Erin Shaw Street

Wordless Wednesday: Joan Holloway Edition

When I was a little girl I dreamt of having leopard print pumps. Today these beauties fell into my hands. Guess what I'll be wearing tomorrow? 

And the next day.

And the day after.

Gosh I'm glad I'm the kind of girl who can pull off leopard print pumps.

Related Links:

Adventures In Boldness: The Mandatory Margarita Club Strikes Again

Ignite Birmingham #2: What Would Kelly Do? (I need your 90210 help!)

Five days to go before Ignite Birmingham #2, and I'm speaking. My topic:

The Relevance of Beverly Hills 90210 in a Postmodern Landscape (Donna Martin Graduates)

But I can't quite figure out what to say.

It's because it's a subject that I've given much thought to, as in years. If you add up the time spent on my couch watching the show, discussing it with Stephanie and friends, and generally waxing poetic to anyone who will listen.

So I'm sitting here on a rain Saturday morning, watching clips of 90210 (the original of course), showing Nate my 90210 collection (which includes the 90210 version of "Twister" called "Entangle" -- left hand Kelly, right knee Dylan!)

And wondering ... how can I speak to this in five minutes?  I have my theories but need help from fellow 90210 fans. Why does it still matter? Why are you getting up on weekend mornings to watch "SoapNet" (you are, right?) Why do you still love Dylan? Loathe Brenda? Get a little teary when you see Joe E. Tata on the new 90210.

I need your help -- is there a specific scene that sums up why 90210 still matters? Come on, you know you clap when the theme song comes on. Talk to me! (And for inspiration, here's the original title sequence.)

Related Links:

Wordless Wednesday: Vintage 90210 Notebook

Scene From A Sunday Morning: Color Me Badd

Nashvegas 3.10: Vintage Finds, Roving Hoopers and a Dolly Parton Bathroom

Have I mentioned lately how much I dig Nashville? Seriously.

As much as I love Birmingham (Vulcan, you know you have my heart) I have a serious thing for The Music City. It's like Birmingham but bigger, and more progressive, and with much better shopping. Plus the people are super welcoming and the music, well that goes without saying.

I was up there Friday for a photo shoot and in the process got to visit some of my favorite neighborhoods. The shoot was in part in the 12 South area, where I met my friend Susannah for lunch at Fido (delicious eggplant tower and sweet potato fries). Later that night I went to a reading her husband organized in their East Nashville neighborhood, where I won a burrito based on my Lady GaGa knowledge. Yes, my kinda people.

Saturday morning in East Nashville was the best. Started the morning with a cappuccino and some writing at Marche Artisan Foods. Ran into a band of roving hula hoopers, led by Sunny Becks Crumpton, who I wrote about in a story published last November. Found a lovely silk jacket that Betty Draper would approve of (and two broaches) at The Hip Zipper.

On Susannah's recommendation I visited Good Buy  Girls, a new vintage/modern shop open only on Saturdays. The adorable owners have been selling their stuff online and just opened the new space, which is full of affordably-priced clothes fit for aspiring country starlets and rock chicks alike.

I loved looking through the belt buckles (it takes a special person to pull off a "Crown Royal" belt buckle), and frocks and boots. Oh, the boots.

My weak spot. I haven't bought a pair of cowboy boots since last year (see: great boot search of 2009), though I did bring home my magical Frye boots just a few months ago.

I could not resist these bright red Acme numbers -- doesn't every girl need a pair of red cowboy boots?

                                                                        Pure glee. Plus, the kicker: the store has a Dolly Parton-themed bathroom. These are true Nashville girls.

So much more I want to do there. More boots, more hoops. But first, more shoots.

Wordless Wednesdays: Vintage 90210 Notebook

Even thought it's Wordless Wednesdays, there at least needs to be a caption: The guys of West Beverly made a surprise appearance in my world yesterday thanks to a surprise gift from Wade.

Question: can one be taken as a serous journalist if she shows up to an interview with Brandon, Dylan, David, and Steve? Andrea Zuckerman would.

Related Posts

Ciao 2009: A Pop Culture List

Wordless Wednesday: If I Had A Daughter

Ciao 2009 (A Pop Culture List)

I could write a maudlin post about 2009, its ups and downs, along with reflections on life, loss, and various bruises and triumphs along the way. But who would do that? (Well, me, see this post).

But for now, I present my very own "best of" pop culture 2009 list. Cause after being a brooding, serious writer, what do I do best? Watch TV! Here goes, my best of screen, stage, music and trends.

(Note: most of these are new to 2009 but there are a smattering of pop culture experiences that were just new to me. Also, it's clearly not comprehensive, and like all lists, completely subjective according to the writer's own highly partial taste.)

There are nine categories a) because it's 2009 b) because I couldn't come up with a tenth that I could fairly evaluate.

Best Movie: Up In The Air

I laughed and cried at the familiarity of life on the road (and recognized more than a few hotels in the film), but you don't have to travel for a living to appreciate this brilliant film. Jason Reitman ("Juno") produced a film that captures the bittersweet nature of travel, the beauty and challenge of its solitude, and the longing for connection that everyone seeks. George Clooney flexes his acting muscles, and Anna Kendrick is one to watch for a best supporting actress nomination. Plus the soundtrack is perfect.

Runner Up: Michael Jackson, "This Is It"

Best New TV Show: Modern Family

OK, big confession here: I haven't watched "Glee." It was a simple oversight on my TiVo schedule  (and if it doesn't get on the TiVo rotation it's doesn't get watched) but I am going to download. That said, Modern Family is the best depiction of the humor of family life since, dare I say, the Bluths of "Arrested Development." Very Christopher Guest-esque, this well written gem is smart, relatable comedy. Family dynamics have never been this funny (touching too).

Runner Up: Community

Best Non-Fiction (Tie): Happens Every Day by Elizabeth Gillies and Lit by Mary Karr 

I can't pick a fiction favorite because I didn't read much fiction this year (so many interesting stories in truth, right?) Both of these books are by women whose lives fell apart, told in painstaking detail, and how they picked up the pieces. What can I say, I'm a sucker for redemptive tales by strong women.

Runner Up: MommyWood (Tori Spelling). Because it's important to balance one's serious reads with true works of art ;)

Best Concert: Lady GaGa (Fox Theater, Atlanta)

This is an incredibly tough category, because I saw some great shows this year. Maybe I am just picking GaGa because it's fresh on my mind (just three days ago), but I don't think so. I wasn't a hardcore GaGa fan before, but was converted after this two hour non-stop production. More than just kooky costumes, this girl can sing (see: her performing "Speechless" on piano accompanied by an orchestra). And dance. And bring together musical influences from Queen to Madonna, blending them into her own brilliant style. And to think she was singing in small clubs on Fire Island a year ago.

Runner Up: Ben Folds (Ryman Theater, Nashville)

Honorable Mention: Pete Yorn (Workplay, Birmingham)

Best New Favorite Thing to Do With an iPhone: Tweet

I know, put down the phone, Erin. And Twitter is certainly not exclusive to the phone, but since joining Twitter in Feb. it's been my favorite thing to do with my little friend, iPhone. It has its skeptics: "who cares if you are drinking coffee," etc., but as a communicator, I've found it to be one of the most helpful tools to connect with people in meaningful ways in 2009. With Twitter I followed breaking news, met friends with similar interests (a pug lover in Columbia, South Carolina for instance), and connected with media and non-media friends right here in Birmingham. Lunch with three mom bloggers I never would have met? Check. Restaurant recommendations wherever I traveled? Yep. Killer story ideas? Yep, found them all on Twitter. (To any of my friends who aren't convinced: let me give you the 15 minute tutorial.)

Runner Up: I Am T-Pain App

Best Fashion Trend: The Snuggie

Technically it debuted at the 2008, but I think we can all agree that the Snuggie hit its stride this year and hasn't stopped.

Runner Up: It being OK for everyone to tuck their jeans into boots

Best Award Show: The Tonys

Even though I didn't get to see them live like my mom and brother. No hard feelings or anything. The Oscars were such a snooze this year, but the Tonys made up for it with performances from the remarkable "Billy Elliot" (which I saw on Broadway  later in the year, phenomenal) and "Hair," plus appearances from Liza and Dolly.

Best Exercise Trend: Hula Hoop

I wrote about and became a convert to hooping this year. And though it certainly wasn't invented in 2009 it gained serious momentum this year, with even the First Lady hooping.

Runner Up: The American Music Awards

Best Song: Tie: Jay-Z/Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"/ LadyGaGa "Disco Stick"

This is the toughest category. How to even choose? So I leave you and 2009 with my favorite song from this year. Or at least one of them ...

Runner Up: Jamie Foxx "Blame It"

Honorable Mention: Avett Brothers "Kick Drum Heart"

Related Posts:

Happens Every Day: More Thoughts

Rituals of the Cloth

Watching Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral. I ran into him once in the hallways of the Russell Senate Office Building -- literally. I was a young intern, rounding a corner, not paying attention when I ran smack into the Lion of the Senate with his big rosy cheeks. It was a slight brush with a giant but as an Irish Catholic raised with reverence for the Kennedys quite a thrill.

Today I'm watching as the world says goodbye, struck by the beautiful ritual of the church. The Prayers of the Faithful, read by his grandchildren, were taken from excerpts of his speeches, which I thought incredible (see video below).

There is something universal about the Mass and the cycles that we go through at births, deaths and transitions.

I  am  moved by the pall, the white cloth, which we saw draped over Kennedy's coffin throughout the Mass. It represents our baptismal cloth, and the redemption of faith.

I wrote this about the significance of the white cloth after Nate's baptism nearly three years ago.

"There was something incredibly reassuring about these layers of tradition. I thought about how at my grandmother's funeral nearly three years ago the priest talked about the white baptism cloth on the casket, and how that represented that she had completed her full journey here and was being born into the next. Our church is a flawed one for sure, but the deep symbolism is pretty powerful and I think more than metaphor. Like Paul Simon sings, 'I was born before my father/and my children before me/and we are born and born again, like the waves of the sea.'"

    These are the traditions that connect us, the fabric that is interwoven with lives of famed politicians and the common man. Reassuring rituals of hope and rebirth.

How YOU Doin?

My people are from New York. Yes, yes, I was born and raised in the southernmost state and have spent the majority of the past 15 years in the Deep South. But it's not a secret that Hugh and Rosemary, a.k.a., my parents, are NY born and bred. (Just come with us to a restaurant and hear the server ask, "Let me guess -- you're a New Yorker?" only to be met with mom's speech about how she's been gone for 35 years. Seriously, come with.)

The great thing for me is getting to reap all the benefits of being Southern raised with Northern roots. A love of diners and bagels, as well as an appreciation for BBQ. Being Southern-Northern means I can be sweet as pie, or can bust out my "New York" when appropriate. And it does come out.

I believe that you may call us "Yankees." (At which point I will proudly unfurl my diploma from the University of South Carolina and commence discussion of SEC football, OK?)

But I do love being one generation removed, with members of my own generation firmly planted in the Tri-State area. I get being Southern because I am.

However, I also get the whole New York thing. When I walk in Manhattan I get wistful at a life I've never known, then shake my head when a door slams in my face (insert huffy Southerner).

All of this is simply to say I love Wendy Williams' new talk show. This NY radio host has debuted the most amazing television talk so ever. Watching the audience interact with her is like watching my people.

And when she says her trademark, "How YOU Doin'" I feel like I'm at home. So,

"How YOU Doin?"

Scene from A Sunday Morning: Color Me Badd

It's Sunday morning, 7 a.m. I'm drinking coffee and watching "90210" (original of course).

It's the "Things To Do on a Rainy Day" episode, circa 1992. The one with Color Me Badd as guest stars. Central plot line involves Donna, David, Brenda and Kelly plotting to meet Color Me Badd, then Donna accidentally seeing her mother cheating on her father in Color Me Badd's hotel. You know the one.

Nate stumbles downstairs, takes one look at the TV. Scene:

Nate: I want to watch Diego.

Me: We're watching 90210.

Nate: Why?

Me: It's one of the most important television shows of all time, and it's important that you come to know it.

Nate: Why?

Me: You'll understand later. Shhh, Kelly is about to meet the lead singer of Color Me Badd.

Nate: Why is he bad?

Me: He's not bad. It's an expression. Look at their jeans!

Nate: I want to watch Dora the Explorer mommy.

Me: Sometimes we can't get what we want right away. We'll put on Dora when this is over. That's Donna Martin.

Nate: Donna Martin is yucky.

Me: Donna Martin is not yucky. Donna Martin graduates!

Nate: Donna Martin graduates!

End scene.

This is a true story. No names or details have been changed to protect the innocent.

Back from North Carolina

On each trip I bring back something for Nate.

I try for this something to usually be a book, though at times I fall short and have to get a stuffed something or other at the airport gift shop.

I like to find books about the  places that I have been, so I can share these stories with him, and get him ready for his own adventures.

Yesterday, while in Chapel Hill, NC, I did a first -- ducked into a comic book store when I saw this, a comic book about our president, in the window. For the record:

1)It's a serious comic book
2)It was the first time I've ever been in, let along purchased a comic book
3)Shane was completely rolling his eyes when I gave this to Nate as his "'prise" from this trip

Unfortunately I couldn't bring back this guy below (err, girl) in my suitcase. Her name is Oprah, and I spent the past few days with her and her kids. Get it -- kids! Yeah, I'll keep my day job.

Got to know her during some time on a goat farm, where I learned about the day to day operation of making cheese, running a farm (including goats, cows, and pigs) and an organic garden. But you have to read the rest of that in the magazine.

While there, I also enjoyed sweet lime pickles for the first time. I had no idea that they were a regional delight, but being a pickle aficionado was completely hooked. They were sweet, they were salty, they were homemade deliciousness.

Plus the pickles were made from cucumbers grown on the farm. I am convinced that even I can learn how to pickle pickles, and am on a mission to find out more.

I was somewhere between the chicken coop and the mulberry bush yesterday during the Michael Jackson service, which was a bit odd for a pop culture junkie. Listened to some of it on the drive over to Chapel Hill post-farm.

Then, as I walked on Franklin Street I saw the sign below in a pub window at the same time a truck drove by playing "Billie Jean." 

Heat + standing in a field of pigs + travel can make a girl tired. So when I saw the sign for the Aveda school in Chapel Hill last night I ducked in and got a manicure, a vampy purple.

They said it was a chakra massage, and the technician used oils that were supposed to calm my "root chakra" (which surely needs calming). From their website:

This service combines the art & science of pure flower and plant essences with a variety of massage techniques to ease muscle tensions, soothe the mind, and bring balance to the chakra system.

Not sure if that worked, but my nails look good.