Flickr Fridays: #33

Photo by Zsaj

It's been a busy week for blowing out candles in my family. First, my brother's birthday on Wednesday. Husband's big day is tomorrow, which means that tonight I'm hosting a fete in his honor. I would reveal more details, but it's a surprise, so shhhhh. There will be photos at a later date -- I promise. What do you have in store for the weekend, friends?

Written Word: Typography as Art

As someone who could spend hours selecting The Perfect Font, I have a lot of respect for those who are able to take typography, mix it with a clever phrase, arrange it just so and create a print worthy of framing and hanging on the wall. These are just a few of my favorites:

Poulier & Poulier + Jaimers

Wonting

3 Lambs Graphics + The New Adventures of Betty Turbo

Letter Happy

Here My Dear

Lucky Jackson

The Love Shop + Roll & Tumble Press

Wish List 07.29.09

I'm loving every single necklace by Poppy Raye Studio. The color combinations are particularly pretty, like candy dangling from your neck.

Tune Time: A Long Playlist

I might be a little obsessive when it comes to making a proper playlist. For example, the week before our July Fourth party, I went through my entire iTunes library (6,494 songs) and crafted the best mix ever. This jam clocked in at 15 hours. I played it throughout the party, the next day, and the day after the next day. Finally it came back around to the beginning. It felt weird to hear it start all over again, almost like I climbed a mountain and looped back around to the beginning of the trail. I felt accomplished yet drained, like I'm not certain I can make it all the way through again.

If you were to make your mountain of a playlist, which songs would you HAVE to include?

Media Minded: Remaking My Childhood!

You can unlock any door, if you only have the key.

Is it just me, or is Hollywood remaking all my favorite 1980s movies, ones that should not be touched? "Short Circuit," "Top Gun," "Karate Kid," "Flight of the Navigator," "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Footloose." I know I'm forgetting several.

Now "The Secret of NIMH"? My entire childhood is being regurgitated!

In all seriousness, though, this film was one that my brother and I watched over and over again. It was a smart, dark, intriguing adventure, the likes of which aren't seen much nowadays. I have many a fond memory of inserting our VHS tape into our old player (the kind that pops up!) and cuddling up under an afghan in our basement den to watch Mrs. Brisby (Mrs. Frisby in the book) seek help moving her family before the harvest.

I always wanted her amulet so I could behold magic. Or telekinetic powers. Or whatever it was that lifted her house out of the mud.

Top: The Brass Hussy + Lara Lewis
Bottom: My Belle Bijoux + SASessories

Pix-elated!

Thanks to Jena over at Modish for featuring my California Sun series on her blog. It's one of my go-to sites every day for inspiration and fresh art, so I'm beyond honored to be included.

Fashion Forward: Fabric Statement Necklace

There was a fashion craze in the late 1980s spreading within my family like wildfire. Maybe it was just a fashion fungus. Someone, I'm not sure who, started it by making a fat, puffy fabric necklace strangled with random beads. It was a recipe made in bad gift-giving heaven. By the end of the year, every single woman wore one and forced one upon their female children. I know this because I was one of those children, and I have photographic evidence (hidden deep in the vault) of the necklaces' far reach.

Thank god the fabric necklaces showing up now on Etsy are less fungus and more fun. Less Girl Scout art project and more art. In fact, I am itching to buy one. Oh, but to choose is the worst ...

Miss Ruby Sue

Hollywood and Vine

Mountain Girl Clothing

Mozui

Bean and the Sprout

Anonymous Agent

Designer 135

Daily Jumpsuit

Little Jardin

100 Movies: 28, 29

And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo's 100 Movies to See Before You Die...

Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.
Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?

Michael Corleone: I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!

Every time one of these movies is on television, Husband rubs his hands together like a mad genius and says, "Oooh, goody." Not really, but he might as well, he loves them so much. It's because of this undying love that I've managed to see both films in bits and pieces, but never all of them. It's a major time commitment, I'll have you know. This time I sat down and -- three hours later for the first, three and half hours for the second -- I became a bonafide member of the Corleone clan. Now when someone says a Godfather quote, I don't have to shrug. Now I can chuckle or maybe even repeat another one back. I'm finally In The Know. I'm also hankering to learn Italian because of these movies. È una bella lingua!

Chic for Cheap: Flickr Inspired Look

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It's been a few weeks since I played along with Ez and put together an outfit. The whole outfit is really about the super versatile wrap shirt/vest/tunic from Modcloth. I can imagine wearing this ensemble and squatting in the Finnish field where Flickr photographer SSKKSS took this photo, adjusting the depth of field on my lens and taking a similar shot. (To be completely honest, though, I'd wear a pair of gym shorts underneath the skirt if I were going to be squatting and contorting myself during a photoshoot in the presence of other humans. It's only polite.)

Link Love 07.24.09

Wilco, June 2009

Is it just me, or is the best part of a concert the moment when the room goes dark, the stage lights up and the band comes on? After all that waiting (why so much waiting), you can finally rest easy that you've managed to hold onto the spot you've been standing in for an hour, scared to move to hit up the bar or the restroom lest you're unable to part the crowd to return to your friends and original spot. Sigh.

This cellphone photo was taken at one of the Wilco shows I went to in June, and I've managed to capture that BEST PART. Woohoo!

Some links to lead you into the weekend:

• Where we're going, we don't need roads. If you're a "Back to the Future" fan like I am, you'll love this comparison of the last scene of the first movie and first scene of the second movie, which was re-shot with different actors (Elisabeth Shue) and older actors (Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd).
• Between finally finishing the last season of "The Sopranos" and reviewing "The Godfather" trilogy, I've got mafia on the mind. Here, the top 20 gangster movies.
• Awesome nesting dolls, ones you can put your own face on. [via Decor8]
• This spread of goodies is almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
• I think I've found the perfect rug. At least till I find another one.
• Don't forget to check out the $5 sale at Urban Outfitters.

Flickr Fridays: #32

1. . . ., 2. more tall thingys, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Chandelier, 6. Untitled, 7. rainbow ,west Maui, 8. 3 pastel chairs, 9. doppelganger, 10. Untitled, 11. Untitled, 12. floraison02, 13. Pure spring, 14. Flock Of Coprinus, 15. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way, 16. .214.

So, friends, what do you have in store for the weekend? I'm planning on catching up with Harry Potter, dinner with friends, a ridiculously large pancake for brunch, shopping for presents for some birthday boys. Ooh, and I almost forgot, a lot of picture-taking. It's been far too long since I made a date with my Olympus.

Design Dialogue: Medium, Not Grande

Every time we go to Starbucks, Husband makes a point of ordering a medium vanilla latte with an "extra" shot of espresso. He knows that it would be more syllable-efficient to order a "triple grande vanilla latte," but he refuses on principle to adopt corporate lingo. So of course I nearly lost it in hysterics when I stumbled across the image above, the products made by Mucca Design for gourmet store Brooklyn Fare.

I'd like to buy some of these coffee cups just to keep them in the house, they're so clever. And it doesn't stop there. Napkins? "Wipe that smile on your face." Paper bag? "We carry the stuff you need."

Pix-elated!

Title: California Sun No. 5
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

Title: California Sun No. 6
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

I have a fishbowl full of shells collected when I lived on the East Coast, most from when Mom would visit and we'd scour the shore for little treasures. She had a particularly creepy method for bringing out the shells of dead sea urchins, one that makes me a little squeamish still thinking about it, but the end result was beautiful. Shells are difficult to come by on the beaches here, but I found this one nearly entirely intact (I know, amazing!) during the otherwise fruitless hike on the Shipwreck Trail. I think if anyone would appreciate it, Mom would.

100 Movies: 26, 27

And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo's 100 Movies to See Before You Die...

Lieutenant Maréchal: The theater's too deep for me. I prefer bicycling.

I've got to be honest here. This movie did nothing for me. Here are a bunch of World War I POWs trying desperately to escape even though they have it cushier than I do in my daily life. They get care packages from home, free entertainment, plenty of time to shoot the shit. Boo effing hoo. I struggled to find something -- ANYTHING -- inspirational. In the end, I will concede that the most inspirational thing about this movie was when I finally gave up and turned it off halfway through. To paraphrase Lieutenant Maréchal: This movie's too deep for me. I prefer "Dirty Dancing."

Kurtz: Did they say why, Willard, why they want to terminate my command?
Willard: I was sent on a classified mission, sir.
Kurtz: It's no longer classified, is it? Did they tell you?
Willard: They told me that you had gone totally insane, and that your methods were unsound.
Kurtz: Are my methods unsound?
Willard: I don't see any method at all, sir.
Kurtz: I expected someone like you. What did you expect? Are you an assassin?
Willard: I'm a soldier.
Kurtz: You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's a brilliant wartime movie. A film that conveys emotion with beautiful cinematography, with well-written storyline, with a soundtrack worthy of praise. Take for example the scene when the troops fly into battle listening to The Flight of the Valkyries. Or the haunting sound of The Doors' "The End." Then there are the visuals. Willard is on a mission to wipe out a rogue colonel, and the scene when he infiltrates Col. Kurtz's camp is breathtaking, one of my faves. He floats on the river through the mist, and suddenly he's parting scores of white-painted men standing on small boats. It's so surreal. I can only aspire to capture a scene this fantastic with my camera.

Pix-elated!

Title: California Sun No. 2
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

Title: California Sun No. 17
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

Sometimes we go through phases. Right now I'm going through an "I Heart Billy Blanks aka I Don't Want to Exercise in the Smog" phase. When I first moved to Los Angeles, though, I was in a "Yay Let's Explore the Area by Hiking in the Stinky Outdoors" phase. During this phase I coerced Husband into accompanying me on this so-called Shipwreck Trail around the Rancho Palos Verdes peninsula (pictured above). I think we started in the wrong spot because we walked on a bed of rocks till we nearly passed out, and I didn't see no effin' shipwreck. Still, there were plenty of things we did experience. Huge seashells. Dead sealife washed ashore. Surfers who never seemed to catch a wave. Solitude. One of the best sunsets ever. Will I ever go in search of the real shipwreck trail? Probably not. But I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Fashion Forward: Ascots

What do Brad Pitt ...

... Michael Corleone ...

... and the fabulous Fred Jones have in common?

Why ascots, of course. Ever since Mr. Pitt wore a scarf in ascot fashion at Cannes, I've wanted to see Husband wearing one. An exposed Adam's apple is sexy, sure, but it's all the more appealing if the neck is gracefully covered with fabric, one shirt button undone to evoke mystery. What's he hiding under there? A bite mark? A hickey? Keys to the Mystery Machine van?

The tired old tie could never stir the imagination like the ascot. I implore you, bring your Victorian sensibilities to the forefront and embrace this fine accessory!




Etsy seller Gentleman's Jabot has the right idea.

Pix-elated!

Title: California Sun No. 8
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

This might actually be my favorite of the California Sun series. It gives off that "Girl from Ipanema" vibe. Can't you hear the bossa nova beat? It's almost as if I hired this girl as a model for the day. (She's even wearing a lei!) And someone managed to erect an umbrella in the sand at an impossible 90-degree angle. It's just too perfect. Ahhhh.

Wish List 07.20.09

This camera strap sleeve by Freckled Nest is too sweet for words. (Plus, the soft fabric would finally stop my camera strap from slicing into my neck like a dull blade.)

Pix-elated!

Title: California Sun No. 10
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

OK, friends, let's put on our imagination caps and pretend we're on this fair sailboat. Not the one on the left, sillies, that's too far into the horizon for us to wrap our minds around. We need to zoom in on that space underneath the main sail, by the stern. Yep, that's where we'd huddle on the deck and have a nice cold Landshark or perhaps white wine (straight from the bottle, that's how I roll). We'd be wearing a sailing outfit like this or perhaps something from this collection. We'd start a sing-along, maybe that song by Christopher Cross. Actually, wouldn't you prefer a sea chanty like "Sloop John B"? Or, better yet, let's sing a song from "Popeye."

Here, you sing Olive Oyl's part, and I'll sing Popeye's part:

[Popeye]
Oh I've been sailin' 'bout the seven seas
Lookin' for somebodys who would sails wit' me
Sail wit' me
Sail wit' me

[Olive]
And I've been waiting for someone like you
A man who could love me and would promise to
Stay with me
Stay with me
Stay with me

Photoshoot: Textured Walls

You might remember a few months ago I did a fashion photoshoot with the wonderful Laura from L.A. Story. The photo above is one I like to call For the Love of Carlos, in reference to all the role-playing I encouraged during the shoot.

What I didn't tell you was that first thing in the morning, I scouted out spots I wanted to take pics, and this textured yellow wall was one of my "musts." There's something about the way a textured wall looks, especially a bright one, that makes me smile.

Imagine my delight when I thumbed through Anthropologie's July catalog and spotted textured walls all over the place. In fact, the first 20 pages (give or take a few) are textured walls! Beautiful pinks, yellows, whites. I'm grinning like a fool!

Pix-elated!

Title: California Sun No. 9
Size: 5x5
Paper: Traditional
Where: Redondo Beach, California

A few months ago I was asked to take some beach shots for a newly renovated bathroom. I was so happy with the way they turned out that I'm offering 17 of them in my Etsy store, starting with this one.

I love how warm this shot feels, even though in actuality the "warm California sun" doesn't heat up the frigid Pacific that much. When you first walk into the surf the coldness of the water takes your breath away. You have to grin and bear it, perhaps utter a few obscenities, and continue soldiering in until you go numb enough that the water starts to feel nice. After that, you're golden.

Design Dialogue: On a Map Quest

My shelf space for globes is running low, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the design of maps. You might call me slightly obsessed. OK, very obsessed. Thankfully my fellow Etsians are well-equipped to feed my map fetish with interesting handmade items like these. Love it, love it.

Artsy + Shop Whimsy

GISetc

Polished (looks like little globes, right?)

Callaghan Art Gallery

Selflesh

Revamp Boutique

City Bird

Blue Pearls

Ravenna Girls

Little Retreats