GeekSugar

Lego-Inspired Ring: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:16:36 PST

I'll admit, I was essentially born to love Legos, so my affinity for this Lego-Inspired ring from Toy Me Milano is expected.

The piece is made of silver with a rhodium plating and provides what I think is a chic homage to the Lego blocks, clocks and gadgetry we see so often in the tech world. Do you like it?

Space Invader Rings: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:00:03 PST

It seems like 2007 was the year of Space Invader sundries. From pillows, doormats and sweaters to these Space Invader Rings from the Toy Me Milano collection.

I happen to love the rings because they elevate video game love to a whole new level - they are unique, artistic and, if you ask me, completely geek chic. What do you think?

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Instagram Challenge: You Know You're a Mom When . . .

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:02:44 PDT

Last night, while washing the dishes, I broke a ceramic baker, cutting my finger and sending me running for first aid. The only bandages I could find in the house were decorated with Toy Story characters and Angry Birds; not exactly what this sophisticated mama wanted to be wearing today. That was just one of the many moments I realized I knew I was a mom. We know that you've experienced those moments too, so we want you to share them - graphically! Grab your iPhone or Android, photograph something that illustrates motherhood to you, and upload it to Instagram, being sure to include the hashtag #lilsugar in your caption.
We'll pick our favorite shots from the upcoming week and share them with you back here on LilSugar. And make sure to follow LilSugar on Instagram (username: lilsugar1) for daily parenthood inspiration!

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Takes Playtime to a Whole New Level

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:27:17 PDT

For 44 years, kids have been racing Hot Wheels cars around their homes, on the sidewalks in front of their houses, and, if they're my kids, down the slides on the playground. Playground play aside, most die-cast car play has been strictly horizontal since that time. Now Hot Wheels is shaking things up - really up! - and moving car play vertical! Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, the company's new line of wall-mounted race tracks, literally takes playtime off the floor and onto the walls. The company sent me the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Starter Set ($32), one of four playsets in the collection, and I took it for a test run with my two car-obsessed kids. Here's what we thought!

Who is this product designed for? The manufacturer suggests that race tracks are for kids ages 4 to 8 years old, but my 2-year-old is having a very good time playing with it, too.

What sets it apart? For generations, car racing has been limited to floor play, where intricate tracks were laid on the ground to facilitate races, crashes, and general play. For the first time, that play moves up the wall, helping to clear the clutter of toys on the floor, but also creating a new play experience. Using 3M Command Strips (which are safe for painted and wallpapered walls - I tested it!), the track supports easily stick on the wall to create vertical, complex race tracks that eventually lead cars to the ground. The enclosed templates make setup a breeze - within 15 minutes of opening the box, we were ready to play!

What could be better? Unfortunately, the 3M Command Strips can lose their "stickiness" pretty easily, and if they do, the entire track falls down - quickly. This problem is easily remedied, though, by simply purchasing additional strips at an office supply store.

Keep reading to see how long the tracks entertain youngsters and for more views of the toy.

The Office, "Turf War": Best Lines of the Night

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:55:21 PDT

In this week's episode of The Office, Robert California is hung over and trying to put together the events of the evening - namely, that he closed the Syracuse branch of Dunder-Mifflin while blacked out. And of course, Andy is still being awkward and hanging out around the office, hoping that it's all just been a bad dream. I was happy to see Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur!) from True Blood make an appearance as the Syracuse branch manager who is upset that Scranton is stealing his clients.

We learn that Nellie has been having a hard time and actually has a heart; when Pam warms up to her, she's elated. Andy scores a big deal under the alias Big Red Paper Company to get his job back, but when Robert doesn't bite, he heads over to our old friend David Wallace, who seems interested. While I was happy to see Andy get his groove back, to be honest, the high point of the episode is the cold open, where Jim sets up a thigh curl contest between Gabe and Dwight. There are a few funny lines that held things together, so to see my favorites, just keep reading.

Should There Be a War on Makeup For Little Girls?

BabyCenter — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:57:47 PDT

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about kids and makeup.

Hope Perlman survived the moment of mothering girls I dread. In her post for NY Times' Motherlode, she relays the day her 13-year-old daughter begged to be allowed to wear makeup to a party.

After much soul searching – Perlman occasionally wears makeup herself – and lecturing, she said yes. She describes her rationale here:

"I wanted her to fit in, because I know fitting in is what middle school is about. But what, exactly, was she starting to fit into? The role of the teenager tortured by her failure to live up to a magazine picture? I'd been that teenager, with a picture of a model taped to my bedroom mirror. It wasn't what I wanted for my child."

So she acquiesced. But not before letting her know exactly what she thought about the message, so aggressively delivered by a male-dominated advertising industry, that girls and women need to paint themselves, cover their skin with lotions and potions, to be beautiful and feminine.

"So that's how I allowed my daughter to start wearing makeup," Perlman says at the end of her essay, "I gave her permission - along with a large and cumbersome bag of guilt. The personal is political. Better remember that. Here's your mascara, honey. And your burden of awareness. Enjoy!"

I relate to Perlman’s story: When my daughter first sensed I had "issues" with makeup, she was about four years old. She asked me to get her a makeup kit, like the one her little friend Hanna got for being a flower girl, and I refused.

"Why not?" she pouted.

Instead of simply saying "because I said so," I treated her to a verbal tirade of stinging righteousness that came from an apparently conflicted place inside of me.

Keep reading for more of the story.

Danny Seo Celebrates Earth Day With a One Kings Lane Tastemaker Sale to Benefit Charity

Guest Writer — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

We're excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo.

Late last year, I had the privilege to sit down with one of the co-founders of One Kings Lane, Ali Pincus, and talk about our favorite places to shop, how I'm addicted to the home shopping site, and to talk about ways I could get involved with One Kings Lane. We came up with the idea for me to do a TasteMaker tag sale where I could collect some of my favorite vintage and antique items from my home and put them up for sale on the site. I agreed under one condition: if we could donate the proceeds to my favorite charity, Baby Buggy.

Baby Buggy, in case you aren't familiar, is the wonderful nonprofit founded by Jessica Seinfeld that has the motto "Love, Recycled." It's so appropriate because they accept lightly used baby gear, clothes, and new baby and children essentials to help families in the greatest need. They are a clearinghouse of sorts that works with a network of nonprofits who call Baby Buggy with a wish list of goods they desperately need. And like a fairy godmother, Baby Buggy always comes to the rescue. With the proceeds from this sale, Baby Buggy will be able to buy the most needed essentials to help families in need. In the spirit of Earth Day, selling vintage and antique items is green for Mother Earth since it's reusing what already exists; the sale proceeds will coincidentally help many mothers here on Earth.

In this special CasaSugar post, I'm excited to give you a sneak peek at three items for sale and the unique story behind them. I've traveled the world for work and always found time to visit out-of-the-way antique stores, flea markets, and galleries to search for beautiful things. I hope whoever buys these goodies will cherish them as much as I have over the years.

Indian ArrowHead Collection When I was filming my TV show "Simply Green with Danny Seo" (all episodes on Hulu now), I made a point to visit a small antique store in the sleepy town of Point Pleasent, PN. Down an alley and past a blacksmith shop (of all things!), I found a little antiques store that was going out of business. Rummaging through box after box, I came across a collection of mounted arrowheads, all hand mounted on colorful felt with a hand pounded metal backing in glossy black frames. What I loved about these pieces is that clearly someone had scavenged the woods of Pennsylvania for each arrowhead, cleaned them, and displayed them in a very beautiful and interesting pattern. I also love the pop of color in the background.

Keep reading to learn about two more special items from the sale

Happy National Pet Day! 13 Ways to Save Bucks on Fido

Emily Co — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:47:58 PDT

The cost of raising a dog is extremely high. In fact, if you look at rates to fly with your dog on airplanes, it's sometimes almost equivalent to what we humans are paying for a plane ticket. And it all adds up - you end up spending a never-ending amount of cash on toys, crates, flea medication, checkups, and the list goes on. However, many think the high costs of raising a dog are totally worth it. To reduce the costs of what you think is a necessary expense, here are some tips on saving money on your new dog:

Adopt a Doggie: If you're not too picky about the breeds, getting your dog from a shelter is cheaper than spending over a thousand for a purebred puppy from a breeder. Further, many of the pets have already been vaccinated and spayed or neutered, which will definitely save you money in vet bills.
Pick a Responsible Breeder: If you have your heart set on a pooch from a breeder, make sure you do your homework lest you end up with a sick dog from a puppy mill. Do research online to see what qualities a responsible breeder has, and go take a look at the dog and inspect the environment it's being raised in. Ask for references from sources like the breeder's vet, ask to see the dog's parents (if they are around) and quiz her on how she raises her dogs. Here are more questions to ask a prospective breeder.
Costco For Pets or Buy Online: Check to see if there is a warehouse superstore for pet supplies in your area. For example, Pet Club in the Bay Area gives great discounts if you buy in bulk - great for buying items in bulk such as urine pads, cleaning solvent, and poop bags. Another option is to see if you can find better deals online - Four Paws wee wee pads are available on Amazon at a 55 percent discount, so be sure to look around online for great bargains.
Neuter or Spay at the ASPCA: Spaying or neutering your dog can be extremely pricey. Check out your local ASPCA for cheaper prices on the surgery. To compare prices, I called a local vet that quoted me a hefty $800 for a small breed puppy, while the ASPCA in San Francisco quoted me $225. However, after asking around, my friend told me about an even better deal at another ASPCA, located a little further away in Oakland, CA, which charged $100 to spay/neuter. Be sure to check out the prices of the different clinics, even if they are under the same organization. The local Humane Society clinics were even cheaper so you might want to check out their prices as well. Lesson to learn: always shop around for pet health services.
Housebreak Your Dog: If you train your dog to "go" outside of your house, you don't have to waste money buying expensive pee pads and you'll be using less cleaning solvent for the messes that accidentally spill from the pad to the floor.

For more tips to saving on Fido, read after the jump.

Hunger Games Set Decorator Larry Dias Shares Stories and Decor Details From the Film

Elka Karl — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:17:42 PDT

Watching The Hunger Games at a press preview, both Angela and I were scrambling to jot down notes on the fantastic set design showcased in the film. Now, we have the answers to all of our set design questions. Set decorator for The Hunger Games Larry Dias was integral in making the film come to life, from the Appalachia-inspired homes seen in District 12 to the opulent palace of President Snow. Dias was nominated for an Oscar for his production design work on Inception, and he's worked on the set design for films including The Village, The Last Airbender, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Keep reading to find out more about the process of designing the look of The Hunger Games. CasaSugar: I read that much of the decor for District 12 was sourced from local antique shops in North Carolina. How were you inspired by these antiques, and how did the look for this district develop?
Larry Dias: When [production designer] Phil Messina discovered the North Carolina location that serves as District 12 in the film, it just made sense to utilize the local antiques sources. In the book, District 12 lies within what is formerly known as the Appalachians. It could not have been more perfect. We found a number of dealers that had an abundance of unfinished "as is" antiques with rotting wood, peeled finishes, broken drawers, and rusty hardware, and they were items from the region. It was a perfect fit.

CS: The train car seems to have an art deco feel. Was this an influence for the look? How did you decide on the color palette and wood choices? What items did you include that seemed particularly important for these scenes?
LD: Phil came up with the design of the train cars, and the palette was an early idea that we toyed with changing a number of times but we always went back to the blue. The velvet I used in the upholstery was from Dedar, and at first we were having some trouble having it fit within our time frame. It was milled in Belgium, if I remember correctly, and we tried numerous times to find a replacement close to our original choice and just could not find a suitable one, so we played the odds and got it at the last minute. I'm glad we did because it had such amazing depth and was a really regal-looking hue that ended up being the perfect complement/contrast to the muted blue dress that Judianna Makovsky had designed for Katniss.

Of course we compared our swatches, but I think it really told a story when she entered that train car. The wood tones were chosen by Phil. As my team and I were sourcing the furniture for the train it became apparent that we would need to do part antique and part reproduction mainly because of quantities and also because Katniss drives a knife into the dining table! A lot of deco furniture is veneered, and we found a lot of great pieces that had irreparable finish issues or pieces that were too diminutive in scale, so we ended up finding some good reproductions that we could get quantities of. Because it was really difficult to get the woods to work well together on pieces coming from all over the US, we had our lead scenic Rick Riggs and his amazing crew faux finish the furniture to tie it all together.

A funny thing is the barrel chairs that play prominently were pieces that my buyer Sara Gardner-Gail found online, and they were really inexpensive but had the perfect shape. I had the legs cut off and added a swivel platform base, had them painted and upholstered, and they looked like the finest antiques. One of the things about set decoration is that you have to be ready to improvise as well as accommodate change. Unlike the design of, say, a hotel lobby where everything has been drawn in will not change, a film set is quite the opposite. Once the actors, camera, and crew are in the set, furniture starts flying, literally.

First, just to accommodate the cast and crew, usually at least one half of the set will be cleared of furniture, then as the shots and camera angles are being set up, the director may decide he needs things to rearrange a bit to accommodate a scene. It can be a little improvisational so having a few extra chairs, lamps, or occasional pieces hanging around is a good thing.

Keep reading for more of our interview with Hunger Games set decorator Larry Dias!