Party Town, USA (population you)...

Let's Party from Rainbow Dropshadow on Vimeo.

Hello!

 I thought a couple of songs to get the party started would enhance any new years eve (literally any). Ok so if Queen wasn't enough for you, just crank up the sweet, smooth-ish jazz sounds of Lionel Richie (might I suggest emulating some dance moves or outfits). The last video  from Rainbow Drop Shadow is the icing on the cake! I  hope you thoroughly enjoy. See you in the new year.

Sincerely,

emily pauline fanny dart-mclean harris

Wamic

Say it with me now "WA- MIC!" Now add a little twang (and again) "WAMIC..." now how about a little bit of when I say "WA" you say "MIC..." and so on until your really excited to read on. Excited? Whoop! 
Ok so we went to The Harris family lake house in Wamic, OR. Why should everyone go to Wamic? Whelp let's just say  we saw a bald eagle fly right past the window, which made the American flag look like it was going out of style (I would even dare call it majestic). Another reason, the kirkland jeans flow like water....more then the water. People say words like "crick"for creek, and when you go into the local store (which happens to be the hardware, grocery, outdoor, liquor, toy store...and so on) people look at you with a face that says "hey, you from a'roun here boy?" Just drive straight over the hill (by that I mean Mount' Hood), past the ol' watering hole (Trillium Lake), wave at uncle Henry (the large horse that's in some field, somewhere along the way), and wha la, you're there!     

Bedazzled

The Zombies...For Your Listening Pleasure

"I can't forget you, won't forget you, won't forget those days..." Give me more! 

Holiday (In the tune of Madonna)

Handmade childhood ornaments, ornamented animal statues, lighted wine bottles, menorah lights, sunlight beer on christmas eve,  new record player, new records, high waisted pants, waisted on eggnog...oh what a  holiday weekend. 

Hannah & Alex....For Your Listening Pleasure

A Hannah & Alex Xmas 2011 from HannahAlexXmas on Vimeo.

I was  recently asked to participate in Hannah and Alex's  annual Christmas video. Above is the finished product. If you find yourself ogling or playing the video again and again, this is normal (I'm in the double digits)! Do note, yes Hannah is actually singing (her voice is...say it with me now "a-maz-ing") beauty, brains, and sheer talent people! Another note Alex does not always sport the mustache and slicked hair, he's usually very dapper...he is a delightful actor, excellent director, and extroridinary film editor. The day was a blast. The hosts were the best. The video is your new favorite....yes you!

It's a Massive Virtual Holiday Card Post....

Please imagine you just opened your mailbox to the sight of a decorative holiday envelope (are you at the mailbox yet? ... Good). If you're anything like Alex you will use some form of letter opener, or have a precise even tare  along the top of the envelope. If you're anything like me, you will rip one corner off,  and try to pull the card out ASAP (the cards a little rumpled at this point, but just as good). So here we are, Alex and me sitting (or maybe standing)  smack dab in front of you on our  holiday card. We've attached a photo for cheap thrills (and lack of time) but the true beauty of a virtual card is the imagination factor that accompanies what's inside that card. Take this opportunity to "re-open your mailbox," gracefully (or un gracefully) open your card and imagine us, wishing you happy holidays in the best way. 

A few suggestions if your mind is bogged down with lack luster cards: Alex with a cotton ball beard, and a velvet Santa suit, and me wearing snowman costume. Perhaps both of us are wearing  bad sweaters, and juggling latkas? Or maybe one of us is dressed as a bear, and the other is dressed as some famous Mary, and the card reads "Have a Beary, Mary Christmas!" or maybe it's "Barry and Mayor-y Christmas" and one of us is Barry white (or Manilow) and the other is the Mayor of your town. You get the idea (or you're begging me to stop with my ideas...fair enough). Here's us wishing you and yours the best Holiday Season you can imagine!

Workin' For the Weekend...

 

Bedazzled (Belated)

A Glitzy Holiday Special. Thank you Hannah & Shola for you shimmery shenanigans.

Fred Paris and The Satins...For Your Listening Pleasure

Weekend Wow!

1.

You had me at Neon Green Pant Suit!

 A new vintage shop is opening 2 blocks away from our house.

Keep your specs peeled for Vintage Town.  

2.

Teaching new dogs old tricks. 

Double paw handshake folks..Double Paw!

3.

Gingerbread man truffles! Catch that little guy, slap him on a truffle, 

and call you the "happiest person in town."

In Loving Memory

grandma (the stunner in the middle) a week after my mom was born.

Grandma and some of children (1964)

                                Grandma participating in a protest with the Women's International League of Peace

Grandma was a an anti-war activist her entire life. It is a fact that I witnessed her get arrested protesting a war on tv when she was in her 70's ( I was 17). This was not her first or last arrest for standing up for what she believed in.   She was one of four "Napalm Ladies" wearing gloves, heels, and pearls, who blocked the loading of napalm bombs onto barges in Alviso, California destined for Vietnam in May, 1966. She was arrested and put in jail and went to trial. Pete Seeger wrote two songs about them. Tom Wicker, Washington Bureau chief for the New York Times wrote in a book that the arrest was what first made him see the Vietnam War as morally unjust. He originally supported the war, but the "Napalm Ladies" changed his mind.


When I think about my grandma Joyce, I can't help but think about the rhyme she would tell me and my siblings when we were younger "Emily pemily pudding and pie kiss the boys and made them cry (of course you could sub any name in. Do note this was an endearing rhyme, not a taunt)." I can't help but think about reading Bertrum books aloud, learning how to play Casino (a card game), watching Casablanca, The Red Shoes, Catch-22,  and the Gods must be crazy. Word finds in the morning, scrabble at night. Friday night pizza, Sunday morning banana pancakes. The most eloquent, articulate, passionate, intelligent, kind, caring,frank....Woman I've ever met. A Loving wife, mother, grandmother, advocate, inspiration, an honor to know and love. She will be dearly admired and dearly missed forever. 

Don't Sweat(er) It!

Dear Jonah, 
Congratulations on your latest ugly sweater win.  It's time like these when I am especially (1.) proud to be your little sister and  (2.) Curious where a gal  like me can find the cozy, ugly, comfort of a sweater that reads "Christmas all year long" and "ho ho ho" on the same Cosby palette? I was particularly  fond of your description over the phone (in more words or less:) "It started with a Cosby sweater, you know the ugly 80's color prints? Then I proceeded to  glue cotton balls in the shape of a snowman, with buttons for the eyes. I glued on a stocking that says "Christmas all year long!" The back is complete with one of those giant red bows, for your door...I glued that on the back."  Well winner, keep up the good work! 
Love,
Emily

The Association...For Your Listening Pleasure

Workin' For The Weekend...

Second Chance Thrift

The Second Chance Thrift Store resides in Vancouver, WA on St. John Street. I popped in today on my way home to have dash of excitement to end work on. Fifteen minutes later and $4.67 the excitement was rampant (ok ok so maybe not "rampant" but you can imagine). Not only does Second Chance have real thrift store prices  (I'm talking under a dollar for vintage beauties of all walks of life) it's run by a cohort of extremely friendly elderly volunteer women (in todays case, elderly women dressed in their Christmas finest, which looked like plaid sweaters, and gaudy santa and present broaches...just my type). I left with 2 records (Nu Shooz and the original soundtrack to Annie), 3 books (a joke book called "Ballpoint Bananas"circa 1973, a very lovely poetry book, and a hardcopy of "Bed Nobs and Broomsticks), and that Strawberry Shortcake pendant above. Second Chance, more like First Chance....

Bedazzled (Guest Bedazzler)

Thank you Hannah and Kelty!

George Harrison...For Your Listening Pleasure

Hands down, George is my favorite Beatle. This demo version of "Something" will make you swoon and swoon again. 

Don't Rain On My Parade

So we're on Hawthorne (Saturday night to be precise), and all of a sudden, copious amounts of Santas start to parade down the street. Thin Santas, fat Santas, beardless Santas, mustache Santas, women Santas, tall short, fast, slow, you name it.  Santas in shorts, Santas in stripes, uh huh. It was Sanatas on parade, and parade they did. I imagine some good jokes could go along with this storyline: something about Santas, lots of Santas, and the punchline is "HO HO HOS..." Work on that, and get back to me, would you?  

Workin' For The Weekend...

Goodbye Ruby Thursday

Pablo Casals For Your Listening Pleasure...

1954 video footage of Pablo Casals playing Bach in the Abbaye Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa.Sigh...

Pantaloonatic

It's a fact that a person I work with said to me today. "nice pantaloons Emily."  By "Pantaloons" he was referring to the black tights adorn with blue flowers I was wearing under my skirt. I had to snap into it and say "It's not about how nice the pantaloons are, but about finding you a job." When really I was thinking "Pantaloons, britches, bloomers... where have these words gone my whole life?  Bring them back now!"

Bedazzled

Your New Favorite Fall Mix (part 3)

1. Ten Commandments - Prince Buster
2. Shoop - Salt N Peppa
3. Since the Day You Told Me Goodbye - Powder
4. A Little Bit Of Soap - The Jarmels
5. Forsaken Cowboy - Röyksopp
6. Foundations (Metronomy Remix) - Kate Nash
7. Naive Melody (David Byrne cover) - Arcade Fire (CBC Radio 3 Studio Session)
8. Once A Man Twice  A Child - Justin Hinds
9. The Old Revolution - Leonard Cohen 
10. Whirlwind -Architecture in Helsinki and Busta Rhymes
11. Drumheller - Caribou
12. Tomorrow Is A Long Place - Bob Dylan
13. If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This) - Jens Lekman
14. Turn Her Down - Cupons
15. Yeah Yeah - Clipse
16. La chanson de Prevert - Serge Gainsbourg
17. In the Morning - Junior Boys
18. Saturdays - Cut Copy
19. As the World Falls Down - David Bowie
20. Let Me Love - You Down INOJ

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The Creative Lives

So my dear friend Lorraine, who is lovely, talented, witty, giddy, alarmingly charming, a delight in all respects... has an absolutely wonderful counterpart.... No big surprise. However, I'd like you to take a gander at G. Lewis Heslet's latest endeavor (and by "gander" I mean watch this video with anticipation over and over on your couch...and by "over and over" I mean again and again and again). G. Lewis is one of the brilliant brains behind the 16 episode season, The Creative Lives,  a documentary webseries focused on showcasing the lives and personalities of contemporary artists. Above is a video for The Creative Lives Kickstarter Campaign... So in the tune of A Tribe Called Quest, "Can I kick it?".... "YES YOU CAN!" 

Guess What Came in the Mail Today...

It started out with a ring of the door bell. The door bell always seems to ring when you are wearing a large awkward t-shirt, and tights...An-y-ways. A quick signature, an awkward glance, and in my hands is a giant box straight from the heart of France (a thank you Theo). Inside, to my delightful surprise is a sewing-esque box reupholstered with  vintage fabric, and absolutely full of treasures. Some wedding sentiment here (photos of potential guests, and vintage wedding photos), some old 45s there (not to mention "Chic- Le Freak"), beautiful buttons, tiny boxes filled with goodies, jars of gems, a hand stitched pillow, a much needed checklist to ensure I was on track with the box's contents, postcards, books, and a mix cd to boot. In third grade I wrote a short poem called "When I Looked Into My Stocking I Found"it basically just listed a bunch of random, rhyming objects that were desirable to a child age 8 (I was definitely going through a Shel Silverstein phase/ was one of the only Jewish children in school... perhaps looking for a  way to connect around the holidays...who knows ). Digging through this package was reminiscent of my poem (now hold on, I'm not saying it's content were comparable to an 8 year old's present interests, merely that the endless amount of goods coming out of this box made me imagine how great they would sound in rhyme form... "a box filled with goods, buttons in a jar, lps from a far, and something about steak tar tar...." you get the idea). Thank you Theo for sending this delightful package, a true weekend  highlight.