Just the other day, I was writing about how jewelry — especially jewelry created by individual designers — can rise to the level of art, with real meaning beyond physical adornment. So thank you to Tony Cooler, who pointed out this remarkable brooch by Phyllis Bowdwin, which was posted by the Smithsonian on Instagram. The…
Flashback: The Agony and Ecstasy of a Small Business
Yesterday’s post about the challenges of combining art and commerce reminded me of an essay about small business that I wrote for the Huffington Post in 2012. And, like I said recently, it’s occurred to me that I need to republish all my Huffington Post pieces on this blog, because they could vanish at any…
Jewels of the Month: The Maneater Collection, Revisited
Throwback Thursday is a good time for me to wish a belated happy anniversary to JCK, the bible of the jewelry trade, which has been celebrating its 150th year in business throughout 2019. Yes, you read that number right! It’s been 150 years since the American Horological Journal — the watch-oriented progenitor of today’s sleek…
Candidates Worthy of Your Support
In addition to winning back the presidency in 2020, progressives must work to flip the Senate to a Democratic majority and maintain the majority in the House. Here are some strategic campaigns you can donate to. No contribution is too small! If you can’t contribute yourself (or even if you can), share these links with…
The Weeks in Review
In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog recently. Monday, August 5: The first thing you should do to combat gun violence is both the easiest and most important. Tuesday, August 6: This week, there was a vigil to draw attention to victims of gun violence. That’s in the past now, but…
Wednesday’s Video: “Queens Cower Before No Man”
I’ve already shared a couple of videos about my “Immortal Style” image campaign with 76-year-old model Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone, but I have more to say! While the response to the photos has been overwhelmingly positive, there have been a few people who have criticized the unretouched images for not being prettier/softer/more flattering….
Lipstick Icon: Hammer Thrower Gwen Berry
A huge thank you to reader Catherine, whose comment on yesterday’s lipstick post alerted me to hammer thrower Gwen Berry and her blue lipstick. Berry won a gold medal at the Pan American games in Peru over the weekend. While she was on the podium with the American anthem playing, she raised a fist —…
NSFW Lipstick
I’m a lipstick lover, and I’ve been fascinated by color names since childhood, when I used to read the names on my mother’s lipsticks and wonder about the inspiration behind Revlon’s “Fire and Ice” and “Cherries in the Snow.” When lipstick names got edgier in the 1990s, I was so excited that I wrote a…
Take Action on Gun Terrorism: Get Out the Vote
For the fifth anti-gun-violence action of the week, let’s do something a little different! Sign yourself up with Vote Forward to write letters to potential voters and urge them to register to vote. Sign up! Vote Forward is focusing on 2019 state-level and special elections where there’s a chance to flip a seat to a…
Take Action on Gun Terrorism: Donate
So, you want to do something about gun terror, right? Did you call or message your senators today and tell them to cut their recess short, go back to D.C., and demand that Mitch McConnell allow a vote on universal background checks? I know that was my first post this week, but the great thing…