What my dog does NOT want for Christmas

A Chihuahua hood!

Photo courtesy of Voyagers K9 Apparel

The Goldbergs in the middle

 I've been faithfully watching The Goldbergs (and Trophy Wife, which has very witty writing) on ABC this fall.  Cut from life in the 1980s, The Goldbergs is based on the childhood of Hollywood writer Adam F. Goldberg  (Note: This is not the same Adam Goldberg who starred in Dazed and Confused, or who dated Christina Ricci.  I was dazed and confused over this for this about a week.)  Goldberg descends from a family of expressive yellers.  In addition to his vocal parents, he had two older brothers.  On The Goldbergs television show, Adam has an older sister and only one older brother named Barry (played by Troy Gentile).  Most of me wishes producers allowed Goldberg to keep his two brothers.  I love his brother Barry on so many levels!

Then I wondered if The Goldbergs stayed true to life, would it just be an 80s version of Malcolm in the Middle?  If so, I would undoubtedly still watch.

Photo via The Glossy

Day of the Dead imagery @ MOLAA

Photography, sculpture, and community art abound at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA.  These days they're celebrating Day of the Dead.  They also feature a colorful, outdoor sculpture garden with vividly painted walls. Someday I'll throw a party there.

Log Lady Costume for 2

I want to throw a Twin Peaks Halloween party.  Problem #1: I have only four friends (having recently moved).  Problem #2:  Only one of them is familiar with the 90s TV series.  If I dressed as a Twin Peaks character, it'd be the Log Lady.  Check out the Log Lady costume from Chinotto is my Nemesis, above.  How genius to get her kid involved!  The real Log Lady from Twin Peaks is below.

 

And here's my chihuahua, Cooper.  He's named after the diminutive car and the Twin Peaks FBI agent, Dale Cooper.

California, why U so boring?

California hails oceans, mountains, valleys, palm trees, cacti, a colorful Hispanic culture (among others), and movie stars.  So why the heck is our license plate so BORING?  It's been boring all through history.  Part of me thinks the government makes license plates plain so police can easily read them when pursuing vehicles, which they do frequently.  Other states have car chases but boast interesting and attractive plates.  They prove aesthetics don't have to fly out the window.  My favorites are:

 

Utah: Bold, bright. Utah has cool rocks and they know it.

 

Hawaii: When I see this plate I feel like smiling.

Mississippi: Do it, Mississippi.  This state doesn't scrimp on colors.  It looks like they commissioned Thomas Kinkaid to design their plate.  Now I want to go to Mississippi, sit on the shore and gaze at this lighthouse at sunset.

Georgia: I have a strange obsession with images of fruit.  I appreciate the graphic simplicity of Georgia's purty peach, combined with how its image immediately brings to mind their state.

Oregon: Oregon's not trying to fool anyone.  They're not known for sun or fruit.  They strut their stuff with three solid colors offset by white, showing threes and mountains. 

You can see license plates from all 50 states (some which are a few years old) at The US 50.

Images via The US50, Tenkara USA, The Plate Shack

Girl Scout Cupcakes

By Crumbs Bake Shop

Their hearts bleed white and Dodger blue

 

Folks in L.A. have serious love for the Dodgers.  This funky shirt is from my favorite shop in Uptown Whittier, La Casita Del Pueblo.

Steven Yeun without eyebrows

Pic via Stars Without Eyebrows

Delightful, devilish pumpkins

I love Halloween.  I love that kids get to make believe and dress up. I love that they get to go to neighbors and ask for candy. I love that they get to gather a stash of sweets. I love giving candy to kids--even teens if they're polite and don't show up wearing their regular clothes.  I love that Halloween involves ghosts, goblins, and the dark side.  Speaking of the dark side, Martha Stewart and her staff have come up with a load of creative, spooky decorations for All Hallow's Eve.

James Franco's art in This Is the End

Do you recall the paintings hanging in James Franco's house in the movie, This is the End?  It turns out he created them himself.  See his work at Business Outsider.

Almost any photo of James Franco is a good photo.