"Filet Of Sole, Baby, It's My Favorite Dish..."

Delicious fish earrings! I love oddities and these are scrumptious. I don't even like to eat fish, maybe it's the Pisces in me.

But in honor of a friend's "Fish Luck" party tomorrow - a Top Chef-like cookoff where the contestants choose a meat of their choice (tomorrow the dish is fish, baby) and then the flavor and presentation is judged and something is awarded besides Pride although I am not sure what - I have chosen Fish Earrings. These would be perfect to wear to the backyard extravaganza! Instead I will dig up something else nautical and fishy.

Available at Anthropologie online for $178, they are 3 1/2" long!

*Title quote from Dead Milkmen's ballad "Filet of Sole".

P.S. I majorly heart the Dead Milkmen mascot cow logo!!! (below)

Cut. It. Out.

Brilliant! Scissor cuff made by Georgo Phillip Pecenikov. They open and close! Available on A+R online for $550.

*sigh*

Venice, Sunset...

Posted by The Sartorialist, July 1, 2009.

Go Ahead, Flash Me.

My latest concern has been the lack of fireflies on Aquidneck Island (aka: Newport). Since moving here in 2001 I have never ever seen one neon flash in the grass. Growing up in Northeastern Ohio, many summer twlights were consumed with capturing "lightening bugs" (as we called them in the Midwest) in jars with holey lids. My sisters-by-association, Melissa, Tammy, and I, would dart around the lawn capturing our fascinating friends that we were sure would continue flashing throughout the night while perched on our bedside tables. They never did, by the way. If they had it would have meant they were trying to mate with us. Better off.

An article in the Projo yesterday shared a concern that pollution and fertilizers may be the cause of dwindling firefly populations. The Museum of Science in Boston has been doing a study with participants from around the world who are keeping track of firefly activity. To participate and learn more, visit their Firefly Watch.

I urge you to do so since I cannot dart around any lawns in Newport capturing lightening bugs. Now is the time; neon is so in this year!

Third Beach Plans Foiled? Stay Tuned

Third Beach...

vs.

Mother Nature's Latest Miracle in Precipitation that is Forecast for Newport later this afternoon and evening...

It is true that the forecast for Newport this weekend, weekend = Sat-Sun, is SUN and 70s. Tonight however I do not believe that anyone will let us forget who is really in charge and may unleash some kind of downpour similar to the one experienced on Wednesday at the Newport Shipyard.

Here's to hoping for clear skies, a delicious moonrise, and fireflies. It rhymed. We don't have fireflies here and no one can seem to tell me why not. They fly, don't they? Well cross a bay once in a while. We need some lightening bugs pronto.

Happy July 3rd.

p.s. Third Beach on the 3rd was a flaming success (in case this was keeping any of you up at night). We had a great time, a fire pit, stars in the sky, the whole nine years. I hope it was a great 4th of July weekend everywhere!

Keep Calm and Carry On

This poster, shown below, has recently seen heaps of press. It has been photographed tacked to the walls of hipster dwellings on both sides of the pond. For one I am fascinated by the clean design: reverse print, sans serif Century Gothic font, normally alarming color that takes on a soothing quality induced by the text.

Beyond style, the origin of this poster is what is truly interesting. In 1939 on the cusp of an inevitable war with Germany, King George VI wanted to issue propaganda posters to reassure his people. No one knows who coined the slogan, and interestingly, the posters were not widely displayed. 50 years later a tattered copy resurfaced in a book and they are now reproduced and for sale on the UK-based site: Keep Calm and Carry On.To me this statement is an historical reminder that if you keep mucking ahead survival and success are an inevitable reward.

On this Fourth of July let us remember the Americans who mucked ahead for our independence in 1776-ish (ironically against the very country that issued the poster above...) and that their determination, tenacity, and passion created a nation unlike any other in the World.