It’s the tale of a pug, a kitten and the adventures they have. It starts on the farm… but Milo never listens to his mother. Here’s two of my favourite scenes:
Crab Attack
Otis Meets The Fox
Did you know that Milo and Otis is a Japanese made film and was released in English 4 years after the original release? Me neither! Did you know Dudley Moore was the vivacious and hilarious narrator? Not I!
While there has been some controversy over the use of animal actors in the movie, I still love this romp (and have done since I was 5). It’s a good film to watch from bed while hanging out in your pyjamas. Nostalgia rules.
1.The talented meteorologist sends her daily weather forecasts (for Melbourne & the world) straight to your inbox – for free!
2. With every weather love letter she throws in a hot bonus shopping tip, which always proves to be an item of instant lust. Think darling space dresses, swallow necklaces and Where The Wild Things Are tees (…whatever, I know you’re obsessed too).
3. Cute competitions, for example once I won a hippo’s head brooch. Receiving dear sweet Harriet’s head in the mail made my week.
4. We share a penchant for the watercolour aesthetic, as seen all over Michi’s beautifully illustrated email missives.
5. The daily notes never fail to bring both good design and the lolz…
Travelindependent.info – the most useful site for budget travel/backpacking planning. I’ve got a little travel itch that needs scratching and this is helping me plan – what to pack, what to budget, where to go. Global, indie advice. Loves it!
Susie Bubble knows Bad Taste is Better Than No Taste – a rounds up some swoon-worthy rings. I know a few of you will want them on your fingers immediately.
Writer’s Routines, useful reading if you’re tying to develop your own creative habits. There’s no whiskey in mine yet, but there may yet be room for a signature beverage.
Artificial Owl – abandoned man made places – like the Igloo Hotel. How cool is that? (Don’t slap me, no pun intended.)
For all the cool kids out there – a wooden icecream truck and scoop playset from Habitat:
I think pretty much everything Habitat produces is beautifully designed, and these children’s toys are no exception.Via the Heartschallenger blog – who need some help finding the toys if you have any leads!
I was shopping in the cute Auckland suburb of Kinglsand last weekend; spending some time browsing at a nice store called Dressing Dolls. It has a lot of ‘ball season’ and cocktail type dresses but there were some standout, wearable pieces too.I picked up a few frocks to try, and funnily enough, they were all from the same label – Celine Rita.
When I got home I turned to our old pal Google and this is what I dug up:
“The Celine Rita label was launched by Celine Chapman in Auckland, New Zealand in 2008, shortly after Celine completed her Bachelor of Art and Design majoring in Fashion Design at Auckland’s AUT University.”
Her latest collection (which I was coveting in store) is called Beautiful Little Fools – which is what y’all will turn into after taking a peep. Here’s my 4 favourite looks:
Left: Hannah Frock (pink). Off the shoulder for the win!
Right: Steph Dress (stripe). I like the quirky details of the pattern and the loud 80’s colours.
Left: Nic Hoodie Dres. I want this dress. A dress with a hood is all of my dreams coming true. I envision wearing this dress clubbing in winter, then to a nice wholesome family gathering by a fire.
Right: Natalie Dress (black). A sassy little number perfect for work, then drinks. Perhaps I would look more writerly wearing it?
As you’d hope, all Celine Rita garments are designed and made with love in New Zealand. Yay! I really look forward to investing in some pieces (they are very affordable) and seeing what’s next for the label.
A question from Courtney, a beleaguered disco-bunny:
“…I just want a pair of roller skates! Where would I buy these?”
Dearest Courtney,
I know, me too. I’m sure you want more than a simple pair of roller skates too… you want the cutest ones out! A pair so ace you’ll want to wear them 24/7. Just imagine the fun to be had skating around your house in the morning, pouring cereal for breakfast and opening the curtains… Le sigh!
You’re going to want to try them on for a good fit, so to start off your search by popping into your local big box sports retailer first (in New Zealand I suggest Rebel Sport). If you have children sized feet you’re probably going to be in luck – kids always seem to have great skates. If you can’t find anything, fear not, your next move is to turn to the internet!
Here are my top 5 picks from the online skate merchants I found:
1. I declare the Riedell Palomino Deluxe Ladies model to be the Cadillac of roller skates! Hand coloured in teal, red or any other colour you like, they will be sure to turn heads as you whip past:
2. However don’t worry if you’re on a tighter budget – Zappos will sell you these sweet pink wheeled women’s Chicago Rink Skates for an affordable US$55:
3. I read about the Preen x Nokia skate collaboration on Fur Coat No Knickers last year. Alice Dellal was the face of their skates-love-child and associated UK events (as seen above). Who knows if you’ll be able to find the skates now (try eBay), but they too super-styling to ignore:
4. The Rollergirl website sells a ton of different styles, so do look there – there’s something for everyone, including vinyl skates for vegans and others who don’t want to wear leather. I really liked the Electric Lady style in pink but they allow you to customise your lace and wheel colour combination.
5. If you’re going to get into Roller Derby, you’re going to need more hardcore equipment.
“Roller Derby’s Classic 300 Women’s Quad Roller Skate features a freestyle boot with quilted leather lining and reinforced ankle support for a better skating performance. The Vacuum Chrome Nylon chassis, with the Double Action Cushion Aluminum trucks, provides enhanced control. The 56mm Grip Lite Speed Urethane and ABEC-3 bearings wheels provide a fast ride with smooth traction.”
Now I don’t know what it all means but it sounds extreme. Here’s a a visual reference – I’m digging the green:
Phew! There’s lot to choose from. To finish, I leave you with a styling suggestion from French Vogue – pair your skates with bubblegum coloured acrylic bangles, a sequined mini and delicately patterned hosiery.
Your location may vary – but no doubt your satorial excellence and the fun you’re having with your new wheels will cause you to writhe on the ground in glee! ❤
More Melbourne Owls. I am still very attuned to owls… I’m sure it happens all the time to you too – you become interested in something and suddenly see it everywhere!
This is called perceptual vigilance. This is a theory that suggests you are more motivated to look at messages and pay attention to things that meet your needs. Usually it manifests in more mundane forms (paint colours for your bathroom, signs for dentists and practical sweaters) – but I am happy I become visually obsessed with cute things; like baguettes, headbands and owls.
I saw this handsome pair somewhere in the Melbourne CBD:
Followed by this sneaky fellow in Little Bourke Street:
Then there was the winsome Karen Walker t-shirt I saw for the first time in a Smith Street boutique:
Lastly – not spotted in Melbourne but freaking adorable nonetheless – cozy owl mittens:
Give a hoot, make them yourself – the pattern is free! I’m not sure my knitting is up to scratch, but perhaps I can trick a wayward grandmother into making them for me… Muahaha.
Still on the owl tip. Please view what can be described as probably one of the biggest “misses” of my shopping life, a beautiful vintage owl bag:
Oh regrets! It was only about AU$100 too. If you’re digging the sheer amount of junk in this photo, next time you’re in Melbourne visit the Chapel Bazaar (217-223 Chapel Street, Prahran). Heaven for people like moi, who enjoy a good fossick and delight in scoring old gems. There appears to be 3+ owls in the one photo… so if you’re into woodland creature paraphernalia, chances are you’ll find a few.
Also worth checking out in Melbourne is tattooist Sam Rulz (she designed and inked my shoulders). Keeping on trend, she’s made a cool how-to guide, ‘Painting an Owl in 20 Steps’. Radical.
For a while long time I have sulked and repeatedly declared the owl over. I mused on other animals, tried to convince my desk-mate Sarah that the camel was our new cornerstone of cool. But still the regal owl reigned. Even last week I took the issue up over cocktails with a textile designer. Eventually my heart has been warming up to them… and when I saw the promo shots for the new Mint Chicks album, Screens, I knew owl was well again ❤ (It’s lame, shoot me – I don’t care!).
The same species of feathered friend is also prominent in their video ‘I Can’t Stop Being Foolish‘, a jammy little geeky number directed by Sam Peacocke.
Another fan of owls is the gorgeous and free spirited Alison Goldfrapp; seen here communing with nature in a ruffled, cirque sort of get up.
Thigh high socks and wavy hair – adorable! The images are part of the recent ‘Seventh Tree‘ album promotion.
So back to the Strigiformes. They are found pretty commonly throughout the world and have a strong allegorical presence through many of our favourite stories. Uh, like Harry Potter and Hedwig…
But why? Because in Greek mythology, the owl represents Athene, the goddess of foresight and knowledge. To Native Americans they are seen as protectors from harm. In a myriad of other cultures they shine brightly as signs of intelligence, reasoned perspective, wisdom, mystery, power and independence. It doesn’t hurt that they are so damn cute n’ fluffy either!
Yep, I’m over my owl-shunning phase and am right back into the swing of it all. This is embarrassing, but I’m geeking out on our avian friends so much that I’ve been listening to a collection of owl calls. They are actually pretty sweet sounding and I would like to see some sampled to make a banging electronic track – such as this Northern Tawny Bellied Screech Owl… A job for Goldfrapp perhaps!
Puppy Kitty Bunny is Mademoiselle Robot’s new fun filled animal blog. If you like pictures and videos of small adorable creatures doing their thing, and by jove I do, this blog is for you.
The latest Urbis editorial has a beautiful story about homes and respecting an architectural vision. It’s very sweet and you’ll learn a new word!
Funskull, Numskull. A really exciting culture jamming painter/illustrator from Sydney. His work is wicked good.
Somewhere over the rainbow is where you’ll find many media formats today. The Visc, the compact video cassette and BetaMax – all gone. The Lost Format Preservation Society has a record of these forgotten carriers.
Sweet Dreams is an adorable animated film by Kirsten Lepore. Sit back and enjoy, it’s very sweet.
I found this fanastic film through City, who is New Zealand’s Cupcake Queen! If you’re into cute baked goods and general sprinkle worship, check out her site and The Cupcake Project – dedicated to the art of little cakes.
Amaretto cookies are gifts from the Italian gods (just like macarons are kisses from French goddesses). Each has a crunchy shell on the outside that melts into a sugary mess on the tip of your tongue, lashing your taste buds with almond. Excellent with coffee or tea.
Tip: Give someone you love a box of amaretto cookies, such as Amaretti di Saronno. With the gorgeous packaging and pastel individually wrapped cookies, it would also make an adorable and well received thank-you present. Or just invite them over for tea, serve them three on their saucer and scoff the rest in your room… hehe. They’re that good!
LOVE YOU MICHI, light of my inbox XX
I think pretty much everything Habitat produces is beautifully designed, and these children’s toys are no exception.Via the 
‘ album promotion.
