Peaky Blinders

It's no secret than I'm an anglophile, a Netflix junkie, and a sucker for cheekbones. So without further ado, here's the second installment in my "Only One I Wanna Talk About" series:

Image from IMDb.com

This series has been on my Netflix watch list for quite some time, but I was too scared to try something new. Boy, was I missing out. The description reads: 

A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world. (Netflix)

And if razor blades sewn into their caps doesn't sell you on it, Cillian Murphy's cheekbones will. So let me tell you what I like about it in the best way I know how, a list.

Birmingham, England 1919

A major city in the Midlands of England whose citizens (demonym: Brummies) have a distinctly working-class accent and, apparently, a gang problem. It's an interesting time in a part of the world you don't often think about, and it's more diverse than you'd expect. In addition to the Britons, there are Gypsy, Chinese, Irish, and Italian families in play, and that's just in the first episode.

Gang Drama

Not my usual genre; I guess I was just waiting for the right one to come along, and this is it. It's a lot to take in (the word 'convoluted' comes to mind), and sometimes I have to watch a scene twice before moving on, but it's still very captivating. Also, in the beginning of the second episode, you get your first good look at why they sew razors into their hats which is a beautiful, violent, bloody mess...you know, if you're into that kind of thing.

Cillian Murphy / Tommy Shelby

I'm not going to pretend that Cillian Murphy's face wasn't a major reason I finally decided to watch this show. And his talent lives up to his looks. His character Tommy Shelby is the second brother, but plays first fiddle when it comes to running the family business, aided by his aunt who took care of business while he was earning medals in France during the First World War. He's complex, cool, and unexpectedly compassionate. Murphy's portrayal is irresistibly compelling, and damn, can that man wear a three-piece suit.

Helen McCrory / Aunt Polly

You may recognize Helen McCrory from, among other things, the Harry Potter films in which she played Narcissa Malfoy. Her Peaky Blinders character, Aunt Polly, is not all that different from Mrs Malfoy: she's really just looking out for her family despite the shady business they've gotten themselves into. She has a hardened sense of morality, but is the voice of reason the Shelby boys really should listen to, but rarely do.

Production Quality

The cinematography is creative, but not too much so. The costumes and set design are beautiful, but I've no idea how historically accurate they are (and frankly I don't care). It's all just very pleasing to the eye.

The Music

All the historical family gang drama is set to a soundtrack of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, and Jack White. I didn't recognize it until several episodes in, but it adds a familiar layer to a story that seems so foreign. 

So there you have it, my latest (unexpected) obsession. Even if it's not your taste, I hope you'll give Peaky Blinders a watch and let me know what you think. I've finished both season currently on Netflix, and I'm on the edge of my seat about what will happen in season 3, whenever that may be.

What's your latest netflix obsession? Seriously though, I'm looking for something to fill the time before season 3.

KB

The Only One I Wanna Talk About

I was about to name this post "I'm Crazy About," and make it into a series. I'm still going to make it into a series (we'll see), but I decided on a different name based on the subject that inspired the original idea. So without further ado, here's the only thing I want to talk about right now:

Go ahead, watch it fullscreen.

I've followed Mika for years, ever since my friend Alexandra introduced me to his music in high school. It's like indie pop music. The music itself is upbeat and catchy, but the lyrics are just a little more insightful and poetic than I find most pop music to be. In addition to his musical style, his body language, voice, and investment in performance set him apart. Basically, he's quirky and I like it. 

So when he released this video last week, I was very excited, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The whole video: music, lyrics, dancers, choreography, set design, costumes, and Mika himself, are somehow even more Mika than he's ever been before. My words cannot do it justice. I'm going to have this video on repeat for at least another week.

What have you been crazy about lately? What's the only thing you wanna talk about?

KB

PS: Mika's new album No Place in Heaven comes out June 15, and I can't wait!

Trying to Stay Busy

The other day at work I overheard a patient ask another patient (who was a buddy of his), what he'd been up to and his response was: "just trying to stay busy." I've heard similar exchanges many times in my life. It made me a little sad at first to think that so many people are staying busy with no intention other than being busy. I thought they were scared to be bored or they thought they were supposed to always be working. 

Then today I was forced to reevaluate those impressions. See, I don't have to go to work on Tuesdays (yay!), so I was running some errands this morning, and when I returned home, I noticed how empty the driveways in my neighborhood were because everyone is at work. I felt like I should be doing something too, like I should be busy. But I truly enjoy having a day to veg out and watch Netflix and read. I was holding two contradicting ideas in my head and I needed to sort them out. 

[Hold on, because I'm about to get deep.]

I think what it boils down to is having something to show for your life. When you're busy and doing things, you're hoping to have some kind of impact on your surroundings and the people you come in contact with. You're proactive. When you're relaxing (or vegging out), you're letting your surroundings and the people you come in contact with impact or influence you. You're reactive. So when you're greeted by whatever being in whatever afterlife there may be you can point to your life and say, "look I made these positive changes, helped these people, and had these great experiences!" You're trying to give meaning to your life.

I bet you have a few questions at this point, so I'm going to address a couple things I think you might want to ask:

How can Netflix/tv be a positive experience? People put a lot of time and energy into the shows, movies, and documentaries we watch. For the most part, they're trying to explore human nature and life itself (yes, even things like Monty Python), which is what art is for. It's people attempting to make sense of their experiences. 

What are these "surroundings" you speak of? Your home, your town, the internet, television, another town, another country, another continent. Wherever you are or go or want to be. Your friends, your enemies, clients, coworkers, bosses, family, your pets, your plants. Anyone whose existence you become conscious of for any reason. These things and people are all given the opportunity to influence your life, but you're given the opportunity to decide what kind of influence it'll be. Likewise you too will influence all these people and things, and you get to decide how you want to do so.

It's important to find a balance between being proactive and being reactive to life, and the contrast is what makes the human experience unique. 

So back to those patients at work the other day. There's no way I can know that he's staying busy in order to be a positive influence in others lives or for other reasons, but I have faith that he knows how to take time off to relax and enjoy himself.

xoxo
KB

Kingsman: The Secret Service

It's no secret I've got a thing for a nice dress sense and a posh English accent (let's just say it: Colin Firth), so naturally you'd expect I was drawn to see Kingsman, however this wasn't the case initially. No particular reason why. But so many gifs and photos on tumblr finally convinced me. So I made the decision to see a matinee all alone (treat yo'self), and it was probably the best decision I made all week. I LOVED this movie.

Warning: this post contains spoilers.

Like. Damn.

It was not entirely what I expected, but in the best way. I vaguely knew going into it that it was based on a comic book, though I didn't make any effort to read said comic book. Actually, there were times when I had to remind myself it was based on a comic. Gratuitous violence and larger-than-life characters? Check. Super cool spy technology? Big check. It's the spy movie that doesn't take itself too seriously (see: Colin Firth as kick-ass spy). What I mean by that is it's got the big spy movie plot (clearly defined battle between good and evil, training montage, a double agent-sort of), but it's the little details that make it really special (special in my opinion). For example: 

-The Kingsman codenames all refer to Arthurian lore (Merlin, Galahad, Lancelot).
-Eggsy is openly affectionate to his baby sister.
-Eggsy's mother forgives herself for trying to hurt the baby. 
-The comment Harry makes about public technology catching up with spy tech.

Early on Eggsy's (Taron Egerton) character is clearly outlined: he's had a rough upbringing in South London, but he's intelligent, he loves and wants to protect his mother and baby sister, and he's loyal to his friends. All these traits are consistent and evident throughout the movie without creating a flat character. He's very likable and damn handsome.

Although the secret service known as Kingsman is a gentlemen's organization, women are not completely excluded. Baby steps. Eggsy and a female operative form a bond quite quickly which only grows deeper as the plot progresses. The filmmakers could easily have developed this into a romantic bond, but the fact that they didn't seems to be widely appreciated. (I'm not going to pretend they wouldn't have made an attractive power couple though.)

There were definitely parts I didn't like though, but it's because the nasty characters were so well-written and well-acted, not because of plot issues. Selfish, mean villains and comic book level violence aren't really my cup of tea, but they certainly served the story. Although, Samuel L. Jackson's lisp was downright distracting.

Like I said, the major plot was a bit generic (but not entirely), and didn't interest me as much as the characters and sub-plots and details. They're what really moved the story along and kept me interested. The mentor-mentee relationship between Harry and Eggsy was simply beautiful. I wish we could have seen more of it.

One of the coolest things about this movie is the bespoke collection of men's clothing, shoes, and accessories by MR PORTER created from the costume design of the movie. Those Black Watch trousers? I don't care that they're made for men, I'd have them tailored for me. And the little Kingsman logo on back of the cufflinks and pocket squares? So simple, so understated, so perfect. 

Kingsman: The Secret Service was an overall excellent movie experience, and there's a good chance I'll be treating myself to another trip to the cinema next week to see it again.

Did you see Kingsman? How did you like it? Did you read the comic book? What other good movies have you seen lately?

KB

What's in my bag? Jury duty edition

I just spent two weeks serving on a jury in a civil trial. That’s another story for another day (maybe), but what I'm willing to tell you is the contents of my purse during the two weeks. Nothing outside the ordinary, but there were different uses for some of my handbag staples.

My bag – kate spade new york, Kensington. I’m pretty sure it’s a discontinued design because I got it on markdown at Dillards about two weeks ago. So far I’m loving it, but I’m having trouble making it stand up when I have my planner and two books inside. I guess that’s just not what it’s made for.

A blanket scarf (similar) – v necessary. The courthouse was pretty cold, which was understandable with all the suits the lawyers wear and the robes the judges wear. I have a couple of these Gap scarves which I used more often as a blanket than as a scarf over these two weeks.

Clockwise (ish) starting with…

My planner – I take my planner most places, but now that I’m planning a baby shower for a close friend, it never leaves my side. This kate spade one is one of my favorite planners I’ve ever had, and I’ve been known to buy three planners for the same year.

My emergency kit – toothbrush, toothpaste, hairspray, contact solution, bandages, hair ties, emergency cash, and all those other things you don’t think you’ll need until you actually need them. And boy did I need them these two weeks.

My wallet – I just got this Fossil wallet last week, so I haven’t fully formed an opinion on it. It’s pretty, slim, sturdy, and holds my things, so I’m currently satisfied.

Peppermint wrappers – on the first day of the trial, the stenographer brought us a bucket of soft peppermints, and it got refilled every day. Sometimes (read: most of the time) we (the jurors) ate them just to break up the monotony.

Ibuprofen – lawyers have a unique way of inducing headaches, so this was a necessity for several of us.

Water bottle – I usually use a reusable bottle, but the courthouse has rules about what kind of bottle you can bring in and none of mine complied.

Keys – standard

Books and headphones – we had a surprising amount of downtime (in the form of recesses) while exhibits were being moved around and other things happened that the jury was not needed for, and I spent most of that time reading. I made my way through The Hound of the Baskervilles, a Sherlock Holmes classic, and a quarter of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.

Pens – something I always carry with me, which is good because the pens they gave us to take notes with were slightly dried out.

Notebook – again, I’m planning a baby shower and with everything going on, if I don’t put a thought down on paper, it’s bound to get lost in all the trial information. This was also useful for brainstorming jury duty-related blog posts in my downtime.

Lip gloss – I don’t wear lip gloss most days, but when you’re sitting on an elevated platform in front of a lot of people, you may want to put in a little more effort (or maybe not).

The barrette – is a funny story. On my second or third day, I threw my hair up into this barrette without thinking about having to walk through the metal detector to enter the courthouse. Naturally I set off the detector, so they had to “wand” me. Later in the day I took my hair down and threw the barrette in my bag so I wouldn’t have to go through the same thing when I returned from lunch. I’ve since set off the metal detector about 5 times without having any metal on my person. Shows how reliable the machine is.

I must say I’m glad to have the experience under my belt. It was boring at times, and I had to miss two weeks of work, but I learned a lot about the legal system, about people in my community, and about myself. Not to mention, I’m exempt from jury duty for the next two years.

Have you ever had jury duty or any other tedious, extended commitment? What were your handbag necessities at the time?

KB

I Miss New York

I miss the hustle and bustle of the work day, but more than that I miss the wee hours of dawn when the streets are miraculously empty and the only people on the subway are construction workers. I miss seeing dogs on every sidewalk, especially when they're so exhausted they've just given up and lied down on the concrete forcing their owners to carry them home. I miss tall buildings full of offices and shops and restaurants and apartments, then when you think the whole world has become nothing but oppressive towering buildings and yellow cabs...Central Park in her multi-faceted beauty. 

I miss swiping my metro card and knowing it can take me anywhere. I miss all the cultures represented by the way people dress, the languages they speak, or accents they're all too aware they have. I miss new connections and missed connections and knowing that another beautiful, amazing person (or a handsome finance boy) will be along in the blink of an eye. I long for my roommates, the bonds we formed, and the great times we had together. I'll admit, I even miss going on Tinder dates. It's such an exciting adventure to meet new people.

I miss being a block away from a 24-hour Duane Reade, but I really miss being only a mile away from my brother. 

I miss getting caught up in the latest trend. And being too cool to get caught up in the latest trend. I miss coffee shop hopping with my roommate, and buskers in the subway stations, and Union Square Park, and drunk brunch on weekends, and I miss New York. 

I knew I'd miss it, but that doesn't make it any easier. In fact it just makes me more eager to return. And I will return.

KB

PS: If you've been to New York, what do you miss most?

How to Play(suit)

I was opposed to rompers/playsuits/jumpsuits for the longest time, but then over time I changed my mind. I love wearing dresses. They’re so simple, like an outfit you don’t have to put together. When rompers became popular (again) a few years ago, I just didn’t see the point of wearing a silly romper when it could have been a dress, especially since the shorts-parts were usually as flow-y as a dress anyway. However I have since come around to them.

I like the ones that look a little more like a dress, of course, because I still get that feminine feeling associated with wearing a dress, but I don’t constantly have to worry about keep the hem in its place (dress hems can sometimes have a mind of their own), especially leaning or bending. For this reason, they’re also great for picnics or other situations in which you’ll be sitting on the ground. Along with rompers, I’ve also warmed up to their pants counterpart, the jumpsuit, which is a different beast. I can’t quite figure out exactly why I’ve had this change of heart, but I’m sure it has something to do with their ubiquity in the city, not to mention my NY roommate’s wardrobe (read: the extension of my wardrobe).

I do still have some beef with the whole thing, though. First of all, it’s hard to find playsuits and jumpsuits to fit me, because my body doesn’t conform to the “accepted standards of proportionality” clothing companies seem adhere to. Secondly, I’m not entirely comfortable with basically stripping down just to use the restroom, which makes trips to the ladies’ room take a little longer than they should, but this can be overcome by planning ahead. Thirdly, there are times when I just want to wear a dress gosh darnit. That one’s not so much an argument against rompers as a case for dresses.

I love this solid black drapey playsuit on Ally, because it can be worn casually or dressed up a little bit for work or going out for drinks.

Much thanks to this guy for looking out for us.

To me this playsuit is a lot more like the ones my aunts would have worn in the 70s. I really liked wearing it for the evening.

In conclusion, I think rompers/playsuits/jumpsuits are super fun and flirty and a great addition to your spring and summer wardrobe, but I won’t be giving up my dresses or chino shorts any time soon.

KB