A friend asked me one of those "ice breaker" type questions the other day; you know, the ones you ask someone for a zany work interview or that you pose to your coworkers in team building activities.  "If there was only 1 television station you could watch for the rest of your life, what would you choose?"  My immediate thought was ESPN, because I can watch pretty much anything except live sports easily on the internet these days.  "No, that's cheating.  Pretend there's no internet, and you have to only watch what is on that channel forever."  Well, the choice is simple: Turner Classic Movies.  Why would you ever need anything else if you could watch generations worth of the best films ever made--all without commercials?

via

Cybil Shepherd plays the female lead in The Last Picture Show.  There are so many times in this movie where she looks just like Reese Witherspoon in Cruel Intentions (the above being a great example).  Apparently that movie took some heavy inspiration.  Her character gets a bad rap since she is constantly using men to find herself, but there is a lot of depth here.  You meet her as a "good girl" with a mom that is full of advice about how to prevent her from becoming unhappy in marriage (like she did).  And as she tries to explore her own awareness of her growing sexuality, she leaves plenty of victims in her wake.  But she isn't mean-spirited really--just so confused about what she should be wanting and how she should get it. via

Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges play lost high school seniors in a washed up town. via

There are some stores that it literally never crosses my mind to walk into when I go to the mall. These are stores that are knowingly too expensive, too junior (ok, so I do walk into Forever 21 sometimes...), too cheaply made, or too plain boring to bother wasting my precious window shopping moments.  Gap has been a prime example of a store that I haven't shopped since early college (when I had the employee discount), mostly because there was no clothing inside that was really interesting enough to make me want to buy it at Gap instead of at Target while I also checked out with deodorant and wine.  I appreciate when a company realizes their issues, and targets them head on.  Gap has decided to look boring right in the face, and exalt in it.  Enter the "Dress Normal" campaign.

via

via

via

Because this is the internet, many journalists and bloggers are talking about how uninspiring they think this campaign is.  But I can really see what chief marketing officer Seth Farbman was trying to elicit when choosing this advertising campaign -- Gap is "normal" clothes.  Clothes that don't make a statement.  Clothes that are basics.  Clothes that can be a part of your wardrobe as the groundwork even if your personal style is bohemian, or preppy, or gothic. There is something very organic about the campaign that I think will resonate on some level with the Millenial generation they are so desperately targeting (the average age of the Gap customer is 39-- a death knell for most retail companies!).  In a year where internet consumerism is at an all time high and we literally are looking at one advertisement after another on every blog we visit, maybe being "normal" is what Millenials are craving?  Are they tired of fashion-blog-esque pattern mixing or tulle skirts with graphic tees? Do they want some basic jean jackets and black skinny pants to wear every day for their blog posts?

Unfortunately for Gap creative directors, this seems doubtful.  But there are some Millenials out there not fashion blogging right?

  Also, Gap, don't try to tell me this is dressing normal.

I like overalls, but these are just crazy.  Weird V-neck and a ruched waist?  Good luck making that look normal or feel normal after you realize you just paid $80 for overalls.

I recently went down a new Pinterest wormhole and thought I should drag you fellow readers with me -- the magical world of door knockers.  Ever since my husband and I came back from Spain, I just can't get enough Spanish architecture. Barcelona especially had just an abundance of fascinating doors, much less buildings to look at.  Stonework, handles, glasswork, and yes, door knockers were just extensions of the original builder's freedom of expression.

Gothic door knocker in Barcelona via

Incredibly intricate doorknocker in Barcelona via

The doorknocker at Gaudi's Casa Calvet is a bedbug--so of course there is a natural desire to mash it.  Gaudi just never ceases to amaze me.  He was so in tune with depicting nature and human natural instinct in every aspect of his design via

And while these eccentric Spanish doorknockers aren't exactly easy to bring back to your average Southern home, even traditional American doorknockers are really a thing of beauty.

Polished nickel kickplate, house number, and traditional doorknob really make this black door pop via

via

Nothing says "Southern home" quite like a pineapple door knocker.  via

Unfortunately the front door to my house isn't really a door knocker option (every house in our neighborhood has double doors with windows so there is really no where to put one).  Luckily, door knockers are a bit more versatile than your would think.

You can use the ringed versions to hold washcloths in a powder room:

via

via

Or you can update a boring or traditional cabinet by changing out drawer handles for door knockers:

via

Or you can find a door inside your home where a doorknocker would make sense.  I think an indoor door knocker for a powder room or any "guest" bathroom where the entry is from a hallway could actually be useful.  If the door is closed, you would be knocking on that door anyway, so why not use a door knocker (maybe padded so it isn't insanely loud though).

Entrance to a renter's area via

via

I need to try to find a use for this adorable Anthropology door knocker.  Maybe for something outside?  I have seen people put door knockers on gates, but it isn't exactly functional for that use.  If you had a separate guest house or pool house it could make more sense (not a problem that I have haha).  Or I could just buy a new front door so I could use it there..

via

I was introduced to a new holiday this past week that is part of my husband's culture -- the Moon Festival.  Based on the moon cakes alone, I decided that I needed to learn more.

Traditional Mooncakes via

Artistic rendition of Chang E, the Moon Goddess via