Bits 'n' Pieces

I make lots of notes when watching TV - quotes, comments, funny lines and even interesting terms that strike my fancy. Here's a few I've come across lately:



Alexis Stewart (Martha's daughter) says she "was raised with a glue gun to her head."
As a crafty woman myself, I've got to ask if that's really a bad thing. Shouldn't we encourage creativity in our children?



Commenting on noticing attractive women despite his long and solidly happy marriage, Tom Selleck said, "Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean you can't look at the menu !"
I remember my dad referring to it as "window shopping" when sitting on the porch of our hotel and watching the girls stroll by on the boardwalk at the ocean resort.


"That Girl", Marlo Thomas, is playing a Golden Girl type character on Broadway !!! Who'd a thunk it !!
Whatever happened to that sweet young girl who tried to take over the Big City way back when? Did it really take all these years for her to get her name on Broadway?

Paula Deen announced she's coming out with her own clothing line. They're still in the process of lining up outlets. Most of what she's wearing on her book tour are from this new line.
I hope she lines up Target or Sears or such. (For better or worse, my figure identifies with Paula's. Must be her recipes I keep trying!)


Today's college grads are part of the NINJA generation according to Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) in Wall Street Money Never Sleeps.
NINJA = No income, No jobs, and no Assets
Hmmm, pessimistic view or truth-sayer?

"Mantiques" = collectibles that appeal to men (Sister Pickers)


Kelly Ripa, commenting on a gal with attitude, "Stop being a 'Jersey Girl' ! "
Kelly can get away with this 'cuz she IS a Jersey Girl (for real) - born and raised!!




Suzy Orman, giving advice on cutting out frivolous, unnecessary spending - "Don't spend money you don't have to impress people you don't know or even like !"

Wake Up !!!!

Wow, did I have a nightmare !! Actually, it was a daymare - I was awake. I was trying to decide what to put on for my day of housework, grocery shopping, blogging and working on some new merchandise when I imagined a loud knock (Okay, banging) on my front door. I swung open the door to find Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of TLC’s What Not to Wear standing there.

OMG, what to do? Before I could slam the door shut and double bolt it, they had shoved their way in. They marched straight up the stairs, down the hall and into my room. There they confronted my closet and all my clothes neatly stowed in my dresser. (Okay, they perused the pile of laundry still sitting in the basket waiting to be ironed and folded. It was easier than trying to wade through what was tightly jammed in the dresser drawers. Oh, and some of my hanging items were on hangers hanging from a hook on the outside of the closet, easier to get to, of course.)

Before I could blink, Stacy was tsk, tsking away and Clinton was shaking his head. My lip began to tremble and I started to mumble about comfort and ease. I tried desperately to wake up.

In the distance I could hear a steady beep, beep. I just knew it was a dump truck backing up to the door to load all the clothing this team deemed wrong. Oh no, Stacy was calling for back-up! They wouldn’t be able to handle it alone. I heard her leave voice mail for Dr. Ruth (Dr. Phil was unavailable) and I think I even heard Niecy Nash mentioned with regard to closet clutter.

“Okay, I get the Niecy call but what’s with Dr. Ruth?” Clinton glanced me up and down and, with a shake of his head, said, “You stand there before me in black knee-hi socks, turquoise knit jammie pants and a long red t-shirt style nightgown that “used” to have an applique on it which seems to have half-peeled off and you wonder why we’ve called in Dr. Ruth. How could you possibly be having a wild and crazy time at night in that outfit?”

Good, they don’t seem to have found my Jockey for Her drawer yet !
While Stacy was grabbing from the closet and stacking a discard pile, I ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I realized they really weren’t there in my room (just in my head). I went ahead and pulled on those warm, knit comfy pants and that great, heavy gray turtle-neck sweater that I’ve literally had for years. I may not be stylish today, but I’m warm and comfy which is good when there’s a blanket of snow outside.

Wait. There is a knock at my door. Do you think maybe it’s Rachael Ray or Paula Deen there to make me something good and tasty to ease my nerves?

I’ve got to start reading more and watching less T.V. !!

Move over Julie Powell, here comes Robyn Okrant.

First came Julie Powell. She was infatuated by Julia Child and her cooking and, in a moment of inspiration (or possibly, just desperation) she set out to accomplish something. That something turned out to be cooking her way through Julia’s cookbook. Ultimately, she accomplished several somethings. She did the cooking, AND kept a daily journal of the experience in the form of a blog. The blog developed quite a following and, ultimately, became a story worth telling - thus the movie “Julie and Julia.” I, for one, loved the movie. I give Julie credit for perseverance and for coming up with the idea.

Now, comes Robyn Okrant. Robyn has just published a book entitled Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk. Robyn spent 2008, following all of the advice and recommendations made by Oprah. She read the books, bought the shoes and furniture and ate the food recommended by the media icon. She even followed Oprah’s advice and recommendations about one’s sex life. It was time consuming and costly. She estimates she spent over 1200 hours incorporating all that advice and spent at least $4,700 in the course of the year. (Incidentally, she says the sexual advice resulted in a somewhat “boring” sex life.)

Oprah claims to provide information to help her viewers and readers (of O Magazine) to live their “best life.” When asked if she found her “best life,” Robyn says she did find some clarity in areas of her life and, once the experiment was over and she could relax, she thinks she did find happiness and comfort in her life.


I don’t know. I like Oprah. I think she often gives great advice or gets me thinking about how to improve a situation BUT one size does not fit all. That goes for pantyhose, cars, jobs, and, yes, even sex lives.

I don’t think Oprah ever intended for anyone to take every word she says as gospel. I’m sure she doesn’t want all the women out here in the audience to begin thinking, acting, dressing and behaving like Stepford Wives cut from the same cloth using the same pattern. I believe she has always encouraged independent thinking, self reliance and doing what makes an individual happy with their life.


No one has heard from Oprah on this subject yet. While it may be quite flattering to have someone foster that much faith in you and your advice, it is a daunting responsibility I’m not sure she wants.

I have to think Robyn saw the basic concept executed by Julie Powell and decided to capitalize on that general idea herself. I consider her effort a basic copycat type action. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a brilliant approach. Attach Oprah’s name to anything and it will sell. I’m sure her book will rise quickly on the best-seller lists. She will make money off that $4,700 investment and it will be a great stepping stone to her further literary success in the future. She’s already making the rounds of the TV talk shows.


Robyn appears well educated (She was a graduate student at the time of her experiment.) She is obviously quite savvy in the ways of the world. (She knew who to hitch her wagon to!) I have not looked at either of her blogs. (She journaled about her experiment on Livingoprah.com and has now started a new blog entitled robynokrant.com) I’m guessing both feature paid advertising.

I’m sure there’s someone out there now trying to come up with a new twist on following Martha Stewart. Look for that new venture coming to a prison near you soon.

I’ve given it some thought. I think I’ll follow Paula Deen. I’m sure I won’t write a book about it and they’ll never ask me to do a screenplay but, who knows, maybe the butter producers of the world will beat down my door. Or maybe, I’ll just wander on down to the Deen homestead, find me a big ole lounge chair in the shade overlooking the river and share a mint julep or such with her. I’d just love to have a personal chat with her. Paula’s my kind of hero!

Paula, let's do lunch!!