Friday Flotsam

FREELEELEELEEFREE! (<–that means Friday in Bev speak)

Spring Tree

Okay. I’ll get into purple. ONLY FOR PRINCE though.

Can you believe this? I know everyone is mourning the news by listening to their favorite albums, favorite songs, watching their favorite videos, texting gifs like whoa. And I’m like, “REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS ON NEW GIRL TWO YEARS AGO?” That was such a good episode. Jess and Prince sat on the bench and visited like good old pals. Then Nick confessed his love. (for Jess, not Prince) But you can clearly see the effect Prince had on Jess and Nick’s love.

Speaking of, are you watching this season? (spoiler alert!) Can you believe she’s BACK WITH SAM? And then had that helmet dream about NICK? What is this, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN? (I felt like I needed to write that out for emphasis) I need to watch the latest episode, because things have probably totally changed.

Have they?

Don’t tell me!

Wait, TELL ME.

Feet at the City Hall in London

You know the part in the beginning of The Little Mermaid where they have the little sea concert, but Ariel misses it because she’s up at the surface causing riff raff with Flounder and Scuttle because she finds a dinglehopper and a snarfblatt?

Okay, and you know the part where Sebastian is conducting the sister mermaids as their shells open and they pop out in song::

“We are the daughters of Triton
Great father who loves us and named us well
Aquata (ha ha ha ha ha)
Adrina (ha ha ha ha ha)
Arista (ha ha ha)
Atina (ha ha ha)
Adela (ha ha ha)
Alana (ha ha ha)

Then there is the youngest in her musical debut
Our seventh little sister we’re presenting her to you
To sing a song Sebastian wrote
Her voice is like a bell
She’s our sister AAAARRIIIIIII……<GASP>!”

….Um, where exactly was that song even going? What NOTE did you even plan on landing on, SEBASTIAN? I’ve been going over different versions in my head, and I’m just not feeling it. Was it going to end on a major note? Something huge and majestic? I need to see his sheet music so I can feel settled about this.

(these are the things that plague me at night.)
(also, what the hay kind of name is AQUATA? Triton be loco.)
(where is the mom mermaid, by the way?)
(and why was Triton’s face old, but chest super muscular and slightly hot?)
(forget I said anything.)

Massive Fig Tree at the City Hall in London

You know what I would love to discover, or just personally design? Hip toddler nightgowns. Because when you google “nightgowns for toddlers” it is a buuuuunch of NONSENSE.

I don’t want anything with Frozen characters on in. No. Nothing bright pink with Barbie on it. Hail no. No frilly arm sleeves with sad lace. No no no. No weird layered Little-House-on-the-Prairie dresses either. Goodness no.

I want something cool, something simple in gorgeous neutral tones, something super soft and slightly fitted, yet loose. Something like Annie would wear. But in the orphanage! Something ORPHAN CHIC. (<–patent pending)

That’s it. I’m going to design it myself. I wish I could draw what I’m imagining and show you. I WOULD MAKE A KILLING.

And it would be the same look/design for little boys, only with legs instead of open. OMG I am seriously doing this!

Would you buy one?

Maybe don’t answer that.

Giant Tea Cup Poster in a London Flat

Also, I have a quick question! (not related to orphan clothing)

You know how people are adding those spaced-out dots in their Instagram posts? Like they’ll have a caption, and then under it, it will look like this:

.

.

.

.

What does that mean? What are those dots supposed to be standing for? What am I missing? OHHH THE KIDS THESE DAYS WITH THEIR INSTAGRAM DOTS. (<–said like Duane’s mom on Prairie Home Companion)

…but seriously, what do they mean? I’m old.

Natalie picking off too many Lilacs in our back yard

Weekend plans? Kicking it? Relaxing? Getting your Purple Rain on?

I have a super secret major project happening on Sunday, but I’ll be snapping some sneak peeks, so check that out if yo’ eyeballs be curious! Other than that, I’m going to return a bathing suit to Amazon (it was NOT high waisted), eat some raw tuna and mock up a toddler nightgown design and pretend that I know someone who could even make it for me.

Purple RAAAAIN, purple raaa-haaaaain.

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42 Responses to Friday Flotsam

  1. Amanda April 22, 2016 at 7:45 am #
    I 100% appreciate your Little Mermaid analysis. And I'd buy a nightgown, for what it's worth!
  2. Brittany | Words Like Honeycomb April 22, 2016 at 7:48 am #
    LOL. Please create these gowns before I have children...I will pre-order one of each so I am covered for either gender. And seriously...childs clothing actually sways me back and forth from what gender child I want...(not that I have an option) but...like the NASTY ugly clothing available is disturbing. LIke...lets just plaster our children so they are a walking advertisement for cartoons -_- #hates it . . . . I don't know about that either. Pretty sure it is so they can add their hundred hashtags and it not be directly under their post...butttt....we still see the hundred hashtags right after that so it doesn't make sense to me. . . . Sunday needs to get here because my eyeballs' IS SO CURIOUS
    • Emma P. April 22, 2016 at 11:45 am #
      Confirming this dot theory. It's a way to hide #allthehashtags.
  3. Victoria April 22, 2016 at 7:53 am #
    The dots! I need this explanation as well.
  4. Lindsay April 22, 2016 at 7:58 am #
    My first thought was about New Girl too! Also, check etsy for nightgowns, might be able to find something on there.
  5. Jen April 22, 2016 at 8:25 am #
    I've been wondering about those dots as well. But my kids just informed me I've been using one of the smiley face emojis all wrong so what do I know. My daughter also told me it should be illegal for me to be on snapchat because I'm too old for it. Hahahaha!!! It's super fun messing with teenagers. Have fun Sunday. Can't wait to see.
  6. Lydia April 22, 2016 at 8:29 am #
    love your site! read it every week! but... spoilers for new girl! AH! SAM?! WHAA?! I'm still on the episode where she brings him brownies and he kicks her out...warn us people who watch it online and haven't caught up yet so we can cover our eyes while singing La-la-la and scrolling down...that's how that would work right?
    • Bev Weidner April 22, 2016 at 8:37 am #
      OH NO! I'm so, so sorry! This was a few weeks back, so I figured I'm the last to catch up. The weird thing is, he puts his hands in the brownies, and the next scene is them together. I have no idea what changed his mind. I'll totally be better about spoilers!
      • Alexis April 22, 2016 at 11:32 am #
        Bev... I think you totally missed an episode!! There was an entire thing with a restraining order. In the end though, how could he deny those puppy eyes!? TRU LUV.
        • Bev Weidner April 22, 2016 at 12:12 pm #
          Ohhhh you know what! I saw that episode and totally forgot because I FELL ASLEEP. :) Watching now!
  7. sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog April 22, 2016 at 8:39 am #
    LOL I couldn't help to think about prince on New Girl too!! Probably one of my favourite episodes. And I don't like this whole going back to Sam thing ... ahhh, whats done is done .. .and that dude is done. Also, the little mermaid... I think Sebastian was just being a turkey by trying to call attention to the fact that Arial wasn't there!! Not cool, not cool at all.
  8. Natalia April 22, 2016 at 8:40 am #
    I'm 21, and honestly, the dots? NO IDEA. I'll ask someone younger I guess, pretending I know, and get back to you as soon as they answer (If they do) About the nightgowns, if this https://www.etsy.com/listing/226136691/toddler-nightgown-kids-nightgown-little?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=toddler+nightgown&ref=sc_gallery_6&plkey=2be54fb127e9fdb792d53c079bd79b1117bd54dd%3A226136691 is not orphan chic (r) then I'm just lost. HELP.
    • Bev Weidner April 22, 2016 at 9:25 am #
      It's close! But not as long, a little clingier, no decorative whatever at the bottom, and sleeveless. :)
      • Jenn April 23, 2016 at 12:31 am #
        Probably too warm for summer, but maybe for next Fall? https://www.simplymerino.com/mobile/home.asp#page-46. Mini Boden nightgowns are good fabric, but maybe too long & too patterned for your preferences. I actually don't mind this one: http://m.oldnavy.gap.com/product.html?dn=op112025002&dv=0&shopid=1&pdn=oc6297&outlet=false
      • Sarah M August 25, 2016 at 6:15 pm #
        Hi Bev! That's actually my nightgown listing on Etsy. If you're ever interested in ordering one that's a little simpler and more to what you're looking for, let me know! I take custom orders and I'd dig making a simpler version for your kiddo. :D
  9. Sarah Macon April 22, 2016 at 9:28 am #
    I had to come comment before i even finish the post. I just sang my way through the Little Mermaid song and I am crying laughing (& so happy) that you wrote that out. Also, when you get to the AAAARRRIII part do you still hear the gasp? I do. I wish you could add that in up there. Happy Friday.
    • Jenna April 27, 2016 at 4:12 pm #
      Oh lame, I just realised the Simply Merino link didn't actually post to the product (hate that!!!). It's in the kids section, the sleep dress. So orphan chic!
  10. Sarah Macon April 22, 2016 at 9:42 am #
    Also, sweet night gowns. My girls both have several. Not "orphan chic" but better than Dora. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=w_bl_sl_s_ap_web_7141123011?ie=UTF8&node=7141123011&field-brandtextbin=Laura+Dare
  11. Laura Jansen April 22, 2016 at 10:57 am #
    PLEASE MAKE THESE NIGHTGOWNS. AND BATHING SUITS FOR TODDLERS. Kthxbye.
  12. Alyssa April 22, 2016 at 10:57 am #
    Have you checked out Primary.com for kids/babies clothing? They're great, no characters, just simple clothes. I didn't see any actual Little House on the Prairie nightgowns but their clothes seem to be adorable and functioning. Might be just what you're looking for!
  13. Kim @ Adventures in a New(ish) City April 22, 2016 at 11:02 am #
    I just went down a black internet hole of googling "hipster toddler nightgowns," and I don't even have children....
  14. Lashley April 22, 2016 at 11:05 am #
    I imagine the sisters/Ariel hitting an operatic high note, but I can only half imagine it because the gasps are so fully engrained in my head. I think June and January is going to start making gowns! I think for tiny babes though. . . . . (Makes a [...] "to be continued" comment on Instagram, so hashtags are not AS obnoxious. Except when I try to do it for my biz page, insta compresses it to . . . . . and you can still see all the tags. So maybe I'm not an authority.)
  15. Lisa April 22, 2016 at 11:06 am #
    You seriously crack me up. I'm laughing out loud at my desk at work. THANK YOU!!!!!! You are hysterical!!! Bright spot in my day!
  16. Shalay April 22, 2016 at 11:08 am #
    Hahaha! You're my favorite! And the intention of the dots is so the IGer can add a bunch of hashtags without making their post look cluttered. It pushes the hashtags down far enough that you can't see them unless you click on the 'more' button. ;) Loving the idea of the nightgowns! :)
  17. Jill April 22, 2016 at 11:21 am #
    I had the SAME thought about Prince being on new girl! Loved that episode. I stopped watching this season after the 4th or so episode because I couldn't stand Megan Foxs character. Maybe I'll start watching again now that Jess is back. Also, little girl nightgowns are THE WORST. Why would anyone want to sleep with itchy lace on their Jammie's? And don't get me started on the stiff scratchy glitter that gets everywhere!! Please design some and I will definitely buy them!
  18. Savannah April 22, 2016 at 11:27 am #
    You add the dots when you don't want the info to show! You can hide a bunch of hashtags this way :) http://thealwaysblog.com
  19. Kelly April 22, 2016 at 11:41 am #
    okay you brought The Little Mermaid up so I'm going to assume you will not judge my knowledge (ahem, obsession) with it... have you ever seen Ariel's Beginning aka TLM 3? pirates attacked their cove and one of the daughters got caught in a net and the mom (Athena, btw) goes to save her and gets crushed by the ship. Hence the reason for Triton's hatred towards humans. TLM 2 is basically the opposite of the first one, Ariel's daughter growing up banned from the sea and wishing she was...wait for it...a mermaid! hehe what are the odds Disney? I've always imagined Ariel's shell opening up and her singing the end of her name with her sisters but in a more velvety sing song type way which segues into her own slower solo song...more in line with "part of your world" and everyone weeps bc she's just so darn talented. as for the old man abs, I got nothing ?
  20. Abby April 22, 2016 at 1:17 pm #
    THE NEW GIRL THANG WAS MY FIRST MENTAL RESPONSE TOO AND I FELT LIKE NO ONE ~UNDERSTOOD~ ~ but now I am justified. Phew. Thank you. Still listen to "don't you want to fall in love tonight" semi-religiously.
  21. Ashley Rodriguez April 22, 2016 at 2:31 pm #
    Ummmm I miss you. Reading your words is sort of like hanging out with you and then totally not. But it's still fun. Enjoy the weekend and have fun with your super secret project!
  22. Heather April 22, 2016 at 4:07 pm #
    I personally don't understand sleeping without bottom coverage. But as a kid did sleep in my dad's t-shirts so it's similar I guess. Anyway, I love the idea of not awful, gag-worthy sleep wear. I was just looking for toddler pjs and- puke! So we're you thinking something like this? https://www.etsy.com/listing/186141157/sleeveless-cotton-nightgown-with-button?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sleeveless%20nightgown&ref=sr_gallery_24
  23. Christi April 22, 2016 at 9:47 pm #
    Loved the snapchat with your orphan chic idea. Garnet Hill kids has some stuff, but still perhaps a bit too bright for you.
  24. Emily @ Life on Food April 23, 2016 at 5:27 am #
    Yes the dots...why? why? and I would totally buy the nightgown. I got a Frozen one as a gift for our daughter and it was so gross! I couldn't even touch it.
  25. Angie April 24, 2016 at 3:20 pm #
    The dots are for hiding hashtags. You have to click on comments to actually see the hashtags that they have put when they add the dots. So just a way to mask that people are adding a million hashtags to a post.
  26. Ashley@blondegirlcravings April 25, 2016 at 2:05 pm #
    If you watch the second Little Mermaid you will see that the mother died when a ship ran into the rocks at sea. And I have kids, so its okay that I know that ;)
  27. Nada April 29, 2016 at 12:40 am #
    Like one of these? http://www.prettyprudent.com/2011/07/baby-kid/make-for-baby-25-free-dress-tutorials-for-babies-toddlers-2/ When my girls were little, I sewed sweet peasant type nightgowns for them out of light cottony materials. They are some of my favorite things to this day.
  28. Laurie May 3, 2016 at 3:59 pm #
    Hey - I came across this article on Huff Post. thought you might enjoy it. I watched the episode the other night on Netflix. (I think it is actually Season 3, Episode 14) It is kind of cool to know about the making of it. Isn’t This Funnier?’ New Girl Creator Liz Meriwether Recalls the Making of the Prince Episode By Liz Meriwether 29.7kShares Share29.6kTweet0Share21Email30Print Photo: FOX On December 4, 2013, I was sitting around a conference table on the Fox lot getting notes on the table draft of New Girl episode 315 — an episode that we had been working on almost nonstop for a month, an episode that would star, unbelievably, Prince. Someone handed me some dumplings — at least I think they were dumplings; listen, in all honesty, they may have been some kind of Asian-fusion buns. I picked one up, took a bite, and then saw my phone ringing with a number I didn’t recognize, from Minnesota. I answered it, mid-dumpling. “Hew-wo?” “Hello, I have Prince for you.” I stood up suddenly, like a guest at a wedding seeing the bride appear. I banged my knee. I dropped the dumpling. I made insane gestures to the people around me. I ran outside. “Hello, this is Prince.” His voice was … I don’t need to tell you what his voice was like. Soft. Strong. A whisper that sounded like it was booming out over a loudspeaker. He spoke, and the street I was standing on opened up. It’s possible I was having a full-on panic attack. I don’t know what I said. I talked just to talk, like some sweet kid in a war movie who was about to get blown up on the battlefield (“I can’t feel my legs, Sarge, am I okay? Tell Ma I love her.”). I said things like “it’s an honor” and “huge fan” because it seemed like the kind of thing I was supposed to say. But I knew, all the way in Minnesota, Prince could tell he was speaking to a person who had, moments ago, spit a dumpling out of her mouth. The truth is, I had no idea why Prince had agreed to guest-star on New Girl. I was told he loved the show, that it was one of the few shows he watched. How could that be true? We weren’t cool enough for Prince — we did an entire episode about someone leaving a wet towel in the bathroom. A very real part of me felt that this was a prank some mean girls from middle school had spent 15 years concocting. I had also been told that Prince was known to back out of things at the last moment if he was unhappy. My interactions until this call had been with a manager, though I could sometimes tell what was coming directly from Prince in forwarded emails because of the way he spelled words: Letters were mostly capitalized. Numbers replaced letters whenever possible. 2Day. 2Morrow. An email from Prince was like a message that had been beamed down from a party in space by a robot whose job it was to communicate during all space parties. We had originally approached Prince in season two for a cameo in an episode called “Virgins.” He said no. Obviously, in hindsight: The episode was too racy. But we were told he would be interested in coming back to do something else another time. I thought that was just the polite bullshit of the casting world. (An actor didn’t hate the script; she just "did not respond to the material.") So when his manager reached out at the beginning of season three to ask if we were still interested in having Prince on the show, I was shocked. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. That year, Fox had asked us to air an episode after the Super Bowl. It had to be the one. It had to be Prince. I met his manager and pitched the idea: The characters were going to end up at a party at Prince’s house, and with Prince’s help Nick and Jess would finally say “I love you” to each other. It was a big moment for our show. Prince liked the idea that he would be the one to get Jess to tell Nick how she felt about him. He referenced Silver Streak and Hitch. Two of our writers, Rob Rosell and Dave Feeney, wrote a very funny, wonderful script, and he signed on. He told us he wanted the party on the show to be as close as possible to what parties at his house were really like. I couldn’t believe this was happening. So now, finally, I was actually speaking to him on the phone. When I paused long enough to take a breath, he started talking. He wasn’t happy. The script had changed from the script he had read. He apologized but said he was going to have to back out. The street I was standing on opened up again. We were scheduled to start shooting in four days. We had booked the house for the party, the sets were being built, it was going to be the most expensive episode we had ever done, and I think I’d been awake for 20 of the last 24 hours. I knew exactly what had happened: The network had asked us to end the episode at the loft, the home base of the show, instead of at Prince’s house, and I had changed the story to have Nick and Jess say “I love you” back in their bathroom, away from Prince and his influence. It was a dumb call — the kind of call that you convince yourself is right in the echo chamber of the writers room, after multiple rounds of notes and very little sleep. At that moment, talking to Prince, it was obvious: He had to be the catalyst of Jess’s emotional breakthrough. That was the reason for the episode. That was the good stuff, and I had taken that away. I can’t tell you exactly what I said, but I must have sounded desperate. “Can you give me until the end of the day? I’ll revise the script and send it to you.” There was a pause. “Okay. The end of the day.” It was probably 3 p.m. I started running. I’m not just saying that. I was sprinting across the lot. I didn’t stop until there was a computer in my hands. By 9 p.m., he was back in. I still don’t know why he gave me another chance. Right before we were about to shoot him performing his new song in the episode, as he toured the set in his black shoes that lit up with a pink light when he walked, he asked my producer Erin O’Malley for a megaphone. People were called. A megaphone was found. Later, when the cameras were rolling, I stood in the back of the set and watched the song start. Right before the first notes, he pulled out the megaphone and called out: “Does anyone want to fall in love tonight?” Everyone cheered. We hadn’t asked them to. It was just a feeling. You just had to shout out. The megaphone made the song suddenly feel like a movement, like a political rally, like we were all standing there together that night in support of falling in love. It was brilliant. We shot nights for a week in this enormous house an hour outside of Los Angeles, which meant working from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., when everything starts to feel like a dream. I was incredibly shy around him, convinced that I would say the wrong thing and make him leave. But once I got over the initial terror of speaking to him, I realized we were just two people who were both obsessed with making the episode good. He wanted to choose the name of the non-speaking chef character, the chef’s wardrobe, the paintings on the walls, the linens in the bedroom set, his wardrobe, Zooey’s wardrobe, the music, the pancakes, the hairstyles ... he had a piece of art, a poem written out in the shape of an egg, flown from Minnesota to hang on the wall of the set. His vision of the episode was all-encompassing, but I never felt overpowered. He always asked what I thought. It was like he was asking me to rise up to meet him. At 3 a.m., in the middle of the week, I was holding on to a cup of coffee for dear life when someone elbowed me. “Hey, I think Prince wants you.” I looked up. Prince was standing on the balcony, beckoning to me. I put the coffee down and prepared for the worst. I must have done something wrong. It was all over. I walked up the stairs and followed him into a bathroom. He turned out the lights. For a moment, I was standing in a small, dark bathroom alone with Prince. Then he flicked a lighter on underneath his chin. “Isn’t this funnier?” I realized he was acting out the scene we were about to shoot. As scripted, Zooey was in a dark closet, and Prince surprises her by turning on a flashlight under his chin. Prince thought a lighter would be funnier. It was, and it would be beautiful on-camera. I started laughing. He smiled. I tried to stay cool. “Yeah, that’s funnier. Let’s do that.” As if there were ever a world where doing exactly what was inside Prince’s head wasn’t one of the greatest privileges of my life. We were still standing in the dark with only a lighter between us. I think he kept the light on for my benefit, because nothing could have ever stopped Prince from being able to see in the dark. He made his own light. I didn’t know Prince personally. Ultimately, I only worked with him for a couple of weeks in December three years ago. But I will remember that time for the rest of my life, not because of his celebrity — I mean, a little bit because of that, sure — but because I got to observe the way he worked. I got to observe the rigor and the care that he put into every detail, every word, every moment. We’ve all seen The Voice or American Idol — we’ve all bought into the myth, at some level, that a great voice and a little bit of luck can make someone a pop star. After a week with Prince, I realized how ridiculous that is. He was an artist down to the bone. It’s not enough to have extraordinary vision; you have to know how to turn that vision into something that exists in the very flawed, complicated world of human beings and money and phone calls. To do that is an endless battle, especially if what you see in your head is unimaginable to other people. Obviously he could see things and hear things that no one else could, but what amazed me was his ability to defend and cultivate that vision until it became real in everyone else’s heads, until we could all see it too. During my worst moments as a writer, I have the feeling of "flying blind." These are the times when I feel I’ve lost the sense of what I want, when my internal compass is spinning, when I close my eyes and I have no vision. It was clear, in those few weeks that we made something together, that Prince rarely, if ever, lost his vision. That wasn’t because he was a magical, otherworldly being; it was because he was rigorous, and generous, and he knew how to fight for what he wanted. It was a beautiful, constant fight. It was love.
  29. Laurie May 3, 2016 at 4:02 pm #
    BTW, My friend can sew anything. She used to make the American Girl outfits. They were identical to the authentic ones!
  30. stephanie May 10, 2016 at 9:27 pm #
    shopplainjane.com for nightgowns mama! xoxo
  31. Amanda Luv AJ December 11, 2016 at 10:56 pm #
    Was lucky enough to come across your post and love it! Also, I just learned too that the dots are to hide hashtags :) Looks like others have commented too and advised this. Beautiful pictures XOX)
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    I told my grandmother how you helped. She said, "bake them a cake!"
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