Francesca at Body Electric Tattoo | Los Angeles, CA

You may have noticed that I no longer have a nose ring. It's because of the show I was filming over the summer - the network called on Day 1 and said "errmmmmmmm can she lose the nose ring please?" And unfortunately the answer was "well...no." Because when that request was made it was made via cell phone while I was in the middle of nowhere. And I was set to be on camera about five seconds later. And the only way to take out one of those continuous rings is to use pliers. My feeling was that taking pliers to my face moments before shooting a network television show had the potential to create less-than-desirable results, and so I did something I almost never do: I said "Sorry, but no way."

And then, just before I headed back to St. Louis for the second time, I went ahead and took it out per the network's request...which means that in the final cut, I have the nose ring in some shots and not in others. So when (one day in the far-distant future, because TV is weird like that) you see this thing, please make sure to watch it with a beer in hand and drink every time you spot my nose ring. (Is it terrible that I think it would be amazing to have my very own drinking game?)

My friend Kelly Van Halen - whom I've written about here before - makes the coziest, softest, most adorable baby blankets on the planet...and she's giving them away. Like, a lot of them. For free.

If you know a baby or a mom-to-be who could use a little extra love this holiday season, just go over to KellyVanHalen, enter the recipient's information, let them know whether you'd like to send the gift anonymously or sign it, and they'll send over a blanket valued at $100...free of charge (while supplies last, of course). Really; there is virtually no catch - and I know this sounds too good to be true, but Kelly just wanted to do something really special this holiday season.

Happy Holidays. Go play Secret Santa for someone who needs it.

When your lollipop matches your lip balm. (This was part of a mailing sent by Korres to promote their lip butters, and I just want to call it out as an example of truly excellent marketing: they packaged the lip butters with matching lollipops, and the whole thing was so pretty and visual that it practically screamed "Instagram me.")

 These look like nursing shoes and I can hear my mother making fun of me for liking them from all the way across the country but whatever: CUTE.

 The pose! The colors! The ripped upholstery! This article is FASCINATING.  (Why Time's Trump Cover Is A Subversive Work Of Political Art, via Forward.)