Shut UP, no WAY!
Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 08:42AM 
That's what my niece said to me four or five years ago when I told her that Miley Cyrus would be wearing Munki Munki pajamas - the yoga print - on the Hannah Montana show. When the image later became a part of the shows opening credits I was, in the eyes of my then middle school niece and her elementary school aged sister, SOMEBODY.
But, as Hannahs sparkly little star began to fade, I feared for my own public image in the eyes of my tween nieces. The girls are older now, and harder to impress. And I am older, and finding it harder to be hip, at least in the eyes of the young. You can imagine my glee, then, at the news that one of the many Hannah Montana dolls on the market currently is proudly donning a pair of yoga print Munki Munki pajamas, which has created nice little bump on my "hip" meter over at my sisters house.
Actually, lets be honest, nobody thinks I'm hip, including me. Which is (Stephen) the real reason why I haven't moved to Brooklyn yet. Its too hip for me. We tried, we went and looked at an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that a friend of our had described as "amazing". Williamsburg is the type of neighborhood that has a bar whose specialty is throwing rock and roll birthday parties for toddlers. I was there having lunch once when a seven year old Kate Moss in motorcycle boots and a tutu pulled over her low slung New Religion jeans climbed up on a bar stool and ordered something called a "Pet Peeve". And people smoke in public there, too, without the furtive and shameful expressions seen on the faces of doorway and alcove smokers all over Manhattan. And breakfast is not served until 11 o'clock. We know this because we arrived for our appointment early and starving. We did find a place that was sort of open at 10:30, but the waiter left us alone with our thoughts until 11. My thoughts, which I was happy to share out loud with TC, included: "This place is cold. Does this place feel cold to you?" and "The music in here is too loud. Don't you think the music in here is too loud?". Also, in reference to our waiter, "How many tattoos does one need, exactly?" and, once our food had arrived: "my eggs are cold. Are your eggs cold?" When we finally did see the apartment, which was an expensive, dark cave that came with some ferocious looking cats (bonus rodent control), TC didn't even bother to evaluate the place with me because, as he put it, "You are 85 years old in Williamsburg."
We settled on the Financial District, in lower Manhattan, where we can afford a real kitchen. Its a bit like having moved to Chicago: everyone is polite and average looking (thank God, I always felt like such an ogre among the beautiful people in our old neighborhood) and it is extremely windy. We don't have a Bloomingdales in this neighborhood, we have a Benetton.
I like it here because it is, undeniably, unhip. I even appeared publicly (with my dog) this morning wearing my Munki Munki pajamas. Just like Hanna Montana.
Reader Comments (23)
Ahh love this, just love it. I for one am on the "Heather is too hip for words" team.
On other notes, I made your squash soup the other day, and yes-sewed while it cooked. Sewed something out of YOUR fabric for MY book. I was channeling you that day it seems. I must say, it was a good day.
xo
Sandi
years ago, when i was in college, williamsburg was where the scruff lived, the bike messengers and skater artists. my once boss/friend bought a building out there....he is going to be a rich man now if he sells.
i never did feel cool enough for any part of NYC, just too much california in me to make it there. it did not help that my neighborhood was the lower east side, a place that was transitioning from puerto rican/dominican to waaay too hip for me (or anyone, for that matter). but i do miss new york. gotta get back there some day.
and you are too cool for school, girl. at least in my book.
If you recall, the last thing I said to you before leaving Vermont was, "So.... does this mean we're, like, real friends now? Not like groupie friends, but real friends?" Yes, you are cool. Way cool.
I (admittedly) noticed the financial district address on my MISC package and chuckled to myself. Brooklyn would be lucky to have you.
Oh Heather, you are hip. Totally hip! Who says that every hip person has to dress, look, act or think like every other hip person. Besides you hang out here in California often, and everyone knows only hip people do that, right? Heehee!
Congrats on becoming an icon to the teeny bopper set!
If you aren't hip....there is no hope for me!!
You have some of the HIPPEST fabric around!
You are certainly a hip icon for unhip me. Always love to read your stories.
Oh no no no NO! You're totally hip being un-hip....isn't that the point? It's just that Williamsburg obviously doesn't get that!! Too funny!
You have way cool hips! oH wait... you meant hip as in groovy... You're definitely groovy! Especially after that last VW post.
You are hip. You are funny! And you are 100% real! Screw Williamsberg from a Queens girl in Santa Cruz.
If leaving the house in your pjs isn't cool, I don't know what is. Williamsburg is full of people TRYING to be hip. People who are truly hip, don't try. You=truly hip. OH, but don't judge all of Brooklyn by Williamsburg. That's just unfair to the truly cool places in Brooklyn.
Oh girl! If you're going to wear your jammies in public then you belong in Bremerton, WA. lol. No need to worry about being hip either... the hipsters don't come here often. They stay across the water in Seattle.
Well, as far as I'm concerned, you are pretty much as cool as cool gets. Of course, I'm a huge nerd so my opinion may not be worth much at all, really.
Love this story...and I think you are totally hip.
Funny post! Being hip is over rated... I'm quite enjoying my thirty-something unhipness. It was too tiring being a hip twenty something and, you're right, the music is too loud. A x
i can imagine your excitement! right behind you!@!@
heather!
so sorry, i think i called you liesl on my post; not that that isnt a compliment cause that girl sure knows her stuff; i got my blogs mixed up and i know who you are; i am still drooling daily over my far far away purchase!!!! i found a 'project tote' bag sewed from it on etsy and i am making it soon. i am going to buy this doll, for myself, cause i love little miley , now i really do cause she has even better taste in your pj print! cheers to everything you do; the sewing community commend you!
angelina
www.nestajackson.blogspot.com
Heather, Williamsburg ain't Brooklyn. I've lived in the boro for 10 years and I always feel like a fish-out-of-water there. Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill and my own neighborhood of Prospect Heights... that's the real Bklyn.
This post made me giggle out loud, Heather. You have a fun writing style and I completely know what you mean - I'm 24, but some places DO make you feel old and crankily 85. Glad you've found your comfort zone!
Well, what does it says about us...those of us who believe you may be one of the (if not, the most) hippest designers/people around? Does that make us even more un-cool?!
That's OK, I am pretty sure I lost all of my hip-ness when I gave birth.
ah-ha. my 12 year old daughter has been asking for these and now I know what it is she is talking about. Very cute.
I am catching this post a few days late. But have to say that I saw that HM episode when it aired and spotted those munki jammies immediately. One of my three girls is still smitten with Hannah. We might have to get the doll--and maybe some matching big people jammies.
Brooklyn is over rated, and you get kicked to the totally uncool corner of the lunch table for writing it. I lived on W 14th (The Sequoia Building) for 5 years, and only went to Brooklyn TWICE (save special cab rides out to the Russian bars with Russian traders) -- Once to visit Hilary Dyson and Steve Dias (you thought you were entering Underhill Vermont when you stepped in her kitchen) and Once to visit Miss Rock and Roll herself, Mia "Bird" Sladyck from Railroad Street, Johnson (she was booking the Bowery Ballroom back then) -- my trip to visit Mia was fabulous b/c we walked in Prospect Park and saw what looked EXACTLY like the last episodes of Sex and the City -- when Miranda moved there -- BMW's squeezed into tiny driveways, children having equestrian lessons in the park....the trees were beautiful there.....but nothing could have lured me away from my 7 minute express train to Wall Street. Not even the deep fried twinky store!