What Time Is It?!

At first glance, you would almost think this print was officially licensed art by Adventure Time/Cartoon Network, wouldn't you? And yet, it's actually a bit of fan art. Not bad, huh?

Internets, I have seen some surreal stuff in my time. Ren & Stimpy, Phil the Alien, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Maxx, that frighteningly trippy Raggedy Ann and Andy movie; I have watched all of this stuff and--with the exception of that last one--could enjoy the mind-screwy ride. So I just want you to keep all that in mind when I say this:

WHAT THE $@%# IS UP WITH ADVENTURE TIME?!

I'm serious, here. I have seen a few episodes by now, and this show is not just weird. I could handle Just Weird. This show is Beyond Weird. This show is a mass of hallucinations induced by psychotropic drugs and rendered in animated form. This show is a half-hour jam-packed with Nightmare Fuel. And worst of all, this show keeps drawing me back in.

And judging by quick scan over at Etsy, I'm guessing I'm not the only one. How do I know? Because Adventure Time has reached that level of popularity where unofficial merchandise has sprung up by the buttload. And namely, as is relevant to the interests of this blog, there are hats.

Like, for instance, there's a hat form of Jake...

...And there's one of Gunter...

...And there's one of the Lumpy Space Princess (but I think the speech bubble isn't included).

Heck, there's even one of the bizarro-world Jake, which is apparently a cat named Cake.

But let's face it--if you're looking for an Adventure Time hat, you're looking for Finn's hat. And lo, I done found one:

Which, honestly, wasn't that hard. I just liked this one the best.

So in closing, I am deeply, confusingly ambivalent about the show Adventure Time. It freaks me out, and yet I kinda want to see more of it. And I want Marceline's axe bass, but that's neither here nor there.

See you Friday!

Positively Fawning

What I like best about this fawn collage is how much it resembles artwork

in The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle would most likely approve.

You know what, Internets? I wanna look at some fawn-related stuff today. Not entirely certain why that is, since I'm not particularly fond of deer at any stage in their lifespan (I don't even like the taste of venison, really,) but that's just the kind of mood I'm in. Mostly because I saw this interesting little headband right on Etsy's front page:

Because honestly, when was the last time you saw a wooden headband? It's certainly been a while for me.

However, I must say that there appears to be a very, very popular method of putting together a fawn fascinator. What is that, you ask? Well, let's just say that I think a certain style of fuzzy fawn figurine is really popular at various art supply stores.

Why do I say this? Take a look at the two following fascinators:

See what I mean? But to the second milliner's credit, they do offer some interesting takes on the fawn fascinator, which I heartily suggest you check out, if for no other reason than it's not often you see a nautical fawn. Or a ballerina fawn, for that matter.

And just because I'm sure there's plenty of you out there who share Louis C.K.'s very NSFW feelings on deer, here's some hairclips that should please you very much:

Hey--the way I figure it, if dead fish hats are acceptable, then so are dead fawn hairclips.

And on that most-likely-gonna-earn-me-some-hate-mail note, see you Wednesday!

For Canadians/Pour les Canadiens

This image has been snagged from the tumblr Happy Jack!

And you should totally check it out because, well, dude was a happy dude.

There's a phrase that goes, "Call no man happy until he is dead." At first, that sounds like some pithy saying you'd read on a Hot Topic bumper sticker, but the reality is that it's an Ancient Grecian comment on how happiness is not just a transient emotion but is actually an overarching state of being, so you shouldn't judge the measure of a person's life until all is said and done. Those eight words have been popping up in my mind pretty much all week, and the reason for that is because of the death of former NDP leader, Jack Layton.

As a non-Canadian, I honestly didn't know who Layton was until Monday, when news of his passing blew up my Facebook News Feed. And while the links to various memorials, tumblres and to his now-famous open letter to Canadians did help shed a lot of insight on the guy, what was truly educational was the fact every single one of my friends were heartsick at the loss. And it's not just them; apparently, the whole of Canada is.

Maybe it's just me viewing this through the prism of American politics, where partisanship sadly often tends to come before common decency, but I think it says a lot about the man that people from all of Canada's political parties (and they've got quite a few) are mourning him. Heck, the Prime Minister has even granted him a state funeral and if I've learned anything about Canadian politics, it's that Stephen Harper is jerkity-jerk-jerk-jerk.

So what does any of this say Jack Layton? If nothing else, it certainly says that he was a well-loved guy, and with very good reason. His relentless work for and inspiring optimism in the Canadian people was truly a wonder to behold.

So in honor of Layton, HH's going orange and white for today. Because he helped make those colors relevant again.

Note: I'm still not fond of fedoras, but I am making an exception for this jauntily-feathered one.

However, I like this printed leather headband just fine. Hopefully, you will, too.

Yes, I know it's a bit early for scarves, but I think you'll agree that this loopy scarf is the appropriate shade of orange.

And if you're concerned about the lack of white on said scarf, I've got just the thing:

Just pin that baby on there, and you'll be all set.

In closing, I would just like to say that, while I never knew who Jack Layton was in life, he was man who believed in his country, worked hard for that belief and was beloved because of it. If those things don't add up to having led a happy life, I don't know what does. But, in keeping with the earlier quote, I'm sure Canadians would've preferred to have held off on making that judgement for a little longer.

And on that note, see you next week, everybody.

Pop The Hood

This looks like a simple minimalist print of a person in a hoodie, right?

Well, as the tagline for American Beauty once urged us, look closer.

Since it's beginning to look a lot like autumn everywhere we go, it's only a matter of time before the weather reflects what's already visible in the trees. The temperatures are going to drop a bit, the breeze will develop something of a bite and the great outdoors as a whole will make the transition from being described as "muggy" to "bracing."

...Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it much, either. But at least that means we can start rocking hoods and scoodies again. I kinda missed those over the summer months, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

So without further ado, here's some hooded things to help take the sting out of the advancing season:

Because really, how can you hate a season that will let you comfortably wear a Totoro scoodie?

The great thing about this vibrant orange hood is how versatile it is, as that you can wear it in both warm and cool weather. Not the color, though. The color is pretty much only going to work with other bright colors (which is not a bad thing at all.)

Of course, if you prefer something a bit more neutral, I've found just the thing:

I think the thing I like about this best is that if you were to wear this, paint your face with white pancake, put on a false mustache and a pair of ginormous aviators, you could go as the forensic sketch of Ted Kaczynski for Halloween. A bit dated, sure, but it'd be impressive.

And now, just because it's awesome, here's the monster scoodie to end all monster scoodies:

Seriously--it would be difficult to top this scoodie. At least where monster scoodies are concerned, anyway.

And on that note, see you Friday!

Leafing Through

This print makes me think of stained glass windows for some reason.

I'm thinking it's the leaves on the tree; they're all rounded and look glassy-like and stuff.

Internets, we've only just passed the midway mark of August, and already I can see the leaves on the trees are turning. Not particularly quickly, thank goodness, but even so; it's not even Labor Day, and already there are patches of yellow, red and orange mottling the vast expanse of green that lines the horizon.

And dang it, I'm not ready for this yet. While I don't mind the fact that we appear to be past the sticky heat of summer, I am not down with fall showing up just yet. Couldn't it at least wait until September? At least then it won't feel so silly for me to start digging out my admittedly large collection of hooded sweaters.

But seeing as it's useless to argue with nature, I suppose I might as well get used to the idea. And what better way to do that than with some autumnal-themed fascinators?

Mind you, I haven't seen any leaves that look like this yellow-orange oak leaf fascinator yet, but I suspect it's only a matter of time. Although, in my experience, oak leaves are the last to change anyway, and they always seem to turn a sort-of fawn brown. So maybe I'll never see an oak leaf this color at all.

And speaking of colors on leaves that I will most likely never find in nature...

...Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm never going to come across a light blue leaf. So it's probably a good thing this felt fascinator exists; otherwise, I'd never see one at all.

However, I would say that it's a pretty safe bet that all the colors of the leaves found in this fascinator can be found in nature. But then again, I don't think they'd look nearly as lovely in your hair for as long as this will, so it evens out.

And just because I'm stubborn and don't want to let summer go just yet, here's a whole freakin' bough of green leaves:

Wait a sec--are there some yellow leaves in there, too? Well, crap. Still a lovely fascinator, though.

And on that note, see you Wednesday!

When You Wish Upon A Star

It's the little smiley moon off to the right that really makes this photo for me.

Well, seeing as I already started this post off with a song, let's see if I can make it fit with today's post:

When you wish upon a star,

It makes no difference who you are.

Any hat your heart desires

Can be found in a real rudimentary Google Image search.

...Yeah, that doesn't quite work. But seeing as I never claimed to be a songwriter, that's as good as it's ever going to get. So let's forget the whole song thing and just get to what I actually do; talking about some really nifty hats. And today, that means starry hats and fascinators.

Since it's always best to start things off with a bang, let's kick this post off with a shooting star fascinator. The combination of orange and turquoise feathers make it really stand out.

Is it just me, or does this starburst fascinator look like it belongs on a holiday card? It's big enough that I'm fairly certain a trio of dudes of the learned persuasion and a whole passel of sheep-herders would notice it from afar.

Mind you, I like it. I'm just sayin' it looks like it came upon a midnight clear, if you catch my drift.

Of course, just because it's got stars on it doesn't mean it has to be all silvery and blue, as this earthy star-studded cocktail hat amply proves.

Seeing as it's starting to get a little chilly out there, here's a lovely knitted slouchy hat that will let you rock the stars without having to sacrifice personal comfort.

And finally, just because I could easily imagine this finding its way into the wardrobe of virtually any science-fiction television show (past, present and future,) here's an out-of-this-world starry halo:

And if you remember that stars are just balls of gas burning millions of miles away, you'll understand why I added this fascinator to the post.

And on that note, that's it for this week. See you Monday!

Break That Fast

I like this print, but in my case, it would be a more accurate representation of my morning routine if it said, "Slam Coffee and Try Not To Destroy The House."

So the other day on Twitter, they had this delightful hashtag trending wherein you replace part of a band's name with the word "pancakes." And because I am a sucker for anything that involves being silly with words, it should come as no surprise that I jumped on that like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat. Because it's hard not to get behind a bit of silliness for silliness' sake, particularly when it involves those griddle goodies we call pancakes.

And seeing as my mind works in goofy ways, I wondered if I could find me a pancake hat. And lo, Internets, I did:

But sadly, that was pretty much the only one I did find. Good thing it looks so flippin' awesome, huh? I'm most impressed by the pat of butter resting on top of the syrup. It just pulls the whole thing together.

So I can't go with my original idea of doing a post entirely of pancake hats, which is a little annoying. However, I can work within the theme of breakfast foods, which is exactly what I'm gonna do. Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or so I've been told.

In the case of Mental Leaps I'm Certain Of Which T.H. Would Not Approve, when I look at this fried egg fascinator, I find myself reminded of said spouse. Not because I think he would wear it (although I would pay good money to see that,) but because dude really likes his eggs. A lot. A whole lot. A whole "it's-ridiculous-how-much-fridge-space-is-currently-devoted-to-egg-storage-right-now" lot. A LOT.

And now, to stop that overly long gag from droning on further, here's a toast pillbox hat:

Because even Waffle House recognizes that it's not really breakfast unless there's toast involved.

But the thing with all of these breakfast hats thus far is that they all pretty much rely on someone actually putting forth some effort into making breakfast (and yes, toast requires effort.) I don't know about you, Internets, but I freely admit that I am the laziest of the lazy when it comes to making breakfast; meaning, the only hot thing I break my fast with is coffee. Unless someone else makes it, my breakfast is liable to be room-temperature-to-cold.

Which is why it's probably a good thing that there are such things as Pop-Tarts, because those things are just fine straight out of the packet. And like with all good things, it was only a matter of time before someone crossed one with a zombie, which is the only reason why I can surmise this exists:

And all I have to say about that is this: Kellogg Company, MAKE THESE HAPPEN. I WILL BUY A CRATE OF THEM IF YOU DO.

See you Friday!

A Is For Apple

This print is so meta--I LOVE IT.

Well, Internets, I can't say whether or not this is true in your neck of the woods, but as far this area of the Hoosier State is concerned, it's that time of year again--it's time for all the kids to go back to school. Or, as Staples once described it in its infamous commercial, The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. Either way, summer vacation has come to an end, and it's time once more to reacquaint ourselves with the school bus schedule (particularly if you have to make your morning commute while they're making pickups in your neighborhood, but it goes without saying that said info is also important if you have munchkins who need to get on the aforementioned bus.)

And seeing as it's back-to-school time, it only makes sense that I do a post based on that fruit most closely associated with academia: the apple. Because as long as teachers keep getting apple-themed gifts, apples are always going to be associated with school. ALWAYS.

...And yet, I decided to kick this post off with this upcycled kid's hat, featuring an apple tree. Which isn't really associated with schooling of any kind that I know of. I mean, there's the whole "Tree of Knowledge" thing, but seeing as nobody's been able to agree what that tree was supposed to be (I've heard everything from bananas to figs,) I don't think it counts. But hey--apples!

These next two apple fascinators come from the same store, but I think they're both worth showing. And I think you'll agree.

See what I mean? They were just too cute to choose between. It's like trying to choose between a Red Delicious and Granny Smith. They're just so tasty!

And lastly, just because anthropomorphic apples are awesome, here's a happy apple headband:

Well, if you're going to have an apple headband, it should definitely be a happy one, I always say.

So for all those who are heading back to school, here's wishing you a good first day. And for all those parents whose kids are heading back to school, try not to celebrate too obviously, will you?

And on that note, see you Wednesday!

Mum's The Word

Want to know why I love chrysanthemums so? Take a good, hard look

at this print, and I think you'll begin to understand.

Despite the fact that the beginnings and endings of the seasons are very clearly marked on the calendar, it's pretty safe to say that each and every one of us has our own particular notions of when a season actually starts and/or stops. For me, I tend to judge this by what I call the Pumpkin Rule; because those suckers are only available one time out of the entire year, and that's in the autumn.

Of course, this isn't only true of what's in the produce section of your local grocery store. The floral section is also a pretty good place to get an idea of the changing of the seasons, as that there are a few dead giveaways, such as pots of poinsettias and--where this post is most concerned--chrysanthemums.

And seeing as I just saw several pots full of chrysanthemums sitting out at my local grocery store, I'd say this is the perfect time to write up a post about mum stuff, wouldn't you?

For those who fear that anything floral inherently means something ridiculously fluffy and frilly consider this double-chrysanthemum fascinator. It has a certain 1940s-1950s/rockabilly feel to it that I rather like.

Of course, if you prefer just one chrysanthemum to do all the talking for you, then you can't go wrong with a fabulously-colored one, like this beautiful orange solitaire.

Speaking of solitary blooms, this charming little fascinator comes with a veil. So, y'know, if you want to look dressy, you totally will.

And just because I'm trying to get back into the habit of actually posting hats, here's a cocktail hat made from upcycled kimono silk:

As to whether you think it's awesome or not is up to you.

See you next week!

Nyanyan On My Wayward Son

Question: When you mix two different memes (like this print does,) is that like crossing

the beams in the original Ghostbusters movie, or is it simply awesome?

A while back, someone once summed up the Internet as being millions of miles long but only a half-inch deep. And while I have to admit there is some truth to that statement, I'm also of the opinion that things don't necessarily have to be deep in order to be enjoyable. That's pretty much the entire basis for the existence/persistence of that hallmark of the Internet age: the meme.

When it comes to memes, they're the perfect fad for the Internet age; they're simple, generally silly, spread like wildfire and then slip from the collective consciousness without so much as a goodbye. And like any fad, there are some that hit like few others, and one of those is Nyan Cat.

For those of you not in the know about Nyan Cat, you could go and check out the Know Your Meme entry for the comprehensive/Wikipedia take on it, but there's really no need. All you really need to know about it is this:

It's an 8-bit animation of a cat that has a Pop-Tart body, flying through space and leaving behind a trail of rainbow. It's so ridiculous that it's rad.

And just because my equally rad buddy, Lexi Badger, seems to absolutely love this meme to the point of wanting a Nyan Cat ring, I figure it's worth taking a trip around the Internet to see what other Nyan Cat things I can find.

And yes, I am taking you with me.

Note: I am still not fond of fedoras. But I have to admit that I am impressed with the hand-painted work that wraps around this fedora.

As an aside, it figures that the first honest-to-goodness hat I post on this blog in months would be a fedora. Just sayin'.

Then again, it's also been a while since I posted a scarf, so it makes all sorts and kinds of sense to post this fabulous Nyan Cat scarf from the awesomely-named Ramen Needles.

Of course, if it's still too hot to think about hats and scarves where you live, you could always go with a molded-clay necklace featuring the aforementioned feline, like this one from Lizglizz Shop!

And just because the facial expression of the kid modeling it kills me, here's a Nyan Cat headband:

Seriously, I can't tell which I like more; the headband or the kid's mug. How about you?

And that's it for today. Hope you liked the post, and if not...well, it turns out there's a meme for that, too.

See you Friday!