like cherry coke, like ryan adams. {seven for friday the 14th}.

Listening To: Sweet Carolina by Ryan AdamsQuoted: "Careful out here! It's slicker than a peeled onion." - Dad

(picture from funnelcloud's etsy shop)

Today I'm introducing a new feature here on the blog.But first, I'm saying thank you. I wish I could say more than thank you. I wish thank you had one hundred different meanings, little footnotes that I could attach to the end of the word. When Katie told me she was having a Paperdoll party on the inafarwayland blog, I didn't really know what that meant. I was totally honored, but I had no idea it would turn my heart inside out the way it has.

Opening Google reader every day, and being able to read about what the book meant to you guys, felt like Christmas. Like a week of Christmas. Gracious.

It means the world to me to know that the teeny-tiny pink book has encouraged you in some way. Thanks so much for making me feel so loved this week. I saved each and every entry. You better believe I'll be re-reading them. Daily. ;) Paperdoll is about to have its second birthday. It blows my mind that you are still reading it, and that you would take the time to write about it (or write me and tell me what you liked about it). I am a seriously grateful girl. So thank you all so much (footnote: infinity) for being so darn awesome. If you want to read more about the book, you can find a week's worth of reviews over here. I'll be sharing a post over there this weekend. (That would be the books and Brandon Flowers and ferrets post.)Today, I'm introducing a new blog feature I think you'll like. I'm excited to see if this "regular" feature will be regular in a weekly(ish) way ... or regular, like ... I remember once a year. This idea came about because I find fun links and songs and quirky stuffs fairly often. I want to blog those randoms. And yet, I do not know how to incorporate them into a post. So I'm borrowing an old post title (er ... the title of an old post ... post-title would be like ... text?) and calling this feature ... 7 kinds of happy.

Why 7?

Seven is my favorite number for all of the following reasons:

1. Biblically, the number seven often signifies completion. I like that a lot. I have noticed seven crops up in my life a lot too. Good things come in sevens.

2. Seven is odd. Which is why I put it in this spot - because 2 is even and I thought maybe they would balance each other out. So ... Two ... meet my friend Seven.

3. I like the way the word, seven, sounds when people say it. Seven has a wicked ring to it when it hits the air.

4. Seven is Harry Potter's Quidditch number. Actually, the number seven creeps up a lot in Harry Potter. Have you noticed this? I think Jo likes #7. If Jo likes it, it is good for us.

5. Ten lists are so last season.

6. Seven is fun to write. I make my 7's with the arm in the middle.

7.Because Lucky Seven Sampson says sevens are swell. (No more alliteration, I promise.)The only disclaimer for this feature, 7 Kinds of Happy, is that these things 1.) may or may not be hipster. I don't profess to be cool. If I come off cool .. that's most likely an accident. And 2.) these things may, or may not, be totally bizarre. This list is fairly tame. But keep the bizarre-bit in mind for future postings ;)

Seven Kinds of Happy for Thursday, January 14th

1. The Penguin Clothcover of Jane Austen's Emma

I know you've seen Coralie Bickford-Smith's Penguin covers by now. Do they rock your world as hard as they rock mine? Love the classic structure and binding paired with a chic, modern design. I've been saying for some time now I want to start buying them. All of them. Some people collect baseball cards. Or pocket lint. Or potato chips that look like people's faces. I happen have a thing for book covers. But. These days, most of my extra cash goes to a fund I affectionately call the "My Mac is About To Spaz And I Will Need a New One" Fund. I do buy books but I like to think I'm supporting the cause by purchasing books by authors who are still living. So I have only looked at these covers longingly. In a surprise twist of events, The Rogue Accountant heard me talk about them so much that he gave me Emma for Christmas. !! I keep it on my nightstand. Because I love it.

As is the way of most beautiful covers, this one makes me want to try to read that book again. While I think Jane Austen rocks for writing such beautiful stories ... I think I'm the only writer in the world who isn't necessarily inspired by her words. I dig the stories. But her writing style is hard for me to tangle with. I read Pride and Prejudice and liked it, but I'm not too proud to admit that I read it after I watched the movie. I've tried to read others but, so far, I can't seem to power through. I dig Jane Austen. She's all about girl-power and snarky characters and smart love stories. But the language ... is heavy. I want to try Emma again though. Will try it again. The cover is too amazing not to try it again.

All the covers are stunning, but I'm also particularly fond of Alice in Wonderland, Little Women, and Jane Eyre. And, as if the Penguin-Cover-Wizards hadn't already outdone themselves, they've introduced a children's line. Hellooooo, Anne of Green Gables! You can find them all on Amazon or at Anthropologie. But if you get a chance, go see them in the wild. You need to see them on a shelf. Pick them up and hold them awhile. Warning: high squeel factor.2. Messy hair. I adore this print from funnelcloud on etsy.

Love the inspiration behind this little reminder too:

"I have difficult hair. It's thick and curly, and I've wasted a good part of my life trying to control it, straighten it, and battle the frizzies. Enough of that - it's time to EMBRACE MESSY HAIR! ... Got bedhead? A cowlick? Unruly curls? Just go with it - life is too short to be chained to a blow dryer!"

Here, here!

No matter what I do to my hair, or how I try to style it, it wrangles back into a bit of a mess. My hair isn't curly (it is, in fact, crazy-straight) but it typically looks like I just woke up from a nap and didn't try to fix it. I like that though. I've always liked unruly hair. I think messy hair is the best kind of "effortless" hair (or maybe I should say that I have convinced myself that messy is the best kind of effortless...). And these are some of my favorite champions of effortless hair:

Carole King. My mom played Carole King records a bunch when I was a kid (now I play them a bunch :). I saw Carole's picture on the Tapestry record so often that I came to the conclusion that, other than my mom, Carole King was probably the most beautiful woman in the world. She's a beautiful woman in general, no doubt, but I think it's cool that - even then - I somehow associated beauty with songs and lyrics. I think beautiful women are brave enough to bare their hearts. Carol King has smart-girl-artist hair. Hair that says, "While you spend hours getting fancy for a night out, I will be writing something beautiful. While you spend time trying to be beautiful, I'll just be."


Sophia Coppola. Granted, Sophia looks sleek most of the time. But there's still an ease about the way she wears her hair, don't you think? A very confident kind of ease.


Bink (from Kate DiCamillo's Bink and Golly series). Golly's the posh one. But Bink is wacky and wild and she falls in love with everything. I really, really like Bink. Also love the way Bink wholly embraces her spiky-messy-wacky hair.


Hermione. As is the case with most of you curly haired beauties, Hermione eventually figures out how to wrangle her curls. I miss the young Hermione though - the wild haired Hermione. The -"Go piddle with your flat-iron if you must. I'll be inventing new potions. Saving the Universe. That sort of thing." - Hermione.
The moral of the story is: go messy. Go wild. Let your hair down and do what you love. (Did you note that the prints are less than $5?!)3. Johnny Depp in Vanity Fair. So ... there are some interesting quotes in this article. I could post them, I suppose. But I'm mostly obsessed with the photos.

Savvy?


Beyond the fact that he is outlandishly pretty, the photography is stunning. Love the color. Love the lighting. Love his face. Talk about visual interest. And no matter how wild he looks, he never looks costumed, does he? Just gypsy-free.

Dear Kentucky: thank you for Johnny Depp. You outdid yourself.4. Mad Hungry by Lucinda Quinn
I have a new favorite cookbook and it is this one. My mom clued me into Lucinda Quinn's show, Mad Hungry, toward the end of last year. Now I faithfully DVR. Let me count the ways I love this show/book:
1. I think Lucinda Quinn is fabulous. She's articulate and smart and classy but never, ever fake. She's like the friend whose house you aren't afraid of messing up. I also love that her show isn't too perfect. You know how some cooking show hosts smile so hard at the camera it makes your face hurt? She is not that way. Her show makes you feel like you're hanging out in her kitchen. Her recipes aren't so difficult (well ... they probably are for me, but they wouldn't be for you) and yet, they still feel special.

2. Something about Mad Hungry gets me excited about learning to cook. There's nothing natural about being in a kitchen for me. But when I watch some individuals - like my imaginary bff's Ina and Lucinda - they make me want to chill out and try. And have a little bit of fun with it. Lucinda Quinn is a great teacher. She seems quite natural at the teaching part, in fact. She gives a bunch of tips for people (like moi) who are kitchen impaired.Also. I have a theory college girls are going to flip for this show; not just for the reasons listed above. Sometimes Lucinda's sons cook with her. I've only seen one of them so far ... but he looks like he's in his early 20's and he's just adorable. Girls will DVR Mad Hungry for Calder sightings. Trust.

The book was a great purchase. My favorite recipe, so far, is the Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde.

I've made it twice now and it gets more delicious each time.

As far as the quality of the book: this one is top notch. For those of you who are inspired visually, you'll adore the graphics, sidenotes, and pictures. The photography is lovely too. More importantly, the food is crazy yummy. Mad Hungry comes on the Hallmark channel weekdays at 11/10c. And you can read Lucinda' s blog here. I DVR the show. I subscribe to the blog. I'm a fangirl that way.

This is the Amazon link for Mad Hungry and I think it's a Williams-Sonoma bookclub pick this month too. So you'll probably see it if you're shopping sales in the mall. (And don't let the "Cooking for Boys & Men" subtitle worry you. If you're a girl, and you like food ... you'll still like the book ;)5. Rory's Story Cubes. I gave these to my niece for Christmas this year. We played them one night (while we ate ice cream) (which I also highly recommend) and we laughed so. Much.


Even though story cubes are intended for a younger set ... I knew we would have fun with them. I think anybody could have fun with them. I think these would be fabulous for a road trip. Or a weekend when you're stuck in your dorm, and broke. Or as something to do while you drink milkshakes at midnight instead of studying. Or if you like to write but get stuck a lot and need something fun to help untangle your mind? Story Cubes! I know some of you are responsible for taking care of little brothers and sisters, or nannying, or (God bless you) you're a stay at home mom. Definitely check these out. There are seven cubes in the box and each side of the cube has a different (very quirky) scene. You roll the cubes. You make up a story incorporating each "scene." There are many ways to play with storycubes. Our favorite was to split them up, then take turns rolling one at a time, and complete the story that way. You can find them online but I've also seen them at Books-a-Million. And you can also download them as an iPhone app.6. Madewell Colorblock Bangles. I think they look like grown-up friendship bracelets.


I gave one to my sister for Christmas (and I got one for me that matches :). They're super pretty and delicate looking. (Madewell makes the cutest jewelry.)

7. Ryan Adams' "My Sweet Carolina"

Sometimes I get a craving for things. Things like McDonald's french fries dunked in Sweet & Sour sauce (judge me if you will) (Yes, I've seen Super Size Me. It made me crave french fries.) Things like long drives with the windows down. Like a girls night with my niece. Like Cherry Coke.

Like Ryan Adams.
His music puts my heart in a good place. Especially this song. I always listen to this song twice. I love the way his voice breezes over the lyrics; how he sounds caught somewhere between hurting and hopeful. I think homesickness sometimes has more to do with a particular time in your life when you felt safe; a time you've lost and need mourn for a little while, as much as it has to do with a physical place. That kind of feeling is often too difficult to describe. But this song manages to do it perfectly.

"Up here in the city,

feels like things are closing in,

Sunset's just my light-bulb burning out.

I miss Kentucky

and I miss my family

The sweetest winds,
they blow across the South."



I would love to hear about some of the randoms rocking your world this week. In last week's post, AcresOfHope mentioned maybe making a list of some of my favorite reads in 2010. I think that sounds all kinds of fun. I love it when we swap book ideas on here! I'll be posting that list next week.

Till then - Happy Weekending, lovelies! (And gracious sakes, thank you SO MUCH to all the girls at inafarwayland for throwing the most wonderful Paperdoll party ever.)