An owl transistor radio! The owl, made in Japan, is 8 inches tall and fat with a plastic body and gold medal wings, eyes, legs and speaker holes in the crotch.
Charley wrote some wise words about the trials of being a modern woman and the ladies who inspire her. “So thank GOD for the women who inspire me. The ones who remind me that nobody ever got anywhere by compromising on their own truth. Those women who sang songs that put them in jail, wrote books that provoked, played instruments better than their male contemporaries, spoke their minds, carried on regardless.” Mandatory reading. As I said on Twitter, I feel exactly the same way except I’m shorter.
I write like? This writing analysis tool declared that my personal diaries resemble Dan Brown’s style. Guess I was recently ranting about the queues for the Louvre. Who’s tone are you perfecting?
The Concentrators – a short story by Sue Francis that nails the frozen-in-time feelings of small town New Zealand life.
An interview with Alexis from Sleighbells. I cranked the album constantly while I was away, love them. On Treats: “It’s a social record, it’s not the kind of record that you want to listen to by yourself in your room, it will make you want to go out and have fun and dance and forget about all the other crap that you normally worry about.”
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) – a number from the Hotrats, Supergrass’s covers project. The album Turn Ons came out a while ago but I have been enjoying it this week.
In spite of playing the Queen, Helen Mirren is a hot babe. “I am alittle notorious,” Mirren remarks, still teasing. She says nearly everything with a mischievous twinkle, like a naughty teenager appending “ … in bed” to the end of every sentence. NYMag delivers yet another great interview.
Issue 2 of online photography magazine Télégramme is now out. It features the work of Kelley Smith, Shannon Doubleday and Atchi Toyoshima. (And one photo from me.)
Woolfiller is an ingenious way of patching up holes in your cardigan, and gosh darn it you know I have like 30 holey jumpers.
Are blogs dying? From the Economist, ‘An empire gives way’. I don’t think they’re dying, but rather, just one part of sharing.
I am scared of black holes and space etc. I know broad topic… Anyway, this magnetic silly putty makes me feel the same way. Watch it EAT the magnet.
I find it funny when I’m far from home and I always want to listen to things from New Zealand, or things that remind me of the past. From my Europe 2010 playlist: Second Chance, Liam Finn. My arm swinging with the music as I grasp the rail on the tube, thinking about where I’ve been. This gorgeous video was directed by Angus Sutherland:
This CFS Loves edition comes from Paris. I am whipping around the world at the speed of light it seems. Let’s pretend for a moment I am writing to you from a charming Parisian pied-à-terre, my dachshund at my feet.
Not a garret that somewhat resembles a hotel room, just now with 8 people sharing it. It’s so funny… the room retains the original hotel feel – tacky painting, a desk for correspondence, a side table, there are just 4 sets of bunks shoved in. It’s very ‘romantic’. That said, my fleeting roommates are lovely! We’ve been sharing beer and shampoo – instant friendship. As such, this little collection of links is vaguely travel themed…
By the way, if you want to make me happy like a crocodile at a playground, you can still cast a vote for me in Cleo’s Wonder Women campaign. Email cleo@acpmagazines.co.nz with a vote for Amber Parkin / Blogger. Put WONDER WOMEN in the subject line and include your name and contact details. Sweet as. I mean, merci!
On Saturday night I’m going to be in South Korea. I found the picture above purely by chance, then saw it was in Seoul. I’m excited! I’ve been reading about street styles, the Hangul alphabet, and thinking of making a quick raid on the Dongdaemun night markets.
Forgotten Storefronts in Williamsburg. I liked this because I stayed just around the corner from North 5th Street and Berry Street and know the derelict air of which ScoutingNY speaks.
‘So you feel like Jim Morrison wandering the desert of Wayne’s World 2, with the claw of the hawk god about to pluck you harshly from your pleasant reality?’ Japanese ads for psychiatric drugs.
I’ve stayed the last two nights in a hotel overlooking Auckland’s ferry buildings and Voyager, the maritime museum. It seems apt that this morning I stumbled across this link: Ships In Concrete – Best Maritime Inspired Architecture.
Clever clogs! My favourite NZ gig promoter Strange News aka Matthew Crawely has a new blog/website, designed by the phenomenal Melissa Jenkins. Super-luxe.
Street Museum is groundbreaking app bringing the past to life on the streets of London. I want an iPhone now, just to play with this myself.
YACHT. I have an ocean’s worth of respect for these two and their music makes my heart go boom-boom-boom. Here they are talking to Causecast about: music distribution, self-navigated media making, vegetarianism, health care, the financial struggles of being a band, and the DIY spirit of being an artists, and the importance of adapting your skills.
A fabulous series of mini-essays by multi-disciplinary New Zealand artist Askew on his style journey through hip-hop & graffiti: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 – from 93 til infinity.
Musical interlude – feel the good vibrations:
Presumably blogged by every tough girl in a lace dress already, the Crystal Brass Knuckle Duster (I am going to realign your chakras motherf*****) by Debra Baxter is the Best. Thing. Ever.
A great article from NYMag: Uniqlones – How Did Uniqlo Become The Hottest Retailer in New York? Nerd alert – I not only admire Uniqlo for its fashion aesthetic, but am really into the single minded way they are managing brand experience. On the other hand – is it just the Japanese way?
The Graffyard uses QR codes to preserve grafiti after it’s been scrubbed off – yow, what an idea!
WANT: A Julian scarf from Wintercheck. It’s a scarf with zip pockets in the side, for stashing you keys, cellphone and expensive things you shouldn’t take out and about with you, but you do. The perfect solution to mega bags and overstuffed pockets.
Author Daniel Okrent is questioned about the history of the Prohibition. ‘So that’s how powder rooms came to exist’ and other tidbits.
Obvious, but I have just been browsing Karim Rashid’s site and loving his manifesto.
Trent Reznor emerges from the batcave to collaborate with his wife as How to Destroy Angels on “A Drowning”. What do you think? I still miss the days of The Fragile.
Amazing and disgusting all at once – the Simpsons parody Ke$sha’s Tok Tok in the opening sequence. Love it!
The first episode featuring ANTM’s Noo Zealand. It was really fun to watch. One of my dear friends worked on it – good to see her hard work come to life!
Q&A time. William Gibson talks about ‘Creator’s Block’, termites, essays and all sorts of other fun things.
Carsten Höller’s (the man behind my favourite mushrooms) Test Site 2006 is a series of spiralling slides inside the Tate Modern’s (giant) Turbine Hall. Visitors were encouraged to get their slip and slide on from the top floor of the Tate Modern. But Is It Installation Art?
Japan – The Strange Country is an animated infographic film. While I can’t speak for the content (generalisations, much?) the illustrations are really well done. I like the ramen making robots! Perhaps mute it and use your own soundtrack…
LCD Soundsystem’s new album is a banger. Yes, you should stream THIS IS HAPPENING.
Skateboards by artist Marilyn Minter, as seen hanging in Behati Prinsloo’s model apartment. How gorgeous are they? Minter’s work reminds me of a great series by New Zealand photographer Anne Noble called Ruby’s Room.
Cartoonist Toby Morris is drawing 200 different characters he’s known over the years, illustrated and written about as he remembers them. It’s a funny little collection so far. He hopes he remembers right.
Lonely Planet made a list of countries they reckon can still be travelled on the cheap. Particularly relevant if you’re like me, making do with a raggedy dollar.
Grain Edit is a nifty site showcasing ‘classic design work from the 1950s-1970s and contemporary designers that draw inspiration from that time period’. Discoveries include La Boca’s record sleeve designs – all in that sci-fifties style I adore:
Let’s start this grab-bag post off right with gratuitous picture of an amazing sweater from The Needleworker’s Constant Companion [via here]. CFS loooovees:
Stack Magazines – an indie mag subscription service – they’ll send you a regular selection of swoon inducing reads.
Last weekend I went to Tiger Translate with some buddies (check the photos by Nivin!). A good time was had by all, thanks in part to the free tequila, and partly because of the super fresh work that had been installed in the space, an old Masonic hall. Frank at Hypebeast has written a proper, smart review of the art and music event.
Inject a little safari style into your look, with inspiration courtesy of the film Out Of Africa.
In Auckland? Love reading? Enjoy drinking? Then join me for the innuagral meeting of the Book Club For Drunks. There’s no mincing of words here – we read books with a nod to sweet liquor, then partake in beverages while having a chat. First up is The Catcher In The Rye, so come along and have a scotch or two…
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely despise those janky rubber bracelets “for” charity. Same with plastic flowers… they’re a waste of materials and space. Giving is good, but I don’t want your junk. However, I’ve just read that Aussie brand Kit have created a scent for Guide Dogs Australia. Give $5 and you’ll get back something rather special; a braille embossed vial of fragrance. Lovely!
The death of advertising. Crap, I work somewhere with a foozeball table.
I have been reading experimental writer Kathy Acker’s work of late (for a travel writing class) – and the story of the punk woman behind the words is fascinating. Coilhouse has a published a great introduction to her work and attitude.
Types Of Bitches. Oh man, I don’t recommend laughing really loudly at this at 1.27AM when all your housemates are asleep…
Caged Birds of Bethnal Green – Lillian is putting together a map project which documents E2 from people’s memories. It’s a super interesting idea; so if you know the area and have something share, you should participate!
Disco Fiction – in search of the definitive nightclub book.
McNally Jackson is a bookstore/cafe in New York. I love their suitably bookish interior design:
The making of a book cover. The design of ‘Blameless’ by Gail Carriger is condensed into 2 minutes. Not the best design work ever, but illustrative of the process that goes into making something ‘as simple’ as a cover:
