26 Jun 2012

Tuesday's Tees - Narwhal Love

Narwhals - tusked, Arctic Ocean dwellers, members of the whale family and quite a spectacle to behold. I am a huge narwhal fan and to express my fondness for these magical* beasts I have devoted this edition of Tuesday's Tees to them entirely :)

*how can they be real?! they look like something from a fairytale - so amazing. I'm pretty much in total agreement with the last tee.


Narwhals Can - Zazzle
Unicorn of the Sea - BustedTees
Save the Narwhals - Crazy Dog Tshirts
100% Awesome - Skreened
On the Waves of Love - Gnome Enterprises and Modcloth
Born to be a Conductor - Threadless
Pretty Much F*cking Magic - Cellar Door


And, as if this couldn't get any better, this is actually post 100! To celebrate here is the cutest narwhal I could find <3


25 Jun 2012

what I wore: pretty scarves


My first ever 'what I wore' post! Last Saturday, Mitch and I had a wander round Brick Lane where amongst a lot of very pretty things (including some very cool 8mm cine cameras and projectors) I found these pretty scarves in an indoor vintage clothing market for £2 - bargain :)

21 Jun 2012

(im)patiently waiting

A few weeks ago I ordered a flash for my little golden half camera, it has yet to arrive, an so I continue to wait (im)patiently. I've been snapping away regardless.

May

Gardening


veg patch

Mitch's nephews 4th birthday party - Micky and Minnie in attendance 


birthday party winding down


Dulwich Fair - complete with Punch & Judy show


Dulwich Park

American gardens - Dulwich Park

breaking in to the kid's adventure playground

mango

experimenting with filters

glare

icecream

wildflower

seriously windy in brockwell park

filter experiments 

venus flytrap (left) - we fed it chicken and doritos, it didn't object

lauren and eric wearing a massive snake

20 Jun 2012

Reading & Seeing 7

awesome illustration by Laura Perm-Jardin

Moonrise Kingdom
Released over three weeks ago and the screenings of this were still selling out probably because everyone has been raving about it (rightly so) - and I'm going to do just the same! From the minute the opening titles roll to the closing scenes of the movie Wes Anderson envelopes you into his world of beautifully shot sequences, eccentric and colourful characters wearing some amazing costumes and delivering a witty and poignant script. Everything and everyone shines in that particular hue and finish which can only signify a Wes Anderson film, where every frame could be a photograph or painting. But enough of how it looks because not only it is something delicious to admire aesthically, it's also a brilliant story. The plot is centred around Sam and Suzy who just don't seem to fit in and so, after a chance meeting, decide to run away together. Although the focus is on the two youngsters and their fledgling love for each other (Sam to Suzy "I may wet the bed later but I thought I'd tell you now so you don't get offended" <3) my favourite characters were those on the peripheries Edward Norton as the Scout Master and Bruce Willis as the police officer both leading the search to find the two escapees. That saying, the two young leads were amazing! I'd forgive for thinking that from my watered-down plot summery the film was rather tame and a little on the twee side - far from it. Yes the scenes between Sam and Suzy are incredibly cute and innocent - particularly their dance moves - but there quite a few dark moments which highlight some of the more sombre themes running throughout the film - bullying, unhappy marriages, death, suicide and loneliness. Buuuuut, everything works out in the end with plenty of excellent cameos along the way (Anderson mainstay Jason Schwartzman as cousin Ben and Bob Balaban as the narrator were my faves). I felt the cinema with a massive grin on my face, thinking it would be great if more things in life were given the Wes Anderson treatment, I bet I'd even love my commute to work if it was more Moonrise Kingdom styled.



Prometheus
Opinions are certainly divided over this, Ridley Scott's cinematic return to the 'Alien' world. There has been so much hype surrounding it's release not to mention the awesome mini films on youtube (my favourite being the Fassbender one about David) and I admit I was caught up in it all (of course, I'm a girl who loves her sci-fi). But then the reviews started to appear and my expectations were lowered, perhaps that's why I thought it was actually alright. True, it is nothing like the original 'Alien' film but then why was everyone expecting it to be? As a stand alone film it was entertaining, suitably jumpy, particularly gruesome in places and well acted. The problem I have with Prometheus is that it poses so many questions (not to mention attempting to talk about the idea of creation and the origins of the human race) and fails to provide any answers, save giving us with the back story to the 'alien' and how it came to be, which to be fair, was interesting (and gross). But what of humanity and the weird beings that created us and who also, by the way, wish to destroy us? Who knows. Saying that though, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the film but after the foreign-body-removal episode the pace went a bit off kilter. I'm glad I saw it for myself and at the IMAX which instantly made it twice as engaging, some of the scenes (especially the shots in space) gave me a twinge of motion sickness, in a good way. There was plenty of action and the sets were amazing but it just had way too much to answer for. Would I recommend it? Yes but not as whole-heartedly as I'd hoped.


love this cover

Valley of the Dolls (1966)
Three girls, all trying to make it, in one way or another. In search of a husband, career, money, love... Jacqueline Susann's cult classic follows the stories of Anne, Neely and Jennifer throughout the late 40s, 50s and 60s America namely New York and LA, exposing the backstabbing and cut-throat world of show business in all it's forms - tv, the movies and broadway. Their stories become intertwined as we watch their lives and characters develop- this is probably my favourite aspect of the book, the rise and fall of Neely in particular. Anne is at the centre of the book, and although she is a bit of a wet blanket, you still want to see her succeed, namely in finding love. Jennifer is probably the most likeable out of the three (she's my favourite) but although she achieves her ambitions she meets a sad end. Actually, the conclusion of the book is pretty grim all round but it's a great read, perhaps a little trashy but in a v.good way (and so what, we all need a bit of escapism sometimes). There are a number of excellent secondary characters that pop up every now and then only to enhance the rollercoaster ride of a plot - sex, celebrity rivalry, marriage, divorce, betrayal, mental illness, suicide and of course the dolls (drugs to you and me) in all their colours and sizes. I love this book (this is my second time reading it) and it's one that I always seem to seem to lend out to people, (most recently my boss). Would I recommend it? Hells yeah!



The Marriage Plot (2011)
I'm a big Jeffery Eugenides fan, having loved loved loved The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, it seemed only natural to read what came next out of his incredibly interesting brain. I was not disappointed. The title refers to 'the marriage plot' found in English Literature (including the works of Austen and Elliot), wherein the storyline focuses around the lead up to a prominent character's wedding, romantic union or not. It was a fairly common plot in the novels of the 18th and 19th centuries probably because of the great emphasis placed on the sacrament of marriage as a means of securing a future, particularly if you were a woman. Any-hoo back to Eugenides' more modern (set in the early 1980s) version. At the heart of the book are our three protagonists: Madeline, Leonard and Mitchell. Both the guys are, in their own ways, in love with Madeline and she, well, she doesn't really know what she wants - one of them, both of them, neither of them. But being Eugenides it's not as simple as all that 'who's going to get the girl' crap. The novel takes place, primarily, during the first year after graduation, although we, as readers, are frequently allowed to glimpse into each of the graduates pasts. Eugenides is brilliant at creating a backstory. Madeline, Leonard and Mitchell each have a voice which narrates at intervals throughout the novel which not only presents them as very three dimensional characters but as all very different and isolated individuals, with different ways of seeing things. What I particularly liked was when more than one of them describes the same event. Hearing the different views in this overlapping narration was quite amusing in places and gave an interesting depth to the story. I also liked the fact that the three main characters were linked to three contrasting, and at times conflicting, subjects - Science (Leonard), Literature (Madeline) and Religion (Mitchell) and how their lives and experiences were linked up to those subjects in the year that the book takes place - Leonard's time at Pilgrim Lake working on yeast cells, Madeline's literature course and Mitchell's jaunt around Europe and India. On a more serious note it was very interesting to read about manic depression in such a personal way, both first hand and from the perspective of others. The book ends very suddenly but appropriately, and certainly not in the traditional 'marriage plot' way... If you loved Eugenides' other books I reckon you'll like this too. To those who've not read his stuff - do!  




19 Jun 2012

Tuesday's Tees - ON SALE!





All these tees are currently on sale - easy on the eye and won't break the bank!

Eskimo Pop - grizzly but cute tee from Threadless - sizes left in guys and girls AND it's under $10 :)
Space Scape - v.cool t-shirt from American Apparel only £9.50, bargain.
Poncho Tee - Loving this oversized tee from ASOS
White Bison - Sandra Dieckmann's excellent illustration of the majestic bison is only £6! If only I was a few sizes smaller! 
Who invited the Herbivore? - Awesome dinosaur doodle from Gemma Correll. All the girl's sizes are sold out but they've got some smalls and mediums left in the guy's section.
 Play Hooky - These were in fact the tees that started the whole Tuesday's Tees adventure! There's a couple of Kate Spade's other slogan tees available at reduced prices too!

18 Jun 2012

ode to a pair of sunglasses

A sad thing happened this weekend. My favourite pair of sunglasses broke. The prognosis doesn't look good so I will be forced to bid them farewell. 


This is of course rather melodramatic, after-all it's only a pair of sunglasses...But I love sunglasses and especially these ones. They're not fancy or expensive, Topshop circa Spring 2010, but they were great - the colour, the shape, those tortoiseshell arms, the way they made everything look on a super sunny day, such a good tint.
Sigh.
They were well used and well loved, by all.


At least we had a good two years together.

(apologies to those expecting a poem, there is no actual ode, I thought that might have been completely over the top)

15 Jun 2012

Further Confessions of a Hand Model

So the magazine has been going for 6 months now but my hands have been on call for 10. Since my first confessions post I now have a few more to share...

  • When accidentally injuring my hands my first thought is rarely "oh no I've hurt myself, more like "OH NO! I've got a photo shoot next week, will this heal in time?!!"
  • I'm beginning to feel competitive towards other hand models. The photographer at the studio happened to mention that he'd been photographing another girl's hands the day before our shoot and I asked how her hands were. The reply: "Beautiful, actually." *small twinge of jealousy* which is obviously completely ludicrous.
  • Becoming increasingly judgemental and critical about my hands in shots (and real life - see below) whether it's my gigantic thumbs, bird quack pose or my especially protuberous knuckles.
  • I've begun to notice things about my hands that I'd never noticed before. For example: my little finger is vastly smaller than my other three fingers (especially my left one) . Now that's it's been pointed out to me it's very distracting.
  • When I do let my nails grow (and when I've not been attacking the skin around them) they do look quite nice - especially as they managed to benefit from the two weeks of sunshine we had a few weeks ago. *oh the vanity*

10 Jun 2012

on the outside looking in - Stratford

The Olympics and Paralympics are fast approaching - kicking off in about 6 weeks - and as I don't have a ticket to any of the events it seemed like a good idea to go down to Stratford to see the Olympic park while they add the finishing touches. The park obviously wasn't open so we went to snoop from afar.

The red structure on the left is The Orbit designed by Anish Kapoor, to the right is the equestrian centre and between the two is the Olympic Stadium. 

I rarely, if ever, travel out as far as Stratford, the furthest east I tend to go is shoreditch or hackney and the site of the Olympic Park couldn't be more different with it's numerous new builds - modern flats, bridges, the gargantuan shopping centre Westfield, public sculptures and art pieces and of course the Stadium itself and it's accompaniments - the Orbit, equestrian centre, international train station, water polo building, basketball arena and the Olympic Village. The work that's been completed is simply vast! It sounds silly but I really had no idea how big the Olympic Park was going to be - the scale of the construction is insane! But then again, it's got to hold however many millions of visitors between the end of July and beginning of September.

View from outside Stratford Station -Titanium sculpture and the Stratford Centre

As we were in the area we stopped by Westfield for lunch. I've not been to either of the Westfields in London before and the one at Stratford is absolutely huge - it's quite overwhelming how much choice there is and not just in the World Food Court. It's like Oxford Street over three floors! Whilst in the biggest shopping centre I've ever been to I was of course super tempted to buy stuff. Being v.restrained I came away I giant ball of yarn in order to start my first ever knitting project and one of the vests Orla Kiely has designed for Uniqlo :)



And, so you really can appreciate how big the yarn ball is...with a beardy update for good measure.

7 Jun 2012

You remind me of the babe...

Aside from all the jubilee related fun over the weekend, my sister and I had the added bonus of attending a ball, but not just any ball...

Yes, that's right - a Labyrinth themed evening at the Prince Charles Cinema, complete with a prelude of David Bowie music vids, a costume competition, a David Bowie impersonator, goodie bag complete with lollipop, poppers and bubbles AND of course the film in all it's 35mm glory. We were also encouraged to quote and sing along with the film (as well as loudly respond to the different characters appearing on screen - including the excellent Bowie in his rather revealing pair of leggings)!



Prior to the ball, we spent the afternoon making our masks which was fun and quite a challenge what with pesky sequins not sticking but the finished things looked pretty good I thought!

The best part for me was when everyone blew bubbles during the actual masquerade ball in the dream sequence. Not to sound twee but it was pretty magical. I am a total sucker for bubbles though :)
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