Eclectic Ladyland

No recipes or outfits today, but I feel compelled to share some awesome flotsam and jetsam I received from two of my favorite ladies, Lady Z and Professor Tango. Both have been going on exciting international travels, and both sent me magical presents.

The first package contained two books Lady Z picked up in London, complete with instructions that Laine and I use them to further the "ladification of the New World." Here they are:


Recipes for High Class Cookery is a pretty comprehensive guide to Edwardian cuisine. About half of these things sound delicious, and about half of them sound hilariously difficult and possibly inedible. In any case, it's now required reading for our cooking staff, and I have full faith in their ability to recognize what is #Lady and what is not. In any case, the styling on this book is gorgeous, and the contents are totally fascinating.

If you know me at all, you know how much I love my thesis topic (fallout shelters); therefore, it should be no surprise that Advising the Householder on Protection against Nuclear Attack has got me pretty excited. It's a little hardcover version of a 1963 British civil defense pamphlet, which was formerly known as Protect and Survive. Protect and Survive was also translated into a twenty-episode series of short films, which in turn spawned countless parodies and critiques.

Here, for example, is what the Dubliners had to say:

The other package I got was from Professor Tango, who has been teaching elementary school in Korea since last fall. I wish my job resulted in photographs like this one:

#latfh...OH WAIT NO, THAT'S ADORABLE.

Anyway, the Professor proposed before she left that if people would send her English books, she would send awesome ephemera and treats. I started by sending her Slouching Towards Bethlehem and A Good Man is Hard to Find. In exchange, she sent me an amazing haul of insanity from Seoul and from her trip to Tokyo.

For starters, there's this CD case:

And if you think the front is great, take a look at the back:

She captioned this one "GIRL U KNOW IT'S TRU."

She also sent me this banner from a Buddhist temple:

If any of you know Korean, and can tell me what this says (or at least that I've got it oriented correctly), I would be truly appreciative.

Next, there's the candy:

Ohhhh, the candy.

It's true that the little man in the suit with the sword is delightful, and it's true that these look delicious, and it's true that I am impressed that this bag is resealable. NOTHING, however, is truer than Laine's statement that one should never eat what one cannot identify. All signs (except the Japanese, which I cannot vouch for, nor can I find on the internets) point to this stuff being wonderful. My mouth, which is still in shock from the intense bitterness of these candies, begs to differ.

Then there was this:

Sorry for the iPhone-quality photos.
The important thing here is that you know that this appears to be LADY-flavored.

The gum itself was a surprising color:

It tasted more or less like a mixture of saccharine and
roses, which I guess is characteristic of some ladies.

AND NO LESS UNSETTLING.
This requires a palate cleanser:

Much better.

The funniest and safest of the candies was this:

So, you know, I would recommend getting Crunky.

And last, but certainly not least, postcards and stickers!

Tokyo Cat is from Tokyo!

And Seoul is full of Power Rangers.

This is confusing, but as good a time as any to think about that part
at the end of Waiting for Guffman where Corky St. Clair says "OW ARE OU?!"

Now THAT'S a bookmark.

And best of all, this giant decal:

Again, sorry for the photo quality.
From left to right, top to bottom: Wonder Woman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman (?), The Rockford Files (?), Charlie's Angels, CHiPs, Fred Savage, Airwolf, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, MacGyver, V, The Facts of Life (?), V, Knight Rider (?), The Incredible Hulk, V, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider(?)

This concludes today's jaunt through Eclectic Ladyland. Thanks for the awesome stuff!