KYEWT

Effective Recipe For Sending Baby Off to Dreamland

2009-11-12T22:03:00.005-05:00

Roosevelt Franklin

2009-11-11T01:30:00.004-05:00

Oh, sorry for that omission in my previous Sesame Street post.

I didn't forget about chu, Roosevelt Franklin.

Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street!

2009-11-10T01:10:00.015-05:00

From one multi-culti, city-dwelling, sing-songy, hippie-dippie, wacko kid to another...thanks for changing the game in so many ways.

You're still fun to watch, after all these years.

Love,

Minya

So Much Work To Do

2009-11-04T18:29:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to go to the country this weekend.

Colombo Phone

2009-10-29T13:18:00.007-04:00

This is a new phone designed as an homage to Joe Colombo (Italian, 1930-1971). It's about $60 here. Such a nice alternative in a market flooded with gross land line phones. Have you tried to buy a land line phone recently? Good luck. They look like cheap, toy rocketships or remote controls with antenae. Why can't it just be a nice phone? Same problem exists in the world of cell phones (I like a blackberry for emailing and a phone for calling people, I know, crazy but it's just how I prefer things). I don't text message, I don't listen to music on the phone, I don't watch videos, I just want to make a call now and then. GIVE ME A PLAIN PHONE. Anyway..this one's pretty for the house.

Maybe I like it becuase it's available in this beautiful persimmon color. Colombo's a design legend. My mom used to have the Boby storage unit pictured here, in red, next to her drafting table. I have very fond girlhood memories of rooting through the swing out drawers on the hunt for pencils or any other supplies for projects I may have been working on.

Also, you can't buy a kid a toy phone that looks like a land line phone anymore because they have no reference point for what the hell it is. All they know is the Blackberry...and ohhhh do they love the Blackberry. Bye bye vintage Fisher Price phone, you are an outdated weird object that could be a robot or a dumptruck for all baby knows...

Frikkin' Kyewt Baby Male Supermodel

2009-10-29T01:08:00.003-04:00

Thanks Clawz for posting Bodhi's Gap Casting Call entry on blogue! The fan favorite crap is totally annoying but how could I not enter this handsome guy?

Oh, and he should totally win. He's about ten million times kyewter than any model they've ever had. Sorry. Infatuated. But that's my job.

Mason Pearson for the little ones

2009-10-29T00:27:00.002-04:00

After Bodhi's pediatrician appointment this week, I nipped into the Apthorp Pharmacy (so fancy it's more like Barney's than Duane Reade - even post makeover) to look for a new hairbrush for him. I had a jiggy little European number that I lost...boo...so I've been on the hunt for something good. I scoped out some Swiss ones in a display case and had a saleslady open it for me to get a closer look. But after telling her that Bodhi is 18 mos old, she clucked and said "no, no, no. These are for babies." She fiddled with some keys and bent over to open a drawer below the case. She popped back up with this beautiful Mason Pearson sweetie, in heavy, gorgeous light blue. Somehow it's not a cloying light blue. It's deeper, nice. She said, "he needs this."

Oh yes he does.

But at $85. He'll have to wait for Christmas.

I love my jumbo Mason P brush. More often than not, I just run a comb through my hair after my shower and walk out the door, but when a good brushing is in order, nothing moves the oils around and smooths like the MP paddle. Boar bristle, baby. And mostly handmade. And that's something these days.

P.S. - You know what else they sell at the Apthorp Rx? Snuffles! (You know I bought him).

Slowpoke the Sloth

2009-10-28T15:51:00.007-04:00

Slowpoke, the Beanie Baby sloth, was a gift from Aunty Molly. He is one of Bodhi's favorite plush friends. Slowpoke reads books with us, gets tucked in, has "sips" from Bo's bottle and sleeps with us 'til morning if he doesn't fall on the floor in the wee hours of the night. Sometimes when Bodhi is drifting off, he gently pets Slowpoke's little plastic nose.

Someone out there in the world is crazy for Slowpoke and made a Geocities photoblog that features the sloth out and about. Here he is at the zoo:

According to Beanie Baby enthusiast websites, he was born on May 20, 1999 and retired the same year. His hangtag reads:

Look up in the sky to the top of the tree

What in the world is that you see?
A little sloth as sweet as can be

Munching on leaves very slowly!

Okayyyy, that was a good, very much needed break from my day. I have too much work on my plate and on a rainy day like this, the idea of cuddling up with Slowpoke sounds very appealing. Zzzzzz.

Tiny Sweatpants That Rule

2009-10-28T01:38:00.004-04:00

I'm a Hi-Low fashion gal. I like to mix it up. Gimme some Lanvin and gimme some Target. Ebay dress and Wolford tights. Whatever works. I like to think I can make anything look like a million bucks. Ha! Certainly, Bodhi can.

As I get back into blogging for Kyewt, as a mom, you'll find, not surprisingly, that I am a highly opinionated baby clothes shopper. There's a lot of bad out there (most of what's at Macy's, Izod, Hurley and other big brand bullshit, think obnoxious screen prints and poor construction) and lots of good out there (surely your kid is going to look terrific of you're only hitting baby row on upper Madison Avenue). But as Autumn has blown in, I have come to the realization that all of those $90 pants (vertical baby wale cords, sweet gathered styles with piping, fancy jeans) from last year don't fit the boy anymore. Doy. His legs have gone from beetle to grasshopper. Not to mention he's not being carried around like a tiny pocketbook these days! He's a rough and tumble toddler, sloshing in the sandbox and jumping at Gymboree. He needs sweats. Cheap, cute sweats. I found them at Kmart. They're perfect, from the thickness of the fleece to the elastic ankles. And the don't say OLD NAVY or BABY GAP (so annoying). They say nothing and they are divine. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh and they cost $4. Get them here.

I know Kmart's shitty and there are consequences to buying cheap goods and it's bad for the planet and for the USA and the universe but you're gonna have to excuse me this time. Sorry.

Little Fur Family

2009-10-28T00:48:00.005-04:00

From 1946. Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown, pictures by Garth Williams.

I discovered this book on one of my first trips to Books of Wonder with Bodhi, while I was still in the dreamy haze of new motherhood and the lazy days of maternity leave. As soon as I read it, I fell in love. No one writes poetic children's stories like Margaret Wise Brown (she of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny fame), and I have to say, this one's my favorite. It's wacky, mysterious, enchanting, hypnotic and brilliant. This gentle lullaby stars three unidentifiable mammals (that strangely look a lot like um...my family!)...it begins:

There was a little fur family
warm as toast
smaller than most
in little fur coats
and they lived in a warm wooden tree.

What an intro. The little fur child (that's his name) has a lovely bath then heads out for a solo, woodland adventure. He visits his Grandpa and then encounters some other creatures - fish in a river, a flying bug and (Bodhi loves this part)...

Then he caught a little tiny tiny fur animal.
The littlest fur animal in the world.
It had warm silky fur and even a little fur nose.
So he kissed it right on its little fur nose
and put it gently back in the grass
and the little tiny tiny fur animal
ran down a hole into the ground.

YES! It's like a kyewt acid trip!

The little fur child heads home to a hot supper and his big fur parents and gets tucked into bed. The book ends with:

...they tucked him in bed
all soft and warm
and they held his paw
and they sang him a song:

Sleep, sleep our little fur child
out of the windiness, out of the wild
Sleep warm in your fur, all night long,
In your little fur family.
This is a song.

You have to sing the last page. A fun challenge. My melody has been the same for a while - it's not very good, but I do my best.

The illustrations by Garth Williams (A Cricket In Times Square, Bedtime For Francis and so many many more) are just fantastic.

Oh, and you can buy the fur edition, completely covered in cuddly faux fur. Loves.

New Balance x Sesame Street

2009-10-23T00:59:00.003-04:00

As cute as branded apparel in teensy sizes is, I have opted not to dress Bodhi in much logo-ed gear (the Bape hoody is allll his father's and his father's friends' doing).

But these? Had to get 'em.

I mean, these kids, they REALLY love Sesame Street. Mine included. Things have changed since the Sesame Street of yesteryear (ahem, the '70s) and there are girl muppets (Hate. Them. All.), Spanish-speaking muppets (Hate. Them. So. Much.) and at the center of everything... Elmo. Sweet Elmo. I disliked him for years from afar, but now that I'm all up in the Street again, I have to say, he's diva, sugar and sunshine all wrapped up in red fur.

I chose this model not only for the good colorway, but out of respect for sweet Grover. Since Elmo's stepped on the scene, Grover now almost always plays a very goofy, sort of cracked out second fiddle. He's like Elmo's dumb, crazy and old friend. But damn, he used to be the man! Er, monster.

Heidi Kenney Candy Corn and Acorns

2009-10-21T00:16:00.007-04:00

"Hi there! I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

I love the plush movement, and no one does it better or kyewter than PA-based, crafty crafter Heidi Kenney. This Halloween holiday season, if you can't eat another candy corn (so addictive, so hideous yet so delicious), opt for this cuddly no-cal version.

Bodhi would love a bunch of these sweet acorns. He loves acorns. Like, he can spend all day picking them up, throwing them, holding them, collecting them, looking at them and loving them. All. Day.

Thonet Child's Chair

2009-10-16T13:49:00.004-04:00

My mom picked up a '60s era Thonet chair for Bodhi this week. He's been needing a chair -- he's always leaning against the coffee table, poor little guy -- and I'd been shopping around the internet. Choices these days are not so cute. But, Thonet, the German company responsible for the chair-of-chairs 214 chair (celebrating its 150th birthday this year and of which Corbusier said, "never was a better and more elegant design and a more precisely crafted and practical item created") and many others, has been making children's chairs since they began bending wood back in the early 1800s.

The chair he has is one of these...

So cute!

But check this beauty out (for the nursery of my dreams):

I have always loved desk and chair sets for kids. Mmm.

Thonet. Think about it.

Oh, and it's pronouced TONE-ET. Hard Ts. (I didn't know that until today...).

American Apparel Gold Baby Leggings

2009-10-16T13:44:00.002-04:00

Some people are really offended by these leggings. As with most everything AA does, there is controversy and outrage. Well, I'm buying them for Bodhi as part of his Halloween costume (he'll be an owl). I'm psyched for the costume, but really I just can't wait to see him in these leggings with his Minnetonka boots. Muahahahaaaaaaa.

Baby Minnetonkas

2009-10-08T16:10:00.002-04:00

These are the best. Just like mama.

Buy them here. Now.

The Kyewtest

2009-10-06T17:47:00.002-04:00

Oh! Here I am.
I haven't blogged in like, more than a year.
But I've been busy making the kyewtest boy ever.
Meet Bodhi.
Kyewt will now focus on kyewt things like him, for him and about him.
Watch out now!

Chicago

2007-06-07T18:40:00.000-04:00

I was in Chicago last weekend with Mara.

I visited my new client, Threadless. They're great, I had a blast with them.

Claudia sent me this picture today and it reminded me of one of the best things about Chi-town -- Giordano's! MMMMMMMMMMMM!

Trendy Art

2007-06-07T18:16:00.000-04:00

The Rothko sale at Sotheby's confirms a few things that I've been thinking about lately.

1) There is too much money floating around out there in Crazytown.
2) Rothko is TRENDY.

Yes, trendy. I have been reading one too many creative types citing Rothko as an influence these days in little online interviews and such. I'm kind of annoyed by it. Of course I'm gonna take credit for setting that off -- only a few people used to loooove Rothko (mom, you're first for sure -- thank you for the cultured upbringing) but now everyone looooves him.

Let's move on, kids. And if we have to stay within Ab Ex, I'm proposing we all turn to Motherwell.

Even better, Helen Frankenthaler.

You heard it here first.

Gund Snuffles

2007-05-16T17:52:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but in my teen years on the Westchester scene,the Gund Snuffles was the bear to have. As for all other stuffed animals, the Gund tush tag was as requisite as the real deal $12 EG Smith scrunch socks. Now the kids want Dooney and Bourke bags. Same status bs, but those seemed like simpler times.

Was thinking about Snuffles recently and saw that the company came out with a 25th anniversary edition a few years ago. According to the Wikipedia entry:

"Snuffles was designed in 1980 by the mother of Bruce Raiffe, the President of Gund between 1993 and July 2004. She was inspired by the shape of a beautiful crescent moon in the sky, and designed a happy bear looking up at the moon. Snuffles debuted in 1981, and he is now the oldest bear in Gund's product line."

The pink one was the best.

iGoogle Tea House

2007-05-11T21:25:00.000-04:00

Of course I wasn't alone with my sweet fox. He's been keeping me company for the past few weeks on my iGoogle homepage and frankly, I'm in love. Mr. Fox lives in the Teahouse theme, a new feature for a souped up Google experience, and he's a busy little guy -- in a very Zen way. Others have taken note: Wired blogged a good overview of the new features, and a Layercake shows screencaptures of all the Teahouse skins that change throuhgout the day. From morning (fishing for the daily catch in a lil boat) to night (chilling on the dock, entertaining the troops) foxy is doing his thing.

Otters

2007-04-09T16:31:00.000-04:00

Sister got put this little wind-up otter in my Easter basket. He's very very kyewt.

She didn't even know that I had been watching the youtube footage of Milo and Nyack holding hands all weekend. They are quite the internet sensations, and for good reason. Kyewt city!

Nyack is a survivor from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Glad to see Milo's taking good care of her up in Vancouver.

I didn't know otters were endangered. Lame.

Peeps!

2007-04-02T16:56:00.000-04:00

Now I'm not one for Jesus (mom and dad are Buddhist) but I love me some sugar, chocolate, prezzies, eggs, chicks and bunnies so Easter works for me! For my clan, Easter means being together as a family and making jiggy baskets full of goodies that probably symbolize something, but I don't know what. My best Easter basket had plastic eggs stuffed with money and a flowery set of sheets (thanks, Mom! You Chinese Martha Stewart you!).

But I digress.....the point of this post is: Marshmallow Peeps are the best. I remember sitting in Art 100 with Betsy at school where beneath the dimmed lights and the flicker of changing slides in the grand auditorium, we housed a huge package between the two of us before walking out into the sunlight drunk in a crystal sugar haze. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

I love the bunnies the most. True, the beaks on the chicks cannot be beat in terms of kyewt appeal, but the bunnies really make the best non-edible "products." I am currently stashing tiny plush bunnies in all of my pockets, just to brighten my day. They are about 3.5", very squishy and come packaged in a little cardboard box:

This season, I've been more than happy to welcome the brand spankin new Cocoa Peeps Bunnies, which come in an 8 pack and are FREAKIN delish. No surprise there...cocoa and peeps -- a match made in heaven. I was also pleased with the tiny plush Peeps dolls in a polka-dot pattern (very Head Porter!):

HOWEVER. I am dismayed that my favorite Peeps product, the Peeps Squeeze dolls (like Mogu, but you know, Peeps) have been discontinued. This picture must have been taken last year:

I got a mid-size purple bunny last year at Target (I like to travel with it, and yes...the inspection man really played me out at the Jet Blue terminal last month....whipped it out of my carry on, held it up and just looked at me like, "ok, crazy."), but I missed the giant ones and now I'm obsessing over them. I called every toy store in the city to no avail. I spoke to someone at ToysRUs who said they had some in stock, so I ran over there (Times Square...the horror!) only to find some hideous plush version in a multi-yarn, long, nappy furry fabric....EEEEWWWW. Peeps aren't furry! What is going ON, Commonwealth Toys???

Now Joy has just alerted me to a Peeps special event at Dylan's Candy Bar that featured a Peeps fondue station and a Peeps car. I missed it. Obviously the fan club is slack in their timely dissemination of local news and happenings. Jerks.

Kenadie Jourdin-Bromley

2007-04-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

I watched a program called "Incredibly Small: Kenadie's Story" about this little wonder on the TLC channel late at night last week. I was riveted. Kenadie has what is called Primordial Dwarfism. People who have PD are the smallest people in the world, and there are only about 40 in the United States and 100 worldwide. They differ from other Little People in that they are small, but proportioned. It's a debilitating and difficult affliction, but this little doll is full of spunk and very kyewt. I am glad her mom posts updates about Kenadie's well being on her website. I wish her lots of luck and send tiny hugs.

Photo of Kenadie and her dad by Gary Parker.

Nerds (Candy)

2007-02-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

How cute are Nerds? They have no arms. They're always doing fun things like skateboarding and sunbathing.

I just noticed last night, cuz the store near my temporary home has no gummy bears, so I bought a box of Lemondade/Cherry Nerd for me and Bahr. They were pretty delicious too.

Fast Food the New Owls?

2007-02-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

Shouts to Jeremy Scott for sparking the latest hipster icon fad....fast food! For Fall 2006, Scott showed a collection based around ice cream, pizza, burgers and fries:

YUM!

And now, cool kids are following suit with assorted graphic greasy goodness on tees, bags and more:

Best of all, is CLAWZZY's take on it all.....BurgieMushkins with cheeeeeezy talons:

Rob Walker & Murketing

2007-02-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

My friend Rob Walker sent me this picture of Mr. Tiny Polar Bear Baby and it's a winner! Damn those paws are kyewt!

Rob's a writerman and loves the biz of branding, the ins and outs of the dolla dolla bill, nerds who make tees, hating on Mahattan, the 504 and the consumer landscape (he writes "Consumed" for the NY Times magazine, duh) among other things. Rob has a blog called Murketing and he recently ran a convo we had over email about Mashimoro vs. Kitty, Sanrio and San-X. Rob's kinda new to kyewt and I was more than happy to lend my retarded expertise. I was also honored to make the Murketing blog -- a good look for the kyewt crusade!

I shared the link with my sister and she said "for the record, Mashimoro sucks."

SIDE NOTE: I love to say Mashimoro (marshmallow). In fact, I love english words turned Japanese, like "Karisumasu Keiky" (Christmas Cake) which is used to refer to a woman of a certain age who hasn't yet married, like an old holiday fruit cake sittin' around uneaten. Heh heh heh.

Fisher Price Record Player

2007-02-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Should I buy this on Ebay?

I know, it's crazy but being a nostalgia freak (especially and almost exclusively when it has to do with MY childhood), I can't help but drool over this little beauty. I can vividly remember sitting on the floor with this, in front of my bookshelves and spinning records. Of course, I spun real records as soon as I could...

Shall I buy it and save it for my own children, or settle for something like this instead? Eew.

Sweetie In Styles Section

2007-01-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well....what better way to end a three month long blogging hiatus with the posting of this picture from Sunday's NYTimes Styles section. Look at my very handsome better half, Bahr Brown -- role model, community leader, entrepreneur and fashion plate. His store Everything Must Go is the best in the city right now, simply because it's truly unique, straightforward, authentically cool, a gathering place for the community and an extension of his personality (warm, kind, tasteful, hip - blip? - and just a little bit weird).

I'm sick of slick, overly designed, prop laden, cool guy shops with invisible owners who feebly attempt to dictate style. Taxidermy, a beard and some 'tude do not = cool. Rare sneakers, kissing Nike corporate ass and being rude to young fans of streetwear is not cool. But hey, you're cool, or you're not. Helping kids is cool. Being nice is cool. Doing things for the community is cool. Being present and sweeping your own floors is cool.

This Times article is not the best (poor Jessica Pressler's work got raped by NINE editors at the grey lady -- and through all the editing and rearranging they can't get the facts straight -- Bahr doesn't live in East Harlem, we live in Gramercy but ok). The picture however, is amazing. He invited all the kids to the shoot, they were all giddy with excitement, their moms came out, the little one inside the shop in the window was too shy to have his picture taken...it's real folks, it's real. Blipster or no blipster, great things are happening in the 'hood thanks to my honey.

Tiny Face Matches

2006-11-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

Jae toured Asia (the land of kyewt) and brought the crew a slew of prezzies.

There were LV monogram footie socks, Totoro cell phone charms, paper goodies and the most begging-to-be-blogged Japanese treats ever.....these matchbooks with animals and tiny faces painted onto the tips of the heads. Wheeeeeeee!

Killing me softly.

Baby Panda Explosion Part Deux!!!

2006-09-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

I posted a while back about an explosion of baby pandas born in China, thanks to a tip from Joy (scroll down for the kyewtest picture of a lil' one, fresh out of the womb).

Here, from my Aunty Joanne and cousin Julie, are recent pictures of 16 babies in Sichuan.

O

M

G

toooooooooooooooo kyewt.

Here's an excerpt from an article:

The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July. The brood includes five sets of twins. The cubs are weighed and measured every five days by a special panda nurse.The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds. The pandas are due to stop being suckled by their mothers in February, 2006 just about the time they'll start learning to walk. Once weaned, the panda cubs will attend panda kindergarten. In the meantime, more little ones are expected at the center, since 38 giant pandas were artificially impregnated.

Special panda nurse and panda kindergarten. Gorgeous.

TV On The Radio

2006-09-18T15:12:00.000-04:00

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooow!

They also killed it on Letterman last week.

Sweet Baby James

2006-09-12T17:58:00.000-04:00

I caught a James Taylor concert circa 1970 for the BBC on the Ovation channel the other night. Hot damn, that is my boyfriend! Or so I wished when I was a little little girl...before I could work the turntable myself, I'd ask my mom to put this album on and I'd gaze at this cover. Handyman was my jam.

See a snippet of the BBC concert here. HOT.

Farmer's Market Sticker Planet (Paradise)

2006-09-03T01:07:00.000-04:00

Last week in LA we stumbled upon this.

Sung took me and Claw for some Indonesian food and a trolley ride at the Farmer's Market and the Grove (a concept-y outdoor mall...you know I love a mall). After Claw pawed the most crazy rhinestone jean jacket in some contempo boutique and I bought panties, we wandered through the food stalls under low tents and there...

Rolls and rolls, rolls of stickers.

See Claw and Sung mocking my enthusiasm and loving it! Stickers4evaaaaaaa.

Narwhals

2006-08-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

A conversation on IM with sister.....

LizaShermanLI (2:10:34 PM): Narwhals...the unicorn whale.
LizaShermanLI (2:10:35 PM): yeah
LizaShermanLI (2:11:31 PM): it looks like a tusk...but it is actually a tooflikins!
Downtownmiss (2:11:38 PM): whoa!
LizaShermanLI (2:11:45 PM): Yessssssssssssssss
LizaShermanLI (2:12:20 PM): do you remember in the movie Elf the narwhal is like "good luck finding you dad buddy" and will farrell is like "thanks Mr. Narwhal"
LizaShermanLI (2:12:23 PM): BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA
LizaShermanLI (2:12:33 PM): yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss
LizaShermanLI (2:12:54 PM): it is like a manatee with a unicorn spike. rockin!

Pretty much!!!!!!

Miss Van iPod Skins

2006-08-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

Totally getting these for le nano.

In terms of French graf girls who paint girls, Miss Van's better than Fafi, even though Fafi's been getting more play lately (all down with Colette and up in Urban Outfitters). I think I like Miss Van's girls better because they're plus curvy, plus sexy and there's a dark edginess to them that the Fafi babes lack. Like, they tongue kiss rabbits and wear bondage masks. Eew. But kyewt.

Napoleon Cats

2006-08-17T17:14:00.000-04:00

Yeah, this cat IS standing up.

I bought an issue of Cat Fancy magazine the other day. I know, I know, it seems I am turning into one of those creepy women who eats ice cream on the couch every night in her gross apartment amidst a gaggle of stinky kitties and yes, I am getting fatter and I love my Lloyd but I'm not going "crazy cat woman" anytime soon, or so I hope not. I bought it to cheer up my honey, because he's one of those "crazy cat women" but only on the inside. He is, as he says, "one with the cats." So he was in a funk and I was sick with a strange flu-like cold and I hobbled to CVS and there was Cat Fancy so I bought it. Defensive, yes. But like, Cat Fancy is a publication for crazies.

Crazy me read it cover to cover and I learned of some alarming new trends in cat breeding. See above and this site. Oh Jesus. It's sick and mesmerizing.

Baby Panda Explosion!!!

2006-08-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

Speaking of endangered animals....it's a baby bonanza for pandas in captivity over in the homeland right now. Rare and precious, there are only about 1,500 pandas, period. Half the number of manatees. They love eating and sleeping. Me too.

This little bear is mega kyewt, even covered in placenta with his cord a danglin'. Look at its little paw.

Tappie the Manatee Chillin' in Croton

2006-08-08T12:57:00.000-04:00

Very exciting news in kyewtland....a manatee (maybe two, according to today's news) has been spotted in the Hudson River, first off of Manhattan (Chelsea and Harlem) then further upstream around the Tappan Zee bridge and now up by my parents' in Croton-on-Hudson. Nice to know according to John Vargo, the editor and publisher of Boating on the Hudson & Beyond magazine, that Tappie (the manatee's new name), "has found heaven right there. The Croton River empties fresh water into the Hudson there, and you have all kinds of grasses growing on the bottom. It’s the healthiest part of the Hudson.” (This is from Corey Kilgannon's NYTimes article). I wish Tappie had been around for my summers at sailing school back in 7th grade...I would have been very pleased to see him/her upon leaping off my little Sunfish for a dip.

I hope Tappie can get outta dodge before it gets cold.

There are only a little over 3,000 manatees around, period. They are endangered and "authorities" are telling people to stay away from Tappie should she/he be spotted.

Hello Kitty Mitsubishi, Smart Cars, Mini Coop

2006-07-27T14:25:00.000-04:00

Mara's bf Mark alerted her to this.

There's really nothing to say. The pictures do all the talkin'.

I dig itty bitty baby cars. As Richard determined in Spain, "Smart Cars are the new Scion." That's sort of an inside marketing joke, but I do have to say those puppies are smart. And they hit the kyewt jackpot with this pink two seater jammie. Love. Cheap too. When I move to Barcelona, I'm getting this.
In the US, we don't have so many baby cars, since that basically goes against all of our greedy fat fundamental beliefs, but I am desperado for the MiniCooper. Black convertible with gold glitter flame detail in the front. Watch out, I'm gonna get it soon. Perfect for speeeeeeeeding! I heart speeding.

Egyptian Mau

2006-07-22T18:38:00.000-04:00

Ohhh little Egyptian Mau kitten, why do you look so crazy and so kyewt?

Koolhaas and Balmond for Serpentine Gallery

2006-07-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

Sometimes kyewt can be BIG. You gotta give it up to Rem.

I love the bubble, click here for the babble.

Creative Rec Mini Kix

2006-07-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

Checked in with my good man Robert from Creative Recreation at the Bread & Butter show in Barcelona. He was looking fresh despite the fact his luggage got lost, and it was as always, nice to catch up. When you've been doing the shows for as long as we have, it's like summercamp reunion after a while.

Anyway....they debuted baby sneaks. Awwwwwwwwww KYEWT!

Spain

2006-07-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

After a week in Spain, I am fully ready to move there and drink, stroll, siesta and dream my life away. Three days were had in S'Agaro (the Bel Air of the Costa Brava) at La Gavina. Ah the view from the terrace (above). Ooooh la la. The fabulous life of ME! On said terrace is where breakfast was served. On pink and gold plates.

The sea was amazing, the food stupendous, the sunsets endless, the sangria rose-scented.

Check me out here in Cadaques....even Dali's pointing cuz my dress is so kyewt!
From S'Agaro, after working on my bangin' tan, it was down to Barcelona for the Bread and Butter tradeshow. City noise was kind of a bummer, but look what was right outside the window of our hotel.....

Casa Mila, the best Gaudi ever. Muy bueno! Sepia tone, just cuz. It was lovely, lovely, lovely to look at. Goooooo Art History!

Next up was a little World Cup action with... new friend Steven Vogel. A super kyewtie for sure, he hooked us up with all the necessities for a great show.

Dinner with G-Star was a blast....namely for the tiny shells and fishies they stuffed us with:

Yum and yum.

I'm ready to go back now.

Free to Be You and Me

2006-06-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

Thank heavens some of us (Edina) have kids so we can listen to this again. It's been too long.

Mommies are people and it is, indeed, alright to cry, people.

Baby Krazy Glue

2006-06-14T14:45:00.000-04:00

You know the deal, you bust out some Krazy Glue to fix your sandal or your blackberry belt clip and then you push the cap-with-pin back in the "tube" and because it was all dried up from the last time you used it, you had to snip the end with scissors, and now the cap won't stay on, and even in it's packaging the damn thing is leaking all over the place and it's scary when your fingers are bonded together and now the whole damn thing is stuck to the coffee table. Grrrreat.

Well, KG took a hint and now makes single-use, teeny baby tubes of the all purpose goodstuff. Makes perfect sense and racks up major kyewt points. Ding ding ding ding....we have a winner.

Cute in Japan Debate on the AP

2006-06-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

This article by Yuri Kageyama appeared on the AP today. I think it's weird. Not very smartly analytical and all over the place. Don't attack KYEWT.

Excerpt:

Nobuyoshi Kurita, sociology professor at Musashi University in Tokyo, says cute is a "magic term" that encompasses everything that's acceptable and desirable — this nation's answer to the West.
Kurita thinks it's important to watch Japan's youngsters, who see the bustling streets of downtown Tokyo — where the cute aesthetic is born — as the center of their universe.
"Where cute goes determines the future of Japan," he said, adding that Japan's cute offerings may one day command the respect of luxury goods from Europe. "If it succeeds, Japan's future will be bright. If it doesn't, then Japan may disappear."

I don't know, people. "Japan may disappear" seems a tad dramatic, no? And honey, CUTE is going places.

Gnarls Barkley

2006-06-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty obsessed with Gnarls Barkley right now. Crazy makes me crazy and I can't stop listening to it. If I had a daughter, this would be us.

A.M. Homes

2006-05-28T23:59:00.000-04:00

Poor A.M. Homes -- her new novel This Book Will Save Your Life has been getting slammed all over the place and frankly, I thought it was pretty kyewt. Maybe it's not the best thing for a novel to be kyewt, ok fine, but you should know what I mean. The dreaded Kakutani was semi-right when she said it didn't have Homes' usual "verve" (but it was not completely "devoid" as she said) and yes, the sinkhole is a "paint by numbers metaphor" for the protagonist's mid-life crisis (goes without saying doesn't it? Doy.) but Jesus, Michiko you icy miss, did you have to call it "dreadful" in the opening sentence of the review? Brrrrr.

Homes is great for many reasons -- she's a ballsy writer, a Sagittarius, the writer of The L Word's best episodes, a Seven Sister alumna and a fan of Rothko.

I read the book last week and it didn't save my life, but I enjoyed it. If I don't end up skimming at this juncture in my reading career, I'm impressed. Also, I couldn't stop looking at her knockout photo on the book jacket. She's so pretty.

Walkie Bits

2006-05-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

I don't know where I've been, but I just discovered these tiny turtles called Walkie Bits. They're all the rage in Japan, where they are made by Takara (the toy manufacturer who also makes Blythe). I'm not usually overly gaga for robotic or responsive toys because they can be hard to figure out and have a tendancy to make unstoppable, annoying sounds but these guys are kyewt! They sing, they wiggle their butts, they walk and run in programmed code and they're itty bitty. I'm totally hitting ebay.

Fruit Man Schools Me On Cashews

2006-05-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Another Jamaica post.

I eat cashews all the time. But I will confess, that until my trip to Jah Jah, I was ignorant about how they grew. Cashews grow inside little fruits that look like peppers. If you roast the small pepper thing, inside you'll find a charred, heart-shaped black outer shell, which when broken, reveals the meat of the nut. So this guy above, at the Freddie McGregor concert at Bourbon Beach on Negril's famous 7 Mile Beach (so fun!) gave me twelve painstakingly produced cashew nuts for a buck. He very tenderly chipped the shells away and scraped off the roasted skin.

I ate them the next morning, lying in bed looking at the sea. Yum!

Back from Jamrock

2006-05-21T18:44:00.000-04:00

I'm back from Jamaica!

What a doooooope country. The people, the food, the Carribean, the foliage, the fishies, the mushroom tea, the music and the herb -- UH-MAY-ZING.

Check out this kyewt kitty (oh and er, the view) that came to say meow to us in our villa. Bahr gave him Doritos.

Totally going back in October.

Sanrio Sugarbunnies

2006-05-04T00:36:00.000-04:00

I must confess that I have been more in love with San-X's cuties than Sanrio's lately. It's totally blasphemous to talk smack about HK's team, but I'm just being honest.

The Sugarbunnies however, are definitely on point. The name is great. All you need really.

Here's their bio from the Sanrio site:

"Shirousa and Kurousa are master confectioners with a magical touch. Their sweet shop is the most popular in Bunnyland because, no matter who you are, once you bite into a Shirousa-Kurousa creation, you are filled with happiness. At night, they use a secret portal in the back of their oven to visit our world and spread happiness here, too! While the rest of us are sleeping, they are busy visiting neighborhood sweet shops, where they make sweets until the sun comes up. So if you find yourself smiling after eating a candy or pastry, it may well have been made by the sugarbunnies!"

And there's already a fan site.

Gold Teddy Bears

2006-05-04T00:07:00.000-04:00

I am recently obsessed with gold teddy bears in any size or shape. Yep.

Cats in Sinks

2006-05-03T23:48:00.000-04:00

And now for something just straight up fucking CUTE.....here's a website Mara and I really enjoy...Cats in Sinks! The name says it all.

Amazing how much time can be killed here. Click click click click. Yay!

Parkinson's Unity Walk

2006-05-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

Kyewt isn't necessarily happy. Sometimes kyewt can be tender, heartfelt, even sad. Kyewt is simply a pulling, strumming at the heartstrings that can come in many forms.

Take for instance, this photo that I snapped at the Unity Walk in Central Park to raise money and awareness for the fight against Parkinson's Disease. This little boy and his touching sign (it says "I miss my dad's mom") is kyewt to the max. My daddy has that pesky Parkinson's.....it's sad, sure, but we keep on keepin' on. So last weekend, with the sun shining, we took to the park with dad's exercise group, the Westchester Hokey Pokeys and had a ball. Janet Reno was there, Michael J. Fox and Laila Ali (for her dad) too.

Joyce Carol Oates

2006-04-27T19:06:00.000-04:00

This dog looks like my favorite writer Joyce Carol Oates.

I am currently reading a collection of her short stories called "I Am No One You Know" . I love JCO in these small doses -- little tight giblets of prose that add up to a whopper of a meal, or across longer works where she really lets loose with abstract fragments and all that good stuff.

I read her all the time, and lucky for me she's the most prolific American writer out there. I think if she was a man and put out less work, she'd be even more famous than she is. Which is basically SUPER wack, but the way things work.

JCO is a professor at Princeton and I wish I had gone there so I could have studied with her. I wanted to interview her for something but then the thought of being face to face with her made me so nervous I never pursued it.

Her recurring themes are right up my alley and I love how she can take you right smack into the middle of a character's insane headtrip with one carefully crafted line....

Totally heart you Ms. Oates.

Xiang Xiang Free!

2006-04-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

Xiang Xiang (it means auspicious, of course -- ooooh my people), the invitro panda raised in captivity in Wolong, China will be set FREEEEEE tomorrow. Just in time for the blossoming of new bamboo shoots. JACKPOT! Look at his picture above, he's such a model.

He's four years old and a healthy 176 pounds. He'll be under surveilllance of course, but aren't we all.

Pandas are so dope. They're really beautiful and really picky about who they have sex with, which makes them really rare. Only 1,600 out there in the wild. Wild.

Pig Olympics

2006-04-21T12:49:00.000-04:00

For some reason, they have Pig Olympics in Moscow. Here are three little guys in the swim competition.

These guys are so kyewt. I heart pigs.

Chewy Vuitton

2006-04-19T17:40:00.000-04:00

This is CLAWCAKES' baby, Peepers Marie Saint. I thought it was Peeps Saint Marie. She also goes by Little Jimmy. Either way, she's a wild and crazy beyatch just like her mamma.

Peep Peeps' jiggy Chewy Vuitton plush.....mmm mmm good! Ladies love logos! Buy it here.

Hot damn you're a foxy lady, Jimmy!

Nails!

2006-04-17T23:56:00.000-04:00

I've always been into doing my nails. Sister can attest to my late night polish sessions as early as 6th grade. It's always been a regular part of my lady maintenance and I always say, nail tech is totally my fall back career. I'm good.

Over the years, I've amassed a sick collection of more than 200 bottles of nail polish and a shoebox crammed with nail art supplies. I've got decals, rhinestones, Japanese glitter gels, even a tiny drill for piercing and sweet golden charms. Call me crazy, or pure nerd, I'm obsessed.

Back in my secretarial days, I went tip crazy and spent hours in a salon near Hachette until Mara was like "lose the tips, they look like chiclets and they freak me out." Point taken. I was au natural until a recent trip to Miami and all the baby hipster girls running ghetto fabulous-lite around town got me inspired. So I find myself sitting for hours and hours once again, this time with the super rad Nancy in a tiny salon on 85th and Amsterdam. The Upper West isn't exactly a nail decoration kind of 'hood, but Nancy's down to try anything I like and all the work gives her an excuse to stay late and watch her Chinese soaps. Tonight, even though she prefaced it with a sniff and "not so beautiful! for Valentine's Day, why now?" she laboriously applied the tiny foil hearts that I brought in. I haven't used them since copping them at Shibuya 109. If you don't know what that is....school yourself on the ganguro goodness and drop by next time you're in Jp.

And yes, that's me in the pigtails above (with sister and cousins Amy and Julie). The original nail gangstress. Act like you know.

PURE NERD!

2006-04-16T23:57:00.000-04:00

I took this test and I am not simply a geek, dork or nerd. My results read PURE NERD.

Jeeeesus. I mean, I know I know, but....PURE nerd?

No one on the page came close to my nerd quotient, everyone's all 59%, 46%. The guys who have pictures of themselves shirtless with their muscles out came in at like 23% nerd. Is it any wonder I can't even talk to dudes like that?

Yours truly came in at a whopping 83% nerd. Only thing is....I'm only 22% dork. I think that means that I am an attractive and sociable lifetime learner. Yeah baby....I heart books.

Death Cab 4 Kyewtie's Ben Gibbard

2006-04-16T23:34:00.000-04:00

Sean took me to the Death Cab For Cutie concert on Thursday night and it was grrrrreat. We thought we spilled booze on Ben's gfriend up in the box, but it wasn't her. Just some surly broad with asymmetrical hair.

Outside the after party downtown, I felt like a herb asking Ben G. to take this flick with me, but too bad - I wanted it. Some guy he was talking to offered to take it and then totally rolled his eyes at me, but Ben snuggled in and said "so nice to meet you!" You gotta love the sweet and sensitive, 'specially when they've got awkward-sexy stage moves. Mmmmmmhmmmmm.

Bah da ba da ba baaa
Bah da ba ba ba da da daaa

Spring Has Sprung

2006-04-09T23:43:00.000-04:00

Daylight Savings Time, wacky weather and as captured today, the tree outside my window in full bloom.

Now if the mercury would rise just fifteen degrees so I could wear sandals...

Polly of California

2006-04-07T16:34:00.000-04:00

I've been in a real shoe-buying mood these days. Actually, that's not so strange.

Look what I got at Pat Field's new store on the Bowery. I also interviewed Ms. Field for the "Icons" issue of Swindle magazine yesterday. She's an incredible dynamo and I really came away from the interview with some precious nuggets of inspiration. Pat explained that being unhappy is foolish and wasteful and even I, with my melancholic tendencies, have to agree. In her words, "life is a party and you should enjoy it because it ends." Very true indeed, wise lady.

Frankly, these throwback, slightly slutty, '70s glam-o-rama steppers are just right for an everyday celebration. These are, have been and will always be awesome. Feathered bangs optional.

Ted Rossi Snakeskin Bangles

2006-04-06T23:57:00.000-04:00

I can't stop wearing my sssssssssuper sssssssssexy sssssssssssnakeskin bangle bracelet by Ted Rossi. TASTY!

Perfect python power, and a gold leather lining to boot. Not really too mad at the price either.

Copped at the hottest store in Miami, Arrive.

Goldie

2006-04-03T17:49:00.000-04:00

Hey packaging people and marketing people: go ahead and make some cosmetics with little flower shaped caps and shit, even better, throw a bow on the nail polish bottle too, ok? You can't lose. Someone will buy it, and I mean a THREE PACK of lip glosses, just for the packaging and won't even test the colors or anything!

Yes, that someone was me.

Marc Jellies

2006-04-03T17:32:00.000-04:00

Sure $100 may seem pricey for a pair of rubber shoes. But these are just so right. Marc by Marc Jacobs surf jellies ballerina flats in gold. Get 'em here.

My first memories of jelly shoes have me at about 10, going to summer camp in the country, running in the big local pool away from the mentally challeneged boy who'd pretend to be a shark and chase me in the water. Bad enough he was pretending to be a shark (a bobbing "fin" in the form of two hands still makes me squeal), he was also, that kid. And he had to have a thing for me, right?

My pair was blue glitter, if I can remember correctly. They had a spiraling, interlocking weave and a little one-inch wedge heel like these. I thought they were pretty rad 'cause they were slip on pump-stlye, not buckle strap sandal-style which was for babies like my little sister.

I wore mine as soon as I bought them yesterday and they made me feel 10 again. Wheeeeee. Thank you Marc!

R.I.P. Hal

2006-04-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

Rest in peace, sweet coyote.

Hal dropped dead, of unknown causes, moments before he was to be released. What were they doing to him????!!!!!!!!! It's a cruel world, Hal, but you're in the big city park in the sky now.

From the New York Times article:

"He was in good shape when he left me," one of the handlers, Rebecca Asman, said yesterday. "Maybe there were other things going on inside of Hal. He looked good to us. As far as outward appearance, he was eating very well and he was very calm, but coyotes are by nature very calm."

Hal the Coyote from Westchester

2006-03-31T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have been a bad bad blogger. But whatever, it's my blog.

I definitely should have given shoutouts to this kyewtie sooner, tho.

Who's a wily and curious 35-pound wubbie who ran all buckwild through Central Park, freaking people out and making authorities (even choppers!) bumble around like dorks trying to find him? HAL THE COYOTE FROM WESTCHESTER!!!!!

Maybe he chilled with the rat brigade, the pigeon posse or the secret squirrel service late at night. Maybe he lay across the giant slabs of schist that protrude from the ground, intrigued by the glittering mica by day, the artificial glitter from lights on 59th street, CPW and 5th by night. Did he sprint across the Sheep's Meadow? Play king of the hill at Belvedere Castle? Sweet sweet freedom!

I bet he had a great time in our majestic Olmsted oasis...just like my high school boyfriend and I used to back in the day.

*Soundtrack for Hal's Freedom Ride: "Gold Lion" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs...tell me what ya saw

Neo Kaiju - Seonna Hong Vinyl

2006-03-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

Allow me to nerd out for a moment.

I was psyched to find these kyewties designed by Seonna Hong for "Neo Kaiju," a new capsule project. Five American artists were asked create two, 3" figures - one an homage to Japanese monsters (kaiju), the other an original creature from their imagination. Tako Girl, the purple one, is a little sexy member of the octopus family, I think. Nuthugger, the green squirrel is all Seonna all day.

Her husband, Tim Biskup made two figures too. Hers are more sold out than his, and waaaaaaaay kyewter. Heehee.

It's nice to have girl-designed vinyl.

eLouai's Candybar Dollmaker

2006-03-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

'Member the post a few weeks back about internet "dollz?"

Well....CLAW sent me the link to this website this morning and it definitely wins the most mind-numbingly-kyewt-way-to-kill-time award of the day!

Sigh. I just pissed away a half hour working on the above masterpiece.

Choose from a million combos and make a dozen little yous.

I'm really feeling the monkey swinging from my waist, the gold hoops and necklace, fishnets, heart shaped rouge and of course....what looks like Lloyd down on the lower left corner. Meow!

Target African Hobo

2006-03-06T20:13:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows that Target's the case study for bringing "design" to the masses....yeah yeah yeah they set it off with that gross Michael Graves teapot forever ago....but hell, I'm always pleasantly surprised when I shop there. (TIP: I try to avoid the one in the Bronx, because if that store doesn't make you want to run from the ghetto hills and ensconce yourself in the rich, whitewashed burbs nothing will -- try White Plains for a much more pleasant shopping experience). I gotta give it up to the big red for coming correct with this African print hobo purse. They have four different fabrics and they're all pretty kyewt. Get 'em here.

Netherland Dwarf II

2006-03-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

"Hey hey, you know me. I'm a Netherland Dwarf, remember? You can recognize me by my fat little body, crazy round head and tiny tulip ears! Just wanted to say what's up."

Ladys Pop

2006-02-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

POP POP! LADYS POP!

Kyewtest sox from Vegas!

Word to Buffalo Exchange...the NCPs hit that ish uuuuuup.

The Sundays

2006-02-28T19:13:00.000-05:00

I'm a nostalgic girl for sure, but I confess with a certain amount of confusion that for the past few months I have been ob-frikking-sessed with Reading, Writing & Arithmetic. This is the 1990 debut album from The Sundays of course, led by one Miss Harriet Wheeler. Look at her in this picture...so kyewt in her little jeans, her slightly bouffant updo and wispy bangs. I truly believe she LAID IT DOWN for crooning alterna girls everywhere with her lilting, pouty, acrobatic girly voice.

Listening to it today takes me right back to high school; my first love, driving the old station wagon, smoking cigarettes, my worn in docs, hating President Bush, writing poetry. Half the time I can't really understand what she's saying, but singing along to emotionally charged lines like the last one in "You're Not the Only One I Know" - it's that little souvenir of a colorful year which makes me smile inside / so I cynically, cynically say the world is that way / surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise" still feels so right. Yeah! The world is that way. Surprise, fucking surprise.

The whole album is flawless. I can't say the same for their sophmore effort, Blind.

I found this kooky article by John Polewach at Stylus magazine. His points are debatable (his thesis involves contrast of The Sundays' "Can't Be Sure" and "I Kicked a Boy" with The Smiths' "Hand In Glove" and "Handsome Devil") but I love the fact that the dialogue's even happening. Cuz it's crazy.

I wish Reading, Writing & Arithmetic had like twenty six more tracks.

I miss you, Harriet! I hope your life is great....

Harold Hunter

2006-02-18T01:07:00.000-05:00

Harold...
Your always kyewt spirit will be missed.
Rest in peace.

Uhhhhhhhhhh (tiny gerbil)

2006-02-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is how I felt last night after eating too many Valentine's chocolates.

Fauchon, btw. THANK YOU, BABY!!!!!!

Netherland Dwarf - WTF?!

2006-02-13T23:12:00.000-05:00

Well well well....what do we have here?

In perfect yin-yang black and white, for your Valentine's Day viewing pleasure, I'm proud to introduce the cutest breed of bunny in the land..the Netherland Dwarf. She has tiny little ears, a flattish face and a little round body that makes you want to pick her up, snuggle her very intensely for a minute and then shove her in your pocket for safekeeping.

Take another look. JEsus!!!

When I see these, I am Steinbeck's Lennie, wanting nothing more than a beautiful life tending to the hutch. I listen to George sell me the dream as visions of teeny Netherland Dwarfs dance in my mind, "...we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof...'"

Nike Valentine's

2006-02-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

Had a nice little adventure out to famous Moe's in Queens today (thanks, J!!!) where I copped these little kyewties. Pink pink pinkitty pink pink with a red swoosh and bubble, and "i (heart) nike" on the insole. I love the '97. I love all the Air Max sneaks actually. I'm just waiting for the gold 1995s -- already have 'em on hold before they've arrived beeyatches...

I also bought a teeny pair of Wallos. The Clan would be proud, and my honey informed me that they filmed the Ice Cream video out there...

You're lookin good fly colored asian. Thank you, Rae!

PS -- Mr. fresh water scrod himself, Ghostface was looking kyewter than ever at ASR last month.

Marc Marrone

2006-02-09T00:15:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Martha, she is so frikkin genius for plucking this dude out of public access land and giving him a show with a budget.

Totally the highlight of my weekend mornings.

According to the website, it's a show for teens. Who knew? Teens?

Kyewt Food - Little candy peeps

2006-02-09T00:07:00.000-05:00

The topic of cute foods came up tonight as we nibbled baby veggies, tiny steaks and bitty cakes (thanks, Meltin' Pot!) and this image instantly came to mind.

At the end of the day, no one really does it better than she does.

Internet Dolls? Dollz?

2006-02-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

If anyone's an expert in these....school me.

This world of slutty, kyewt, tiny, fashion-loving, fantasy-based pixel "dolls" has been around for a while now. You see them on web pages, as chat icons etc. It's a global phenom and yet, I don't fully get it. I guess manipulating their hair and outfits is an art or hobby and there's a community of fellow fun-makers out there so why not, right?

Not so much my bag, howevah...looking at the crazy sites and picking out the digidoll that looks like you (if you shopped at Joyce Leslie, Rainbow Shops or the juniors department at Macy's Herald Square -- which we all did in our poorer, younger years, so no offense) is kind of fun.

In the assortment above, though I don't much care for any of these ladies, I'd have to peg myself top row, 3rd from left. Ms. Pink Outfit. Ok, I'd never wear that, but she has a sort of smug, bitch face that I can relate to. And yes, I know they all have the SAME face, but it's the princessy bangs and big hair that have her saying "ummmm, I don't think so!" with a familiar ring. Also, I'd never wear high boots, a dress over pants or a handkerchief hem -- and things like that alone do a lot of the elimination work for ya.

Here's one of my favorite "dollz" sites thuggndivazdollz, for your viewing pleasure.

Guitar

2006-02-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

My neighborhood friend, Nutenti brought my guitar back tonight. I let him borrow it indefinitely after he spotted it lying in a corner behind some stacks of crap at my house, dusted it off and began jamming. I figured hey, why let it go to waste? I wasn't playing it. In fact, I had only strummed it once or twice since acquiring it (I swapped it for a copy of Photoshop) long ago, maybe 1996, the Williamsburg days. Anyway, the only thing I know how to play is the three or so chords that make up "Doll Parts" by Hole.

But lately...I've been having alterna-folk-rock fantasies, I keep telling Richard and Sean we should start an early '90s cover band, and I'm revisiting lots of good music that involves plenty of guitar.

AND, more importantly, I'm QUITTING SMOKING. So it's good to keep the nimble Chinese fingers busy with something more productive than lifting ciggy to lips.

Quitting Smoking

2006-02-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

And the award for GIVING ME THE MOST SUPER CRAZY, NOT KYEWT AT ALL FEELINGS INSIDE goes to.....

Quitting Smoking!!!

Grrrrrr.....

Day 6.

Which Kyewt Animal Are You?

2006-01-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

This is me. A lilttle baby monkey.

As determined by pretty much the best quiz ever.

I'm off to swing from tree to tree.

Peace.

Happy 4704! Woof.

2006-01-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

Kung hei fat choy!

4704

Year of the Dog

May it be a prosperous and smooth one for all.....

Dogs are the most beloved animals in the Chinese zodiac.

There are fifteen days of celebration for the New Year, beginning today.

Last night at a little Lunar NY Eve party, I had my astrological chart read. I am "metal." The colors I should surround myself with are white and gold. I should wear a lot of jewelry to keep my metal flowing. That suits me just fine....

Eat dumplings!

Chocolate: The Guide for Boys

2006-01-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

When you hear all that stuff about chocolate being better than sex, and see all those cartoons and tourist tees with pathetic women dreaming of chocolate and blah blah blah...well, they're all based on real stuff. We like chocolate. Sometimes it is better than sex. And when we get our period we want it even more than we usually do. Here's my point: it, along with other things, is the way or perhaps I should say, a very solid way to a girl's heart. It's always a good gift. It's a REALLY good gift if you don't eat any of it and you watch us eat it ALL without saying a word. Muah!

With V-day coming up, I thought I'd give you a rundown of good choices for your lady. Just say no to Whitman's Samplers. Also, 1lb minimum - no little four piece box.

From top to bottom:

Fauchon - for the Princess. Straight up.
Vosges - for the truffle lovah or design snob.
MarieBelle - for the LES lady who owns her own apartment.
Li-lac - for the West Vil girl with a soft side.

If you're in Cali....

It's See's. Delicious all, every and anytime.

Can you guess which one I want?

Here's a hint: it's pink.

Rody

2006-01-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

I ran into Rody at Richard's house recently. I was handed a hot toddy in a kyewt mug with what I believe was his likeness. Hmmmmm...he looked familiar, but I didn't know his name. You know what that means: let the compulsive researching begin.

These lovable little horsies are children's toys. From the '80s. Push Rody's little rubber feet into a base and he's a rocking horse, take him off the base and he's for hopping around the house on. Sweeeeet. Check it here (so much kyewter than pukey yoga balls...speaking of which, when's Murakami gonna lace one?)

The Japanese have gotten their kyewt-loving paws all over the Rody license (from Italy, I think) and now churn out phone charms (seen here), Pyrex ware and all sorts of Rodyproducts.

I love the heart on his head and his little spotted sides.

When I was little I used to make myself sick on the Sit 'n' Spin. I also had a big horse, like a carousel horse on a frame with springs that sister would wil' out on.

18K

2006-01-27T16:16:00.000-05:00

I got this sparkler in the mail today. Ebay. Tres kyewt!

I am so loving 18K yellow gold right now. A girl, I mean, WOMAN, can only handle so much 10, heck even "14" Karat from the hood for so long. Gold fill, even worse.

Of course if ever faced with a choice, it's gotta be 24K, but because it's so soft you can't really set stones and go all out. Of course you can do a chain, a charm, a band...and they're GOOD. Don't be afraid of the yellow, Americans...it's the hot shit. Real rekanize real.

Gold is currently trading off the charts...you gotta be ballin, or dumb, to buy it pure right now. Just a heads up, in case you head to Canal St for New Year festivities and get hypnotized by the dangling chains in all the windows...mmmmm.

Kyewt Porn

2006-01-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

CLAW says baby animals are like porn for girls.

She found this money shot after typing "baby bunny" into google images.

Onion booty, baby bunnies, tomayto, tamahto - same thing. All NOT work.

Ponies

2006-01-18T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sparkle-Pony and Cool Breeze emailed CLAW and me about The Pony Project. They are desperado for anything related to it. Claw's pony was soooooo kyewt. What a night.

Sparkle-Pony and Cool Breeze are a mother daughter duo from Tatum, Texas and are cuckoo for Hasbro's My Little Pony. I found this picture on their homepage along with lots and lots of information, weirdness and la kyewt. They explain:

"Here we have many fanciful BABY animals. Yes, these are also My Little Pony items. They are called; My Little Pony Friends and Pretty Pals. There is a dinosaur named Cutesaurus, an elephant (Edgar), a calf (Leafy), panda (Nectar), moose, (Oakly) Llama (ChaCha), kangaroo (Hoppy), lamb (Wooly), and even kittens, and rabbits. The kittens and rabbits come from sets called, Li'l Litters. The Moose and the Llama range from $20 - $40. See the pink, small item in the middle? That is a My Little Pony Charm. Some of these go for over $25. These were only available from McDonalds in the St. Louis Missouri area in 1984. Many people think these are bookmarks. There are six different charms."

Ohhhhhh ChaCha the Llama.
Ohhhhhh Nectar, with your baby blue markings.
Sigh.

Piedmont Boutique

2006-01-12T22:41:00.000-05:00

Powerhouse Sara and I had lunch the other day and rattled off a kajillion 80s fashion trends we loved. Then somehow, we bonded over our love for Piedmont -- the Haight/Ashbury institution filled with more earrings, hair clips, glittery tights, bangle bracelets and super-fly junky accessories than you could ever dream of.

She told me that they make everything there, which is mind-boggling. You have to see the amount of stuff they have to truly understand this -- we're talking a WALL of earrings, people. Glitter tights dip-dyed in 30 hues. It doesn't stop...

She also told me they sell on the web. I don't need it -- earrings cost like 5 bux, but I managed to drop close to 200 last month. But should you need it, go crazy and relive your middle school earring fantasies here.

Mimoco Mimobots

2006-01-12T22:23:00.000-05:00

USB drives.

Do I even need to write anything?

Oh yes I do.....their butts light up when ya plug 'em in. Yesssssss.

These epitomize la kyewt all day.

Canned Coffee

2006-01-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

A can of coffee with a free toy topper is my idea of kyewt.

Walking alone in the back streets of Shibuya a few years ago, past love hotels and strange little restaurants in the rain, I came face to face with four, humming, illuminated hot coffee machines and just standing there with them felt comforting.

You plonk your coins in and choose. Which brand/can/flavor to choose proves challenging when you don't speak Japanese, sure. Will it be hot? Will it have milk? Sugar? You take a good guess and press a button. The can rolls down. Pop the top and you're sipping on a little bit of steamy heaven. Mmmmmm the universal language of coffee and love. YUM!

I found this website, cannedcoffee.com which may help me the next time I'm in the presence of one of those wonderful machines. Reviews of canned coffee, ranging from longwinded and literary to short and snappy, are here, posted by writers of all varieties. The site has some sort of coffee-journal-late-night-insane-fest-on-paper for sale. There's also an ode to coffee by Balzac on the homepage. You gotta love that. The site is hosted by Chin Music Press, the Japan/Seattle-based publishing house devoted to creating books as objets. Nice stuff!

Barbapapa

2006-01-11T00:27:00.000-05:00

Parisienne Annette Tilson met Frisco kid and expat Talus Taylor in France and made kyewt history when they created and published the first Barbapapa book in 1970. Tilson and Taylor are married, live in Paris and still churn out out Barbagoodness.

Barbapapa grow out of the ground and are squishy, amorphous shape shifters. They can turn into anything - ferris wheels, stairways, musical instruments, houses, letters, heck....anything. The big pink one is the Barbapapa, his lady is the all black Barbamama and together they have seven Barbababies, all with distinct and lovable personalities.

The Barbas became cult favorites through countless books published in many languages and a shortlived, Netherlands-produced animated series in the 70s. In newly produced Japanese merchandise (yes the Japanese are ALWAYS on it) Barbapapas are still out there living it up.

I had these books when I was young and was always obsessed with their originality and squeal-inducing illustrations. I really wanted more than anything to go chill with these guys, if only for a little while. They always had a great time, even when dealing with adversity. Shape shifting solves so many problems. Need to go to the Riviera? I'll be a boat and let's go!

When I was in Japan, I picked up Barbapapa toe separators for pedicures. They make Barbapapa everything over there. If you're in the states, you can shop Kid Robot for the occasional import.

Hit up the official Barbawebsite for Barbagames and a most excellent Barbababyscreensaver.

Pencil Caps

2006-01-11T00:05:00.000-05:00

I found these vintage sweeties up for acution online. Sanrio, of course. Circa 1978.

Remember the days when something as simple as a kyewt pencil cap made your day? You could just go find an ugly old pencil, transform it, whip out a piece of paper and scribble your name over and over, watch the new pencil cap bob around.

Yeah.

Glad to know my good friends over at Sax-X are still churning out some sweet ones.

Dog Portraits

2006-01-09T19:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm a cat person, but this portraitess is pretty great! Her name is Alexis and she's a NYC local. Cool. I particularly like this English bulldog imagined as a fish. I often imagine my cat as a bunny rabbit.

Vintage Stickers

2006-01-07T01:59:00.000-05:00

Oh wow.

I can't even get started here...

I got them on eBay with hundreds more in a mega lot and I could cry tears of nostalgic joy.

Expect more on vintage stickers in future posts, cuz I got lots to say.

Hagen-Renaker Minis

2006-01-07T01:27:00.000-05:00

Founded almost by accident in 1945 by a husband and wife duo, Hagen-Renaker makes handcrafted ceramic figurines. They make a ton of horses that people go ga-ga for, and also produced Disney collectibles for many years. Most appealing to my kyewt sensibility are these miniatures. The San Dimas, California-based company has new release and retired figures every year.

Sister was big on miniatures back in the day. When visiting my grandma in Frisco, we'd troop a few blocks down in the Sunset district to a little Chinese-run gift shop and she'd go crazy over itty bitty foodstuffs, brass lamps or household utensils and the like, for her setup back home.

Being the older sister with no dollhouse, I'd buy a few of these little guys.

Averaging about an inch, they still come on small pieces of paper printed with the instructions "to remove - soak in water" -- which I can't remember ever following. I'll have to rummage through the archives at mom and dad's to see if they have little paper pads on their paws.

Tobias Wong

2006-01-06T00:19:00.000-05:00

Tobias Wong is great. At first I was hesitant to really like his stuff, because I can be a hater. But at the end of the day, I'm a lover.

Image 1: From his collabo with Ju$t Another Rich Kid, gold pills to make your poo sparkle. Available HERE for $275

Image 2: Pearl earrings dipped in a fondue of matte black industrial rubber.

Also, he has a Jenny Holzer tattoo. Teeheehee.

Pretty Kyewt, guy.