Good Gracious Rhymes with Bodacious

For some reason, it's rained every single Friday afternoon this summer. But today was the first day in a long time I actually got to wear long pants and a sweater! In celebration of weather confusion, please enjoy Jenny Owen Youngs' "Hot in Herre" video.

Babe Ruthless

So, let's review who's in this movie: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Alia Shawkat, Kristen Wiig, Eve, Juliette Lewis... and Drew directed. Yeah, I wanna see it! I wish I was tough enough for roller derby, but since I'm more of a Betty Bookworm than a Smashlee Simpson, watching is just fine for me. Maybe I'll make it to a Philly Roller Girls match one of these days.

Sweet (Cotton-Pickin') Darlin'

Check it out: Zooey Deschanel's cotton commercial! She actually recorded a whole three-minute song that you can listen to and download. And you can learn all about her cotton-y look, too. Zooey says, "While I enjoy vintage styles, it's important that a fabric keep its shape. Form is essential to me, even in casual wear."

What do you think? Is this weird? I guess cotton is just about the least offensive product to endorse, and at least they let her wear cute clothes, right?

I Know We're Cool

Call me Jenny Come Lately, but I can't let No Doubt's appearance on last month's flashback episode of Gossip Girl pass by without some sort of comment. Dude, it brought me back to 1997, when I saw them (but not Weezer, because I was too busy being sick in the restroom during my so-excited-I-can-and-will-puke phase—TMI?) for the first and only time at the Jones Beach theater. Gwen and Gavin always tied Kurt and Courtney for the title of My Favorite Couple of the '90s. But G&G could never have happened if Gwen hadn't fallen in love—and broken up—with Tony first. And now they're c-cool! Check out these vids chronicling their relationship, from heartbreak to regret to okay-ness.

Don't Speak | my 10th grade after-school snack

No Doubt |MTV Music

Simple Kind of Life | hearts♥ for pink hair Gwen

No Doubt |MTV Music

Cool | solo Gwen embraces her Italian heritage

Gwen Stefani |MTV Music

Blackest Coffee You Will Ever See

My Camera Obscura station (aka The Bee's Knees) on Pandora has come up with some real gems. Here's one of them! I was introduced to Emiliana Torrini years ago by an online friend I have since lost touch with, and hearing her on my "radio" was a really nice surprise. "Heartstopper" is from her album Fisherman's Woman. It's a strange video for a beautiful song. Enjoy it.

Where the Hipsters Are & Other Stories

I'm on semi-vacation this week, but I do have a few odds and ends to share.

Movies I'm excited about



Spike Jonze's version of Where the Wild Things Are looks ah-mazing. I'm skeptical of picture books being stretched into feature-length films, but I think they may be able to pull this one off.



I'm sold on 500 Days of Summer for the following reasons: The Smiths, Regina Spektor, Zooey Deschanel, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who was so cute in 10 Things I Hate About You and has aged quite well over the past decade). Also, I think the geeky chic guy from Criminal Minds is in it, and I'm pretty sure that's a scene of them frolicking in IKEA. Just like my boyfriend and I always do when we go there.

Other flicks on the ol' radar: Away We Go and Coco Avant Chanel.

Miss Porter's School

This NY Times article is a few days old but worth checking out if you are interested in or mildly obsessed with boarding school drama and secret societies. Bonus: the girl in the article is named Tatum T. Bass. Any relation to Chuck?

I ♥ This Girl

I swear I spent a good few hours reading for school today. But I was also surfing the web and came across the above-above video re: Gossip Girl. Then I looked at more of this girl's "vlogs." She is so cute, and I like what she has to say. (Except that Aaron is attractive. Um, he is so icky.)

She calls herself Jane WC and she has this bunch of other friends who are Janes, but I doubt any of them are better than her. This stuff about the bike elitists? So true. There's also a really great video about the polaroid wall she and her roomies have in their house. Hella funny.

Feed the Weiner Dog

With the very last issue of RIVET in the works and the recent demise of so many other great publications (like Punk Planet, for one), I was so sad to see this video about the possible end of Bitch. They had one month to raise $40K for the next issue. AND THEY DID IT.

I don't think many people realize just how expensive it is to publish a magazine with a pretty color cover and lots of shiny pages. Most of these independent magazines are just making enough money to scrape by. Bitch surpassed its fund-raising goal for the time being, but the struggle isn't over. If "feminist response to pop culture" floats your boat, you should think about subscribing. I know, personally, that it's hard to make donations if you don't make a ton of money. Subscribing is a nice compromise because you get something tangible out of it, too. Bitch is a smart, thought-provoking read. But if you do have the cash to donate a cause, think about what's really important to you and what would make you proud to support. It feels good to give!

And while we're on the subject of giving, RIVET can use your help in making the next-and-last issue happen. Click here to donate, and if you happen to be in Seattle, you can show your support at the party/art auction Oct. 4. It's the "right" thing to do.

Owww!

While I prepare to move Mode a la Pie headquarters across the country, please accept this Gossip Girl promo as a gift from me to you. Since the last time I wrote about the show, I've watched every episode and become a true blue fan. Chuck, Serena and Jenny are among my faves, but overall I think I'm on Team Blair. Love her in this little teaser—doesn't she look kind of like a Heather? Something about the whole production, with the character names in yellow type, feels super '80s in a way that makes me very excited for Labor Day.

Who Does Your Hair?

"Deceptacon" is one of my most favorite songs, and I just think it's awesome that someone took the time to put this together. Love it.