if the paintings are by the same person. They are not. Ellie just paints at a professional level.


I've been getting on her for years to paint me something new, and she finally did. Check it out: more pretty trees. Now, I think I just need one more to feel complete in my collection. Three pieces is so much better than two, don't you think?

Rubber Ducky, you're the one...

"You're an odd duck, and I'm an odd duck too," I say to Robert.

"Together, we make an even pair," he replies.

(That's right people: odd duck cake toppers courtesy of Ebay.)

NCMA

I went to the North Carolina Museum of Art last weekend because I like art and because it has a new facility and because it had a Norman Rockwell exhibit. Growing up, my grandparents had a Norman Rockwell book that I would just pour over and whenever a free Norman Rockwell calendar came to my parents, I snatched it up. I was all about Norman Rockwell.

I was also all about going to the exhibit, but I wasn't sure of my grown up opinion of Rockwell. I used to like him. Did I still? See: The man is as cliche as cliche can be and his pictures are mostly of small-town white families. Terribly idealized. Terribly sentimental. Etc.

Here's what I learned: I still like him. And he is terribly sentimental, but you know what? It works on me. And also: His pictures have a good deal of truth to them. When I saw "Girl at the Mirror" I teared up because the girl is the age I was when I loved Norman Rockwell. The painting is from the '50s, but put a modern day movie star in there instead of Jane Russell and it could have been from this morning. Girls stare in mirrors and critique themselves even though they're already beautiful. That's the way things go. Adult women do it too. Norman Rockwell, you sure do know America.



So I came out of the exhibit thinking: I still like Rockwell. He's a great storyteller. He's funny. He's a heart string tugger, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But then Robert and I went for a walk outside the museum and saw just amazing, giant, modern art plopped in real life as though it belonged there and my heart soared and I realized, this is really my thing. I've grown out of Rockwell. Sure, he tugs the heart strings and makes me smile, but there's something about crazy and clean modern art that just makes my heart *fly* that just makes life better that just makes me feel alive.

As seen here:

Quotable Calvin

"It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy...Let's go exploring!"

Style o' Giles

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the one in the short skirts and low-cut tops kicking vamp butt, but I prefer Giles' fuddy-duddy, old-man English style. Look at him looking all dapper! He wears vests! And worriedly takes off his glasses! He looks like he smells like old books and earl grey tea.

The polka-dotted tie is a personal favorite of mine. Being a little whimsical, Giles? How out of character!

And he totally switched up his look when a spell turned him into his younger self -- Ripper, the punk/criminal/sexy-pants. A white T-shirt is always a fabulous look. Especially when accompanied by a James-Dean attitude.

I must admit, however, that Giles does not always look fab. Sombrero? Not so much. Although, everything is forgiven on Halloween.

Cabiria

Cabiria is my favorite Fellini character. She's sweet but also a spitfire. She's a hooker with a heart of gold and somehow manages not to be a cliche. She smokes too much. She has weird painted on eyebrows. She wears fur with stripes. She is fabulous.

long gloves

Long gloves are fantastic. They're dramatic. They're classic. They're all woman, baby.

Grace Kelly wore long gloves and then she won an Oscar and married a prince.


Audrey Hepburn paired long gloves with a Givenchy dress, tiara and cigarette holder and created an iconic image loved copied by millions of little black dress wearers.



Miss Piggy rocked her purple gloves on a regular basis and proved that long gloves work well on strong, sassy ladies who know what they want (Kermie!).