Category Archives: On the Web Blogs

Not so shabby cute vintage like clothes

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One consequence of my site remodel is that I am behind on some posts.  My reviews have been stacking up, which is saying something, because I don’t think of this as a review site.

Nonetheless, sometimes something crosses my desk that jumps out at me as “oh, that is me!”  Shabby Apple was one of those things.   They they feminine clothing online.  I wanted to try them out partly cause I love that name.  I had never heard of them till they contacted me, but go to the site and you will see lots of cool vintage inspired women’s clothing. I love vintage, but my body is not vintage and they can smell and have sweat stains.  Sometimes better to get a new reworking on vintage. Shabby Apple’s clothes are not cookie cutter. If you like “Mad Men” style, this is for you. They asked me to pick an outfit and say what I thought of it.

Their clothes are divided into themes.  I picked from the “Mad Hatter” collection.  I chose separates.  This navy skirt with little fabric circles that dangle off of it. And this cream coloured  lattice top.  I picked them because

a) they were different, yet classic

b) I had been wanting more narrow skirts

c) I thought they would suit my body

Ordering on their site is easy.  They have a little quiz to help you shop your body type no surprise I am an apple. 

 

 

When I opened the plastic pouches they arrived I was surprised at the quality of the clothes.  Seriously.  So often things look good in the pictures, and then disappoint.  But these felt sturdy, not junior department feel at all.   They looked like the picture in  person, I however don’t look like this model. I still thought it was a pretty smart outfit.  My daughter liked it and my friend who was over at the time asked me if I would be wearing it to a wedding this summer.  Yes, I suppose I could.that first picture I took I look so serious, I decided I needed to catalogue it up!

Fit?  The skirt is high waisted with a side zipper.  At first I was worried that I would never get  the zipper shut over my hips and gut.  But, I did and once done it was totally comfortable. Not in a “now I will go jogging” way, but in a “I could go eat dinner in this” way, which is what you would wear a skirt like this to anyhow.  I think it would look great at a wedding.

 

I loved the structure of the top.  I got “8″‘s in both, but with my breasts I think I should have gotten a “10″ in the top.  It fit well, but smashed the girls down a bit.  As much as I hate to get a “10′ I think I will need to exchange it for one.  For the girls’ sake.

The clothes had really nice details.  

The skirt would be fun to dance in because the fabric discs move. 

I also tried on the skirt with a tank and sweater, because I wanted I thought it would work well as a day to night item.  

I was alone at this point and couldn’t figure out my timer.

Shabby Apple also has Maternity dresses.

Check out the site for some nice women’s dresses and if you like their FB page they have promotions posted there.  and if you do like something as a Cool Mom reader you can get 10% off. ( “coolmom10off”at check out)

Not shabby!

I’m a Meme!

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I’m so proud that a total stranger would take my image and make vaguely rude or suggestive jokes with it.  After a career in failed cable shows and blogging I think of my circle of fame to be a very small one. That’s why I never minded the mail from prisoners or foot fetishes.  At least someone was watching!  Probably why I love the character of Jenna so much on “30 Rock”.  A mere exaggeration of my own id.

Yesterday a friend emailed me, “OMG, you are meme.  I bet I’m the 100th person to tell you.” No, which means not only do I toil in obscurity, but I have few friends. Or no friends who keep up on meme.  Can’t say I’m that super hip either.  So first,

from wikipedia:

A meme (play /ˈmiːm/; meem)[1]) is “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”[2] A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate and respond to selective pressures.[3]

The word meme is a shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme (from Ancient Greek μίμημα Greek pronunciation: [míːmɛːma] mīmēma, “something imitated”, from μιμεῖσθαι mimeisthai, “to imitate”, from μῖμος mimos ”mime”)[4] and it was coined by the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkinsin The Selfish Gene (1976)[1][5] as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Examples of memes given in the book included melodies, catch-phrases, fashion and the technology of building arches.[6]

Proponents theorize that memes may evolve by natural selection in a manner analogous to that of biological evolution. Memes do this through the processes of variation, mutation, competition and inheritance, each of which influence a meme’s reproductive success. Memes spread through the behaviors that they generate in their hosts. Memes that propagate less prolifically may become extinct, while others may survive, spread and (for better or for worse) mutate. Memes that replicate most effectively enjoy more success, and some may replicate effectively even when they prove to be detrimental to the welfare of their hosts.[7]

 

So will it be replicated?  Will I be?  Okay here it is.. two screen shots.

Love that Amy Pohler is some how part of this.  I don’t know the other lady, but I can share my meme.  I think the idea is to take the piss out of what a “coolmom” is.

Now some of these are accurate.  I do knock and wait for a response once your are over a certain age.  I would pick up my teens “drunk ass” at a party if needed, it has not been needed, but I have told the interested parties I would.  I do not look the other way if there is pot involved.  I’m not cool that way.  I also wouldn’t buy anybody else children beer, but if my own wanted a sip, sure.  I think the European way on this is better than making a bunch of binge drinkers.  And I’m NOT Stifler’s mom.  But, I might hit on a cute dad! ( kidding.. well maybe after I’ve been married longer)

You can add your own caption to my smiling face.  I did.  I made fun of myself.. well, the picture and image of my meme self that is. Here is the link.

Go on, it’s okay.

 

Refresh!

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So, what do you think?  It looks different right?

Coolmom.com has had a face lift.  In many ways it’s a make under.  I wanted a cleaner look and I needed to upgrade what I was working with as the site was built in early ’08 so it was like trying to keep a ’65 Fiat running.

Thanks to Steve Tsai for doing the work.  Here he is with his lovely wife Candice.  I took them to dinner at Campanile as a thank you.

A few things still need to be tweaked.  He still needs to import my vast video library.  It’s coming.  Notice the feature video on the right and we are refining the “best of” part as well.  I love that the blogs scroll from one to the next. I like this on others site and long wanted for here.

So, I started coolmom.com with Deca.tv.  It was their first foray into the mom blog world.  I did not want to be a blogger I just wanted to make funny videos for moms. Short ones.  In a few short years Deca evolved into a well known place for creating online video content for moms and I became a reluctant blogger.  Momversation was an off shoot of cool mom.  It began as we saw that advertisers wanted many voices to sponsor, not just one.  I used to own part of it, but then sold my part in it a few years ago, but stayed on as a contributor. Now, Deca is building bigger concepts and they kindly have handed me all the keys to coolmom.com.

Now, like a lot of mom bloggers, I’m doing this all on my own.

I will probably make mistakes.  I still have to figure out how to monetize this better.

I want to keep making funny videos for parents.  However, do to my new solo status they may have a lower production value, be simpler, have my clunky editing.  Please hang in there!  I will be writing more and want to maintain my original goal of being of giving moms ( and dads) a chuckle when they get a minute to themselves.  Short attention span theater!

Please feel free to give me advice, feedback, whatever.  I can’t do this without you!  I am also going to do some give aways to thank the core group who have hung on and tolerated my bumpy 2012.

xo

Craigslist

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In one of those, wow life sure has changed for me moments. Coupled with, oh, I’m not the biggest loser in the room moments.
It’s Saturday night at 7:30pm. Almost bed time. The kids are enjoying watching “Spice World” for the second time. Secretly I am glad as I hope they will inherit my love for all things British and ‘90’s.
I’d been feeling blah today with the overcast weather, but fortunately I had the presence of mind to write a to do list this morning. Top of the list, finish selling off my vintage furniture. I collected Mid Century, Heywood Wakefield furniture for years. But, now I want to rid myself of most of it. I don’t have the room and moving 5 times in 6 years makes me be less attached to objects.
Now, in my pre married days I would think, Will I seem like a big loser posting something on Craigslist on a Saturday night? But, in my present life I think, A lot of people are home on a Saturday night perhaps searching Craigslist for my vintage dresser and vanity and this is the perfect time.
Now there is a tad bit of vulnerability when you post. Besides the obvious, I hope a would be buyer doesn’t come and murder me. But, also, will people think who wants your crap? I certainly judge some listings. $700 for that wicker chair? I don’t think so.

So, I post, I put pictures, and I don’t ask for much.

I’m cleaning up the kitchen when I hear a “ping”. Oh, could I already have an interested buyer? Will be my garage be roomy?
Yes, it is from craigslist, but it’s not the kind I usually get “can I come by tomorrow.” Or “what are the measurements?” No, it says

Zzzzzzzzzz

Seriously. Here is the email from “Barbara”

Screen Shot 2012-03-31 at 8.18.07 PM

I’ve just been told I’m boring on Craigslist on a Saturday night. I was briefly offended, till I realized, wait, someone is home on a Saturday night Critiquing Craigslist postings!

Now, I need to change my son’s poopy diaper. Still a better Saturday night than Babs is having.

Current Events I Missed

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Since my site has been “off” for a while I have missed commenting on the news. Posts I could have done,
” If a mom talked like Rick Santorum” had a sweater vest all ready
“If a mom looked like Newt Gingrich…she’d be featured in an ad for a lap band”
“I wish that lady who put her kid on a diet would come and live with me, I could lose a few.”
See, so much! But, let me briefly comment on the Trayvon Martin situation. Or more specifically the Hoodie.
I love my hoodies. My son loves his hoodie.
I hope my son is safe.

As I was on my morning walk today I felt that by putting up my black hoodie I was now making a political statement. Personally the only person in a hoodie whoever scared me was this guy:

hoodie

Muff on the Huff

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Muffinlicious was included in a great post on woman formerly known as beautiful. Read it here, but in a nutshell, the blogger, Shannon Colleary, says she has decided not lose weight and practice self acceptance. Her body stats are almost the exact same as mine. So, of course I say “you go girl!” And thanks for including me in a post that went to Huffington Post.
 ( and thanks to Jessica Gottlieb for emailing me while I was at the park “you are on Huffington Post!”)
Since posting about my muffin top I’ve gotten many “you are so brave” comments. Thanks, but I don’t feel that brave. I consider no surprise how I look. If I appeared in public like Kate Bosworth

kate
and then did a video about how my guy floats around the edges of my slim jeans, than yes, that would be brave as I’m blowing the lid on my image.

I don’t have an image to blow up.

pregnant me
pregnant with Rex

I’m in my forties, I’ve had a few pregnancies, that have yielded two children. I live with a great chef and we co own restaurants with stellar food, wine and cocktails. If I became a water swilling vegan I think my marriage would be over.   I’m not going to look like Kate Bosworth. I don’t want to be “mid western fat” ( this is distinct from LA fat, which is a size 8), but I am what I am.

Now, did you see me shooting a video of me SITTING DOWN in tight jeans? That would be brave.

Online Privacy

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Mom bloggers seem an unlikely crew to worry about privacy.  Some bloggers use nom de plumes, or give their kids nicknames.  Not me.  My name, my husband’s name, my kid’s names, have all gone on this sight. I worked in broadcasting, my husband has some fame in the cooking realm so that opens one up a bit.  Whatever shred of privacy we had went out the window post Madoff.  By the time the local news called I figured, what the heck?  Everyone knows we were caught up in the biggest ponzi scheme in history, might as well be the poster child.

blogging
Rex, helping me blog
So, when momversation friend Jessica Gottlieb invited me to a luncheon for my info guardian my first thought was, “I love Chinese food I will go.”

In short, if you signed up for classmates.com and such over the years those sites sold their info to information sites.  So, if you are not a former basic cable superstar or a judge on Top Chef  it might behoove you to look into this.

One of the take aways I got from the lunch, besides realizing that you could fill up on appetizers at Mr. Chow, was that every few months we need to change our passwords.  Passwords are such a pain, but the man from my info guardian.com said once people know something about you they can figure out your password.  So, obviously my passwords are all imanaginggayman,  or ginismypoison.

There, more of my info is out there.

Pork Rut

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Some of the sponsored vids that I have done here over the years hit home more than others. Fruit Roll ups have stopped MANY tantrums around here ( Gen Mills), I did always hope one vid would go viral ( Smart Water) and I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about dinner ( Ragu). Granted I always thought about food for myself and was never one of those people who met up at a restaurant when I was single and said, “no, that’s cool I ate.” If the chow was good I was having some. But, every year I am a mother I get deeper and deeper into this making dinner thing. Partly because the ages of my children increase and present different challenges and also because I want to challenge myself. Also, the chef husband is gone more and more, so I can’t fall back on that.
I can’t just feed them cake, though that would bring a smile to their faces.
let them eat cake

For a while now I’ve been doing very well with pork. All three kids will eat it. I can make a nice pork roast or pan fry chops. It pairs nicely with a vegi, like my 4 star brussel sprouts. But, if I don’t defrost it in time I’m screwed. Mark buys a huge hunk of pork and we cut it up and freeze hunks big enough for a dinner in separate plastic bags. I’m on my last hunk today and Mark said, “maybe I should buy something different. A beef roast perhaps?” I was nervous. I’ve gotten my pork thing down.
But, wait, that’s bad I thought. That shows I have to vary it. I’m also getting low on my other go to. Chicken drumsticks in my “Hawaiian sauce” Soy, teriyaki and random spices.
I ventured the other night to  potatoes with bacon and it fell flat. So, maybe I’m in a pork rut. I love the other white meat, but I need to do something like pork belly ravioli ( Mark made this at Tar Pit recently, delish), but that’s a lot of steps for me.

When we shot the Ragu spots a few months back  ( with other mom bloggers like Mindy Roberts and Kim Tracy Prince) I was in a good dinner zone. This is our “Moms the word” series on momversation, but really exists on Facebook and it’s an ongoing conversation.  Last night I clicked on one of my Ragu vids about “dinner inspiration” to get inspired. My memory is shot, so it’s all new to me.
I seemed pretty confident in my dinner zone.  But, that was pre rut.  I’m a little tweaked in that I seem to only be able to concentrate on one or two ingredients at a time.

Okay, I will do something different.  I will use three spices I haven’t used..or used much in my pork show.  I shoved the kids into the back yard at 4pm and put brussel sprouts ( my go to ) and broccoli in on dish with olive oil, water, salt, pepper and oregano. (new)  Put in oven.  Check.  Then salted the pork roast with kosher salt, pepper, sumach( rarely use) , whole cumin (never use).  Put in ceramic baking dish with small white potatoes and a can of beef broth( usually use chicken) and a little apple cider vinegar ( new) and 4 cloves of chopped garlic and some chopped oven.  425 for and hour.   Then ran out in the back and played with my kids before my mom came over for dinner.  The best is doing it a little ahead.  I don’t like rushing to dinner because then I’m more of a rag and not enjoying myself.  Coming in muddy with some wet near naked kids and room temperature food ( I did take it out of the oven at one point) is so much better.

Oh, I over salted the pork, Vivien didn’t like the vinegar taste of the potatoes and Rex ate 4 bites and then tried to rip up my blouse.

Everything had been going so well…

What are cooking these days?  To share and get ideas check out the conversation on the Mom’s the Word Ragu page.

Daphne TV

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I keep meaning to tell you all about this.  Once a week I’m doing a “long form” video project.  It’s on The Pulse Network.  Basically it’s radio online.  I was approached by Kevin Straley who was running the Boston affliate when I produced Dr. Dean Edell.  Kevin then went on to run XM radio.  Now, he is helping to get the Pulse going.   He wanted to know if I would want to do an hour show. It’s a start up, you know that drill.  It’s based near Boston so my show is done via skype out of my little office off my dining room.  Big production!

But, I’m enjoying it as it is like radio, a medium I loved, miss and always planned to get back to.  Sometimes I have guests and sometimes it’s just me talking about the news of the day, fashion, showing Cool Mom vids, whatever.

Here is the link to last weeks show which was pretty good.  Or so said my most regular viewer.  That would be my mom ( refer to “you can’t trust your parents” vid) You can watch it live 10am pst every Tuesday morning.

Let me know what you think.  You don’t have to watch it in one mouthful.  A few min here and there.

A Blog is Born

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Gather round those that like a good wit!  After YEARS of begging my sister Carole (seen here in  a CM vid) to do a blog she has finally done it.  LAgirlNOW has arrived.  It’s all her faves: food, shopping and iconic LA.

Carole is a modern day Dorothy Parker.  The enthusiasm in her writing is who she is in real life. IMG_0361.JPG

Always excited to hear about new things, people, their lives.  Now, if you don’t live in LA, give it a look anyway just to get a taste of her joie de vivre.

If you are in So. California Carole will be a great guide.

I’m so proud of my big sis.