3/6/15

Dapper Days: Sometimes New Boots Make A Day Worthwhile


Dear Tom's boots,

Thank you for making this day a better day. And thank you for being on sale and in my size. I was worried that I wouldn't get to wear you very often this winter. After all, you may be trimmed in leather but your body is canvas. You're really more of an autumn boot. The snowy, slushy season that has settled upon us has meant that I've had to limit wearing you, my adorable boots, lest you get splattered and stained. But today is your day. Thank you for making this day a better day, Tom's boots.

3/5/15

Starting Over: How Often Do You Replace Your Underwear?


It started simply enough. After a particularly grueling week at work I decided to indulge in a little retail therapy last Friday. My main mission was to find a new pair of boots. This winter has not been kind to my kicks so I've been trying to find a new pair of boots for more than a month. Alas, my boot expedition was not successful. I walked out of the shoe store feeling disappointment. What's the point of retail therapy if you don't buy anything?!

But wait - what's this? A few doors down from the shoe store sits a Nordstrom Rack. Perhaps all hope is not lost! I browsed around a bit before stumbling upon a display of Original Penguin brand underwear and t-shirts. Now, I'm a bit of an underwear hoarder. Or, rather, I used to be. My underwear drawer is full of boxer briefs with whimsical prints - mustaches and curly cues and whatnot. About a year ago I put myself on an undergarment buying freeze. I mean, really, how many pairs of underwear does one man need?

But standing there in front of the Original Penguin undies, I couldn't help myself. I snagged a package of black boxer briefs with white detailing on the button fly. Surely I can fit two more pair of underwear into my collection, I reasoned.


I wore the new undies for the first time on Monday. And that was it. I was a goner. I knew then and there that I simply had to go back to for more! These boxer briefs were not only flattering but they feel oh so good on. So last night I stopped after work and bought three more packages of the Original Penguin undies. After I had laundered the new lot, I started the process of trying to fit the new underwear into my already overstuffed drawer. I started sorting through my old undies. Some of them clearly had to go. The ones with the stretched waistbands or the fraying edges got thrown into a pile to become rags. Then, almost on a whim, I scooped up every last pair of underwear in the drawer and dumped them into the rag pile. "I'm starting over," I announced to my husband.

There's something magical about starting fresh - even if it's something as simple as replacing all your underwear. My life hasn't changed and work days are still grueling. But under my daily suit of armor I'm rocking new boxer briefs that make me feel good. And, really, if you don't celebrate the little things in life, you may never have any reason to celebrate at all!

Image: Captain Dapper

9/5/14

Get Yourself to Chicago's Lyric Opera for a Costume Sale!



If you're in Chicago on Saturday, September 6th, you should definitely check out the Lyric Opera's costume sale. This sale is like a total eclipse - it doesn't come around very often and you'll be sad if you miss it. There will literally be thousands of from a wide range of operas, including  Don Giovanni, The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, The Flying Dutchman, Die Fledermaus and more. Prices will range from $1 to $200. 

For more information, visit the Lyric Opera Costume Sale Facebook page.

8/27/14

If I Controlled TV I'd Make Selfie the New #1 Show


As I was watching the pilot for one of ABC's new fall sitcoms, Selfie, I found myself, well, not LOLing but I was at least :-). The show is clever, fast paced and silly and it's a wonderful commentary on today's instastars. Plus, there's no laugh track, which is my biggest sitcom pet peeve.

I also admit that, as a blogger, the show's premise had me from the get-go. Via ABC:
“Instafamous” Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) has 263,000 followers who hang on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But one lonely day she has a revelation: being friended is not the same as having actual friends. She asks marketing guru Henry (John Cho) to 'rebrand' her self-obsessed reputation and teach her how to connect with people in the real world. Loosely based on My Fair Lady, Selfie explores the modern struggles of Eliza and Henry, as he tries to teach her how to live life offline—whether she 'likes' it or not.
OK, so the show has its flaws. The whole Eliza Dooley/Henry Higgins thing is a bit silly. But that's totally made up with the sight of John Cho in a bow tie. Swoon!


Selfie kind of reminds me of another ABC show I loved, Ugly Betty, in that it's quick and funny without resorting to laugh tracks and easy punch lines. Fortunately, Selfie doesn't seem like it will be quite as schmaltzy and preachy as Ugly Betty.

You can watch the pilot for Selfie on ABC GO. The series premieres in September.

Images: ABC

8/22/14

Armagayddon: It's Not the End of the World



Leave it to the Irish to come up with a hilarious ad supporting gay marriage. The spot, called Armagayddon, features a straight couple who barricade themselves in their home rather than face an Ireland where gays can marry. This ad could only be better if it starred my favorite adorable Irishman, Chris O'Dowd.

Via Slate