My Favorite People

Rebekka Seale is an artist, illustrator, photographer, blogger, maker of jams, baker of pies…and just the sort of person who makes me glad the internet exists.  I would not know her without it. 

I first came to know her work through these commissioned house portraits (don’t ask – she’s booked through the end of the year!) but what I have come to love is her blog. It is extraordinary. The chronicle of a creative life well lived. Her photos of everyday occurrences are uncommonly interesting and her words fall out in the most delicious way. I feel like if Eudora Welty and Jack Kérouac had a baby together, she would live and make and write and observe just like Rebekka Seale.

Did I mention I’m a fan? I’m a fan.

Rebekka started this series on her blog back in January – portraits. Fifty-two portraits, to be specific. She takes photos of people in her life and writes a blurb as to why they are significant. As a reader, it’s been wonderful to follow this adventure all year, not only because it tells the story of oodles of people who I will never know, it tells her story by proximity.  By painting a portrait of those in her heart, readers like me are allowed to see her – the artist – as a whole. It’s an unintentional self portrait (which, if you ask me, is the best kind of all). 

My grandnanna liked to say, “You are only as good as the company you keep.” and I always thought that was a real bitter and judgmental thing to say…until I started following this portrait series. If
Rebekka Seale is as good as the company she keeps, I suspect she has got it pretty good.

Likewise, and this is the weird part, following this series has made me examine people in my own life. People I know and/or love and/or see on a daily basis. People who make me wonder; If I was to take their picture and write about them, what would I say? 

…This. Hooooooo – This. This has raised some fascinating answers. As of recently, people who I so often take for granted now seem rather extraordinary, while others…well, there are some others that I need to examine further. Seeing everyday friends and family members in an objective light, and not just the warm glow of familiarity, can be difficult (we have talked about this before). Considerations like this have been a great exercise in observation for me as a person, as a friend, as a professional, as a creative type in general. We are all magnificent creatures… we just don’t know it yet. Nobody tells us. And if somebody was to tell us why we are so gosh-darn magnificent, what would that do to us? Would it change how we think and feel and treat those of us who share our space?  

Welp. It sure is something to think about. I don’t see myself starting this sort of series anytime soon, but I’m just happy watching Rebbekka’s adventure unfold week-by-week. I think you will like it too. Check it out. 

If you have a tater tot at home under the age of, oh, seven maybe, you might know Leslie Hall as “the razzle dazzle lady” from Yo Gabba Gabba.

I know Leslie Hall as the owner and curator of The Mobile Museum of Gem Sweaters.

That’s right. There is a double-wide in Iowa with 400+ gem sweaters waiting for us to visit them, pet them, and call them out by names reminiscent of Aaron Spelling television show titles. 

It will be glorious!

This gal has spunk. And balls. And sparkly things. And big hair. I sorta want to crawl around in her skin for an hour. Is that weird? That’s weird. Doesn’t stop me.

Maybe I’ll settle for gold spandex and a crafty jam.

   

Keeping in the ongoing theme of other people’s awesomeness, let’s take a moment to highlight someone who falls into this category without explanation: John Stamos.

To describe this man as handsome would be to describe the ocean as wet. The guys is a Grecian sex bomb. He is even better looking now than he was in 1992 when I first knew him as the Elvis-loving, mullet-wearing, Uncle Jesse of Full House fame. He’s also a sometimes time member of the Beach Boys, and he has one of the best Instagram feeds around. And, when he isn’t rocking out on Jimmy Kimmel or eating Oikos Greek yogurt (it’s delicious, btw), he is visiting one his fans, Kaitlyn Dobrow.

Reluctantly, Stamos posted this picture yesterday. “I’m ONLY doing this cause they asked. I said no press. but this story is a must read- plus me and katie have a date to Disneyland.”

In February 2013, Kaitlyn was diagnosed with a rare an especially aggressive form of meningitis. Over the course of several months and multiple surgeries, all four of her limbs were amputated. Current medical costs are estimated at over $1million (most of which will be covered by insurance, thankfully), however, her family needs to raise funds to cover support and rehabilitation costs after she leaves the hospital.

Now, I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my arms and legs. I cannot imagine months of debilitating pain and hospitalization. I cannot imagine the challenges this lovely young woman has already faced, and will continue to take on in the days and months ahead. It’s humbling just to think about it for even a minute.

That said, I also cannot imagine what it would be like for John Stamos to come to my bedside and ask for a date to Disneyland, but I sorta imagine it like this (minus the creepy Olsen twins as babies).

Have Mercy.

Click here to learn more about how you can help the Dobrow family.

In late 2009 I received a google alert directing me to a news article stating that Steven Soderbergh was shopping around a movie based on the life of Liberace.

Yes, I have a google alert set for “Liberace.”

You could say I’m a fan.

I’m not saying the costumes are bad, I’m just saying they need more sequins.

Since that google alert in 2009, following the production of this movie has reduced me to near-stalkerhood. It would be embarrassing if it wasn’t so fabulous.

First they couldn’t get anyone to pick it up because it was “too gay”, then HBO picked it up, then they cast DEBBIE “MOTHER OF TAFFETA” REYNOLDS as Liberace’s mother, thennnnn, sigh, then it got halted because Michael Douglas had cancer. However, Douglas, like a champ, recovered and came back to snog face with Matt Damon, who plays Scott Thorson – Liberace’s lover, who wrote the book that the movie is based on (I won’t ruin the story – let’s just say,  it didn’t end well).  Interestingly, Thorson is now jail for identity theft (unrelated to anything in the movie), but just knowing that tid-bit of perspective makes this whole thing one big undulating ball of salacious rhinestones.

Ughhhh! Why must I wait three more days?   

Behind the Candelabra premiers on HBO, Sunday, May 26, 9PM Eastern.

Liberace fans, here – chomp on this interview with Soderbergh that was on NPR yesterday.

Not-Yet Liberace Fans Who Are Thinking of Watching the Movie – consider watching this clip of the real Liberace and Thorson on stage in 1981. The bubble machine above the bathtub is my favorite part.

It’s Tuesday. I was planning on another post but it’s been a crap day for a lot of people, including me. In light of this, I propose we take a chocolate break and spend a minute talking about people who are awesome. Like…

…for example, Yetta Rosenberg.

Homegirl knows how to dress.

Why is this show not on the air anymore? So much awesome. So much!

Also in the awesome club: People who build fences around trees. Not with trees, around trees. Like this..

These fences belong to my neighbors. They are awesome. They say “The tree was here before us. It deserves our respect.” How cool are my neighbors?

And here is someone I think is pretty cool: The lady who recognized her kid was a bully and got creative with her solution. Unorthodox, perhaps.  Effective, certainly. Child development issues aside, mostly I admire this lady for having the balls to see her child objectively (we talked about this before). Snaps to you, lady. Snaps to you.

…and speaking of snappy dressers, let’s talk about this gal:

Cher. It was her 67th birthday yesterday and she is still kicking butt and taking names. How awesome is she? You tell ‘em, Cher!

And, as long as we have our Native American flair out, let’s talk about some other people…

Thoughts and prayers to everyone recovering from tornadoes today, both literal and metaphoric. Let’s take a lesson from Oklahoma and keep an eye out for one another.

Hugs!

-AP