Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Girl

Tippi Hedren
Have you seen the trailer for The Girl, HBO's upcoming movie about Tippi Hedren, Alfred Hitchcock, and the making of The Birds?  It looks fascinating and more than a little bit creepy. 
The Girl tells the story of how Hitchcock grew obsessed with Hedren during and after the making of the film, much like one of his famously twisted characters.  The Girl's trailer hints at an interesting backstory: Hitchcock promised Hedren that they would use mechanical birds to shoot one of the attack scenes in the movie.  The morning of the shoot, the assistant director told Hedren that they would be using real birds after all, and for the next five days, they hurled pigeons, ravens, and gulls at her over and over again (and even tied them to her!).  Cary Grant visited the set and told her that she was the bravest woman he'd ever met.  She ultimately broke down and a doctor stopped filming for a week.  (Read more about it here.)  
Something else you probably didn't know about Tippi Hedren: she lived with lions!  Hedren and her family (including her daughter Melanie Griffith) adopted a lion as their house pet in the 1970s.  Life Magazine did a story about them.  Aren't the pictures just insane?  (File these under: "Stars . . . not so like us after all.")

Will you watch The Girl?

PS: Another famous Tippi

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Day of Chad


I was home alone this weekend, which means that I spent large swaths of time lying on the couch watching not-intellectually-stimulating-television (like this week's Project Runway: WHO ARE YOU, VEN??), dirtying dishes with reckless abandon, and doing impulsive and ill-considered painting projects into the wee hours of the morning.  When I am living by myself, I turn into a total bachelor.  
jane-fonda-bed
Or, as Chad, the fellow in this article, describes it: I live The Day of Chad, during which one does "the dumbest things possible," because you would "feel guilty if anyone else saw them."  When I read this a couple of months ago, I thought "I basically am that guy," and I think this weekend proved it.  See Exhibit A.  (Lawyer joke -- zing!)  
Pillow fight via Brainpickings
I know I'm not alone here: remember the episode of Sex and the City about the "secret single behavior?"  Not that Sex and the City is all that applicable to regular people's lives, but the secret behaviors were funny because they seemed so real: eating a stack of saltines and jelly while reading fashion magazines; watching infomercials while wearing moisturizing gloves, examining your pores in one of those super magnifying mirrors (which, on an unrelated note, I am convinced are the work of the devil).  You could picture you (or your friends) doing those things with no trouble.  

So what's your guilty home alone pleasure?  I let our dog sleep in bed and stay up 'til 4 am doing nothing.  And you?

(Images: Jane Fonda via Sous Style, original photo credit unknown; Paul McCartney and the Beatles by Harry Benson/Taschen, via Brainpickings)

Friday, August 24, 2012

Have a lovely weekend!

Hello everyone!  After a busy work week, I am ready to relax.  What are you up to this weekend?  I'm going to a baby shower tonight, and after a tremendously ill-advised, spur-of-the-moment attempt to paint one of my kitchen chairs last Saturday (I ran out of red paint mid-coat, resulting in a chair that looked like it had been a prop on the set of one of Dexter's murder scenes), I have the proper supplies at hand and will be tackling that project this weekend.  I'm going to try to dip the bottoms like this -- fancy!  Are you doing anything fun?  Take care and have a good one.

Good grammar is sexy (via swissmiss).

Hipster soup.

Someone invented a recipe with some of my favorite things together: French 75 jell-o shots (via Joanna's Pinterest).

This creative use of the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the President's beer recipe is sort of awesome, but the lawyer part of me feels sorry for the people who have to respond to it.

Friends dress alike on The Sartorialist.

You guys, NO.  This is TMI.  No one needs to see the morning after your wedding (via The Cut).

What a cool travel photo idea (even though I do specialize in one-arm self-portraits.  Long arms are good for something).

The science of the wet dog shake.

Good news: your late summer/early fall shopping is done

This donkey will break your heart!  (For more: Animals with Casts, via sho and tell.  Awww.)

Senator Schumer, matchmaker.

Hello there (via DesignLoveFest).

Why misquotations prosper.

(Image: Alec Baldwin by Norman Jean Roy for Vanity Fair via Vulture.)

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A reason to drop your friends a line today

Today was a ridiculously busy day at work.  Instead of doing that, I sincerely wish I'd have hung out with these two ladies, who sound like they are awesome.
Read their story here.   They've been friends for over fifty years, and both gave speeches accepting their husbands' induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is pretty amazing.  But mostly, they just sound like they're really cute and funny.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Your daily reminder . . .

 . . . to stand up straight.
In case your mother isn't around to poke you.

(Image via this, that, and also, etc.)


Monday, August 20, 2012

#YourFunEventHere

As I mentioned on Saturday, I spent the afternoon biking on a fifteen-passenger Pedal Pub, and it was so much fun!  (About halfway through our three-hour excursion, we booked another trip -- it's that good a time).  We saw a great surprise happen, too: another group was gathering on their Pedal Pub, and at the last minute, a girl came walking up with a guy wearing a blindfold.  She took it off and everyone yelled "Happy birthday!"  What a fun group (and what a great idea for a surprise party).
Everyone on our bike had a great time and, of course, Instagrammed away.  I was a guest of a guest, so I didn't know a lot of the folks on the bike and don't follow them on Instagram, which is too bad -- I'd love to see everyone's pictures.  Which reminded me of a great idea I saw a few weeks ago:
The next time you have a gathering with lots of people, pick a hashtag to use for the event, and let everyone know.  That way, even if you aren't close with all the people there, you can still see everyone's take on all the fun.  Isn't this a great idea for weddings?

(Images: Tall and Salty Instagram; chalkboard shot from Green Wedding Shoes)

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Have a lovely weekend!

Hope you're having a gorgeous Saturday.  It's beautiful out in Chicago, which means the weather is perfect for where I'm going: remember this article about the fifteen-passenger bike?  I'm going on one of them later today!  Have a fun weekend and I'll catch you Monday.  In the meantime, without further ado, may I present you with these links for your reading pleasure: 

We need to bring back some of these old-timey slang terms (via @brainkpicker).  (Will you be going on a toot this weekend?)  






Three chefs try juice cleanses.  Hilarity ensues.  


Charles Darwin's pros and cons of marriage (he describes his future wife as "better than a dog anyhow").  


Awesome Nike commercial.  After you watch it, read this profile of Irish boxer Katie Taylor and be amazed.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Beckham v. Beckham

It's a gross rainy day.  Let's all indulge in a little pick-me-up, shall we?  In this case, let's assess one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Olympics: I speak, of course, of the great Beckham performances in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.  Whose performance reigns supreme?  Our friend David piloted a torch-bearing speedboat up the Thames during the Opening Ceremony . . .
. . . while his lovely wife Victoria, who you just may remember as Posh Spice, reunited with her fellow Spice Girls for a performance during the Closing Ceremonies.
So who wins?  Becks gets points for arriving by speedboat, but Posh and her ladyfriends got to zoom around the arena in individually bedazzled London cabs, which can hardly be overlooked.  On the wardrobe front, he looks as dapper as always, and more than a little James Bond-like.  That little smirk into the camera indicates to me that he knows it, too.  I'm not usually a huge fan of mullet dresses, but as performance wear for singing on top of a moving car, this is about as well as one can do -- it looked pretty awesome flying behind her while she raced around (putting aside the fact that the front is a wee bit on the short side.  We're a deep breath away from seeing her spice rack, so to speak). 

In the end, I think it comes down to the gravity of the situation: he's helping to light the Olympic flame (with CHILDREN.  And the Queen!).  She's reuniting with a band that was sort of mediocre but totally fun and emblematic of their time that has benefitted from the type of rosy nostalgia that makes grown women squeal.  (Who knew this was going to be so tough, by the way?)  I think he gets my vote by default because even though I have a soft spot in my heart for the Spice Girls, I LOVE the Olympics.  Real question: what say you, Tall and Salty readers?

(Images: top two images of David Beckham via The Daily Mail; bottom images of Victoria Beckham via The Daily Mail.)

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Happy hundredth!

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Although the Internets have lit up today with hundredth birthday wishes to the late and great Julia Child, I am compelled to add my own: from a similarly "very tall woman with a really terrible voice," happy birthday, JC!
Personal Hero
She gave the world lots of books, recipes, and a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit, but this hostessing advice is perhaps my favorite of her many gifts:
The young hostess should be advised never to say anything about what she serves, in the way of ‘Oh, I don’t know how to cook, and this may be awful,’ or ‘poor little me,’ or ‘this didn’t turn out’… etc. etc. It is so dreadful to have to reassure one’s hostess that everything is delicious, whether or not it is. I make it a rule, no matter what happens, never to say one word, though it kills me. Maybe the cat has fallen in the stew, or I have put the lettuce out the window and it has frozen, or the meat is not quite done … Grit one’s teeth and smile.)  -Julia Child (via brainpickings)

PS: while we are (very tangentially) on the subject of the heights of famous women, an aside: through the magic of Google Analytics, I can see the search terms that bring people to Tall and Salty.  One of the most random yet repeated searches is for "How tall was Nora Ephron?" For those of you who got here thinking that's what you might find, I am happy to report that Ms. Ephron was five-foot-six.  (She also wrote and directed Julie & Julia, so I suppose we can say that this sort of belongs in this post.) You're welcome.

Images: via Boston Globe/Schlesinger Library; via a collection of passions (original credit unknown); on set via Harto & Co.; in her kitchen via Vanity Fair/by Arnold Newman/Getty Images; with her husband Paul via Vanity Fair; photo of Mastering the Art of French Cooking via a lovely being.   

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Diana Vreeland documentary

Diana Vreeland was the editor of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, and, by all accounts seems like the kind of person who my dad would describe as "a pistol."  
A documentary about her life, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (made by her granddaughter-in-law), is coming out this month in the U.S., and it looks fascinating.  Here's the trailer: 
The film opens in mid-September in the US, and Chicagoans, it will be at the spectacular Music Box Theater starting on September 28.  I can't wait!

PS: Have you seen Bill Cunningham New York?  It's another fascinating fashion documentary about The New York Times' Bill Cunningham, the original street style photographer.  Even if you're not into fashion, it's an inspiring look at a person who truly loves his life's work.  Highly recommend.  

PPS:  Cosmopolitan's famous editor Helen Gurley Brown passed away yesterday.  Say what you will about Cosmoplitan's present state, there's no question that she was a force who changed a lot of women's lives.  

Monday, August 13, 2012

The super sheath

While I am in no hurry for fall to arrive, I must admit that the clothes are looking spectacular.  Of particular interest to me are all of the sheath silhouettes -- I'm a sucker for a simple, knee-length sheath dress.  The fitted silhouette is polished for work, and cool enough to go out afterwards.  (No wonder Kate Middleton wears them so often.)  A few of my fall favorites:


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Have a lovely weekend!

Hello there, everyone.  Hope you had a nice weekend.  I had that supremely annoying unable-to-catch-up-after-traveling feeling all week long so a low-key couple of days was the major thing on my agenda.  Hope you had a chance to relax too, and that you're enjoying what's left of your Sunday (SPICE GIRLS! PRINCE HARRY!).  Take care, and catch you tomorrow.

This weekend, try a spritz, the perfect summer cocktail.

Why you need good lawyers.

Darling cup and saucer (via Hip Hip Gin Gin).

Not that I am endorsing it (I'm afraid of Facebook and I don't have it!), but there is now an app that screens baby pictures from your Facebook feed.

A salt bird!

It's official: blue blazers are hip (told you).

Beautifully artsy iPhone cases.

And three Olympic-themed items of note:

Synchronized swimmers' secrets for keeping their hair and makeup so perfect.

Don't worry: Sanya Richards-Ross' hair is not slowing her down.

Did you watch South African sprinter Oscar Pistorious?  Did you get a little weepy?  Wait 'til you read this.


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Kitchen love note

This kitchen refresh (not quite a makeover or an overhaul -- just a general freshening up) has me seriously contemplating a little kitchen upgrade this weekend.
Our kitchen is Perfectly Fine: dark wood builder cabinets, stainless appliances, dark countertops (they show zero mess, which is a blessing and a curse: you can be hopelessly lazy and no one is the wiser, but sometimes when I do wipe them down, I can't believe what squalor we allow ourselves to live in). 

But three-and-a-half years after we moved in, it looks pretty much just like it did when the previous owners left.  I can't figure out how to zhush it up and add character because there's very little wall space.  Like many Chicago apartments, it opens up into our living room, which makes it a de facto focal point of our home.

My dream house is going to have an all-white kitchen (with extremely high countertops so a tall person's back will feel great while she's chopping things, along with a lot of other highly specific demands that will probably never happen), but for our current budget and time constraints, this chalkboard wall and bronze hardware are really catching my eye.

What's in your dream kitchen?

(Images via Design*Sponge)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

An interesting take on creativity

What a fascinating concept:
Office jobs (like, ahem, being a lawyer) feel tremendously un-creative a lot of the time.  That's how Tall and Salty came to be, after all.  So isn't this a cool way to think about your work, especially if you're not in a textbook-creative field?



Feather bag envy

Unfortunately, the almost $400 price tag puts me just over my lifetime budget for feathered handbags.  And by "just," I mean "exponentially." 

More in my price range: this tutorial from I Spy DIY:
Now I just have to hunt down the perfect cobalt blue feather duster (and if I order those, I need to find five friends who want matching Cookie Monster clutches).  And figure out how to use my glue gun without burning my fingers off.  Details.

Any valiant DIY attempts of late?  How did they turn out?  I keep trying to make progress on my hallway gallery wall, but to no avail.  I blame Home Depot's broken wood saw.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Whoopsie.

Oops!  As I alluded to in my last post, last week got a bit out of control: work busier than usual, compounded by a week shorter than usual because I was traveling more than usual.  Hope you can find it in your heart to forgive my absence.

This weekend I was in a teeny beach town in Maryland for a wedding.  It was actually a vow renewal: the couple had a City Hall wedding a few years ago, moved abroad, had an adorable baby, and came back stateside to renew their vows with friends and family.  How cool is that?  (The ensuing party was fairly awesome, too. :))  And I got to catch up with some of Tall and Salty's most ardent readers, too (hi boys).  Hope you had a similarly great weekend, and here are some (belated) links for you.





This is totally what it would look like if I met the Queen.  Which means I shouldn't laugh at it, but come on.

Olympic Shenanigans.  Capital "S" included.

How can Olympic Shenanigans not ensue from this?


Image of Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar via Miss Moss.   

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Random fun

Today's a bit nutso, and it seems that my brain is following suit.  In that spirit, three random things that caught my eye today from my morning reads:

1.  This adorable video from the spectacular Mrs. Lilien (more vodka in the world's office drawers might solve a lot of problems).

2.  This funny (and, given my mental state today, true) picture from Shoko's post:

Pinned Image
Out.
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