tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45029676157326604752024-03-13T08:06:22.432-05:00PearlThe Adventures of an American AcademicPearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.comBlogger658125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-84424257978443292072016-03-04T08:30:00.000-06:002016-03-04T09:01:03.682-06:00November's books (reposted)#15, <em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em> by Mark Twain (1884) and #16, <em>Mrs. Dalloway</em> by Virginia Woolf (1925).<br />
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Another two-fer. <br />
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<em>Huck Finn</em> was another book I read in high school that whizzed past my head. Zzzzzzzp! No traces left from the passing. Later, as an adult, I reread it and discovered what Twain was all about: that sharp, funny "American" voice that speaks as if naive but in reality sees the world just fine, thanks. I cannot believe anyone reading this book thinks or thought that Twain advocated slavery or racial inequality. It is of course Huck whose world-view is undone by the discovery that Jim is a man, like any man, not an object to be owned or ordered about.<br />
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Then, as now, Twain's bluntness (in Huck's mouth) offended people. He intended to do so, and intended that people stop being racist by confronting the dirty secret of their racism and change. It is a satire, folks!<br />
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It is not a young adult novel. I wish people would stop treating it as f it were, simply because Huck is a "young adult." It is a grown-up person's book, and if we recognize that, we'll all be happier and more sensible. Personally, I dislike Tom Sawyer. He is a Ferris Beuller-sort of hero, a show-off and a bully, and I like Huck as a character much better. I know too many Toms and not enough Hucks.<br />
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<em>Mrs. Dalloway</em> wasn't the first Woolf novel I read, but the first one I understood. It certainly helped me figure out what Woolf was doing with space and time in her novels, which was the modernist key, I think. Or maybe I am wrong and never got it. But... this novel opened the world of Woolf's writing to me, and coupled wiht Hermoine Lee's brilliant biography, made me understand Woolf's art and voice. Better, actually, than all that talk about Woolf as a feminist and as a woman writer--how about just as a writer, like Twain or Hemingway or any other of the writers on my list.Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-73978572210750016342016-03-02T08:30:00.000-06:002016-03-02T12:11:37.326-06:00New Frugality and Becoming Clutter-Free (Repost)"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." William Morris<br />
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Morris is one of my personal heroes, and I have this quote hanging in my home office, brought directly from Kelmscott, the William Morris home in the Cotswolds.<br />
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This quote alone has been making me think deeply about the many, many things in my house right now... and how some of them need to go to a new home. My second donation of the month--donated to the thrift store for a fund for breast cancer survivors--is growing and growing. Thus far, my 6.5 digital crockpot, my old canister vacuum cleaner, kitchen bakeware (including cookie sheets, pieplates, and a springform pan), 3 rolls of Contac paper, 4 pairs of shoes, purses, clothes, sheets and pillowcases, and a lovely beige throw are in the mix. In addition, I am getting 7 items out of my house and out of my life, back where they belong (<a href="http://pearlinparis-pearl.blogspot.com/2010/10/7-in-7.html">7 in 7</a>).<br />
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This entire exercise has made me realize that I own three of everything... "Just in case." The funny thing is that my taste makes me buy the same things, but I either forget I have two already or simply think I need three, all evidence to the contrary.<br />
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The energy that has come out of getting things out of my life has been tremendous and surprising. As I have said, the incoming new possibilities are also exciting. I am determined to spend the next several months paring down, donating and selling and throwing out. My goal is to create breathing space in my life and to get myself unstuck, in a variety of ways.<br />
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This has also been helped by commiting to the <a href="http://pearlinparis-pearl.blogspot.com/2010/10/challenge-express-lane-checkout.html">Express Lane Checkout Challenge</a>: wearing only 15 items from my closet, not including outerwear, shoes, accessories, and lingerie. Week Two and going strong.<br />
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To get specific about my New Frugality, I also hope to generate some monies from selling clothes, books and media. That's Part II of the plan, which can't be initiated until I feel more energy and self-generated movement beyond simply bundling up and dumping off stuff. <br />
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Unfortunately, I can't say my spending habits have been exemplary during this month. I will have run through the saved money in my primary savings account by Friday, sadly. Next month I hope to have some left over to move into the secondary, long-term savings account. We'll see. I did make some changes already, paying myself first, by scheduling a transfer of last month's saved grocery monies, etc., into my long-term account as soon as the paycheck comes in (see counter at right); this puts my long-term saved at nearly half my goal.<br />
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Beyond that, November means:<br />
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<li>creating a budget for weekly grocery buying, including planning to take advantage of gas discounts from a favorite grocery chain;</li>
<li>commiting to emptying out the pantry of beans, rice, canned vegetables</li>
<li>commiting to emptying out the freezer of broth, soups, frozen vegetables</li>
<li>limiting my eating out/drinking out events to Sunday breakfast, Tuesday dinner, and a weekly drinks with friends</li>
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It also means starting to pay down my two remaining credit cards in a serious way, putting me on a schedule to be debt-free of one card by April 2011, and of the other by May 2012. Given that I also plan to stay in Big D over the summer, writing and researching while teaching two courses... I might even get ahead of that schedule. Specifically, by the time I teach at Oxford again, I will be debt-free with savings.<br />
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<i>3.2.16: In the spirit of clutter-free and recycling, I am recycling some of my most popular posts from the early years of this blog. Yes, I still have and believe in the Morris quote, I am still recycling items out of my house (this week: clothes, kitchen items, makeup brushes, magazines, books, and health & beauty items given to my students!). While I will never be a minimalist--lightbulb!--I am determined to have 25% less "stuff" in my closets, on my bookshelves, and in the huge plastic tubs that store... things. How about you? Any great stories about decluttering or recycling out there? </i></div>
Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-74725237960386354362016-02-26T08:30:00.000-06:002016-02-28T16:23:03.630-06:00New Treat: Le Creuset pot<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
For an early birthday present, I bought myself a prezzie: my first Le Creuset pot, a 2.75 qt. round Dutch oven. It arrived yesterday.<br />
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Oh, it is so beautiful! I cannot wait to use it.</div>
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This is super-great, too, because I just unloaded a large group of older pans to Goodwill. This one will more than fulfill the use of those older pots. It is also perfect in size for my single-life cooking,w here I really only want to cook two or three servings (not eight!) for me. Part of my New Year's resolutions for 2010, to cook and eat better. Meaning in part smaller, cheaper, more skillfully.</div>
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Yay, me!</div>
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<b><i>2.26.16: Six years later and not a week has gone by I didn't use this... except when I was out of town. Soups, stews, and all sorts of delicious cookings. Next to the crockpot, this pan is probably one of the best investments I've made for my kitchen. Bad news, this color, Cobalt, has been "discontinued" by Le Creuset. There are three or four other blues, but none this gorgeous. Good news, before they were gone I got these beauties:</i></b><br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-4516736659148322282016-02-24T08:30:00.000-06:002016-02-24T12:09:39.464-06:00Favorite Things: Shadow of a Doubt (Repost)One of my favorite movies is Hitchcock's 1943 <em>Shadow of a Doubt</em>.<br />
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<a class="command-edit-asset" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Edit"></a><a class="command-edit-enclosure-format" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Format"></a><a class="command-delete-enclosure" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Remove"></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361613780965292034" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OfPdIzqmI70/SmhHU6VGeAI/AAAAAAAAAHs/m88XeeBesME/s400/shadow_of_a_doubt.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 268px;" />Apparently, it was one of Hitchcock's favorites, as well, although there are lots of people who have never seen it. It is not as famous as other of Hitch's films, like <em>Psycho</em>, <em>Vertigo</em>, <em>Rear Window</em>, or <em>To Catch a Thief</em>. Each of those had bigger names or, in the case of <em>Psycho</em>, overtly more famous scenes (Janet Leigh's slashing murder in the shower, combining sex and blood, mmmm).<br />
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I have always found <em>Shadow of a Doubt</em> terrifying, creepy, and a fine mix of comedy and skin-crawling suspense.<br />
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The scriptwriters are worth noting. One was Alma Reville, Hitchock's wife. She was his editor and assistant director, but one of the writers not only on this film but on <em>Secret Agent</em>, <em>Suspicion</em> and <em>The Paradine Case</em> for Hitch. The other two are more intersting to me, personally. One was Sally Benson, the author of <em>Junior Miss</em> (a novel that became a successful play and radio program, one of my period favorites when I was a pre-teen, about the wholesome experiences of a young girl in high school....), as well as the filmscripts for <em>Anna and the King of Siam</em>, <em>Little Women</em>, <em>The Singing Nun</em>, <em>Come to the Stable</em>, and (hilariously!) <em>Viva Las Vegas</em>, yes--the Elvis film! If you know these films, you recognize them as generally wholesome, optimistic, upbeat films. Her most famous filmscript is undoubtedly <em>Meet Me in St. Louis</em>, the Judy Garland/Margaret O'Brien musical.<br />
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...and <em>Shadow of a Doubt</em>? Her first film credit.<br />
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Huh.<br />
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The other writer is Thornton Wilder--yes, the author of <em>Our Town</em>. Only five years after writing <em>Our Town</em> and winning the Pulitzer Prize for it, Wilder co-pens this disturbing view into the emotional corruption of a happy suburban girl.<br />
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The participation of Benson and Wilder in this film actually intrigues me and freaks me out.<br />
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<a class="command-edit-asset" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Edit"></a><a class="command-edit-enclosure-format" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Format"></a><a class="command-delete-enclosure" href="javascript:void" onclick="return false;" title="Remove"></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361613876209636530" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OfPdIzqmI70/SmhHadJH1LI/AAAAAAAAAH0/Zf7omyz7uT8/s400/doubt4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 306px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" />Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright are marvelous as the central duo, young Charlotte, known as Charlie, and her maternal Uncle Charlie. This is one of Hitchcock's films based on visual/metaphorical duets, like <em>Strangers on a Train</em> or <em>Vertigo</em>, where two characters mirror each other's emotional, psychological, or physical acts. Charlie is a young woman from a nice middle-class family who lives in Santa Rosa, California; she has no job, seems to have graduated from high school, and appears to drift without direction or purpose--in the most pleasant and charming manner. Uncle Charlie, in his niece's eyes, is a sophisticated, handsome man-of-the-world for whom she has been named and in whom she seems to see a kind of shadow self (male, older, wealthy, unattached) who can do the things and go all the places she fantasizes about. In reality, however, Uncle Charlie is the Merry Widow Murderer who marries and strangles wealthy widows, using all that charm, all those good looks, all his focus to seduce and kill. <br />
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The script opens with a remarkable dual sequence showing, first, Uncle Charlie in ugly East Coast Philadelphia, living in a tenement, pursued by government agents, and apparently sick to death of life. The rooming house with its gossipy landlady, the slum streets, and the overhead angles make the city look as filled with exhausted, as broken down, and as empty as Uncle Charlie does. Then we fly to Santa Rosa, young Charlie's city, where everyone smiles, the town sparkles, and golly, there are trees and big houses with shady porches. But Charlie is bored, distracted, and irritable with her lovely, simple family. <br />
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The problem is that once young Charlie and Uncle Charlie get into the same house, something's got to give. Charlie sets out to learn her uncle's secret--not knowing there is one and how bad it is. She simply wants to know more about the man she admires and emulates.<br />
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The film follows both of them, young Charlie as she discovers the ugliness behind her uncle's handsome facade and Uncle Charlie as he tries to evade government agents and his niece's questions. He tries to kill her three times--unsuccessfully. He reveals the nastiness inside himself--but only to her. He takes her to a bar, where she has obviously never been; this is a great scene, a kind of spiritual initiation for young Charlie into Uncle Charlie's world. <br />
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I love this film for its creepiness, for its weird mix of the obliviously happy/normal Santa Rosa folks and the self-aware/transformed people (like young Charlie, the government agent who is our romantic hero, and Uncle Charlie himself) who have been infected by the negative stuff of the 20th century (serial killing, consumer envy, urban blight). There is a scene that suggests that Uncle Charlie's "disease" comes from a fall he took on a bicycle when he was six or so, smacking his head and nearly dying. As his sister, young Charlie's mother, notes, "After that there was no holding him." Before, Uncle Charlie had been a bookworm, a reader, a quiet, well-behaved boy; after, an adventurer, a rover, a physically active boy who detached himself from their household. I like that this is hinted at but not some easy Freudian explanation of where a serial killer comes from; the scary thing is that Charlie himself doesn't seem to have any kind of conscience or guilt about his murders, simply the desire to enjoy its fruits and to stay out of jail... which seems more about freedom and preserving his reputation than fear of authority, either civil or religious. Uncle Charlie is almost, nearly a prophet: he looks at the modern world and seems corruption rather than progress, disease rather than stout health, and self-absorption rather than optimism. But he is, of course, corrupt himself, and murdering silly, lazy women isn't actually justifiable because they're, well, silly and lazy.<br />
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Wilder's participation in this is most interesting to me, because this seems the flip side of the simple optimism and flag-waving patriotism most people see in <em>Our Town</em>, without looking more deeply into the playwright's message. I have always thought that Wilder used that play to send a message about complacency and knee-jerk self-satisfaction; I think he does the same here. <br />
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It is a brilliant, chilling film with many individually fine performances, including and especially Patricia Collinge as young Charlie's mum and Uncle Charlie's older sister. The sequence in which she bakes a cake for the government agents is marvelous, highlighting the character's obliviousness to what is happening in her house under her nose. Because it is so "normal" Uncle Charlie's performance is scarier, in many ways, than the one-off horror of <em>Psycho</em>. <br />
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<strong>Pearl </strong>Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-26136711010925223082016-02-23T09:00:00.000-06:002016-02-24T12:09:30.728-06:00Reposting favorite older postsI'll be reposting some of the older posts that have gotten lots of comments and check-ins. I think a lot of these are actually pretty useful and still current. Check in with your comments to let me know what you think.<br />
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I'll still be writing new posts, but only a few times per week.Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-88988538675722698982016-02-22T09:30:00.000-06:002016-02-22T16:31:50.408-06:00Top Ten Items in French Pharmacies... well, my 10 anywayRecently I have been reading a lot of "top 10 items" under this particular heading. The interesting part is now that we're all global and everything, these items are more or less available without having to step foot in a French pharmacy... which is a shame, to be honest.<br />
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I love shopping in Paris pharmacies and Monoprix cosmetic sections.<br />
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My favorite pharmacy is everyone's favorite: <a href="http://www.pharmacie-paris-citypharma.fr/" target="_blank">City-Pharma at 26 rue du Four.</a> Here's the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-pharma-paris" target="_blank">Yelp review</a>. Why do I love it? Um, the prices (which are even better than Monoprix prices), the madness of the customers inside, and the variety of wacky stuff I can buy, including organic teas.<br />
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This place is NOT for the faint of heart. French women push and shove and call you names in an attempt to get around in an admittedly overcrowded store on two levels, where the aisles are barely wide enough for one skinny Frenchwoman, and there are 300 of you.<br />
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Make sure--if you go--that you hit both floors, the organic/vitamin area, and the baby product areas. Have a list. Be polite but shameless. Look into other women's baskets to find out what they are buying and what sales items they've discovered.<br />
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If you cannot take this (and you'll know in about 60 seconds whether you can), go to Monoprix. Many of the same products can be found there, again at bargain prices, and it is rarely quite so gladiatorial. Here is an <a href="http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/3-pharmacies-where-you-can-buy-french-beauty-products-for-less.html" target="_blank">article</a> with City Pharma but two other suggestions; there are pharmacies all over Paris: wander in and browse. It is education!<br />
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My top 10 favorite products from City Pharma or any Parisian pharmacy include:<br />
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1. <b>Crealine H2O from Bioderma</b>. This micellar water removes makeup beautifully and is recommended by models everywhere (well, then!). Recently, US brands have caught on to this: don't be fooled. Also, I recommend the sensitive skin version (pink cap) but there is also a version for acne-prone skin (Crealine Sebium H2O) that I use (green cap) that smells faintly cucumber-y but works for my skin.<br />
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2. <b>Vichy's Purete Thermale 3 en 1</b> is also a makeup remover, a milky, soft-smelling cream that removes eye makeup including mascara (without stinging), general makeup, and acts as a toner. One tube lasts forever: worth every penny, because it leaves your skin feeling silky and read for nighttime moisturizer.<br />
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3. <b>Avene Cleanance </b>is a moderately priced and very gentle but thorough cleaning gel. I use it every morning in the shower, and my skin loves it (I have combination skin, and I've over 40). It never makes my skin tight or flaky, and I can use it with my Clarisonic without stopping everything away. the regular size bottle lasts me 5-6 months. No nasty smell, either.<br />
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4. <b>Avene Cold Cream lip balm</b>. This is my go-to lip balm any more, and I've tried the Caudelie, Nuxe (stick), and multiple others. This works when my lips are wintry-flaky, dry from heated air or sun, and cools as well as heals. Now, it does nothing for you in terms of color or shine, but it is not waxy or sticky--a bonus, in my opinion--and last long time.<br />
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5. <b>Nuxe Reve de Meil</b>. Now, this is the Cadillac of lip balms. The version in the pot is much, much better than the stick, and feels oh so good going on. Tastes good, smells good, lasts a long time, and if you like pots (I get irritated with having sticky fingers), this will make you happy. I do recommend it if this is the version of lip balm you prefer. Beats everything America's got.<br />
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6. <b>Nuxe Creme Fraiche</b>. This is my everyday moisturizer for day; I started using it about eight years ago when I was having real trouble with flaking and dull winter skin. It has been the product I've used longest on this list: cannot live without it. If you need something slightly heavier, the Creme Prodigieuse is that one--I have used that too. Yum. Reviewers sometimes get stuck on the scent of this, which is definitely personal. If Creme Fraiche bothers you, try the Prodigieuse. One jar lasts me about 3 months. Both can be bought on drugstore.com.<br />
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7. <b>Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse</b>. I am obviously a big fan of the Nuxe line. Love the dry oil phenomenon? Nuxe was doing it with this way before everyone decided to jump on the bandwagon. And it has Vitamin E. This can be used on skin, hair, face... and smells great. It also comes in a version with gold flakes in it, but I go with the traditional. I use this on the dry skin on my arms, neck, décolleté, and it never makes me feel greasy, slick, or messy. Drys almost immediately; I often put it on in the morning right out of the shower, then finish putting on primer and moisturizer on my face, and by then I can dress and the oil doesn't track onto my clothing. If you;ve never tried a dry oil but were thinking about it, you might really love this one.<br />
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8. <b>Elgydium Toothbrushes</b>. Ok, this may sound crazy, but my dental visits have been much better since I started using these toothbrushes. No idea why. I pick up a year's worth at a time. Maybe I like brushing my teeth more with a toothbrush from Paris? Who wouldn't... and they're dead cheap.<br />
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9. <b>Topicrem Body Lotion</b>. I had read about this body lotion on multiple websites and lists, and finally bought a bottle. Ooh la la, yes. It is all that and more. Love it! Plus, simply inexpensive but again works on that nasty winter heated air skin that makes me itchy and twitchy. I am finicky about body lotions--both smells and textures--and this one passed both tests. I like the light, not cloying scent that fades quickly and doesn't overwhelm my perfume. I also like the light, melt-in-quick texture. Great to wear to bed, because I don't wake up with lotion-slick sheets.And a bottle lasts a long time.<br />
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10. <b>Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk.</b> This is another item that shows up on everyone's list. And deserves to. It is great for that second-day had you don't have time/can't wash (and Frenchwomen do not was their hair every day, n'est-ce pas?). Spray or squeeze in, brush out and voila! You're gone. Again, a nice, light scent that doesn't overwhelm. And by the way, the entire line of Klorane shampoos, conditioners, and hair products are fantastic--and come in sample sizes, if you want to experiment.<br />
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I haven't even included the great line of sunscreens from La Roche-Posay Anthelios, the Caudalie Beauty Elixir (big fan!), the Avene Eau Thermale sprays, the Homeoplasmine balm, Avibon Vitamin A cream, and on and on. Or cosmetics! My favorite lipstick comes from Monoprix's (now defunct) Miss Helen line; the in-house cosmetics are just as good (better?) than those by the name brands Monoprix also sells.<br />
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When you go to Paris, visit some pharmacies and try the lines by Vichy, Nuxe, La Roche-Posay, Caudalie, Klorane and other French brands. Or most of these are available thru either drugstore.com or amazon.com. Have a little splurge and see what these "top 10 lists" are all about.Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-78908105322907047542016-02-20T11:53:00.001-06:002016-02-20T11:53:32.934-06:00Checking in... lateWow, it has been some time since I've uploaded a new post!<br />
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Life has been busy--to say the least--and so I've been working on multiple projects since I last posted. Most of those are completed or moving along smoothly, and today I just happened to journey back this way.<br />
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I feel like I've stepped into a place where I used to live, very happily, and find that time has stopped in that space. Hmm. Maybe we need a bit of a dust off, yes?<br />
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<img src="http://cdn.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Snow-White-Blowing-Dust.gif" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin: auto;" />Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-19374616983661447862015-04-29T14:35:00.005-05:002015-04-29T14:36:18.804-05:00Bird's-eye view of Paris. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-89158154070634258602015-02-03T13:24:00.000-06:002015-02-03T13:24:28.292-06:002015 and back againWell, despite everything 2014 turned out to be BIZZY (busy+dizzy).<br />
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Much got done, but I definitely dropped out of this blog. The good news is that I discovered how much I missed writing every day, sharing with readers and receiving back news and commentary from them as well. <br />
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I want to continue sharing tips and ideas about Paris, but also London. I've spent the last two summers there, and am starting to get to know it now. <br />
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<img height="594" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/45/24/91/45249152fc71949c29d5b8366a1ef155.jpg" width="429" /><br />
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New project: Writing a short play about Josephine Baker. Such an interesting character!<br />
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And so very Parisian!Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-58689388234708064712014-03-16T17:13:00.000-05:002014-03-16T17:13:05.177-05:00Paris Museum Pass: 2, 4, or 6 days of blissThis is the <a href="http://en.parismuseumpass.com/" target="_blank">actual multi-day museum pass</a> <a href="http://frugalscholar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Frugal Scholar</a> was referring to in her comment on my post on <a href="http://pearlinparis-pearl.blogspot.com/2014/03/musee-dorsay-1-tip-for-visitors-to-paris.html" target="_blank">Musee D'Orsay</a> this week.<br />
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I was simply suggesting you buy your tickets for the Musee D'Orsay on-line prior to the day you go, but she is right: the Museum Pass (which I have never used, fyi) does seem a great deal for the money: 4 days for 56<em>euro</em>? I think I'll buy one this summer when I am in Paris only for that short stay.<br />
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Researching the site further, I realize why I never bought one before: you can either have it shipped to you (for an additional cost, which lessens the economical appeal) ....<em>or</em> pick it up when arriving in Paris, on rue des Pyramids for free. Or buy it in the CDG airport, or FNAC outlets. <br />
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Okay, it's sounding better and easier. <br />
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Given that the pass includes entry to the Musee D'Orsay, the Musee national de l'Orangerie, the Musee Cluny (medieval art and culture), the Louvre, the Musee Rodin, and the Musees des arts decoratifs, when it costs me 16<em>euro</em> alone for the first two sites... and it will get me in without waiting on lines... and I'll have paid for all of my entries upfront and never have to worry/open my wallet again, this seems a worthwhile purchase. <br />
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It also means that I'll be bound and determined to get to at least 4-5 museums during my five-day stay, no matter what. Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-5328623560700738882014-03-13T08:00:00.000-05:002014-03-13T08:00:02.192-05:00Musee D'Orsay: #1 tip for visitors to ParisI have not exactly picked up the ball and run with it, or some other athletic metaphor. But January through mid-March has been another wild ride (why do I think my life will be quieter or run more smoothly or peacefully? It is a delusion I am consistently seduced by...)<br />
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But here is <strong>Paris share 1/50</strong>: <a href="http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html" target="_blank">The Musee D'Orsay</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0gWBBehCnxE/UyEsoUue6kI/AAAAAAAACJg/H5kyoCAidrY/s1600/MUSE_D~1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0gWBBehCnxE/UyEsoUue6kI/AAAAAAAACJg/H5kyoCAidrY/s1600/MUSE_D~1.JPG" height="516" title="Musee D'Orsay, Paris" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musee D'Orsay, from across Seine</td></tr>
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Forget the Louvre. well, don't "forget" it, but let's get real: the Louvre is a wonderful repository of artifacts and global art--but if you want to "know" Paris go to the Musee D'Orsay. Spend a morning there, after which your entire Paris experience will be richer, deeper, more complex and interesting.<br />
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Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30*-6 (except Mondays); open Thursday nights to 9:45 pm.<br />
Cafes: 3 inside; carts outside, and nearby cafes (tourist prices)<br />
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The museum is a renovated train station and it is one of the most difficult interiors to navigate. <strong>Pick up a map.</strong> To get to the 5th floor: go directly to the rear of the main floor and take the escalators at rear center all the way to the top. To get to the <em>niveau median</em>: go left (East) or right (West), up one set to steps and down the long hall of rooms which open into/through/around one another.<br />
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Interested in Monet? Manet? Degas? Van Gogh? Toulouse-Lautrec? Gaugin? Caillebotte? Renoir? Courbet? Corot? Any painter/sculptor/designer/photographer of the 19th century? You'll find them here, in juxtaposition with their peers. If you pay attention, this is as much about the evolution of Paris during the 19th century as it is about the evolution of art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MwwL0d3tpEg/UyEsZQcqnQI/AAAAAAAACJc/AzihCVXC3CI/s1600/Orsay+gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MwwL0d3tpEg/UyEsZQcqnQI/AAAAAAAACJc/AzihCVXC3CI/s1600/Orsay+gallery.jpg" height="480" title="Main floor, Musee D'Orsay, Paris" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For Impressionist Rooms: walk down this central hall to rear, take escalators</td></tr>
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When heading for the Impressionists, ignore everything else.<br />
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In specific order, here's what you <strong>must</strong> see:<br />
<ol>
<li>The Impressionist section (fifth floor, SE corner). This is <strong>the</strong> intense collection of paintings and sculptures by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and their associated pals between the 1860s and 1880s. Come early to avoid crowds, ignore the tourists filming (instead of looking at) the paintings, and find bliss.</li>
<li>The pastels and drawings of Degas, Lautrec, and others--same floor. Smaller, intimate dark rooms to preserve the materials/media.</li>
<li>Van Gogh, Lautrec and later post-Impressionists:W side, 1 staircase up from entry floor, Rms 71-2 (Niveau median).</li>
<li>Individual (free/unticketed) exhibitions.</li>
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Of course, if you have a ticket to a special exhibition, these are usually very popular and crowded, so go there after #1 (Impressionists are ALWAYS the most crowded and thus annoying rooms.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wk6UN692DlU/UyEsLwF_c4I/AAAAAAAACJU/5RinYZg3TZI/s1600/Musee-d-Orsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wk6UN692DlU/UyEsLwF_c4I/AAAAAAAACJU/5RinYZg3TZI/s1600/Musee-d-Orsay.jpg" height="410" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impressionist Rooms, Musee D'Orsay</td></tr>
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If you are interested in decorative arts or early/mid-nineteenth century art, go there last. I say this because these rooms are always empty and you will not be battling crowds. You can then enjoy these spaces at your leisure. Both are rich, rich, rich in materials: you will find yourself nearly hypnotized by the holdings. <br />
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Last---but far from least!--go to the bookstore. Even if you are uninterested in art history books and textbooks, this is one of the best museums shops in Paris. It is filled with great gifts for children (or wonderful stuff for your children of all ages, if they're with you), mothers & mothers-in-law, and everyone else. This bookstore is not as good as it used to be, and yet it is superb. <br />
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My final recommendation: buy your ticket (or tickets) ahead of time. If you do so, you will eliminate all standing in line: you will sail by all those standing outside as if you were Queen Elizabeth (or Wills and Kate). I suggest buying through <a href="http://musee-orsay.fnacspectacles.com/?_lang=en" target="_blank">FNAC</a>, if only because you can open an account and buy all your museum/event tickets early here, print them before you leave the US, and enjoy waving royally at the wilting peeps in the "line." <br />
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*If you do not have a ticket, be in line by 9:15 am to get in nearly as soon as the museum opens (May-Sept); if you do have the advance pre-ticket... see "Wills/Kate" note above.<br />
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<u>Directions:</u> The museum is located on the Left (South) Bank of the Deine, directly across from the Louvre. It can most easily be reached by taking the #12Metro to Solferino, or the RER C to Musee D'Orsay, or walking across the Passarelle Solferino from the Quai des Tuileries. Here's a <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?gl=us&hq=musee+d'orsay&daddr=1+Rue+de+la+L%C3%A9gion+d'Honneur,+75007+Paris,+France&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&geocode=FTmL6QIdIYAjACkblDC2K27mRzHYI0SxjL1x0A&cid=15019994644224418776" target="_blank">map</a>. It is a longer, but lovely walk from the Place de la Concorde across the Pont de la Concorde and along the Seine. <br />
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<em>Associated museums:</em> <br />
Musee <a href="http://www.marmottan.fr/" target="_blank">Marmottan Monet,</a> 16th arrondissment: Monet, Morisot, Renoir in small museum<br />
Musee <a href="http://maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/" target="_blank">Victor Hugo</a>, 4th arrondissment: Hugo's home with special exhibitions. Bonus: located in the Place des Vosges!<br />
Musee <a href="http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/" target="_blank">de l'Orangerie</a>: 1st arrondissement: special exhibitions of Impressionist painters<br />
Musee <a href="http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/" target="_blank">Carnavale</a>t, 3rd arrondissement: a museum of the culture of Paris, medieval to modern times. Bonus: location in the Marais district!Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com1Paris, France48.856614 2.352221900000017748.6894645 2.0294984000000178 49.0237635 2.6749454000000177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-71092148563496936782014-01-21T19:22:00.003-06:002014-01-21T19:22:20.275-06:002014... and now what?I have definitely been absent for a while. 2013 turned out to be a complicated, crazy year full of twists and turns. <br />
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For 2014, I look forward to a return to, well, calmer waters. I have plans to spend the summer in England, teaching in both London and Oxford. I hope to take a bookbinding class, starting to learn a new skill... an "old school" kind of one.<br />
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I am also continuing my attempts to de-clutter my house and life, to get and stay healthy, to develop and strengthen my personal community, and to be more creative on all levels. <br />
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What's new, then, in the Pearl 2014 blog? <br />
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Recently I've been asked by no less than five friends to give them advice about what to see and do, where to stay and eat, and similar questions about Paris. Not surprising, really, since I've lived there twice (1999 and 2008) and visited multiple times since 1981. I know the city, although I am always learning more. Most importantly, I give great advice about things to do and see and buy while there. <br />
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I've decided to post my favorite 50 tips about visiting Paris. This will include information about travel, hotels, cafes and restaurants, shopping, museums and monuments, and even day trips. Since my travel budget was usually small, most of these will be inexpensive (verging on cheap), but some will be splurges worth every euro. I'll also point out etiquette along the way, manners and attitudes that will keep you from standing out as an Ugly American. <br />
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To my mind,the whole point of visiting someplace away from home is to engage with that place and its culture--not your own reproduced. Travelling broadens us because we aren't at home and can't act like it. <br />
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I'll also include a list of movies, books, and music that you can use to prepare yourself for visting Paris, or simply to indulge in a virtual visit.<br />
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This means every week will see a new tip plus new materials about Paris. So if you can't visit in person, you can still enjoy the City of Light.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-6598031312464070422013-05-01T06:00:00.000-05:002013-05-04T09:25:23.166-05:00The Good Wife Style: Margulies, Baranski and PunjabiI stopped watching THE GOOD WIFE a couple seasons ago, to be truthful. It was really because I saw the looming love affair between Alicia and Will becoming "real," and I just did not want to deal with the coming duplicity, conflict and all-too-familiar baggage that goes with a love triangle in such a series, where there is a lot of smoke, some heat and no real fire... or change.<br />
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That said, from the very beginning I loved the commitment of the producers to this show--centered around a smart, hard-working woman--and the fashion style that went along.<br />
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Of course, it must be horribly unpleasant to have the weekly task of dressing Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski and Archie Punjabi, three of the most unattractive and style-deprived women in modern America. I pity the costumers, wardrobe personnel and dressers... not.<br />
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One of the reasons I admire the style here is that, for once, the stylists and costume designers get it right for professional women. Baranski's Diane Lockhart is a woman who is intelligent, wealthy and stylish, able to use her personal style as a tool in her arsenal as a high-end lawyer, the senior partner leading a small but very successful firm. Margulies's character has moved a long distance in four seasons: she started as the SAHM who returns to the legal profession (as a litigator/associate) when her husband, a state's attorney, goes to jail, but in season 4 she becomes a partner in Baranski's firm. Punjabi plays Kalinda Sharma, an investigator who works solely for that same firm; she and Margulies are friends, but Sharma's character is not a lawyer.<br />
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Although all three women are attractive, there is no emphasis on sexy female bodies, no cleavage, no embarassingly tight skirts in court, no childish junior-girl fashion. Instead, all three women convincingly play "professionals."<br />
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I've always liked Margulies, ever since E.R., but here she is actually carrying the show (with superb support throughout). Her style is suits and separates, mostly skirts--with polish and class. The colors run from black and gray to wine, scarlet, royal blue and beige-y tones. Her accessories are nice but modest (almost no jewelry, for example), her hair is simply done, and her make-up adult.<br />
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Baranski of course has a dancer's body, a long and lean but curvy silhouette. Her character wears suits, too, obviously high-end designers, very luxe. Her accessories as "da bomb," ranging from pearls and Hermes bags to real stones set in gold and statement pieces. The best thing about Baranski is that she wears the clothes and accessories, not the other way around. Her hair, too, is simple and her make-up excellent. The colors run from charcoal to purples and blues, to beiges and creams.<br />
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Punjabi is shorter than the other two, probably petite. She wears leather--a lot of leather jackets, wide leather belts and a kick-ass pair of leather boots--contrasted with soft knits and wools, jeans, and very few accessories. Her clothes are edgier, sexier, tighter--but she still looks professional. Like a private eye, not a pole dancer. Her colors are darker, too.<br />
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The men in the show are equally well-tailored, wearing suits, ties and shirts. But it is the women who provide the real class and style for this show. <br />
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The great part is that this style is not out of reach, even when it is clear that the costumers aim at haute couture business wear. It is more about fabric, color and texture, plus the careful accessorizing, skirt lengths, excellent tailoring/fit and (frankly) superb support garments, hose and underwear.<br />
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On the red carpet, of course, they are all three enviably gorgeous.<br />
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My favorite character, of course, is Eli Gold, as played by Alan Cumming.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-71015930469490160342013-04-29T16:57:00.002-05:002013-04-29T16:57:31.340-05:00Gifting/Giving awayI should add to today's post that while I bought new (thrifted) things over the weekend, I also tossed an equal number of items in my Goodwill bin, ready to drop off, and took four scarves to school today, to give away. <br />
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It was a win-win. I put five items in my bin, took four scarves in... and three young ladies got new wardrobe items. One of my girls wrapped up her scarf and tied it on immediately, as it was a great match for her Monday dress.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-72602856634370259992013-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:002013-04-29T06:00:12.227-05:00Thrifting WeekendOn Friday and Saturday I went thrifting, looking for some items to fill in gaps in my spring/summer wardrobe, especially for London.<br />
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Friday: I went to Buffalo Exchange and used one of the two credit cards I'd acquired by selling excess clothing. I bought a denim jacket ($8) and black&white polka dot dress ($15), each of which fits perfectly. The demin jacket was one piece I was determined to find, and the cost was $0 because I used the card.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denim Jacket similar to this one</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polka Dot Dress just like this one</td></tr>
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Saturday: I went out to a strip with several thrifts where I had never been. At the first one, I bought two coats, a blue 3/4 jacket in a particularly lovely shade ($4.98) and a silver tissue coat that is nothing like my usual fare ($6.98). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxJ0nG572Ow/UX3C4IDstvI/AAAAAAAAB_U/nA8oGPChJKQ/s1600/b5f6c42d6121ca8fbba9e4bff9e9ac3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxJ0nG572Ow/UX3C4IDstvI/AAAAAAAAB_U/nA8oGPChJKQ/s320/b5f6c42d6121ca8fbba9e4bff9e9ac3d.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Jacket similar to this one, in this exact color</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Coat similar, but softer in its lines</td></tr>
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At the second shop, I bought a small gold-framed mirror to hand by the front door ($7) and a basket the perfect size for the monthly magazines/catalogs ($5). <br />
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At the third, I found a paisley cardigan ($7), a black&white tweed linen jacket ($6.50) and a Willi Smith skirt ($8). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-46JroZCcu1M/UX3Cms34PHI/AAAAAAAAB-8/lUI8c5CmGa0/s1600/prints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-46JroZCcu1M/UX3Cms34PHI/AAAAAAAAB-8/lUI8c5CmGa0/s320/prints.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar, but waist-length and without buttons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bta8kzjhwDw/UX3DCLfCW4I/AAAAAAAAB_s/GghpyCGVdjA/s1600/42962898_43074661_290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bta8kzjhwDw/UX3DCLfCW4I/AAAAAAAAB_s/GghpyCGVdjA/s1600/42962898_43074661_290.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tissue-weight linen, with center closure</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full skirt, black with fuschia and white floral pattern</td></tr>
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The good news is that each piece will not only go well with most of the others, but will mix into the basic black/white/blue/rust scheme of my summer clothes.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-78517649622808380072013-04-17T19:18:00.000-05:002013-04-17T20:28:46.223-05:00Howdy, Spring!Here in the Big D, it is past spring. Those cool, clear, crisp days are gone, replaced by muggy, hot days... already. A little breeze, a lot of green, some rain. <br />
<br />
In the past two weeks, I've produced my annual playwriting festival, complete with seven plays; co-planned my summer in London, teaching another history/theatre/performance course, including details about travel, coursework and packing; cleaned my house and done another round of Goodwill (brewing a third round, as I write); and bought a new mattress and box spring, to be delivered... tomorrow. <br />
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Old mattress set: taken away and disposed of.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VX3Rq46Yikw/UW87T3U-u_I/AAAAAAAAB-o/TBVGMGncw3o/s1600/L_SimmonsRC_FisherIslandFM_Sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VX3Rq46Yikw/UW87T3U-u_I/AAAAAAAAB-o/TBVGMGncw3o/s320/L_SimmonsRC_FisherIslandFM_Sale.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new mattress set!</td></tr>
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New mattress set: put in place and sheeted up and... sigh. That's a happy sigh, by the way.<br />
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I cannot wait.<br />
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BTW: buying a mattress set was just like buying a car. My salesguy was a car salesman, basically, which is not really a compliment. I had done my homework, had two coupons (for discount and free delivery) and got a great salesprice. I bought a $2600 mattress for $1200, with free delivery. Another... happy sigh.<br />
<br />Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-46431192740064124522013-04-01T15:07:00.000-05:002013-04-01T15:07:53.323-05:00Good news, Bad news... April Fool's DayThis was a weekend full of errands, and the week ahead is full of commitments.<br />
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Good news: I replaced my spare (and an old tire with a HUGE hole) with a new tire... for a decent price, in less than an hour on Saturday morning that I spent reading in a sunny waiting room. <em>Bonus:</em> I turned down a free yet totally ugly baseball hat.<br />
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Good news: made a HUGE drop-off at Goodwill.<br />
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Good news: donated excess pantry goods, cosmetics and toiletries to students. Free stuff! Out of my house and into theirs. <em>Score!</em><br />
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Bad news: pollen count and blooming trees make for allegens floating into my sinus passages in mad amounts.<br />
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Bad news: I must take my new/old car into the Honda dealer to replace all power brake hoses. <br />
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Good news: I will get reimbursed for the $450.00 I paid out in 9.12 for replacing only one hose, due to same recall. <strong>Huzzah! And the replacement hoses will be replaced for <em>free</em>! Double Huzzah!</strong><br />
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Bad news: my nights will be full of students' plays through Sunday... no time to myself, or for class prep or grading or anything else... wait--is that bad?<br />
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Bad news: I've got one extra class and two meetings this week on top of all I'm doing...<br />
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Good news: I'm getting paid for the extra lecture. Oh, and I'm showing a movie in one class on Thursday... <br />
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Good news: I returned 3 out of 4 items ordered from a catalog to the store in town (no mailing charges), and found 3 better items, using a coupon to save mailing costs again. A pretty equal trade, but I am coming out of it with more useful, better-looking items.<br />
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The best news is that I found a clothing steamer. Yes: "found" one. I had been thinking about buying one to use instead of an ironing board, but couldn't really justify the expense. However, one of my fellow tenants who was moving put his out on the curb. I took it home, washed it out with vinegar and green cleaner, and tried it out last night. Great news: it works, and steamed the wrinkles out of four shirts in practically no time. I found the model online and it has mixed reviews... which might be why it was out on the curb. I'll see how long I can make it work. But it was <em>free</em>!<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-21295393526102327112013-03-29T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-29T06:00:04.991-05:00If I were in Paris... Friday, March 29, 2013The weather in Paris today is 47 degrees and rainy... not the best weather for a flaneur or flaneuse, enjoying the streets or views of Paris.<br />
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In which case, let's consider indoor entertainments near each other.<br />
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Starting in the 4th arrondissement, there is an exhibition at th Hotel de Ville, <a href="http://www.paris.fr/haute-couture" target="_blank">Paris Haute Couture</a>, celebrating Paris fashion and including key examples from the collection of the Musee Galliera. This free exhibition is open from 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday. <br />
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A short walk from there along Rue du Rivoli is the Louvre, which right now has some really interesting special exhibitions. <br />
<br />
For example, through June the museum is celebrating the opening of its new exhibition rooms for <a href="http://www.louvre.fr/progtems/en-lien-avec-l-ouverture-des-nouveaux-espaces-du-departement-des-arts-de-l-islam" target="_blank">Islamic Arts</a>. In connection with this, through June 8, is an exhibition on Walid Raad, a Lebanese installation artist. Here is a <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxm6qt_walid-raad-au-louvre_creation?" target="_blank">video</a> of the exhibition.<br />
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And of course, a rainy, chilly day might be the perfect day to fully explore the Louvre, on a week outside the tourist season. On a day like this, one could wander through the museum and really enjoy the paintings, sculptures and rooms full of decorative arts, precious items and history. <br />
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Another short walk down Rue du Rivoli is the Musee des Arts decoratifs, which has an exhibition on <a href="http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/francais/accueil-292/une-486/francais/mode-et-textile/expositions-70/actuellement-447/fashioning-fashion-deux-siecles-de/" target="_blank">Fashioning Fashion: Two Centuries of Fashion 1700-1915</a>. This show runs until April 14 and includes changing styles from France, Italy and England.<br />
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What else can you do in this area of the tightly-knit 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements? <br />
<ul>
<li>You can wander the Tuileries Gardens.</li>
<li>You can have hot chocolate at Angelina.</li>
<li>You can eat and shop at the Louvre Carrousel.</li>
<li>You can visit the bookstores at the Louvre, the Musee des Arts decoratifs and the Comedie Francaise.</li>
<li>You can stroll the Palais Royal gardens.</li>
<li>You can stroll up to the Opera Garnier and tour that gorgeous building, as well as their current exhibition.</li>
<li>You </li>
</ul>
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-40353738209485598442013-03-27T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-27T06:00:08.320-05:00What is the Value/Cost of a T-shirt?Funny, true story: this past Sunday, I was relaxing at home when the plumber showed up. <br />
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I knew he was coming, and I had already been out, to breakfast and the grocery store, but when I arrived home after errands I changed into a worn t-shirt and flannel pj pants and socks to clean house, put away groceries, read the paper, and watch TV. <br />
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And by "worn," I mean shapeless and day-old, plus no support underneath. And by "flannel pj pants," I mean... you get it, same day-old.<br />
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The plumber showed up <em><strong>fifteen minutes early</strong></em> and caught me in that get-up... and I couldn't change out. <br />
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Then, I had to go out into the apartment courtyard to tell my neighbors on either side that the water was turned off--in pj flannels, sloppy old tshirt, and slippers--and chat with a third neighbor who wondered what was going on. Oh, and go back over to the neighbors once the water was turned back on. And I was embarrassed my neighbors saw me like that.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much like this...</td></tr>
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Do you see where I'm going with this?<br />
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Mostly, we think no one will notice. I think, I'll just run into the grocery store, grab the cheese and head back to the car. No one (I know) will see me.<br />
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The truth is lots of people see us, but more importantly we project how we feel about ourselves right out into public. It's okay if strangers see us like this... it's okay if people who know/like us see us like this... it's okay if we feel this way about ourselves. People will still like us/find us attractive/look beyond the surface because beauty is more than skin deep. <br />
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Part of my response to myself was simply a kind of slap upside the head: I knew he was coming and I knew I'd be embarrassed if anyone saw me in that sloppy outfit... but I put off changing. And I got caught. (Lazy.)<br />
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Part of my response to myself was to assess--for real--how embarrassed I was and how sloppy my at-home attire had become. I do tend to slip out of work gear to what I call "soft clothes," yoga pants or sweat pants, a t-shirt or chambray shirt, and barefeet with slippers at the ready. But, lately, it's been all about the flannel pjs and really worn t-shirt, more of a "nap/sleep" gear than a comfy "do work around the house" gear. And, after all, no one will see (judge) me.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXkt-WDuayE/UVCctn9nD-I/AAAAAAAAB88/qrJH45HTVZw/s1600/sweatpants-in-public.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXkt-WDuayE/UVCctn9nD-I/AAAAAAAAB88/qrJH45HTVZw/s320/sweatpants-in-public.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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Except myself.<br />
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While I don't want to wear formal clothes at home, I need to discard the shapeless, frayed, stained, torn and lifeless sweats, flannels, and t-shirts that have become a comfy staple. Why? Because they feel sloppy. They look sloppy. They project an attitude of carelessness and laziness I realize I take on when I wear them (see above). I have plenty of well-fitting, clean, attractive t-shirts: I am not against t-shirts as a category. I have good yoga pants and sweatpants: I can discard the pj bottoms that are five years old and feel so comfortable I do nothing in them but sleep or lounge or nap or procrastinate.<br />
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This is where clothes can affect my attitude about myself and how I spend my time. When I want to focus, I don't really want to find myself in a tatty, stretched-out t-shirt and pants duo, because I want to get to work. Being "too comfy" is different from being casual. I don't want to feel as if I project a "giving up" about my age, shape, attractiveness--which is exactly what I think those kind of clothes say. If I wouldn't wear them in front of people, why wear them for myself?<br />
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I feel another Goodwill bundle coming on. Or more cleaning rags.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-39994946374457183362013-03-25T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-25T13:22:15.479-05:00Simple and frugal: Lemony Chicken ScaloppineThis is another meal that is easy to plan and cook with only a few ingredients, most of which I keep in my pantry. It is a quick and delicious meal from the cookbook <em>The Pleasure of Cooking for One</em> by Judith Jones.<br />
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Originally, this is pork scaloppine, made with pork tenderloin. I changed this up to chicken, because it is simple to use boneless chicken breasts for<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2009/11/11/lemony-scaloppine-pork/" target="_blank"> this particular recipe</a>. Substitute 1 breast for 1-2 people, or 2 breasts for 2-4 meals, depending on your appetite and whether you combine this with a salad, vegetable side dish and a light dessert. It is in fact a wonderful low carb/high protein meal with a fresh and delicious flavor.<br />
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Last night I cooked this is a slightly different way, again adjusting for in-house ingredients. I was out of fresh lemons, so substituted blood oranges for the sliced fruit and the juice. I added one orange for each breast (I'm looking at 3 meals). But I was also pointed in this direction by a bottle of blood orange infused olive oil I bought a little while ago, that I substituted for the plain olive oil. This added only another layer of the orange flavor, and mostly cooked off.<br />
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In addition, I sprinkled a 1/2 to 1 tsp. of cumin over the cooking chicken to off-set the sweeter flavor of the blood orange.<br />
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The final product was just as delicious as the original, but with a new flavor. I could also have used navel oranges and plain olive oil as a third choice. Tangy and bright, this left me with several options for this dish I have used several times to wow guests. So simple, so quick to make, this is a crowd-pleaser. Again, something you can quickly whip up from pantry ingredients, inexpensively.<br />
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This recipe alone is a reason for having a couple of shallots in-house.<br />
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<br />Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-26653616980266237192013-03-24T13:45:00.000-05:002013-03-24T13:45:00.459-05:00Opportunity for Project 333Starting April 1, 2013, you can take the Project 333 microcourse for only $15.<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://theproject333.com/capsule/" target="_blank">link</a>.<br />
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Clean out your closet, define your personal style, make your life easier and more pleasant, save money, make money (by selling/donating your castoffs). Gain space and breathing room.<br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-40245882250152787162013-03-23T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-23T06:00:04.422-05:00Dench... Dame Judi DenchSome days I picture Judi and myself sitting in an English garden full of roses, snapdragons and heather, drinking tea and chatting about girlfriend things. BFFs.<br />
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I ask her about Daniel and Pierce, she asks me about Jean-Baptiste and Louis, and we laugh and roll our eyes about the various men in our lives. <br />
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At five pm, we change to G&Ts. With slices of fresh lime. And a nice curry.<br />
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One of the reasons I think this could happen is because Dench has always been a smart, stylish woman who laughs a lot and thinks a lot. She chose a flattering and sophisticated hairstyle early on. As she aged and her body shape changed, she adopted a distinctive and elegant clothing style.<br />
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I love her in the role of M. Her style as the head of MI-5, as a woman in charge of her own world and in competition with belligerent and bellicose men (mostly politicians and military leaders), she is distinctive. A role model. A sexy Madeleine Albright with cleavage and the royal glare of Elizabeth I.<br />
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And, BTW, I do think she and James had a fling a while back. You could go with the Brosnan-Bond or the Craig-Bond, no matter: it happened.<br />
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<em>Oh, yessssss.</em><br />
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Judi's style: She focuses on her eyes, which are remarkable, and adopted a striking hairstyle long ago. Kept it, through brunette to graying salt-and-pepper to white. Her sea-green eyes are indeed remarkable and she uses make-up to focus on those and her cheekbones (smile!).<br />
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In clothing, she is a winter-based palette, and -- again, early on, adopted a consistent use of white blouses with open collars, solid color dress-and-coat ensembles or jacket-and skirt ensembles (not suits), and dark, textured fabrics. Black, grays, and browns (see above). Whites and pale turquoises. Fantastic jewelry that includes chokers, collars and closely-fitting necklaces as well as small, well-shaped earrings. In real metals and diamonds. <br />
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She also focuses attention on her cleavage and throat, despite having the same aging of her skin in that area that most women have. Judi apparently doesn't care.<br />
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What she hides: her ankles, her waist, her height. <br />
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Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-81563136953115234702013-03-20T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-20T06:00:16.047-05:00Watson and her styleI have been watching <em>Elementary</em> this week. I bought the first season on iTunes and okay, I am obsessed with it. <br />
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Which actually surprises me. <br />
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I am a HUGE Sherlock Holmes fan: Conan Doyle's stories and novels and the Basil Rathbone films... all great memories. I dislike the Robert Downey Jr. films, but obsess over the Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman BBC series. <br />
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Yeah.<br />
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I didn't think I'd like the Jonny Lee Miller/Lucy Liu series, given my suspicion of network TV. But this is fresh, well-written, and well-acted. And I do love Liu as Watson: it's a great twist to have her staged as Holmes' sober companion. Her knowledge parallels his and even adds to it. <br />
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I also love her style. She is a character who is an ex-surgeon, someone who lives in with her addict charges, who lives (as she says) as a kind of nomad while her own aparment is let out and her belongings are in storage. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibT8fIvBrtc/UUE9tAwLkqI/AAAAAAAAB48/V4mo_YAP-bY/s1600/elementary+style+the+brunette+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibT8fIvBrtc/UUE9tAwLkqI/AAAAAAAAB48/V4mo_YAP-bY/s320/elementary+style+the+brunette+one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Watson has a kind of sophisticated street style, one that suits the show's relocation to New York and the shooting schedule in wintertime. It looks simple, in fact, but clean and urban, and I love it.<br />
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Basic elements:<br />
<ul>
<li>t-shirts or tunic blouses in tissue-weight material</li>
<li>narrow dark pants or tights</li>
<li>short, flirty skirts</li>
<li>coats of hip- or knee-length in wrap styles</li>
<li>hats and scarves</li>
<li>high-heeled boots, ankle-height or, occasionally, knee-height</li>
<li>cross-over purses or briefcase</li>
<li>layers, layers, layers</li>
<li>solids, stripes and plaids; rarely geometrical patterns</li>
</ul>
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Basic colors:<br />
<ul>
<li>BLAAAAAACK</li>
<li>clean, pure white</li>
<li>wine, military blue, pale violet, gray (all shades), and bitter-rind orange</li>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Be2xswoylCU/UUE_dcrdtUI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/QewjnNowajM/s1600/Joan+Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Be2xswoylCU/UUE_dcrdtUI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/QewjnNowajM/s320/Joan+Watson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are some bloggers who also talk about Watson's style:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://brainybeautytalk.com/2012/10/02/the-clothing-in-elementary-my-dear-watson-i-love-your-outfit/">http://brainybeautytalk.com/2012/10/02/the-clothing-in-elementary-my-dear-watson-i-love-your-outfit/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://popstyle.ew.com/2013/02/07/elementary/">http://popstyle.ew.com/2013/02/07/elementary/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://katyaedeleva.blogspot.com/2013/02/stylish-tv-elementary-drwatson-style.html">http://katyaedeleva.blogspot.com/2013/02/stylish-tv-elementary-drwatson-style.html</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thebrunetteone.com/2012/10/steal-her-style-joan-watson-elementary.html">http://www.thebrunetteone.com/2012/10/steal-her-style-joan-watson-elementary.html</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hellotailor.blogspot.com/2012/09/from-arthur-conan-doyle-to-new-york.html">http://hellotailor.blogspot.com/2012/09/from-arthur-conan-doyle-to-new-york.html</a></li>
</ul>
The last of these talks about the original, iconic style of Sherlock Holmes also translated to Miller and Cumberbatch -- interestingly, I presented a conference paper in 2012 on the "iconic" style of Holmes which was in fact created by the actor William Gillette, the most famous early stage version of S.H., which in fact initiated the famous deerstalker, caped coat and meerschaum pipe... not Conan Doyle.<br />
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Of course, Holmes as the centerpiece has usually been the "fashion" focus of illustrators, movie and theatre costumers and actors. In the BBC series, Watson as played by Freeman is a bland kind of guy, wearing fairly boring jumpers and anoraks compared to Holmes' curls and scarves. In the CBS series, however, Holmes is a bit clothing-retarded, wearing the fashion stylings of chess club/AV nerds of stereotypes... which is impressive considering Miller's marathon-ready, tattooed physique.<br />
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But it is Liu's casual yet eye-catching gear that lends style to the show.Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-69395029711657628052013-03-18T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-18T07:45:58.763-05:00Simple and frugal: SardinesSardines are a comic trope in <em>Noises Off</em>, one of my favorite comedies, but they are more than that.<br />
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They are an inexpensive and superior source of necessary omega-3 fatty acids. They are, in fact, even higher than salmon, which is what I usually eat to gain these necessary nutrients. They have low mercury content, high protein content, are about the same cost as a can of tuna, and they are REAL fish. <br />
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You can buy them canned in water or olive oil, both of which are good for you.<br />
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What can you do with them?<br />
<ul>
<li>Chop them up and add them to Caesar salad or on pizza in place of anchovies (which most people dislike). </li>
<li>Chop them up and add them to a Greek salad or as a sidebar to a fairly bland steamed vegetable like asparagus or zucchni. </li>
<li>Combine with tomatoes, olives, capers a little Greek yogurt and/or cottage cheese and make a spread for toast, Wasa crackers (my favorite because of the whole grain/low carb.high fiber goodnesss) or on celery or red peppers.</li>
<li>Chop and cook them in a red pasta sauce for any kind of pasta or, as a non-carb alternative, on baked chicken.</li>
<li>Grill whole, fresh ones with lemon and serve with an arugala salad, quinoa-stuffed peppers, anbd a hearty flavored cheese.</li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jlRdFJYvlU/UUE7NQEGHaI/AAAAAAAAB4k/4PPnJjbJjcI/s1600/sardines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jlRdFJYvlU/UUE7NQEGHaI/AAAAAAAAB4k/4PPnJjbJjcI/s1600/sardines.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They don't really come with eyes...</td></tr>
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There's lots of receipes online for them. The point is that if you're tired of tuna, salmon, or all those bland white fishies that do not ever taste like fish... sardines might be your new best friend. And yes, they're cheap!<br />
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They do taste "fishy," so be aware of that. I love the stronger taste, especially in salads with less flavorful ingredients.<br />
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<br />Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4502967615732660475.post-16259965146888041852013-03-16T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-16T06:00:02.400-05:00Simple pleasures: Red tea or Rooibos teaThis is a delicious alternative to black tea (which I mostly don't care for) or green tea (which I do like). This red-colored tisane is also called red bush tea, comes from South Africa and first came to my attention in the mystery series by Alexander McCall, starting with <em>The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency</em>.<br />
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I love the stuff.<br />
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Red bush tea, rooibos tea or red tea, the result is a slightly sweet and nutty hot drink that is surprisingly good for you. The tea has LOTS of antioxidents while being low in caffeine and tannins found in black or green teas. It might also contain flavonoids known to be cancer-fighting elements.<br />
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Gorgeous color, right? Most of the time it is difficult to find rooibos without extensive flavoring, so it is difficult to find a red tea that really allows one to savor the taste.<br />
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Some of my favorites include Mariage Freres teas Marco Polo Rouge (rooibos with fruit and flowers from China and Tibet -- hence, <em>Marco Polo</em>) and Nil Rouge (citrus, spices and marigold flowers). Another source here in the states that is easy to find are the Republic of Tea choices: Good Hope Vanilla red tea, Safari Sunset red tea, Cinnamon Orange red tea (yum!), etc.<br />
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This is a great afternoon/early evening tea, because it has plenty of flavor but not so much caffeine. So you don't get a jump from it. It's a great tea with fruit and cheese, for example, but not really an after-dinner tea or a breakfast tea. Make a pot and enjoy!Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870956796448149807noreply@blogger.com0