time to start thinking about vday presents

Is this the coolest thing or what?

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action."

What a great way to finally get your man interested in Austen.

snowday

This wonderful video is perfect accompaniment for today's ice storm.

wallflowers

I don't know if it's cabin fever or what, but lately I just want to decorate decorate decorate.

Two years ago, I bought some glorious wallpaper from Anthropologie.  It's been tucked in the back of the coat closet ever since.  Until TODAY!

Before:

After:

Wahoo!

Pete still hasn't noticed the dining room light facelift; I'm betting he'll notice this a tad sooner.

DIY lighting step-by-step guide

step 1: Finally get fed up with foul cheapo brass dining room light fixture.

step 2: Get brilliant suggestion from brilliant s-i-l to spray paint the whole nasty thing and thus baptize it into a new life of sky-blue beauty.

step 3: Swear brilliant s-i-l to secrecy, under principle of it being easier to ask forgiveness of one's husband than permission.

step 4a: Have plans spoiled by blabbing b-i-l who runs out and tells whole world, including husband, of secret spray-painting plans.

step 4b: Spend all weekend in the doghouse.

step 5: Buy genius candlesleeves from kaarskoker.

step 6: Wait anxiously for mail.  Open package, cut gorgeous sleeves to right length, slide onto chandelier.  Throw away hideous shades.  Use blue bulbs just for the heck of it.

step 7: Bask in the glory that is my new chandelier.

step 8: Make bets on how long it'll take husband to notice . . . 

hit the road, jack (but stylishly!)

I've only been back home for three weeks, but I'm feeling some wanderlust kicking in.

If I could go anywhere: Marrakesh.

If I could take anything: a fabulous (flatten-able!) suitcase.

Climb, dollar, climb!

get your bronte on, yo

Until February 1st, you can watch PBS' new Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Wuthering Heights online! Episode 1 is here; the second and final episode premiers Sunday.

Sure, it's a depressing story with depraved and/or diabolical characters.  The setting is bleak and the ending is bleaker.  But -- and here's why I'm watching the movie though I can't stand the book -- it's so darn pretty.

Fancy costumes + fancy British elocution = I will watch whatever the heck you put before me.  

And online? With Burn Gorman (aka Bleak House's Guppy)?  Wild horses couldn't keep me away.

got the giggles

Oh my, I can't stop watching this. 24 seconds of unadulterated joy, folks.

creepy button eyes

I promised Katherine a blog post, so here's one specially for her.

Neil Gaiman wrote a wonderful book called Coraline; it's the only children's book I've ever read that's given me nightmares.   I still sometimes shiver when I'm all alone and I can feel all the mirrors in my house come alive . . .

Freaky, fabulous book.  Some geniuses, bless them, have turned it into a 3D movie.  It comes out on February 6.  After watching the trailer, I am counting the days.

The movie's made of old school stop-gap whatever and CGI: the entire set is handmade, and everything's itty bitty.  Like, there's a knitter who knits costumes on needles as thick as a human HAIR.  Each 2" high garment takes her between 6 weeks and 6 months to make.  I mean, seriously.  I cringe at anything smaller than a size 5.

The movie's website is a brilliant way to waste some time.  It's visually wonderful, and full of goodies.  There are sweater patterns, free bookmarks, movies about dancing mustaches -- what a perfect mid-week pick-me-up!

And the offline marketing is also excellent.  There are super purty Coraline walls popping up in NYC, Georgetown (I think I need to make a pilgrimage), and Chicago.  The cool gimmicks are the best part, like the cameras that put your face up on the wall as you walk by, but replace your eyes with buttons.  

Yummy. I'm getting freaked out already.

PS: I've repented of my long absence (packing, vacation in Europe, unpacking, packing, vacation in Utah, unpacking, pretending to be a responsible adult).  Now I'm back to blogging for reals.  I swear.