Dear readers, my blog is now at Vox.

Witness my very first professional makeup installation, courtesy of Chanel. Note the standard issue Hollywood bronzer a la Lohan, Theron and Stone. Literally, one of the two makeup artists who got me like this in an hour does makeup for Sharon Stone.

He said that I should never do stripes of blush because, "Nobody blushes like that." I said, "I think they think they're sculpting" to which he replied, "That's so amateur."

By popular demand, here's some backstory. When I went in to Nordstroms to buy Black Satin Chanel nail polish, the saleswoman twisted my rubber arm into a makeover by namedropping Sharon Stone's makeup artist.

That was more than enough to pencil in my appointment and brows. The expectation is that you buy some stuff as a thank you to the artists, and they get a commission. I bought eight products. Everyone's happy.

So once I was in the full-tilt gloss mode pictured above, I brought appetizers and a pasta pot to a lovely candlelit dinner party at Eitzel's. He lives a block away, so I didn't even get mussed in transit. In fact, I woke up in this makeup.

And now, when I apply my "Rose Petale" blush in the proper places, I get the wafting scent of rose petals and a reminder of being all pampered and fancy.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain covers a Nirvana song a bit scarily. The upside is, they clarify some misheard lyrics after all of these years.

And finally, we have an explanation for the visible tubes that protrude from the back of George W. Bush's suitcoats. Bring on The Bush Pilot.

~thanks for sending Tam and Tricia!

Nick's Big Star tribute night is on the calendar! Friday September 15th, to be exact. At 12 Galaxies. It will be in the tradition of his tribute to the Replacements, but this time it'll be all Big Star songs, all night long. Special guests to be announced. (!)

I wonder if Nick will allow songs written about Big Star at the Big Star tribute...like the Replacements song "Alex Chilton" or the Jayhawks song "Big Star."

There will be many decisions and miles to go before September 15th. Our six-year wedding anniversary is the very next day. Someone should sing a tribute to us at midnight!

Once, my fanatacism for Big Star was so ridiculous, I would say things like, "Big Star are my Beatles" and "If you don't like Big Star, I don't want to be friends with you." I've gotten a little older since. But not much.

NPR's World Cafe warms up to two beautiful new songs by Jesse De Natale. That's right! Both are lovely piano ballads of sorts, the first being undeniably anthemic, and about San Francico.

So sorry to have shown this, but I felt that if I had to see it, then so do you. Meet Guadalupe, an eliminated contestant from Project Funway Season 2. This is her in real life, representing herself, on some red carpet somewhere.

I have a deep affinity for the visual stimulus of Missoni (note the signature zigzag) but what this poor dear has done to it makes me think that she botched this up while blindfolded. Can I get a mirror here? Note to Missoni: issue cease and desist.

At least tonight brings us the 3rd season of Project Runway and all the future horrorshow personalities and outfits that go with it. Sharpen your scissors.

The rock world has kissed goodbye the legendary Syd Barrett. I personally owe him for countless hours during my teenage development. And in college, when CDs hit the marketplace, my first purchase was Pink Floyd More. And then I started replacing all my vinyl with CDs, the Bowie, the Zeppelin, the Kinks.

Our dear Syd was one of the craziest--and one of the greatest rockers ever to have lived. See you on the dark side of the moon.

Ourpal Talla is having a trunk show at an art gallery, so get it while you can.

Click "next item" to scroll through some sale merch. A girl can never have enough shirts with horses, birds, or the message "yes to happiness" on them. And that's a fact!

Thursday July 13th 6-8PM
Eleanor Harwood Gallery
1295 Alabama Street @25th
San Francisco

Like complete nutters, we went to North Beach to witness the celebration of World Cup winners in their own neighborhood. Although I took plenty of pictures of people in blue jerseys, police in full force, and throngs of traffic honking horns and hanging out of cars, they're all crap. But I did get a shot of this pup, whose leash is the proper color at least.

After being at the nicely feng shui-ed Tony Niks for champagne, we went to the big grassy Washington Square park to eat turkey, provolone and pickle foccacia sandwiches from the cafe where Nick signed Jesse DeNatale.

Something I noticed--besides a lot of really drunk people--was that several Italian men addressed me with the word, "Peace." What a lovely thing!

And everyone repeated this cheer, "Italia!" which happens to rhyme with "peace and love."

I've got Sea Ranch on the mind. Or Belize. Or anywhere. Jeez, I'd go for a Sandals all-inclusive at this point. I can't believe I forgot to have a vacation.

All right! Just booked a long weekend at our favorite house in Sea Ranch. The one where last year, Estro had her own room and could watch deer and bunnies scamper in the yard.

Nick sent me this stunning restaurant review yesterday with the subject header "Oh my god we are so going there." Must work on it, stat!

But first, a hedgehog.

A photographer I worked for after college liked to refer to giving children food from McDonald's as "child abuse."

Eating there is a guilty American pleasure, and not one that we're proud of, putting a layer of grease down the gulliver. But for breakfast, at least the Egg McMuffin uses a real English muffin, and real egg. That square orange cheese is probably not food, but it is all melty and tasty.

If you order one without meat, throw away the top half of the muffin and replace it with a thin coating of black pepper, then skip the fried potato thing, you've got yourself a hot, diet breakfast.