"Whatever Martha!" Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Hutt Get Real About Martha's OCD

link to Alexis' and Jennifer's Website "Whatever Martha" 


My sides are splitting watching a clips of the Alexis Stewart, daughter of Martha Stewart, and her friend, Jennifer Koppelman Hutt, commenting on an old videos of one of Martha Stewart's shows where she demonstrates how to go about making S'mores. Alexis and Jennifer had taped a series of shows for cable tv's Fine Living Network (FLN) and currently have a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. I don't have access to Sirius Satellite, but I kind of wish that I did, because I can listen to these two go on and laugh for hours.

We all know what Smores are...but Martha takes the Smore- making activity to a whole new level. S'more making is a fun campfire activity where kids go about gathering twigs or sticks, happily skew a marshmallow on the end of the twig and roast it over the campfire to get it soft enough plop it onto a graham cracker with a healthy dose of Hershey's chocolate. The result is an oeoy gooey melty mess of chocolate and marshmallow. It is not a neat clean affair by any means. And it's not supposed to be.

Well, not in Martha's world. She sets up her supplies with all the usual suspects, the chocolate squares, the crackers, marshmallows, etc, with a few exceptions. 

She has a Swiss army knife and battery operated hand drill. What is she going to do with the drill? Alexis asks this question and Jennifer rolls her eyes back in her head and in a dry humor voice she says..."she's going to complicate the s'more process." Understatement of the year! 

Martha proceeds to pull out a bunch of perfectly sized twigs and shows the audience how to "whittle" a point onto the twig using the swiss army knife. Whittle a point? Are the marshmallow roasting twigs also used as some sort of Mideavel hunting weapon? Why would you need such a sharp point to skewer a marshmallow? This is the humor of it all. The girls ask these logical questions while viewing the clip. 

Next, Martha takes some sort of small wood block and starts drilling the twig to the block. Why?????? She starts going off on a tangent about making some sort of campfire tool. As if you NEED a campfire tool. Martha takes the s'more making process was too seriously and Alexis and Jennifer get real and show the humor in all of this in an fun, refreshing way. Now we know that no one can really live like Martha Stewart.

photo: Wikipedia.com

Nine by Design: Upcycling, Charity and MY LOVES

photo: usatoday.com

The Novogratz Family:Cortney and Robert, Wolfie, twins Bellamy and Talullah, twins Hollander and Five, Breaker and baby Major

In tonight's episode of 9 by Design, Cortney and Bob try to raise money for two charitable events; one for a friend's adorable little girl diagnosed with leukemia to help offset the high cost of her medical bills and the second is organizing a fundraiser for a local boy's basketball team for underprivileged kids in NY.  Cortney takes on a project for their friend/client Dave, to redecorate his office where the major problem starts out with one very large white wall which dwarfs the small desk and dinky office chairs that are in there. 


We first met Dave in a prior episode where Bob and Cortney are tasked with redesigning a wrestling gym, where they did a wonderful job, clearing out ugly fixtures, such as a bar and knocking down walls. They added vintage items and mixed them with sleek and contemporary fixtures and furniture. This is what Sixx design does best...that mix...it makes you love the coolness and hipness of it all, but then takes you a step back to a nostalgic place, a place of comfort, that is so touching and enduring in your heart. I think this is their magic mix, their elixir, the thing that makes them authentic. 



The Novogratz kids are adorable. Bob and Cortney seem to be trying to instill as sense of 'giving back' in the kids. They are on TV, and have semi-famous parents, a unusual boatload of sibs, and yet they seem grounded. In last week's episode, the twin girls, Bellamy and Tallulah had to come up with a list of legitimate reasons why they should have a cell phone. Bellamy took a great deal of time to research the EXACT phone she wanted online, so that when she got to the store there would be no mistakes. She took the time, realized that she was getting a special gift, and truly appreciated it. Maybe that's what you do when you six siblings to compete with. At any rate, she stole my heart...and the oldest boy, Wolfie, is growing into a boy with good values. He donated some of his basketball trophies for the charity and spoke in front of  a group of adults about what the team meant to him. They were able to raise a sufficient amount of money for the progam. 


As for the design aspect of tonight's show, well that is my LOVE. Cortney gets very creative in taking some of Dave's photographs of his family, enlarging them, and making them into wallpaper for the HUGE white wall. She then goes on a mission to find some upcycled chairs, and adds just the right fabric to them to change them into uber cool pieces.  I have always loved the idea of finding crazy old chairs and put a "hip" modern spin on them. The idea is to take something old and weather beaten, and add all kinds of funky modern fabrics, or some cool paint color to make it reusable again.  Cortney is a master of this style...and I LOVE it.  Why do I always feel the need to find something old, something discarded, and upcycle it...and make it LOVED again..there is HISTORY in this kind of design, it is authentic and unique. People crave this kind of style and Cortney pulls it off. The office is an amazing simple pallet of black and white with a splash of yellow in the rug and funky cast off furnishings that are pulled together oh so well. 

The Birth (and death) of MTV

MTV once played music videos! They played very artistic videos with talented artists who actually played music that was good and the songs were written and sang by them.  With no voice effects. I know, it sounds crazy and I am probably showing my age, but I think it's sad what has happened to MTV and the music industry in general. It's sold its soul to commercialism. I know this is not a newsflash, nor did anything in particular occur which raised my ire, besides listening to some old songs and realizing how good they were. Then comparing those songs to songs written today...ugh and yuck! 


The artists that were played in regular rotation back when MTV was in its infancy were not always glossy and polished like they are today, but they had one thing that a lot of artists on the station now don't have. Those things are: 1) Authenticity and 2) actual talent. Reality Television was unheard of and the thought of anything but music being played on the station would of been laughable. Whoa, how times have changed, and not for the better. 


MTV revolutionized the music industry in 1981. The first video to be played on MTV was called Video Killed the Radio Star, by the British band, The Buggles. (Below) 

For Mother's Day:: Stop the Madness:: Empower Yourself:: Kelly Cutrone, Disney Princesses and the PATH

"Disney steals you at the age of 2 and sells you this whole 'Princess Thing' "
Kelly Cutrone


In honor of Mother's Day this year I want to talk about an issue that is near and dear to my heart. The notion that women as young girls are indoctrinated into  thought patterns and behavior that is misleading and destructive to their psyche as they grow into women. 

Please don't misunderstand me. I love Disney. In the course of full disclosure, as some of you don't know me personally; I have two boys and no girls, so this issue would surely be even more sensitive to me if I were raising young girls. Growing up female in America today is a challenge as there are a lot of mixed messages for young women. Girls need to be armed with good information to battle some of the stereotypes that they are being bombarded with mostly on a sub-conscious level.  

 Photo: Walt Disney

Now back to the Disney Princesses and Kelly Cutrone. The reason why Kelly has become one of my most favorite people is because she is unafraid to stand up for women and serves as an honest voice in the "get real" organization of our society. She feels that the mainstream media, (she is the master of Public Relations for a reason), does a huge disservice to women and that society in general can be destructive to women if they don't have the tools to look at it in the proper light. Walt Disney has done a bang up job over the years of evolving the three choices of princesses that we had growing up, (that would be Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty), to an array of nine princesses all politically corrected to represent may different ethnic types. (even throwing in red-haired princess, Ariel, for equality to all young girls). Yet while all these different races are now represented two large issues cannot be ignored: 1) all the princesses are the same size and shape as they ever were from day one, (perfect proportioned, tall and skinny) and 2) they always set out on some level or another and meet a "prince" that somehow saves them and they live happily ever after. The largest "elephant in the room" is that the message that young girls take from this is that there is a PATH..an unspoken "road" that you must travel into womanhood. This is the part that we all need to understand as women. 

Try to stay on a path that was hammered out for you by someone else's expectations; your parents, your grandparents, your family, society in general, and you will fail.  You will never be happy if you try to drive on someone else's road. This is true both personally and professionally. As Kelly referenced in the video, our mothers unbeknown to them, sold us a bag of goods: first comes love, then marriage, then the baby carriage... then what?  Find your own path, be true to yourself and listen to your own instincts. Only you know what's best for you. While our mothers are mostly good intentioned (although there are the evil few who for one reason or another, project their failures onto their daughters--but I digress as that's a whole other post), only you know what is best and what path you should be on. Your OWN path..not one mapped by society, stereotypes or the mass media. Happy Mother's day. 

Information on Kelly Cutrone's book:  

"If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan, avaialble at Amazon.com  Check the sidebar on right hand side of my blog for the link to her book and also check out my earlier post: http://mooninthetenthhouse.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-kelly-cutrone-if-you-have.html)

The Betsey Johnson Factor

Betsey Johnson Flagship Store at 8050 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA

Can we just TALK about how awesome fashion designer Betsey Johnson is? I have always been a fan of Betsey's, at least since I discovered her during my post-college years. A trip to Santa Monica with a friend took us to Melrose Avenue, where I discovered the true all out funky-ness which is Betsey Johnson. The Melrose neighborhood in Los Angeles is well known for it's alternative and edgy fashion shops, and Betsey Johnson epitomizes that vibe. When I think of Melrose, I immediately think of Betsey. 

Betsey Johnson Evening "Shake Your Groove Thing" Dress $458.00

BetseyJohnson.com

I always like to find stories of inspiring and creative women. Women who endure the test of time, remain strong and relevant and seem like authentic, good people. I believe Betsey to be one of those people.  She has been designing clothes for over 40 years, getting her start in fashion after she won a fashion editor contest for Mademoiselle Magazine in 1968.   She was part of the edgy rock fashion movement of the late 60's and was associated with dressing women of Andy Warhol's Factory and trendy musicians of the day. She opened her first boutique in downtown Manhattan where she still has a presence. (see my blog post about Edie Sedgwick and 60's Mod Style:http://mooninthetenthhouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/edie-sedgwick-60s-mod-style-and-how-it.html) 

Betsey's Face Sublimation T-shirt $88.00

BetseyJohnson.com

Her designs are fun and party inspired for the most part, but she does have a few more conservative pieces in her collection. It is not uncommon to find shoppers of all ages vying for the same dress. Betsey now 67, is more active and involved in her brand than ever. She still emotes a youthful vibe that is fun and engaging, much like her never ending, never wavering style of light hearted eclectic designs. In 2009, Johnson was awarded the medal of honor for Lifetime Achievement in Fashion from the National Arts Club.

Photo: newandnoteworthy.com

The designer at home, 2009

Find all of her current designs at:  www.betseyjohnson.com

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/xobetseyjohnson

Follow Betsey on Twitter: http://twitter.com/XOBETSEYJOHNSON

Joan Jett: Blondie:: Female Legends of Rock

Debbie Harry of Blondie and Joan Jett of the Runaways. The early years. These woman didn't know it at the time this picture was taken, but they were about to become groundbreaking female artists that  revolutionized the music industry and pioneered the way for other female artists to make good on their rock and roll dreams. Both women are still going strong until this day. Joan is now 51 years old, and has less body fat then you can find in a cube of tofu. She comes on stage today, with her leather pants, full on rocker attitude, and she can still tear down the house.  She is less edgy today then she was portrayed in the 80's, possibly because she felt back then she still had something to prove. She is now a legend; and a down to earth one at that. Joan Jett and the Runaways have seen a surge in popularity due to the movie that has come out starring Kristin Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Joan worked on the set of the movie along with original runaways bandmate, Cherie Curry, and together, they both helped bring the movie to production.




Debbie and Joan Jett
Circa 1978



You Tube video of the Original Runaways: Joan Jett on bass, Cherie Curry on vocals, Sandy West on drums, Lita Ford on guitar

Debbie Harry, from "Heart of Glass" video, 1978

(What an awesome dress!)



Rockbird was Debbie's first solo album following the breakup of Blondie in 1982. Debbie left the band and felt at the time that a solo career would serve  her better.  Blondie came out of the school that was the pre-punk, post-glam, New York club scene of the late 1970's. Others that came from that era were the Ramones, New York Dolls, Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground,(pretty much credited as the pioneers of the punk rock movement), and the like.

Debbie is also associated with what was called the "new wave" era of the 1980's. 1981's "Rapture" had a very long and funky rap segment in it and 1984's "The Tide is High" had a poppy Hawaiian feel to it. Debbie was unafraid to dabble in different genres. Blondie and Debbie broke up and reunited several times over the years. They have recently regenerated and were inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2006.

Debbie and Iggy

Debbie with Iggy Pop (note the timeless classic Wayfarer sunglasses!!!)

Edie Sedgwick: 60's Mod Style and How it Changed Fashion Forever

Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol charged a fashion revolution that started in 1965. Andy chose Edie to be his 'muse', his source of inspiration, the girl he would project his talent through to show the world. In many ways, she still endures, more popular than ever before, partly due to the 2006 movie, starring Sienna Miller as Edie, as Warhol's Factory Girl (aptly named after his NY studio "The Factory").  More than three decades after her death in 1971, from acute barbiturate overdose, Warhol's New York Party Girl is still a huge fascination. 


photos: fashionimage.com

Edie has been widely photographed mainly sticking to classic, simple shift dresses, and black leotards (the 60's equivalent to black leggings) but OH...the accessories!!!! The shoulder dusting earrings that she chose to pair with her Little Black Dresses (LBD's) and simple white sheaths were such statement pieces that they are purely iconic. 


Fashion designer, Betsey Johnston, discusses Edie Sedgwick and her impact on fashion design. 

Betsey believes that fashion was permenentaly altered during the 1960's because we had never seen such designs before. A lot of the Mod style was based on leotards, exercise clothes of the day, and sheaths, never before used in fashion design prior to the 60's. Notably, Betsey states that we still use those foundations today, and nothing really new has come out of the fashion industry since. It has been remastered; but the classics still remain.

Photo: fabsugar.com

9 By Design: SoHo, Vintage Eclectic: Make Good on Your Dreams

Last night was the second airing of Bravo TV's new reality series, 9 by Design, a show dedicated to the lives of Robert and Cortney Novogratz, their seven children, and their eighth "baby"; their business, Sixx Design. (Bravo TV show is called 9 by Design.)

This couple is NOT by any means, the Duggars. Cortney is a wonder-woman able to pull off raising the lot of children while running and managing a super successful real estate design business. She amazes me. She is 'New York busy', but in a very friendly relatable way. She softens the hustle bustle with her subtle southern accent and charm. She is the antidote to the harshness that is what is perceived with working with a Downtown New York business. Part of the reason that they are so successful with their family life and business life, is that they are one and the same. I believe this to be the key to their success.

Sixx design has been renovating and redecorating homes and businesses for over 10 years. Cortney and Robert have a book available on Amazon.com (list price $29.70); where you can find a lot of innovative decorating and design ideas.

Last night's show was fun to watch as Robert deals with a client who has an extremely tight budget and has to call in Cortney to warm him up to the idea of putting up more money in order to demolish an eyesore of a bar that ruins the whole vision of their redesign.

Last night's episode also offers a glimpse of the family's personal life as the Novagratz's plan for the Christening of their seventh baby, Major. Major is quite possibly one of the CUTEST babies I have ever seen, with the exception of my two gorgeous boys, but I digress. Viewers get to see the spiritual side of the Novogratz family and how they relate to friends and family members in their life.

I think that this show has potential to have a huge following of people who are drawn to the personalities of the family, relating to the dynamic of Robert and Cortney, their children, and how to run a family business. A lot of their design ideas are easily implemented in any setting with a little creativity and muscle. The Novogratzes show us that anything is possible no matter what your family circumstances are or are not, that you can have your own vision and follow it, and most importantly that our dreams are obtainable...live life on own terms, NOT someone else's. Make good on your dreams!!!!

9 by Design can be seen on cable's Bravo Network @ 10pm on Tuesday nights.

Full episodes and fun clips can be found @ bravotv.com

Visit the couple's website @www.sixxdesign.com

You can follow Robert and Cortney on Twitter @http://twitter.com/SIXXDESIGN

Justine Bateman and Her Thoughts on Fame

For those of you who do not know, Justine Batemen is a actress, producer, writer and fashion designer. She experienced fame at a very young age, co-starring in the 80's hit sitcom "Family Ties" as Mallory, sister to Micheal J. Fox's character, Alex Keaton. She comes from a entertainment industry family; brother Jason is a well known actor, father Kent is founder of a repertory stage in Hollywood.

Justine is no stranger to fame. What separates Justine from many of her contemporaries is how she has handled that "cloud" of fame over the years. As she explains it the video below, she gives her philosophy on the matter and how it relates to each of us; famous or not. Justine is one of those unique people, who truly are real, raw and unapologetic. We need more people like her in the media. She is an honest voice.

Kitty Kills the Bill and Ode to Pet Names

Our cat, Sammy; whom I have re-named Tiny, goes nuts on our most recent cable bill. I always seem to do this; re-name my creatures as their personalities evolve. We had two dogs an American Eskimo that my cousin and I found together back in the early 90's when we lived together in Boston. We wanted to name him 'Benjamin' after our late grandfather, so we gave our beloved Eskie the name, only to call him 'BJ'. Well, suffice to say, the conclusion our in the gutter male and (some female) friends immediately jumped to oral sex jokes, we just brushed it off. Then one day while watching tv, we started calling the dog; 'bejuz Philbin'. Regis Philbin was a TV star even back then...so; we unofficially started calling him 'Philbin'.







My next dog, a regal looking Belgian Tervuren we named 'D'Artagnan', after the noble French Musketeer who defended the King of France during the seventeenth century against the evil Cardinal Richelieu in Alexander Dumas' epic classic tale. "Tous pour un, un pour tous" (All for One and One for All).



While D'Artagan was too long and effected for most to say easily, his name was shortened to 'Dart' and then 'Tachie' (even too complicated for me to explain in this post.)

Do you re-name your loved ones? Your pets? I always seem to do this. Even with my children. A habit which I am sure will one day embarrass them to no end....thank you for reading and enjoy the video !

XO J

80's Style: The Return of Neon and Iconic Doc Martens

I have been seeing a lot of things that are classically 80's showing up on runways and in magazines and on internet sites. Just today I spotted thin hip layering neon belts complete with silver studded dots and squares. Yes, you heard me right; NEON.

Madonna is a trendsetter and always managed to pull of an effortlessly cool look that is so iconic 80's. I have memories of running out to the mall and stocking up on the coveted black rubber bracelets that she made famous in the 1985 movie, Desperately Seeking Susan.


Personally, I could of lived my whole life happy and content without ever looking at any neon colored clothing again. Which reminds of the next 80's iconic item that I have been seeing knocking around in the press: Doc Martens Combat Boots

This boot evokes memories of punk and rock bands of the 80's and 90's and as a slightly edgy boot that the cool kids in punk bands used to sport with their ripped up t-shirts and jeans. Of course in my preppy town; this was EXTREMELY cool. Doc Marten turns 50 this year, and with the revival in 80's style, I imagine that we will be seeing more of the classic iconic boot in many different fashion capacities.

Aniston in Lacroix

Jennifer Aniston is under rapid fire for showing up to her premiere of "The Bounty Hunter" in a salmon colored Lacroix dress.

The designer's name always conjures up images of "sweety darling" Edina "Eddy" Monsoon from the BBC hit "Absolutly Fabulous"; who among other things, coveted anything Lacroix (darhling).

We are used to seeing our Jen in simple gowns, little black dresses, and classic straight styles. That's how we love to see her. She has cultivated an iconic style dressing in a classic way. This flirtation with Paris style does not suit her and it shows. She looks awkward in this pinkish colored drape that gathers (ackk of all places!) around her midsection! If perfect figured Jen looks somewhat stodgy in this frock what would it do for the rest of us?! This is an epic fail by the Aniston style team and hopefully, Jen will stick to her LBD's from now on.

McQueen's Armadillo Shoe

What is it about McQueen's Armadillo shoe that is so disturbing? They are hideous and yet intriguing. How does one WEAR such as shoe? The size and scope is unbelievable. Who would wear such as shoe???? None other than Lady Ga Ga of course!

Book Review: Kelly Cutrone "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside"

Photo: courtesy of the LA Times.

"If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan:

Kelly Cutrone is honest and as real as it gets. She opens herself up and provides an intriguing read into her life story in her first book "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You." As I got further into the book, I realized that Ms. Cutrone is doing MUCH more than simply telling her story. She is a teacher, mentor and spiritual guide. The interesting thing about Kelly Cutrone is that no matter how much she is portrayed as a hardcore brutal boss; you come to understand that she is truly a very caring person. She is brutally honest and if that comes to telling someone on her staff or her interns that they suck, then she is doing them a favor. She states that to find out WHO you ARE, you must learn WHO YOU ARE NOT. She is extremely spiritual, which you learn is one of the things that guides her business and life decisions and keeps her sane in the superficial world of fashion, runway models and dramatic designers.

Kelly seeped into public consciousness by appearing on MTV reality shows such as "The Hills" and "The City" where she was portrayed as an uber-b***h boss, ordering pretty interns to work harder,faster, longer and fire fellow colleagues who weren't going to cut the mustard in the world of PR. She also has her own show now on the Bravo network; "Kell on Earth". It was through this show that I was introduced to the world of Kelly Cutrone and the Public Relations company that she founded; "People's Revolution".

I found Kelly's no nonsense management style to be breath of fresh air. Her no frills office space is clean, modern and edgy. She works daily with world's top designers in the fashion industry and is the real deal. She IS her own brand and markets herself well. She tells her readers that there is a reason she dresses in all black. Its her uniform. She likens her staff and her extended family an army; one that is fighting the good fight; that of honesty, integrity and damn good straight-up business sense.

Kelly's story is a compelling one, and extremely relatable. She encourages ALL women, no matter what industry they may be in or are pursing, to find their true voice, to listen to their instincts no matter how wacky they may seem, and make career choices for the right reasons; not by guided by voices from your parents, your friends, Hollywood or society in general. Kelly's book is an inspiration and should be read by all women who are interested in bettering themselves in their career and life in general.

Book Review: The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx

Photo by Richard Chavez.

I have just finished reading the Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx. Wow; what a mind blowing book. When I mentioned to friends that I was reading a book written by a member of the infamous bad boys of hair metal 80's rock and debauchery, people sort of gave me a puzzled look, such as (why? what could he possibly have to say?)if they even knew of Nikki Sixx or Motley Crue at all. I can promise you all this; Sixx has A LOT to say. And what he says and how he portrays it through a collection of notes and a dairy where he meticulously noted his life and how he felt during Christmas of 1986 to Christmas of 1987 are the core of what makes this book great and not just another rockstar ex-junky telling his story.

The layout of the book itself sets it apart from others; its written on 411 pages of glossy paper complete with artwork and "doodles" from Sixx himself which adds impact to the words on the page and further brings you into his state of mind. The gaps and notes are filled in as diary progresses by the people who were involved at the time, their recollections of the situation and Sixx's state of mind and behavior; band mates, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil and Mick Mars, managers and music producers, ex-girlfriends (Vanity of 80's fame Vanity 6 and ex love of Prince was heavily involved with Sixx and his addictions that year), and importantly, his grandfather, mother and sister. He documents the pain and misery that he inflicted upon those that loved him a cared about him the most at a time where he didn't care if he lived or died. He wanted to experience life to the fullest by pushing himself to the limit until there was no going back. Sixx was legally dead in December of 1987 after an overdose (notably his 2nd one) and was brought back to life through an adrenaline shot to the heart.

Sixx admits today that he is not the same man that he was in 1987. He says that the Nikki Sixx of 1987 would HATE the Nikki Sixx of 2009. And that is a good thing. Today he is more passionate than ever about his band(s), the Crue; which he pulled back together after many years of estrangement and he admits wasn't at all easy, Sixx AM (an new band with James Micheal and the impressive guitar playing master DJ Ashba), a clothing line, and President of music label Eleven Seven. Above all he is committed to helping others fight addiction. He has stated that if he can save one life from addiction through his work and his book than it is all worth the effort. A portion of the proceeds from the soundtrack related to the book are donated to a Charity called "Running Wild in the Night" founded by Nikki for Covenant House to help troubled and homeless kids get off the streets.