Another week of our coquette summer has quickly come and gone. We may have a few sunny days of warmth and summer to come, but it’s mostly a holding pattern now. We count the days until fall officially arrives. It’s there in the night, and there in the heart. On with the weekly recap…
Shirtless male celebrity shenanigans.
Why oh why must it be this way?
Our lone Dazzlers of the Day was Jason Kramer.
There will often come a point in the day when I simply channel En Vogue and ask myself in exasperated silence, “Why oh why must it be this way?”
Funky Divas unite.
Madonna and pink is one of my favorite combinations, as amply illustrated in this set of photos. It dovetails in lovely fashion with our waning coquette summer theme, where pink and moodiness and an underlying element of melancholy come into beautiful and sometimes-heartbreaking collision. Madonna is actually no stranger to the coquette aesthetic – adopting it regularly over the course of her career, but never quite going full-on thanks to her steely, indestructible element of survival. Still, she has had her moments, starting with the glamorous escapade fashion of ‘Vogue’, particularly in her 1990 Video Music Awards performance of the song, which found her dolled-up in Marie Antoinette garb as if to the coquette manor born.
Her ballads have a dreamy, coquette-like atmosphere to them as well, particularly ‘This Used to be My Playground‘ and ‘Rain‘ and ‘Crazy For You‘, while ‘Live To Tell‘ and ‘Promise to Try‘ offer something with the melancholic undertones a proper coquette scene entails.
For sheer pink coquette majesty, look no further than ‘Dear Jessie‘ with its wistful sighs of pink elephants and lemonade, or the theatrical dramatics of ‘Take A Bow‘ and ‘Frozen‘. On a sweeter note, listen to ‘Little Star‘ and then dive back into moodiness with ‘I Want You‘. If we’re stretching, I’d include my favorite Madonna song of all time, ‘Drowned World/Substitute for Love‘, to close out this coquette collection.
Would there be a more coquettish way to perish than being strangled or hung by a rope of pearls?
Death by divine decadence.
Choked out by the seeds of the sea.
Strangulation by beautification.
The darker heart of the coquette world beats more prominently as we near the end of the summer, perhaps sensing its own demise. Too many people flirt with giving up, then when they get right up to the end, the panic of their ultimate weakness sets in and pulls them away from any final act of annihilation. Pish-posh to the boys who cried wolf; we have no time for them here. Wolves, witches, and the wretchedly-bitter who hang on to the very end without whining or complaint – those are the stalwart souls who will see us through the fall.
I’m aware there is a paradox there. It’s an ideal illustration that the coquette life is anything but simply pretty.
Take this post for instance. Crafted in the calm, bright light of the attic, and bound by beautiful strings of pearls, it belies a heart in grotesque riot, and a countenance at grave odds with its peaceful surroundings. One slip of the proverbial tongue, and I might speak of secrets that would hurt others as much as they would unburden my own soul of some of its demons. But this is all to come, and we have a couple more weeks of coquette respite.
Let us have this pretty pearl moment – let us have all of the pearls, in one long string, seduce and captivate us as they slyly wind around our necks, cooly coiling ever tighter in the name of all that is coquette.
“What lingered after them was not life, which always overcomes natural death, but the most trivial list of mundane facts: a clock ticking on a wall, a room dim at noon, and the outrageousness of a human being thinking only of herself.” ~ The Virgin Suicides‘
Resplendent in this ravishing red ensemble, Madonna cuts a striking pose from her recent birthday trip to Italy. While her artistic output these days seems to be social media posts, if they are all this beautiful I can’t be entirely mad about it. Would I like to see a new album of music, perhaps a surprise double-album like some current pop stars have done? Of course, but I’m not holding my breath. I do note that it’s been over five years since her last full studio album was released, which marks the longest spell in between albums since her career began (she usually takes about three years between new original studio albums). I’m hoping she has a few more surprises in store for us…
As we approve the crux of summer and fall, the battle of pink and green is gearing up with the promotional juggernaut for the new ‘Wicked’ movie currently in progress. The trailers have been spectacular, though I’m hesitant to completely embrace the movie version just yet – right now I’m filling in the blanks of what little we’ve actually seen with the perfectly imagined world that Gregory Maguire’s original novel so masterfully conjured, and the effectively-moving chords of Stephen Schwartz’s music for the musical so thrillingly brought to life. Will they come together without being too bloated in a two-part movie experience? We shall see. For now, I retain hope, which is all we really have right now.
It’s a lovely segue as we depart the pink world of our coquette summer and shift into a drastically and dastardly different fall experience. Fall will be as wicked and wonderful as it will be beautiful and heartbreaking. Whatever realm of coquette sweetness we have created, and whatever magic we might have made, will all be changed when the clock clicks forward and the seasons shift from summer to fall.
If the movie stays true to the question of what makes a person truly wicked – or posits what wicked might in fact mean – while exploring the friendship of two very different people, I’m sure it will be a raging success. As for the battle of pink and green, it’s one that I’ve fought from both sides now, and for this fall it feels like I’m leaning decidedly into the green. So if you care to find me, look to the Western sky…
Our coquette summer is quickly drawing near its end, but there are a few more days of sun and warmth (even as the forecast for this morning and day may veer to the more melancholic side of things). With that in mind, it’s the perfect backdrop for a coquette moment – a wistful sigh of longing, a restless reconciliation of losing – and a little coquette song that tries to make up for a rainy gray day.
It’s been a summer that has run the gamut from hopeful innocence and freshness to weary, wary, jaded defilement – a strangely awful trajectory that sets this blog up for a fall unlike anything that’s ever been written here. You are definitely not going to be ready for this jelly. So let’s make the most of these summer days – wretched and rainy though they may be – because this fall is going to get very dark.
Before the summer ends, let’s have some shirtless male celebrities, and some superficial shenanigans for which website was once rightly renowned. Back to frivolous basics, starting with Manu Rios who was crowned Dazzler of Day in this post. I love a man who rocks a sheer and sequins red carpet look. We’ll follow that with perennial favorite Ben Cohen as photographed by the amazing Leo Holden (a Dazzler of the Day in his own right) and photographer of many a handsome gent. And Mr. Cohen certainly qualifies as a very handsome gent.
Next up is semi-controversial Adam Levine, who went shirtless at the Super Bowl then got himself into the cancellation zone – though I don’t really know/remember all the details. (We will all be canceled at some point, in much the same way we will all have our fifteen minutes of fame; mine have been canceling out each other on the daily.) Anyway, Adam Levine was naked here too, and has many admirers, so this one is for them.
Underwear has its own category on this website, and Dominic Albano continues his quest for underwear domination with his latest line of skivvies (and a dizzying array of scintillating photo shoots).
Finally, bringing up the scorching rear of this post, Jim Verraros came back in a big way with his ‘Take My Bow‘ single and follow-up ‘Pyramid‘. Can’t wait to see what’s coming next for all these gentlemen.
Like this little tomato valiantly forging its way in a long-past Boston summer, this little tree has taken hold in the impossible-small crack of earth somewhere between this old building and the sidewalk in downtown Albany. On a lunch-time walk up to church recently, I found this spot of green where nothing else dared to be growing. As they say in ‘Jurassic Park‘, life will find a way.
My heart is always moved when I find something like this happening, and then I wonder if anyone else has noticed the noble effort at life and survival going on along a non-descript sidewalk. I also wonder at how many more simply rushed by, or absentmindedly ignored it. The power of a little tree to illuminate how much people might care is equal only to its ability to reveal how little they might care.
There was no morning or early afternoon blog post today, in case anyone noticed, and there is a very good reason for that: I didn’t want to write the damn thing. Just didn’t feel like it. In the same way I haven’t felt like meditating. Or cleaning the house. Or keeping up the garden. It’s an ennui that began after being sidelined with back issues earlier in the summer, and I never quite regained my footing again. Leaning into laziness and feeling entirely uninspired, the second half of summer passed in a haze, and a sense of withdrawal and lack of engagement. My heart hasn’t been in it – and I’m sure that’s been apparent in the writing here.
That said, I enjoyed the all-too-brief break, and I may take more of them. If this blog can be viewed in the life trajectory of spring being the start and winter being the end, I’d say confidently this blog is deep into fall. There may even have been some flurries already. And life will take its twists and turns no matter how much my Virgo tendencies want things to fall into order and precise place. This summer, similar to last summer, has been about learning acceptance – and perhaps refusing acceptance in instances that are simply unacceptable. This fall will be about going one step further – and dealing with that is going to be what I need to do to right this ship. Collateral damage, like the storm that clears out the dead branches of the forest, is inevitable. That may prove disastrous for some, but only if you deserve disaster.
Until then, here are a few peppy purple petunia blooms. Check out the veining on these guys…
This is a bit of a mystery test post.
And as all should well know by now, life is a mystery.
To that end, I have little to offer in the way of hints, other than to reveal the color for this fall’s blog theme.
A bit dark, but even in the midst of summer, darkness is present.
As for the coming fall, I’m a little afraid.
But that’s when the best shit happens.
Right about the time when you’re ready to give in to The Sleep.
I have no choice, I hear your voice…
Get on your knees for something decidedly unholy.
Remember when everyone thought using a cel phone at the gas station would blow the whole place up?
Seems like such a long, innocent time ago…
We haven’t had many Monarch butterflies in the garden this year – or maybe we have and I just haven’t been outside as much to notice. Both may be true. This week there were a couple of them flitting about the aptly-named butterfly bush as Andy and I enjoyed a couple of last swims before the pool season comes to a close. They danced in what remained of the summer sun and the suddenly-cooler breeze. Perhaps they were just waiting for the perfect weather. Beauty and warnings abound.
My friend Elizabeth introduced me to Jason Kramer via a Madonna social media post, which is how the best people meet each other. I checked out his charming website here and was instantly inspired by someone who has turned their passion into a career, enough so that Jason earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning. Don’t take my cumbersome words for it, here’s an excerpt from his website that does a much better job explaining how he made his journey from theatre-lover to costume designer and more:
My fascination with the magic of Theatre began when my parents took me to a production of Peter Pan at 7 years old. I remember noticing that Peter’s “shadow” was made of a sheer fabric; that there was a wire helping him and the Darling children fly; that Tinker-bell was actually a tiny little spotlight that was definitely not kept alive by the power of my applause.
None of those realizations detracted from the magic—what they did do was ignite a creative spark in my brain. I knew that I was going to be one of the people who makes magic. Fast forward to California State University, Long Beach. This is where I started to learn about storytelling through Costume design. As a Costume Designer, I have a unique relationship with the characters I’m designing for. I get to use my tools to share our special bond with the audience. I get to speak to the audience about the world in which the characters inhabit, their innermost thoughts, feelings, relationships and experiences through the subliminal language of costume design.
I find great satisfaction in the collaborative process of design and do my best to instill joy and passion in every project I am a part of. I am inspired by costume history, Old Hollywood glamour, and contemporary fashion design. I find immense pleasure in creating detailed and expressive design that not only informs the viewer, but perhaps inspires the emerging magic-makers of the future.
Besides costume design, I feel the most powerful when I’m drawing—I’ve been doing it since I could hold a pencil! I also love to drink fancy coffee beverages, and binge murder mystery TV series and old seasons of Rupaul’s Drag Race. I believe dogs are the greatest gift ever bestowed upon humankind, and little boys should play with dolls and wear dresses if they want to. I also love pizza and tacos.
Currently, I’m living in Ashland, Oregon with my husband and two cats, Trixie and Pepper. I’d love to work with you—whether I’m designing costumes for a production, working as a Design Assistant, or bringing your designs to life via digital illustration, I’m here to bring excellence, passion, and JOY. ~ Jason Kramer
The last week of August has come and gone. It was an emotional doozy, one that required a lunch-time treat of the pistachio ricotta cake as seen below, but this blog runs on autopilot so that’s what it did. As summer winds down outside, this website continues on its journey. To that end, here is the weekly recap.
Pharmacists are the happiest people.
It really is a confusing time.
Gratuitous clickbait in the form of shirtless male celebrities.
Dazzlers of the Day include Kaelan Strouse and Naomi Osaka.
