1. Glasses ... More glasses than you could dream of. I just look at them and they break.
2. A handful of bones in a handful of ridiculous situations involving horses, and waterfalls.
3. More promises than I'd care to admit, and a few hearts. 2 in particular and 1 of which i'll never have the chance to mend.
4. My favourite camera, after a huge, obnoxiously loud and embarrassing public argument with a partner in which it was thrown at said partners head. I was devastated about my camera, and beaming with pride about my amazing aim.
5. My Bed (the one in which I still sleep) after a friend and I got a severe case of Peter Pan syndrome and jumped around on it until it collapsed. We then collapsed from laughter.
6. A dress, whilst wearing it. I crawled under a wire fence at a festival, got stuck, and emerged on the other side, dress-less.
7. My Dads Brand New BMW Convertible. I drove right into the back of it at high speed. "Accidently"
8. A beautiful silver ring my Mom bought me. I chewed on it so hard it got embedded into my finger and the school nurse had to call my Mom to pick me up from school and take me to the hospital. Luckily, our house mate was a nurse, so she spat on it real good and popped it off.
9. A very difficult, horrible and scary addiction.
10. Almost all of my fears and insecurities, by kicking their ass and realising they just aren't worth worrying about. Currently working on breaking 3 more.
Taking Woodstock is the ultimate late 60's / early 70's inspired festival flick dericted by Ang Lee. The screenplay by James Schamus is based on the memoir Taking Woodstock; A True Story of a Riot, Concert, and a Life by Elliot Tiber and Tome Monte.
This movie is bliss for admirers of the psychedelic love storm that was the summer of 69. It features a number of bands I absolutely adore (and would argue till I'm blue in the face that they are some of the greatest bands the world has ever seen) - The Greatful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, The Doors and many more that I won't list because I'm already dribbling.
Elliot Tiber is a failing interior designer in Greenwhich Village, New York. He is forced to move back upstate to help his parents when the bank is threatening to foreclose their dilapidated motel. He is faced with a handful of humerous problems along the way, including trying to 'come out' to his incredibly backwards parents.
Elliot then learns that the neighbouring town has just pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, so he calls the producers and offers to accomodate the festivals goers in an attempt to boost business for his parents motel. Little does he know just how huge this event is going to be, and 3 weeks later there are half a million people heaing his way and he finds himself swept up in a generation-defining that would change his life, and American Culture, forever.
Elliot finds himself in all kinds of weird and wonderful experiences, including his first acid trip in the back of a Combi with 2 hippies. It is one of the most realistic trips I've seen in a movie, and takes an interesting turn when it becomes one big hippie cuddle puddle and he emerges from the Combi, a new man (wearing alot less clothes). Elliot also discovers that his parents have eaten some mull cookies given to them by a transvestite and comes home to find them dancing and laughing in the rain.
Taking Woodstock is filled with all the essentials that made the 60's such an incredible decade. There are naked people everywhere, dancing around bonfires, combi's, a hell of alot of grass being smoked, vibrant and amazing psychedelic fabrics and fashion everywhere, acceptance, love and hugs between everyone and a shit load of acid being taken. Oh and a Transvestite called Vilma.
This movie is a personal favourite of mine, based hugely on the fact that I'm almost certain I was born in the 60's and cruely sucked through some time travelling vortex and landed here in the 21st century somehow. Taking Woodstock will awaken your inner hippy and take you on a jouyous journey filled with peace, love, more paisley than you could ever dream of and some seriously kick ass music.
I give this movie 3.5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone fond of the era. or anyone fond of Emile Hirsch. xo
I love winter. I love the rain. I love the cold. And I especially love
storms. A quick look at this weekends weather forecast and my mood was
instantly lifted. Rain, Rain, Severe Storms and well, more rain. While
most people I know are seriously put off by this kind of news, I happen
to think that bleak, wet days bring with them a world of creative
possibilities. When it's too wild to go outside, you can have hours of
fun at home, with the right people and a little imagination.
Here are a list of wonderful things that are sure to turn your winter
blues into winter wonders!
1. Remember how fun it was to make a tent under the table when you were
little? Well trust me, it still is fun. Build a tent in
your lounge room using sheets and blankets, cover the floor in cushions,
pillows and throws, make sure there's a gap in the tent so you can see
the t.v and voila! A cosy little winter tent perfect for snuggling in,
watching movies and eating popcorn. I promise that even the very tough,
serious and 'grown-up' people in your household will be under there
eventually.
2. Make hot chocolate. And I don't mean, stir instant chocolate power
into milk. I mean go down to the store and buy some REAL chocolate ...
go wild, get your favourite, get lots. All you have to do is heat the
milk in the microwave and add however much chocolate you want. Real, Hot
& Delicious.
3. Put on your raincoat & wellies and go exploring. You don't catch a
cold from being cold. A cold is a virus. So rug up and be BRAVE. Do you
know how many beautiful thins you can find after it rains? Great big
puddles for jumping in, heaps of slugs ... they always want to hang out
after the rain, Rainbows and maybe if you're lucky, Double Rainbows!
Everything looks prettier after the rain. And the fresh air will do you
good.
4. Bake cupcakes. Not only will you have all the time in the world to
bake them perfectly, but if the rain continues, you'll have all the time
in the world to enjoy eating them too. Get creative, Plain is boring.
Adding food colouring to icings means you can create an array of
multicoloured cakes fit for Alice in Wonderland herself. Here is a basic vanilla cupcake recipe so you have something to work with - http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/19431/vanilla+cupcakes
5. Make Origami! There are all sorts of great sites that teach beginners how to become masters in the art of paper folding. It's challenging, fun and intricate and there are lots of different things to be made. Have a look here for some inspiration - http://www.origami-instructions.com/
6. Meet Me at Mikes is a beautiful Blog run by Pip where you can find endless ideas and entertainments. www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com
And while you're busy making all sorts of beautiful things on this rainy weekend, I recommend listening to a bit of this to lift your moods and take you somewhere else.
So I just discovered this website that makes me feel dizzy with posibility. I'm a list writer. I write lists for everything. I'm pretty forgetful so having visual reminders helps, but I also write lists for other things, like Inspirtations, Things I hope to acheive, Places I want to visit, Things I wish I had told people when I had the chance and now can't. I also think it's quite special to document thoughts and feels and ideas so that when you find them in 2 years, stashed in the back of your drawer, you can read them and see how far you've come, how you've changed, grown, become enlightened, succeeded, gone wrong ... Which brings me to why I have fallen in love with Listography ( www.listography.com ) - A site where you can document, share and learn. It's a beautiful concept and it has inspired me to create 10 things Tuesday - A weekly list to share with you, my friends. Being the first week, I am going to keep it simple and go with 10 Things I love (though i've come up with 18 and can't bare to kick any off the list). I hope you enjoy!
1. Double Rainbows
2. Gumball Machines
3. Car Washes
4. Hand Stands / Cartwheels
5. Roller Rinks
6. Rock pools at the beach
7. Hula Hoops
8. Vintage Aprons
9. Hotel Room keys
10. Oragami
11. Feathers worn in the hair
12. Yard sales
13. Picking Mulberrys
14. Handmade Valentines
15. Milkshakes
16. Polaroids
17. Johnny Rockets Diner (sorry folks, it's in LA)
I'm not going to lie ... I had a bitch of a day yesterday. I was storming around feeling pissed off at the world and wondering why my luck is so bad sometimes when, as if thrown before me by some Comanche god, I found this little treasue to brighten my day ... Perhaps even my week.
What a beauty! The picture doesn't really do it justice but it's a gorgeous antique gold with really deep, ocean green stones. It could, quite possibly, be love.
I often wonder about things like this ... Where did it come from? Who's neck has it been around before mine? What did it mean to them? There is a world of possibilities that flow from this one necklace, and that my friends, is why I love antiques.
I then procceeded to visit my old friend Ebay and spend my life savings (nearly) on all kinds of wonderful little one off pieces of jewellery, ancient old trinkets and possibly a few things that many would call 'junk'. Well you know what they say about one man's trash ...
I have also been busy hunting for vintage fabrics to get started on my aprons and I stumbled across this little dream boat - www.vintagefabrics.com.au Some of the patterns are pretty out there but I'm sure if you hunt around, you'll find something you love and they have fabric ranging from cotton & synthetic to silk & upholstery ... so you can literally adorn yourself and decorate your whole house with this shit ... bliss! After spending hours exploring the site and thinking about all the possibilities, I am feeling really inspired and have plans for aprons, 60's inspired jumpsuits, high waisted short shorts and maybe even some retro onsie pyjamas ... *explodes with excitement*
I think I may have died and gone to paisley heaven xo
My amazing girlfriend just cooked me a beautiful italian meal and while she was whizzing around the kitchen, multitasking and creating mouth watering aromas, I had a wicked burst of inspiration. Cooking has become somewhat cool these days, with hundreds of health concious, environmentally friendly cafes popping up everywhere with innovative cooks preparing fresh, healthy, fast food. I'm a pretty big fast food consumer; with a busy life it's usually breakfast in a bottle, lunch in a can and dinner in a box. However, I think most will agree with me when I say that there is nothing better a home cooked meal made by someone you love.
Dinner time was always a big deal in my family because it was the only time everyone was together, in one room, with no distractions (other than my little brother putting peas up his nose). Whether you live with your family or friends, eat at the table or on the couch, dinner is a great time to spend time together talking about your day or just chilling out and enjoying eachothers company. Sadly, I think with such hectic lives, little time is made for a good old family dinner and I intend to bring back it's charm.
In the next few weeks I'm going to handmake a few vintage style aprons with quirky patterns and lovely colours that will be sure to inspire even the poorest of cooks (including me). Even if you decide to get take out, put on the apron, get everyone around the table / floor / couch and have a lovely little dinner get together. I promise that all involved will finish their meal feeling delighted because it really is nice when you take a second out to relax with the people you really dig.
If nothing else, you might be able to convince your girlfriend to cook you dinner wearing ONLY the apron. And that would be a real treat.
Cleaning up the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico takes lots of hands -- and lots of money. Volunteers are needed to scrub oil off turtles and birds, scoop oil off beaches, and monitor wetlands for damage. Groups managing clean-up efforts need more financial support so they can try to minimize the terrible consequences of 60,000 gallons of oil a day being pumped into the region from the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded two months ago.
Here's a list of groups that need your help.
If you can send money, these groups sure could use it:
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund - 100 percent of all donations to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund will be granted to organizations working tirelessly in the effected areas. Their specific focus is to help fishermen and their families in the following Louisiana parishes: Plaquemines, St. Bernard, lower Jefferson, Terrebonne, and Lafourche.
Gulf Coast Fund - The Fund is giving grants directly to local environmental and community groups working to clean up the damage and document the impact the disaster is having on wetlands, shore birds, marine life, and the families living in the area.
International Bird Rescue Research Center - A team of 40 bird rescue specialists (see photo, above) has been deployed to the Gulf Coast disaster site to help rescue seabirds caught in the oil.
So I'm in the process of looking for a dog to rescue and it's overwhelmingly sad to see how many there are out there that have no home, usually through no fault of their own. Just browsing through Rescue centre websites has made me realize how big this issue is, and I didn't intend to use this blog for personal propaganda, but after reading this figure, I decided I would (just this once) - Every year in Australia alone, well over 144 000 dogs are Surrendered, Abandoned or Euthanized.
Luckily there are Shelters and Rescue centres like the RSPCA working tirelessly to find good homes for these poor little things ... but sadly there are still so many that end up being put down because they don't get adopted. Buying pure bed dogs from Breeders is fine, and they're beautiful to look at, but at the end of the day - a dog is a dog and they are all loving and beautiful creatures. So many mixed breed dogs and older dogs are overlooked at pounds because they aren't as 'pretty' or 'playful' but these dogs can give just as much love as any purebred and deserve to be loved right back. Personally, I like the different dogs - they have character. And PLEASE make sure you have them sterilized people, Unwanted or Accidental puppies is one of the leading causes of dog abandonment.
I'm so excited to find the perfect little partner in crime for me. I'm a sucker for big dogs so I'm sure i'll end up with a huge, dopey, drooly one that takes up most of the bed, but as long as it keeps me warm, I'm down. If you are considering adding a fluffy member to your family, do the underdogs a favour and check out these places first ...
This is news to delight both arts & craft loving indie children AND lesbians alike. (not that if you are a lesbian you can't also be a craft loving indie child and vice versa ... ow my brain.) The newest issue of Frankie Magazine is now out and oh my, it looks delicious! Featuring all the usual visual wonders and artistic flare, I am so excited to learn that it is also featuring a cute fashion shoot with my future wives (yep, i'll have them both) Tegan & Sara! Yay, Go get it and love it! www.frankie.com.au
In other news, I am pretty happy to be heading out tonight to the premier of Love Bites, a musical written by James Millar & Peter Rutherford, that depicts the story of 6 couples; from falling in love to falling apart and everything in between.
The show is being held at The Playhouse Theatre in Perth & runs from Friday June 25 - Sunday July 4th so go check it out if you can!
Lately I have been experiencing a severe case of unbounded happiness and lust for life. I'm generally a pretty content person anyways, but this new found thirst for positivity has really changed my perception of life in general. I'm not sure what caused it, perhaps my mood changed with the season and as the leaves fell from the trees around me, so did my fears and uncertainty. We get so consumed by the bubble we live in - our jobs, our homes, our cars, our relationships, our deadlines ... it can get so overwhelming and you try and look outwards but you just become this internal mess of sadness and insecurity, wound up to the point of breaking. Well you know what I say ... Fuck it. Relax. Step outside of the square, hang your head upside down if you have to, just take a look at life from a different angle. Take the day off work. Eat desert for breakfast. Climb a tree. Smile at someone you don't know. Play your favourite song. Listen more and talk less, you'll be amazed at what people have to say if you really let them. Get your face painted. Jump in a puddle. Stop fighting and just kiss. Leave the washing till tomorrow. Make a tent in the lounge room. You don't have to be a child to be free, you just have to let go. Happiness is a choice. There is beauty all around, even in the most mundane of things. The world is a magical place, you just have to stop for a second to notice it.
If all else fails, find yourself some cute cupcakes like these bad boys, and eat away your sorrows!
