The Mothball Prophecies The Mothball Prophecies

This week Sam, Mel, Grae, and I (Spellcheck) all crammed into the pod office to talk about whatever's been filling our brains for the last few weeks. We had our coffee and snacks and just had a regular (for us) conversation. Once or twice a month, we'll be dropping an episode of just our ADHD braindumps. After existing every day in the world, like we all must, sometimes we just want to to let our minds go to autopilot, and we want you all to be a part of it. Topics range from new hobbies, Spartan races, vultures, being a kid again, and doing the thing that makes you happy. We love you guys. Let's hang out. 

This Curio Corner is mostly about the cool stuff the Mavens talked to Jessie (British fashion historian in the making and parallel universe Spellcheck) about on Monday's episodes. It's also something of a walk down nostalgia lane for Sam, Mel, and Grae: internet connections in the 90s, music from their formative years, and early signs of neuro divergence that are so obvious, it's truly astounding. Listen in for lessons on Tuberculosis Chic and its lasting influence on fashion, the surprising science behind why all of us should be taking cold showers, and Spellcheck's newest obsession: Pond's Cold Cream and vintage skincare. 

Step into a parallel universe with our guest this week, where Spellcheck is British and went to university to study the history of fashion (which, in reality, is something Spellcheck genuinely wanted to do). A certain writer for the podcast was shocked more than a few times. The similarities are numerous. Jessie (ghostsintime) a person of the English persuasion, is an absolute doll. Sweet and polite, knowledgeable about her subject, she was a joy to chat with. The Mavens are smitten. Her Instagram account is filled with beauty-related historical posts and reels, some of which lean heavily toward the bizarre. We don't know about you, but we've never considered adding a raw meat mask to our nighttime skincare routine. Jessie is younger than everyone on the Mothball team, and we all felt it when the topic of 90s fashion came up. Grae pops up momentarily to defend the voluntary taking of cold showers. Barbies, the Spice Girls, and the "Goth to History" pipeline all make an appearance. If you haven't already, Jessie recommends watching The Love Witch (2016) as soon as humanly possible.

Sam and Mel sit down to share the unlikely demise of Evergleam Christmas Trees, what boundaries their implementing with collectibles, and share about the oldest crewel.

We're all finally settling down from the rush and bustle of Thanksgiving (if you're in the States, anyway) and our butts are more than ready for a long sit on the couch. The weather in Idaho is getting colder and snowier as the days pass, sending us all into the pod office with hot coffee and retro crocheted afghans. This week, the hygge mood is complete as Sam and Spellcheck have a relaxed chat with vintage maximalism enthusiast and down-to-earth music teacher, Kristi Snarsky. Her collection is a choreographed ballet of mid-century color and class. Her precise decorating skills are the envy of the team, with teal and pink playing a central role. Bowls and platters and Pyrex, oh my! Kristi brings to light the concept of boundaries within a collection and we all get confused about how to pronounce Cathrineholm. Plus, Sam gets a chance to brag about the amazing holiday Holy Grail item she recently acquired. 

We could have listened to Josh talk for hours and hours about all the incredible parts of his collections and his plans to spread that knowledge to the masses. But we all have lives to live and families to tend to. In lieu of having Josh back to nerd out over pirate history (which we're hoping to make happen, don't you worry), your weekend Curio Corner has Sam, Spellcheck, and Grae in the Pod Office chatting over an actual mountain of silver in Bolivia, Sam Bellamy's treasure on the shipwrecked Whydah, and a brief history of the flintlock firing mechanism on those fancy pistols seen in every pirate movie ever made.