Fresh Feist

Feist's Metals is coming out in a week or so, but you can listen to it early. Yes, you do have to provide an email (one you can actually check), but the album is so very ethereal and pretty and haunting. So you should probably do it. (You can always unsubscribe once you have the link!)

Enjoy!

Dressing like Ms Frizzle

I have secretly always wanted to be more like Ms. Frizzle. She had the coolest dresses, took her students on the best field trips, and didn't doubt her own awesome for a moment. The Magic School Bus books were amongst my absolute favorites as a kid (esp. Inside the Earth and Lost in the Solar System*. Geo and Astro have always been my most beloved subjects...), so it is only reasonable that Ms. Frizzle become a role model, right? Even if she was never intended to be a fashion diva.

So recently when I was scrolling though my options at Spoonflower, the print-your-own-fabric-design shop, I came across some spectacular options that are screaming to be made into Ms. Frizzle outfits. Skirts, dresses, or blouses? I'm not sure yet. I just hope my mediocre self-taught seamstress skills are able to keep up with this plan.

Sun Surface by Animotaxis

Malachite by Ravynka


Peridot by Paragon_studios_one


Rhodochrosite by Missemor


Nebulae by Tingish

Now I just need to find a couple great dinosaur, insect, and robot options and my nerdy desires will be fulfilled!

*How did I never own In the Time of the Dinosaurs? What a shocking lack in my childhood!

Ogling the Microcosm

I haven't yet voted on any options, mostly because I'm too busy ogling the awesome, but I thought I'd share just in case you hadn't seen this yet. Nikon is having a contest for microphotography, and we get to vote. Did you know that cancer cells and algae were stunning? That bug sperm and ovaries belong on my wall?

Nikon Small World

Now I really, really want a fancy zoom lens for my someday camera.

... and the Paper Sculpture Escapade

This is ace. That is all.

Frock or Folly

I really wish I got invited to the sorts of shindigs where this dress could rightly be called a necessity. Because it is amazing. Seriously. Go ogle it now. And then plan a super rad party and invite me, please.

I wouldn't decline invites that required this dress either.

Two of my favorite things are camping and stargazing. I love being out in the wild, feeling tiny and insignificant and yet connected. A bit cheesy, I know, but it really is the best feeling. Jared Brandon captures a bit of that awe and wonder and delight in this lovely timelapse video. Definitely worth a full screen view!

Go here to see the video on vimeo, with the filmmaker's description of the process. I wish I had been camped out there getting to see all this live!

Thanks to S, my kiwi's lovely sister, who sent it to him.

Decades of Dresses

Have you seen this yet? I found it delightful - and it turns out to be a commercial for a mall! And I hate malls! But this video is rad. Watch 100 years of fashion dancing though 100 seconds and wish that you had access to that commercial's closet. (I call dibs on the 20s, 30s, and 40s!)

Originally spotted at The Hairpin.

Geeky Fun

Hey guys, do you read Girls Like Giants yet? It is a great blog started by some lovely and talented gals up at the University of Oregon. They talk about pop culture in a smart, refreshing forum. It is fun, thought provoking, and has given me a load of fun new things to read or watch.

Anyways, they kindly let me do a guest post the other day and I thought I'd put up a plug in case you were interested. I'm talking about my current favorite tv show, Torchwood. Do you watch Torchwood? If not, do so immediately. It is the best show on tv right now (and the old seasons are all on netflix, so you can catch up fast!). Enjoy!

Good Intent

I am so glad I have an NZ hook up so I can get this album - since there is not a US release date yet. And guys, how good is that video?

I wish my spontaneous dance parties looked a bit more like that.

Starting Clean and Fresh

If you had the chance to move across the planet, what would you bring along? Everything you own? The bare minimal essentials? This is my current dilemma. I'm leaning toward the minimal side of the spectrum, but funny thing - I like stuff. I like stuff a lot. I like all my shoes and bags and coats, I like all my books - oh, my books! - I like my files of magazine clippings and notes, I like my knick knacks and souveniers and tchotchkes. I will store some things here in the states, so I don't really have to say goodbye (and maybe after a spell of living without the miscellany I can get rid of some), but what to take?

I am moving to a first world nation, one that speaks English and has a (mostly) western world mindset, so I don't have to plan on things I take in terms of what will not be available to me in my new home. But there will also be something comforting in bringing my stuff with me to this new corner of the world; I'm hoping it will make my new place feel like home.

So tell me, friends of the internet, what would you bring? What could you not live without? What would you leave behind? Would you find this a fun or distressing challenge?

Shopping Bag

My lovely friend C and I recently ventured out into the garment district of LA to find some oilcloth - you know, that plasticy fabric cheesy summer tablecloths are made of? She had a few projects in mind and I was just along for the fun. But the prints we found at Michael Levine's were so darling I couldn't resist getting a few pieces.

I finally figured out my first project with one of the prints - a floral on a lovely ochre green background. I happened to have some leaf green and deep maroon canvas laying around from previous projects and appropriated some to serve as the lining and base of the bag. I attempted to use this diy design by the very talented Renske Solkesz of The Dress I Made. (I've used it before on a different project and it is fast, easy, and looks like it takes more skill than it does.) But because my seamstress skills are subpar, (and I was slightly distracted by reruns of StarTrek on netflix...) I messed up the stitching (because I messed up the cutting and aligning of the lining with the bag) on one of the tabs. So I improvised. I tucked in one tab on itself and hey! instant pocket!


The other tab I folded over and it formed a flap to close the bag. But I still needed to attach a strap, and I like that the original plan holds the bag closed. So I ran the strap through the closing flap (and I may later attach a snap or such to keep it in place), and it holds the bag closed when the strap is held tight.

Not perfect, but I like it. Pretty color combo, useful, and my shoddy skills didn't even mess up the bag beyond help. It didn't turn out as originally intended but that's never stopped me from enjoying something before!

Calculated Costumes

Early next year my dear kiwi and I are moving to New Zealand for a couple years. This involves plans and schemes for various details - things like visas, storage and shipping of belongings, and finding new jobs and a new home. But, being me, I am also setting in motion a plan for one specific aspect of my belongings: my wardrobe.


I have trained as a costumer, in an amateur sense, and since I started doing that as a teenager, the ideas behind planning out a specific character through a series of costumes developed parallel to my sense of personal fashion. Often, when I'm picking out my outfit for the day or trying on new pieces at a shop, I'm asking myself what role I will play. Responsible adult? Quirky teacher? Urban party girl? Whatever the plan for the day, I've got an outfit to make me feel the part.

But moving to a foreign country means having to make some very (hard!) deliberate choices about what comes and what doesn't. Between luggage and shipping, I can only bring so many things. But I also don't know what sort of job I'll have, where we'll be living, and what kinds of new activities I will do in my down time. This means that I need to have a wardrobe that is flexible enough to serve a wide variety of purposes but which is as compact as possible. For me, this sounds like a fantastic challenge/opportunity to plan out an ideal wardrobe and curate my current collection to suit.


This is going to be a bit of an ongoing process for the next few months, as I finalize my written plan and start to sort through what I have, what I need, what I am making, and what is getting tossed. I will do my best to share my process here, from outfit inspiration to drafted plans, to final results. And I will appreciate every bit of advice you have to offer - because it turns out it is much harder to plan for every occasion in life than to plan for a series of scripted scenes. Look for the "Calculated Costumes" label if you want to follow along during this process!

Sun Ain't Shinin'

Spontaneous dance party, anyone? Yes? Well, ready, set, go!

This band is so much fun. I just discovered The Asteroids Galaxy Tour and am seriously digging their album Fruit. The video* for "The Golden Age" is on the main page and it is So. Much. Fun. How much do you wish you were at that party?!

*Does that video look familiar? The short form is a Heineken commercial, which is actually how I discovered the band in the first place. Yup. I'm not a very good hipster.

Smell as Sweet

I love the idea of a signature scent - always wearing the same specific scent (one which is at least mostly unique) every day so that when people smell it, they think of you. What a gorgeous thought. But I'm a bit too fickle for that. There are a few perfumes I adore, but there are also lots of others that I enjoy for a time and then move on to a new favorite. I'm currently on the prowl for a new selection of scents, and these are the ones on the top of my list so far.

Garden, by MCMC Fragrances. It is herby, unisex, and oil based. Pretty much perfect. It is also by a darling indie company, which rocks, and supports a charity, which also rocks. I have gotten this twice before and can't wait for my next tube to arrive. I would highly recommend ordering a sample pack (or both) from MCMC - enough to test each scent a couple times and really get a feel for how the scent wears on you. It may seem kind of pricey for what you can get for free at a department store, but remember, this is an indie company, and you are really getting a couple week's worth of perfume out of it. (Or it is possible I just have a crush on this company and will do anything they ask of me...)

Demeter Fragrance Library. I particularly love Grass and Paperback. The former is a nice grassy smell but with slightly floral undertones to keep it from being too kitschy. Nice and fresh. The later is my favorite musty/musky scent. Very unisex, great for winter. I also love to layer it with a lighter floral option. I always order a small selection of scents in the .5 oz splash size. This goes a long way, and gives me a nice selection of smells. Plus, if you order enough you get a free prize! The prize was pretty lame on my last order (Who wants to smell like a cosmo? Gross.) but my selections were rad. This next time I think I may opt for Beeswax, Sawdust, This is Not a Pipe, Tomato, Earthworm (I've tried Dirt and it is kind of amazing), and Firefly. This is also a really fun thing to stock up on for little favors and gifts. With so many pretty, hilarious, and specific scents you can really personalize your message.

Perfume Oil, by Long Winter Farm. I haven't tried this, but recently spied it on another blog (I'm bad and can't remember who! If it was you, tell me and I'll link back to you!) and now can't wait to order. I'm thinking of getting a sample pack of three oils, because, hey, it's a bargain! I'm probably going to ask for violet, sunset, and meadow but we'll see. I may also have to order some of that cream and lip balm because basically that entire store looks amazing. Oil based fragrances, luscious scents, and they even do requests! I'll let you all know how it goes once I place my order.

What perfumes/scents do you love? I would love a recommendation or two!

PS: This post is definitely not sponsored by any of the above companies. Just my own opinions!

Hi Guys

Um, Hi. I know its been awhile. Ooops. Sorry. I'm going to try to be a much better blogger, but we'll see. In the meantime, have a dance party! Wheee!

Sorry it isn't a better video -- I really wanted to play you this song, and I didn't have quite as much fun dancing to the other versions (mostly live and acoustic).

Brett Dennen's music available here.

New Zealand

As you may or may not have gathered from previous posts, I happen to be dating a very lovely kiwi fella and we recently (Okay, it was in April. Months ago. Which isn't terribly recent in blog-time.) took a little trip down there. It is everything that people always say about it -- gorgeous landscape, nice people, good food. We spent time with my kiwi's family and friends, seeing places he grew up, drinking delicious local wine and beer, and gorging ourselves on some of the best dairy, produce, and meat I can remember eating. (It helps that his mum is a TERRIFIC cook and we spent much of our time staying with them on the incomparable Marlborough Sounds). Here are a very few of my favorite pictures from the trip. Enjoy.













P.S. More photos can be found at my flickr.

Punching in a Dream

For the second year in a row my boyfriend's rad sister sent me a CD for Christmas. Last year it was Gin Wigmore (a kiwi), with her smoky voice and playful sound that is part oldies, part island, and part rock. This time I got The Naked & Famous (also kiwi) and they are delightful. Very different sound from Miss Wigmore, much more of an electronic alt rock, and an altogether very different sound than I usually listen to. That said, the album is ace so I thought I'd share the fun. This is my fave song of the album, but be sure to check out this neat video too.

I highly recommend adding them to your workout mix, too! I keep alternating between The Naked and Famous and Florence and the Machine for my cardio days. Very energizing, both.

Make, Do, See

I know January is almost over, but I've been honing my list of resolutions and plans for this year and am just finally getting where I want it. I probably should also add "Resist procrastination" to the list, but I am trying to only put realistic expectations on my list. Basically my theme is to make more, do more, see more. As opposed to just watching reruns on Netflix again, or reading that same novel I've already read six times. While both activities are awesome and will not disappear from my repertoire, I'd like to add a little more to my days. So here's my list. I'll try to blog what I manage to make, do, and see so you can share in the fun!

• Explore the bejeezus out of this city -- only one year left!
• Eat real foods, mostly plants, as much as possible!
• Finish that dern novel! Start a new one!
  
• No more plastic bags!
• Floss more!
• Learn something new -- dance, tai chi, calligraphy, knitting, graphic design, martial arts, or something else entirely! Maybe even more than one thing!
  
• Get my life ready to move to a new continent!

Any favorite themes, key words, or plans for 2011?