ladycrush: mfamb

if you've ever wandered over to her corner of the internet, learned the secret handshake and gotten the password to ride the bullet train to awesometown, you've been simultaneously floored by her insane design skills (evidenced by some sick moodboards, gorgeous projects for various clientele, craigslist finds like you've never seen before, and her personal home--trust me, its amazeballs, usa); her raucously hilarious, sharp sense of humor (they don't call her "the velvet buzzsaw" for nuthin'); and her keen eye for living a truly delicious life, everyday. 


oh, and did i mention her amazing recaps of shows like HGTV's design star (aka design turds) and the real housewives series?! 
you must read them. while wearing depends. or in the loo.

her signature--attainable, intentional glamour juxtaposed with 1st dibs-worthy, luxurious rarities--written in her true, unique voice (which means "fuck" is regularly in the rotation), combined with actual, inspirational work, equals not only a daily must-read blog, but also a wonderfully talented and genuinely beautiful woman behind it all. 

she is a crazy-popular design blogger (newell turner is a fan), a talented actress, mama to the beautiful fiona honey, wifey to supermike (who is quite awesome in his own right), craigslist whisperer, serious chef in the kitchen (i want sloppy joes in my mouth right now. please.), exercise fiend, and all-around badass...

she is also a dear friend.

(psssst....hi nicole!)

(what's that? 
did my street cred just go up like 100 points? 
thought so.)

darling reader, i give you...

jenny anderson of my favorite and my best.

ladycrush of the week, sisterwife for life!

molly: what is your earliest memory of designing a space?

jenny: that would have to be my "clubhouse" in my closet when i was around 9-ish. 

that motherfucker was cozy.

see? :)

when you first started your blog, what were your early mistakes/accomplishments? how did you find your groove and discover your voice?

i don't think i made any mistakes.  i mean i learned lessons, such as don't call people retarded on a public format unless you want retarded kids' moms emailing you in tears. 

i found my groove when i started writing fewer words.

people don't have time to read a lot of words these days.

(ohhhhhh... i get it. is this one of those lessons pour moi? because i know i have a tendency to be long-winded sometimes, but you know that's just me, i mean i get excited, and yes i probably do need an editor, but... oh. right.)

do you have any hard and fast "will always do" or "will never do" things on the blog?

see above.

what inspires you?

people funnier than me.

dammit man, that's a tough one. i think i may have been funnier than her once. maybe.

what's the coolest project you've ever worked on? 

TBA

what pisses you off most?

tardiness.

it's a giant fuck you to the universe.

i can attest to this truth. for someone who has a tendency to be 15 minutes late for everything, i learned early on in our friendship that homegirl don't play when it comes to the clock. and i get it! everyone's time is valuable, and jenny is always good at reminding me of this.

speaking of personal time, what are your favorite things to do with yours?

eating a falafel sandwich and s'mores cupcake from star provisions and watching a parks and recreation marathon in my jammies sounds like the most perfect day ever.  it should be rainy and cold too.


s'mores cupcakes!!! aaaand now tears of sadness bc i am so far away from them. and you. 

ok, moving on. what is your favorite movie/book/music?

far far too many favorite movies..but the one that popped into my head first was stealing beauty.

book- the lovely bones is still the most well written book i have ever read.

music- i listen to music based on my mood.  and i am usually in a bad mood, so anything that makes me cry.

helps me get it out.

fave food to eat? to cook?

i will eat donkey turds if they taste good.

i love to cook stews/soups..but never a fucking stoup!  

most embarrassing moment ever?

getting caught by my dad with my hands down my pants when i was about 15.

oh honey. at least your dad is awesome and has a sense of humor...plus he's a dude so surely he's been jerking his own chain since he was in the womb.

what's the best gift you've ever gotten?

my best friend threw me a surprise birthday party complete with fully decorated christmas tree.

(my birthday is in december)

in your opinion: worst design/fashion trend right now?

ugh. too many to name. subway signs? that heinous hipster all wood with your wood look. hate that. 

describe your dream vaycay.

eating my way through europe.


DUH. yes!!! lets do it.

how do you to attempt balance btw all of your "life roles"? 

i try to do the bare minimum at all times.

what's next for mfamb? (besides world domination, obviously...)

i am working on not being homeless.

goalsetting. i like it.

if you like it, too, go here for jenny.

thank you, darling j, for granting this little interview.
 i love you!

xo

give it away now: babies!

it seems like all of my friends are having babies right now. 

i'm not.

but that doesn't mean i don't love shopping for just the right gift for the new babes and their mums & dads!

here's a roundup of some of my favorite of-the-moment picks:

honestly one of my favorite childrens' books 

(for obvious reasons--birdie! and shoes!)

by gifted author & illustrator sujean rim; you may recognize her signature watercolor prints from your inbox every morning, as she is the talent behind the gorgeous illustrations of daily candy's website & books, among others.

the story is adorable, stylish, and fun, and after almost two years, we still read it almost daily.

what to pair with the sweet read? 

why, a pair of perfectly fabulous shoes, natch!

obsessed with tip toey joey's sweet mary janes. 

pick your favorite color...or get all three.

birdie would approve.

looking for something with a little more wow factor?

cutest ever 

burberry three piece tunic, legging, & gilet set

$213 via alex and alexa

who doesn't love a gift from tiffanys?

instant heirloom status. 

i treasure the tiffany & co. china sets we received for our girls, as well as the precious moon rattle that for whatever reason they still play with. 

my pick for a truly unique gift from tiff?

the elsa peretti padova bubble blower.

sterling silver, $200 bucks, and awesome. 

also. had our financial bubble not burst in recent years, 

this would be mine. ha.

bla bla dolls are one of my absolute favorite gifts to give.

(in addition to which they have the most precious knapsacks, a great back to school gift for little ones!)

not only are they made with all natural, high quality cotton, hand picked in peru where they are hand-sewn, but their home base is in my hometown of atlanta! 

their shop is utterly adorable, as are their products. 

read more here. 

from their website, here are a few of their fabulous offerings; its almost impossible to pick a favorite 

as they are all so special! 

 don't you want one?

the jonathan adler junior collection is about as adorable as home decor can get! 

i'm loving these sweet yet stylish needlepoint pillows and totally chic nightlights:

$48

 $120

 $165

 $120

 $98

$48

 

$98

go here for more. 

finally, i give you: calliespondence!

callie burnette's fresh & unique approach to stationery makes for a wonderfully personal, and therefore special gift.

so proud to be able to call her my friend, 

callie's incredible personal style translates effortlessly into her work; describe your vision for stationery perfection, and she'll make it a reality.  

there's just something...special about receiving a thank you note on the baby's personal stationery. 

some may think its a bit much, but i think its 

one of life's little pleasures. 

after all, how often will someone be able to give a thank you note on behalf of their infant child? 

ok, those of you who are not kate gosselin, octomom, 

or living on a "farm" in utah. 

you get my point. 

go here to see more of callie's work, order some stationery as a gift or for yourself, and stay tuned for
an interview with her in the coming weeks. 

yup, i have an official ladycrush.

before callie, however, comes jenny.

this week's ladycrush is my very own sisterwife, mfamb. 

interview forthcoming.

happy gift giving!

xo

i love lucy

 (via pinterest)

"ability is of little account without opportunity."

 (via tumblr)

"the secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

 (via lifemagazine)

"its a helluva start, 

being able to realize what makes you happy."

 (via google)

"i have an everyday religion that works for me.

love yourself first and everything else falls into line."

 (via ilovecbclothing)

"the more things you do, the more you can do."

(via npr)

"one of the things i learned the hard way is that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."

(via google)

"i'd rather regret things i've done

than things i haven't done."

(via google)

"ability is of little account without opportunity."

(via pinterest)

"in life, all good things come hard, 

but wisdom is the hardest to come by."

happy 100th, lucy.

we will always love you.

xo

Ladycrush: tanya ryno pt 2

hey there. 

today i'm excited to share the second part of my interview with the awesomeness that is tanya ryno.

if you haven't read part one, go here and hop to it. 

now lets dive right in, shall we?

MM: You've worked with some incredible talent over the years. Anyone especially stand out (asshole or amazing) in your memory? I can only imagine with Chris & Phil... 

and so many more of my favorites!

(follow up--do you have a "favorite" project you've done, or are they like a mother with children--they're all "the same". 

even though we all know that the little redhead 

just isn't loved as much.)

TR: I can probably find something memorable about each and every project I've ever worked on, and some more exciting memories than others, but my most incredible memory would have to be with Tina Turner.  Not even something I worked on in particular, just a chance encounter that was amazing.  She was the musical guest of the show and when she came in to rehearse no one happened to be around so I took her down to the studio.  It turned out  there were only about 5 people in there, including myself so when she went up on stage it was something I'll never forget.  She belted out "Proud Mary" like she was performing in front of a packed stadium, yet the other four people were crew and there I was getting my own personal concert.  Crazy to say the least.

MM: DUDE. pretty sure i'd need a new pair of panties after something like that. wow. 

TR: Additionally, I'm pretty used to working with celebrities now as each week we would work with a different host and musical guest and every few years the cast would change ... so you can imagine, along with my other work, how many people I actually had the opportunity to work with.  Not to mention all the people I worked with on TV Funhouse, the animation for SNL.  Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert were the voices for Ambiguously Gay Duo just to give you an idea.  Anyway, my point is, I kind of got used to that; what impressed me most was being able to introduce people to my mother.  If that makes any sense.  

Working with celebrities is great, but letting my mother meet them, seems to be a lot more fun.

MM: that is awesome! i do get it; they are indeed "just people", as we so often hear, but it is fun to be able to give people you care about the enthralling experience of meeting those "people" they've admired the work of for so long. rock on.

TR: That said, it's not to say I don't have stories ... it's just I don't "work and tell" so to speak, but believe me, there are people who surprise you both in an amazing way and some in a not so amazing way.  :)

MM: i'm sure that's very true. 

what impresses you? 

TR: This is going to sound so strange, but what impresses me most is people who don't complain. In this career you get to meet a lot of people, and outside of my comedy work, I've travelled a lot to work on other projects. During those productions I've been lucky enough to meet local individuals who clearly have difficult lives, yet they never once stop to complain about them. In fact, they are happy to tell me all the good things going on in their lives, or they are simply really REAL people who let me into their lives. Those people impress me.

MM: what challenges you?

I've begun to challenge myself more.  In fact, it's why I left SNL.  I was there a very long time, and now I want to do new things.   As soon as I left I made a film ... it didn't go to theaters and I really didn't think it would as I did it as an indie project, but it did get purchased by the Sundance Channel and airs on there from time to time.  

MM: ummm, yeah...not to mention it won some pretty impressive accolades. (i can't wait to see it.)

TR: The cinematographer for that was Peter Deming, who is an amazing and very well established feature film maker.  My film was probably his smallest project ever. 

MM: what is your favorite non-work-related thing to do/your idea of a perfect weekend?

TR: My perfect weekend would be at a lake lodge or my own house with good friends and family.  I like to cook.  A lot.  

I love to entertain and have fun.

MM: word. me too! bet we could totally cook up some ridiculous grub together. 

name your top five "must haves" in everyday life.

TR: Aside from family and friends ... My iPhone, a great pair of jeans, a camera (any camera), a moleskin notebook and probably a glass of wine.

MM: What was your first job, ever?

TR: My first job ever was raking blueberries in Maine.  Not an easy job, but one you can do at a fairly early age.  My next official job was a waitress at Friendly's in Bangor, Maine, and then I was a bartender for years, starting when I was 17.  In Maine, you can serve alcohol even though you aren't old enough to drink it.

MM: What are you working on now? What's next?

TR: I work on a lot of commercial campaigns, and I just did something for FunnyorDie.com, which was interesting because I never saw my career going towards the internet. In fact, for me, at one time the internet was looked at as going backwards, but as luck would have it that has clearly been redefined. I have two projects in film development hell, which means I don't know if they will actually take off or not and I have a personal Whynatte project that I am trying to pitch to MTV, A&E and VH1.  The Whynatte project is just something that came out of nowhere and really is not a career endeavor, more of a personal project that I am interested in because I feel that the story behind Whynatte is interesting.  Outside of those things, my personal goal is to move from my network work to studio work.  I want to make major motion films.  I also just started doing a few music videos ... but those are more of a creative outlet than a career.  I love music.  In fact, I listen to music way more than I watch tv.  When you come into my house the tv isn't on, but the music blaring.  I am also in pre-production for a sketch/parody web series in Detroit that I will be shooting this month.

My ultimate goal would really be to work as a producer / director on a major motion picture.  It may not happen immediately, but it will happen.  I've produced two films that have actually sold and made their way to air, so next up is a theatrical release.  That's my ultimate goal.

MM: If I were to send you a box as a thank you for doing this, what would you want to be in it? 

TR: A card or handwritten letter that simply said "Thank you!" ... I'm a sucker for receiving real mail and or letters.  I keep them all.  I love technology, and couldn't live without it, yet I've never ever kept an email or text that was sent to me.  However, if you've sent me a card or letter in my lifetime, odds are I still have it.  It may even be frames and hanging on my wall.  I'm very nostalgic.  

MM: love it. i'm the same way; kind of a hoarder when it comes to keeping nostalgic stuff, 

and in love with handwritten notes as well. 

guess you'll have to send me your addy then! 

are you over this interview already? 

how do you feel about me stalking you on twitter?

ok. I'm kidding. i don't make jokes on purpose very well.

TR: I love people that follow me on Twitter.  I hope if anything, it encourages someone else to keep pursuing their endeavors ... motivation is half the reason I'm still in the business.  So many people inspired me to be here.  I hope to inspire someone else.  I have had great experiences in life, but not because I was born into great opportunities.  I'm from Maine, my mom was a telephone lines woman and my father a carpenter, which basically means I pursued my career just because I wanted to and I didn't give up.  I have a lot more to accomplish.  Basically I'm very proud of what I've done, but not yet satisfied with what I've accomplished.  If I give you any advice it would be that you never know what is around the corner, so hold someone's hand while you do it.  Look to mentors and people who motivate you.  You will feel less scared.  You can't do it alone.  Besides, it's much more fun to succeed and fail with other people.  Take your risks now, as you grow older you become more fearful and less flexible.  Try to keep your mind open to possibilities, and your mouth closed on matters you don't know about.  Too many people will give you advice on stuff they know nothing about.  Limit your always and your nevers.  Continue to share your heart with people, even if it's been broken.  Don't be afraid to say "I don't know" or "let me get back to you" and always be nice to your parents, which doesn't mean you have to take their advice.  Clearly I didn't.  

thank you so much for your time, Tanya, and for the great advice; it is all much appreciated! 

think i'm going to take some of tanya's advice, keep my mind open, and be fearless; come back tomorrow for my version of a "want ad" for cool friends in los angeles. 

douchebags need not apply.

xo