Is That a Gift Card in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?:Books for your New Year's Resolutions

I'm not really a resolution kind of girl--generally I just have Really Good Ideas for the coming year, like "Talk to girls without shaking like a Chihuahua" or "use that daily planner the way it was intended." However, there's nothing like a new year to make a fresh start on, and what better way to set your intentions than with some exciting, inspiring reading material?

These are my favorite reads when I need a boost to the mind, body, or spirit.

The Red Book is a breathtakingly outrageous and tender guide to getting in touch with The Big Unknown and Unseen. It's the smartest book I've read about spirituality, and the one that speaks to me the clearest and brightest. Sera Beak's a jewel, and you should drop in on her blog, Spiritual Cowgirl.

Speaking of potential controversies, I'm just going to link to that Four-Letter One-Word Guide to Loving Your Damn Body and Womankind in General by Inga Muscio, for those of you that like your empowerment sprinkled with expletives.

Girlosophy is a guide to life and a journey through girlhood in all corners of the world. Anthea Paul takes gorgeous photos of every shape, size, and color of women and brings them together with tiny but heady bits of wisdom. There are more books in the Girlosophy series, all about traveling and food and writing and healing your heart. I love them.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn will make you fall in love with learning all over again. Even if you're not a teenager and unschooling's totally out of the picture, you can find out dozens of ways to learn and grow and change your life and the lives of others.

 

 

 

How to Be an Explorer of the World  by Keri Smith gives you a whole new way of seeing the world around us. It has exercises and places to doodle and ponder and document your life. This one's a bit more theoretical than the rest of Keri Smith's crop, but in an accessible, down-to-earth way.

 

The Teany Book: Stories, Food, Romance, Cartoons, and of Course, Tea is a book about tea, but it's also a book about life, with vegan recipes and herbal remedies in. It's wonderfully designed, clean and bright but with little doodles and crazy photos and asides to liven it up.

The Femme's Guide to the Universe (out of print, but good luck hunting!) is a million times better than any of those other life-as-a-twentysomething-with-lipsticks-and-a-credit-card guides, because Shar Rednour is whip-smart, hysterical, life-loving and mindful of those of us without a trust fund as backup.Plus, I personally find it awesome to read a guide-to-twentysomething life written for girl-loving-girls like me!

The Bodacious Book of Succulence is, oh yes, the ubiquitous SARK, but I think this (and Inspiration Sandwich) is her best work. It's an expansive guide to coaxing your inner muse out of hiding, and what to do with her once she's sitting on the fridge, peering at you curiously and eating all the Oreos.

 

 

Poemcrazy  by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge is full of exercises, stories, and poetry to woo your muse off the fridge. It has this delicate quality and nature-based imagery that's soothing and inspiring all in one.

 

 

 

 

Beauty*licious and Think Pink  by Lisa Clark are newcomers to the game, and I never turned down a book just cause it's written for chiquitas half my age. (Hello, 90% of this blog.) They're quirky little guides to life, love, and the pursuit of the perfect back-to-school outfit written from the point of view of a preteen pink-haired diva. They're like brain candy, if candy was secretly good for your self-esteem and taught you a few things about negotiating with your friends, moving your body in ways that makes you happy, and wearing what looks good on you and not your classmates. Awww.

I Wish You Peace and Jelly Whelps

The Jelly whelps by =mariecannabis on deviantART

Amber called her uncle, said "We're up here for the holiday,
Jane and I were having solstice, now we need a place to stay."
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three
He told his niece, "It's Christmas eve, I know our life is not your style."
She said, "Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and it's been awhile."

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses

The food was great, the tree plugged in, the meal had gone without a hitch
Till Timmy turned to Amber and said, "Is it true that you're a witch?"
His mom jumped up and said, "The pies are burning," and she hit the kitchen
And it was Jane who spoke, she said, "It's true, your cousin's not a Christian,"
"But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share,
And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere."

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And where does magic come from, I think magic's in the learning
Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning

When Amber tried to do the dishes, her aunt said, "Really, no, don't bother."
Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father
He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year
He thought he'd call him up and say, "It's Christmas and your daughter's here."
He thought of fathers, sons and brothers, saw his own son tug his sleeve, saying
"Can I be a Pagan?" Dad said, "We'll discuss it when they leave,"

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old and
Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold

~"The Christians and the Pagans" by Dar Williams

Go see MarieCannabis's other Dessert Whelps here, they're precious!

It's just a jump to the left...

A dear friend reminded me of the (apparently ancient) rumor that the Rocky Horror Picture Show is being remade.

Now, with MTV at the helm this could be quite the questionable venture. If I were to cast it? It would be a thing of beauty and a joy forever; that is, if you're the type that paints your nails blue and still listens to Sleater-Kinney. My dream cast follows:

Rufus Wainwright as RiffRaff--he's handsome in a wilted lily sort of way, has a this purring ironic voice and a great sense of theatricality. Perfect. Watch him in "Rules and Regulations" and "April Fools" (Bonus: Guess which lady matches up with which opera).

 

For Magenta, Beth Ditto. I'm convinced this woman is Divine reincarnated, in all the best possible ways, and her raw rock-star vocals and love of camp make her a fantastic candidate. You can watch her and The Gossip performing "Standing in the Way of Control" for a taste.

Now I'm a tad biased as I have a wicked crush on the lad, but I couldn't see anybody as Eddie but the painfully gorgeous Lucas Silveira. Those eyes! That voice! Those guitar licks! Catch me before I swoon again, and catch him and his band, The Cliks, in their videos for "Oh Yeah" and "Complicated" (with Margaret Cho!)

For Eddie's main squeeze and Dr. Frank's spurned love Colombia, who but the gloriously strange and dark and lovely Amanda Palmer? Of course, nobody can beat the goddess of rock herself, Joan Jett, in the Broadway run, but can't you just see her belting out Colombia's lamentations and giving Frankie what-for? See her video for "Leeds United" and judge for yourself.

For poor, sweet Janet, I picked Kristen Bell. She's already shown off her naughty-and-nice sides in Reefer Madness. Take a look at her in "Romeo and Juliet" (and then watch the rest of the movie, because it's great).

My friend Louie suggested Dan Radcliffe for Brad. I laughed so hard I pulled something. Consider him a placeholder till something better comes up.

For Mr. Rocky Horror himself, I've taken the liberty of picking Rob Pattinson. Blasphemy, you cry? Oh, but all he has to do is stand around and show off his glittery man titties, just like in Twilight. When even your professors think the man beautiful, you know you have a winner. Too thin, you say? Well, he came out of the tank a bit shrunken--cold water and all.

I made Anthony Head the Crim on a friend's suggestion (also, because he has no neck, see?), but Eddie Izzard as Dr. Scott? All my fault.

Oh? Have I forgotten somebody?

Ahh, yes.

Dr. Frankie...herself.

Yep. I did it. But men in heels isn't transgressive anymore, that's a Thursday night sitcom's subplot. But a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman, fooling around with Mother Nature and anybody else who shows a bit of thigh, and committing heinous crimes all for a bit of attention? That's hot!Take a look at her in "AC/DC," and see what you think...but don't tell it to me, I'm sold.

There's my dream cast. Tell me yours!

Places I Meant to Be: The Writings and Photography of Emily, the Hyper Faerie

I don't quite recall how we met--it must have been through one LJ community or another. However that happened, this self-described "average actress/writer/poet/freak/dork/daydreamer/sick-minded individual" charmed me with her writings about places I'd never been, but wished to be. She can take a city and make it come alive, the sights and smells and hidden corners, colors and flashes of light and the taste of a Cosmo cupcake or shades of emotion in the passers-by. They make me want to toss on some gypsy anklets and have a wandering day in a city I don't quite know yet--and you'll want to come along.

Photo by Emily C.

One Foot on Sea and One on Shore: Stratford, Ontario

There is a little tea boutique a few blocks down selling rosemary jelly (rosemary reminds me of Ophelia--pray you love, remember) and tea buds that bloom like flowers in hot water. Lyrical Asiany names-- Lotus Lamp. Phoenix Eyes. Jade Guan Yin. White Jasmine Moon. Wild Love. Pearl in a Shell. I buy tiny tight-fisted greenish buds tied with jasmine called Rishi Fairy Girl--psychedelic flowery orbs for delicate pixie-lady sadhus to imbibe in between their meditations and mischief. Nextdoor is P'Lovers Eco-Store, named for the sea bird and also for P'lanet Lovers; they have patchwork hoodies and pewter pocket tokens adorned with angels, dolphins, faeries, Oms. The whole place smells like sage and lavender and aloe from organic beauty products. The banister knobs leading upstairs have sock puppet covers with funny stories attached: some sockpeople are Finnish dancer exchange students, others purple-black caped vampires.

Faeries by the Sea: Part I, Oslo, Norway and Part II, Brighton, England

Brighton reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song--the sea breezes carrying the sweet melancholy cries of gulls, the tiny cobblestone alleyways lined with pastel-painted boutiques selling sparkly things which look good enough to eat and colorful sweets looking good enough to wear. The bright lights and dazzling cacophony of the touristy little carnival at the Pier. Street performers' songs following you down the blocks where Tarot readers and local artists sell their wares. The Royal Pavilion like Kubla Khan's stately pleasure-dome, all Taj Mahal turrets and overgrown gardens outside, and inside Chinese dragons,snakes, and lotuses decorating every surface of decadent chandeliered dining rooms, plush rococo parlors full of mirrors and lacquered harpsichords, and colorful ballrooms with gilded cockle-shells lining the high ceilings.

The South Side: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Driving down the long long street – on which I have tested my mettle by marching up and down it three times in the cold during and after an anti-war protest– you feel like you're on the Sunset Strip, or a river flowing to exotic locales. Parking down there's shit but who cares; it's worth it to drive around for a bit as long as you can hang out there later. It unfolds before you – storefronts, ethnic restaurants, bars (so many bars), cars full of drunken guys speeding down the street like maniacs, punks loitering, theater-goers speed-walking to shows, and so much more– and it goes on and on until you reach the more corporate chain part but even that's still kinda cool, only not as much as the lower parts of Carson Street. And once your feet tread the pavement you know you're there; you can feel it. So much coolness with a little bit of edgy danger thrown in to spice things up a bit, dark with light shining through, an urban jungle with magic lurking around the corners.

p.s.OMGWTFNIPPLE

Moving? Maybe? Not Yet...

Hello all!

After the fifty billionth time fighting with Blogger and its layouts (I still love you guys, it just ate my blogroll), I'm looking to move on to another free blogging site. Never fear, I won't ever, ever delete the content I have here, and would probably mirror it at the new site.

How many of you amazing readers use Wordpress? Do you like it? I'm impressed with the functionality, but perturbed about content warnings. Not that I'd ever go above a PG-13 or so, but I'd hate to see things deleted. What say you?

Things I Am Looking For in a Blogging Site:

1. Tags. Tags and Labels, like NOGOODFOME, would be amazing

2. Three-column layout support

3. PG-13 content support

Come Stalk Me at The BUST Craftacular!

Hello all!

Again, again, late to the party, but I'd like to let you know that I'll be volunteering at BUST Magazine's (aka, the Mag from this spring's posts) Holiday Craftacular in New York City. 200 vendors, cheap admission, food, dancing, and Amy Sedaris signing books! Come on, you know you wanna get some  holiday shopping done...

(Click the pic for more info.)

I'll be working two to six--look for the teeny bottle redhead with a fauxhawk and black tie!

I think magic's in the learning...

Hello!

I've just completed my final project for my References and Resources class, a Feminism for Teens wiki named We're Waving, Not Drowning. I would love it if all of my awesome readers would help me contribute to this, so if you are interested please comment on this post or email me at devilinpetticoatsATgmailDOTcom for information on how to sign in and start playing with it.

If nothing else, there's a different music video on every page. Go have a listen! And enjoy the above video, Dar William's seasonal classic "The Christians and the Pagans."