The Princess has landed. Or something. We enjoyed delightful times with our houseguest and are now returned to our standard workday with a tad more time for sharing wacky and whimsical things in our goofy blog.
We must acknowledge the good folks at Refinery 29 for the heads-up on our first item, these finger puppets by artist Melanie Howard. Available on Etsy, the Republican ticket puppets with Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin in wool felt:
Wondering just what one does with snappy items like these?
“They are finger puppets and will fit most fingers, but would do well on pencils, pipe cleaners, chopsticks. Scrapbook them, stick them on your Christmas tree, sew them on to your favorite hoodie.”
Next, the Democratic ticket of Senators Barack Obama and Joseph Biden, also in wool felt:
As described by the artist:
“Details include Obama’s charming ears and Democratic dress. Biden sports a grin that would launch a thousand smiles and fabulous swept hair. Both are lawyers, both are fit, both are pleased to be your Democratic Ticket for the White House.”
Ms. Howard also has other fun figures memorialized in this fashion, including Karl Lagerfeld and Hillary Clinton.
Some readers may recognize the unmistakable style of our next item, knowing immediately they are by Hidalgo.
Courtesy Hidalgo
The stacked rings with candidate names carry the distinctive look the company is famous for; the Obama and McCain rings are each about $1350, while the gold and diamond ring guards shown above will add another $1,100 to $1,260. If you are looking for something a little less dated, you can play it safe and go for one simply showing your fundamental belief on the issue.
Both the Elephant and Donkey are $1100, the red enamel guards shown with them run about $475.
Of course, the names of vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are also available from Hidalgo. For those not familiar with the brand, one can purchase only a single, ‘basic’ ring, or may acquire several. Ring guards (as seen above in red on either side of the Donkey) are fairly essential IOHO, designed to enhance the beauty of that primary ring.
The folks over at StyleList have put together a group of Hidalgo rings they think would be ideal for Cindy McCain. These include a ring bearing John’s name, the ring with her zodiac symbol (Taurus) and one stating the obvious.
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Next on our political hit parade, one may dine on the candidate of their choice.
Many readers may have already seen these on their local news or in the paper, but we thought we would share them anyway. The “Obama O’s” come complete with “Hope in Every Bowl” while the “Cap’n McCain’s” promise “A Maverick in Every Bite.”
If those cereals are too sweet and sugary for your morning, there is one with more bite: “Killogg’s Same Old Corn, Different Flakes.”
It would seem the folks behind this creation are a bit more acerbic, but also non-partisan. The box features leaders of both parties, adding “Now With Added Nuts.” Indeed.
Another non-partisan effort comes via Rock the Vote Red lipstick, available at Stila Cosmetics.
Part of the Rock the Vote, the voter registration effort, the lipstick is a rich red, offered at $17.
And finally today, real students at Yale weigh in with their thoughts on last week’s Gossip Girl episode, featuring a trip by the characters to New Haven as part of the school’s admissions process. Below, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) in the fictitious New Haven.
In ‘Gossip Girl’ relies on Univ. stereotypes, an article in the Yale Daily News, actual Yalies share their thoughts on how the school and students were portrayed:
“Students interviewed said last night’s installment of Gossip Girl was especially erroneous in its portrayal of the Yale admissions process.
In the episode, three of the main characters met privately with the Yale dean of admissions, but the real admissions dean, Jeff Brenzel ’75, said such meetings could never have occurred beyond the realm of the television series.”
There were some “watch parties” on campus for the airing of the show, but few students had favorable reactions to the “New Haven Can Wait” episode:
“It didn’t bring out the Yale that we all know and love, but instead just used stereotypes about Yale,” Zimmerman said. “And all the characters were just focusing on getting in [to Yale].”
On the whole, she concluded: “It was kind of a failure.”
Anyone familiar with either Yale or Columbia immediately recognized that the show was shot at Columbia, conveniently located near other Gossip Girl shoots, with nary a foot of video from New Haven.
In reality, the Dean of Admissions does not send out exclusive invitations to ritzy early-admissions soirees. Skull and Bones does not tap pre-frosh. And under no circumstances do high school students approach Yale upperclassmen with romantic propositions.
But perhaps it’s still up for debate whether, as Serena put it, “Yale is for overachieving bookworms and preppies.”
The Preppy Princess 