Best Things This Week June 8, 2010

June 14, 2010

A bit consumed by color, but certainly not entirely. My 3 favorite things this week were these:

Colin and Justin’s Home Heist

A TV show about 2 gleefully gay Scottish designers. Shopping is my favorite activity, but shopping with gay men with good taste and singsong Scottish accents just takes it to new heights.They almost require you to sit down with a glass of champagne just to watch the show.

What I love is that they do a rebirth of the person, not just the house. Your best re-construction follows a complete de-construction. The person’s decorating sense is reduced to rubble, much like their house is, but they are rebuilt. My favorite part is hearing their descriptions of the Before Home (“it looks like a global gift shop” comes to mind for one poor soul’s African mask collection). Soap operas got nothing on this.

They have that magical ability to ignore the what-is. They live in the kingdom of what-could-be. Possibility being right up my alley, I’m always fascinated by transformations. They take the house right back to the raw beginning, and then move forward.

Much as I adore these guys, they have a real propensity for painting things white, even in families with kids. Once, to a Dad resisting white, they said something like “Are you a responsible Dad? Do you want your child to have an ordered space (or something similar)?” It could have climbed into the TV, muckled on to their necks, and shook the puddin’ out of them. Let’s be real, men. Let me give you 3 kids, a 100 lb. dog, a cat, 2 jobs, a limited budget, and the rains of April, and we’ll talk about white sofas. Besides, I feel that one of my responsibilities as a parent is to keep my kids’ immune system aware of what’s out there. A gay couple can no more address a single aspect of parenthood than a couple without children can discuss a marriage avec, and they should not go there.

Anyhow, still the best, funnest, and funniest of the home reno shows. I adore them right up there with Nick Arrojo.

Flavia DeLuce

Among my favorite summer books 09 was Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie. It was witty, literary, and relaxing. Books where the plot devolves into kidnapping, abuse, as it always does, at 9PM when I’m trying to induce myself into 8 hours of pleasant unconsciousness…grisly loss of limb isn’t the sleeping pill that works for me.

This is the English Village mystery, 1950s era, even better, through the eyes of a smart, funny 11 year old girl, even better. Once again, I display my propensity for people not overly concerned with the what-is, children being among the best examples.

The latest is The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag. I’m reading slowly to make it last. There are 9 holds on it at the library, so I’m pacing myself. Why not buy? Because I’ve never read a book twice.

Cardis at J.Crew

I love J. Crew. More at some times than others, but I never stop checking in. I can find age-appropriate clothing that’s not too teenage. I can afford it on sale. And when they do a color, they DO the color. When you stand outside the store and see yet another palette of purple/black/neutral/grey/a little yellow, Crew is giving us curry, tomato, pine, and so much more.

In a cardi with a tank/shell beneath, you’re always the right temperature, can wear pretty jewelry, and don’t get makeup on your collar.

In Bronzed twig, Paradise Blue, and other gorgeous colors. Above is Dark Raisin for Dark Autumn, so much more than good ol’ eggplant. Look also at the lovely Blossom for Soft Summer (wear it with MAC Syrup lipstick).

Posted by Christine Scaman | Filed Under Color Analysis, Happiness