with mother's day just around the corner, i thought i'd shine a spotlight on a trio of moms who work tirelessly hard to achieve their dreams while navigating the complex social and political changes of the 1960s.

fuel up your lighters, kittens. mama wants a cigarette and a glass of OJ -- heavy on the vodka.

we are gifting the mothers of mad men.

we have BETTY DRAPER FRANCIS - former model, divorcee, mother of three, grace kelly look-a-like, chain smoking hair hopper, litter bug, and suburban ice princess. she once punished her son for trading her sandwich for a bag of gumdrops and sees her daughter as the mini-me thorn in her side.

nonetheless, mama betty will most definitely expect a swell gift this mother's day. best break open your piggy banks now, sally, bobby, and baby gene.

above: 1). gorham cocktail jigger 20th century; 2). keychain to the mansion; 3). love sandwich recipe book; 4). picnic egg caddy; 5). smoke & kisses bobbi set; 6). the row cat-eye acetate and leather sunglasses; 7). bow-embellished metallic lace pumps; 8). "embrace reality, even if it burns you" catchall; 9). compostable plates, bowls & trays.

next up is JOAN HARRIS -- whip smart secretary turned ambitious executive who struggles to prove her mind is just as powerful as her bombshell bod. 

separated from her much-loathed husband, she's a single mom in the late '60s, raising a son whose biological father is one of the founding partners of her firm.

joan is a WHORANGE hero and has been lovingly gifted in the past.

above: 1). ruffian x izola lady 3 oz. flask; 2). art of war by sun tzu; 3). tiger necklace by kenzo; 4). onward & upward water bottle; 5). art deco set of four tumblers by dorothy thorpe; 6). anna-karin karlsson rose rouge cat eye acetate sunglasses; 7). back me up mobile charger; 8. thea leather chelsea boots; 9). vestige lipstick holder; 10). brass pencil sharpener; 11). rosa iphone case.

 "what?" you say, "PEGGY OLSON is a mother?"

why, yes! if we reach back into the archives of season 1 and 2, we are reminded that secretary-turned-copy-chief-badass, peggy, was indeed impregnated by her married colleague, pete. their illegitimate son is (supposedly) being raised by peggy's mother or sister.

a strange storyline that seems to have been relegated to the circular file.

can we petition AMC for closure? perhaps a mother's day gift guide to help ignite momentum?

fingers crossed. here we go...

 above: 1). may you never shot glass set; 2). scarf in mustard dots; 3). white knit beret; 4). gold tone knot earrings; 5). thomaspaul tablet/ iPad case; 6). chemex coffee maker; 7). vintage yellow and white enamel flower brooch; 8). crinkle bag vase; 9). clare vivier foldover clutch; 10). villa flats; 11). switch bluetooth speaker conference call speaker; 12). city clips - new york page markers.

happy mother's day to all of the mamas around the world! xoxo

while cruising down beverly boulevard yesterday, i nearly crashed my car when i saw this glorious MAD MEN SEASON 7 MURAL tumbling across the wall of the sofitel hotel.

the artist behind the technicolor, art nouveau masterpiece is iconic '60s artist milton glaser (age 84!). mad men's creator, matthew weiner, sought out glaser as his dream key art illustrator for the show's final season, and luckily for all of us, glaser agreed.

similar to enlisting the art of brian sanders for season 6, weiner truly celebrates and honors the master artists of the mid-century. the result is nostalgic, sophisticated, and exuberantly authentic. thank you, matthew!

but wait -- there's more...

AMC released mad men's season 7 character photos, and darlings, it is head-to-toe perfection.

from peggy's enamel daisy pin to gentlemen sporting various shades of mustard, i'm happily drunk in a sea of fringe and polyester. bring on 1969 and bring it on forever!

costumes by janie bryant. photography by frank ockenfels. enjoy!

{to see the entire gallery, click on over to AMC. remember, the season premiere is april 13th!}

famed 75-year-old illustrator, brian sanders, is the master craftsman behind mad men's lusciously textured season six key art. 

hailing from the golden era of magazine illustration, sanders was commissioned by mad men's creator, matthew weiner, to conjure the look and feel of 1960s spy novels, TWA flight menus, and swinging lifestyle ads. the drawing style is called "bubble & streak" and with a name like bubble & streak, it's got to be good.

{above: brian sanders illustration for woman's mirror, circa 1965.}

but, wait...there's more!

in 1966, director stanley kubrick  granted sanders rare access to the set and filming of 2001: a space odyssey. sanders documented the behind-the-scenes making of the film via paintings and sketches (photography was not allowed on the set). unfortunately, the controlling kubrick did not allow publication of the drawings. it wasn't until 2001 (two years after kubrick's death) that sanders space odyssey work was published (see examples below).

{above: behind-the-scences of space odessey: 2001 as seen through the eyes of illustrator brian sanders.}

{above: the camera was rigged to move with the centrifuge as the set rotated.}

{above: kubrick predicted that airline uniforms would not change drastically throughout the eras.}

{above: sanders captures actors smoking and playing pokers between takes.}

{read more about brian sander's collaboration with mad men at the new york times.} {peruse and learn more about sander's amazing work at the art of brian sanders.}

oh, jon hamm -- trending on twitter yesterday due to your manly obstacle.

i, on the other hand, admire you for your art (of course).

hence, the jon hamm coloring book.

{available at team art's etsy shoppe.}

stay for the sideburns.

{2 hour premiere on april 7th, kittens! mark your calendars.} {via tom and lorenzo...of course!}

kittens, we've all fantasized about mad men extending into the '70s, haven't we?

and, when we imagine a world with don draper donning polyester and joan dancing disco, we probably picture our darling pete peddling porn. with smut 'stache in tow and robe unfurled, mr. campbell has got the goods for raunchy, lucrative wares.

he's a mad man, indeed, and he looks damn good while doing it.

{vincent kartheiser models for mr. porter. photography by kurt iswarienko. styling by gaelle paul.} {via tom and lorenzo.}

the PC tower just got a delicious dose of draper dapperness thanks to IT guru/designer jeffrey stephenson.

see more of stephenson's mid-century styled computer transformations here.

{via the corner booth please.}

darlings, if you have ever fantasized about sneaking onto the set of mad men to twirl amongst the rack of dresses and steal a puff off of jon hamm's discarded cigarette, do i have a treat for you.

photographer extraordinaire, james minchin III, was given access to the dressing rooms, art department, and sound stage of our favorite TV show. the result -- an intimate, behind-the-scenes peek into mad men, from meticiously detailed 1960s props to an image of don draper using an iphone.

yep, sometimes what goes on behind the camera is just as fabulous as what goes on in front of it.

{photography by james minchin III for rolling stone.} {additional images can be found here.} 

kittens, it's been almost two weeks since the season 5 premiere of mad men and the reveal of don draper's new digs. although i did a MM megan fashion guide last week, i simply must shine a little WHORANGE shopping spotlight on the draper's swanky new pad.

one of the many things i most admire about mad men's production design team is they don't go for the obvious decor and furnishing choices that we now think of as iconic 1960s. instead, they incorporate pieces that are both old (1940s-50s) and mix them in with modern pieces of the time. my mom loves the show and remembers growing up with a lot of the same appliances, decor pieces, and artwork -- most of which she thought was long gone and forgotten because it has not stood the test of style time.

on a final note, as some of you may know, i work at an interior design firm and i get the truly awesome duty of shopping for clients' homes and bringing a little pretty to their lives. i have yet to come across a client like mrs. megan draper, but should she cross my path, i'm ready for action.

{above: 1. carl fagerlund for orrefors pendant light; 2. mother-in-law’s tongue snake ornamental plant; 3. custom-made bookshelf by joaquim tenreiro; 4. danish modern teak & rosewood barstools by erik buck; 5. glass bowl by per lutken for holmegaard; 6. danish lounge chair and ottoman; 7. abstract oil painting signed schiller, circa 1965.}

{above: 1. austrian bubble glass pendant light; 2. mustard pillow; 3. mid-century modern walnut sidetable; 4. teal velvet penny pillow; 5. hayward paprika pillow; 6. sofa by edward wormely for dunbar; 7. pair of sleek chrome benches by emeco.}

{above: 1. 1940s french ram's head metal table; 2. mid century carved teak table lamps; 3. black beige natural grasscloth wallpaper; 4. bob dylan "highway 61 revisited" vinyl record;  5. a love supreme by john coltrane; 6. zebra pillow; 7. hand blown vase by arthur percy, circa 1960s; 8. 1960s blue glass vase; 9. sideboard with floreira; 10. vintage 1950s gold ice bucket.}

{images and inspiration via the always gorgeous mirror mirror and the brilliance known as tom and lorenzo.}

mercy!

on sunday night, the sparkle fairy blessed us with the season 5 premiere of mad men -- a new apartment, a new vibe, a new mrs. draper. and darlings, this mrs. draper isn't wasting away on her fainting couch. instead, this one shimmies, shakes and sings. and she does it with tremendious style.

mrs. megan, we salute you!

within a matter of minutes, you turned "zou bisou bisou" into the mating call across the land.

{megan draper style: 1. holy tee yves jersey and silk-chiffon dress; 2. shure KSM9/SL premium vocal condenser microphone; 3. MAC false lashes; 4. large round cluster cocktail ring; 5. mac eyeshadow in tilt, 6. triple row rhinestone choker; 7. vivienne westwood for melissa ultragirl V11 buckled ballet flats; 8. OPI kyoto pearl nailpolish; 9. nars sheer lipstick in sexual healing; 10. make up forever kohl eyeliner pencil; 11. black fishnet stockings;12. elle macpherson burlesque façade lace contour bra and brief.}