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Tangled Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=YwSZvHqf9qM

Among the great lines of great lines: ”I seen a lot of women/But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew/Tangled up in blue” (Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue”). On the occasion of his 70th birthday, I could attempt to write about how much his music means to me (a lot) but will only say here that it’s an absolute treat to get lost in his songs, to hear and see and feel the world as he writes it.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Nod to Dylan

Suddenly I turned around and she was standin’ there/With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair/She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns/‘Come in,’ she said, ‘I’ll give you shelter from the storm.’

Bob Dylan, “Shelter From the Storm”

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Here Comes the Safe Sunscreen

For the last couple of years, I have found myself eagerly awaiting the day the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Sunscreen Guide comes out, so I can forward the link to everyone I know. Protection from the sun? Important. Protection from harmful chemicals in most sunscreen products? Equally important—but so many consumers are unaware of the dangers inside the bottles and tubes. I remember being shocked to find out about all the unnecessarily harmful ingredients found in most sunscreen products by “trusted” brands, but then I was relieved to discover safer alternatives that are effective in blocking those dangerous rays. I’ve tried a lot of the sunscreens that test well and personally favor the Badger line. I keep the sunscreen stick (pictured) in my bag and also use the SPF 30 lotion. Find more information, recommendations, and results of tests on other sunscreen products from the Skin Deep’s Sunscreens 2011 report here.

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Rapture Mixed Tape

I like to think every occasion deserves a mixed tape (and I prefer “mixed tape” to “playlist,” even if it shows my age.) With Blondie’s “Rapture” stuck in my head all day–I started singing it when I read something this morning about the proposed end of days on May 21–I decided to get it out of my head by listening to other songs appropriate for the occasion. Radiohead’s “Reckoner” popped in my head, then Prince’s “1999” and, well, a lot of my favorite artists have something that seems just right for judgment day. More to be added to this, I’m sure…. Songs on Grooveshark are here.

“Reckoner,” Radiohead
“Today is the Day,” Yo La Tengo
“Rapture,” Blondie
“1999,” Prince
“It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” R.E.M.
“The Night’s Too Long,” Lucinda Williams
“The World’s A Mess; It’s In My Kiss,” X
“What Difference Does It Make?,” The Smiths
“Road to Nowhere,” Talking Heads
“Road to Joy,” Bright Eyes
“Paint it Black,” Rolling Stones
“The Promised Land,” Bruce Springsteen
“Save Me,” Aimee Mann
“We Shall Overcome,” Pete Seeger
“We’ll Meet Again,” Johnny Cash
“When the Ship Comes In,” Bob Dylan
“Blue Thunder,” Glaxie 500
“After the Gold Rush,” Neil Young
“Redemption Song,” Bob Marley
“Highway to Hell,” AC/DC
“Hell Yes,” Beck
“Raising Hell,” RUN DMC
“Jesus, Etc.,” Wilco
“Stairway to Heaven,” Led Zeppelin
“Just Like Heaven,” The Cure
“When the Stars Go Blue,” Ryan Adams
“What a Wonderful World,” The Ramones
“Gimme Gimme Gimme,” Black Flag
“Hallelujah,” Leonard Cohen
“Good Morning Heartache,” Billie Holiday
“Here Comes the Sun Again,” M. Ward

“Here Comes the Sun,” The Beatles
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How to Look Punk (Or, Well, Almost)

I love this ’zine from the ’70s on “how to look punk” and its declaration that the symbol of punk is the safety pin (via Boing Boing, via threadbared). One of my favorite ’80s accessories was a watch with a band made entirely of safety pins (similar to this one). Lately I’ve been wearing a vintage gold-toned safety pin with faux pearls on a string (made of excess fabric from a recycled T-shirt). Not quite punk—but a nod in that direction.

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Love on a String

I believe that handmade items are the best gifts. I was having a bad day when I found this in my desk: a beaded string necklace made by my niece Mary. I recognized her initials when she gave it to me, but I asked about the others: “That stands for Aunt Stef,” she told me. That’s a good memory to cancel the badness of the day.

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Recipe: Kale Salad with Radish, Fennel and Parm

I’m suddenly crazy for kale and made this salad, based loosely on one a friend recently ordered from the deli section of Rose Cafe in Venice–I reached across the table with my fork to try it and made a mental note to make it at home. I don’t recall all the ingredients in their version of the salad and it’s not on their online menu, but I remembered the kale and radishes. To make it more of a meal, I added quinoa. To make: Simply blanch the kale and let it cool, then toss it with some quinoa, radish, fennel, and a handful of shaved parmesan. Dress it with a basic lemon-olive oil vinaigrette. Yum.

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Style Crush: Stevie Nicks

I’ve had a style crush on Stevie Nicks since I was a kid (a voice crush, too). As a teen, I found out we shared a given first name (though hers was spelled with the “ph”) and I tried to adopt the nickname of Stevie, but I discovered that nicknames you give yourself never stick. I recently stumbled upon this demo version of “Gypsy” and I’ve gone to her catalog for a refresher, also looking to old live performances on YouTube as part of my Stevie Fix. (I just found out she’s got a new album out, too.) To me, she’s always been undeniably sexy and also the kind of sensitive and sweet that doesn’t hurt your teeth. This video shows images of her many amazing looks: the floppy hats, shawls, ribbon chokers, sheer and lace layers, dresses that twirled with her movements—and that hair. I loved how she would hold out her arms, with sleeves or a shawl giving her fabric wings, like she was preparing for liftoff or maybe coming in for a landing. Her voice was enough to let you know she meant every word, but her moves made you a true believer. I remember loving “Leather and Lace” and thinking she was just like that, tough and soft in just the right balance. And that’s how I wanted to be. (Still do.)

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Hold the Heavy Metals, Please

In her later years, when her own cooking days were behind her, my grandmother would say, “That looks good enough to eat!” just as dinner was served. Oddly, I now hear those words (in her charming voice) when I think of beauty products. Since learning about the toxins in so many of the beauty and personal care products on the market, I have switched over to brands made with safer ingredients—in my perfect world, makeup really should be good enough to eat. And when it comes to lip products, well, let’s be honest here—you ARE eating what you put on your lips. A new study released yesterday by Environmental Defence Canada reveals that popular cosmetics tested contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, nickel, and arsenic. Gulp.

But now for the (non-toxic) silver lining: There are terrific alternatives to the toxic products you want to avoid. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website tests products and ranks them for safety. Lip products that just might be good enough to eat? Right here. And you can take action by asking your representative to support safe cosmetic legislation here as well.

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Style Rebel: Boys in Skirts, Girls in Culottes

I loved reading the news story today about a boy who protested his school’s no-shorts dress code by wearing a skirt. When I was inducted into the honor society in high school, I was told that girls were required to wear skirts to the ceremony. That pushed my rebel button—even if I wanted to wear a skirt, there was no way I was going to!—and I set out to find a way to break the sexist rule. (This was the ’80s, not the dark ages.) So I wore culottes—standing with my legs together, it looked like a skirt. They were olive green and corduroy and I thought they were cute (similar in style to the ones in this pattern from an Etsy seller).