Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

It’s been busy here at Chez Kirks and I haven’t taken time to blog. I do have a great post, which I will write soon, but it involves scanning photos and I haven’t had the time to do it. So here’s a little bit of what’s going on in my life.

I’m getting ready for a fundraising event tomorrow. The bookkeeper and administrative assistant for Harem & Co., Kelli Stewart, has been dealing with her daughter’s leukemia for the past couple of months. Kali, the daughter, is five years-old and had just started kindergarten when she was diagnosed. Kelli and her husband Kendrick are spending a lot of time in St. Louis at Barnes Children’s Hospital while Kali receives chemotherapy. Neither one are able to work during this time, so I wanted to do something to help them with their expenses. Tomorrow, November 19th, Red Bee Designs and Harem & Co. will have a fundraiser where half of all sales will benefit them. I’m hoping for a great turnout and have my jewelry supply well stocked for the event.

Last weekend Valerie and I did our usual Saturday flea market outing and this time we had some great results. I scored a felt and sequined Christmas card holder, a plaster mushroom wall hanging (very 70s), a 1970s acrylic photo cube, a great book on disco dancing, a swedish Christmas wall hanging, and three very funky wise men candleholders. I’m getting ready for the season and it’s going to be great! I also won an 8 foot aluminum Christmas tree off eBay. It did not have the original box, but all the branches are in excellent condition and even have the pom pom ends. I’m so excited for it to arrive!

I’ve been searching and searching for a new purse and have not found anything I love in my price range. My standards for accessories are quite high! I have come to the conclusion that Coach has jumped the shark with their latest creations. What happened to the fine leather goods I fell in love with so many years ago? Gone are the classic styles in favor of ones that are too trendy, covered in logos, encrusted in sequins and way overpriced. It’s really sad, so I’ve been looking on eBay at some of the older designs. I get impatient and want a new purse NOW, but realize that I need to wait until I find what I really love at a price I can afford.

Along the lines of searching has also been my quest for new boots. It’s the same story here: I can’t find what I love in my price range. Plus, these boots must be designed by men because all of the heels are so high they are impossible to walk in! I have rediscovered my beloved Frye harness boots and have worn them almost more than my cowboy boots lately. Again, I’ll wait until I find something I really love to invest the money.

Steve spent last Saturday with our neighbor, Brent, and his 15 year-old son, Tucker, chopping and hauling wood for the fireplace. Brent has a friend with a lot of land that needs the dead trees removed so they were able to get wood without any cost. I think they’ll return for another load before the weather gets too bad. I’m excited for all the wonderful, cozy fires we’ll be enjoying this year! Our old fireplace had too many issues to be used regularly but the one in this house is perfect. Bring on the cold weather!

I’ve started my Christmas shopping but still have a long way to go. I wore my sister down and got permission to buy the girls a cupcake baker/decorator unit. It’s so cute! Ralph didn’t want it because it would be too much work for her, but I pestered her for three days until she relented. I also assured her I would help the girls play with it and clean up the mess. I still have a long list of people I need to buy for and I have no idea what to get them. Usually, I like to think of things on my own that reflect the person I’m giving the gift to, but I’m stuck this year. Mom, I need ideas for you. Ralph and Blair, send me something. Steve, I need your list, pronto! Now I just hope everyone is reading this blog.

Well, that’s my past week in a nutshell. Hope all’s well with everyone. I promise the next post will be a little more exciting and a little more timely.

I can’t believe Sesame Street is 40. I remember watching it as a child and loving it. I was three when it began but probably closer to five when our local PBS station started and began airing it. The street was simple then and not as polished as it is today. I remember the cool cartoons helping me count, the silly sketches that taught me to respect others and, of course, the muppets. My favorite was Grover. He was silly and loving and I had a soft spot for his big pink nose. One year, I received a stuffed Grover for Christmas and dragged him around the house for months after. My uncle called him “Ol’ Blue” and teased me for loving him.

When I was a little older, I remember the Watergate Hearings interrupting the program. I didn’t really watch Sesame Street on a regular basis but my sister did so I often sat down with her to enjoy my favorite friends. Later, I went to work for PBS and had a television behind my desk. The sound was never on and I rarely watched it, but it was there in case I received a programming call. Sesame Street ran from 8-9 a.m. so I often turned my chair around to enjoy a few minutes of it while I was drinking my coffee.

The show changed throughout the years and added characters I didn’t like (I’m talking to you, Elmo), but I’m not the target audience. The street has been polished up, the sketches have changed, Mr. Hooper died and life continued on Sesame Street. The core values have remained: treat each other with respect, learn new things, listen, share, say “please” and “thank you”. It’s sad that Cookie Monster no longer eats cookies the way he did, but times change. The bottom line is that we’re never too old for Sesame Street and the valuable lessons it teaches us.

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street. I hope you have 40 more years of fun!

My Sesame Street 25th birthday watch from when I worked at PBS!

Today I wish a happy birthday to my mom. I won’t reveal her age, but she certainly doesn’t look it. Mom is an amazing person. She volunteers, serves her community through several organizations, stays healthy by working out, rides the MS 150 annually, knits, sews and is currently helping her husband install wood floors in their house. She’s not your typical grandma who stays at home and cooks. Actually, we prefer she not cook!

Through the years mom and I have had our differences but she’s taught me so many things and I’m grateful for her guidance. I learned to do things for myself, admit when I’m wrong, be responsible for my own actions and be a better person. I also learned how to be a smart ass. It’s a requirement if you want to survive in our family!

While I may look like her, mom and I are very different. I admire her ability to plan, budget and manage things and I think she admires my artistic abilities. I’ll never be as smart as she is in some things, but I think that’s good. I always have something new to learn from her and I’m grateful when she shares her wisdom.

Happy birthday mom! Here’s to many more years of celebrating! I love you!

Last night mom and I had a girls’ night out and enjoyed “The September Issue” at [The Moxie](http://www.moxiecinema.com/). The film follows Vogue editor Anna Wintour as she and her team put together the 2007 September issue of the magazine. At over 800 pages and a weight of 5 pounds, it’s the largest magazine ever produced. It was amazing to see how it all comes together and how Anna oversees all the details. I really enjoyed following her to fashion week in New York and Paris and revisiting styles from two years ago (which haven’t changed much).

The real star of the film is Grace Coddinton, Vogue’s creative director. She began her career as a model until a car crash ended her career and she joined British Vogue, then went on to American Vogue about 20 years ago. She and Anna started at the same time and it’s apparent they have a lot of respect for each other. It’s also obvious Anna gets the last word!

Amid all the glitz and glamour of the fashion world is a staff who is overworked, driven, opinionated and very talented. I was amused to see that most of the editors dressed in the same clothing day after day and wore little to no makeup. Grace’s frizzy red mane rarely changed and she spent her days in drab black ensembles with few accessories. So much for the glamourous life! Even Anna seemed to wear the same type of clothing daily although her appearance was polished and professional. I saw no signs of Botox or plastic surgery on anyone’s face. Not what I expected in a world that focuses on appearance.

On the way home I explained to mom that people really do wear and buy couture and that most runway fashions are tweaked for mass marketing. It was a fun way to spend an evening and I really enjoyed seeing how a big magazine comes to life. Next up, mom and I plan to catch “Coco Before Chanel” when it begins this weekend.

I have my Halloween costume ready and I’m actually excited about it. At first, Steve and I were going to go as Don and Betty Draper. Then I found a really cool wig and things changed. The wig, a bob with bangs, seemed more late 60s-early 70s rather than early 60s. Plus, it is a champagne color and not the golden blonde that Betty is. I was debating on a black dress circa late 50s and an early 1960s suit to decide my final costume. Finally, I called in the expert – Valerie.

Valerie met me at our usual spot, Funtiques, yesterday after work. I showed her the dress and she liked it but said she’d have to see it on. Then she started pulling out other pieces I had seen but not considered. I went into the back to begin the fashion show. We both decided the black dress was great and would be something I might wear again (I was thinking company Christmas party) but she wanted to see the other pieces I’d taken back. Valerie suggested I try on a textured polyester mini dress in seafoam green. I didn’t think it was large enough but it fit and we both liked it. Plus, for $8 it wasn’t bad for a costume. We took another look around before I got dressed and she pulled out a striped mini dress in chocolate, orange and white. I loved it but was sure it was too small. Nope, the belt was just tied tight and made it look much smaller than it was. The dress fit perfectly and I loved it! When I got home, I discovered I had a brown beaded headband and brown boots that would coordinate with the dress.

Tomorrow I put everything together and transform myself to another decade. This may not be the most creative costume out there, but I sure will have fun wearing it. Pics to come!

Once upon a time I loved dressing up for Halloween. When I was a kid I wore costumes my mom made and eventually made my own when I was older. One year I was a pumpkin. One year I was a bunch of grapes and I actually made each grape out of dyed sheets stuffed with newspaper. One year, probably the last year I trick-or-treated, I was a hobo. When I was in college I attended one costume party where I dressed as a vampire complete with a floor length cape. I slicked back my hair and used spray-on hair color to dye it black. I cleaned black color out of my ears for days! As I got older, the desire to dress up waned. I threw together a costume of scrubs one year to go bar-hopping, and my ex-husband made us a cool costume as the painting “American Gothic” but that’s it.

Somewhere along the line I lost interest in dressing up for Halloween. Costumes became a chore and I didn’t have the time, money or interest to devote to creating them. A few years ago Steve and I were invited to a party and didn’t even go because we never figured out costumes. This year, we’ve been invited to a party we really want to attend and I’m left wondering if I should create something to wear. The host of the party said we didn’t have to dress up but it seems like we’d be party poopers if we didn’t. As a normally creative person I’m at a loss. What in the world could I dress up as without a lot of time or money invested in a costume? I thought about something vintage, but at this late date I doubt there’d be much to choose from. Plus, I wear glasses which will affect the costume. How cool would Dracula be wearing trendy clear framed glasses? How sophisticated would Holly Golightly look with specs? See my dilemma?

I’m asking the good people who read this blog for ideas. What do you think I should dress up as this year?

One year ago this weekend we moved into our dream house and things really changed for us. I know, I know, I talk about my house all the time and you’re probably sick of hearing about it so feel free to ignore this post.

I think what made this move such a big one for us was what we experienced before we moved. First, we found the house and made the offer. The owner wasn’t willing to sell on a contingency so we had to sell our old one. We worked our butts off for about three weeks prepping to get it on the market. We put it up “For Sale By Owner.” We went under contract so we made another offer on this house. Our buyers bailed out during the inspection so we were back to square one. Steve lost his job. We weren’t sure what to do but Steve explained that no job meant no house either way. While he looked for a job, we went ahead as planned with our decision to move. We decided to hire a realtor to sell our house. Steve got a job. We moved and the rest is history.

During this amusement park-sized roller coaster of emotions we learned what was really important to us and we realized that, while we loved our first home together, we were escaping it too often. Dinners out and weekends away had left us feeling empty inside and our wallets weren’t faring much better! We realized we needed more space both in our home and our neighborhood. Living in the middle of town just felt too cramped. Once we got settled in our new house we began craving time at home and getting grumpy if social obligations kept us away.

Last night was the perfect example of why this house is the right one for us. We had a little party to celebrate our house anniversary and invited the people who helped us during the move. I loved having the room to entertain, having enough seating in the living room for everyone to be comfortable and celebrating with my family and friends. Here’s to many more celebrations of life, love and the perfect home!

This morning I took some time to change out my summer clothes for my fall/winter ones. I’m always amazed at how many clothes I have and how often I think I have nothing to wear. Let’s face it, if I didn’t buy another piece of clothing for several years, I’m sure I’d still have plenty to wear. But that’s not the point. In order to look fashionable, I need variety in my closet. That goes for accessories and shoes too; especially shoes.

I did come to one important conclusion: I don’t need a variety of heels specifically to wear with jeans. Over the past few years, I’ve picked up a few pair of chunky heels to wear with jeans but I rarely wear them. If I’m at work, I wear boots and if we go out, I still wear boots. I got rid of all of them except the ones I really liked and had worn over and over again. I also don’t need as many brown dress shoes as I’ve accumulated. I remember, years ago, not being able to find nice brown shoes to wear to work (at the advertising agency). Fast forward to now and I suddenly have more pairs than I need. Again, I am keeping only the ones I really like.

I was also reminded that my wardrobe lacks color and pattern. I guess I’m just not a fan of prints (or color for that matter) so I tend to buy a lot of black, charcoal and chocolate. I have begun adding a few print shirts to go under my solid pieces, but I don’t see color invading my closet any time soon unless it’s in accessories. I just like my black too much! I have eased up on banishing navy from my closet and bought a pair of [navy cords](http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=21902&vid=1&pid=670871&scid=670871062) yesterday (with a coupon, of course). I think they will give my black pieces a fresh, modern look.

Going through my wardrobe also reminds me that while I love embracing trends, I need to stay focused on the pieces I truly love and the styles that appeal to me. Dresses just aren’t my thing no matter how hard I try. I keep a couple around for special occasions, but I’d rather wear pants. The motorcycle trend is appealing to me and has been for years because I love hardware on clothes to add a bit of interest. I don’t like ruffles, sheer fabrics, most silks or chunky sweaters. None of those things look good on me and none of them feel like my style. Guess I’m a little bit of a bad girl when it comes to my style!

Bottom line is that I’m finally beginning to figure out what I like rather than what the magazines say I should wear. I know, I know, I’m probably the last person to figure this out but at least I’m getting somewhere! Whatever your style, always remember it’s about QUALITY not QUANTITY. A great investment piece will always be worth the money in the long run.

It’s no secret I love my house. I think everyone should love where they live as much as I do! With that in mind, I was inspired to share a few of my favorite things in and about my house.

I’ll start with the area where Steve and I spend the most time. This seating area is used for coffee in the mornings and conversation in the evenings. Almost every Friday night Steve and I have a glass of wine and some hors d’oeuvres at the end of the day. It’s our little ritual to start the weekend. This area also contains one of my newest fave things: the Saarinen-style table with the mod lamp.

Next up is the living room which is another often used area. Although I don’t love the tile around the fireplace (future project) I love how large the fireplace is. The designer, Harry, told us he bought the largest damper made at the time and built the fireplace around it.

Also in the living room is the cool ledge that forms an “L” around the fireplace and below the seating area upstairs. I recently found these vintage cushions and they fit perfectly on the ledge. I only wish I had more of them!

The living room area also contains another favorite: the wet bar. Future plans are to replace the refrigerator and horrible tile, but I love the look. It seems so retro. The glasses were a housewarming gift from Valerie and I love them.

I collect linoleum block prints and especially love ones that are dated. This one is very special to me because it was made by my mom’s cousin in 1969 and hung in my grandparent’s dining room.

I love our bedroom! I finally found a cool duvet this summer so I’m digging the mushroom print on the bed and I love the metal sculpture behind it. This room is so open and inviting.

The view from our bed is amazing. We have these windows above which means you can lie in bed and look at the stars at night or the blue sky in the morning. It’s the best way to start or end the day. Gazing at the smoked glass globe lights isn’t too bad either.

A 1970s home must have a 1970s phone. We found this one before we moved and Steve installed it shortly after we got here. I love how the cork board reverses to a chalk board.

I found this on eBay and Steve insisted we get it. I wasn’t too sure at the time, but I love this print now. It’s dated 1973 which is the year the house was completed. This is a picnic posted for the Herman Miller company designed by Stephan Frykholm.

Finally, I love my studio. I love having a complete space of my own. Yes, my bench is dirty but I can find everything I need on it.

I realized the other day that for the first time, probably in my entire life, I actually liked myself. I’ve battled my weight, doubted myself, wondered about the decisions I’ve made, questioned authority, fought depression and anger, suffered my share of identity crises, you name it, but a few days ago it hit me that I was ok with just being myself. Sure, I know I’ll fight my weight and always have about 5-10 pounds to lose, but I’m ok with that. Actually, right now I don’t care. My stomach will never be flat and that’s ok with me. I have veins on my legs but I don’t care about them either. Same goes for the grey hair growing at my temples and the wrinkles around my eyes. I’m opinionated and outspoken, but I’m also funny as hell and I like that about myself. Matter of fact, I wouldn’t change a thing.

So the next time you’re thinking about how flabby your thighs are or how wrinkled your skin is, take a moment and think about what makes you wonderful. Maybe it’s the ability to bake a perfect pie or maybe it’s your glossy hair or long legs. Whatever it is, take a moment to appreciate it. I’ll bet your day is better because of it!