Photoshoot: My Favorite Things

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! While I'm letting the pumpkin soup stew, I thought I'd take a quick moment to share with you my new collection: My Favorite Things. I couldn't stop humming the song during my first photoshoot. I say "first" because my computer ate half the images, and I had to reshoot. Yes, there were tears, but then I just belted out the chorus and felt better.

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

After you're bored with football and too fat on turkey to do anything but surf the Internet, mosey on over to my store and grab a print for that art lover on your holiday list.
(Free shipping in U.S. and Canada plus a free goodie with purchase through Dec. 10!)

All that glitters
(Sequins, inspiration, creativity, the glint in your eye)

Photography
(Vintage cameras, family pictures, capturing THE moment, classic movies)

Travel
(Vintage globes, the places I've lived, the road home, the places I haven't been but dream of going to)

Palm trees
(Moonlit walks on the beach, basking in the summer, swaying in the breeze, lining the streets of L.A.)

Music
(Dad's old records, the sound of an acoustic guitar, loud rock concerts, singing along at the top of my lungs)

Books
(Pastel-bound novels, anything by Jack Kerouac or Ernest Hemingway, well-worn paperbacks on a lazy weekend)

Love
(It's all around you)

Tune Time: The Growlers

These guys have been on full rotation on the iPizzy ever since seeing them open for Julian Casablancas. Equal parts Jim Morrison, The Coral, surf guitar and psychedelic, this SoCal band is downright infectious. They're like some hybrid mescaline-in-the-desert trip meets surfing-with-your-eyes-closed adventure. During their performance last Friday night, I leaned over to Husband and concert-whispered in his ear. "They're putting me in a trance," I said. "And I like it."

Media Minded: New Moon

Last year I was over the moon (haha, sometimes puns are all I have, friends) about the misty, hazy, blue-tone mood of "Twilight." It felt cold. It felt mysterious. It felt like teenage wasteland.

See?



As I sat through "New Moon" last Friday, generally pleased with the quality of the effects and the percentage of screen time devoted to shirtless dudes, I couldn't help but think that something was missing. After a careful study of the stills I concluded that it was the hue.

See?



Do I spy warmth? An Orton-esque glow? Saturation? In case you missed it, witness the side-by-side comparison.



Generally I am a fan of saturated color, but I think that in losing the gray-blue tint the sequel lost some of its oomph, some of its edge, some of its otherworldliness, some of its style. That doesn't mean I'm not already counting the days till "Eclipse" comes out. (June 30, in case you want to draw a heart around the date on your calendars.)



In the meantime it would be a crime against hilarity if I didn't share this with you. Satirist Jen Lancaster wrote the most amazing summary of "New Moon" -- complete with action-figure re-enactments -- that you must read. Seriously. Click on the link now. It was making the rounds at work, and I laughed so hard I teared up in the office, so I insist you do the same.

Chic for Cheap: Charade

While you're on holiday you decide it's no use. You don't love your husband. You're going to get a divorce. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you just met smokingly handsome Cary Grant (even though he will be going back to Paris the same time as you). Before you can confront your husband, though, you return to find him dead and your apartment empty. Quelle horreur! Turns out your husband didn't have very many friends, and the people who do show up to the funeral only want to make sure he's really dead. Then a CIA agent tells you that your life is in danger unless you find $250,000 your husband somehow squirreled away. But you have no idea where it is. Or who to trust. Maybe Cary Grant? He is so charming, even if he lied to you about his name. More than once.

You might be having a nervous breakdown in a phone booth while a strange man drops matches on you, but at least you look pretty, as always, because you're Audrey Hepburn.

A Year of Pixels: Fun With Food

Happy 1st birthday, blog! For the past week I've celebrated by digging through the archives to find some of my favorite posts, so thanks for joining me in a little virtual time travel. We've explored past photoshoots, fashion, music, design, writing and media. We're making one last stop for a little random food porn. You don't need a DeLorean. Heck, you don't even have to go 88 mph. Just scroll down for some blasts from the past.


Perfect timing! Here's a little pumpkin soup recipe I bring out for Thanksgiving every year. Delish, guaranteed.


The mess and glory that is puppy chow. The glory is greater than the mess, which is the only reason I continue to dust my kitchen with a layer of powdered sugar every Christmas.


A nontraditional way to eat your black eyed peas on New Year's.


So you have a ton of hard-boiled eggs after Easter? Here's a week's worth of meals you can make with them.


In which I make my first layered cake and find out it's easier than I thought.


Planning a poker-themed party? I've got your menu right here.


In which I forgo cereal for a week in pursuit of breakfast diversity.

A Year of Pixels: Media Minded

Happy 1st birthday, blog! To celebrate, I've dug through the archives to find some of my favorite posts, and I hope you'll join me in a little virtual time travel this week. Earlier we checked out photoshoots, fashion, music, design and writing; today is all about media. You don't need a DeLorean. Heck, you don't even have to go 88 mph. Just scroll down for some blasts from the past.



So many holiday flicks, and "Gremlins" stands strong among the best. Can't wait to watch it again this year!


Oscar-winning flick "Slumdog Millionaire" inspires me to ruminate about fate.


Here's what happens when movie posters go abstract.


This past year has been tough for newspapers, but recycled newspaper art is faring well.


Sean mimics John. Opinions ensue.


Breaking out into spontaneous dance is back en vogue.


These 13 movies always scare the *%&$ out of me. So much so that I check the locks on the doors and get paranoid for hours after viewing them.


I've made it halfway through my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo's 100 Movies to See Before You Die. Click here to see which ones I've watched so far.

A Year of Pixels: Written Word

Happy 1st birthday, blog! To celebrate, I've dug through the archives to find some of my favorite posts, and I hope you'll join me in a little virtual time travel this week. Earlier we checked out photoshoots, fashion, music and design; today is all about the written word. You don't need a DeLorean. Heck, you don't even have to go 88 mph. Just scroll down for some blasts from the past.



Although time may be fleeting, my mom's message endures.


Psst ... you with the 500 emails. Yes, you. I just want to let you know how good it feels to purge that inbox.


I unearth my art journals from high school, and I'm shocked at how awesome they are.


Hello, my name is Vanessa, and I'm an overeditor.


Typography + clever sayings = art


Why not leave a random anonymous note to a stranger? You might just make someone's day.


Yay for well-written TV shows. Here, I reveal my top 10.


Perhaps one of the most personal posts I've ever written, this one digs deep into my experience of writing and reworking a novel.