In “Wilson,” reformed slacker Woody Harrelson plays a bungling misanthrope who learns he has a teenage daughter (Isabella Amara) with his estranged ex-wife (Laura Dern). Cue an attempt at middle-aged enlightenment that doesn’t go so well when the adoptive parents decide they’d rather he keep his distance.

The Huffington Post and parent company AOL have a joint exclusive clip from a dinner scene that pits the Harrelson and Dern characters’ unconventional guidance against the straight-laced habits of Dern’s relatives, including her sister, played by Cheryl Hines.

Directed by Craig Johnson (”The Skeleton Twins”), “Wilson” opens March 24. 

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More than 70 years after the end of World War II, the war effort’s working women finally have a national day of recognition.

Per a Senate resolution, March 21, 2017 has been designated National Rosie the Riveter Day in a “collective national effort to raise awareness of the 16,000,000 women who worked during World War II.” 

These aforementioned women, dubbed “Rosies” after the iconic Rosie the Riveter poster campaign used to recruit women into the wartime work force, filled gaps in the labor force left by men who had gone off to fight. These women did everything from producing planes and munitions, as well as other equipment that proved vital to the war effort, to serving on ration boards, volunteering for the American Red Cross and driving trucks.

During the war, the number of women working outside of the home increased dramatically. In 1940, women made up just 27 percent of the U.S. workforce. By 1945, that number had jumped to 37 percent. 

“The work that the women did during the war is totally forgotten, and it shouldn’t be,” Phyllis Gould, 95, who worked as a Navy-certified welder in shipyards during the war years, told Reuters. A small group of Rosies have been pushing for official recognition over the last few years.  

The Senate resolution, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), formally “acknowledges the important role played by women during World War II.”

According to Reuters, the surviving Rosies will be celebrated today during an event at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif.

Scroll below for a few WWII-era photos of real-life Rosies.  

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Misty Copeland has a pretty straightforward message for all the magazine cover women who claim “water and sleep” are the secrets to their beauty and health: “Shut up!”

In her new book, Ballerina Body, published by Grand Central Life & Style on March 21, Copeland discusses the lifelong habits ― both physical and mental ― that have helped her achieve the body of a ballerina. And while she hardly denounces the benefits of water and sleep, she’s quick to correct anyone who claims those two simple necessities are sufficient beauty “secrets.”

In fact, in a segment with CBS This Morning, the American Ballet Theater icon, who made history in 2015 when she became the company’s first black female principal dancer, explained why mental discipline and emotional strength are just as crucial to her health as drinking water, sleeping, and any other aspects of her extremely disciplined dieting and exercise regimes. 

“Performing live, just dealing with all of the pressure and what it is to be in a competitive field ―  I think it’s so important to be mentally and emotionally prepared and strong,” she told CBS. “I think every woman, every person can relate to that. It’s not just about being physically strong, it’s about believing in yourself.”

Ballerina Body is Copeland’s first health and fitness book, which provides step-by-step advice, meal plans and workout routines for women looking to emulate Copeland’s fitness regimen. The book, Copeland says, is geared to anyone and everyone (though the introduction singles out women) who wants to enact the kind of long-term change she embarked upon to achieve her physique. 

Copeland’s figure does not reflect the centuries-old ballerina ideal: impossibly long, lean and white. And she acknowledges this, and how her presence as an acclaimed ballerina has subsequently helped reshape the image of a dancer onstage. “It’s no longer about looking childlike and brittle,” she writes. “We are real women and ballerinas, and we, as well as those who aspire to a similar physical ideal, want to be lean but also muscular, feminine but also strong, lithe but also curvaceous.”

While her form doesn’t necessarily adhere to outdated conventions, Copeland’s body is still nothing short of exceptional, requiring diligent exercise and self-control. But, aside from the book’s emphases on sculpting “toned derrières” and “crystal-cut curves,” Copeland focuses on the mindful attitudes necessary for success, too. The first section of her book is aptly devoted to topics related to the “Mind,” and outlines how Copeland herself built up the emotional strength necessary for her career longevity.

“It took me my entire career, I think, to really understand how to take care of my body,” she told CBS. “To respect it. To understand that I’m an athlete and that it’s a long journey of figuring these things out. That it’s about creating your own version of a healthy image ― of a ballerina body.”

Ballerina Body is available on Amazon or at your local bookstore. 

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More than 70 years after the end of World War II, the war effort’s working women finally have a national day of recognition.

Per a Senate resolution, March 21, 2017 has been designated National Rosie the Riveter Day in a “collective national effort to raise awareness of the 16,000,000 women who worked during World War II.” 

These aforementioned women, dubbed “Rosies” after the iconic Rosie the Riveter poster campaign used to recruit women into the wartime work force, filled gaps in the labor force left by men who had gone off to fight. These women did everything from producing planes and munitions, as well as other equipment that proved vital to the war effort, to serving on ration boards, volunteering for the American Red Cross and driving trucks.

During the war, the number of women working outside of the home increased dramatically. In 1940, women made up just 27 percent of the U.S. workforce. By 1945, that number had jumped to 37 percent. 

“The work that the women did during the war is totally forgotten, and it shouldn’t be,” Phyllis Gould, 95, who worked as a Navy-certified welder in shipyards during the war years, told Reuters. A small group of Rosies have been pushing for official recognition over the last few years.  

The Senate resolution, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), formally “acknowledges the important role played by women during World War II.”

According to Reuters, the surviving Rosies will be celebrated today during an event at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif.

Scroll below for a few WWII-era photos of real-life Rosies.  

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Do you remember Libby and Pearl, the adorable toddler and pig who forged a special bond? Well, now their animal-loving family has two precious new members.

The Bonnice family adopted two baby goats, Calvin and Hobbes. Libby’s mom, photographer Lindsey Bonnice, told HuffPost that the goats are 5 weeks old and getting a lot of love from their humans.

Calvin and Hobbes joined the Bonnice family when they were just 1 week old. “A friend told us that they had heard of a local farm who had a mom goat who had babies,” Lindsey told The Huffington Post. “She was neglecting them and wouldn’t feed them, so they were looking for someone to bottle feed them. So off we went to rescue these sweet boys!”

The rural Pennsylvania family named the goats Calvin and Hobbes after one of their favorite comics “and because goats are silly and always getting them themselves into trouble like Calvin and Hobbes do!” 

Over the past month, Lindsey has been posting adorable Instagram photos and videos of the goats snuggling with now-4-year-old Libby and Lindsey’s two sons, 8-year-old Noah and 1-year-old Finn.

“Noah is my big helper, he helps make the bottles and feed them, helps take them outside and loves playing with them,” Lindsey explained, adding that Libby is their “little mama.” 

“She gets their diapers for them, calls them ‘her precious babies’ and holds them all the time!” the mom said. “Whenever they wake up, she shouts, “Mama the babies are awake!” And every morning when she wakes up she says, ‘Mama do you think the babies are up? We need to give them their bottles.’ She is completely enamored and loves them to pieces!”

Meanwhile, Finn is rather unamused. “He tries to steal their bottles, and they try to steal his,” said Lindsey. “Having all three of them in diapers and drinking bottles at the same time is like having triplets! I change about 20 diapers a day and make about 10 bottles or more!”

At this point, the family has three cats, three dogs, two pigs, three rabbits, two baby goats, a hamster and a tortoise who live inside their home. Additionally, they have four goats, a sheep, chickens and ducks in the barnyard. 

“I love our growing little farm, it gives me life and brings lots of smiles and laughter every day!” said Lindsey. “My husband just said today as he was going outside, he opened the door and one of the goats was on the front porch and he said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to there being a goat on the front porch when I open the door!’”

“There are goats on the front porch, pigs in the front yard, chickens running everywhere,” she added. “It’s how we live now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

The mom and blogger, who has over 126,000 followers on Instagram, has received countless positive comments saying her photos and videos of the goats and children are brightening people’s days.

Lindsey said she’s happy these images are spreading joy to others and bringing light into a sometimes very dark world. And she’s glad Calvin and Hobbes have become part of the family.

“Goats are really some of the sweetest animals,” the mom said. “They are loving and cuddly and really bond with their owners. They are so fun to watch run and jump and play and are like joyful and naughty little toddlers. They’re just happy little things and they make us laugh all day long!”

Keep scrolling and visit Lindsey’s Instagram for more adorable photos and videos of their family.

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The smash success of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has the internet buzzing about the casting possibilities of other animated classics that are slated for live action reboots. 

In an interview with Britain’s Gay Times, “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” composer Alan Menken revealed his dream choice to play evil sea witch Ursula in the live action adaptation of 1989’s “The Little Mermaid” ― and it’s perfect.

“I’ve wanted Harvey Fierstein to play Ursula,” Menken, who wrote the scores of “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” with late lyricist Howard Ashman, said. “I would kill for that!”

In 2002, Fierstein wore drag as Edna Turnblad in the Broadway adaptation of “Hairspray,” which nabbed him a Tony Award. He reprised the role on NBC’s “Hairspray Live!” in December 2016. 

Casting a man in drag as Ursula, who was voiced by actress Pat Carroll in the animated film, would be particularly fitting. Disney animators have long cited legendary drag queen Divine, who appeared in a number of John Waters movies, as an inspiration for the character. 

Menken, who is reportedly working on new songs for the live-action “Little Mermaid” with “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, appeared to hint at this in his Gay Times interview. “We wanted that,” he said, “and we would love it in a flash!”

From the sounds of it, Menken could get his wish. Currently starring in Off-Broadway’s “Gently Down The Stream,” Fierstein responded to the news on Facebook.

And, really, how incredible would Fierstein’s signature cackle be on scenes like this?

....and this: 

And, of course, this:

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ entertainment with the Queer Voices newsletter.

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Get exclusive interviews where your favorite celebs like Noah Cyrus and Jacob Sartorius spill the tea. Sign up here. 

The King of Pop’s daughter, Paris Jackson, made an appearance on “The Tonight Show” Monday to promote her guest role on the Fox drama series “Star,” which marks her professional acting debut. 

In her interview with Jimmy Fallon, Jackson revealed that one of the first concerts she begged to go to was “High School Musical Live.” Yes, that’s right, Paris Jackson was a hardcore fan of “HSM” just like the rest of tweenage America at the time.

Turns out the concert was a huge letdown though, since Zac Efron wasn’t there to play Troy Bolton due to his filming schedule. Needless to say, Jackson was “this heartbroken 10-year-old.” Apparently Efron’s replacement actor didn’t even look like him either. “I was so bummed,” she confessed. 

 Catch the rest of her interview below and be sure to watch her appearance on “Star” on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

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America Ferrera delivered a rousing speech on the importance of representation beyond the media at the Human Rights Campaign’s Los Angeles Gala Dinner on Saturday.

The 32-year-old actress was presented with HRC’s Ally for Equality Award during the ceremony, and in her acceptance speech broke down why it’s important that people of color and in marginalized communities see themselves reflected in culture. 

“We know that representation matters. We know this. Not just in the media but in our schools, in our hospitals, in our boardrooms, in our halls of power ― we know that it makes all the difference to see ourselves reflected by culture, with dignity, with humor, with compassion,” Ferrera said in a video of her speech posted Monday.

“It is how most of us learn what is possible for us,” she continued. “What our place in the world is. And too often we have to spend so many years unlearning what culture has taught us about who we are or ought to be; but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can change that. Every single one of us. We can leave the next generation with a better reflection of their innate worth and their inherent power simply by claiming and living in our own power.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest advocacy group in the country for LGBTQ rights, honored both Ferrera and Katy Perry during the gala for being allies and using their platform to elevate the voices of those in the LGTBQ community. The singer received a National Equality Award while Ferrera joined actress Meryl Streep and host Seth Meyers in receiving the Ally for Equality Award in 2017.  

During her speech, Ferrera also explained how she’s lacked role models in her own path to achieve her dreams. 

“I didn’t grow up seeing a lot of examples of short, brown, chubby, poor daughters of immigrant parents grow up to be successful actresses and loud activists,” she said. “I had to use my imagination most of the time.”

The star then thanked the mentors and friends who encouraged her to use her voice, including her high school drama teacher who was in the audience. And she admitted that some days it is “really hard” to be vocal about issues she cares about but feels her own empowerment is connected to the empowerment of other marginalized groups, like the LGBTQ community. 

Watch Ferrera’s full speech above. You can hear her comments on representation at the 10:00 mark. 

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We need to change the way we talk about mental health.

People often use words associated with mental illness, like “depressed” or “OCD,” in casual conversation as a way to express annoyance, make a joke or explain their feelings. In truth, this is hugely disrespectful to the one in five American adults who experience a mental health condition in a given year. 

“It’s actually demeaning to those with true illnesses that can’t easily stop these behaviors,” Dan Reidenberg, executive director of the suicide awareness organization SAVE, previously told The Huffington Post. “If we trivialize them into something else or we make that become the person’s identity, we have done everyone a disservice.”

Artist Annie Erskine explains it best in these comics for CollegeHumor: The words you say matter when it comes to mental health. Take a look at the illustrations below:

Head over to CollegeHumor to see the rest of this spot-on series. Bottom line? Mental illness isn’t a punchline, it’s a health condition.

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There are no hardships, glories and frustrations like those that stem from the experience of black womanhood. 

With the pervasive nature of misogynoir ― seen everywhere from reality TV to the lack of media coverage around missing black girls in Washington, D.C. ― it can be difficult to remember just how exceptional we are. 

So in honor of World Poetry Day and the absurdly moving nature of spoken word, we’ve gathered a few poems that lay out exactly what makes black women so dynamic. These poems are essentially a reminder that we’re the s**t. 

Disclaimer: Some of the following poems contain profanity. 

1. “10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Woman,” Joshua Bennett

2. “P***y Poem,” Jasmine Williams

3. “This Woman,” Alysia Harris

4. “For Women Who Are Difficult To Love,” Warsan Shire

5. “A Message to Women,” Reyna Biddy

6. “Black Girl Magic,” Shasparay Lighteard

7. “Black Girl Blues,” Masterpiece Poet

8. "Black Girls Be Boxing," Stella Binion

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As the Marvel’s newly released series “Iron Fist” remains the center of a whitewashing debate, the creator of the original character doesn’t seem to be taking the criticism well.

Former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who introduced the character over 40 years ago with artist Gil Kane, recently spoke to Inverse about the topic. Thomas, who wasn’t involved in the new series, bashed the debate over cultural appropriation, saying it’s “crap.”  

“Don’t these people have something better to do than to worry about the fact that Iron Fist isn’t Oriental, or whatever word?” Thomas told the outlet. “I know Oriental isn’t the right word now, either.”

The newly released series features white actor Finn Jones as main character Danny Rand, a supernatural martial arts master. Though this stays true to the source material, the show has been criticized for depriving Asian actors of an on-screen opportunity in a series that undeniably borrows from Asian culture.

In the interview, Thomas discussed his thoughts on the new series. He said he had no problems with the show sticking with the source material and casting a white actor as a master of supernatural martial arts. But he seemed to take issue with those accusing the new “Iron Fist” of whitewashing.  

“I just think some people have too much time on their hands, I guess. They have an infinite capacity for righteous indignation,” he told the outlet. “By and large, that tends to be misplaced quite often ... ”

The former Marvel editor-in-chief explained that he’d feel indifferent if the show had cast an Asian lead, but claimed that there’s nothing wrong with a white Rand. He also argued that Rand was a character from a different time and wasn’t created to represent a certain race, later adding that through his work, he aimed to “reach out to all races.”

While he mentioned that if a story were “really racist or degrading,” it’d warrant a conversation, Thomas asserted that “Iron Fist” didn’t fit in that category. He suggested that those involved in the debate should just create a new character themselves, instead of “constantly complaining.” To make matters worse, he even mentioned that Rand could’ve had a “buddy who was Asian.” 

Thomas’ comments didn’t go over well.

Jessica Henwick, who plays Colleen Wing in the series, took to Twitter to point out why his “Oriental” comment was problematic.

Some viewers of the new series seem to differ in opinion from “Iron Fist’s” original creator. NPR’s Eric Deggans pointed out that by casting and amplifying a white actor, “Iron Fist” actually is troubling. The critic, a self-proclaimed “superhero-aholic,” notes that the series minimizes Asian people and culture while also perpetuating a white savior narrative. 

“These are white characters, usually male, often misfits who find their true calling by coming to an environment filled with people of color and leading them,” Deggans said in a segment. “In ‘Iron Fist,’ Rand trained in a hidden city with Buddhist monks and becomes their greatest warrior.” 

Additionally, a number of fans on social media have deemed Asian actor Lewis Tan the best part of the show. Tan himself had been passed over for the lead part and he previously told HuffPost that an Asian lead would’ve benefitted the show. 

“There is a large group of people that want to see themselves represented as the heroes of the story and they are making their voices heard,” he said.   

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One of the more experimental pieces at this year’s Whitney Biennial, a colossal exhibition of contemporary American art, is an installation made from 2,755 slices of bologna pinned to the wall.

This makes us think comedian-turned-curator Justin Cousson is moving his artwork in the right direction. 

Cousson had recently grown tired of his messy roommate leaving old cheese knives, cardboard boxes, dirty shoes and other belongings strewn about their shared living space. So he decided to transform the stuff from useless garbage into avant-garde art, displayed in what he aptly dubbed a “passive-aggressive art gallery.” 

The found object installation contains 30 “mixed media” pieces, with estimated values between $500 and $6,000. Each piece is accompanied by the listing price and wall text explaining its origins.

The text for one fine work, an old spoon covered in sour cream left in the kitchen sink, reads “Sour cream covered spoon, left in sink before leaving town for four days.” Another, accompanying a pair of sneakers left mere feet away from the shoe rack reads “Shoes on shoe rack (nearly).” 

Cousson posted his experimental art collection on Twitter on March 17, and the gallery was a smash hit. 

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Tory Burch just played themselves.

The fashion company premiered a new ad on Tuesday to promote their spring/summer 2017 collection. The video, directed by Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, features English model Poppy Delevingne and two other white models dancing to “Juju on that Beat” by Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall (who hopefully got paid for this).

*sigh*

Engelbert told Elle Malaysia that her vision for the ad was to make it “playful” and “chic.”

“’Juju on That Beat’ is a happy song; I like the fact that it is a very easy song, too,” she said. “The girls learned the moves very quickly and they had fun. The best part was watching them rehearsing and doing the song because they enjoyed themselves for real, which made this whole process very fun.”

But the director, who is white, got a few things wrong. Not only was this video cringeworthy, especially when the lyrics “and you know my hair nappy” come around, it also features no black people. The viral dance for “Juju on that Beat,” a sample derived from Crime Mob’s classic “Knuck If You Buck,” was created, popularized and perfected by young black people.

Engelbert shared the video on Instagram and a while many of the comments were positive, some users said that it was inappropriate for the brand to use black music and dance without featuring a single black person. But they managed to give a monkey-shaped handbag a cameo. 

“As someone who has always liked Tory Burch as a brand, this is a huge disappointment. @bat_gio @toryburch is cultural appropriation at its worst. If your trying to broaden your demographic you might have missed the mark here. For the non-demographic, this ad is confusing and inappropriate #culturalawarenessanddiversity,” one person said. 

“Please include a diverse cast when creating your next video,” another user commented. “It left me feeling some kind of way seeing a blonde girl dancing to a song that comes from the African American culture. With all the political heartache they’ve been through this past year, please strongly consider adding a beautiful African American woman to your next film. Thank you!”

Black people already have a tough time breaking into the fashion industry. The very least these companies could do is cast black models if they’re going to profit off of black culture.  

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NBC has released a charming promo for the “Love Actually” mini-sequel that will air May 25 during the Red Nose Day charity telecast.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a riff on the famous “To me, you are perfect” cue-card sequence featuring Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightley. But this time, the cast teases the chance to gauge which of them has aged the best since the original movie’s 2003 release. Liam Neeson insists it’s him, and we’re not inclined to disagree. 

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Going to the movies can be a hassle for parents, but luckily today you can enjoy a huge selection of great films from the comfort of your couch. And you can get the kids involved, too.

Netflix recently shared a collection of beloved family movies available on the streaming platform. Take a nostalgia trip on family movie night with these modern classics you can watch with your kids.  

Kids Under 6 

Kids 6-10

Tweens 10-12 

Teens 13 And Over

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Last year, an artist named Nicole Bonneau decided she wanted to recreate every one of Bob Ross’ 403 paintings ― at least, the 403 paintings that were created on the beloved PBS show “The Joy of Painting.”

“[A]t the rate I’m going it will be 10 years before I finish,” she told The Huffington Post in an interview. At that point, she’d only painted 13.

Bonneau is one person in an almighty sea of Bob Ross fans who, over 20 years after his death, are doing their part to keep the curly-haired, denim-clad artist’s legacy alive. There’s also this person. And this person. Oh, and these people. 

Today, the world discovered yet another dedicated Ross follower in Felix Auer, the creator of Two Inch Brush, a website showcasing each and every one of those 403 “Joy of Painting” masterpieces. Every. Single. One.

“This is an unofficial database for ‘The Joy of Painting,’” Auer clarifies online.

His site takes its name from the precisely sized paintbrushes Ross preferred to use to achieve his wet-on-wet technique. On it, Auer presents each painting ― organized randomly, by season, and even by paint color ― alongside the appropriate “TJOP” episode, currently hosted on the Bob Ross YouTube Channel.

Bonus: there’s a “Getting Started” section for people somehow just now stumbling upon the magic of Bob Ross.

If you’re looking for an apolitical form of distraction in these ever chaotic times, we can’t recommend Bob Ross enough.

In the words of Ross, Auer, and probably every Bob lover on planet Earth: “Happy painting, and God bless, my friend.”

H/T A.V. Club

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Jane Austen, for many today, is practically synonymous with demure romance and traditional marriage. Documents turned up by the Hampshire County Council, however, suggest she held a more irreverent attitude toward the marital institution.

Austen, who never married and died at 41 in 1817, apparently created not one, but two fake marriage announcements for herself, filling out forms meant to document the publication of banns (a public proclamation of an intended marriage, read out on three successive Sundays from a church pulpit). The entries appear in the Steventon parish marriage register for 1755–1812.

One entry announces an impending marriage between herself and Henry Frederick Howard Fitzwilliam of London, and the other between herself and Edmund Arthur William Mortimer of Liverpool. In a statement, Hampshire County noted, “Whether or not Fitzwilliam or Mortimer actually existed is a mystery.” It should not be overlooked, however, that Fitzwilliam and Edmund later cropped up as Christian names for two of her iconic romantic heroes, Edmund Bertram (Mansfield Park) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice). Perhaps she had a fondness for those particular monikers. 

George Austen, the novelist’s father, was the rector of the parish of Steventon, and accordingly would have been one of the officials in charge of maintaining the marriage registry for the parish. Jane likely had relatively easy access to her father’s papers, allowing her to playfully forge fictitious marriage announcements.

“Jane would have been in her teens when she wrote these fake marriage entries,” commented Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside, Councillor Andrew Gibson in a statement, “and some could say it reveals a mischievous side during her younger years.” Given the mischief found in her spirited, witty novels, such a quality should hardly be a surprise.

Every Friday, HuffPost’s Culture Shift newsletter helps you figure out which books you should read, art you should check out, movies you should watch and music should listen to. Sign up here.

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Like many parents, Thu Pham has quite a collection of photos of her kid, 20-month-old Banksii Deville Moore. Wanting to do something more with them, the mom decided to use her artistic skills to add some creativity to her daughter’s life.

Pham has been using PicsArt, a photo editing app, for about a year and a half. With it, she draws on photos she’s taken of Banksii to put her in scenarios that match her mood and expression captured in the pic.

“I have a million photos stored on my phone and I just wanted to do something with them as they were sitting there being forgotten,” Pham told The Huffington Post. “With the creative itch and a lot of spare time nursing, I did a basic sketch on a funny photo I had taken. My mind was going through all different types of scenarios that I could draw and I found myself spending hours drawing adventures on little Banksii.”

The creative mom from Sydney, Australia, takes multiple photos of Banksii on her phone or sometimes with her camera and then chooses one that will look best with some added art.

“Taking images of a toddler is no easy feat and I will only have about 30 seconds to engage her before she is off,” Pham said. “Within that time frame I would have taken about 20 to 50 images and from there I’ll then decide on one image which speaks to me the most. Sometimes the ideas come instantly just by the way her face is expressed and how the body is position but like some artists, I do suffer from creative blocks!”

Since Pham first started sharing her edited pics of Banksii on Instagram under the hashtag #BanksiiAntics, her following has been slowly growing. She told HuffPost it’s been a “rippling effect” ever since, and as of Wednesday, she has more than 13,000 followers on Instagram. 

With her creations, Pham hopes to mimic the many adventures Banksii one day might be on as she grows older. Pham wants her daughter to know that the possibilities are endless.

“This whole series is dedicated to her, and in times of giving up I remind myself that this is for her,” she said. “These little drawings are to be kept as treasured memories, on how I believe that anything is possible for my little girl.”

See more of Pham’s art starring Banksii below and head to her Instagram for more of her work.

The HuffPost Parents newsletter, So You Want To Raise A Feminist, offers the latest stories and news in progressive parenting. 

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Though it will be a brief, bittersweet affair, the beloved residents of 28 Barbary Lane are bound for Broadway.

A musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s sexy, unabashedly queer literary series, “Tales of the City,” will receive a one-night staging at New York’s Music Box Theater March 27. The show, which features a book by “Avenue Q” librettist Jeff Whitty and music by Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears and John Garden, was developed as part of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Music Theater conference in 2009.

Produced by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the 2017 incarnation of “Tales of the City” will be a staged concert version of the musical as it appeared in its debut engagement at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater in 2011. The show, which takes place in 1976, follows Mary Ann Singleton (played by Betsy Wolfe), a naive Ohio woman who moves to San Francisco on a whim. She finds an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane, where she gradually befriends the building’s free-spirited tenants, including the openly gay Michael “Mouse” Tolliver (Wesley Taylor) and pill-popping Mona Ramsey (Mary Birdsong). New to the March 27 cast is Justin Vivian Bond, who will play pot-smoking landlady and surrogate mother to Barbary Lane’s pack of eccentrics, Anna Madrigal, while Maupin himself will also appear.

Shears told The Huffington Post that when Whitty asked him and Garden to help turn “Tales of the City” into a musical over a decade ago, the pair jumped at the opportunity. The singer-songwriter’s personal history with the source material – he said he “devoured” the books in high school, shortly before coming out as gay – made the decision a no-brainer. “I knew it was something I had to do, and something I wanted to do,” he said. “The books were a real eye-opener for me, and made me feel settled about who I was [as I was coming out]. They’ve always had a special place in my heart.”

The inclusive nature of Maupin’s work was certainly ahead of its time when his first “Tales of the City” stories were serialized in The San Francisco Chronicle in 1976, but continue to impact the musical’s cast members, too. The stories struck a personal chord for Taylor, a Florida native who was raised in a conservative Christian family. The 30-year-old actor-singer, who appeared on Broadway in “Rock of Ages” and “The Addams Family,” said relocating to San Francisco for “Tales of the City” offered him a fresh start after years of New York theater gigs. The city’s “weird, kooky and unabashed” queer community, he said, embraced him wholeheartedly.

“It gave me this gay fraternity that I never had before, which I think is important for a young gay person,” he told HuffPost. In some respects, Taylor had a unique challenge, given that Maupin had written the character of Michael as a stand-in for himself. Noting that the author “couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming” during the development of the musical, Taylor soon found that the role “resonated so much. Michael is lost, but not in a spiritual sense. He’s seeking the love and the support that his family can’t provide for him, and I identify with that struggle and that journey.”

Wolfe, 34, likened her “Tales of the City” experience to her work in the 2016 Broadway revival of “Falsettos,” which starred Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells as an embattled gay couple during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Though “Tales of the City” was extended three times during its San Francisco run, a Broadway production never materialized. The fact that the show has never been produced outside of the Golden State, she said, has sparked a cult-like interest in the musical among theater fans. “People at the stage door of other shows that I’ve done will constantly say, ‘Man! I wish I could see that,’ or ‘I have a secret recording,’” she said. “It was really, truly, a special story to tell, and that doesn’t always happen in the theater.”

Whether or not “Tales of the City” will live on beyond the March 27 production in New York or elsewhere remains to be seen. Of course, the team is cognizant of the implications of staging an LGBTQ-inclusive piece at a time when many members of the queer community feel uncertain about the future. Hence, proceeds from the show will benefit The Trevor Project, the nation’s leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth.

The concert’s charitable aim, Garden said, will undoubtedly please the author. “A lot of these stories are about finding family – about finding the family you want to spend the rest of your life with, or the family that’s right for you at that point in time,” he said. “Maupin treated everyone’s story equally. He presented people’s lives as human lives, rather than any particular gender or sexuality. Anyone I know who loves this story feels like they own it.”

“Tales of the City” plays the Music Box Theater in New York March 27. Head here for more information.  

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“Scream Queens” star Emma Roberts has started a book club called “Belletrist,” and you can get in on the fun! 

In her latest Instagram post about the project, Roberts explains that she’s “constantly posting what I’m reading and wanting to know what you’re reading!” So it only made sense for her to start a book club where she and her followers can read and discuss the latest literature together. 

The caption does not include logistics in terms of how to join, but you can head over to the Belletrist account, which is expected to announce the first book of the month on Thursday.

You can also check out Roberts’ previous book recommendations on her Instagram page. 

Happy reading, bookworms! 

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