MI-CrookedletterCrookedletter, etc. - Guest Blogger, Save the World Brother-in-Law

Magnet #1319 - Mississippi Gulf Coast

The BIL's taking another turn at guest blogging for me, on a magnet he and Save the World sis got me from his home state of Mississippi.

Anyone else always do the MI-SS-ISS-IPPI or MIcrookedlettercrookedletter, Icrookedlettercrookedletter, IhumpbackhumpbackI chant to remember how to spell it?

Yep, me too.

- joy

____________________________________

You know those moments in life when you’re looking at something that is so normal and yet spectacular? That is how I remember sunsets on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If the timing was right and I was driving or riding west along Highway 90, I would watch as the neon colored sun slowly lowered across land and water. It’s those types of memories that paint my picture of where I’m from, but it is a slightly different reality I return to when I visit.

Some people ask why our beaches don’t have the clear blue water you’ll find further east in Alabama and Florida – and the simple answer is our barrier islands don’t allow the tides to clear out all of the silt. Maybe that’s why the Mississippi Gulf Coast has always had to have that extra something to attract people to it.

There are still white sand beaches to stroll on and majestic-looking live oak trees (some of which are centuries old) with Spanish moss hanging and swinging in the gulf breeze. Gamblers of all ages still make their way to casinos stretching along the coast to try and hit the jackpot, without as much glitz and glamour as Vegas or Atlantic City. You can always find your favorite Cajun, Creole, Southern, and Seafood cooking calling your name at places like Mary Mahoneys, the White Cap, Vrazels, Lil Rays, and Catfish Charlies. You can have it all from fine dining to po boys.

If you want history and art, there is also something for you. Beauvoir was the last home of Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy). He lived out his final years there, although he was never granted his US citizenry back. Pirate Jean Lafitte frequented the area and laid low on the barrier islands when the law was searching for him and before he helped win the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Artist Walter Anderson painted canvases, rooms, and boats in wonderful designs. George Ohr was nicknamed the Mad Potter of Biloxi and his works gained popularity after his death.

I also think people are attracted by the resiliency of the people there. Female hurricanes haven’t always been kind to the coast. Hurricane Camille tore Ship Island into two halves before smashing the shore, Hurricane Elena left a hole in the roof of my parent’s house, and Hurricane Katrina did her worst in her path of destruction. Driving along Highway 90 today will still give you a great sunset, but not all of the houses, hotels, and businesses have returned to their former locations.

It’s a slow process, but the coast won’t stop calling visitors to its shores. So whether it’s Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Long Beach or Pass Christian, you’ll have a great day on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

I'm back?

Magnet #1318 - Change Your Life

So, I took a break for a month to figure out whether or not I was quitting on joy magnetism. The answer is, I don't know.

I bought this magnet from a dude outside of the Guggenheim (during a trip to the gift shop, not the museum), because it's definitely indicative of the last year for me.

I've been talking about the #funtimejoy initiative for a while, which is to make sure that I take advantage of every fun thing that comes my way, in order to make up for the lost funtime years of my late 20s and early 30s.

The trouble is, between architecture class, ziplining, the ballet, haunted houses, accidentally stalking Samuel L. Jackson, trips upstate, shopping trips, and just general carousing, being #funtimejoy is totally wearing me out! And all of the above? Was just in October. Oiy.

Anyway, I'm debating on whether or not to start tumblring joy magnetism, but for now, blogger will do. But here's what's odd...I've been blogging since February 22, 2008, but this October, even as I haven't posted a single magnet an entire month? Site traffic (which has never really been that high), has actually doubled.

What up with that?

In vino, scientia

Magnet #1317 - My Mood Is Wine

On a whim, and a LivingSocial deal, I took a wine class from the American Bartending School today.

I'm not a huge wine drinker, though I'll drink it if there's nothing else around. But I'm constantly in situations with wine, and have a few friends who love the stuff, so I figured why not learn something about it.

Ironically, the American Bartending School is working on their liquor license, so they weren't serving anything. It was literally a class that imparted wine knowledge, complete with handouts and everything.

Still, I learned a caskfull, so it was interesting.

Of course, two hours of talking about it, made me want wine. So after class, I bought a bottle of Malbec. And proceeded to break the cork in half. Oops.

Oh well, maybe that bartending glass the girls and I are taking in December will help.

You're the cream in my coffee

Magnet #1316 - My Mood Is Coffee

If you've been anywhere near me in the last few weeks, you know I've been fangurling over Seth MacFarlane, left and right. Actually, if you paid any attention, you'll know I picked up this particular crush way back at SDCC 2010 - sometimes, I am so damn consistent.

So yeah, a year later, the cuteboy crush is still going strong, only now, he's released a Big Band album. As he put it during his online concert tonight, "Don't think of it as music your grandparents listened to. Think of it as music your grandparents listened to...while making your parents."

It's funny, because it's totally the music I grew up with in the house, in the van on every roadtrip everywhere with my family. Now, I can't stop listening to the album. And when I'm not listening to it? I'm humming a track from it, usually You're the cream in my coffee, or Something Good from Sound of Music.

I'll admit, I'm completely fascinated by a dude my age, who can put out stuff like Family Guy and Cleveland Show and American Dad, but also play the piano and sing like an old-school crooner.

The marketer side of me wonders how the hell he is marketing to two such disparate audiences. For example, the 20somethings who watch his shows - at least a couple of them that I talked to - just refuse to acknowledge the musical side of Seth. Meanwhile, me, the 30something who can't watch anything he puts on television, loves the musical side of Seth.

But how is he selling his album? How are the numbers? Who is buying it? There's a part of me that feels like he basically waited until he had the money and the cred to produce this album, so that he wouldn't have to worry about any of that stuff.

And if that's the case, kudos to you, Seth. Let me know when the next album drops!

Lost in Trafalgar Square

Magnet #1315 - Trafalgar Square, London

I just got myself lost in Trafalgar Square tonight.

Ya'll, I can't count how many times I've been in Trafalgar Square. But, it seriously just took me 20 minutes of googling images and layouts trying to orient myself to this vintage image.

Not even joking.

I finally figured out that the vantage point is actually as if you were standing with the National Gallery to your right, as if you were on top of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Here's why this is even more ridiculous.

The very first time I walked into Trafalgar, it was to find the National Gallery. And I walked around for a good 10 minutes before I found it. You should have seen how much I laughed my ass off when I finally walked up the stairs of the giant building right in front of me.

For context, it's akin to walking around the National Mall in DC, and not being able to find the Capitol Building. Or walking around in Times Square, and not being able to find the Coke sign.

See? Ridiculous.

Anyway, picked this magnet for today, because we sat through a couple of tapings of Would You Rather? with Graham Norton for BBC-America's Ministry of Laughs comedy block. Much as I love Graham, highly doubtful I'll actually watch the show when it airs, just not my cuppa.

But, ya'll know how I adore tapings and behind the scenes anything, so it was a fun way to spend a few hours.

Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg

Magnet #1314 - Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg

Oh, yes. I still have several Faberge egg magnets left. And I love. them. all.

I just want one egg. The more I wear my own cobalt-blue "made by a real, live Russian" (seriously, that's how they billed it) Fauxberge hummingbird egg with the odd little angel as the surprise, the more I'm convinced I should buy a real one. Now, I just need all that disposable income.

This Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg from the VMFA collection was designed by one of the Faberge workmasters, Henrik Wigström, in 1915. It's made of silver, enamel, gold, mother-of-pearl, and watercolor on ivory. The surprise inside were miniature portraits painted on ivory of the women in Tsar Nicholas' life, the women of the House of Romanov - his sister, his daughters, and his cousin - who also served with the Red Cross.

Check out the below vid, seen up close the workmanship is just amazing.

"Hellish banditti"

Magnet #1313 - Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Louisiana's Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is made up of about six different sites - the Barataria Preserve in Marrero, the Chalmette Battlefield in Chalmette, the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans, the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, and the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux.

Lots of places to visit, I'm sure it must take days. At least, I think, that's how long my friends who brought back this magnet for me spent down there!

Depending on who you ask, Jean Lafitte was either a pirate or a privateer, a smuggler, or a patriot, creating mayhem and havoc in the Barataria area of southern Louisiana back in the early 1800s. They say he had about a thousand people working with him, helping him smuggle goods and slaves throughout the region.

During the War of 1812, the knowledge of the local area and people came in handy for Lafitte, who actually started working with General Andrew Jackson, the very man who had dubbed him Hellish banditti. Together with Jackson's troops, Lafitte's Baratarians managed to win several key victories during the war, including the Battle of New Orleans. Their efforts earned Lafitte and his men full pardons from President Madison.

Of course, Lafitte totally went back to smuggling. I suppose after doing lots of crime, which he totally blamed on the government, it's hard not to go back to what you know.

But here's what I love. All that living and ne'er do welling, all that fighting and smuggling...and in the end, no one seems to know what happened to Lafitte! While there are some reports that he lived well into the mid-1800s, no one actually knows what happened to the guy in the end.

Talk about building a mystery.

What?

Timeshare art

Magnet #1312 - Baby (Cradle) by Klimt

The same friend who went to Australia brought this magnet back for me from the National Gallery of Victoria's Vienna Art & Design exhibition, featuring artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele and architects Josef Hoffmann and Adolf Loos.

Sounds like the coolest exhibition ever.

Here's funny, though. She went all the way to Australia...to see this painting, Baby by Klimt...owned by the National Gallery of Art. In Washington, D.C. Hahahaha.

I read a story a while ago about a trend for museums to just re-hang important pieces from their own collections and focus a whole exhibition around that one piece, supplementing them with lesser works from the artist, or with works from the same school. Part of it was to cut down on having to pay for the insurance and transportation of important pieces from museum to museum.

But, it looks like that's starting to ease up a bit - for example, that Feininger exhibit at the Whitney that I mentioned a few times already, only one Feininger is actually owned by the Whitney. The rest came from around the world, after years of work.

I love that. I love knowing that museums share their collections with each other - it's like timeshare art! (I know, it's a pretty naive idea that they're sharing, when there's all sorts of deals and insurance and whatnot that actually means they're not really sharing, per se, but go with it.)

What it does mean is that people all over the world get to see artwork they'd never be able to travel and see. It's why I try to see as many exhibitions here in town, because you just never know if you'll be visiting the museums the work came from. Pretty cool.

Direct mail

Magnet #1311 - New York City Ballet

A while ago, I made a promise to myself to enjoy everything this city has to offer. The problem that I didn't count on is that everything - from Groupons to direct mail to email blasts and Living Social - is determined to help me spend my money.

That means that besides the usual amount of bills in my mail, I get an extraordinary amount of direct mail about various performing arts programs scattered throughout the city.

And they're all these gorgeous 4-color, folded every which way, wafer-sealed, direct mail pieces. That totally get my attention. Add a celebrity component, one that I recognize, I'm almost sure to take the bait.

So that's how I ended up sitting at the New York City Ballet today, watching Paul McCartney's first ballet, Ocean's Kingdom, performed in Stella McCartney's costumes.

While the story didn't quite capture my heart, the music was wonderful and the costumes were simply amazing. You could tell they'd been designed as beautiful works of art, rather than costumes the dancers normally wore, but to see the colors splashed across the stage was something else.

It was a full house, for an afternoon matinee. Not surprising, I suppose. Then again, maybe it's just direct mail proving yet again how effective it is.

We are gathered here today...

Magnet #1310 - Garden at Sainte-Adresse

Monet painted Garden at Sainte-Adresse during the summer of 1867, using family members as models. I picked it for today, because the idyllic setting reminds me of our walk through Central Park.

After spending the morning sitting through a nutritional immunology conference (don't ask, but it was actually pretty interesting), we decided to run up to the Upper East Side for a quick GoBurger visit to test out their milkshakes. They were pretty good - especially with the Kahlua and chocolate liquor.

After lunch, we found we had absolutely nothing to do.

If you know me at all, you know I'm usually never without anything to do in NYC. We decided to make our way through Central Park, a place that my friend has been to, but never really explored. So when I found out she hadn't been to Belvedere Castle after having grown up in New York City (yes, Brooklyn counts), of course we had to drop by.

While we were up in the towers of Belvedere, we totes ran into a wedding! Or rather, they totes ran into us. I mean, c'mon! That only happens in NYC. All of a sudden, we weren't just tourists running around the park, but we were now part of the intimate group of friends of the bride and groom.

What? Have a wedding in one of the largest urban parks in the world, yeah, you'll have an audience of strangers!

Top heavy

Magnet #1309 - Whitney Museum

Another one of my architecture collection.

If you haven't visited the Lyonel Feininger: At the End of the World exhibit, like I told you a while ago, best to get going soon before it ends.

Such a good exhibit. Even as the gift shop merchandise always leaves something to be desired.

The other reason to visit the Whitney is for the awesome building. Built by Bauhaus-trained Marcel Breuer, the giant slab of granite on Madison Avenue is like an upside-down pyramid of sorts.

Both impressive and imposing, you're almost afraid to walk inside. You're instantly rewarded when you walk through the galleries, and spy a glimpse of light through the trapezoidal windows scattered throughout the building.

When you visit, take a moment to hang out on the lower level, where the giant windows give you this wonderful sense of openness you don't often feel when you're essentially belowground.

Pretty genius, methinks.

A koala is not a bear - Guest Blogger, Globetrotter

Magnet #1308 - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

So a long time ago, my roadtripping friends and I planned a huge Asia tour of Hong Kong, the Philippines, and ending with a cross-Australia train trip. Mind you, that trip ended up being a 10-day roadtrip through North & South Carolina. (Don't ask.)

Luckily (for me and my magnet collection), my friend didn't let that stop her, and she made her way to Australia with another roadtripping friend of hers, for a long getaway for both work and pleasure.

And koalas!

- joy

____________________________________

“A koala is not a bear.”

I heard this declaration no less than five times during my visit to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Australia. Totally news to me, as I’d been calling them bears. But no matter, since I actually got to cuddle one!

His name was Randol, and I was his first of the day. The other one they brought out had been fussy, wouldn’t stay still for photos, and actually kept turning away from the camera. Randol was much calmer, sat in my arms for a solid two minutes before his trainer moved on to the next person in line.

Cuddling koalas is actually illegal in parts of Australia, and only in Queensland are you allowed to do it. At this particular sanctuary, there are rules: koalas can only be cuddled for less than 30 minutes per day; and they must have every third day off. It’s the life!

It was my dream to have a picture taken with a koala, so now I can cross that off my Bucket List.

Old Rough and Ready

Magnet #1307 - Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

Our 12th president, Zachary Taylor, had no political experience when he was elected. He was basically elected for being a war hero, having served in the military for 40 years, in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War.

But here's something. Ya'll know how I love my American presidents, and that every once in a while, I can whip out a little-known fact or two. (Millard Fillmore being the 13th president is not one.)

So, I dunno how I'm just now finding out that Taylor, the 40-year warhorse known as Old Rough and Ready, served only a 16-month term, because he was supposedly felled by cholera...

Contracted from eating a bowl of cherries and drinking a pitcher of iced milk.

If you're fond of sand dunes...

Magnet #1306 - Cape Cod

How cute is this flip-flop from Cape Cod? It's blue and silver! A friend sent it over, after they spent some of their time at the Cape waiting out Hurricane Irene.

I love it! So adorable.

And? It totally doubles as a bottle opener! Yay!

This magnet reminds me of this one Patti Page tape that got some seriously heavy play in the blue van growing up. All of us kids knew all the words to all of the tracks on the tape, and could sing along with every inflection.

But one of our favorites songs, besides Tennessee Waltz and How Much is that Doggy in the Window? was Old Cape Cod. Check it out...I've been humming this song off and on since I got this magnet!




Huh. OR, it could have been any number of Anne Murray albums that we listened to.

Whistler

Magnet #1305 - Whistler

So apparently Whistler had several ways of signing his work.

I'm kind of wishing I had his supercool butterfly signature on a magnet instead of this one that looks like Winnie the Pooh drew it himself for Christopher Robin.

And yes, I'm waiting til I actually have a Whistler painting on a magnet before I go in depth on the fascinating Whistler himself.

Handy Joy

Magnet #1304 - Handy Smurf

I might have too many Smurf magnets. And I don't even know where most of them came from!

Handy Smurf would totally come in handy around my apartment lately. I've been putting up new magnetboards around the apartment. It's entirely possible that I don't have enough space for all the magnets I'm acquiring left and right.

But, dudes, I managed to put the magnetboards up with the power drills and everything. Handy Smurf would be so proud.

You know, if he tilted his head slightly to the side to check my handiwork...

What? Levels and I are not friends.

Swan Lake

Magnet #1303 - Dance at the MET!

Or, at the David Koch Theatre, as the case may be. Went to see Swan Lake today. I've never seen it, so when I saw it was part of this season of the NYC Ballet, I knew I had to see it.

I had seats way up in the Fifth Ring - so high, that I had a 2-second attack of vertigo when sitting down in my seat. Oops!

The performance itself was amazing, in as much as I know anything about ballet. But, the set design was gorgeous, and each dance number was flawless, and the orchestra was just fantastic.

And, as usual, I had my issues with the story. For some reason, I've managed to never learn the whole story of Swan Lake, so I was totally surprised when I found out it was an unhappy ending. I can't stand unhappy love stories, they make me crazy.

Mind you, it didn't stop me from sniffling a bit at the end, but still, made me crazy.

Out of time and dress

Magnet #1302 - Lady with reticule

I was totally born in the wrong time period. I can't exactly tell when in history I should have been born, but I know this isn't it. Sorta.

It kinda changes depending on the romance novel or television show I'm watching. Like, could I have worn a dress like this, with its bustle and the longish train, plus a bonnet and reticule?

Or am I more of a poodle skirt chick?

Or leggings and oversized shirts?

Who knows.

I just know I love, love, love this dress. Possibly because it's blue and white and everything in my closet is basically the same color scheme. But mostly because can you imagine the time it took to get into and out of the dress?

Makes you realize there's no way all those historical romance love scenes could have been as sexy and rushed (or not, depending on the hero, I guess) in real life. Musta taken hours just to get out of this outfit.

And forget about evening trysts out in the orangeries or darkened quiet gardens!

Macarism

Magnet #1301 - Macarism

Dudes. Somehow it's almost the holidays. Yeah, I said it. I just can't believe it's September already.

But, with the holidays comes the holiday market down at Union Square, which (hopefully) means that Nicola & the Newfoundlander will be setting up shop, hopefully with their reclaimed words on reclaimed wood. I'm running out!

This magnet is my favorite of all of them so far.

Macarism: taking pleasure in someone else's joy.

What?

Smaller is better

Magnet #1300 - Les Grands Boulevards

Love this Renoir. Les Grands Boulevards was painted back in 1875 on the street of Paris.

It shows best one of the things what I love most about art - paintings are as good as photographs in depicting what urban settings looked like during that time period. Those are the pieces that I tend to look into the most, it's so much fun looking for the things that date the time period, horse-drawn carriages, folks in period dress, etc.

This one's from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which has definitely become a favorite - I can't wait to go back. I've decided that while I love the bigger galleries, the Met, the National Gallery in London, the Uffizi in Florence, it's the smaller museums I like most.

Yes, the big museums have the major works of artists throughout time, but it's the smaller museums with their lesser-known pieces that I love discovering. When walking through the Philly museum, I found myself in one room with at least seven Monets I had never seen before in real life. Seven! You've seen my Monet art magnet collection - it's pretty extensive. I've seen a lot of Monets in my life.

But, on top of that? I didn't have to climb over anyone to look at the paintings up close. I could look at paintings across the room with an unobstructed view.

It was amazing.

And of course, as I'm looking at the museum site, I just realized they have a Zaha Hadid exhibit starting soon. Sigh. It took me ages to get down to Philly just for their museum. And now I'll have to go back before March to see this Hadid exhibit.

(Yay!)