Brotherly Love

One of the nice things that people often say about my husband, BigB, is that he is a humble man.

It's true.  He is.  It is one of the things I most like about him.

It seems that the trait is hereditary and has been passed down to littleb.

For fun, Teenager Who Lives in the Basement (TWLITB) often tries to get littleb to say complimentary things about himself.  It's a brother thing, I guess. For instance, the following conversation recently took place.

TWLITB:  Hi, littleb

Littleb:  Hi TWLITB

TWLITB:  What're you doing?

Littleb:  Drawing Spongebob

TWLITB:  Wow, that's really good.  You're a great artist.

Littleb:  Nooooo

TWLITB:  Yes you are.  Say it.  Say, "I'm an awesome artist."

Littleb:  blushes.  NOoooooo.

TWLITB:  C'mon, say it, littleb

Littleb:   Noooo.  I don't even know what that means..

A similar conversation takes place at least once a week; the one brother encouraging and teasing, the other brother bashful but pleased. It makes me smile.  I'm proud of my sons.

Little Brother Big Brother

Fashion is a Two-Faced Bitch: Dress Down Friday

Casual Fridays got you down?  Are you tired of khakis, crisp white shirts and blazers, but not sure where that thin line lies between relaxed and professional?  Never fear, my lambs; Chicken is here to guide you with a carefully curated collection of relaxed Friday looks.

A helpful tip:  Ideally, your Friday look should say something about your personality, interests, and how you might be spending your upcoming weekend.

For example:

Vivienne Westwood:
This is a perfect Friday look for a stodgy, conservative environment like Wall Street or JP Morgan.  This look says, "Yes, I'm managing hedge funds right now, but later I will be hunting pheasant at my country manor or perhaps spanking a naughty Scottish banker."

Next up Philli Wood:
Who doesn't like a cozy cable knit in a cheery color?  This look says, "Later, I'll be playing the part of the large intestine in our local community theater group's production of  The Magic School Bus:  Digestion."

Gilles Mendel:
Do you work in a start-up environment?  Here's your Friday ensemble!  This look says, "Tonight I will drink absinthe, write a dark poem about League of Legends, troll neighborhood pubs, and consume an unsuspecting biology major."

Anna Sui:
This look says, "I love butterflies and trees and Orlando Bloom.  Later I'm going to sit on my couch with my five cats and watch all three Chronicles of Narnia movies. Again.  And then I'm going  to plant a tree and maybe paint a pentagram on my living room floor.  And, also, I love Johnny Depp.

Monclerre Gamme Bleu:
Here's one for you men in the audience. Striking the right balance in any work environment, this look says, "I live in France because I'm cool like that and I like plaid. You should like plaid, too. Because I like plaid.  Later, I'll get drunk and pontificate on a variety of subjects."

Balmain:
This fabulous Friday look says, "First, I'll take out Batman and his annoying little sidekick, then I'll make a video with Snoop Dog."

Kate Spade:
"Later I'll be attending a Stepford Wives reunion."

Marc Jacobs:
"Would you like to buy a Dalmatian? I have 101 of them in my trunk."

Have a great weekend, friends!

Chicken out

Ron Mueck

Are you familiar with the sculptor Ron Mueck?

I came across this article over the weekend and decided to share it here because someday, when I'm thinking to myself, "I'd really like to see that sculpture of the tiny naked woman with the sticks.", I willl know just where to find her. I won't have to spend half my day googling "naked lady with sticks" and sorting through all manner of questionable links.

Ron Mueck's sculptures are described as hyperrealistic.  They are realistic, but what I love about them even more than that is how he plays with scale.  My favorite sculpture is the lady with sticks, but my favorite photo in this series is the one of  the school girls all checking out the "Wild man".  I would have been checking him out, too, ladies, but I probably would have been giggling a lot more than you all appear to be.  In fact, my instructor would probably have had to separate me from the group until I could control myself.  Ah, good times.

Do you have a favorite?

Have a good day, out there!

Chicken out

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/10/the-hyperrealistic-sculptures-of-ron-mueck/100606/

"Boy"