words of wisdom: vonnegut

1. find a subject you care about.
2. do not ramble, though.
3. keep it simple.
4. have the guts to cut.
5. sound like yourself.
6. say what you mean to say.
7. pity the readers.

beauty draws us with a single hair

there's something about vintage that exudes romance. i assume it's the stories passed down with the heirlooms or the mystery of the stories unknown. whatever it is, i'm not ashamed to admit that i really don't care, that i prefer the aesthetics of vintage. the craftsmanship, the style, the materials; they all surpass anything from our times. i'm not one of the fortunate, however, and i can only dream of a vast vintage collection (hopefully my 6/49 ticket turns out a winner tomorrow! fingers crossed!) that doesn't stop me from collecting pictures of vintages, because one day, someday, i will get the chance to purchase my dream items.

these lovely hair accessories - perfect for any bride - are photographed by jennifer carrillo. she takes standard wedding photos, but they are touching none the less. as an added bonus her website features the music of glen hansard and marketa irglova from 'once' which is such a great film, it melts my cold heart.

ebay and etsy are two tried and true sources for lovely vintage finds or homemade crafts. this lovely set here can be purchased on etsy at modishvintage, or you can go all out and get a brush from the mason pearson line. i found out about the brand from mindy kaling's blog (girl crush!!!). so cool, reminds me of titanic!

what is my ideal of vintage romance? it's all about innocence , it's all about the hair - and curls are the epitome of vintage, virginal hair. i love the locks of these two lovely ladies, the first photographed by claudio mancilla and the second for dearcreatures, found at oh joy! and because i'm the worst blogger in the world, i've lost the reference for that final photo, which i think is so lovely - i'm going to take a stab at it and say it was found at oh, hello friend! or oh joy!

now i just have to wait and will for my hair to grow grow grow, so i can have ethereal curls once again.

david hughes - illustrations for adults

i think it's only appropriate to follow my previous post regarding illustrations for children with one for adults. david hughes is as talented as any to follow the likes of antoine de st exupery - his website displays work for a range of publications from the new yorker to esquire, even to children's books by sandy turner!

on a rare night a couple of weeks ago, i went out with some friends and our pre-event shindig was hosted by my good friend guy. his home was so lovely - his mother's an artist and by the looks of her pad, she's also an earthy goddess with great taste. in his kitchen was a wall absolutely covered in amazing magazine tears and other inspiration - among them, an illustration that jumped out.

the sex and the city ladies! wow wow wow! david hughes captured the essence of each of these four women! samantha's resemblance is uncanny - carrie's dress - miranda on her high horse - charlotte's body! everything in this picture is perfect right down to the yellow cab and bridge in the background, the proportions of which perfectly offset the scale of the ladies in the foreground.

what i love about illustrators, which you cannot find in other artists, is their knack for portraying pop culture and the political arena at any moment in time (granted many traditional visual artists capture the political environment of their time, ie: picasso - guernica, it's never with the urgency of a commercial artist).

besides, how could i not love a man who took one of my favourite books, and managed to create an illustration that wasn't stuffy - as jane eyre and other novels of the era are often considered to be - in fact, it's downright quirky!

find other david hughes work here.

youth novels

with the recent (somewhat) release of the trailer for spike jonze's 'where the wild things are' i couldn't help but be reminded of my childhood and the bedtime stories that accompanied it. (and with that last sentence, i couldn't help but be reminded how 'i couldn't help but be reminded/think/wonder/etc' is the very foundation of the carrie bradshaw school of journalism - that is to say it's not very good technically). favourite books, read and reread, are now in tatters - missing covers, missing pages, scribbles all over - many have needed replacing over the years.

'the little prince' is not only my favourite children's story but also my favourite book of all time, and so it too has recently been replaced, after an hour searching high and low in the quirky used book store by my office. Aside from the great story itself, 'the little prince' also contains great illustrations which, face it, as a child are quintessential to an enjoyable reading experience.

antoine de saint exupéry filled the novel with simple little drawings (a snake having eaten an elephant, often mistaken for a hat by the aged eye, or a sweet lamb). however, it is in their simplicity that the reader finds authenticity in the narrator's voice - after all, he is supposed to be someone weary of adulthood.

i couldn't speak about children's stories without mentioning miss madeline - what a great television show this made as well

and of course, how could one speak of cheeky little girls in big cities without mentioning eloise! the smartest five year old i know, she taught me that when getting dressed, the first thing to do is put on my gloves. how posh!

then there are the intricate, detailed, and mesmerizingly beautiful illustrations that can be found in children's books as well.

the above can all be found in stories by marie queen of roumania, often illustrated by edmund dulac or helen stratton. the very first, my favourite, reminds me of klimt with its dark background, flat colours, and the daintiest flowers

needless to say, i'm more than excited for the release of 'where the wild things are', but until then i'll immerse myself in the book and rediscover all the magic i've forgotten since the last time i read it. ah, to be young again.

pet my pussy (too lewd?)

when tax season and exam studying brings me down, i turn to the cute & cuddly. as someone with a cat allergy, i still dare you not to smile after you check out these precious kitties!

(bestweekever)

(mfrost.typepad)

linda serbu is a dreamy lady and michel gondry makes dreams reality, so this video is nothing short of genius.

but a much superior kitty video is this one, maru even has his own blog! what a smart kitty!



by far my least favourite cat is lynsi's (frisky). she's a racist and sexist, and i don't think i can respect such a hateful kitty.

by far my favourite cat is ian's (more (and bigger) pictures please ian)! i've only met max a couple of times, but there is a special bond.

there are so many more pretty pussies, but this post would go on for an eternity if i didn't bring it to a stop now. sweet dreams all!

adieu, jeunesse!

(thobias faldt)

goodbye indecent, excessive, irresponsible behaviour

goodbye late nights and greasy spoons that ensue

goodbye scraped knees and bruised thighs, of which we have no recollection, worn as badges of honour, as a testament to our tolerance

farewell to the scheming, the plotting, the manipulation
the gossip, and incessant trash talk

adieu, jeunesse, adieu!

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hello saturday spent at the office, hello sunday spent at the office

hello cheap suits bought while reassuring ourselves that our position is only temporary
with the hope that one day we will be artists,
we will spend our time in charming cafés drinking organic coffee, smoking hand rolled cigarettes

hello boredom, self loathing, and the quarter life crisis that will creep up on us but by no means take us by surprise

Salut

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if i sound fatalistic, it's only because i am

white album

it may seem as if this post is inspired by the snowfall today yet nothing could be further from the truth. i'm not exactly sure how the whole "no white after labour day" rule works, but i think it's safe to assume that white is allowable now that it's april. and while it may evoke memories (or current situations) of snow, white also reminds me of spring mornings and the freshness of the air after an overnight rainfall.

elizabeth & james items are so simple yet they still manage to be stand out pieces in an ocean of contemporary designer lines. the above dress is on my spring/summer wishlist (or only-in-my-dreams list, rather); it has the casual elements of boyfriend t-shirts but it manages to be feminine with that darling layering at the bottom.

the spring/summer current/elliot ad campaign makes me want to put on a pair of hunters and jump around on a muddy farm. the collection is made up of many white linen dresses and faded blue jeans that remind me of playful midwest farmers daughters.

sessun's spring/summer 09 collection conjures up the same yearnings for the simple life. featuring allie (that alien-beautiful friend of whitney on mtv's the city), i love the grainy faded effect on this photo - so dreamy!