don't you lala me.

young love.

matters of the heart are complicated... 

matters of the heart are even more complicated when miniskirts and motorcycles are involved. I love the film En kärlekshistoria, this scene beautifully captures the emotions and power of love, relatable at any age. enjoy...

 
En kärlekshistoria a swedish love story, 1970.

happiness runs.

adam sherman's happiness runs trailer looks so amazing. It feeds my obsession of cult life and commune living. the trailer is beautifully artistic yet gritty and raw in juxtaposition with the narration of cold facts. hints of Aronofsky in the requiem for a dream like fantastical clips. just brilliant.
like many cults, the shortcomings of the utopian ideals are realized and that free loving drug induced hippy culture we all wish we were a part of , doesn't seem as fun as imagined.

art.

art and wine and cheese oh my!
it's a hard life as a muse.
my princess by: tim simpson.

tgif.

stand close to the edge this weekend. why not? 
exhilaration is human nature's original orgasm.


Image Source: ababic hbd :)

earth.

happy earth day. it is hard lately to keep up with latest green effort. what not to support, what to eat, where to shop. it is also hard to know the intentions behind some 'green' efforts by companies- whether it's to gain more customers- or to actually help the earth. so for earth day it's nice to know you can rely on the basics- yard work. nothing better than getting dirty in the yard, or in my case filling up bags and bags of garbage because apparently I live on a landfill...

mary: may I have a bit of earth?
lord craven: a bit of earth?
mary: to plant seeds in. to make things grow.
-the secret garden

public property.

Is there any privacy anymore? I love the connectivity modern social networking sites have provided. But I can't help but feel skeptical myself; sharing everything from pictures to locations on networking sites. It is insane how fast and furious this market has exploded. A couple years ago people were skeptical of making purchases online. Now people are recording everything from work out logs to location updates; thus becoming public property of the world wide web. One can publish information about literally anything, and there is already a site dedicated to it. Post one's travel schedule on Dopplr, DNA profile is available on 23andMe.com, and Blippy.com one can make public everything you spend with your Chase Mastercard, along with your spending at Netflix, iTunes and Amazon.com.  Facebook.com, LinkedIn.com and Twitter.com, are the root of this 'share everything' world. DailyBooth.com, founded in London but moving to San Francisco, asks users to publish a picture a day. “It’s the richest and quickest way to share how you are doing and what you are feeling,” said Brian Pokorny, a Silicon Valley investor who recently became the company’s chief executive. Or my personal favorite is Barry Borsboom's, who this year created an intentionally provocative site called Please Rob Me. The site collected and published Foursquare updates that indicated when people were out socializing — and therefore away from their homes. I think that like any technology, this new update crazy world we have come to live in will definitely change not only marketing for companies but create a new tier in law, in regards to the dangers of such access of information.
Source: NY Times April 22 Image flickr: Alcides Fonseca

from the basement.

The site from the basement is worth checking out. It offers a collection or rare performances from a variety of artists such as the raconteurs, gnarls barkley, the sparks and new artists. The intimate setting of 'the basement' in combination with the beautiful HD shooting creates an amazing capture of time.

Creator, Nigel Godrich explains "All in all I think it all adds up to something unique and special which I don't feel happening anywhere else in either the music side of mainstream TV or online. My own personal goal is that in the future some of these performances might be seen as the truest representation of the state of their artists work, captured in a way that lets their talents speak without the interference of presenters, or audiences. That is what I feel when I watch Talking Heads or Bill Withers on the Old Grey Whistle Test, that they are most definitely playing for me, not someone else in the room. If we can even touch on that kind of directness and quality then I think the whole project will have been a success."

Here is a brilliant Live performance of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley.

the man's guide to love.

I came across this site the man's guide to love, same idea as other testimonial sites. excellent emotionally charged simple questions, with simple answers. some are funny, some are sad. I find this site more compelling then others for some reason, I think it's because the target is men. a species I find so fascinating. and maybe it's my cliche divorced upbringing, but nothing tugs my heart strings more than middle aged men talking about love; present and lost.
this is my favourite advice...

The Man's Guide To Love #27 from themansguidetolove on Vimeo.
Image Source: Le Love


find a girl, settle down. if you want you can marry. look at me, I am old, but I am happy - cat stevens

is fashion racist?

"Is Fashion Racist" featured in the July 2008 issue of Vogue discusses the 'sameness' of models in the fashion industry. Typically the largest critique in regards to fashion models is their weight and thin physique, however this article focuses predominantly on race and the lack there of visually present in models in the fashion industry. The idea that there are in fact black models but they are just that "black models". As Neal Hamil of Elite is quoted in the article "Well we already have our black girl". Meaning that when there is a black person on the runway they are filling a quota of a 'black girl slot'. They have simply been reduced to a category within the industry. Another issue is the clothes that these women then represent when they are on the runway as 'the black girl'. Animal print for example would feed the stereotype of 'the wild and untamed' or a more 'urbanized' look suggesting' ghetto' chic. The clothes that women of color wear matter just as much as the amount of colored people wearing them. The Question remains, is fashion racist? I believe that fashion is racist and although the article quotes Bethann Hardison noting that it's "not a conscious racism" it is still racism. The mannequin i believe is the reason for this racism, not too mention the issue of size of runway models. The typical size of a mannequin is four foot and the color, is white. This is embedded into the minds of designer and lived when they begin to construct their articles of clothing for the first time. Another point of my own interest is paper, sketch paper to be more specific. When a designer does a skeletal outline ofthe model in which they will dress- even though it's a skeletal outline it becomes white because of the paper underneath. Already before the fashion even hits the runway there are white 'models' for the clothing. I believe that yes, fashion is racist but with the efforts of designers and powerful influences of models such as Chanel Iman, there can be change implemented and made the norm. Change is the most diffcult part because of such ideals that have been drilled into the world of the fashion industry. I found it interesting when Marc Jacobs notes when he asked models once to smile on the runway and they would just forget "... it' s been drummed into their heads not to smile". I think there is no better parallel to race in fashion. 

Sources: Steve, Richman. Portraits of Mannequins. Grand Rapids: Schiffer, Limited, 2006. 

Vogue July 2008

Image Source: flickr: timewitness

cool is.

Cool is:
something sleek, simple and bold, that feels effortless.
to be the first, the original that starts a trend and is iconic.
forward-thinking, breaks boundaries, confident. Cool is the idea you wish you thought of first.
the audacity to be different for reasons that don’t need to be articulated & unconsciously achieving it.

cool is what stands up - what makes you take a notice and appreciate something beyond the norm. When you see a product or a design or creation and your mind just screams at the want of it - or the appreciation to understand it more fully - that is cool.

 cool is what makes you think twice.

 Cool is somthing that pops up in our minds when we see something positivly extraordiany!

 Cool makes you nod in agreement with all your senses, makes you grin and perhaps the goosebumbs follow. Cool penetrates beyond fake reactions, cool blows the dryness of your face, cool opens your eyes to walk away from it knowing that there is more than generic and monotonous garbage.

effortless style, a hint of madness and heaps of attitude
a mindset —being informed, relaxed, and expressing it effortlessly.
the word 'cool' is just confidence in aesthetic form.
wonderful, clever and beautiful. From oh wow, ahhh, I get it! to it would make me look *good*
Cool is a person not being affected by other peoples opinons, or behaviour -staying cool in a critical situation. A cool person stick to what he/she thinks is right no matter what. A person who works hard to appear cool is the oposite. 
the art of not needing to try to be it, of possessing enough confidence in your own ideas and style to turn heads.
the new ideal; it is moving confidently forward into a better future, assured that things to come will be better.
a person/place/thing pleasurable to observe as it appears to fulfill its nature effortlessly and with signature style the time you spend to define what cool is, cool is already gone somewhere else. Welcome in the tiring cycle of coolness. :)
We see 'cool' in things/ideas/people that have an innate and untouchable authenticity about them. Things that redefine genres. Spawn global fads and inflame our insatiable appetite for originality and roads even more less travelled than the ones before.
Remaining unaffected and composed in a world which is filled with trouble and uncertainty. Living with a constant Miles Davis soundtrack in the background, acting accordingly.

Cool is all that is authentic and artistic and innovative...cool is confidence without the arrogance... cool is connected to spirits that seek instead of stagnate...cool is impossible to define because it's in a constant state of evolution.

Cool is something so attractive and inspiring that people want to appropriate for themselves and for their creations. It's a subjective concept.

 COOL is worth attention - remarkable, something to remember, outstanding, eye-catcher.

 cool is about being desirable! it can be new, old, something u found a new use. it's not cool if its not a desire!

Cool is not about trends or fashion, it's about being timeless and effortless.
Something that makes you feel like telling someone else about it.
Cool is only a momentary flash of brilliance ...Before it transforms to conventional.
When pessimistic people say something is cool, I pay attention and usually agree. It takes a lot to impress pessimism

Anything that is described by the advertising media as cool, isn't. 

Cool is an Outlier. Something that sits on the edge of normal thinking. Thinking outside of the square 

Cool is the emotion we feel at contemplating the few brave, who express their originality, being loyal to their true selves and exposing it by doing so. We would all like to dear to be cool, is an expectative, but not to be copied, but to be selfexpresed (there is not a cool thing, and a not cool: it depends on who/how they are generated)

 Cool is cool, defining it any further may just defeat the purpose...

source:coolhunter.net

wisdomosity courtesy of wang.

my kind of girl
is a little rough
around the 
edges, very
natural, very 
individual. She
wears what
makes her feel
comfortable, it’s
always easy,
and it never
looks put
together. Yet at
the same time
it’s always just a 
little bit off.
She’s never
afraid to be a bit
of a bad girl or a 
little rebellious.

-ALEXANDER WANG

but what shall I wear?

I find it impossible to ignore fashion when blogging. I tried for a very long time to keep my posts to a more media based focus and eventually talked myself in to allowing myself to post about designers and looks I adore. I think that because fashion is the most prevalent thing in our society- Everyone wears clothes, it makes complete sense the amount of fashion blogs. What I enjoy most about fashion Blogs is the participation allowed by the public- uploading personal outfits. I am almost sure that designers- surf blogs of everyday girls to inspire their next couture collection.

practice and promote.

EMBRACE DIFFERENCE.
If there is something you don't understand or can't relate to about someone or something- does that makes it wrong? no.
embrace the unusual with every bone in your body- understand that everyone isn't like YOU. because frankly, that would be lame. appreciate people's differences and ENCOURAGE them.
...and i don't mean kids who are super hipster or punk. I am talking about the ones you'd JUMP to dislike before appreciating them for everything they do and don't do.
...and never say "I don't get it". It's a cowardly cop out for being unwilling to understand.

JEALOUSY-NEGATIVITY- they will drown you... and not leave many willing to throw you a life saver.

nice to meet ya.

thank me later.

BAD NEWS:Drake’s release date for his debut album Thank Me Later will be delayed to June 15th. It was originally supposed to hit stores on 25.05.10.

GOOD NEWS: 

Before releasing his new album, he will go on an eco-friendly tour starting on April 5th at Slippery Rock University. A new song titled Fireworks will be played for the first time during his tour. The new song features Kings of Leon and will be included on Thank Me Later.

The tour will last until May 8th and will feature K-OS and Francis & The Lights as his supporting acts. During this time, he will also perform at the Bamboozle Music Festival with Paramore, Weezer, MGMT and many others.

Source: myspace/drake

tgif.

image cred: le love

retro sound.

While all kinds of new technology is bombarding us day in and day out - it is nice to know the comforts of the originals are still in demand. Nostalgia in sound equipment is more common than one would think. Many old technologies are being re-released with updates more suited to our technological advancements, but still with the feel good old style of the past. AIAIAI and Kilo have done just this is the headphone department. “Audio fashion wear” as they call it. They display the retro funky style of the classic headphones, minus the profuse sweat from the mounds of foam padding. WeSC is another brilliant company, launching updated versions of the classic headphone.
Remember Boom Boxes? Well thanks to Nokia, you can plug your iPod in to this marvelous technology and bring your boom blaster with you anywhere.
Even further back, the record player! Brionvega has released a super technology that resembles a futuristic record player. Its do-all capabilities include everything from playing 45s to DVDs.
The nostalgia of simply sitting in your family kitchen with the phone cradled between your neck and your ear, weaving the long spiraled cord between your fingers is in demand. YOUBZ has created that exact phone only with a USB attachment to plug into your wireless device. I love re inventing the old and making it applicable to today. I truly believe the saying “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” does not apply here. Sound technology will keep moving forward, so can its original pieces.
Image Source: http://www.yubz.com/

personal branding.

graduated. done school. post secondary education has ended. SO WHAT NOW?!

personal branding.

yes.

current issue: Being an avid member of Facebook, Blogger and Twitter I find myself CONSTANTLY battling with the idea of -is this appropriate? My Blog for instance, I like to think of it as a resume to potential employers- something that will benefit my career versus hinder it. So while I have extremely insightful blog posts about very real issues; I also, have posts about Lil Wayne and Chanel's latest collection. These are accurate representations of who I am and my interests- so what I am asking- should it be more of a professional resume? should I be omitting my interest in lil weezy (much like my exclusion of my employment at Philthy McNastys on my real resume)? Should I tailor it to put out a more polished version of myself?
 I am interested to know what recruiters of our field look for, originality or professionalism?

THIS is a briliant article on open content and blogs. read if interested.


re: status updates - I am completely hypocritical. 
While a status update such as: 

"Jane- standing in the rain so no one can see my tears."


...make me want to barf. 


Yet, I am completely guilty of rushing to my iphone to update status' such as: 

kale - "In Los Angeles" to tell the world.

shameful?...yes. will it change? probably not. 
Again- a blog is your soap box- use it. Just don't use it as a whining device

the prettiest people do the ugliest things.

but people highest up got the lowest self esteem. the prettiest people do the ugliest things for the road to riches and diamond rings.
- kanye west.
or do we just notice because they are pretty? think about it.

rules of the trade.

never trust anyone who doesn't smoke pot or listen to dylan.
never trust anyone who doesn't like the beach.
never, ever, ever trust anyone who says they don't like dogs.

you meet someone who doesn't like dogs you alert the authorities immediately and you sure as shit don't marry them.

-the wackness


image credit: brooke shaden

fashion statement.

wear a hat to a ball. why not?

Image credit: pleasemisterpostman

love is.

"...and the night was comfortably warm as the soft filtered light continued to push the darkness into the shadows as they held each other and kissed and pushed each others darkness into the corner, believing in each others light, each others dream."

- Hubert Selby Jr. Requiem for a Dream

image source: we heart it.

modern day etiquette.

TEN GENTLE REMINDERS

1. making others feel at ease is the essence of etiquette, yesterday and today.

2. there are few words more elementary or more welcomed than please or thank you.

3. good moods are contagious. Hopefully yours will be pleasantly catching.

4. be aware and considerate of [personal space]- physical, visual and aural.

5. showing respect is a gift, one that costs nothing and is endlessly appreciated.

6. think of your tone of voice as a telegraph. To the listener it speaks volumes

7. a short fuse does nothing but burn. Should you find yourself with one, steer clear of others.

8. never underestimate the message that’s sent by your poise and posture.

9. clothes count. Appropriate attire is not only respectful, it’ refreshing.

10. let common sense be your guide and graciousness your goal.

courtesy of manners- kate spade

image credit: flickr rosewithoutathorn84