One good thing about Donald Trump and other ramblings

I’ve been taking a break from weekly blogging because, well, I can’t get my act together and formalize my thoughts. Perhaps it's computer avoidance. Perhaps I’m just setting higher standards for myself. Most definitely I’m lazy.

But damn if there isn’t a ton to talk about, eh? Can you believe this GOP field of “presidential candidates”? I mean.

The political shit show does wear me down. I weep that my country can contain, foster, protect and reward such stupidity. I wail that it's dangerous to call out said stupidity. I try to be compassionate and tolerant but lies are lies, wrong is wrong, and physics is real. 

The one thing that brings me solace about having Donald Trump in the ring for president of the United States is that when I run for president circa 2040 I will absolutely appear qualified.

In other news, I’m really furious with the Duggar men and fundie assholes around the world who subjugate women to men in the name of anything. Like those fuckers in ISIS. I’m mad as hell at child abusers, and am simply stunned by the amount of child abuse that goes on in the world. Since the dawn of time this shit has happened, and now we have the twisted luxury of learning about much of it. How do people cope with horrifying knowledge?

I've been quiet because these aren’t really topics for Dots.

You know what is?

This:

Samantha-fucking-Jones. Wearer of not one but TWO brooches in this here power suit (above).  A cat on top and a bird on the bottom. You go, Samantha Jones.

One thing Sam and I always had in common was the love of saying, "Fuck Off". I also share her thing for brooches, but my teeny collection rarely sees the light of day. Note to self - wear your brooches!

Check out this dog brooch from season six:

Bravo, Samantha Jones.

Shine on.

P.S. Pins are so hot right now. Exhibit 1. Exhibit 2.

Feel-good failings

We all have our ways of coping with the blues. Eating, drinking, shopping, sleeping, smoking,.. to each her own. I have a small set of movies/TV shows that I put on when I'm feeling sub par. I'm not alone in this, for sure. Even my guy friends, when under pressure, might admit that their 48th viewing of Return of the Jedi might coincide with feeling down and out.

My shows of choice are not static. For a while I relied on When Harry Met Sally and Sex and the City episodes. I've worn them out. I'm done with them for now, therapeutically speaking. (OK, that's kind of a lie because I did enlist seasons 4 and 5 of SATC quite recently.) The same happened with Singles, Wonderboys, The Wedding Singer, American Beauty, and others. Tragically overplayed. No longer uplifting. Temporarily.... tainted.

My current therapist of choice is Julie and Julia. Maybe because it's about a struggling blogger. Maybe it's all the food and cooking, the A-list cast, or the perfect sets. For whatever reasons, I reach for it when my head needs the calm. I don't sit down and watch every scene, listen to every word. Instead it's just there. Like a friend.

Julie's NYC apartment - not too unlike my own in style.

Julia's kitchen in France.

But you know what? 

It's not working anymore. Now, instead of regrouping while it's on, I just fret. Every scene goes too quickly. The Cobb salad scene, the sister's wedding scene, the canceling of dinner due to rain scene, they just keep coming! And they all point to the inevitable. The END! And with the end, you know what? Your problems. Your life. It's all right there in the credits. 

And nothing has replaced it. Julie and Julia seems last in the line of this medicine. I tried Game of Thrones reruns, but the anxiety doesn't abate. 

So I guess it's time there is no feel-good movie or TV show. Will something different help? Maybe it's a homemade, freezer-freeing soup experiment. Maybe it's a nod to clean the tub. Perhaps every reach for a well-worn DVD should be met with a 3 mile walk. Or a phone call to a friend. Or two hours in a novel.

I feel like a kid, holding her blankie, expecting the swift arrival of comfort and then... nothing. So I put the blankie in the closet, look around, and think, now what? Now how?

Modern Family reruns in the interim.

Happy clothes

Whenever I rewatch the season premiere or finale of any of my favorite series, I try to muster the headspace of those excitedly watching it for the first time. It's finally here! I've been waiting all week! My wine is poured. The lighting is right. Oh special day!

The show I've rewatched the most of is Sex and the City. Above you see Carrie in the season premiere of season 5. She's just been caught in the rain after trying to go to the Guggenheim on the weekday they aren't open. This is the episode that she "dates" her city. Under this awning she talks to a silent handsome stranger, who finds her spirited chattiness too crazy and runs away. Such is dejection.

Although not something I'm likely to wear, I love this outfit. I want that skirt. I want that orange-red jacket, which I will never wear with that skirt. I do not want that pink top (blagh). But overall, I cheer for its cheeriness. There's not enough of this in the world. Sure you look chic in your neutral top, boots, and skinny jeans, but could you imagine if everyone dressed like that? Kill me now. Lighten up people!

As I've said before, people afraid of color are not to be trusted.

This is also the episode that Miranda debuts her nursing nipples and takes Brady out on the town. Her choice of a carrier befuddles me. Behold...

Isn't that a carrier for a car seat? If you don't have a car, isn't this kinda pointless? I've carried babies around in these before (to and from cars) and they are not at all for the long haul. Ergonomic disasters! Maybe they are trying to show how clueless Miranda really is in her new baby world.

And another thing - how do city folk who take cabs transport their babies? Miranda surely isn't strapping that kid into the proper base for the cab ride. Do cabbies just allow people to hold their little ones in the back, a la the 1970's? Is there a special exemption to the law here?

Color me confused.

Timeless comfy glamour

After quite the hiatus from SATC clothing raves, I'm ready to reengage. Topic - robes.

Carrie wears 2 or 3 robes (sometimes more than once!) that give me funny feelings. Just looking at their silky texture, their light, breezy sway, their inspirational patterns and colors, makes me want to traipse around in a clean apartment and see where the day takes me. Maybe I'll make toast and read a magazine from that pile. Maybe I'll paint my nails while watching When Harry Met Sally on a cool Fall day. Maybe I'll open that new bottle of wine and call a long distance friend. Maybe I'll organize my stationary. The perfect robe is the perfect start to any home bound activity. 

Your day or night can truly begin by slipping your clean body into a luxurious robe, the elegant cousin of the muumuu. Silk or modal, organic cotton or satin (nah, not satin), make it smooth and thin. Terry cloth not permitted! Make it flowery or abstract. Make it colorful in an obnoxious way that you have a sick affinity for. Make it kimono-style. Make is one size bigger than you need. Go barefoot, put on fun socks, or wear those heels you love but never have an occasion for. Just don't dress it down with granny slippers. This is not your granny's robe (unless your granny is Simon Doonan, you lucky little bitch).

After a reasonable amount of searching I realize a good robe is not so easy to come by unless you're willing to lay down some dough. Sure you can get one in scratchy, second rate satin. But the good kind, the slippery, luxe, feels so damn good against your skin kind... just think of it as an investment in timeless comfy glamour and endless possibilities. The cost per wear should whittle down to nothing. 

What I could find on Etsy. I'd love any of these -- but how dumb would it be to have to dry clean your robe, which I assume is necessary for silk? The one on the right is jersey and hooded.... mama like.

No necklace required

In my continuation of lauding SATC accessories, I bring you these earrings:

Welcome, Charlotte York, to my blog! In this episode Charlotte tells the girls she is considering converting to Judaism. To Miranda: "I can feel you reacting!" This is also the episode where Office Space and SATC sexually collide. More importantly, this is the episode that brought Smith Jerrod to the attention of my young loins. Yessssssss please (past tense).

The earrings are of the popular "chandelier" variety and to me, they're perfection. Not too heavy, not too huge, not too dense, lots of movement. No necklace required. I'll pretend they are not dripping in blood diamonds, but this being Charlotte York, I'm positive they are (but then again this is fiction, you fixated weirdo, get a friggin life).

Inspired by Biedermeier

A few weekends ago I took a mini trip to Milwaukee, where I happily spent hours alone in the Milwaukee Art Museum.

It was delightful:

One of the weirdest parts for me was a quick immersion in Biedermeier, which is a particular style of European home furnishing developed in the early 1800's:

I credit my 3 semesters of college German for seeing that word, hearing it perfectly in my head, and transporting me to this episode of SATC:

Now I'm finally able to fully understand this scene: Man, stands from couch, struck with awe - "Is that Biedermeier?"  Woman, perky, intrigued - "Inspired by Biedermeier. You have a good eye."  Man, gleeful and in love - "I'm like addicted to Architectural Digest."

And thus, Miranda's hopes of bedding Jeremy Fields were dashed by interior design.

Matchy matchy

I took a break from my first ever viewing of The West Wing (I'm marathoning through season 2 at the moment) because I feel it is high time for another SATC wardrobe highlight. As promised, here is the blue holey shawl:

I cannot adequately express how much I detest the word shawl.

This is from season 2 when Carrie is secretly dating Big again. When Big sees her in this he says, "Wow. You look sensational." And she does. And he means it. Then they have passionate sex and her diaphragm gets stuck up there. TMI?

Would this shawl be as dynamite without the blue eyes that match it? I'm.. not.. so.. sure. Part of the allure here is how much it brings out her eyes. Regarding the holes, I once read in a Pantone book that see-through things are universally flattering because our skin naturally matches us, and matching our natural palette is the easiest way to flatter ourselves. So with the shawl matching the eyes and the skin matching the.... skin, Carrie pops in this. 

Sorry, brown-eyed girls. You'll have to take comfort in knowing you're genetically dominant.

Politics later, yellow skirt now

I've been spending a strange amount of time learning about American politics. I'm attempting drastic open-mindedness. I'd like to write about it sometime, but I'm still working things out. So far I've recognized that the Republican party has a big thing for God. They also seem to think "pro-life" and being in favor of the death penalty are mutually exclusive. My head hurts. More later.

For now, let's enjoy this pleated yellow skirt.

Hello little pleats. Thanks for the sunshine.

Carrie wears this in the 2nd season while she's pondering if all unmarried men her age are freaks. One bad date after another has her worrying that all the good ones are taken. But then she finds a nice guy... Ben. Then she wears this outfit on a double date (and the morning after the date). I love the slight preppiness and yellow cheeriness. I love the holey knit scarf (stay tuned for its blue sister). I love the grassy green and yellow combo. The coat has a 90's collar but other than that it's not so bad. Kinda surprisingly, this is the first outfit that turns my head (in a good way) in the entire series up to this episode.

Listen up, blondies -- layer your yellows like no other gal can.

Speaking of cardigans

This is Carrie in a cardigan. Carrie doesn't do cardigans like Ann Taylor does cardigans. Carrie doesn't do cardigans like the school teacher stereotype. Carrie doesn't do cardigans like I do most winter work days, when I fear that I must look professional (AKA uninviting of all potential comments) while maintaining cottony comfort.

She tends to pair them with unexpected underlayers - baggy sheer tops or logo tees or tight tanks. She adds... whimsy. She adds an element of rock 'n' roll - even in soft pink. Color me inspired.

In this scene she's telling her friends about the over-the-top romantic things her artist boyfriend does for her. The episode is called "The Ick Factor". Spoiler alert -- Miranda proposes to Steve AND they get married. Charlotte and Harry get food poisoning. Samantha wears a skunk. God I love Season 6.

Workhorse accessories

One of my goals is to subsist entirely on a very small set of awesome, me things. In cultivating this set I'm all about unique, workhorse things that set you apart and serve you well.

For example, the circle pendant gold necklace that goes with everything:

This is Carrie in Season 3, traipsing around town as she dates her new boyfriend, Aidan. Aidan is not the right guy for her, but this isn't about that. This is about a strong, sexy, circle. 

 
In building my own small collection of workhorse accessories, I too am experimenting with necklaces. I've learned that I like somewhat dainty necklaces - not too weighty or long. I like natural stones and shapes. I like gold. I like clasps that don't fall to the front easily. Sometimes, just sometimes, something will stick, and it's like you've grown a friend. Yet somehow knowing all this doesn't keep me from having 2 dozen necklaces I love and rarely wear.

Minimalism seems impossible. Guess it feels good to have back-up flair.

Hippy Carrie

If you ask me, Carrie does well with a summer tan, blonde streaks, and flower-child clothing. It's a bit rare that she goes this way full throttle, and I love it every time. In this scene Charlotte goes to Carrie crying her face off because her date fell asleep while they were "making love". When you fuck, of course, you tend not to have that problem, Samantha or Miranda will say.

Charlotte is devastated and Carrie is doing her best not to laugh while offering up some herbal tea.

You're a hardcore SATC fan if you knew about the herbal tea just by looking at these screen captures.

I don't know the correct classification for this look. It's somewhat hippy. Maybe bohemian. It's loose, colorful, playful, casual, and relaxed. A tough line to toe. And I like it.

Tuxedo me

One of my favorite outfits on Carrie is early in season 6 when she’s introducing her new Jack Berger to her friends. It’s a white tuxedo jacket over a vintage light yellow mickey mouse t-shirt. I’m no crazy mickey mouse advocate, so this look is not one I’d copy too literally, but damn if I don’t now want an array of well-tailored silky and sleek tuxedo jackets. I assure you I already have the vintage tee collection.

But speaking of season 6 of SATC, this is the season where the hair, make-up, and wardrobe stylists finally resolved their apparent feud and let the cast members look their very best. Carrie is seen glowing in outfit after outfit due to them working with her natural colors and assets. It’s like they “got the colors done" on each of the four stars and then actually took these lessons to stage. Bravo!

Love this haircut and color too. Wonder what it’d do for me…. 

Later on in this episode you see that she’s pairing this with skintight black leather pants and she looks HAWT.

SATC outfit #1

Watching Sex and the City as a form of background over the years, I can't help but notice a few outfits that really leave me gawking. I WANT. GET ON ME. MY TURN. These are outfits that I appreciated outright, for some reason or another, and I hope that by collecting them and discussing them, I'll further myself on my quest to build my ultimate personal style.

I'd like to start with an outfit on Miranda which feels strange because most will be on Carrie in the future. So why Ms. Hobbes?

Miranda, you look effortlessly fantastic in this dress. I'm sorry your date died.

Because she's wearing the first outfit that struck me over the head for looking well tailored, gorgeous, and effortless to wear. Perhaps more importantly, it matches her perfectly and really sets off her beauty. GET IN MY CLOSET. It was confirmed that this was truly a stylish dress when Miranda called Carrie to say her date stood her up and the dress was new and from Barney's. See? It must be good.

A scientific objection to Sex and the City

I love me some Sex and the City (SATC). The show aired when I was in college and graduate school and I hardly watched it, because what college girl can afford HBO? But many years and unedited viewings later, I've grown to fucking love the show. Four women with vastly different opinions speaking frankly, FRANKLY, about topics that affect me. It's the frankness I love. I grew up in a frank family, and frank is how I like to be. Samantha may be my spirit animal.

But one thing about SATC really friggin bugs me on a scientific level. When Miranda gets pregnant she complains that it's the "Special Olympics of conception" because she has a lazy ovary (fine, so she ovulates every other month) and that Steve has only one testicle. SO FUCKING WHAT! Doesn't everyone know that millions of sperm come out the penis during each ejaculation? Perhaps having one testicle removed makes you ejaculate a few million less sperm, but only one little guy needs to penetrate that egg shell. The testes don't alternate, like ovaries. God damn. I hate to think that my Miranda doesn't know some basic biology.

Then again, she just found out she's pregnant. Maybe she was trying to make a joke, and knows it's not at all the Special Olympics.

And maybe I should get a life.