Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I <3 the NYT

People who know me know I'm basically a 12-year-old girl.

There's the candy obsession, the talking on the phone, the music. Seriously. If anyone ever saw my Netflix list or iTunes library, I would prolly be embarrassed (even tho I'm basically admitting as such to the internets right now).

But I'm not the only one.

The NYT has a totally precious story about Fred Flare, a retailer that urges its customers to "Stay cute!"

The story's writer initially tries to resist the shopgirls' cheeriness at Fred Flare's Brooklyn store:

"They were like human text messages from Smurfland, and they were freaking me out.

I was afraid they were going to turn and direct their happiness onto me like a laser, so I tried to ignore them by pretending to study a display of handmade teddy bears ($85) as if I were at the National Archives. The bears resembled sock monkeys and had funny, simple faces. One had a red yarny lopsided mouth. I let out a small involuntary guffaw, and within minutes I felt my little blackened, coal-size heart grow and become warm and fuzzy. They were just sooo CUTE!"

(The story also includes a picture of said bears, which are really cute, although $85 seems a little high.)

I know we're not in Brooklyn, so the store's website is here. Last year, I got a necklace from them that was a tiny silver joystick and it always makes me laugh when I wear it.

And for you non-12-year-old girls out there, here are some other NYT stories you might be interested in (just so you don't think I'm totally frivolous):

A Town Drowns in Debt as Home Values Plunge. In Mountain House, California, 90 percent of homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. Yikes.

For South, a Waning Hold on Politics. Self-explanatory, I think.

How East River Bridges Stayed Toll-Free. With New York looking at a growing budget deficit, the city is thinking about reinstating bridge tolls.


No comments: