Tiny Furniture: now streaming!

When it came to Indie films and my family, I used to be “I’ve seen everything and am co-habitating with a bunch of Philistines.” I volunteered at the Telluride Film Festival three years in a row and saw movies 6-9 months before the previews even showed up to the party.

Then my sister starting dating a scary-savvy LA film-industry boy and now she’s sees everything. I text her about something I caught on Netflix streaming, and she’s like, “um yeah, I saw that last year. When it came out.“

and I know you probably also read about this one last year, but I just watched it and wanted to tell you loved it. I came home with Lux after a Superbowl party, put her to bed, and reveled in my moment to choose whatever I wanted to watch.

It’s streaming on Netflix, it’s written, directed, and starred in by a girl in her twenties. It’s great. And she has a show coming on HBO that she produced with Judd Apatow. Girls. which should be read as: girls! get excited for this show about girls, and by girls!

how are you feeling?

 

Such a great moment of self expression captured (by Anna) of a morning in her first grade classroom.

 

 

 

Afternoon Reading

The next day you grill some toast while the bacon’s cooking. Tumble the berries together and drizzle in the syrup to make a salad that’s bright like July. Juice two grapefruits and fry some eggs. By now your company’s arrived and you can drink the coffee while you stack the sandwiches and add some bubbles to the juice. And that’s it, you’re off.

It took two rainy days to get me finally digging into the essays in Kinfolk Magazines Vol. 1. The free e-edition is only available until November 1st. I find it easier to read on my desktop if you click the Ipad edition.

Vintage Apple

With Steve Jobs announcement of retiring from Apple, it’s been sweet to see the internet spring into action and write up little memorials, odd au revoirs, and even buy more Apple stock.

I’ve seen a few vintage Apple ads posted in tribute, which reminded me that the white screened, hoodie-ed, possibly high, Ellen Feis Switch ad is still the best.

I Vote Day Trotters

hmm, yes I did watch the entire extended version of the new video for Best Coast’s Our Deal, directed by Drew Barrymore. warning: tragic.

But it’s worth it for the amazing lipstick ‘n 80s style mishmash and the cameo by Community’s Donald Glover.

Watch a bit more about the fashion right here.

seen first on Nylon

netflix it: Another Year

Ebert recommended this (I cannot keep up with that guy’s Facebook activity!) and we watched it last week. It’s set in England, over four seasons, following a lovely couple and their hang-on hang-about friends. It’s really good, funny, and fascinating to watch because the story is the characters. There really isn’t a story besides the people, who are totally developed and consistent to the point that you just shake your head at them, like a predictable relative. Great writing.

I’m not linking to the website because: just skip watching the preview. They’re full of spoilers these days.

 

 

 

A Musical Visitor

Tomorrow on E&D we’ll have a very special guest: my 17-year-old brother Wilson!

There he is. He has a band, Rosemary iii, and if you’re in Grand Rapids, they have a wonderful show coming up.

Like my four other brothers, he looks just like me. Or I look like him. Whatever, the point is that in my hometown people recognize us by our dark hair, squinty eyes, skeptical smiles, and narrow chins. “Hey, are you a Cusack?” is a pretty typical question from a stranger.

Somewhat demonstrative photo (we’re missing my older brother here):

As I mention here about every six weeks (ahem, asking you guys for tips) I’m always looking for ways to find new exciting music. My brothers are definitely my secret source of most of the good stuff. And Wilson, in particular, seems to have figured out how to tap the great musical vein of the internet. So he’ll be here, talking about that, for your Saturday morning delight. Thanks Wilson!

Dreamy Summer ads

36 striped cards later, thank you notes are done. Yess.

To celebrate, two vintage summer inspiration videos for you.

Steven Alan, Spring 2010 (yes, you’re right, I’ve featured this before.)

Charlotte Ronson, Spring 2008 (seen on Matchbook Mag blog)

Girl Humor: Kristen Wiig Writes

I know there are some avid Kristen Wiig fans in the audience. Bridesmaids, coming out May 13th, stars her and was co-written by her. A good sign.

There have been rumors of female-appealing versions of the enormously successful male-orientated comedies that have lately shown up, for better or worse, every six months in theaters. Because we females are complicated, it’s taking awhile. What can they possibly find funny, tortured writers are asking themselves, if not jokes about pot/sex/performance/crashed cars/your lame friends??

This one looks like it might hit it, as I laughed at least three times during this trailer. The stamp of Judd Apatow-produced (Superbad, Pineapple Express) means it will safely include a few guy jokes, so the turnout in theaters shouldn’t look like another Sex in the City the Movie Part III.

Meditation on Makeup

“It’s in the heightened gentleness of the silences when she’s concentrating on putting on liquid eyeliner. It’s the low, constant buzz of her pugs snoring in the lap as she applies makeup while sitting on the floor…Now I regularly watch 10 or more of her videos back to back a day. They’ve become my version of mediation.”

-Andrea Seigel, writing well for this past Sunday’s NYT Magazine on her mediation-addiction to Lauren Luke’s makeup videos (Luke’s youtube channel).

Dresscue Me

My younger sister Joanie is the manager at an enormous vintage store tucked into a warehouse in Los Angeles called Shareen Vintage. I love to call her up and hear about how crazy her day was, but none of her stories will really make sense until the reality show they’ve been filming about the place premiers in April. I can’t wait, if only to see all the beautiful dresses.

It’s going to be called “Dresscue me” and will be on Planet Green (I guess Planet Green is being secretive because I can’t link to them about it. Here’s a NY Times article about Shareen & the show). Until then, I loved this video done by Keith Paugh, commissioned by Launderette.

As you’ll see, Shareen is a fashion philosopher who has a vision for her customers (girls only!), which is why I think the show will be genuinely unique to watch. (You see Joanie a few times in the video, she has long brown hair and is wearing a strapless blue floral dress. Can’t wait to see more of you on the screen, Joan!)  You can also visit Shareen Vintage on Facebook, where previous customers literally gush their love for her clothes.

Are you looking to contact Joanie Cusack directly? You can do that right here! 

Multitask, the Game

I was able to play this game long enough to earn the Taste of Ritalin badge. So a pretty sucky multitasker. It’s hard! But I like the nice colors and friendly shapes.

Seen on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me’s blog.