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	<title>Manolo for the Big Girl &#187; Books</title>
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	<link>http://manolobig.com</link>
	<description>Fashion, Lifestyle, and Humor for the Plus Sized Woman.</description>
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		<title>Isn&#8217;t It Lovely When Dreams Come True?</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2012/01/07/isnt-it-lovely-when-dreams-come-true/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2012/01/07/isnt-it-lovely-when-dreams-come-true/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:22:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Twistie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=8495</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every twice in a while dreams really do come true. Remember way back in November when I wrote up a Christmas wish list? If not, I&#8217;ll give you a minute to go back and take another look. It&#8217;s okay. I&#8217;ll be right here. Got it? Good. Four of the five things on that list are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Funny-Cat7.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8496" title="Funny-Cat7" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Funny-Cat7.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="457" /></a></p>
<p>Every twice in a while dreams really do come true.</p>
<p>Remember way back in November when I wrote up a Christmas wish list? If not, I&#8217;ll give you a minute to <a href="http://manolobig.com/2011/11/25/dear-santa/">go back and take another look</a>. It&#8217;s okay. I&#8217;ll be right here.</p>
<p>Got it? Good.</p>
<p>Four of the five things on that list are still not within my grasp, but they will be one day. One of them, though&#8230;</p>
<p><span id="more-8495"></span><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/51RcUym7jBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8294" title="51RcUym7jBL._SL500_AA300_" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/51RcUym7jBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="396" /></a></p>
<p>Yes, Mr. Twistie got the hint and gave me the entire series of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pushing-Daisies-Complete-Seasons-Blu-ray/dp/B004TPJN3W/ref=sr_1_12?s=movies-tv&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1325951955&amp;sr=1-12">Pushing Daisies on Blu Ray</a>!</p>
<p>Soooo&#8230; I guess the party&#8217;s at Casa Twistie, all you fellow Pushing Daisies fans!</p>
<p>Of course, between one thing and another it took us until yesterday to actually set up the Blu Ray player we bought three months ago (don&#8217;t ask). But yesterday at long last I was able once again to follow the adventures of the Pie Maker and the Girl Called Chuck.</p>
<p>What could possibly make me happier?</p>
<p>Well, there is one thing. I may not have gotten that Jacques Pepin megatome I wanted, but I did get another amazing cookbook I wanted for Christmas:</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/356697e.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8497" title="356697e" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/356697e.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="447" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=356697">All About Roasting by Molly Stevens</a> is an in-depth look at the art of roasting as well as a fabulous compendium of tasty recipes to test out your new skills. I&#8217;m  learning lots of new exciting things about roasting food, which delights me. But even if you don&#8217;t sit down and read about the whys and wherefores, the recipes are so delicious the book would still be well worth the list price of $35.00. Of course, it doesn&#8217;t hurt that you can get it right now at Cooking.com for a mere $23.09.</p>
<p>Trust me, the recipe for the roasted fennel, red onion, and orange salad is worth the price of admission alone! How do I know? I made it last night for dinner. Mr. Twistie was a little unsure about eating roasted orange peel at first, but once he tasted it he yummed it up.</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t wait to try out more recipes!</p>
<p>So yesterday was a wonderful day. I got to try out my two favorite Christmas presents, and they both made me tremendously happy.</p>
<p>What does all this mean?</p>
<p>Clearly it means the party is at Casa Twistie!</p>
<p>What&#8217;s making you feel like the party&#8217;s at your place today?</p>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>You Asked For It: Miss Plumcake at Villa Plumcake</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/08/24/get-the-look-miss-plumcake-at-villa-plumcake/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/08/24/get-the-look-miss-plumcake-at-villa-plumcake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:24:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accessories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advanced Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How To Wear It]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration/Realization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plumcake's Closet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[You Asked For It]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Golly! When I updated the Manolo for the Big Girl facebook page (which I SWEAR I&#8217;m going to start using again. Scout&#8217;s honor) I had no idea I&#8217;d get so many messages about my outfit. Okay, it was more like four, but that&#8217;s four more than I expected and because I love to love you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Villa-Plumcake.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7629" title="Villa Plumcake" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Villa-Plumcake.jpg" alt="No that's not nipple action, I'm pretty sure I had my keys tucked into my bra. Klassy." width="325" height="433" /></a>Golly! When I updated the <a title="Are you a fan? You should be!" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Manolo-for-The-Big-Girl/376125913024">Manolo for the Big Girl facebook page </a>(which I SWEAR I&#8217;m going to start using again. Scout&#8217;s honor) I had no idea I&#8217;d get so many messages about my outfit.</p>
<p>Okay, it was more like four, but that&#8217;s four more than I expected and because I love to love you babies, I thought I&#8217;d do a little featurette for those wanting to reproduce the Miss Plumcake at Villa Plumcake look at home.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not shy by any stretch of the imagination, but I don&#8217;t often do this sort of thing. It comes across as a little self-indulgent, even for me.</p>
<p>Also, just in case you were wondering, that&#8217;s not weird nipple action, I&#8217;m just pretty sure I had my keys in my bra. That&#8217;s right <em>mijas</em>,  it&#8217;s all glamor at Villa Plumcake.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how to get the look:</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hat.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-7630" title="crushable hat from Scala" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hat.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="129" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BOY198/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=B003BOY198">HAT</a></strong> This is the exact hat in the photo, a crushable, abuseable, practically indestructible white fabric and wire sunhat.</p>
<p>I removed the ribbon and adjusted the brim into more of a portrait shape for maximum Joan Collins effect and wore it almost every day.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/clubmaster.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7631" title="Mother of pearl white Ray-Ban Clubmasters" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/clubmaster.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="116" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FB4RHQ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399377&#038;creativeASIN=B000FB4RHQ">>SUNGLASSES</a></strong> Admittedly this is a bit of Advanced Fashion as the non-ironic white sunglasses can be difficult to pull off, but I love my mother of pearl Clubmasters (I also have them in a caramel jasper treatment) and really, when one is wearing All White All The Time, darker shades just won&#8217;t do. The variations and pearlescence of the frame stop them from looking hipster and land them safely into 1930&#8242;s glamor.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/journal.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-7632" title="Invest now, it might go in a museum someday" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/journal.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IX6I9S/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=B003IX6I9S">JOURNAL</a></strong> My grandmother kept a record of her Grand Tour of Europe, jotted down in a neat little notebook of Moroccan red leather with the most over-the-top rococo gilt swirls embossed along the cover.</p>
<p>Determined to maintain the travelogue tradition, I picked up a small but sturdy handmade leather journal on my first trip across the pond and have used it exclusively for my travel memoirs ever since.</p>
<p>Though the actual journal in the photo is a simple one-off I bought for ₤20 at King&#8217;s Cross Station in London, this travel-ready notebook has the same feel.</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Pen.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7633" title="The pen is mightier than the sword, and easier to tuck in your bra" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Pen.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q208EE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399377&#038;creativeASIN=B001Q208EE">PEPPER PEN</a></strong> I never went anywhere alone without my pepper spray pen within easy reach, usually tucked into the neckline of my dress.</p>
<p>No one ever questioned why I always wrote with another pen.</p>
<p>It was a handy way to feel safe when I was walking around alone without openly insulting the locals.</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shrug.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-7634" title="white plus size bolero cardigan shrug" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/shrug.jpg" alt="" width="250" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.vonmaur.com/Product.aspx?ID=55471&amp;pg=1">BOLERO</a></strong> &#8211; I can&#8217;t remember where I picked up this Jessica Howard bolero cardigan, but I wish I&#8217;d bought a dozen of them.</p>
<p>The Pacific breeze can get a bit nippy and this, alternated with my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pashmina-Silk-Shawl/dp/B0010EP66I">wrap.</a> kept me nice and snug.</p>
<p>The dress is an inexpensive Mexican-style white cotton sundress with a surplice neck and crocheted lace detailing on the skirt I picked up for almost nothing at Ross and the bra is the original (now discontinued) Lace Plunge from Lane Bryant.</p>
<p>So there you have it: Miss Plumcake at Villa Plumcake.</p>
<p>Add your own oceanfront lovenest, hot Latin footballer, mezcal (no worm, thank you) and shake.<em> Olé!</em></p>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Nose Knows</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/07/10/the-nose-knows/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/07/10/the-nose-knows/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:59:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Twistie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7547</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I remember as a child holding earnest discussions with my fellow pre-adolescents about which sense it would be easiest &#8211; or hardest &#8211; to live without. It always seemed to me in those talks that the sense of smell got awfully short shrift from my fellow kids. In particular, I thought the ones who would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/keep-your-nose-out-of-my-business.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7548" title="keep-your-nose-out-of-my-business" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/keep-your-nose-out-of-my-business.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="391" /></a></p>
<p>I remember as a child holding earnest discussions with my fellow pre-adolescents about which sense it would be easiest &#8211; or hardest &#8211; to live without. It always seemed to me in those talks that the sense of smell got awfully short shrift from my fellow kids. In particular, I thought the ones who would give up smell before taste hadn&#8217;t really thought it through.</p>
<p>Then again, maybe I was the only ten-year-old in my neighborhood whose parents had taught her to cook by scent, giving me a visceral appreciation of how interconnected smell and taste are in the human condition.</p>
<p>Besides, my step-grandfather was blind and got along just fine. I&#8217;m not saying losing any sense would be a walk in the park or that I could lose my sight entirely without mourning it. I&#8217;m just saying, there&#8217;s more to scent than a lot of people seem to realize.</p>
<p>A few days ago, I found a book that reminded me of those late-night Girl Scout camp out and slumber (HA!) party talks. It&#8217;s a memoir entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Season-Taste-Sense-Smell-Found/dp/0061915319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1310309914&amp;sr=1-1">Season to Taste by Molly Birnbaum</a>.</p>
<p>You see, one day Molly Birnbaum was a recent college graduate working in Chef Tony Maws&#8217; Craigie Street Bistrot in Boston, gaining kitchen experience and saving up some cash before heading off to accept a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America&#8230; and the next a terrible accident while jogging left her in the hospital for weeks with a shredded knee, a pelvis broken in two places, and a head injury that caused her to become anosmic. Her sense of smell was gone, quite possibly forever.</p>
<p><span id="more-7547"></span></p>
<p>Season to Taste is the story of her recovery from the accident, and how she built a new life for herself when her plans were shattered in one, horrible moment. Along the way, we get the benefit of her research into the science of scent. We also learn some interesting trivia of the anosmic. For instance, Ben Cohen &#8211; co-founder of Ben&amp;Jerry&#8217;s Ice Cream &#8211; is anosmic. It&#8217;s because of him that Ben&amp;Jerry&#8217;s runs so heavily to chunks of things in the ice cream. You see, he may not taste the subtleties of the flavors due to his inability to smell them, but the chunks make eating the ice cream interesting texturally.</p>
<p>Birnbaum discusses the connections between scent and taste, and between scent and memory.</p>
<p>As I greedily drank in the text, I found something funny happening to me. I became hyper-aware of the scents around me. When I put the book down and went to take a walk around my neighborhood, I couldn&#8217;t stop smelling things: freshly cut grass, roses, the exhaust from the cars whizzing by, every aroma seemed more intense.</p>
<p>All of a sudden I stopped dead in my tracks. The house next to where I stood had all the windows thrown open and there wafted from within the most delicious scent of baking. It was something bready, with an intense ribbon of anise seed.</p>
<p>Not only could I taste the anise, in the blink of an eye I was eight again, and watching my father bake Christmas cookies. I could see his ever-present stick of licorice root in his mouth, his hands forming the dough with precision and strength. He was baking a batch of  springerle, dotted with anise seeds, as I knelt on the stool across the countertop from him. I could hear my childish self pleading for a fresh-from-the-oven cookie and hear my father gruffly tease me that I couldn&#8217;t have one because &#8216;we have to save them to throw them out!&#8217;</p>
<p>I think I could adjust to a world that is silent or sightless. It would be difficult, and I would mourn my loss. To never see a flower or hear Mr. Twistie sing again would be painful beyond expression. But to lose scent is to lose flavor and memory as well.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know about you, but I wouldn&#8217;t give those up willingly for anything.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/07/05/what-miss-plumcake-is-25/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/07/05/what-miss-plumcake-is-25/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:06:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What Miss Plumcake is]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7479</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Greetings my little firecrackers of love, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. I&#8217;ve never spent the Fourth of July outside the United States before&#8230;surprisingly it&#8217;s not QUITE as big a deal here. It reminded me of the time I was in Ireland doing one of those double decker bus tours of Dublin (we were [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Greetings my little firecrackers of love, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. I&#8217;ve never spent the Fourth of July outside the United States before&#8230;surprisingly it&#8217;s not QUITE as big a deal here. It reminded me of the time I was in Ireland doing one of those double decker bus tours of Dublin (we were tired, okay?) and the tour conductor seemed to take less than a warm and tender view re: the English Reformation I &#8211;as the World&#8217;s Most Glamorous Anglican &#8482;&#8211; know and love.</p>
<p>Anyway, it&#8217;s Tuesday which means it&#8217;s time to find out <strong>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is...for-the-week-of-July-5.jpg"><img src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is...for-the-week-of-July-5.jpg" alt="" title="What Miss Plumcake is...for the week of July 5" width="500" height="500" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7480" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-7479"></span><br />
<strong>Reading: </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140443347/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399377&#038;creativeASIN=0140443347">Letters from My Windmill</a> &#8211; Alphonse Daudet. I know I&#8217;ve mentioned this charming 1866 collection of short stories before, but I&#8217;m doing it again. It&#8217;s that perfect combination of sweet and melancholy you&#8217;d expect in a French pastoral, with just a little sharpness under the bucolic bliss.</p>
<p><strong>Watching:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VS6R26/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=B000VS6R26">Titanic</a> Titanic came out the winter of my freshman year in college and you couldn&#8217;t go anywhere or do anything without SOMEONE&#8217;S heart going on and on about this movie. Feeling a bit nostalgic this week for reasons I&#8217;ll mention in a second, I decided to watch this flick for the first time since it came out the theater Gorgeous hats, gorgeous costumes, gorgeous Kate Winslet, terrible, terrible script.</p>
<p><strong>Hearing:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000IONO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399377&#038;creativeASIN=B00000IONO">Looking Out the Fishbowl</a> by Eddie From Ohio. If my college years had a soundtrack, it would be Eddie from Ohio, a high energy folk outfit that&#8217;s half Ani DiFranco, half James Taylor and half some other things I can&#8217;t really think of now but maybe have something to do with Lyle Lovett. Looking Out The Fishbowl &#8211;incidentally the first piece of swag I ever got from my radio show&#8211; is all about newly discovered independence, pretty heady stuff for a girl who had just left home. It features a fantastic song called Fifth of July, about what happens after you&#8217;ve declared your independence. Good track and the inspiration for my whole late 90&#8242;s throwback week.</p>
<p><strong>Smelling:</strong> Axe Body Spray. Okay, hear me out. Remember, it&#8217;s throwback week. Before Axe came to the US it was extremely popular with the Dutch. Most importantly one very important Dutch boy, Miss Plumcake&#8217;s first true love. Now let me tell you, the boy loved his product, and the scent set forth by his six million styling gels was only enhanced by the liberal application of Axe&#8217;s now-discontinued &#8220;Inca.&#8221;</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know if it actually smelled good or I was just so roofied up on teenage love that I stockholmed myself into liking it, but when I pulled out my copy of Looking Out The Fishbowl I got a big whiff of his cologne and it sent me right back to the spring of 1998 when I was young, in love and probably very, very smelly.  </p>
<p><strong>Loving:</strong> That my first love turned into Uter from the Simpsons. While we&#8217;re ON the subject of that Dutch boy, I can tell you he dropkicked my heart against the treehouse wall something fierce. I was everything he wanted, except for too tall and too fat. HE on the other hand, looked like a taller, blonder version of Leo DiCaprio. I google stalked him a few months ago and discovered to my cloven-hooved glee that my teenage dreamboat has Not Aged Well and although I&#8217;m normally against schadenfreude of any kind, I&#8217;ll allow myself this one tiny scoop. Okay I&#8217;ll take two. They&#8217;re small.</p>
<p><strong>Hating:</strong> Reality Television. All of it. Except for that show about the alligator hunters. That one can stay. Seriously guys, I just don&#8217;t get it. How do you not feel stupid watching reality television? The one exception I&#8217;ll make is Swamp People, which I streamed on Netflix when I was in DC. Does that count as reality tv, or is it just a serialized documentary? More importantly, does anyone think that Troy Landry&#8217;s son looks like Kevin Spacey, except for, you know, not gay?  </p>
<p><strong>Wanting:</strong> Pink Grapefruit Mentos. Nowhere. Nowhere to be found. Why must the world be so cruel?</p>
<p><strong>Buying:</strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SX8AKQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=B000SX8AKQ">Very </a>by Pet Shop Boys. So the Dutch boy&#8217;s favorite band was Pet Shop Boys. He was like a one man version of &#8220;Gay or European?&#8221;<br />
<em><br />
So that&#8217;s all I&#8217;ve got this week, what about you? What&#8217;s currently making YOUR heart go on?</em></p>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/06/28/what-miss-plumcake-is-24/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/06/28/what-miss-plumcake-is-24/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7475</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Greetings my little rock and roll hoochie koos (ha, you&#8217;re welcome for THAT earworm) how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. Just living it up south of the border, which is technically north of where I actually live. Anyway, it&#8217;s Tuesday and time to find out What Miss Plumcake is&#8230; Reading: How to Be Good [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Greetings my little rock and roll hoochie koos (ha, you&#8217;re welcome for THAT earworm) how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. Just living it up south of the border, which is technically north of where I actually live. Anyway, it&#8217;s Tuesday  and time to find out<br />
<strong>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is...for-the-week-of-June-28.jpg"><img src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is...for-the-week-of-June-28.jpg" alt="" title="What Miss Plumcake is...for the week of June 28" width="500" height="500" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-7476" /></a><br />
<span id="more-7475"></span></p>
<p><strong>Reading:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Good-Nick-Hornby/dp/1573229326">How to Be Good by Nick Hornby</a> I can&#8217;t tell you much about this novel so far, but I&#8217;ve liked all the other Hornby stuff I&#8217;ve read. I&#8217;ll let you know when I finish it.</p>
<p><strong>Watching:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dumbo-Two-Disc-Anniversary-Blu-ray-Packaging/dp/B004YHRZLM">Dumbo</a> I&#8217;m not saying you have to like this movie, what with its racist birds and whatnot, I&#8217;m just saying if Baby Mine doesn&#8217;t make you cry every damn time you see it, you probably have no soul. </p>
<p><strong>Hearing:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/21-Adele/dp/B004EBT5CU">21 by Adele</a> I&#8217;m completely bummed because Adele had to cancel her recording of Austin City Limits. Boo and hiss. She&#8217;s one of the few actual talents making it big today, and she&#8217;s a gorgeous plus-size gal who is working that doe-eye liquid liner for all it&#8217;s worth. </p>
<p><strong>Smelling:</strong> <a href="http://www.barneys.com/Muscs-Koublai-Khan-Eau-de-Parfum/00505003386149,default,pd.html">Muscs Kublai Khan by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens</a> This is a, uh, divisive fragrance. Perfumistas would call this a &#8220;challenging&#8221; scent. Apparently it has been described as smelling of &#8220;horses, genitalia and horses&#8217; genitalia&#8221;  but on me it&#8217;s a lovely, earthy skin scent that smells exactly like my grandfather after a late night in the study, the combined bouquet of ancient wool cardigans, mad professor hair, sweat and Zest soap. It&#8217;s definitely animalic, none of this kinder, gentler &#8220;white musk&#8221; nonsense, but I spritz it on (just behind the knees, a little goes a long way) whenever I miss him.</p>
<p><strong>Loving:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nathans-Famous-Beef-Franks-Natural/dp/B003N8NE18">Nathan&#8217;s Hot Dogs</a> When I was in DC all I wanted was Mexican food. Now a hot dog makes me go insane. The best dog I&#8217;ve ever had was at Austin Land and Cattle where the owner whipped up a Nathan&#8217;s hotdog topped with (if I recall correctly) lobster, a soft scrambled egg, cilantro and rooster sauce. I&#8217;m not that fancy at home, and know the One True Way to serve a hot dog is with kraut, whole grain spicy mustard and dill relish.</p>
<p><strong>Hating:</strong> The fact I can&#8217;t get <a href="http://www.spiegel.com/shop/product_single.aspx?style_id=43546272&#038;s_int=SLI_Search">this Battenberg lace dress</a> in my size. If you can find a similar one in plus sizes help a sister out!</p>
<p><strong>Wanting:</strong> <a href="http://www.zappos.com/noir-jewelry-elephant-ring-pink">Pink Elephant Ring from Noir NYC</a> Which came first, Dumbo or the pink elephants? Either way, I want this on my finger with a quickness. Elephants are one of my favorite animals and what more charming way to say you enjoy the odd tipple or twelve than with a big pink elephant cocktail ring?</p>
<p><strong>Buying: </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/MAC-Eye-Shadow-Brule/dp/B0016Q28CK">MAC Brule eyeshadow</a>. One of the few products I&#8217;m never without, I use this under all my eye shadows as a base, particularly when I&#8217;m doing looks requiring a lot of blending. I&#8217;m  not sure how it works, but it makes the look last longer while also making it more easy to blend. Also, there are a lot of dupes out there but this is one where I will accept no substitute.<br />
<em><br />
Well that&#8217;s all for me, what&#8217;s been shaking YOUR maracas this week?</em></p>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/06/07/what-miss-plumcake-is-23/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/06/07/what-miss-plumcake-is-23/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello my chubby compadres, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. Just getting used to being back in Texas &#8211;by which I mean the face of the sun&#8211; after a glorious month of actual springlike weather in DC. Well, it&#8217;s Tuesday, so it&#8217;s time to find out What Miss Plumcake is&#8230; (now with sales code [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello my chubby compadres, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me, I&#8217;m great. Just getting used to being back in Texas &#8211;by which I mean the face of the sun&#8211; after a glorious month of actual springlike weather in DC. Well, it&#8217;s Tuesday, so it&#8217;s time to find out<br />
What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-for-the-week-of-June-7.jpg"><img src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-for-the-week-of-June-7.jpg" alt="" title="What Miss Plumcake is for the week of June 7" width="500"/></a><br />
(now with sales code AND a recipe!)<br />
<span id="more-7321"></span></p>
<p><strong>Reading</strong> &#8211; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140255834/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217153&#038;creative=399349&#038;creativeASIN=0140255834">Romancero Gitano by Frederico Garcia Lorca</a>. A beautiful collection of poems from Spain&#8217;s most famous modern poet. He described his 1928 work as &#8220;a carved altar piece of Andalusia with gypsies, horses, archangels, planets, its Jewish and Roman breezes, rivers, crimes, the everyday touch of the smuggler and the celestial note of the naked children of Córdoba. A book that hardly expresses visible Andalusia at all, but where the hidden Andalusia trembles.&#8221; Read it in Spanish if you can, but a reputedly excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374523525/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217153&#038;creative=399349&#038;creativeASIN=0374523525">bilingual collection of Lorca&#8217;s work is available here</a>. If you&#8217;re interested in this sort of thing, <a href="http://daliplanet.blogsome.com/category/lorca/">this is an interesting blog</a> outlining the relationship between Salvador Dali &#8211;who is responsible for the portrait of Garcia Lorca above&#8211; and the poet.</p>
<p><strong>Watching </strong>- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000059LGF/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217153&#038;creative=399701&#038;creativeASIN=B000059LGF">Evil Under the Sun</a>. How had I never seen this before? It is early 80&#8242;s (possibly unintentional) high camp in all its glory! Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith as bitchy aging chorus girls done good! Roddy McDowell at his screamingest queenie best! Jane Birkin! Hats! Turbans! Turbans UNDER hats with coordinating clip on earrings! Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot! Cole Porter soundtrack! I just about died.</p>
<p><strong>Hearing</strong> &#8211; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NB6MGG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217153&#038;creative=399701&#038;creativeASIN=B001NB6MGG">The Sweetest Thing by U2</a>. My favorite love song and is even nearer and dearer to my heart since going to Ireland. Say what you will about Bono, the boy knows how to apologize. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib2zq-ev7tc">Watch the video here</a>. From now on, I refuse to accept any apologies not accompanied by the cast of Riverdance, an elephant and mostly naked men stripping on a firetruck.</p>
<p><strong>Smelling </strong>- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N5QVOG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217153&#038;creative=399349&#038;creativeASIN=B000N5QVOG">Organix Tea Tree Mint Shampoo</a>. Do you want to smell like a Thin Mint? Of course you do. I&#8217;m no &#8216;poo except for the summer, but this sulfate-free stuff smells great and leaves my hair nice and healthy.</p>
<p><strong>Loving</strong> &#8211; Horchata. Horchata is a creamy refreshing summer drink served throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The Spanish version is made with tiger nuts, but since I wouldn&#8217;t know a tiger nut if I stepped on one (and trust me, I&#8217;m not about to do that), I make a version of the variety they serve most commonly in Mexico and South America, flavored with rice, almonds and cinnamon. I don&#8217;t have a precise recipe, but here&#8217;s the gist:</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Miss Plumcake&#8217;s Horchata:<br />
</strong><br />
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, with a few cinnamon sticks. Remove from heat and add a cup and a half or so of uncooked white rice (do not rinse), give it a good stir, cover it and let it sit at least 5 hours, ideally overnight. In the morning, give it a final stir and strain the rice water into a large pitcher, reserving one cup of liquid and dispose of rice (you could probably do something with the rice, but I don&#8217;t eat rice so I don&#8217;t know).</p>
<p>In a large microwavable measuring cup or small pot, combine one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk and reserved rice water, heating until it has the consistency of fresh milk, then add it to the pitcher of rice water. Add a few drops of natural almond extract if you&#8217;d like, then chill. Serve over lots of ice with a few toasted almond slivers if you have it. <em>Sabroso!</em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Hating </strong>- <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-2523302-4048741?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zappos.com%2Fproduct%2F7853997%2Fcolor%2F312369" target="_top">Flaccid Unnecessary Ruffles</a>. Seriously. What is with these things? It&#8217;s like every top I see is just dripping with random bits of fabric flotsam. It just looks sloppy and cheap and if I wanted to look sloppy and cheap believe me, I&#8217;d be doing it in a much more entertaining way than just wearing stupid ruffles.</p>
<p><strong>Wanting </strong>- All Espadrilles All The Time. My affection for the espadrille is well-documented, and especially now that I&#8217;m Fake Spanish, they&#8217;re pretty much all I want to wear this summer. The <a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2523302-4048741?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zappos.com%2Fcalvin-klein-emmah-platino-dusty-metallic" target="_top">Emmah from Calvin Klein</a> scratches my neutral-color, leg-lengthening high wedge itch (to be worn with shorts) and I&#8217;ve been wearing my wild Lacroix ones all spring, but really any &#8216;drilles will do.<br />
<strong><br />
Buying</strong> &#8211; <a href="http://www.onestopplus.com/clothing/Belted-Linen-Dress.aspx?PfId=238697&#038;DeptId=22831&#038;ProductTypeId=1&#038;PurchaseType=G&#038;pref=ps">Belted Linen Dress by La Redoute</a>. As I mentioned yesterday, I&#8217;m heading down Mexico way for a month for some hot Night of The Iguana action and I&#8217;m going to wear mostly white linen. Because when your house comes with a maid, you can wear white linen every day. This dress is easy and versatile, use the belt that comes with it, your favorite scarf, wear it as a dress or a tunic. Whatever. Available in white and navy, you can get it for cheap if you use code <strong>OSPCOUPON16</strong> to take 40% off your most expensive item.</p>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/05/17/what-miss-plumcake-is-22/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/05/17/what-miss-plumcake-is-22/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2011 17:17:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy Tuesday my little satellites of love, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me? I&#8217;m grand. The charm offensive I launched against the Mexican family who lives downstairs from my best friend (I&#8217;m staying with her while in Virginia) paid off a few days ago when they took pity on the poor displaced Texan and gave me [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Happy Tuesday my little <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3wXqyRQZnA">satellites of love</a>, how&#8217;s every little thing?</p>
<p>Me? I&#8217;m grand. The charm offensive I launched against the Mexican family who lives downstairs from my best friend (I&#8217;m staying with her while in Virginia) paid off a few days ago when they took pity on the poor displaced Texan and gave me a fajita fix. I&#8217;m now rationing out my slices of delicious delicious baby angel meat like cigarettes in jail.</p>
<p>Anyhoodle, it&#8217;s Tuesday which means it&#8217;s time to find out What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-for-the-week-of-May-16-2011.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-7254 alignnone" title="What Miss Plumcake is for the week of May 16 2011" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-for-the-week-of-May-16-2011.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;<br />
<span id="more-7253"></span></p>
<p><strong>Reading:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312553994/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399353&#038;creativeASIN=0312553994">Hellraisers: The Inebriated Life and Times of Richard Burton, Peter O&#8217;Toole, Richard Harris &amp; Oliver Reed</a> Exactly as good as you think it&#8217;d be, from the good old days when people really <em>committed</em> to drunken debauchery.</p>
<p><strong>Watching: </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005N8A9/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399349&#038;creativeASIN=B00005N8A9">Amores Perros (Love&#8217;s a Bitch)</a> This is not a happy film, but it&#8217;s beautiful, powerful and important. It&#8217;s pretty graphic but not gratuitously.</p>
<p><strong>Hearing:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANVP74/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399353&#038;creativeASIN=B000ANVP74">Voice from Alison Moyet</a> specifically Dido&#8217;s Lament. I have the import version so that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m linking to, but I&#8217;m pretty sure the tracklist is the same on the non-import edition, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Alison-Moyet/dp/B000ANVP74">available here</a>. Haunting.</p>
<p><strong>Smelling:</strong> <a href="http://www.cbihateperfume.com/in-the-library.html">In The Library by Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume</a>. I&#8217;m wearing the water perfume version which I bought as a decant from The Perfumed Court. I haven&#8217;t worn scent since I&#8217;ve been in Virginia, but I discovered a little vial of this in my bag and gave it a spritz for the sake of novelty. It&#8217;s supposed to evoke the scent of &#8211;you guessed it&#8211; an old library. It&#8217;s slightly more theoretical than literal, but if you or your fella loves the scent of old books and bindings, this might be right up your alley.</p>
<p><strong>Loving: </strong><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-1577526-4048741?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zappos.com%2Fbetsey-johnson-plus-size-double-layer-tricot-slip-w-front-tie-peach-daquiri" target="_top">This ridiculous/fabulous Betsy Johnson nightie</a>. It&#8217;s so Beach Blanket Bingo I could die. I don&#8217;t usually do camp, but how can I resist something practically ripped straight from Dawn Davenport&#8217;s closet (as played by Divine in John Water&#8217;s Female Trouble). Now all I need are cha cha heels!</p>
<p><strong>Hating: </strong><br />
<form method="get" action="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/interactive" target="_top">Avenue discontinuing my beloved high-waist seamless bike shorts Alert Reader Marjean sent me a note letting me know Avenue is sending the long-line ones the way of the dodo and I&#8217;m pretty sure these are getting axed as well. I will be weeping (and possibly chafing) in a corner for a moment. Please, just ignore me.</p>
<p><strong>Wanting:</strong> <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=293&#038;userID=131164&#038;productID=477581375" target="_blank">Kiyonna&#8217;s Desert Rain maxi/hostess dress</a> I gotta say, I love a hostess dress. Granted, I&#8217;m a million feet tall which helps if you&#8217;re going to wear something long and flowy as a big girl, but seriously: One piece dressing, you don&#8217;t have to shave your legs or wear heels and you still look glamorous. Also, it practically BEGS for a cocktail ring the size of a basset hound. Need I say more?</p>
<p><strong>Buying: </strong><a href="http://www.hulu.com/criterion">The Criterion Collection on Hulu</a>. I finally bit the bullet and signed up for Hulu Plus, where for $7.99 a month I&#8217;ve got access to a whole mess of stuff I don&#8217;t care about AND over 300 selections from the Criterion Collection with new films being added all the time. If you&#8217;re unfamiliar with the Criterion Collection, it&#8217;s an ever-growing library of artistically and historically important films, some hugely popular, some obscure but brilliant. For eight bucks a month I can scratch my French New Wave itch in the privacy of my own home (or wherever I have my laptop) and fill in gaps in my cinematic education whenever I want.</form>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/04/19/what-miss-plumcake-is-21/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/04/19/what-miss-plumcake-is-21/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:55:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://manolobig.com/?p=7141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello my little marshmallow peeps, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me? I&#8217;m fine. I got exactly zero sleep last night so I&#8217;ve got my flawlessly tailored crabby pants on, but it&#8217;s Tuesday which means it&#8217;s time to find out What Miss Plumcake is&#8230; Reading: No One Writes to the Colonel &#8211; Gabriel García Márquez My person-friend [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello my little marshmallow peeps, how&#8217;s every little thing? Me? I&#8217;m fine. I got exactly zero sleep last night so I&#8217;ve got my flawlessly tailored crabby pants on, but it&#8217;s Tuesday which means it&#8217;s time to find out<br />
<a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Miss-Plumcake-Is-April-19-2011.jpg"><img src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/What-Miss-Plumcake-Is-April-19-2011.jpg" alt="" title="What Miss Plumcake Is  April  19 2011" width="500" height="500" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7142" /></a></p>
<p>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;<br />
<span id="more-7141"></span><br />
Reading: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-One-Writes-Colonel-Perennial/dp/0060751576">No One Writes to the Colonel &#8211; Gabriel García Márquez</a> My person-friend and I decided to read this novella at the same time. Unfortunately, I had some lines crossed in my head so was confusing him with Garcia Lorca and was highly displeased when this wasn&#8217;t Neruda-esque. This isn&#8217;t a cheery little novella, but it&#8217;s beautifully written and translated and will stay with you for quite a while.</p>
<p>Watching: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mama-Tambien-Ana-L%C3%B3pez-Mercado/dp/B00005JL57">Y Tu Mamá También</a> I&#8217;m pretty sure I was at the North American premier of this back in 2001 and hadn&#8217;t seen it since, but I picked it up because I was feeling a bit down about being The Older Woman. Gosh this is a great flick. Sexy, poignant, heartbreaking and exquisitely shot. It reminds me a bit of the movie I wanted Bertolucci&#8217;s <em>The Dreamers</em> to be. </p>
<p>Hearing: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sketches-Of-Spain/dp/B00138H1RS">Sketches of Spain &#8211; Miles Davis</a> Even if I wasn&#8217;t spending most of my time trying to will myself to be from somewhere more exotic than Swansea, this is my all-time favorite summer album. Chill, sophisticated, sort of lazily hot&#8230;if you&#8217;ve never heard it you&#8217;ve got to check it out.</p>
<p>Smelling: Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection &#8211; Etat Libre d`Orange.  Named after the Spanish star, this is a big black-red rose with a huge dose of high-end patchouli. A nightmare on me, but worth trying if you like that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Loving: <a href="http://couture.zappos.com/n/p/dp/69525644/c/282726.html">Oak Baroque Heels &#8211; Alexander McQueen</a> It is a good damn thing I have never been able to cantilever my Flintstone feet into a single McQueen shoe because these leafy beauties would set me back a lot of lettuce.</p>
<p>Hating: <a href="http://www.bluefly.com/Lanvin-black-satin-cap-toe-high-top-sneakers/cat20022/310136301/detail.fly">Lanvin&#8217;s $500 Chucks</a> Seriously? Seriously you&#8217;re going to make a pair of fabric Converse knock offs and sell them for $500? I&#8217;m trying not to even DWELL on the fact that it&#8217;s possible my cuddly little Alber Elbaz signed off on this. I&#8217;d expect this from Marc Jacobs, but Lanvin? For shame! </p>
<p>Wanting: <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2229998&#038;productId=xlsImpprod3220069">Real Techniques by Sam Chapman Brush Set</a> Okay, these things are harder to get than cigarettes in jail and I want &#8216;em. If you have a way to get me that eyeliner brush you just let me know and I&#8217;ll reward you bountifully.</p>
<p>Buying: <a href="http://www.avenue.com/clothing/Belted-Mini-Ottoman-Dress.aspx?PfId=208732&#038;DeptId=19952&#038;ProductTypeId=1">Avenue&#8217;s Belted Mini-Ottoman Dress</a> I haven&#8217;t actually made up my mind on this one. It looks great in the photo &#8211;though the necklace obscures the neckline&#8211; but the fabric is kind of&#8230;weird. I haven&#8217;t decided if it&#8217;s bad weird or just different weird. Time will tell.</p>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake Is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/04/05/what-miss-plumcake-is-19/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/04/05/what-miss-plumcake-is-19/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Reading: Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving. If Ichabod Crane is all you know of Washington Irving, you&#8217;re missing out. Somewhere between the Arabian Nights and a travelogue, this is a fantastic and entirely-too-neglected classic. Plus you can read a chapter or so a night, so it&#8217;s handy to have by the bed. Watching: [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/what-miss-plumcake-is-April-5.jpg"><img src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/what-miss-plumcake-is-April-5.jpg" alt="" title="what miss plumcake is April 5" width="500" height="500" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7074" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Reading:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X82F22/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B003X82F22">Tales of the Alhambra</a> by Washington Irving. If Ichabod Crane is all you know of Washington Irving, you&#8217;re missing out. Somewhere between the Arabian Nights and a travelogue, this is a fantastic and entirely-too-neglected classic. Plus you can read a chapter or so a night, so it&#8217;s handy to have by the bed.</p>
<p><strong>Watching:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Juliet-Spirits-Collection-Giulietta-Masina/dp/B00005V6N6">Juliet of the Spirits</a>. Fellini at his trippiest, it&#8217;s not merely a surreal masterpiece from my very favorite director &#8211;some would say the female version of <em>8 1/2</em>&#8211; it was and continues to be a hugely influential movie for designers not just for Gianni di Venanzo&#8217;s luscious cinematography but for Piero Gherardi&#8217;s over-the-top costume confections. Beautiful, strange and surprisingly empowering. It was Galliano before Galliano was. Brilliant.</p>
<p><strong>Hearing:</strong> Etta James <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WLJED6/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B000WLJED6">At Last</a>. Do you not own this album? How do you not own this album? Plus it&#8217;s available as a $5 download from Amazon.</p>
<p><strong>Smelling:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VUHT62/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B000VUHT62">Inis Or</a>. This actually smells awful on me, but it&#8217;s a decent little inexpensive juice if you like fresh but not too sweet aquatic fragrances.</p>
<p><strong>Loving:</strong> Proper Vegetables. The Irish, in my limited experience, are not a vegetable loving people. Except when it comes to peas. Then it&#8217;s like that Monty Python sketch when they try to order a strawberry tart without so much rat in it. Somewhere, somehow, someone is going to slip you some peas.</p>
<p><strong>Hating:</strong> <a href="http://www.theoutnet.com/product/213914">The Stupid Perfect Shoe.</a> ARGH. Why am I not  buying new shoes until I&#8217;ve worn all my current shoes just once? These are PERFECT AND THEY&#8217;RE ON CLEARANCE. ARRRRRRGGHHmhnfndfddghhh</p>
<p><strong>Wanting:</strong> <a href="http://www.theoutnet.com/product/229327#">Sonia Rykiel Bag</a>. I&#8217;m really not a bag girl but I like this one. I basically resent having to carry a bag at all and for the past week I&#8217;ve just been using an antebellum sterling silver calling card case. Sure I&#8217;ve got the Birkin, which is the size of my car (WHO? WHO needs that much space?!) This would do me juuuust fine.</p>
<p><strong>Buying:</strong> <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=131164&#038;b=230150&#038;m=293&#038;afftrack=&#038;urllink=www%2Ekiyonna%2Ecom%2Fplus%2Dsize%2Dclothing%2FNew%5FArrivals%2F23081803">Kiyonna Bellini Ballet Wrap</a>. I&#8217;ve been loving variations on these for the past few month, wearing one side pinned up with a brooch as a sort of a wrap. Right now I&#8217;m liking a sort of more structured, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerp_Six">Antwerp Six</a>, look. Long and lean with attention to unusual proportionals.</p>
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		<title>What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://manolobig.com/2011/03/22/what-miss-plumcake-is-17/</link>
		<comments>http://manolobig.com/2011/03/22/what-miss-plumcake-is-17/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:40:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Miss Plumcake</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Hello my little bourbon biscuits, it&#8217;s Tuesday and while I am wandering about the hills and dales of the Emerald Isle with my two besties, I thought I&#8217;d take a minute and share with you an Irish-tinged edition of What Miss Plumcake is&#8230; Reading: The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde If all you know [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello my little bourbon biscuits, it&#8217;s Tuesday and while I am wandering about the hills and dales of the Emerald Isle with my two besties, I thought I&#8217;d take a minute and share with you an Irish-tinged edition of What Miss Plumcake is&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-the-week-of-March-22-2011.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6989" title="What Miss Plumcake is the week of March 22 2011" src="http://manolobig.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/What-Miss-Plumcake-is-the-week-of-March-22-2011.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Reading:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/019953506X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=019953506X">The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde</a> If all you know of Wilde are his pithy quotes and frothy plays (both of which are still highly recommended) you owe it to yourself to check out some of his no-foolin&#8217; literatoor. Beautiful, tender and razor sharp, these are some of my favorite short stories. Half Daudet and half Kipling, it&#8217;s all brilliant.</p>
<p>Watching: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6305622922/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=6305622922">The Commitments</a> I was just learning to play the saxophone when this film about a bunch of misfits from Dublin and their dream of blue-eyed soul stardom came out and I fell in love. Even if you saw it years ago, rent it and be reminded what a great flick it is.</p>
<p>Hearing:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NB1OSC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B001NB1OSC"> U2 &#8211; Achtung Baby</a> I&#8217;m just going to go ahead and say that the seventh studio album from Bono and the lads is the most important pop album of the 90&#8242;s. </p>
<p>Smelling: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KP1OTM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B004KP1OTM">Vol de Nuit by Guerlain</a> I&#8217;m wearing the vintage, which is even more heartbreakingly beautiful, this 1933 creation by Jacques Guerlain was an homage to Antoine Saint-Exupery (yes, the Little Prince guy) and his novel, <em>Vol de Nuit</em>. On me Vol de Nuit is a pale butter daffodil floating in a cup of softly spiced milk tea. Unusual comfort at its best.</p>
<p>Loving: <a href="http://www.lanebryant.com/funnel-neck-peacoat/p71248/index.pro">Funnel-necked peacoat </a> Until last week I didn&#8217;t have a coat. It doesn&#8217;t get very cold in Texas so usually I either wear my vintage blonde mink stole or my lynx stoller. However, I figured it would be a bit nippy here in Eire and I thought maybe it would behoove me to get some sort of outwear that didn&#8217;t once have a mother and a dream. I picked this up for a song from Lane Bryant and I just love it. I&#8217;ve never worn double-breasted before, but it looks great and is a fantastic spring coat. Word to the wise: apparently the buttons fall off easily. I reinforced mine before I left across the pond and haven&#8217;t had any problems at all.</p>
<p>Hating:  <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GLGW0O/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=manolobig-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=B001GLGW0O">Stupid Giraffe-print Bag</a> So when did this become attractive? Because this is not attractive. I&#8217;ve been seeing these things for YEARS and I just cannot TAKE it anymore. This is not a good bag! The original, which is Dooney and Bourke (and why would you even knock off Dooney and Bourke? That&#8217;s like knocking off Juicy Couture.) is bad but at least it&#8217;s potentially well-made. These are just AWFUL. So please. Stop buying them. They&#8217;re not hip, they&#8217;re not clever. They&#8217;re just dreadful. </p>
<p>Wanting: <a href="http://www.studsupfootballclub.com/Let-Em-Hang-Blue-p/ltmhng001.htm">Let &#8216;Em Hang soccer boot shirt from Studs Up Football Club</a> Oversharing time. I&#8217;m pretty good about being friends with my exes. One of my favorites played in Serie A for seven years and is an all around good egg. Obviously he was great looking (mama, as previously mentioned, does not do ugly)and we still see each other occasionally, but the only time I ever regret relegating him to the friend zone is when he walks around with his boots hung around his neck. Do I find the strung boots look hot because it is sexy on its own merit or is it a product of conditioning? The world may never know, but I do know this is a piece of class kit and it needs to go into Miss Plumcake&#8217;s personal collection with a quickness.</p>
<p>Buying: <a href="http://www.drugstore.com/revlon-nail-enamel-hushed-blush-120/qxp197472?fromsrch=revlon+hushed+blush">Revlon Hushed Blush nail color</a> Why do I always forget Revlon makes great nail colors? It&#8217;s been a million years since I&#8217;ve bought anything but OPI or Essie, but I picked up this understated blushed rosewood color when I couldn&#8217;t find my beloved Kreme de la Kremlin and have been twitterpated ever since. Is the product as good as OPI? No, not really, but the color&#8217;s great and there&#8217;s no reason a well-applied manicure with Hushed Blush won&#8217;t last you a week.</p>
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