The Doghouse

I love this. And if you think it's sexist, you need to darn well lighten up.



The idea behind this last year was that men who gave their wives lame holiday gifts, such as vacuum cleaners, were dropped down a rabbit hole called the doghouse to be judged by a jury of scathing, scorned wives. The campaign racked up millions of views in its quest to promote JC Penney's jewelry department -- jewelry, of course, being the ticket out of the doghouse.

This year, it's "Return of the Doghouse" (above). JC Penney again tapped with Saatchi & Saatchi for the video creative, which is blessedly down from four minutes and 45 seconds to two minutes and 55 seconds, and North Kingdom for the website, where, per a JC Penney statement, visitors can "build a case against their bad gift giver filled with written statements and imported photos, videos and witness testimony as evidence of the bad gift-giving. Each case file will be compiled into a trial movie and given its own web address, allowing users to share (can be e-mailed or posted to MySpace and Facebook) the link with friends." Razorfish handled online media buying and planning. (From Ad Age)

Oprah's..oops, I mean CHRISTINE's Favorite Things

Really 'doh. Here they be. Gift 'em, give em', buy 'em for yourself. All worthy of a shout out:

1. "Thank You" note cards (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34192506). Could you honestly say it any better than this? No.


2. Leggings
For Rainbow Bright-like saturation: http://www.welovecolours.com/
For opaque-y's (and if you want to burn the bank...those cashmere puppies from Donna Karan puppies cost a mere $495): http://www.saks.com/
And if you crazy (ahem, Tara Keleher...think leather-like leggings, etc.), check out http://www.americanapparel.com/



3. Old school sweats...everyday
While some may categorize this look (bottom photo), worn by Chloe's designer Hannah MacGibbon, as, simply, one haute mess, check out http://www.jcrew.com/ for the best vintage-y feeling sweats (top photo). I have these and they're rant-worthy. And no, you don't have to wear them like dear ol' Hannah does.


4. Flat boots with opaque mid-thigh socks (love!)
J Crew makes the best knee-highs and Hot Sox and http://www.sockdreams.com/ make fabu over-the-knee-ers:


5. Anything monogrammed or personalized
I mean, come on. You should know me by now. At least I didn't make this number one. And, instead of the predictable monogrammed polo (groan, yes, I know you are), when you come to my house and need to light up your...well, whatever...you can leave with these fantastical matches from http://www.foryourparty.com/. (No, I don't live at 6 Rue Ponteves. Sigh, dream):

But who's the grinch?

Everytime I watch this, I smile. But I always wonder: who's the crank who doesn't play nice in the sandbox with the rest of the kiddies?

Does anyone else think this is wrong?

Because we can all be a tool, er, NEED a tool sometimes...

These super handy cheat sheets can be a lifesaver when you're in a hurry or just need sometime to help you get life reorganized: http://www.mommytracked.com/downloads

As they say, the line between order and chaos in a mum's world is an increasingly fine one.

Help is on the way, sista.

"Like bamboo or sunlight, it will never run out."

Okay, I have found my absolute soulmate via another blogger and a new time consuming obsession. The Aesthetics of Joy (http://aestheticsofjoy.com/) "explores the intersection between design and positive emotion", two things I of course l-o-v-e. As Ingrid Fetell puts it, it is about tapping into this renewable resource of emotion to seek out and design objects and experiences that are emotionally sustainable: pleasurable not just on the first encounter, but for the long term. By identifying the elements—aesthetic, sensory, and cognitive—that trigger joy, the author's goal is to suggest a way for design to foster a healthier culture of consumption, based on relationships between people and objects that are meaningful and rewarding.

This is what else she has to say about "joy" (um, can you say YES!):

Joy is a very particular emotion. It’s not just happiness, which is too vague and encompassing a positive feeling. It’s not contentment, with its snug, muted warmth, but it’s also not spine-tingling ecstasy, nor is it the zen-like feeling we call bliss. Joy inhabits that ineluctable space between wonder and pleasure, neighboring delight, but somehow more profound. Joy is momentary, but not temporary. Surprising, but not necessarily in a spectacular way. It is personal but at the same time universal, an essential emotion that renews and uplifts the human psyche.

Joy’s defining feature is that it is renewable. The first day of spring is always joyful. So is Christmastime. So is blowing bubbles or hearing your favorite song or flying above the clouds. Joy is the renewable resource of positive emotions. Like bamboo or sunlight, it will never run out.

There you go. Oh happy day.

Walken love

For the love of one Gaga, I simply had to post this homage to the queen of fantabulousness: