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The Red Book

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Photo courtesy of The Jim Henson Company via The Jim Henson Foundation

Two years ago I saw an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry: Jim Henson’s Fantastic World. I didn’t write a blog post on it because, to be honest, I cried through a lot of it. 
I can’t tell you how strangely moving it was to see so many Muppets in person. These were my childhood friends – and there they were in real life standing motionless inside glass boxes. It was like paying money to see a taxidermy of a kid I knew in pre-school. It was weird. It made me sad. And I sort of hated it.
They killed the magic. 
BUT…

…while seeing my old friends gutted and trapped in boxes might have been creepy, I came away with a whole new appreciation for the art, science and industry behind the creation of each one of the Muppet characters. Through Henson’s sketches and story boards, you couldn’t help but see that these were not just felt puppets with fun voices – they were characters and sculptures that had been workshoped by dozens of people for ages before the Muppet saw the light of day. Fascinating stuff.

If you are half as much of a Muppet fan as myself, you see need to check out The Red Book; a series of excerpts taken from Henson’s journal over the course of decades. You can read about what was like when Liza Minelli hosted the show, then watch the show for yourself.  You can see an American Express commercialfrom 1979 featuring Jim Henson, then read what it took to make it happen. I cannot understate how much I am enjoying this website.
See, and this is the thing, the problem with prolific journal keepers is that they always up and die. Always. And then people, people such as moi, spend the rest of the years that they might have lived pouring over what remains of what they left behind (case in point).

For memory hoarders like me, reading entries in other people’s journals is sort of like eating potato chips — one is never enough. I have to keep going, keep eating, keep crunching each entry until the whole bag of chips is empty. And this bag is far from empty. I just found this site last week and I can’t stop reading it! I find myself getting irritated when I come to an entry that is not yet curated. DON’T THEY KNOW I AM WAITING TO HEAR WHAT HAPPENED?

Le Sigh.

Apparently, there are some problems La Choy Chow Mein cannot solve.

Wearable Muppet Flair

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Today is the day! You can now see The Muppets in movie theaters across the USA. Who is going tonight? If you are cooking up a turkey storm for tomorrow, I’m guessing the answer is no.  If you aren’t doing the cooking for tomorrow, I suggest you do the cook a favor and get out of their way. Get out of the house and go to see the movie!

Question is; what to wear? Hmmm…
A full out Miss Piggy costume would be weird, but a bright orange fuzzy hat and scarf set? I’M ON IT.
This hat is courtesy of my pal Peach who sells her beautiful creations on her website: Hats by Peach. If you like fun, interesting, one-of-a-kind knit-wear, you will want to check it out!

Peach and I started swapping emails ages ago and I was immediately taken with several of her pieces –the only thing that stopped me from ordering is my ginormous head. No really, it’s embarrassingly huge.   I can never find readymade hats that fit.  Even boring men’s knit caps can be a stretch at times. Pair that with my occasionally ginormous hair, and…Houston, we have a problem. I have never had a fun winter hat. Until now…

You can imagine how THRILLED I was when this beauty arrived. Peach made is especially for me –bright orange and just my size with lots of Muppety flair! I will be wearing this hat to the movies tonight, and throughout the winter. The whole neighborhood might come to know me as The Crazy Orange Hat Lady. Mission accomplished!

It reminds me of Bip Bippadotta (aka: The Manana Nah Guy.)

OH MAN I LOVE THIS HAT. Thanks again Peach!
PS: As part of our swap, I am making Peach a wreath (don’t worry Peach, it’s in the works!) stay tuned…

 

  

Rebecca’s Muppet Wonderland

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My heart be still, THE MUPPETS ARE ALMOST HERE! I have been waiting for months, no, years for the return of my beloved friends. It’s been far too long. And the day is almost here.  

It’s time to play the music. It’s time to Light the lights…
In celebration of this momentous occasion, I am going to spend this week (Nov 21-25) highlighting my favorite Muppet-esque projects from some of the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational people I know. Let’s kick it off with The Amazing Rebecca!

You remember Rebecca’s Rhinestone Darth Vader and Graphic Novel Wall, right? As if her house wasn’t fantastic enough, now she has gone and made it Muppetastic (yes, that’s a real word, goshdarnit) with pom-pom wall art and faux fur furniture. LOOK AT THIS!

To make the two part pom-pom ‘painting’ she glued each Muppet colored fuzz ball to two blank white canvases. Don’t you want to reach through the screen and run your fingers over the surface?


Do you want that ottoman as much as I do? I have added googly eyes to clothes and Jewelry, but furniture? Whoa. This might be a game changer.

Again, THANK YOU THE AMAZING REBECCA for sharing her home and her talents with all of us 🙂 Who else thinks Rebecca needs to start a blog? I would be Follower #1!

Happy Weekend

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You see what happened? Now I’m finding Muppets everywhere.  
Or, maybe, they have been here all along and I just never noticed.  
Wait, wasn’t that the true meaning of Fraggle Rock? 
WHOA.
 


It’s a Floyd Colored Fall

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1. Bell Peppers 2. Purple Carrots 3. Eggplants and Tomatoes

Has anyone else noticed that fall is looking a little more saturated this year?

I am seeing brighter, richer, friendlier shades of tomato red, orange, purple and green all over the stores right now. It’s a distinctive color combo and it’s EVERYWHERE this week. At first, I thought it was inspired by produce, but then I thought, Hmmm, you know, this looks a little familiar…

That’s right: Muppets y’all. It’s a muppet colored fall! That tomato red was really just a shade of Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Scarlett. But then I looked a little further and realized, well, what I’m really looking at is Floyd. 


No mistake about it, this fall is Floyd colored in and out! Huzzah. It’s about time this man came back into fashion. Long may he rein. Now if only I can convince NY Fashion Week to shine up to the idea of a Missy Piggy colored spring (Help Me Rhonda, I don’t know if I could handle it!)

Between this recent realization, the new Muppet movie AND the new album, I can hardly contain my excitement. Viva La Muppets!