Tag Archives: tacky

Inspiration: Charles Phoenix

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I just re-discovered an awesome… performer?  Internet personality?  Cook?  I’m not sure what to call him, exactly.  He defies explanation.  He is Charles Phoenix, and on his website he describes himself as a showman, author, humorist, and Ambassador of Americana, which seems as good a description as any.

CharlesPhoenix-4-up-599x158[1]But, really what he is is fabulous.  Point in case:

Isn’t that the best thing you’ve seen in years? I want to a Christmas party this year, just so that I can make Frosty the Cheeseball Man.    If you have an hour to kill, I highly recommend looking through his other cooking videos.  They’re pretty much the best.

Let’s take a minute to share patterns that Mr. Phoenix would heartily approve of.  Fun, kitschy, and a little bit weird.

When I throw a party, I always insist on a strict dress code, even for my dish soap bottles.

Going Dancing Dish Cloth Dress by Debbie Trainor

36075428_DishclothDresses_p17_Going-Dancing-No2_medium[1]Why waste your time with boring old pot holders when you can use this adorable menagerie?

Crazy Casserole Pot Toppers by Crochetroo

2406514933_614a0f64c7_z[1]Vintage shaping combined with a fantastic bright fuchsia yarn is definitely something that Charles Phoenix would approve of.  If only there was a way to add a glittery Western String Bow-Tie…

Zelda by Joan McGowan-Michael

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Inspiration: The Dreaded Christmas Sweater

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You’ve got to love a holiday that comes with its own genre of knitwear.  Unfortunately, Christmas Sweaters have gotten a bad rap, and now the only times you see them are either:

  1. On your Great Aunt Muriel.
  2. On the receptionist at your middle school.  The one with the big glasses and puffy, permed hair.
  3. At ugly sweater parties.

Not fair, I say!

Let’s take a look at some Christmas Sweaters that aren’t that bad.

Not a traditional Christmas Sweater, but totally adorable.  And, I’m sure, super toasty for walks over the river and through the snow.

Boreal by Kate Davies6494110639_e32809410e_z[1]

A 1950s-inspired shape with adorable little reindeer and a neat triangle pattern on the front.

The Perfect Christmas Jumper by Susan Crawford

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OK, so this one is definitely Christmas-y.  But, look, you can choose between plum pudding, snowmen, and Christmas Pigs!  (All right, they’re probably supposed to be reindeer, but with their little pink noses, they totally look like pigs.  I suppose you could change their antlers into little pointy ears if you wanted to really run with the whole Christmas Pigs angle.)

Love Yarn Christmas Jumper by Fiona Bennet

10052632855_4df4e5940d_z[1]But, you know what?  The Christmas Sweater is so earnest, so self-aware, and so uncaring of what people think of it.  The Christmas Sweater knows what it is, and is completely OK with its cheerful tackiness.  I can’t let a post about Christmas Sweaters go by without including an actual, honest-to-goodness tacky Christmas Sweater.    So here you go:

Patons Christmas Sweaters by Patons UK

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