Things I Love Thursday
[ 2 September 2010, 10:01 ]
It’s my favourite month of the year, but then, I am a super-biased Virgo! It’s the month of New York Fashion Week, multiple birthday parties, & the weather oh-so-slowly creeping towards Autumn. There might even be occasion to bust out a cardigan! REJOICE!
September is going to be a big one for me. I wish I could give you more details, but sadly for now I need to be ~*~cryptic~*~. It’ll be worth the wait when it all comes to the surface, I promise!
Now then, as part of my radical self-love practice (nudge nudge!), here’s my gratitude list for the week. It’s also the best remedy for a surly mood that I know of. Give it a go!
Big Tom is this amazing spiced tomato juice which I am obsessed with. I am averaging one 750ml bottle a day at the moment. It’s delicious & all-natural & makes your mouth flush red. Does it mean something when you’re craving tomato juice?! Regardless, it is obscenely delicious.
Sitting in parks with Chloe! I met her in the West Village the other day because she has just come back from living in L.A. for the last FOUR MONTHS (can you believe it?!). It was so good to see her again! She makes me laugh & she gives the most genuine hugs of anyone I’ve ever met. I would like to have her around me all the time!
Trying to find a hotel in NYC for my mother. Well, that wasn’t the fun bit really, but reading the titles of the hotel reviews (on TripAdvisor) was so funny. My favourites include: “Nightmare in Chinatown!” “Nasty but legendary” “Surrealistic” “I’d rather take a nap at the Macy’s bathroom than this place” “TINY, DEPRESSING & FILTHY!!” “Great place, shame about the people” Hahah! Anyway, not to worry, we found her something fabulous. I’m so excited about seeing her again!
One of my vision boards…
Caramel macaroons; kisses goodbye while I’m still sleeping; finding an amazing park (with shade, a table & !!!free wifi!!!) to work in on Sunday; listening to The Current late at night; perfect sandwiches; Getting Organised (capital G, capital O); designing shoes (I’m not even kidding, JUST YOU WAIT); wearing a boater hat all the time; Sabina Kelley (hellooooo); “She’s really beautiful, she looks like a female Michael Jackson” (yeah, you can guess who I was talking about!); finally going back to the gym & having a really good time; women who will hold incredible pairs of shoes for you; everything happening at once; Gmail’s Priority Inbox (YES); an old guy coming up to me & telling me he wanted a “tribunal tattoo” — I think he meant tribal, but it’s aiiight!; working with my feet in a foot spa; getting reflexology & feeling like it unlocked my brain (all of a sudden I was awash with ideas, reflexology is great like that); this photo of Hank & Dolly (they’re so cute, it shouldn’t even be LEGAL to be that cute); trying on fantastic jackets at Coach (1 2 3) which made me seriously yearn for crisper weather; being hit on by a toothless lesbian in the West Village (I miss that neighbourhood!); planning Autumn outfits in my Filofax since I can’t wear any of it yet; when The Dish spends hours making me elaborate meals (swoon); getting really dressed up just to walk the dogs (I’m bringing fancy back!); Chimes Ginger Chews (MAJOR obsession); spending Sunday in an stationery shop & re-working my office; pink citron & macaron candles by Votivo (can’t even tell you); second-hand bookshops; holding hands with The Dish; when Dolly is an excited squirming monster in the mornings!
I’d love to read your list, too! Submit it below, or post it on your own blog & link it so we can see it!
P.S. I’m judging the DRESS! Gala For Her Birthday! & WIN! A Huge Prize Pack! competition later on today, so if you forgot to enter… or think you could improve on your initial entry (!), you better get to it!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [17] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!
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Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 August 2010, 10:41 ]
It’s that time again! Time to go for a trip down thankfulness lane!
By the way! Those of you, who, in yesterday’s post, asked for more ideas or places to start on their journey of self-adoration? THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY is a great place to start! I mean, you don’t have to do it here. But just start practicing gratitude. Make yourself come up with a list of ten things you’re happy about before you have your juice in the morning. Name three things you’re excited about before you get out of bed. Tell people who want favours that you’ll do it as long as they list five things they love! Start building up an atmosphere of appreciation & love, & watch your life get really big & lovely & full. It works, I promise.
With that in mind, here’s my list!
My take on a fifties Barbie look. It consisted of a Betsey Johnson black & white striped cropped cardigan with bright pink skull on the back; high-waist pink leather miniskirt; pink glitter cat’s eye makeup; straight bangs; black white & pink Barbie scarf rolled & knotted on the top of my head; heart-shaped rhinestone dangly earrings; black stockings with crystals on them; Dr Marten boots. I don’t have very good pictures but here! Betsey liked it too! (Swoon! SWOON!)
Finally getting a haircut! On Sunday, in a crazy rage, I took out all my extensions, & yesterday went crawling to Angela at Whistle to beg her to do something with my mop. It looks so cute now! I look like I am from Pixie Town™!
New Zealand’s Next Top Model! GUYS! It started WEEKS ago! Why didn’t anyone tell me?! I stayed up late last night catching up & am so into it. Hahaha it is so amazing, they had to pose inside a rolling ZORB! Are you kidding me?! I love hearing NZ accents & seeing my country again. Are any of you watching? I think the twins are so rad, I love them, but I think Danielle, Courtenay & Michaela have the best chances of going a long way in the competition…
Weird weddings which include 7 year old girls crip-walking (skip to 35 seconds!), Chinese guys breakdancing, rock-hard cake & drinking Scotch with The Dish while we generally behaved badly. It was so much fun, hahah. When your boyfriend is your best friend & all you want to do is get into trouble together, it is the best thing in the world.
Last but not least! I am also loving… The Game’s Break Lights mixtape (listen to this); watching Miss Universe with The Dish & being TOTALLY RIGHT that Miss Mexico would win!; talking to Jess (who I miss!); cute lunches which involve much plotting & fresh juice; Trainspotting soundtrack (an oldie but a goodie for sure); fake flowers all over my house; working from my Filofax (makes me feel very organised); Midnight Mambo Sephora By OPI nailpolish worn with a big Electric Hearts Tarina Tarantino ring; George Michael (foreverrrr!); the Brooklyn Flea Market (I love it!); having cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine delivered (eeeeevil!); my feature in Inked!; striped maxi-skirts & metallic knit sweaters (which prompt The Dish to say, “Why does your shirt look like chainmail?”); styling Nubby via email; shopping while drinking a cherry cocktail; Real Simple magazine (I read it at the hairdresser & it is so excellent! I need a subscription!), & also how excited the dogs are when we all wake up. There are few things more wonderful (that I know!) than a dog who absolutely adores you. Really, you can’t beat it.
Need some convincing to jump into the Things I Love Thursday fray?
“Research… shows that people who keep a gratitude journal, who each night before going to sleep write at least five things for which they are grateful, big things or little things, are happier, more optimistic, more successful, more likely to achieve their goals, physically healthier; it actually strengthens our immune system, & are more generous & benevolent toward others.” (Source.)
I’d love to read your list for the week! Start your radical self-love mission TODAY!
Images from an old (I think?!) Alannah Hill campaign.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [76] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 August 2010, 23:35 ]
Photo by Zoetica Ebb.
This week I love…
Shooting with Shae! Yesterday, my seriously talented friend Shae & I drove out to the middle of Pennsylvania so we could take some photographs. It was such a long day but was super-funny. Undressing in the middle of the forest, scrambling up hills using my nails to grip onto tree roots, wearing Zac Posen in the middle of a cornfield & Shae saying, “Pretend you’re in a Neil Young video! HARVEST MOON!” We ended the day with a massive feast at Carraba’s & drove back to New York City in the dark, talking the whole way. She is such a lovely, fun girl, I’m so glad to have met her. I always enjoy myself when I’m around her, her energy & enthusiasm is infectious! I can’t wait to see what comes out of her camera — shooting with her was a wonderful experience & I know she’s going to go a long way!
& the following exploding galaxies: Walking around flea markets with The Dish; The Fall (so very beautiful & made me want to wear emerald green silk while riding across the desert); Pepto-Bismol pink toenails & perfect mint green fingers; Agent Provocateur daydreams; urban death slalom in rhinestone platforms; easter egg coloured fur coats & top hats; meeting sweet family members & petting little dogs; watching Australia’s Next Top Model in bed (my picks for the final three: Kelsey, Joanna, Amanda — what do you think?); boys who make you bacon & eggs for breakfast; sleeping all day when you need to (which is exactly what I did today); Indian feasts with onion bhaji & mango lassi (mmmmm!); puppy snuggles; racy dreams; floating around in long pink slip dresses; mud on your best shoes & irridescent pink beetles.
Photo by Zoetica Ebb.
“I come from elegance, darling, ELEGANCE! Gorgeous people doing elegant things… We wore gorgeous clothes, dresses trimmed in real ermine & we dined at Chasens & L’Escoffier… We did sambas & cha-chas & everyone knew everyone else from NewYork, Paris, Rio de Janeiro… & it’s all gone! Gone! Just this GARBAGE now… Nobody’s from nowhere… Barbie dolls who know NOTHING! They wear diamonds at NOON!! & I’m stuck in this SHITHOLE! Christ! God on a WHEEL!”
(Royce. The obsession continues…)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [38] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday & Carousel: 13th August 2010
[ 13 August 2010, 11:41 ]
Today’s going to be a double-hit-combo of Things I Love Thursday & Carousel, because yesterday ended up being a long day (hence the lateness of TiLT), & I have barely been online (hence the shortness of Carousel)! Here we go…
Things I Love Thursday
Going away is very good for you. As I was walking around Los Angeles, looking at frippery, longingly caressing 80% of the stock at Maxfield, I felt like I had been jolted awake. I felt energised & excited again. I remembered that life can be fancy ALL THE TIME. Yes, all the time! You can surround yourself with beauty constantly! When I remembered, I made a silent pledge to myself to do exactly that.
Nubbenstein! It was wonderful to see Nubby again. Last time we were together was a year ago (!!!) in New York. So much has changed since then, but we are still the same people & we still get along famously. We both freak out over the same things & have the same travel agenda (Shop! Photos! Shop! Photos! Disney!). Even better, she’s coming to NYC next month for our birthday (we’re a day apart — Virgo Power!) & I can’t wait!
Disneyland adventures! On Monday, Kevin, Amy, Nubby, Zo, Danielle, Joel & I piled into a couple of cars & drove to Anaheim for Disneyland madness. Zoetica hadn’t been since 1999 & when I found that out, I was even more excited! We had such a great time: Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain EO (long live the King of Pop!), Spinning Teacups & Tower of Terror (which is absolutely my new favourite!). $6 corn dogs were eaten, bubble guns were menacingly brandished, sequinned ears were worn & many, many, many pictures were taken. When I have everyone’s photos, I’ll post them! (D Y I N G ! Send me your pictures NOW!)
Coming home again & seeing my man & our puppies. I missed them so much while I was away & was so glad to see their faces once more. Have I told you recently that I love my boyfriend? I really do. He is amazing.
The littles: Helping Nubby write blog posts (“Definitely mention something about your ghostly pallour“); waking up at 4am & unpacking my suitcase, cleaning out my closet, writing my content for the day & scanning my photos all before the rest of the house is up; a hotel room strewn with vintage dresses & psychedelic shifts, glitter-covered flowers & oversized puffy hair bows; IHOP; valet at IHOP?!; 70 year old women at IHOP wearing t-shirts which say, “I heart West Hollywood dykes” (!!!); roadtripping from San Francisco to L.A. with Kevin & Amy (I LOVE THEM); getting silhouette portraits at Disneyland; “How much do you think this jacket is?” “Hmm, $10,000?” “$10,250… God, you’re good”; my “Oh Merde!” t-shirt; exploring old houses which have been transformed into magical vintage clothing stores (& going into the secret back room — “Scarlett Johansson likes this box of stuff the best” — WHAT!); Sex Is Fun!: Creative Ideas for Exciting Sex (cute & totally illustrated!); cream angora sweaters with Mickey Mouse ears in sequins on the front; onion rings; sharing a hotel room with Nubs (always a good time); the fact that my mother is coming to NYC in October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!; taking photos of Dolly which make her look as if she’s reading a copy of Modern Motorcycle Mechanics; Agent Provocateur; doing accents all week long; photobooth fun with Violet; wearing pink & leopard print all the time; laughing constantly; seeing Francesca Lia Block in person (I didn’t stay for the reading though, too crowded); wearing hats; seeing Simon & eating Chinese food in San Francisco; macaroons for breakfast; “The buttcrack of dawn is the best time to eat pancakes!!!!!!!!!!”... & the list goes on. LOTS TO LOVE!
Amy: “The other day I thought, you know, if I spent as much time exercising as I do Photoshopping myself, I could be hot enough where I don’t even HAVE to Photoshop myself. But then I thought “neh” & ordered a pizza.”
Carousel
I love this treasury from Etsy: Let’s do a tarot reading in the desert!
Sarah Wilson, of course… I stopped & had a good hard look at myself & why I love ugly walking shoes.
Oh, this is so rad! Drive-In Intermissions is a collection of drive-in intermission videos from the 1950s!
The blind leading the blind makes me laugh.
Bad Yearbook Photos is so funny! Kinda painful, too.
The Book Of Awesome is out in New Zealand & Australia! Go pick yourself up a copy.
Esquire’s self improvements guide!
Porn star Lorelei Lee talks obscenity: An actress at the center of the case against John Stagliano opens up about the darker sides of the adult business. This is brilliant.
We also discussed the possibility of my testifying to the reasons I make these kinds of films. I think this imagery is important as a contrast to the majority of mainstream representation of women’s sexuality. The prevailing message women receive is that sexual aggression is unfeminine, that a woman’s primary sexual role is as regulator of male desire — to say yes or no, but not to pursue desires of our own. Women are still often taught that sexy is the same as “pretty,” that it means dressing a certain way and then waiting to be approached. These films show women being sexually aggressive and powerful in a way that sometimes isn’t pretty, but is definitely sexy.
I also don’t think you can take imagery out of context and say that it has inherent meaning — any interpretation of an image has to do with the social and cultural context in which it’s viewed. If we lived in a society in which women’s sexuality was celebrated, and was seen as usually proactive rather than usually passive, I don’t think people would jump so quickly to the concepts of exploitation and dehumanization when they thought of female performers.
My friend Bei is an amazing artist & she has an art blog now! Subscribe to it for mega-inspiration & lots of sweetness.
OH MY GOD, I LOVE IT. Their big fat leopard-print lesbian wedding! !! !!! What a beautiful couple! SWOON!
The most Rock n Roll moment was perhaps the epic wedding cake food fight at the end of the night or me breaking my toe….And one thing we both wanted to achieve was to prove that lesbian weddings can be fun and stylish and tattooed and be completely free of bad white suits!!!
Color Scheme Designer is a rad resource!
All a-tremble with a case of wanderlust? Check out This Battered Suitcase. Warning: it may make your tremors worse!
Have a peek at your August horoscope from the AstroTwins!
Back Door Play: Which State Is The Most Anal? Oh, ALASKA! I’m shocked!
Alaska, Vermont, New Hampshire… they all share one thing in common: long winters, and many dark, dark nights. It makes sense that folks who have to endure the endless days of snow and cold turn to warm nights in bed and explore the limits of what can be done there. Add in the fact that Maine, Massachusetts, Montana and Minnesota also indulge in the anal toy habit, you can really see a pattern.
OkCupid warns, Don’t Be Ugly By Accident! Oh my god I love their blog. Did you know that using the flash in a photo ages you by 7 years (on average)? Or that iPhone users are the most sexually active? You should dig around their blog, it is completely fascinating.
Awwhhhhhhhh um this made me cry so maybe don’t watch it at work?!
Kris Carr (who I love love love) recently did some work with EFT & here is a video of her experiences. Word up! I love EFT & encourage everyone to use it. So watch it, okay? You’ll enjoy it. She is rad & very charismatic to watch!
Have an amazing weekend!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [28] Tags: carousel,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 5 August 2010, 14:24 ]
Magic feets!
(& new lens tests!)
Love on a plane!
PROP 8 OVERTURNED! Best news ever! I’m so excited & pleased. & how brill to be visiting California the day after! I am all about some festive atmosphere! Let’s do it!
My new 35mm lens! I am not a camera genius by any stretch of the imagination but the other day I decided it was time for a new lens for my camera. The lens on my Nikon D80 which I use for practically everything is SUPER-hefty & a total bummer to lug all over the universe. Et voila, now I have a 35mm which is basically orgiastic & brilliantine & I LOVE IT. It gives THE BEST depth of field, very sexy, & I am so thrilled to use it in California! (It is the lens I used for my outfit photos this morning!)
Flying Virgin America! I know I’ve said it before & I promise they don’t pay me to promote them! (I wish they would though!) I love flying with them. As you read this, I am in the sky, plugged into a power outlet & wifi’ing it up, chatting up a storm on AIM while pretending to be productive. Delicious! Soon I will be in San Francisco! Even better.
Girl Time: 100% Pure & Natural, Not From Concentrate! I love estrogen & spending time with my girlfriends. Dress up parties & photos AHOY!!!
Hello, you fool, I love you:
(Come join the joyride…) Listening to our (by which I mean Nubby & I) old favourite Smooth Holiday in preparation for Virgo pandemonium!; using Sunday to get things done (writing, emails, eyebrows, hairdresser, even deleting files off ye olde desktop!); wonderful barbeques with great women (& their husbands); having the BEST boyfriend in the known Universe (FACT — don’t even quibble with me!) who buys me chocolate peanut butter shakes, redesigns my site on a whim when he has much more interesting things he could be doing & fixes my bag when it BREAKS in the street — oh, quelle keeper; obsessing over fall fashion (leather jackets, blazers, boots, etc. etc. etc. ad finitum); going to cocktail parties looking more than a little Cabaret & knowing more than half the people there; after-hours shopping adventures at Rugby Ralph Lauren (FANCY + fun = !!!); candlelight dinners & spirit sticks & miniature jars of pickles at The Lion; not putting sugar in my iced soy latte; Crif Dogs (delivered!); playing Buck Hunter with The Dish (I was actually pretty good! Don’t let him tell you otherwise!); “oh merde” t-shirts; “Your vagina needs adventures”; Van Morrison; Catch Me In Your Net (by OPI) on my nails; French Picnic sandwiches; scotch; excitement about lots of changes a-coming; thinking about being a peacock for halloween; ROYCE & MARILYN (just you wait); DISNEYLAND ANTICIPATION!; “nougatty f*ck!”; The Dish. Always & forever.
What is filling your heart with images of little fluffy bunnies & glitter cannons this week?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [47] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 29 July 2010, 12:44 ]
Vanilla explosion! I went into Lush Cosmetics on Tuesday afternoon to see what was new in their world. I usually stick to my old favourites when I go in there (Rock Star, Alkmaar, Honey I Washed The Kids) but couldn’t help sampling some of their new products & fell head-over-heels in love with their new vanilla products! Vanilla Dee-Lite has coconut water & oil in it (& yes, you can smell it, hello, summer!) & Vanillary perfume is vanilla absolute with tonka absolute, OH MY GOSH. I have been coating myself with the lotion after showering & then spraying on a bit of the perfume before I walk out the door & oh I smell good! Stick your nose in a Lush shop today & have a big whiff!
Australia’s Next Top Model! I am an unabashed fan of the Top Model franchise, though I haven’t watched any of the American series since season 9 (where Saleisha won & Heather, who I ADORED, did not). Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The Australian franchise is great. (I still love Paloma, don’t you?) It just started so download it & enjoy! I love Charlotte & Alex for being so upfront about their Botox obsession, too. “If I could raise my eyebrow, I would.” PERFECT! (Also, did you hear about Cassi calling the French “snail slurpers” & “frog eaters” on Facebook? Oh, girl! Come on!)
Watching The IT Crowd with The Dish & laughing & laughing & laughing. Such a good show, especially for anyone who has ever worked on a helpdesk, at an ISP, or knows anything to do with computers. You should definitely watch it!
Going for long walks with The Dish & talking the whole way. It’s one of my favourite things to do with him.
...Yeah! It has been a quiet week (busy finishing off Love & Sequins #10!) so there hasn’t been a lot of action, but the next few weeks will more than make up for it!
Les petites: Feeling floaty after a long work-out; Klondike bars (only tried them for the first time last weekend — I am a fan); balloon installations; Ice Cube at 9am; moving the Coilhouse magazines to the front of the stacks when I visit Barnes & Noble (hey, a girl’s gotta help her friends as much as she can — not that they need my help, have you SEEN Coilhouse?!); the fact that my dog is a beanbag; obsessing over Iceland; eyeballs in the park; further refining my style direction for F/W10 (watch this space); leopard print sports bras (oui! I work out in these); having an “animal print moment”; Jeff Koons (clearly); “Me Tarzan, you knickers off”; watching Inception (which I enjoyed very much) while drinking a huge bucket of Coke (ewww but yaaaaay); Shae who is very brilliant & inspiring & who I’m so looking forward to seeing on Saturday!; Chloe’s first video project (ahhhhhhhhhhhh cute); excitement about California (I am having to cut my trip short by a few days BUT it’s for a good reason, more details to come!); planning adventures with Jazzi Nubby Chloe Amy Lydia et al; finally eating when you’re starving; the Twitter water buddy system (it’s simple — every now & then, you just tweet reminding your followers to drink water! I remind you, you remind me, it all works out!); laughing while I work out; Lebanese food; the relief of having completed L&S10!; all the lovely responses to my knicker photos the other day (thank you so much!); cuddling with Dishy. I love him. You know that, right?
Heaven is whenever…
(The Hold Steady)
What are you crushing on this week? A cute girl, your new blazer, a core-shaking idea? Please share it with us!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [92] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 July 2010, 11:25 ]
It’s just a quickie this week, as I’m running around like a madwoman putting the final touches on Love & Sequins #10! (Oh, what a gal was Quickie!) Here’s my lil’ list of LURVE!
All my lovin’!
(I will give to yoooooou!)
Huge Lips Skinny Hips lip gloss (satin smooth & plump deliciousness!); limited edition Betsey Johnson on eBay; Paris Hilton’s album (yes); more sparkles all the time; making plans with photographers; my new black straw bowler hat (I love it!); Dolly Darling making weird ewok noises while she dreams; Steve Mason’s Lost & Found — WAY too good (he’s the vocalist for the Beta Band!); working out really really really hard; iced soy lattes; working from bed with two slumbering puppies for company; Tom Waits; looking forward to autumn (I KNOW! After all my grumbling about the cold weather! But c’mon! I am all about blazers, cardigans, stockings… Yes please!); Francesca Lia Block posting on Facebook “looking for an experienced young actress to play weetzie” (hello, dream come true!); by the way, if you’re going to be in L.A., come to the reading of Weetzie Bat the screenplay (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus you will get to see me FAN OUT like crazy over Ms Block herself); Prince’s new single, Sticky Like Glue (yeeeeah!); major excitement about seeing a huge handful of my favourite girls in two weeks time!; Disneyland’s World Of Color (oh you BETTER BELIEVE we’re going!); In-N-Out burger (mmmm); “Blame it on that life you don’t live, but shit-talking says more about you than me kid”; looking forward to getting new hair this afternoon (yay!); gold eyeshadow; Molly’s bad influenceness; Nina Garcia’s Look Book (I was just sent a review copy & it’s fantastic!); bright pink trackpants from Victoria’s Secret (YES I DID); peanut butter & jelly chocolate bars; my friend who lit a fire under my ass & The Dish for amplifying it; the Last.fm application on my Droid; the reproduction 1950s payphone sitting on my desk (P.S. It’s pink!); sweet voicemail from nonpareils; sleeping in the air-conditioning; my lover.
“The road to positivity is strewn with the abandoned vehicles of the faint-hearted.”
(Peter McWilliams)
What’s on your LOVE LIST this week?!
P.S. If you clicked LIKE on the Gala Darling Facebook page, the winners are being announced at noon! Be sure to check if you were one of the lucky winners! (There is also going to be a special surprise announced at the same time… so be sure to join us there!)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [48] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 July 2010, 12:15 ]
Love, love, love…
A certainly-not-exhaustive list of things I am loving, appreciating, & grateful for this week… I’d love to read yours, too!
Realising how far I’ve come. I’ve been coming to grips with some things it has taken me a while to get a handle on. Some of them seem like little things, but I can tell that the shift is indicative of how much I’ve grown over the last few years. For example, I had to get my make-up done twice this week. Usually when I am sitting in the chair & they ask what I want, I say, “Whatever you like! Go nuts.” This week, both times, I said, “I like a matte face, lots of cheekbone action, classic black but exaggerated winged eyeliner, & almost nude lips.” While this may not seem like a big deal, I feel like I know what I want now, & I’m not afraid of expressing it. I’m more sure of myself, & as a consequence I’m becoming more comfortable with asking for what I want, in all areas of my life. That means a lot to me!
If I don’t think HELL YEAH, the answer is HELL NO! I’m being much, much, much more picky about the projects I accept, & finally putting into practice the idea that unless something is really exciting, I say no. It’s GREAT, it frees up so much of your time & instead you get to work on the stuff which you’re really into. Brilliant!
Gala Darling on Facebook! Everyone on there is so cute & rad! You should join us. I’m giving away five subscriptions to Love & Sequins there this week, & there are already conversations & loveliness going on!
San Francisco & Los Angeles excitement! The (tentative) plan? Two nights in San Francisco, then roadtrip to L.A. with none other than Miss SHRINKLE! Attend a Francesca Lia Block reading! See Jazzi, Zoetica & Barbie, do some serious vintage shopping & spend some time by the ocean! Yes please!
Miniature melting moments…
Meet In Tha Middle; Dolly sliding down the back of the bed into the bookcase in the middle of the night!; drinking chocolate milkshakes & watching funny movies; having a cuddle party; sweet talented make-up artists; sweet talented photographers!; walking around a drugstore in a trance & walking out with three new bottles of nailpolish, Post It notes, lip balm, black Pilot V7 pens, etc.; both puppies lying on the couch next to me watching me work; pink glitter shoes; listening to The Flashbulb; “Babe, help me!”; when a song you love but haven’t heard in FOREVER starts playing; huge procellous clouds above Manhattan; my new enormous whiteboard which I’m using to organise my ten trillion new projects; having a drawer full of clean, cute underwear (such a good feeling!); cleaning obsessively; false eyelashes; researching hotels; chocolate for breakfast!; taking photos with a bunch of teenage boys without shirts on (I seriously cannot wait to show you the pictures!); The Dish for being a killer cutie & listening to what I say & putting it into action; Paris Hilton: “J’adore Christian Louboutin” (me too, girl); vintage sequinned Lanvin shrugs; Bellinis for breakfast; drag queen grandma interior design; singing along to The Beatles when I’m nervous; special hot dogs; always being glad to move onwards & upwards, never looking back.
By the way, deleting 38,000 emails is still one of the best things I’ve done in ages. I recommend it!
“I bless others’ good fortune, & I know that there is plenty for all.”
(Louise L. Hay)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [71] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 8 July 2010, 14:08 ]
My new business cards. Ain’t they beautiful? I love them. I designed them myself & as a non-designer, I’m quite proud! & yes, you can call me! I’d love to hear from you. So give me a ring-a-ding-ding, won’t you?
Being in luh-luh-luh-LOVE! I don’t want to get all sappy on you, but it’s good to be in love. That’s all.
Reading this & then performing some intelligence tests on Dolly. That post is one of the funniest things I have ever seen, & the comments made me laugh until I cried. I showed The Dish last night & after we got done laughing, we decided to do some similar intelligence tests on Dolly. He suspects she is a little dim. (When he said that, I was so offended! “No!”, I cried. “She’s PERFECT! She’s a GENIUS!” He doesn’t think so.) Anyway, she failed the tests. We put her under a blanket & she just lay down. Hahahah. Then I googled her breed (she is part bluetick coonhound) & it says that part of their DNA lends them to stubbornness, selective hearing (!!!) & no real interest in pleasing their owners! Hahaah!!! So funny. She is a little monster!
Deleting 38,000 emails! Not even kidding! Such a good feeling! It was also long overdue.
Concentrated girl time! Yesterday Molly & I had a looooong lunch where we laughed, plotted, took photobooth pictures & I made lots of notes in my Filofax. (Nnnnnnnnnnnnnerd.) Zoetica arrived this morning from Los Angeles, & the three of us are going to go & have another loooong lunch. Yay! This is not to mention hilarious conversations with Nubs (taco eater extraordinaire) & Jess (shoe obsessive). Team Estrogen!
Sexy, yummy, little: Laughing ‘til we cry about silly product slogans & Cupcake Wars (somehow, we still get the Food Network?!); singing along while Fleetwood Mac plays extra-loud on a beautiful summer day; sending pictures of my cleavage to Nubby; Cathy Horyn & Jeanne Beker live-tweeting the Jean-Paul Gaultier show yesterday (“A turban with high twist and fishnets”, “there’s an Eiffel Tower worked into the back of each leg of the fishnets”, WHAT!); making an effort to take daily outfit photos; men who buy Love & Sequins subscriptions for their girlfriends (doki doki); Weezer all afternoon; The Dish being cute & faux-pestering me when he had the day off & I was trying to be productive; stripping Google AdSense out of my site (did you notice? I think it looks much better); heaps of rad/fun/ridiculous opportunities; properly hooking my phone up with Verizon (who I LOVE, they are so good!); neon pink fingernails, & singing songs to Hank. Imagine this being sung in a superbly toneless, off-key manner… followed by me laughing like a maniac.
“What’s it like… being hairy?
Is it scary? Are you weary?
Are you a fan of… Dennis Leary?”
I think he liked it. (Poor Hank.)
“Life’s as kind as you let it be.”
(Charles Bukowski)
Tell us about the very very very best parts of your week! What was the most delicious thing you ate? Who did you see that made you smile? What made you laugh so hard you couldn’t breathe?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [93] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 2 July 2010, 12:06 ]
This week I’m loving…
Lots of little things: Eye contact; Rachel Zoe calling galadarling.com “tres chic” (OMG ETC. !!!); the way Dolly sits like a frog; Armour Beauty lip gloss (I got Cat Club — it’s a beautiful colour & deliciously moisturising. Also, did you know it is owned by Theo Kogan of Lunachicks fame?! They were one of my favourite bands as a teenager!); Dolly lying down on a sheet of bubble wrap (POP POP POP POP POP POP!); ordering new business cards (I am sooooo amped about this, I can’t even put it into words, excitement ++!); eating mashed potatoes as a midnight snack; Google Voice (new obsession); getting so much extra traffic on galadarling.com that I had to upgrade the server!; dreams & synchronicity (a month ago I dreamt about my friend who I haven’t seen or had any contact with in 11 years — yesterday, her brother called me); Otis Redding in the morning; 500 Days Of Summer (such a cute movie); iTunes treating me sweetly; the weather forecast: “sprinkles”; Bring It On; Sarah from Brisbane commenting to say we had the same French teacher!; flower crowns all over my room (I now have four!); York peppermint patties kept in the fridge; the fact that The Dish is an amazing motorcycle racer (he did super-well in his races last weekend); having taco night with Fumi & Asami; my new wallet (I love it, even though The Dish says “the heart looks like a blister”, ew, what?!!); the fact that Betsey Johnson is having a buy one get one free sale!; looking forward to July 4th silliness; bedtime puppy parties; pink lingerie; my Filofax (yes, still); big, fantastic packages from MOR Cosmetics (cassis noir roll-on perfume, royal mulberry body butter, black cherry plum candles!); sublime weather & The Dish. (Aw.)
P.S. On repeat at International Playgirl HQ: Drake’s Thank Me Later; Timbaland’s Shock Value II; Justin Timberlake’s Suite 608; Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot. (You will love ‘em.)
Oh, &...
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [41] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 24 June 2010, 19:30 ]
On my love list this week…
The Juice Press, otherwise known as a raw foodist’s holy grail. I read about this place a couple of weeks ago & had been meaning to go by, but never got around to it. When I went to see Yuli the other day, I realised it was right around the corner & decided to pop in. OH MY. I ordered a D-tox Super Smoothie. The ingredients? Coconut water & meat, acai berry, agave nectar, raw cacao, vanilla, mint, cashew, “a very special fruit ingredient” & coconut oil. It was seriously THE BEST smoothie I have ever had, even better (if you can believe it) than the Chocolate Prana smoothie at Daily Juice in Austin. It was thick & intoxicating & incredible. The people who work there are really friendly & have super clear, bright eyes. (For some reason, a lot of raw food places have mega Attitude. It totally puts me off. The Juice Press does not & I LOVE them for it.) They also have food, sandwiches, do juice cleanses, & they deliver! WHAT! It’s like heaven! It was pretty orgasmic, generally. You should go. I am going to be there every morning. Join me!
Standing still in Tompkins Square Park as fireflies blinked all around us. The other day, after a rainstorm, The Dish & I took Hank & Dolly for a walk. The sun had just gone down, & as we walked through the park, we noticed hundreds — literally, hundreds — of fireflies all around us. The park was practically empty, it was just us & the dogs & the fireflies, blinking & floating all around us. Sublime.
Lazy summer days… To me this means long walks in the sunshine. That delicious rush of relief when you walk into an air conditioned shop. Stopping in at a bodega to buy an ice-cream, drinking litres & litres of chilled water, & taking all your clothes off as soon as you get back to your apartment. Feeling the sweat glisten on your body & not caring. Passing out in a cool, darkened room & waking up with dishevelled hair. Tanned skin & kissing on street corners. What does summer look like for you?
Little starbursts: Scott Vener’s birthday mix (honestly, seriously, completely & utterly cannot stop listening — did you know he is the music supervisor on Entourage? No big shock, huh?); having a bright pink case for my HTC Incredible (pretty & functional = rad); rubbing Skin & Bones all over my arms & smelling it all day; watching make-up tutorials on Youtube & following along (makes for an excellent crash course & is a fantastic way to get yourself out of your standard routine); watching Hank & Dolly cuddle (melts the old heart it does); finally emailing people back; healthy lunches (wild Alaskan halibut & green beans); catching up on old Entourage episodes before the new season starts on Sunday; a fridge full of food (thanks, FreshDirect, your existence ensures I never have to go to the supermarket!); obsessing over the concept of personalised stationery; my rad strong sexy girlfriend telling a lame boy to get knotted; the way my body feels like taffy &/or clouds after working out; “IHRE HARDCORE ODER NICHTS!”; watching Reservoir Dogs for the first time on Tuesday night, & seeing Mr. Orange (Tim Roth!) working out at my gym the next day!; soft cotton t-shirts & tinted lip gloss; & well, Le Dish in general! He is a pretty excellent boyfriend — he’s thoughtful, sexy & he races motorcycles. What more could anyone want?
Also, seeing Hank & Dolly’s tails wagging is one of my favourite things in the entire universe.
“...choose to believe in your own myth
your own glamour
your own spell
a young woman who does this
(even if she is just pretending)
has everything….”
(Francesca Lia Block)
What has been lighting up your galaxy this week? Write your list below, ‘cause we love to read them!
P.S. If you’ve been having a bit of a rough week, fear not — we’re having an eclipse. Next week will feel a trillion times better. Hang in there!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [75] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 June 2010, 11:37 ]
Oh yes, “u” do! & so do all these things! Here’s my list o’ lovin’! (All my loving! I will send to you! All my loving! Darling, I’ll be true!)
Oui, c’est vrai!
Bruce Sterling — legendary cyberpunk author — saying of my Psychedelic Ladies Who Lunch piece, “Why have I been spared the presence of these urchins??” WOW!!! Highlight of my year!
New hair! It is cute & I feel like I actually have a hairstyle for a change, as opposed to a big mop. I went & had my extensions moved up on Sunday, & had my roots done & my hair cut yesterday! It is now a bob & I am still adjusting but I like it! (It always takes me a couple of days…)
Taking long boozy lunches with Molly, which include two desserts, walking around in the fantastic weather & very candid conversation. ()
Wearing Wildfox Couture obsessively & loving it. I am usually not a t-shirt or sweatshirt kinda girl but the things they sent me are so painfully, insanely rad that I can’t help myself!
Integrating Dolly Darling into our household & watching it all unfold. She & Hank are getting along really well. He likes to lick her head & she follows him everywhere he goes. It is HEARTBREAKING. & adorable. She seems really happy to have a home, & we couldn’t be more delighted to have her.
Honorary mentions: Wearing sequinned Adidas x Jeremy Scott trackpants to the gym (I bought them on eBay!); rose quartz & amethyst bracelets bought right after I imagined them (& they were on sale!); filling my Filofax with PostIt notes; being ahead on my work; a skinny silver ring with a row of cubic zirconia; surprise birthday parties with helium balloons & Japanese cake; bloody good hair; my new HTC Incredible phone (it was a gift, & it is amazing); Baked Alaska at Standard Grill shared with my galactic twin; summertime Manhattan strolls; motorcycle rides at dusk; going back to the gym after two weeks off (feels GOOD girl!); the fact that Entourage starts again in two weeks (!!!); cocktails made with ginger ale on a Tuesday afternoon; cherry smoothies; Dolly’s sneaky Houndini moves; researching yoga retreats; all the people I follow on Twitter (so inspiring!); having a sweet puppy audience while I work; looking forward to seeing Zoetica again soon!; long slinky raspberry maxi dresses from Victoria’s Secret (which feels delicious & which I have been wearing while writing, dog walking, sleeping, etc.); buying big bags of chocolates; dark chocolate-covered ginger (my favourite vice!); polka-dot dresses & studded sneakers!
What is leaving you breathless this week? Let’s get gaspy!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [61] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 10 June 2010, 14:49 ]
Photographs from French Playboy.
I like New York in June, how about you? I like a Gershwin tune, how about you? I love a fireside when a storm is due, I like potato chips, moonlight motor trips, how about you? I’m mad about good books, can’t get my fill, & James Durante’s looks give me a thrill. Holding hands in the movie show, when all the lights are low, may not be new, but I like it, how about you?
Here are some things I L-O-V-E this week! I apologise again for no list last week — let’s make up for it this Thursday, huh?
Dolly Darling is rocking my world. She is so cute, as you all saw earlier today! It’s really lovely & satisfying to watch her settle into our life & routines, too. She is getting more comfortable with us & the house every day. I have been working in the living room since we got her, so I can keep an eye on both the dogs while I write, & she is either asleep at my feet or trying to lick my face!
Hank Williams who is like my puppy knight in shining armour. Dolly is so excitable & nutty, & she always has this evil look on her face like she is a French villain, going, “Heh heh heh!”, plotting & scheming away. (See what I mean?) Hank is more like an all-American hero. He is so calm & good. DAMN I love him!
Having dinner with Sarah Wilson was definitely one of the highlights of my week. As you all know, I link to Sarah every week, because I love her writing. She gave me my first real writing job — that of fashion columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine — but before last Sunday, we had never really spent any time together in person. Our dinner was amazing! It felt like we both had so much we needed to say to one another, & it was really invigorating, insightful, funny & cool. She gave me lots of things to think about & I hope I did the same for her. I was sad that our time together was so short! Please come back to NYC soon!
Las Vegas with Jess who I miss like mad. We really did have the best time. Much more to come on that next week!
Not having cable any more! The house is so much more relaxed & peaceful now, the difference is HUGE. I am a huge believer in home being a sanctuary, & how can it feel that way when commercials are screaming at you & you’re bombarded with a slew of shows about how the world is ending?! Can I tell you a secret? I really dislike television. It is SO obnoxious. I would be even happier if we didn’t have a TV at all, but since getting rid of cable, & 5000 channels full of rubbish, we barely even turn it on anymore! Suits me just fine…
Delicious! Watching Robin Williams on the plane; looking at ridiculous dog costumes online (oh just you wait); “We’ve got a blind date with destiny… & it looks like she ordered the lobster”; rain which cools off the city; Drake’s Thank You; Adidas x Jeremy Scott sequinned trackpants; eating maraschino cherries straight out of the jar at night; fantastic packages (including a huge box from Wildfox Couture, thank you girls!!!); rad sneakers; getting really dressed up (& not always falling prey to the working-in-pyjamas-self-employed curse!); seeing Dolly make faces & saying to her, “Don’t be evil!”; slumbering puppy parties; thinking about & researching retreats; Amy seeing the Finding My Goddess guy in a restaurant in Santa Barbara (& yes, he was alone, carting around a rolling suitcase!) & excitedly texting me about it; meeting Le Dish for lunch (always fun, should do it more often); skulls with hearts for eyes; obsessing over my Filofax (details to come); the HTC Incredible phone (it really is incredible); having the most productive week in… eons (taking a week off really is good for the brain); Dolly following me everywhere like a little shadow; Justin Timberlake’s Suite 806; Timbaland’s Presents Shock Value II; but mostly just being firmly ensconced in Puppy Wonderland with my handsome, amazingly patient, hard-working, solid-as-a-rock, extremely intelligent lover.
“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
What is making your life go PING this week?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [81] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 28 May 2010, 10:05 ]
In a rooftop garden at the Rockefeller Center.
Whoah! A day late! Hope you have been holding onto your love so you can share it… Here is my list for the week!
Working on Love & Sequins #9! I’m really enjoying it & I’m so excited about releasing it. I am almost done, have only a few thousand more words to go, then need to record it & send it out. There is something so fantastically satisfying about writing a really long piece, refining it, editing it & polishing it. Watching it come together.
Meeting fantastic new people who you instantly click with & can collaborate with creatively. I had the best coffee date yesterday & it made me feel so good!
Working out (still!) — Firstly, this is the longest time I have consistently worked out, ever. I’ve been seeing my trainer for 14 weeks now! Previously I have worked out in fits & starts, getting really into it & then putting it off, then starting again months later, but it feels SO GOOD to have exercise as part of my routine. Plus, I love my gym (yesterday they were doing free spray tans) & my trainer. I am so much stronger & feel so much better about my body!
Strange goodie bags! I went to an event for the HTC Droid Incredible yesterday, & they gave me a goodie bag. I sometimes wish I put gift bags together for a living because they can be so delightfully weird! This one contained: Revlon red lipstick, Essie red nailpolish, a red stiletto cellphone charm, a packet of Big Red gum, a tin of rosebud salve, a big red flower hair accessory, a miniature bottle of Smirnoff, a miniature bottle of Absolut & a jar of maraschino cherries! What! I love it!
My Filofax. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. Okay, I know I have always been a Moleskine diehard, & I felt like a traitor (seriously!) for even thinking about getting a Filofax, but HONESTLY I will NEVER go back. I am totally, 100%, head over heels in love with my Filofax. I have customised the hell out of it, it is bright raspberry pink & it is my new favourite thing. I’m going to do a post about it & how I’ve been using it soon, so you can see! It blows Moleskine out of the water. Sorry, Moleskine. I love you Filofax! TEAM FILOFAX!
Miniature bliss explosions: Um… pulled pork sandwiches made by the dudes from BBQ Pitmasters?!; The Hold Steady‘s Heaven Is Whenever (I would add, there are few things more exciting than a new album by an artist you adore); getting great deals on Gilt (my sandals are falling apart so I bought these to replace them — they have a hidden wedge & were $59!); listening to Shackleton while I write; doing a Twitter interview for the Emerging Writers Festival about my favourite books (check my Twitter page to see it!); rooftop gardens; alcoholic icy push-pops; the dress I’m wearing in these black & white photos (it is the Betsey Johnson Poplin Sheath Dress); walking massive distances while talking on the phone; THE DISH (he has been extra-funny & cool & cute & wonderful this week); the fact that this time next week I will be in Las Vegas!; taking Hank in to meet my hairdresser (he is the most popular dog ever, people just gravitate to him!); 16 Handles (WHOAH, just went there for the first time yesterday & almost died of happiness!); scouring Etsy for vintage dresses; making summer mixtapes in my head as I walk around the city; Kris Carr, who said, “Look for a sign about a decision you need to make today. There are feathers, spiritual billboards & angelic UPS men all around you”, & looking forward to spending some quality time at the Hotel Chelsea this weekend! YES!!! (Taking my own advice!)
God this Hold Steady album is great. Go get it now!
What punctuated your life with fireworks this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [51] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 May 2010, 16:17 ]
Photo by Antonella Arismendi.
For the benefit of those of you who are new to galadarling.com (HELLO!), here’s an introduction to Things I Love Thursday. TiLT is a place where we all share lists of the things which are making us happy this week. While the premise is simple, the impact is deep. It helps to shift your thinking towards positivity, it makes you more aware of your blessings & is a time to reflect on all the wonderful things in your life. I’ve been doing it for 138 weeks (haha!), which is over 2.5 years, & it has changed my life for the better in a massively beautiful way. Even if you don’t post your list below, take some time to write yourself a mini-TiLT on a Post-It, & see how much better you feel!
Here’s my list…
Un année avec Le Dish… Or at least, one year since our first date! We ended up celebrating all weekend, going on lots of motorcycle rides, enjoying the sunshine, laughing & kissing. I am really happy with him!
Robo.to! You may have noticed my face moving in the sidebar! This service is so much fun (& 100% freeeee!). I discovered it almost accidentally, & now I am a total addict. It’s just a really cute easy way of doing an update, I love it! I would also love it if you signed up! Comment with your username so I can watch all your faces! Okay?!
Yummiest! Mexican breakfasts; taking Hank on adventures; VH1’s Undateable series (so funny); watching The Craft on a lazy Sunday afternoon; cashmere hoodies; “may I just say… mazel tov”; waking up with the puppy spooning me; this t-shirt (which I have been wearing constantly); being interviewed as I walk around Old Navy of all places; “if you were a dessert, you’d be apple grumble”; polka-dots; R. Kelly; The Millionaire Matchmaker; forever blowing bubbles; having really vivid dreams every night; the name “Legs Diamond”; Tiger Balm patches (a to the mazing!); sloth orphanages; buying eye glitter at the New York Makeup Show; skirts covered in crystals; this photograph; that #songstohavesexto is trending on Twitter; making plans to get rid of cable television (I can’t tell you how happy this makes me!); flavors.me (cute, basically a clever & simple way of aggregating all your stuff in one place); walking through Chelsea with sweet girls from the Midwest; the black & white photobooth at Ace Hotel; enormous 1950s skirts; purple macarons; giving Hank a bath; pink peonies at every convenience store; cake hats; pink pearl headbands; Ludacris & finally, this quote from the New York Times...
Her next book, on “radical self-love,” is only “partially about masturbation.”
HAHA! Too good.
I want to hear the best parts of your week… So please indulge me!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [83] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 May 2010, 13:15 ]
I made a little video for you this morning of things I love! (Which incidentally gives a little tour of my office, too!)
Tiny swoon-fest 2010: Really tight black jeans (I swear Uniqlo does the best denim ever, every time I go there I find the perfect jeans — & usually jean-shopping is my idea of hell); cotton candy crush; “if you ever need male attention, call me up & I’ll talk to you in a deep voice”; A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (forgive me); the word ORCHIDACEOUS; The Cure’s greatest hits (on repeat); writing about & researching Michael Alig (quelle nut); late night bubblebaths with candles & silence; parties at Betsey Johnson; Iron Man 2 ( ); my KIN phone (totally in love); having Barbie hair!; being brutalised by a tiny Chinese woman (two hours of massage, accupressure & reflexology did me GOOD); going back to the gym (after un petit break) & looooooooving it; the New Zealand prime minister making jokes about cannibals (well, not so much something I love as something that is just gobsmacking… He is so inappropriate, it’s so embarrassing, I laughed when I read it out of pure shock); Snickers (yum); Trent Reznor’s new musical project (so good I had to listen to it again, &! the fact that his wife’s name is MARIQUEEN — magnificent!); la Shrinkle; 90’s hip-hop radio; good sandwiches; a head bursting with ideas; looking forward to VEGAS!, & stumbling upon this when I was walking home yesterday…
What made you smile this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [78] Tags: things i love thursday,
video Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 May 2010, 11:14 ]
Le Love List! I don’t feel like much has happened in the last week because I have mostly been in bed! But even so, I love… Flower crowns — I cannot get enough of that wonderful stuff. I have been wearing mine pretty much every day since I got it, & it makes me so happy! I really miss having pink hair sometimes, even though I am pleased to be a blonde. I don’t know if I will ever go back to pink hair, because I feel like it does all your talking for you. Does that make sense? Anyway, I love the way pink looks on my noggin & wearing this crown fulfills all my pink-lust!
Being a blondie! They have more fun, apparently! I also feel like a magical nymph… & that’s tough to beat!
Getting some rest. It has been good for me! I spent plenty of time in bed, watching stuff which made me laugh. (It’s the best medicine, you know!) Hank Williams & I cuddled up beneath the blankets & watched Dane Cook, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, multiple National Lampoon Vacation movies, Death Becomes Her & many, many episodes of Sex & The City. (I am still really excited about Sex & The City 2. Are you?) & I feel almost 100%. One day I will be a real girl again!
Hank Williams! ALWAYS. I love this dog more than you could possibly imagine. I don’t even like to leave the house because he looks so sad when I do! He cuddles me when I am sick, walks into my office to check on me when I’m working, & is always wagging his tail. I tell him I love him so many times a day! He is the best dog ever. I can’t even put it into words. It makes me so happy just to have him in my life.
Littles: Listening to Stankonia on a beautiful spring morning; humming along to Frank Sinatra (very Momma Darling); when The Dish secretly takes over my Twitter account (1,2); hanging out with the dinosaurs from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure!; letters from Angeliska full of Indian money & fancy, curly handwriting; Chanel cocktails (!) with a sprig of thyme in the glass, sipped on a balcony on a Wednesday evening; seeing Yuli & Wendy (always a pleasure); coffee dates with Bryce (& her Ren-lookalike chihuahua, Spanky! I want Hank & Spanky to be best friends!); having women stop me on the street to tell me they love my flower crown!; having Tupac dance parties by myself; this tweet from Tamera (wish I could sometimes!); icicle rings (in my DREAMS); melatonin-induced sleep; Ludacris; hint of lime chips; neon pink lingerie; being in the New York Post (so funny!); seeing Regan ( ); talking to Amy & laughing like mad; scaling back the amount of makeup I wear (I have pretty much stopped wearing liquid foundation & I’m really happy about it); having a head full of ideas; Black To The Future (WHOAH, I saw an episode last night, it is my new favourite show!!!); having a house full of snacks (I am the snack queen!); kisses from The Dish in the morning (he is always my #1 ).
Man, it has been a hard week for everyone I know. Lots of love to anyone who needs it!
“No matter how bad it gets, I’m always grateful to know that I don’t have to stay with the negative!”
(Maya Angelou)
By the way, I am really looking forward to Mercury going direct. (Tuesday!) It will mark the end of the ridiculousfest we have all been subject to! YAY! If you’re having trouble coping, I wrote a guide to surviving Mercury retrograde last year (& I updated the dates for 2010)!
What’s on your love list this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [71] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 29 April 2010, 18:27 ]
Hello! I’m feeling a bit dizzy & loopy so this week’s TiLT is coming to you LIVE from Pillow & Blanket HQ! I am cozied up with le puppy though, & as soon as this is posted I am going to watch the finale of Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend. Fun! (Otherwise known as, I am heeding my body’s not-so-quiet pleading for me to chill OUT for a bit!)
Anyhoo. Here is my love list. It is going to be short because I feel like I am going to pass out!
Monstrously lovely: Going to get my nails done & being sent home with a packet of roasted seaweed; buying magical unicorn vomit shoes!; scaring Molly with my Soho madness; Lush Cosmetics (Flying Fox, Yummy Yummy Yummy, Buffy, Rock Star, Sweet Lips); every season of Daria ever; “I hope you have not run away to Mexico with Hank… Me gusta enchiladas…”; a pink velvet skull with black lace bunny ears perched on top; Hank snoring; Ludacris’ Battle Of The Sexes album (great from start to finish, & no filler!!!); FLOWERBOING (as a word); No Impact Man doing #GratitudeList on Twitter (great minds yadda yadda!); “Why won’t you show me your true form?!”; flower crowns; white eyeliner; my new pillbox, which originally had mints in it, & has a saucy blonde girl on it & the words “KINKY GIRLFRIEND”; listening to old Tool albums; sparkly headbands & miniature cupcakes; Bonnie Rue from Model Citizen Clothing who made me pink typewriter earrings!; Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend (I seeeeeriously bawled my eyes out watching this the other day); making faux-photobooth (fauxtobooth?) strips; girl brunch; CHLOE (who is my hero for more reasons than one, & is going to L.A. tomorrow [WHAT] & I hope she comes home soon); false eyelashes & hot pink 1950s dresses; shoes with polka-dots; mistaken identity in the Financial District; salads; puppy snuggles; getting lots of rest!
P.S. My makeup artist (REGAN at MAC FLATIRON, if you need someone, GO SEE HIM) called me this week to tell me he had worked on a girl who read my site & found out about him that way. He said her name is Lindsey & that she is really beautiful & looks like Uma Thurman! Hi Lindsey!
P.P.S. I want to send some loves out to Bri in Chile, too! I adored your postcard, girl — thank you. Hope you are doing well!
What are you loving this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [65] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 April 2010, 10:39 ]
California dreamin’!
I’m very full of love this morning! How about you? Here’s my list of current zestiness!
This amazing little girl who I met on the plane to Los Angeles. She was 3 years old & had the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen. She introduced herself to me as she was making her way to her seat & then said about what she was holding, “This is a cup”. I asked her what she was going to do with it, & she looked at me like I was a COMPLETE IDIOT & said, “I’m going to recycle it, because we have to keep the earth beautiful.” WHOAH. I don’t know why that affected me so much, it just did. We also had the following exchange & it basically made my entire day:
Gala to small child: Do you like New York?
Small child: Yes. It’s my favourite kind of planet.
Dishy ‘cause he’s just an A+ in all ways. He gives me great reality checks & pep talks & even though he eats all the apple pie & pretends that he has chewed through my secret chocolate stash when I am away, I love him. He also gives great advice to my friends. I was on Skype to one of my favourite people last night & he came in, ranted & raved about what she should do, then ran out of the room with his hands in the air, yelling, “THE DISH HAS SPOKEN!” Hahaha. So funny. I was so excited to come home to him on Tuesday morning, & that is such a wonderful thing.
Jazzi McG. Our time together was brief (juice stop, shopping, LAX) but we made it count! We talked constantly the whole way, whipping up new business ideas & exchanging tidbits. She is so amazing & such a clever, perceptive girl! Even sweeter, when she dropped me off she texted me:
Impulsively bought some delish chocolate on my way home. I’m like a sad girlfriend whose lover just left her haha
HAVING LONG HAIR AGAIN as evidenced by this video.
Miss Bee Jellyfish did an AMAZING job on my hair. Look how perfectly the colour matches! No small feat. We ordered the hair online & when it arrived, it was BLONDE! NOT WHITE! Cue an emergency trip to Ricky’s for toner. Long story short, the hair matches perfectly & looks amazing. I LOVE YOU BEE!!! Thank you so much for being so good at what you do! (Also, look how cute she is!) :D
Las Vegas anticipation! I haven’t even been back in New York for three days & I’m already gearing up for my next trip: Vegas in June. Seriously one of my favourite places. It is so brilliant in all its ridiculousness. I’m meeting my BESTTT friend from Australia there, we’re going to stay in a sweet room & go SHOPPING. Also I’m taking her for a meal at the Mesa Grill as a belated birthday present! We are both so excited about it that I actually booked my flight while I was on the plane back to NYC, couldn’t wait any longer! I’m dying to see her again (we rendez-vous about once a year, not bad for two people who live on opposite sides of the planet) & she is one of my absolute favourite people. She’s smart as a whip, incredibly beautiful & totally hilarious. So happy!
Le delicious: “I met a teepee today & fell in love with it”; obsessively searching for ridiculous headbands (psychedelic ladies who lunch forever!); waking up & not knowing where you are (kinda fun?); frozen coffee drinks (hey, you, shhh, I was in Palm Springs, you have to); sitting under flowering trees which kept dropping blossoms on my head; aquamarine swimming pools; Polaroids; Nivea Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizer (& studious application & re-application twice daily, I am using it to top off my spray tan & it’s GREAT); In-N-Out Burger (FOREVER); my room at the W Hollywood (long live the W — excuse the disarray); compulsory roadtrip stops for lip gloss, candy & self-tanner; “passenger Goldfinger”; wifi in the sky, thanks American Airlines; sugarpickle; making lists of words I love; Flowerbomb body lotion; new sunglasses; dinosaurs as roadside attractions; Hall & Oates forever; “penis guns & laser dicks”; making mixes for roadtrips; chocolate-dipped strawberry shakes with Jazzi & stopping to go shopping before she took me to LAX; the Admirals Club (v. civilised); adding new pictures to my header!; Chuck Berry; hearing from a fashion designer I really like that she has one of my quotes stuck next to her front door (!!!); not being able to use my arms after a gruelling session at the gym; this! (so funny, & my shelf looks completely different now!); leaving the house for 20 minutes & being compared to Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe, “that girl from Sex & The City” & “Paris Hilton’s sister” (HAHA — here is the top half of the outfit which prompted those comments); scrambling around in the desert at sunrise; The Pirate & The Penpal by Lifter Puller; Californian sunshine; beautiful days in New York City. It’s so green & lush here right now, it is incredible.
Also, it was my momma’s birthday on Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Momma Darling! I love you so much!
“I’m a really big believer that we all have this voice inside of us, & that voice is God talking to us, & we are all magical, & we all have something as specific to do as our fingerprint. & everybody should go out & do that. & I think between the ages of 15 & 32, don’t worry about getting married, don’t worry about settling down, don’t worry about having a baby. Give birth to yourself.” — Kelly Cutrone
What have you been really excited about, looking forward to, delighted by this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [86] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 April 2010, 13:11 ]
On the love trip this week…
Pour La Victoire Ida Wedge Booties! The most comfortable wedge bootie EVER. I walked from where I live in Alphabet City across to Astor Place, worked out (in my Reeboks), then walked down to Prince & Crosby & back home again, WITHOUT SOCKS ON, & there is nary a blister to be seen. Nor did my feet hurt, at all. Did I mention this was their debut outing? You need to own these booties! They are so comfortable! I am wearing them right now at the airport, in fact!
The Kin phone — It’s so awesome, I really really like it. I have said forever that there should be a place online where everything streams together — email, Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds — & they have taken that idea & put it inside a phone. A phone with an 8 megapixel camera! A phone which shoots HD video! A phone where you can update your Twitter status from the very first screen! A phone with a touch screen & a REAL qwerty keyboard! Drool. Yes please. I went to a party for the launch on Monday night, & was instantly smitten. Sign me up!
Meet @ The Apartment. They have naked ladies in the wallpaper, but no one realised until I pointed it out! (Trust me to notice — that’s such a Gala thing to do.) Anyway, the space is beautiful & awesome. It makes me want to throw an event just so I can use it. Unfortunately it is $3000 to hire. Hmmmm, maybe not…
Gotham Glow! Tamar (the star) came to my house on Tuesday afternoon, popped up a little tent in my living room (yes!), & then I stripped naked (double yes!) & she sprayed me down with a magical mixture that developed to a beautiful warm glow by the early evening. She is so brilliant, I love love love her. If you, like me, are a fan of the tan, she is your girl! I can’t tell you how much sexier I feel with a tan. Is that weird?
I am also actually obsessed with Quaker Apple Cinnamon rice cakes. Barbie is driving me to Coachella tomorrow morning & I am going to force her to stop somewhere so I can buy some. (I thought about packing them in my suitcase, but surely they would just have been crushed.) I LOVE THEM. Plus they are gluten-free so I don’t feel all bloat-o-matic afterwards. Glory glory!
I am also SERIOUSLY obsessed with baby carrots & celery sticks eaten with garlic hummus. I can’t even tell you. It tastes so good & makes me feel incredible to eat it.
Hello yummy: Postcards of Wellington stuck to the front door; a lingerie drawer full of sequins & polka-dots & neon colours; windchimes hanging from fire escapes; old bicycles with pearlescent paint-jobs; buying purple hyacinths & violet tulips & vintage bottles; gem essences (hematite & opal); Flower Power; being called “mitten”; cuddling in bed watching TV with Hank snuggled against me; walking around the East Village with no agenda but looking for fun things to photograph; boxes of miniature cupcakes; writing with sparkly pens; my Coachella mixtape (I keep re-listening to it!); Alyssa Bird‘s high-waisted skirts; Hollywood hotel shenanigans; resort livin’; Mystic Medusa (love her emails, love her website, love her everything); falling over & laughing laughing laughing; pink Barbie fingernails; springtime in NYC; drivers from Yemen (did you know Yemen’s population is TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION!?!); airport announcements (“Passenger Goldfinger, please see the agent!” — PASSENGER GOLDFINGER?!!!); finally being called to board.
& with that, adieu! I’m going going, back back, to Cali Cali. “Flight 504, leavin’ Kennedy goin’ to LAX.” “Oh, Cali?” “No doubt baby.”
Big love!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [64] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 8 April 2010, 11:42 ]
I’m sorry it’s been quiet this week — I have so much that needs to be done before Coachella & I am scrambling around like a goat on a cliffside trying to do it all! Bleat, bleat! Hopefully the AMAZING picture above will placate you!
Regardless, it’s that time again! Time for your love letter to the universe! Here is mine!
Dear universe,
SWOON! You are my favourite! Here are some things I love about you this week. I just thought you should know.
Blossoming trees lining the streets! It reminds me how beautiful New York City really is. Pink & white blossoms framing the sapphire sky, flowers shading the street below, petals on asphalt.
Remembering to slow down & really appreciate what you have — not just the 300mph times, but the quiet times, the lulls, when you’re able to think & relax & breathe. Not being an action addict. Being happy regardless.
Talking to people who really know you, much better than you thought they did, in fact, & having them manage to cut straight to the root of a problem & talk you through it. Isn’t it great when the people you love surprise you?
Things That Hurt zipper pulls from Kidrobot! My friend gave me the silver brass knuckles zipper pull when he was here last, & on Sunday The Dish & I went down to Soho to buy some more. We picked two each & sat on some steps on Prince Street while we unwrapped them eagerly. Mine turned out to be a yellow set of brass knuckles & a silver gun. His were the heart & the money bag. We looked at each other. “Wanna swap?!” I asked excitedly. “YES!!!” he replied. The heart & the money bag are much more my style… (Though I would be pretty into a pink missile, pink hand grenade or silver razorblade, too.)
Little favourites: Insanely good weather; making big lists of restaurants to eat in this summer (one of my favourite things ever is riding motorcycles all over the city, settling into little candlelit booths & eating in gardens); bandeau tops worn with high-waisted skirts; Hank coming in to check on me while I write; organising everything on a whiteboard; these shoes (nnnnnggghhhhhhhh so beautiful); discovering previously-unheard songs by your favourite groups (what could be better?! I love this SO MUCH!); glitter nailpolish; pink handbags; buying Maria Milagrosa Miraculous Mother candles with Spanish prayers on the back & lighting them while I write late at night; pulling inspiration from everywhere; stashing snacks around the house like a demented squirrel!; FreshDirect, hello you make my life so easy, how could I ever forsake you?!; post-workout euphoria; really good Thai food (I sure am a sucker for a tasty curry puff!); playing Cupid (JUST YOU WAIT); Hank’s constant desire to spoon me, despite the fact that when the bedroom is 90 degrees, having him lie next to me is like being beside a roaring campfire; sticking my head under the faucet & wetting my hair & then lying down with a fan pointed at it (no kidding, it has been really hot!); getting stronger (physically & mentally) with every workout; star socks worn with Doc Marten boots; new knickers which feel slinky to the touch; cleaning out my closet (I actually know what I own again, AMAZING!); talking to Helen on Skype & laughing so hard I cry; peanut butter & jelly ice-cream (made with cashews, & vegan!) in a sugar cone from Lula’s Sweet Apothecary; iced soy lattes in big tall glasses & being able to bust out all my summer dresses (even though my legs are terrifyingly pale)!
“Shatter my heart so new room can be created for a limitless love.”
— Sufi prayer
Write your love letter to the universe below!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [59] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 1 April 2010, 13:43 ]
Looooove, love, love… Looooooove, love, love! Here are some of the things making me smile, grin, hop, jiggle or shake a leg this week!
Coachella! Oh, HELLO! Yesterday my editor (hi Barbie!) called & asked if I wanted to go to California & cover Coachella. Why, yes! Yes, I would! & why? Well, because of Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Passion Pit, Echo & the Bunnymen, Fever Ray, the Avett Brothers, La Roux, P.O.S., Wale, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Z-Trip, the xx, the Raveonettes, Flying Lotus, Pretty Lights, Edward Sharp & the Magnetic Zeros, Phoenix, Orbital, De La Soul, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yo La Tengo, Florence & the Machine, Yann Tiersen, the Glitch Mob & Mayer Hawthorne, OF COURSE! The biggest question, to me at least, is what am I going to wear?! Maybe I need to refer to my own article on Dressing For Music Festivals! I think it is fair to say it’s going to be all about dresses & boots. I can’t WAIT.
Soundset! Look at that line-up! Are you kidding me?! YES. Go buy yourself a ticket & I will see you THERE.
The Haunted Mansion aka, my gym. If you’re not following me on Twitter (lucky you!), you probably don’t know that on Monday I did 80 push-ups. & yesterday I did 100. Yes, one hundred!!! Not girly push-ups either. The real sort. This boggles my mind. My trainer makes bets with me where if I am wrong, I owe him 25 push-ups. But if I am RIGHT, I owe him NOTHING! I cannot help but make a bet like that. The bets usually involve him jumping up & touching something which is ridiculously high on the ceiling, but he is a basketball player. I always lose. When will I learn? Never. Whatever! I am going to be so buff! I’m going to steal people’s lunch money ALL SUMMER! & kick sand in people’s faces. xTOUGHx!
Doc Marten 1460s with my name on them! I really like having my name on everything. I can’t help myself. So when Doc Martens invited me to their 50th birthday party, handed me a pair of boots & pointed at the graffiti artist & the pile of pyramid studs, who was I to say no?! My resistance to new shoes is weak. It’s an illness. Anyway… I love them. Going to try to break them in as best I can before Coachella!
Good music times. Some albums I’m really, really, really enjoying. Go listen!
Atmosphere – Happy Clown Bad Dub Eight
Autechre – Oversteps
Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer
Bonobo – Black Sands
Broken Bells – Self-titled
Building Better Bombs – Freak Out Squares
Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two
Mission Of Burma – Signals, Calls & Marches
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back
The Rumble Strips – Girls & Weather
She & Him – Volume Two
Them Crooked Vultures – Self-titled
Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Favouritest littles: Jamie Oliver (have you watched his Food Revolution show? He is doing really important work. I signed his petition, you should too); um, also, deep-fried ice cream (oh, hush, life is a contradiction, ALRIGHT?!); ignoring April Fool’s Day (yeah yeah I get it everything said today is a lie, ha ha ha ha okay cool); taco night at Team Awesome & my super-not-so-secret guacamole recipe; thinking about ways to celebrate Easter (what are you doing?); young coconut shakes which are so good they make you roll your eyes around in your skull; bloody marys for breakfast; EASTER EGG HAIR (!!!); neon pink fingernails; being diligent about taking my vitamins & putting serum on my face every night; writing Love & Sequins #9 (I’m into it already, this one is about manifesting & magic-making!!!); exclamation marks; stretching out on my new leather couch in the sunshine (this couch is THE BEST); sunshine (to me this equates to cute dresses & high heels); cashews; when The Dish comes home & hands me Cherry Ripe chocolate bars & asks me, “Does it taste like HOME?”; gearing up for the best summer EVER!
It’s going to be so good. Can you feel it? I can.
Also, this is one of my favourite songs. I promise you will LOVE it & FREAK out!
I’d love to hear what you’re into right now! Tell me about your FURIOUS OBSESSIONS & objects of DESIRE & LUST! Come on, let’s go go go!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [73] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 25 March 2010, 10:46 ]
Mary-Kate Olsen from Vogue Italia. I love this picture. Sitting on
top of a building in Manhattan on a beautiful day? YES!
Here’s what I’m in love with this week. I’d love to hear your personal Things I Love Thursday! Go on, indulge me!
Taking a week off writing in Austin. Best thing I’ve done in ages! I sat down last Friday & wrote so much stuff! I didn’t even realise I needed the break. I always forget that you have to refuel the tank with life & inspiration… !
Sunday: We woke up early & rode out to Brooklyn for breakfast. As we got back on the bike, I said to The Dish, “Can we go somewhere fun?” & we took off. We went further & further out, I asked him where we were going, & he wouldn’t tell me. Eventually I saw signs & realised he was taking me to Coney Island! It was a beautiful day, but the season hasn’t really started there yet so all the shopkeepers were painting, cleaning & getting ready. Coney Island in the off-season is an excellent thing to witness. We walked along the boardwalk & out to the end of the wharf before riding home again. I love Coney Island, & Le Dish. (Obviously.) If you have never been to Coney Island, it is a New York must-do. You can live vicariously here!
Street finds! On Tuesday night, Le Dish et moi were walking to see our friend’s show when we passed a black leather couch on the street. It had a metal frame & the leather was quilted with buttons — suffice to say, it was rad.
“That’s a nice couch”, I said.
“Yeah, it IS!” The Dish replied. We stopped walking & looked at one another.
“Do you want to take it home?”, he asked me.
“Yes! I could put it in my office!”
“Okay then, let’s grab it & take it home.” I looked at it again. It looked heavy.
“I don’t know. Let’s just go to the show & if we come back & it’s here, we’ll take it”, I said.
“What if it isn’t here when we come back?”
“Well, then, it wasn’t meant to be.” (Very Zen, very Gala, this is how I operate 89% of the time.)
He gave me the look of a seasoned New Yorker. “This is a really good couch. If we don’t take it, I PROMISE you someone else will. If you want it, we need to get it now.”
“OH, OKAY.”
We picked it up & started carrying it down the block. It was as heavy as I thought. We got about twenty paces down the street when two guys came up to us & started exclaiming.
“Oh, you took the couch! We love that couch. We just came back for it. Yeah, we saw it first.”
The Dish looked at one of them. “Yeah, it sure is a great couch.”
We kept walking. The guys looked annoyed. HA!
Long story short, the couch is now in my office. It makes the room a little smaller but it gives me a divine place to stretch out, read magazines, curl up with my laptop, or snuggle Hank. (He has already established it as a good place to sleep & watch me work.) It is perfect & fantastic. Thank you New Yorkers for being so wasteful!
Yummy littles? Wearing my new bunny coat on the plane home & feeling cozy the whole way lace-covered bunny ears being home with my boys again (you have no idea) extremely auspicious meetings (also, the word “auspicious”!) light fixtures made from branches hanging globes in gardens being ridiculously overdressed & the way people react (some people smile at you or compliment you, some [especially middle-aged women] just look stunned) going back to the gym (I actually missed it while I was away, CAN YOU IMAGINE?!) meeting charming new people turquoise sunglasses + white hair the fact that whenever I wear these shoes to the gym, people tell me how rad they are & also that they saw them blocks away! finally having a proper mousepad (La Sirena!) coming home to unexpected presents — a new mirrored bubble visor for my helmet! (basically, this is me, except my helmet is pink glitter & my visor is 100% mirrored, OOF so rad) the boys at the Austin Speed Shop new albums by Goldfrapp, Snoop Dogg, Bonobo, Madlib, & Autechre sore muscles birthday cupcakes with candles in them having expectations exceeded (BEST!) the Moon in Leo (means GO BIG, BE BOLD, flick your hair & don’t worry about naff people! I can totally get behind that!) stockpiling candy bright pink hyacinths & orchids opening daydreaming about new hair (got any thoughts? The Dish & at least one other person think I should dye it black, WHAT!!! Extensions? “Bangs”? Pink? Purple? Turquoise? HOLLER at a girl!) being so excited & pleased all you can do is squeeze your friend’s hands big stacks of books & magazines Swarovski crystal hip flasks bone beads & sacred hearts amazing things & universes expanding & hearts exploding.
“I invented my life by taking for granted that everything I did not like would have an opposite, which I would like.” — Coco Chanel
This is me signing off! & sending a lot of love to YOU! Especially if you’re feeling tired, grumpy, cranky or sick. Feel better soon!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [92] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 March 2010, 22:28 ]
I have been having such a fantastic time in Austin. It is warm with big blue skies, & the food is fresh & incredible. We have magical tea parties, blow chocolate-scented bubbles, buy bottles of Perrier-Jouet & pretend to play miniature golf in six & a half inch heels.
It is the perfect antidote to New York City, even though I miss it & am looking forward to going back. Being here makes me want to wear Western shirts & cowboy boots, learn to ride motorbikes & drink juices every day.
Bunny coats & invitations from Helena Christensen & magical Mexican talismans. Buying magenta speckled orchids & connecting people together & wearing crystal skulls around my neck. Majorette hats & bird-shaped sugarcubes & sleeping in grey slips.
Eating lots of salads & getting lots of sleep & using hyaluric serum on my face every night. I have dark chocolate rabbits & new hats & lace-covered bunny ears. Wearing an old military shirt which says MAKE LOVE NOT WAR on the back. Long black vintage dresses & suede fringed miniskirts & peppermint bark chocolate.
True conversations & hot pink skeletons. Waffles & Bellinis & poring over treasures. Free boots & offensively embroidered Western shirts, tin Milagros & 3D cards of the Virgin Mary.
Celery sticks & roasted garlic hommus & sitting at home writing on a beautiful clear night. Candlelit tarot card readings from magical friends at Barton Springs. Aloney time to create & Leonard Cohen & The Psychedelic Furs. Feeling everything come together & fresh starts. This charmed life.
Et enfin: Le Dish. El Disho. Das Dishenstein. I loves him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, etc., though really for me it is more of a case of absence makes me realise how good we have it. I can’t wait to see him on Saturday! & it is his birthday on Tuesday! Happy early birthday, baby.
More details about this soon!
“I celebrate myself, & sing myself.” — Walt Whitman
Tell me… ¿Qué te trae la alegría? (What brings you joy?)
P.S. Please send your wiggly virtual love waves to Hank Williams, who has sore inner ears! LOOK at that FACE! LOVE! God I can’t wait to smoosh him!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [49] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 March 2010, 13:49 ]
So sorry this is a day late!!!
Happy Phagwah!
Last Sunday, Chloe & Krysti & I went to celebrate Holi in Queens. I have lots of pictures & stuff to show you, hold please! [Insert the dulcet tones of Barbara Streisand here.]
Being a gym bunny!
(Hop hop!) Okay, so I now do 30 push-ups every time I go to the gym. (Twice a week.) I find this completely amazing! My trainer is rad & we talk about music, & he is optimistic & cool. I can feel myself getting stronger & my inner resolve strengthening. I love pushing myself beyond what I think I can achieve. Honestly I love love love going to the gym (& I would bet money that I am the only person who goes there wearing false eyelashes). It is kind of making me feel nuts that I have to miss two sessions next week!
Seeing friends who live elsewhere!
Yay! I don’t get to see Stef very much, but he was in town playing a show on Tuesday so we took the opportunity to go shopping, get pizza slices & enjoy the spring weather. Later that night I saw him, Dessa Darling & Astronautilus perform at the Bowery Ballroom (A+++) & they were completely brilliant. Hopefully I will see him again soon. Fingers crossed for Soundset 2010! (Finally!) The kid’s still on tour so for God’s sake, go & see him! Now I’m in Austin staying with my friend Ed (who I met at Burning Man in 2006!) & it’s so good to get caught up on all our news & life changes! Soon I’ll get to see Angel, Amelia, Tina, Violet etc. & I’m so thrilled!
Fantastic new projects in the works!
Honestly, couldn’t be more excited. Just you wait!
Honourable mentions: Stephen Colbert performing magic tricks!; arm/leg/dog piles; LE DISH; not sneezing; oversized earrings; pumpkin soup!; ahahahahahaha!; being played cheesy Christmas songs to illustrate a point; Boingo wifi (a lifesaver in airports, especially with the prevalence of delayed flights); the woman who checked me in to my SouthWest flight who talked my ear off about Peter Pan (happens a lot with my surname); Blistex Lip Medex (new favourite lip balm, it actually !!!works!!! & is a vast improvement on anything else I have ever used. Even better, I bought it on a total whim); new towels; drinking tomato juice with ice on the plane (I only ever order water, apple or tomato juice on a plane for some reason, & I love it); xo texts; laughing at Entourage on the plane; excitement over my SXSW schedule (Melissa Auf der Maur, Born Ruffians, Dustin O’Halloran, Motörhead [?!], Hudson Mohawke, Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Flying Lotus, Nicole Atkins featuring Future Clouds and Radar, Kam Moye aka Supastition, Nappy Roots, Ninjasonik, GZA, The Crystal Method, Sage Francis, The Glitch Mob, Classixx (DJs For The Night), Mayer Hawthorne & The County, David Dallas, Metric, Raphael Saadiq, Team Facelift, Jimmy Gnecco, Blue Scholars, Redman, Kristen Schaal, Pharoahe Monch, Theophilus London, Anti-Pop Consortium, The xx, B T, Daedelus, Hole [WHAT], & The Very Best, not to mention the myriad of panels, talks, madness etc.!), my new skull sweater; “I actually prefer R&B to hip-hop” “Oh yeah, who’s your favourite?” “Boyz II Men”; when planes begin their descent; noise-cancelling headphones; brass knuckle zipper pulls; 11 hour sleeps; “I feel like you need to be supervised. I feel like… I’m dating the Ritalin Kid”; voodoo chicken sandwiches & cinnamon apple pie & warm weather…
I read this in Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine last night & had to share it!
Grateful people reported feeling 25 percent more happiness & energy & 20 percent less envy & resentment in several recent studies at the University of California. They also slept 10 percent longer each night & exercised 33 percent more if they wrote down what they felt thankful for. “Gratitude,” Lyubomirsky says, “is an antidote to negative emotions.”
So of course I’d love to hear what’s making you really happy this week!
Additionally, YO! I am in Texas! I’m here for SXSW Interactive, Music & Film until the 20th! I’m not going to be posting every day, but if you want to know what I’m up to, you can always follow me on Twitter! If you’re here too, you should definitely come & see my session Selling Subculture Without Selling Out!
We should resume our regular schedule in a little over a week’s time… Much love!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [57] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 4 March 2010, 17:20 ]
Okay, putting the finishing touches on this as quickly as possible given I just took a Sudafed & know I am going to be a complete space cadet in 5… 4… 3…
What’s on my list of intergalactic treasures this week? (Let’s dive for sunken pleasure!)
Having a personal trainer!
I think I am a convert. (Uh oh.) I kinda feel like I have tried everything else & this is the thing that makes the most sense to me. It makes such a difference to have someone who
a) can instruct you properly
b) gives you tasks
c) encourages you
d) won’t let you give in
e) you are accountable to
f) you have a regular “date” with.
In my first proper session I did THIRTY PUSH-UPS, are you kidding me, I had no idea I could do that many because normally I just collapse into a little puddle! Yes, I am still in agony & can hardly take my clothing off, but it is irrelevant! I can feel it working! It’s happening babe, it’s finally happening! So excited!
Little rituals...
Like lighting candles when The Dish gets home, going to get coffee together & kissing goodbye on the corner, et cetera. It might sound boring but having little routines makes me feel really good.
My friends...
Because they are so brilliant & diverse & they make me smile. I love that even though I don’t see them every day, when we do see one another, we make it count. I love looking forward to having them visit New York & I love it when we meet up in other cities. I love planning adventures with them & I love even more when the adventures come to fruition! It took me a long time to meet a big handful of people who I really connect with, which makes me appreciate them even more. Major love!
Les honourable mentions: Email from my friend Ed who I am staying with in Texas which simply says: “Excitement building. Eek!” & my response: “YAY!!!! ME TOOO!!!!!!”; “I’m going to take a shower, don’t touch my trap”; San Pellegrino Aranciata (some of my favourite words in the English… um, Italian… language); browsing through bookstores & running my fingers along the spines (I forgot how much I missed it!); looking forward to fairy times with Angeliska; The Dish The Dish The Dish; a huge (I really do mean huge) guacamole delivery which resulted in me gobbling it ALL WEEKEND; packages when you aren’t expecting them; hot pink dangly gun earrings; Tool Academy followed by Iconoclasts; Shutter Island (any movie that has you discussing it all the way back to the house is a good one); Daft Punk; pink sparkly bikinis & glitter-covered Oxfords; In The Meantime; cleaning & getting rid of (read: putting into storage) the stuff I don’t need any more (feels so good!); Jurassic 5; huge oversized bow headbands; see also oversized sunglasses; daytime napping with Hank Williams; polka-dot shoes; “you must have had the devil for a stepfather”; watching Secret Diary Of A Call Girl & eating really good sandwiches (with chipotle & avocado & tomato, mmmm); The Millionaire Matchmaker; cozy lounge & athletic wear from The Gap; when friends call you just to chat; stashing chocolate bars in my desk drawer; putting “le” in front of everything (it is more fun that way, & by “it” I mean “life”); all you can eat tacos (see also tacos über alles); Found magazine; putting all my jewellery in a massive glass candy jar; that “pastel hair” is “in”; watching Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle & wanting to learn to ride a dirtbike SO BADLY; my virtual assistant (hello I love you), & did I mention The Dish?
“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” — Tom Peters
P.S. This is my song of the day:
What’s filling your galaxy with wonder this week? Consider this more official Radical Self Love homework! Don’t make me get my whip!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [75] Tags: the playgirls guide to radical self love,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 25 February 2010, 12:00 ]
This Thursday, I am ing…
Miniature Cadbury Creme Eggs; silver, turquoise & purple jangling bracelets from Sri in India; looking up “teepee” on Etsy; upcoming SXSW (I leave in two weeks, unreal! One of my favourite times of the year, absolutely psyched); looking forward to seeing one of my favourite rappers; I secretly (not so secret really) absolutely love Victoria’s Secret; postcards of Native American chiefs (all over my room, keeping the watch); re-reading Fear Of Flying; holographic star stickers; watching old episodes of Sex & The City & getting excited for NEW YORK IN SUMMER OH BABY!; fiddling around with my new camera; Valentine’s Day cards & letters from nonpareils (SMOOCH); Burberry Prorsum’s Live 3D show; finally getting inside after fearing you might very well have hypothermia; cheap ridiculous earrings (1! 2! There are more but they’re not on the site…); grilled corn on the cob from Cafe Habana; The Addams Family musical (SO EXCITEDDDD); I am honestly obsessed with black dresses; laughing at David Caruso comics; being so inspired by the Burberry Prorsum show (& that is what a good show should do! Inspire!); “Thanks Gala! Come to California already. Amy“; & on that note, a HUGE box of Sugarpill cosmetics (hello, spoiled!); Corinne who rocks my world on a regular basis (as well as being a super-genius & mega-sweetheart, she also has opened orphanages in Haiti & travelled the country in an eco-bus…); Flowerbomb; using the sauna at my spa for valuable Gala time (there is never anyone in it, best); Revlon PhotoReady foundation (thanks, Zoe! The reviews are super-funny, too — the foundation has micro-sparkles in it, & one girl’s review simply said, “Edward Cullen”); “THE DOWNTROU”; blowing bubbles at Hank; polka-dot shoes; “Flaming Hot” Crunchy Cheetos; psychedelic feather headdresses made to order (swoon, so excited!); my new camera; this!!!; big stacks of books; Apolo Ohno (he is the radness); all the Easter stuff in-store (being a fan of hypercolour pastels & bunnies this is a good time for me!); adding a fluffy petticoat to a black dress & completely changing the look of it; deeeelicious sandwiches & Bloody Marys; mid-afternoon naps; taking cuddle pictures with Hank & sending them to The Dish; watching the Winter Olympics; Lola: Snow for Gala! / Gala: Thanks, Skybeard! You knew just what I wanted!; buying big glass gallon jars to store all my jewellery; big lumpy snowflakes (annoying, but still amazing); striking up ten minute friendships with other women when you’re all in a shoe shop together; photos of flowers & talking to Momma Darling on the phone!
Finally, I would like to say… A good chocolate souffle is worth its weight in gold!
“You are always living the life you create. If your life does not feel right, create something better.”
(Unknown)
Fantastic words for #radicalselflove…
What are you loving this week? Other than your fine SELF, of course!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [60] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 February 2010, 14:19 ]
Creampuffs, Alice in Wonderland comes out March 5th! (Counting down the days!) So it seems as good a time as any to revisit Gwen Stefani as Alice… Don’t you think? This page is so exciting.
Here is this week’s list of things I !
Firstly, this deserves its own mention… I met Betsey Johnson on Valentine’s Day. It was amazing. There is video. As soon as I have it, I promise I will share it!
Deliciousest tidbits: Watching Tool Academy with The Dish & clutching one another appreciatively, hahah!; speaking on panels (honestly one of my absolute favourite things, gives me such a high — more details to come!); using my brand spanking new Clarisonic (I have wanted one for a really long time, so imagine my delight when I received one in my IFB panelist goodie bag, & it is just as amazing as I always dreamed it would be!); reading & daydreaming about retreats; BETSEY JOHNSON; obsessing over possible Spring/Summer wardrobe options; the moments at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week where things come together & you feel invigorated, inspired & elated all over again, & are reminded why you do what you do; my favourite make-up artist who also does Erin Fetherston’s make-up!; the Evolving Influence poster hanging up in my office!; stretching; looking after my plants (jasmine & orchid); Gwen Stefani…
& I also ... pirate tutus; Valentine’s Day Nerds (as in the candy!); gearing up to do an interview with my favourite New Zealand radio station!; shopping with Jazzi; lunch with Tina; getting my hair done; French bulldogs who sit in your lap (!!!!!!); massive art shows; Betseyville handbags; getting The Dish hooked on Entourage (we have marathons, so much fun); tortoiseshell-framed glasses; this (it looks amazing on, especially under a pencil skirt); getting my favourite skirt on loan from Jazzi again!; eating Kit-Kats in bed; writing stupid poems for my friends; watching the Rodarte show; Net-A-Porter’s wedding section, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, nnnngh, killer, some of the dresses even have videos, it’s total couture pornography; Sound & Vision; being so happy that you end up singing everything; having a good dressing up soundtrack (should be compulsory); a room full of sequins & striped knickers & chocolates & hot pink garter belts; making little adjustments to the site (yay!); toffee chocolate; 80s movie stars who live in your neighbourhood; strapless dresses; sock & stocking shopping; machine gun earrings & Danielle LaPorte (life-saver).
“Life is too short to spend hoping that the perfectly arched eyebrow or hottest new lip shade will mask an ugly heart.”
(Kevyn Aucoin)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [54] Tags: the playgirls guide to radical self love,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 February 2010, 12:42 ]
Okay, well, I am really sad about Alexander McQueen… But the show goes on, doesn’t it? Here are some things which made me smile this week…
Delicious morsels included… Watching The Puppy Bowl instead of the Superbowl; Irish Rose cocktails (Jameson, gin, elderflower, rose, gingerale) at Thor; taking outfit photos in the East Village with Chloeface; adhesive heating pads (Chloe gave me a packet of them, I wish I had been using them all winter!); presenting awards at Fashion 2.0; JAZZI!; good chocolate; ticking off a lot of things on my to do list; “I will not participate in this monstrosity!!!”; laughing & laughing & laughing with Molly & Katelan; The Glitch Mob; “You are my arch-nemesis” “Write an article about it”; planning outfits; the exhilaration & lunacy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week; harmonica earrings & strawberry-stealers; drunk eating!; being The Star; dreaming about covering a wall with holographic paper; I fell in love with this dog on Sunday; “Weeeeeeeee-ooooooooooo!”; The Hood Internet; having a full calendar (kind of satisfying in a sick way?); Daria making it to DVD!; making appointments with your favourite makeup artist; tweeting with Betsey Johnson; walking in thick fresh snowy powder; seriously ridiculous weather & the names given to it — “monster snow”, “snowmageddon” et al; cute text messages (“I’m watching you live on the internet, I feel like a creep”); goodie bags; Hanky; wearing multicoloured neon feathers in my ears; fortuitous taxi appearances & sweet drivers (“That sure is a fancy dress”); hats which look like raspberries & wearing sequinned dresses with motorcycle boots; sweet compliments; scotch & gingerale; the end of the blizzard & big blue skies; ; the launch of Sugarpill !!!!! (I have been waiting for this for a long time, plus I have been a fan of Ms. Shrinkle forEVER!); looking forward to some major fashion week ridiculousness; EXCLAMATION POINTS (shocking, I know); !!!; #radicalselflove; OvernightPrints.com ESPECIALLY when you use a discount code (I used hm500 & got 500 business cards FREE, all I had to do was pay shipping! WHAT!); Miles Aldridge regularly shooting for Teen Vogue (the perfect pairing, for sure); FAB news from my favourite digital fashion maven, plus it’s meant to get up to 35° F today (1.6° C! Positively BALMY!) & this video…
We also have a WINNER FOR THE VALENTINE’S DAY TUTU! Super-congratulations to GINA the barista, comment #508! You were our randomly chosen winner. I’ve sent you an email so that we can get the tutu out to you!
Thanks to everyone for participating & thank you so much again to Lynne Bruning for her generosity & general wonderfulness!
“If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times. In the kingdom of love there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have.”
(John O’Donohue)
Submit your list below! Or write it in your RADICAL SELF LOVE BIBLE with a flourish! Consider it a homework assignment from the top! Headmistress Darling expects it on her desk TOUT DE SUITE!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [75] Tags: the playgirls guide to radical self love,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 4 February 2010, 16:05 ]
Hello! Roll up, roll up! Welcome to Things I Love Thursday. If you’re new here (& I know a bunch of you are!), this is a little participation project where we bliss out on the gratitude attitude! (Ha!) You make a list of the things you’re loving, or happy about, & read other people’s lists, & it’s a sweet little thing we do. It’s an excellent way to kick off RADICAL SELF LOVE month, too! In fact, consider this another official homework assignment… You can enter it in your Radical Self Love bible if that’s more your style!
Here’s my list!
So so so so so looking forward to seeing Jazzi (in town for NYFW)!; & also Jake!; eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast; Secret Diary Of A Call Girl season three (!!!); #radicalselflove; Timbaland (Presents Shock Value was SO EFFING GOOD & continues to be); Thierry Mugler’s Alien perfume (I sprayed some on a card in my room & it smells so delicious!); dreaming about Hunter S. Thompson; cavorting around the house in Hopeless Hotel lingerie, fishnets & high heels; ridiculous rings; Iconoclasts again (I saw the one of Mario Battali & Michael Stipe, c‘était magnifique); Cut Copy; The Dish for bringing me coffee & making me soup on a Sunday so I could work all day with no interruptions; inhaling cans of San Pellegrino Aranciata; talking to your favourite fashion designer ever on Twitter (hello Erin Fetherston I love you!); pulling le puppy into bed for cuddles; speaking to smart, brave, encouraging women who attach roots to your dreams & show you how to make them real; prowling around the Hotel Chelsea looking at suites (also apparently half the rooms there are private residences, which I did not know!); goodie bags with Barbie dolls in them!; Wendy of Nitrolicious; wearing tulle petticoats; Harajuku Lovers high heels (LOVE); Sour Patch watermelon slices (new favourite candy); a pile of index cards scrawled with purple ink; sparkly manicures; wearing sassy outfits; having a to do list which is terrifying but empowering; replacing song lyrics with your own; Beyonce; daytime naps; taxi drivers who tell me they like my outfit (“Is that fashion? Very pretty”); toffee sauce; fleur de sel chocolate; sunshine; pineapple for breakfast; Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit (Mojo Filter Wonderland Mix) (new favourite song); beep music (“It sounds like beeping… Beep beep doot doot”); edIT’s remix of Artsy (I think this is one of my favourite tracks of all time [“You ain’t artsier than me, ‘cause you live in Los Feliz, b!tch you ain’t Jesus”]); see also; my teeny Moleskine planner — fits perfectly in my handbag which ultimately makes me a much more organised person!; giving away a tutu!; feeling more on top of things than I have in a long time; that wonderful feeling of sitting at a clean desk in a clean room with the sunlight streaming in & good music playing at decent volume.
I know I have said this a lot recently but I am so so so looking forward to summer. Seriously, bring it on. I can’t wait any longer! What are your warm weather plans? Mine: motorcycle adventures, going out dancing ALL THE TIME, exploring the city, cocktails, photos, sundresses, high heels, rooftops, general deliciousness. Yes please!
“People need stories, beautiful stories, love stories.”
(Frédéric de Narp, President & CEO of Cartier, North America.)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [84] Tags: the playgirls guide to radical self love,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 28 January 2010, 12:25 ]
WHAT A WEEK! A couple of days ago, my computer totally pooped itself & thus yesterday/last night/this morning was spent reinstalling my O.S. & all my programs. Quel dommage! The bad news — I lost the Carousel I was compiling (& it was a goodie!) & a few articles that were half- or almost finished. The good news — everything important is backed up on my external hard-drive (& I wrote a whole lot of this week’s TiLT on the back page of a Moleskine I was using for writing class!). PHEW. The lesson? Don’t install dodgy fonts! It is not worth the anguish!
ALRIGHT! So here we go with the lurve list!
Numero uno has got to be the fact that I am up & operational again! Having a computer which works is such a blessing. I sent a message to my editor on Tuesday night: My computer isn’t booting up, just went to Apple store to have someone look at it but won’t be able to get an appointment until tomorrow night. Ugh. Sorry. Will try newfangled “writing on paper” until then. The horror! It’s just not the same, so I am really happy… !
I also love The Dish, for saying, “I love your outfit, it’s perfect”, when I was wearing a hot pink tulle crinoline with motorcycle boots, an inverted pentagram t-shirt & a striped undershirt. I love him even more for taking me to a motorbike show while I wore it, & holding my hand! Haha!
Other things I am super-ing: Researching eyelash treatments (as soon as my eyelash extensions fall off — & they are holding pretty tight right now! — I am all over the generic version of Latisse! I already ordered it, details & reviews to come!); Prometheus Springs‘ Pomegranate Black Pepper Capsaicin Spiced Elixir (you have no idea, it is so delicious); Burt’s Bees Repair Serum (I started using it a few days ago & I swear it is a miracle-worker); lemon slice; eating salad for dinner & feeling rad & virtuous; the fact that my writing class is all women (there’s just something cool about that); watching the snow fall outside my window; “We’re having a sexy party”; George Michael (); Amazon gifts (thank you so much Rhymney!); re-doing one of my vision boards (it is all pink & white, Marie Antoinette & pulp fiction covers, flower-encrusted shoes & fuschia feathers & the last days of disco); looking forward to seeing Jake Money next month; filming in Molly’s amazing apartment while wearing sequinned ears; Elena Kalis’ photography; planning my movements for NYFW (the most exhausting but also one of the most exhilirating weeks of the year); plotting photoshoots; Knonam; booking plane tickets; snuggling in a big pile with my family; laughing on the phone with my mother until I can’t breathe; exciting invitations; dreaming up outfits; upcoming Chinese New Year; clean clothes & clean sheets; this; the staff at the Apple store who really do make you feel okay about the fact that you are about to lose everything on your computer; FreshDirect (s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y g-r-e-a-t); Miss Chloe; keeping secret candy stashes (just call me Grandma Darling, or, Claudia Kishi!!!); the life & cuisine of Elvis Presley; skull everything; cheap rings covered in crystals; the Chelsea Hotel (it’s the first place I ever stayed in NYC, back in 2006, & I still feel very fond of it); when free cabs show up as soon as you step into the street; walking in the snow (it is like a magical optical illusion, though apparently I am the only one who sees this?!); rice crackers; daydreaming about a fantastic summer; silver-grey & electric blue eye-shadow; this!!!, & finally, my father (Daddy Darling!) for scanning in this photo (CHECK IT OUT, non-regulation uniforms FOREVER!) & this one in which I look sooooooo excited & happy! The perfect photo for Things I Love Thursday, wouldn’t you say?!
“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, & when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” (Anaïs Nin)
How about you, delicious one? Tell us who & what is making up your fountain of delight this week! Love lists please, tout de suite!
P.S. If you have photo of yourself as a kid, link it up! We want to see!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [86] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 January 2010, 00:30 ]
Sorry I’m late… eeeeeeeeeep! Here is my list of maximum adoration for the week!
I love Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (season two, honestly, so good, & who styled Paris in it?! They did SUCH an INCREDIBLE job, she looks FANTASTIC, if you can’t stand shows like this you should just watch it on mute for the eye-candy alone); Victoria’s Secret Soft & Sexy Wrap (I bought a black one the other day & adore it, it’s like wearing a blanket with arms in it! You need one!); setting goals which are important & meaningful to me & sticking to them; good taxi luck (when one appears as soon as you stick your arm up, every single time); doing new things which are nerve-racking but really fun; cuddling with The Dish & feeling so comfortable & happy; Sundance’s Iconoclasts (it’s brilliant, I saw the Brian Grazer/Sumner Redstone one on Sunday & LOVED IT) & Full Frontal Fashion series (I want box-sets); my super-lazy-time outfit (black slip + black cashmere v-neck sweater + black cashmere leggings + black cashmere wrap + Frye harness boots + black wool beanie + black/white eye make-up — obscenely comfortable & total uniform right now); eyelash extensions (blink blink); Coachella (I want to go SO BADLY! Yes please to Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Passion Pit, Echo & the Bunnymen, Fever Ray, the Avett Brothers, La Roux, P.O.S., Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall As Lions, Hot Chip, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Z-Trip, the xx, the Raveonettes, Flying Lotus, Pretty Lights, Edward Sharp & the Magnetic Zeros, Phoenix, Orbital, De La Soul, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yo La Tengo, Florence & the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, the Glitch Mob & Mayer Hawthorne!); this photo…
...& wedding invitations (YAY!); L’Institut Sothys (best day ever); walking down Fifth Avenue (I do it so rarely that it is still exciting, invigorating & beautiful); chatting on Ustream with a group of fun people; polka-dots; crazy surreal psychedelic Japanese horror films (House I’m looking at YOU!); getgrossedout.com; drunken baristas who say, “Your blazer is KILLING ME” (I have no photos of it personally but it is this one [!!!] — I bought it on eBay months ago & clipped it to Polyvore so I could make outfits!); coconut chocolate bars; bedtime pep talks; hearing about New Orleans superstition; sparkles; phonecalls with my rad friend in Canada; working on fun new projects; Ophira from AstroStyle (we are going to start having karaoke lunchbreaks together!); candlelit baths; when your outfit is as much of a success in Alphabet City as it is at Bergdorf Goodman; DJ Shadow; “I love Hall & Oates” “LMAO, they have those suspicious moustaches” “That’s where they store their magical powers”; discovering amazing Mexican restaurants right around the corner; i-d-e-a-s; listening to NZ radio stations, & 50 degrees (10 Celsius!) yesterday! So nice to go out without needing five trillion layers, mille feuille, ha!, or as I like to call it, “dumpling wear”.
I am also really excited for summer. I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to it. Sundresses & high heels, spray tans (YES!) & midnight adventures. As my friend Asami says, “Two more months!” Two more months. I can handle it… I’m sure I can…
OH & I signed up for a (fiction!) writing workshop which starts soon! Excitement ++!
Big kisses to you, my warrior of truth & beauty!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [41] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 14 January 2010, 15:08 ]
Hello! Welcome to Things I Love Thursday! What is this, you may ask? This is where it all started, way back in 2007! (iCiNG is like a grandmother in blog years! If Grandma iCiNG was a real person, she would surely look like this!) It all kicked off with a simple list of obsessions & happies which I wanted to share… & it has grown into this behemoth online phenomenon! In addition to nonpareils leaving their love-lists here, people also do miniature versions on Twitter & even post their own lists on their own blogs! It is cute to the max.
So this is a list of the things that are making me smile this week… & I’d love for you to write & let me know what’s making YOU happy right now, even if — ESPECIALLY if — you are a Things I Love Thursday virgin!
I love… when The Dish comes home smelling like gasoline; Hank burrowing under the blankets & loving on me; the tail drum; Chopper; buying more Mickey Mouse ears (plain black! Sequinned black! Sequinned white/irridescent! Thank you eBay!); hahaha; 500 Days Of Summer (I finally got around to watching it & I really enjoyed it); restaurants filled with streamers; “The Magician“; getting out of bed with a head full of ideas; Givenchy Play (I got a sample the other day & The Dish has been wearing it a lot, it is delicious); cherry-flavoured deep pink lip gloss (thanks Korres!); Silversun Pickups; new Moleskines which fit in handbags without any fuss; snowflake-shaped York peppermint patties; talking about decorating my office like a wigpee (wigwam/teepee!); Joan Jett; getting excited about SXSW (oh how I love to travel, & oh, how I love Texas); Indian Zen (it is my new favourite album); flicking through Tim Walker’s Pictures (I have it open on my desk at all times, serving as inspiration++); re-arranging my vision boards; delicious meals; young coconut shakes with gold (!!!); really strong coffee; working in coffee shops, especially when the Christmas lights across the road get turned on; watching shows about India; Flying Lotus at SXSW!!!; watching snow fall; cashmere anything; Paris Hilton in I Get That A Lot; using my pink glitter Fulmer helmet as a lamp by filling it with white fairy lights…
...& magazine subscriptions (I have never [!] had one before, & now I am subscribed to a bunch, how fantastique to get it right to your front door!); discovering great restaurants just around the corner; packages; space madness; writing style direction posts (one of my favourite things!); planning out my working week PROPERLY as opposed to just bumbling from task to task (it is working very well, thank you!); CrazySexyCool (Left Eye for life); aqua aura quartz shards in a shell casing; Mercury retrograde ending tomorrow (hallelujah!); tending to my Asian Tea Jasmine plant; THE FACT THAT BEN & JERRYS DELIVERS TO MY HOUSE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME !; really really really looking forward to vegan chocolate & lavender shakes at Toy Joy; Toy Joy in general, actually, it is the radness; pencil skirts; wearing heels again; fashion week anticipation; stripey sweaters; The Current; new shoes; wearing feathered headbands; bridal fashion shows (HAAAA); good mail hauls; cute old men who ask if you need help carrying your parcels, & again, The Dish, who says the sweetest things & who I love very, very much.
Also, the BUNNYHEAD RING WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN (at random!). Voilà: Comment #577: Merarose! I’ve emailed you & your own bunnyhead ring will be hopping its way to your mailbox soon!
Thanks so much everyone for participating! The entries were truly amazing, a great read for anyone feeling a bit doldrum-esque! Over 800 entries! Love it!
P.S. I saw this & just had to include it… Doesn’t it fit the psychedelic ladies who lunch motif perfectly?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [89] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 24 December 2009, 13:56 ]
First up, MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone in the antipodes! Hope you’re enjoying the warm weather & having a fantastic day. There is still lots of snow on the ground here & though the sun is out, it sure isn’t warm enough to melt it!
Okay, so I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but even if you don’t get into tree-trimming, carols, turkey, etc., it’s a great time to sit back & reflect on the year. Think about the myriad of blessings in your life, how much you’ve achieved & how far you’ve come. Think of all the people in your life who love you, all the amazing things you’ve seen & great songs you’ve listened to. Then pile it all up in your heart & smile!
Here’s my list of lurve for the week… the second-to-last TiLT of 2009!
Giant Gingerbread House Challenge on the Food Network (if they replay it, you must watch, it is aaaaamazing!!!) any & all cake-making shows, the obsession is massive RJD2 the Vogue Paris 2010 calendar (hello naked girls wrapped in strands of lights & covered in Swarovski crystals!) big stacks of reading material having the best boyfriend everrrr listening to Tool after an approximate zillion year hiatus Hank Williams, internet superstar! (I loved that you all loved our snow video so much!) shopping for wrapping paper & assorted accoutrements being the shoe fairy working in my office while The Dish creates magic in the kitchen, gastronomic genius that he is, & it smells sooooo gooooooood! creating new traditions for Christmas (arm triangles & gift ransacking etc.) the Magic Bullet infomercial (I love that creepy old woman with a cigarette in her mouth, WHO CAST HER & what were they thinking?!) having my favourite sandwich delivered right to my door at 2.24 in the morning, New York you are magic! Taurus girls (Chloe & Jazzi!) the fact that John might put “Namaste motherf*cker” on his business card, hahaha! THIS snnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooow new Frye harness boots (voilà) chocolate chip pancakes the way the house suddenly magically filled up with chocolate almond butter cup raw ice-cream from One Lucky Duck dress anticipation! the High Fidelity soundtrack buying le boyf (le boeuf?!) a knitted devil hat (there will be photos, oh yes, there will be photos) people’s reaction to Love & Sequins #7 — everyone is so psyched & I’m so excited that everyone found it so good & useful! the Yas Marina Hotel — “The hotel’s exterior surface is designed as an environmentally responsive skin that by day reflects the sky and surroundings and by night is lit by a full color changing LED lighting system that incorporate video feeds that are transmitted over the entire surface of the building” — ARE YOU KIDDING ME — & I found out about it via yumnaaa — unf unf UNF! I also think Yumna is really cool, check out her blog, it is adorbs Chloe’s snowman poo San Pellegrino Aranciata (officially obsessed, we drink this ish like water even though we know we shouldn’t) listening to weird old Christmas carols Manish Arora (the John Galliano of India!) having this as my wallpaper & I am becoming more & more obsessed with India, I really want to go. Have you been there?
1. Colors of India, 2. India – Faces – Rural women driving their own change 1, 3. India – Colours of India – Painted Temple Roof, 4. Colors of India – II (Explored), 5. Colors at the Mysore Market, 6. Colours from India,, Mahakala, 7. Holi,Festival of Colours,India, 8. India: the land of color
“The joke is on the skeptics, such superstitious self-appointed vigilantes for the suppression of curiosity.” — Deepak Chopra
P.S. Um, wow!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [54] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 December 2009, 11:36 ]
I love love love…
Christmas shopping with my cutie MAC Cosmetics’ Saint Germaine lipstick bright pink Betsey Johnson dress bags hanging on my closet door (ahhhhhh!) polaroids tulle bunny ears hanging on my wall making beautiful new vision boards for 2010 Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace candy canes the “yule channel” (it is a loop of a log on fire, plus Christmas music, v. American!) taking Beyonce-breaks instead of lunch-breaks (it is when you get out of your chair, turn her up & dance like a frenzied misfit!) putting my hoop back together & dancing with it Demeter perfumes (Honeysuckle, Bulgarian Rose, Double Trouble…) “Shawty what yo naaaame is?” making videos of Hank (haha that video makes me laugh so hard) doing email interviews taking my vitamins (they make me feel really good) eyeing up my Christmas presents which I am not allowed to touch yet! It is torture, but good torture when The Dish feeds me the best parts of the ice-cream (heart) morning coffee expeditions into the icy tundra new hairdressers who are awesome & pick up lunch for you (Angela at Whistle in case you were wondering) video interviews with Mr Problogger (hopefully it will go live soon!) confetti Black Moth Super Rainbow (it is pretty much my new favourite thing & HELLO with a name like that, how it could not be, plus it sounds like Boards Of Canada if your ears were full of bubblebath)...
Quintessence’s young coconut shake (drool & super-hydrating, see also: REALLY GOOD FOR YOU) disco Pocahontas chic satanic schoolgirl chic the fact that iCiNG is three years old!!!!! going to the Museum of Natural History with Chloe (“Look! Heads!”) having an astronaut ice-cream feast in the Native American room delicious Korean food eaten while listening to Lily Allen & N.E.R.D. my tiny turquoise Christmas tree with white fairy lights & a Swarovski crystal-covered heart on the top Rodarte for Target (it is the delishimost) dinosaur skeletons thinking about making little Pterosaur hanging mobiles to attach to the roof (wouldn’t that be so rad?) looking at butterfly cocoons really closely (some of them look like upside-down seahorses!). By the way, if you are in New York City, the butterfly conservatory is very balmy & quite cute having a subscription to Time Out New York (I love that magazine) that Ellen Von Unwerth has a new book (it is insanely expensive but I am excited anyway, I love her very much) wearing sequins ALL the time the octagon horseradish meeting Le Dish for lunch explaining my style direction to Chloe & having her crack up my taxi driver telling another, “Behave like a grown-up” (!!!) I love itttt, Miss Manners in the driver’s seat new moon in Sagittarius yummies waking up smiling & having a love-fest false eyelashes wool stockings with holes in worn with big boots Björk & also, I am very fortunate to have the best boyfriend in the universe. (Galaverse?) Viz:
{{{SWOON}}}
Overall? I am really happy. I am super-excited about my life & everything in it. I have so much hope for the future, 2010 is going to be absolutely amazing & I’m really amped to end 2009 on a high note! I hope you are too.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [61] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 10 December 2009, 06:08 ]
Baby’s first Balenciagas. YUM. On sale. Less than $200 & I have wanted them forever! Voilà! Even better, they make me stupendously tall & are actually COMFORTABLE! Shock! Horror! God I love them. I have been stalking around the house in them ever since I got them.
Our memory foam mattress arrived! It is so great. But as we were removing the old one from the apartment, I almost killed The Dish while we pushed it down the stairs. It kept slipping out of my grip & squishing him! One of the highlights of my week was when we got back to the apartment, as he turned to me & said in a mock New Zealand accent, “Things I Love Thursday: attempted murder”.
But seriously: memory foam. Amazing. I have been having THE BEST sleep ever. It’s so cozy, & kind of like sleeping in quicksand. I absolutely love it.
The glee of having a new computer. My previous MacBook lasted from September 2006 to December 2009. It is what I used to create iCiNG & start writing my book. I have carried it all over the world. Bought in the Fifth Avenue Apple store in New York City, it has been with me to London, Oslo, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington, Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Paris, Toronto, & probably a bunch of other places I am forgetting. It has served me so well & been a kind of magical chariot for everything I’ve done over the last 3 years. So as appreciative of it as I was, it was finally time for an upgrade. My MacBook Pro is extremely sexual & I am so happy, & looking forward to creating wonderful things with it!
Et aussi… The brilliance that is orange julius (I had one for the first time the other night, it was orange juice, carnation milk, vanilla & cinnamon & it was WONDERFUL); the fact that Warren Ellis thinks I’m good company; Zack & Miri Make A Porno (SO FUNNY); cashmere & silk v-neck sweaters; Betsey Johnson slips; The Ace Hotel; making big batches of magical potion & dispelling any prospective illness; looking forward to seeing CunninLynguists on Friday (are you coming too?!); “the octagon” (too much Ultimate Fighter, ugh!); my delicious pink Royal typewriter; I said it last week but flower booty (I now own them!); Pendulum’s Hold Your Colour; having Christmas presents arrive & hiding them away; writing on my calendar in a magenta Sharpie (you say “marker”, I say “vivid”, we can all get down with “Sharpie”); the perfect high-waisted skirt (I got it in grey, it is A++); overdosing on sequins (I say, stock up for the future because a bit of sparkly somethin’ somethin’ is never inappropriate); skirts which just make you want to make out all the time; reading old email & being relieved to be where you are; calling Nubby & saying, “I’m walking to Forever 21 & whenever I go there I think of you, so I thought I’d give you a call”; singing along to Beatles songs; bed parties; international chats with Jess; the episode of Flight Of The Conchords where Jemaine (a New Zealander) sleeps with an Australian girl & says her accent sounds “kind of like an evil version of our accent“; when Hank sticks half his face out from the covers & looks like the Phantom of the Opera; old Portishead songs (It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star) which I ended up clicking on because this is my new favourite song; new bedding & big stacks of pillows; great ideas (if I do say so myself); being really really really in love; Christmas lights all over New York City; snow anticipation; when Hanky comes to visit me while I’m working; calling Hanky “the pancake” (e.g., “Do you want me to walk the pancake?”); new knickers; being properly hydrated, & my new favourite restaurant for delivery is Koo. Seriously the food is AMAZING, it is what inspired my style tip about Japanese feasts! If you’re in NYC, you can order from them via Seamless Web which is a total saviour when the weather sucks! Mmmmmmmmm, Koo! I love you Koo!
I would also like to give a special shout-out to YOU, my nonpareils! My digital lovers! My virtual kin & biggest inspiration! Without you, there is no iCiNG, & I feel like I could never tell you enough how much I love & appreciate your support, enthusiasm, wild spirits & amazing energy. Thank you so much for being a part of my life! It is infinitely better for having you — YES, YOU — in it. You are my favourite people.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [84] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 December 2009, 22:50 ]
Making the most of Cyber Monday — So, on Monday night, I was just idly doing some mattress research, & I just HAPPENED to come across this amazing queen-sized memory foam mattress which was $1900 OFF, & so I just HAPPENED to add it to my shopping cart. I also HAPPENED to notice that this rad duvet set was way cheap… & finally, I HAPPENED to notice that the subscription prices for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Playboy & Teen Vogue had been slashed. So I subscribed. Most excellent. I really wasn’t planning on taking part in any of the post-Thanksgiving madness, but well, I actually did need those things (NEED!), & I have an itchy mouse finger sometimes.
I also want to take a moment to discuss memory foam. Let’s journey back, way back, to 2008, & the Virgo Birthday Extravaganza. Remember?! & see that last photo? Oh geez I’ll repost it here.
So at the end of the night, Nubby & I crashed out in this enormous (I do mean enormous) Tempur-Pedic bed at the Hotel On Rivington & it was the best sleep I have ever had. I have been thinking about it intermittently since then. The kicker? Tempur-Pedic beds are about a zillion dollars. (Tiny exaggeration.) But I’ve been doing all this research & people seem to think that good memory foam beds are just as good, & if not, pretty damn close. Long story short, I am eagerly waiting for it, & I sure hope the UPS guy will lug it up the stairs for me! I will let you know how I get on!
Planning 2010 in a frenzied manner! I have this oversized Moleskine (I have written about it many a time) & it has become a bit of an all-purpose book. I am actually using it as a mousepad at the moment, god I really need a proper mousepad! Anyway! I am using that for planning my upcoming year. Whenever I have a brilliant thought (chortle), I flip it open & scrawl it down on the 2010 page, & soon (soon!) I will organise it into actionable lists, broken-down tasks etc. with check-boxes. WORD UP.
Fun on Park Avenue! I went uptown for a meeting today which was VERY promising… When you get to see the result, you will be as excited as me! I also love Park Avenue because when you dress in a ridiculous manner (as I often do) you can just about see people’s minds exploding. Additionally, there was a piano player in the lobby of the building I went to today, pounding out merry renditions of Christmas tunes for… the security guard. Who looked like he was pretty into it, actually. Cute to the power of a trillion.
Prince Edward!!! I am in love with this dog. I know he would end up huge & would destroy the house, & one 60lb pitbull is definitely enough especially given he sleeps in the bed with us & having two dogs in the bed would be like trying to sleep on a schoolbus, or something, but I LOVE HIM. I just keep thinking he probably has big velvetty chocolate brown paws, & it is all very endearing. Oh Prince Edward, I hope you find a home soon.
Honourable mentions: Le Dish, Le Dish, Le Dish, I love you; Q-Tip’s The Renaissance; turkey pot pie made from scratch by my lover; OPI designer series (I just bought Exclusive, Elegance, Extravagance & Mystery) — sparkly fingernails forever!; Baby By Me (have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire); Chanel Iman; reading makeup manuals & trying new things; The Dish singing songs about gravy; the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (so much fun & definite gym motivation); speaking of which, these knickers!!! (HELLO FLOWER-BUTT!); & also, I love my gym; unicorn soft toys; gold & pink Ganesha statues; big lumps of crystal; glitter letters; Molly Crabapple & Oh Chloe; obsessively looking for armchairs & love seats; getting excited about the hip hop karaoke championships (I am so there); Luis Tovar’s “The Best Songs of the Decade“ pmaCASTs!; my rainbow maker (seriously it makes me so happy); wig shopping (& subsequent purchases); mustard (always); Ace Of Cakes; buying big stacks of magazines & lugging them around; long walks; nap-time; secret planning; the new Rihanna album, & perusing Christmas ornaments! Oh! & I really really want to go & see the huge tree at Rockefeller Center! A lot. There will be pictures.
“It’s all like a dream. Everything is ecstasy, inside. We just don’t know it because of our thinking-minds. But in our true blissful essence of mind is known that everything is alright forever & forever & forever. Close your eyes, let your hands & nerve-ends drop, stop breathing for 3 seconds, listen to the silence inside the illusion of the world, & you will remember the lesson you forgot, which was taught in immense milky way soft cloud innumerable worlds long ago & not even at all. It is all one vast awakened thing. I call it the golden eternity. It is perfect.” — Jack Kerouac
Okay, as always, it is your turn!
Oh, &, colour & activity book BONUS QUESTION! Do you believe in soulmates & what does the word mean to you? I am v. curious as to your thoughts.
MWAH!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [56] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 November 2009, 13:34 ]
How appropriate! It is Thursday & it is also Thanksgiving! Isn’t it wonderful that we (as in you & me, baby!) say thank you every week?! YES! I’ve been sitting here all morning gawking at the Thanksgiving parade on telly & being amazed by the scope. It’s madness!
So here are things I love this week…
Thanksgiving! Yay! This is my very first Thanksgiving! I’m spending it at home with my newwwwww family, consisting of The Dish & Hank Williams, & The Dish is deadset on making it amazing for me. I am so impressed by The Dish’s turkey-making prowess. He has been cooking for two days! He also sings songs about me while he cooks, he is my favourite musician bar none. Hee. I have been sitting in the living room, cuddling (read: restraining) Hank & watching the magic go down in the kitchen. (I am not allowed to be involved, I am a walking kitchen disaster & that is just fine by me!) Our whole apartment smells incredible, I am sooooo excited (& hungry)!
MAC Cosmetics always. So, a few points. MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation = holy grail foundation? Peut-être, peut-être! It applies beautifully & looks super-natural. It’s a little bit glowy & best applied with the fingers. They don’t sell it in most stores but you can buy it on eBay… Additionally, their Prep & Prime Transparent Finishing Powder is BRILLIANT to the max, their Christmas brush sets are out of this world (I just bought the Do-The-Trick Buff & Line brush set, it was $49 & each brush is about $30 each so you do the math, DO THE MATH!!!), & their MV2 fragrance still makes me dribble out of the corners of my mouth. I know, not the most beautiful image, but you get my drift, right?!
GINGERBREAD MEN PEOPLE. Best! I love gingerbread more than you could possibly imagine. Especially with sprinkly crunchy sugar on top. Yumbo.
P.O.S. Also best! We befriended a tiny Chinese man yesterday with very few teeth, it was amazing. & I bought this t-shirt at his show on Tuesday night (yes, in a men’s small because I hate girl-cut t-shirts!), it is awesome. I am actually wearing it right at this very moment.
Honourable mentions: Mushroom, truffle oil & speck pizza (you have no idea, I ate the entire pie, it was radtastic); chewy chocolate chip cookies; cleaning up my office; buying myself Christmas presents; this picture (it makes me sooooo happy, I want a big straight version to set as my wallpaper & maybe to print out & hang on my wall, can someone clever make one?!); watching the Yo Gabba Gabba float in the Thanksgiving parade & laughing because I always remember how the first time we saw the show, The Dish said, “This is how I imagine the inside of your head is all the time”; my I Am Not a Paper Cup which is so beautiful as well as practical & keeps my soy latte piping hot & geez I love it; making time to curl up on the couch & read; Verizon + iPhone in January (oooooooooh yeah); huge boxes arriving at the house; Gangsta Love; obsessively researching over-the-knee boots online (nicest so far, I reckon); new make-up brushes; stacks of books; intense dreamies; that ridiculous American Express ad which is full of inanimate faces!!!; “His face looks like a foot” “I’m going to be thinking about that all day”; watching The National Dog Show, it is so weird & funny; French bulldogs (gremlin face, Bat Boy ears!); stretching; deep sleep; having my chart done by Christopher from SoulGarden (it was A++++++++); looking forward to seeing Molly, Lola & Star this weekend, & as always, my lush boyf (phrasing totally to blame on many of my formative years spent reading Dolly & Girlfriend magazines), who is so much fun to go out with, & just as much fun to stay in with.
“A better world has gotta start somewhere. Why not with you & me?” — Tom Robbins
Happy Thanksgiving, Americans, & happy Thursday/Friday everyone else!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [65] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 November 2009, 13:19 ]
Love time! Let’s be lovelicious & moonstruck & bewitched & smitten & enamoured by our lives! Here is my heart-bursty list of the week!
Le Dish — yesterday, today, tomorrow. He is my favourite person by a country mile!
IKEA! Oh IKEA, I do love you. You may have noticed that I move quickly. Last Thursday I said I was obsessing over interior design, & then on Saturday we woke up early for an IKEA adventure! By Sunday evening my office was complete. (They delivered on the same day we went, AMAZE!) & with that…
My new office, of course. My desk is 5 feet wide & metal, like a butcher’s table. I have a nice tall bookcase (the Billy, bien sûr, in white) which holds books, magazines, sequinned hats, multiple fuchsia skulls (some glittery, some not), sparkly helmets, & Alexander McQueen stilettos. The whole thing is very exciting, since I have not had a desk since May 2008. For the last year & a half, I have just been writing wherever I can (coffeeshops, planes, strange couches, tiny kitchen tables, etc.). CAN YOU IMAGINE THE HORROR. The whole having-a-place-to-put-all-my-belongings thing is totally thrilling, & has inspired much productivity.
Oh & by the way did I mention that The Dish & I have been living together for a month & a half now & it is totally blissful happy-times?! !!!
Browsing for vintage typewriters on eBay — Mmmmm. I especially like typing in “pink typewriter” or “Olivetti” & seeing what comes up. I am sure you will also be delighted to hear that I am now the proud owner of one (1) blue Smith-Corona & one (1) Olivetti Valentine, typewriter of my dreams. YUMMY!
My rainbow maker! I bought one with two crystals on it. It attaches to the window with a suction cup, & it is solar-powered. When the sun hits it, the motors start & cause the crystals to turn. This means… dancing rainbows all over your room. AMAZING! You can find them easily on eBay by just typing in “rainbow maker” & they look like this… You need one, obviously!
Meeting Sam! He is in town to cover Red Bull’s BC One (which incidentally, I also covered!) so we finally got to meet after almost a year of online nattering. I met him for a drink on Monday, a wander on Tuesday & BC One last night. I love him. I do. Can we keep him? Does he really have to go back to London tonight? If I stage a protest, will he stay? Psshhhaaawwww. Don’t go!
Tim Burton for MOMA. Ahhh, so good, still thinking about it. Seriously good.
Honourable mentions: Having my lunch delivered from new different exciting places all the time (my new favourite is Curly’s Vegetarian Lunch, it is delish); Mexican hot chocolate (again); that the newest Palm Pre commercial features Doot Doot by Freur which is a great, great tune!; brunch with Neil; laughing & laughing & laughing; talking incessantly about how I love Dr. Drew & then having The Dish call me DR. SHREW!!!; making little beds for Hank so he looks like a dog burrito; wearing a suspender belt + stockings + leg-warmers; the Soho Grand hotel (pretty); adding to & re-arranging my vision boards; packages full of silver stars which explode all over my house; The Dish’s best friend, Hugh (he is rad); Destiny’s Child #1’s (heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee); going to Red Bull BC One last night & watching amazing b-boys, as well as getting free drinks, free tacos from Chipotle, & performances by KRS-One & Talib Kweli!!!; mustard (“sexy mustard” too!); sleeping cuddle pile (bedtime at our place is like Where The Wild Things Are except less hairy); stripes; vitamins; weirdness… & of course, the Johnny Depp encounter I mentioned yesterday. That ish is going to be close to my heart for a long time.
“Just because I’ve become spiritual doesn’t mean I can’t love crocodile.” — Tom Ford
Hahah. No, wait! Let’s try this one instead.
“When you let go of the need for any & all outcomes, life becomes a creative, magical adventure.” — Deepak Chopra
Okay! Much more appropriate. Your love lists, MERCI BEAUCOUP! Imagine me like a headmistress with my hand outstretched for your homework as you exit the classroom. Here’s to a hypothetical A+ in the love stakes! Go to the head of the class!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [85] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 November 2009, 17:22 ]
Lying in bed this morning, my eyes flew open & I cried, “OH! It’s Things I Love THURSDAY!” The Dish asked me what I loved today & I said, “You” & it was a very cute moment. But enough of that.
If you’re new, & I know a lot of you are, since the numbers keep growing, let me break it down for you! Things I Love Thursday — known colloquially as “TiLT” — is a little love letter to the universe we send out once a week. It is our way of saying THANK YOU & learning to appreciate what we have, as opposed to constantly thinking about what we lack or what we want! It’s good for the soul & one of the very best ways I know for getting out of a cranky mood. Okay, let’s go!
Interior design. I AM SERIOUSLY OBSESSED. On Saturday The Dish & I walked all over Manhattan & ended up in this furniture store (Olde Good Things) full of delicious (but overpriced) things… It was so exciting, & we discovered we like the same style. (Bonus!) I found this apartment on Flickr & oh god. It is perfect. I need to live there. I can’t stop thinking about ways to make my place more like that. Also, we are apartment hunting. Fun. I actually love it. This morning I went to see an apartment with a room hidden behind a bookcase which spanned an entire wall. This sounds amazing, except the ceiling was half the height of a person. What?! Amazing.
My new helmet. Oh, hello. You are pink & covered in magical sparkles. I love you.
Adventures with the girlfriend because we have fun wherever we go, & no matter how ridiculous it is (see: really awkward perfume event at Saks last week) or how many obnoxious videographers there are (see: yoga + supermodels + vodka). Once we were walking to Times Square & we saw people in Teletubbies costumes… SMOKING. Once we went to a swimming pool which changed colours & then sang karaoke with a bunch of strange Japanese men & someone got arrested. Also, did you know, our first “date” was to a pornographic circus? She is so great. Seriously.
The beautiful Angel who I am sending lots of good, yummy thoughts to. You should too, if you can. She deserves them & I can’t wait to see her in March when I go back to Austin for SXSWi! Love to you. (Do you believe! In heaven above? Do you believe in LOVE? ...Send me an angel!)
Honourable mentions: Imitating accents (I love to impersonate what The Dish sounds like & he can’t help impersonating me too); La Perla stockings; my coffee kit; “Seriously, I don’t think any other couple laughs as much as we do”; big packages in the mail; signing off emails, “SLAVE TO THE QWERTY”; Felt 3; “Don’t call me a mouth-breather!!!”; more work, always more work; people who help you totally out of the goodness of their heart; open bars; matching my hat & my socks; racy photos on the go!; cupcakes for breakfast; teeny packages of candy in my handbag; terrifyingly-clever teenage girls; snugging with Hank (he likes to lie down with his head on my shoulder & his paws across me); realising there are a bunch of old Greek season two episodes I hadn’t even seen yet; Mexican hot chocolate; Wham!; penthouses with enormous windows; goodie bags; black fingerless gloves; going to see my manicurist after two months away & having her squeal & hug me (& tell me that everyone who comes in who says they learned about her through me is so lovely & charming, no big shock there but awww!); cherry red fingernails & holographic glitter blue toenails & white hair = Americana!; Eyeko strawberry fat balm (best colour & smells ambrosial!); new spectacles; Susannah Breslin (we met last night, she is A++); re-buying old favourite books (see: Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott); 2Pac, & finally, when The Dish sends me emails entitled, “Look behind you!!!!” & attaches lookoutgala.jpg.
HAHAHAH.
“Beneath the makeup & behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” — Marilyn Monroe
Your lists, please & thank you!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [73] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 5 November 2009, 12:40 ]
Every week, we celebrate the things we love by listing them off in a big, delectable, toothsome (!!!) way! It is an instant pick-me-up, so even if you are sitting around in a grump, give it a try! (I often do this in person too, & ask people to tell me 5 things they are happy about at that very second. It works like a charm!) So here we go…
I read something this week that said, “jealousy is when you count other people’s blessings instead of your own”. It is the perfect first point for this week’s Things I Love Thursday!
I also love…
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo — I bought one of these the other day & you would not believe the difference it makes to your look. I know I should do my eyebrows every day, but I always forget, plus I never had the right colours to do it. So on Saturday I just happened to wander into Sephora (which is incidentally one of my favourite places, even when it is packed with girls screeching about Halloween — headphones are the key here!). I picked up a Brow Powder Duo in Brunette, stared intensely in the mirror & brushed some across my eyebrows. Hello, fabulous! I am an addict. Actually “doing” your eyebrows totally changes the dynamics of your face, it is incredible & looks so much more glamorous.
Thinking about office organisation for 2010 — Way more fun than it might sound. I have always been a huge stationery nerd, though, so if you know me, this is not surprising. I trawled Amazon for good wall calendars for hours the other day. The most promising one so far is Where’s Waldo 2010. Oh yes! I once cut out pictures of “Waldo” (we call him Wally) & stuck them in bus-stops & on lamp-posts. Anyhoo. (I have a bunch of dream calendar ideas, like… Pee-Wee Herman, Tim Walker [it seems they’re not releasing one this year, booooo], Victoria Beckham [yes!], cute girls wearing sequinned mouse ears & lingerie, etc.) But I am AMPED about getting a bigger desk (the one I bought is just not big enough, I neeeeed to sprawl my stuff everywhere, good thing this was only $20, ha!), a nice vintage something-or-rather to put pens in (silver teapot, elaborate vase, strange jar?), more bulletin boards, a good chair, shelves, magazine organisation devices, etc. etc. etc. ad finitum! Save me from myself!
My new printer! I bought one from Amazon the other day (the Canon MP480 if you’re interested!), & it’s so exciting! I am obsessed with having pictures EVERYWHERE to help stimulate my brain juices (slurp), so I have been sitting around madly printing things off & sticking them all over the place. Yesssssssss.
Honourable mentions: Emails with the subject line “You’re awesome”; snuggling with my two favourite boys; Too Faced’s Lash Injection (mega lashes); Givenchy lipstick & lip glosses forever; “Have you ever been into Strawberry’s basement?” “No, why?” “It’s like the slutty underwear repository, it’s GREAT” (& buying a whole lot of it for practically nothin’ gets my vote too); my new Necklush scarf; shopping sprees so vigorous you give yourself blisters; Sex Rehab With Dr Drew; working out at the Haunted Mansion; planning my outfits way, way ahead of time; the sartorial boost that writing Love & Sequins #6 gave me!; looking at my colourful Moleskine planner for 2010 — my glitter maus skull is resting on top of it & I am itching to use it!; filling up my calendar way in advance with lots of rad events; Verdana (I get re-obsessed with this font every two years or so, it is so beautiful); having a Bowie-a-thon; when The Dish cooks for me & sings songs about it as he does it; making lists of fun things to do on the weekend; the Ninja Tune podcast; jambalaya (I had it for the first time the other night, YUM); sore leggies from running & cycling; Glee (as in the show); Cappie & Casey getting together on Greek (I was unreasonably excited about it); getting new freelance jobs (yay!!!); getting my calendar back from my old place & being able to plan my life on my wall again!; El Squeako; Beyonce (I watched her E! Hollywood True Story the other day & it reminded me how much I like her, plus she is so beautiful, PLUS she is a Virgo!); see also, Jay-Z; writing “love is the answer” in my Moleskine & seeing it all day; cutest packaging ever (I love monster anything); sound machines (I want one, listening to rain while you sleep is totally orgiastically blissful); soup; tequila & lime salsa (yum!) & finally, Le Dishiness for indulging my ridiculousness on a daily basis!
Also I think there needs to be a game for the Wii or PlayStation or whatever else they have these days, which is ALL great hip-hop that you have to rap along to & you get graded on how good you are. I want a good selection, too, from Big L to 50 Cent to Aesop Rock. I would buy that. Wouldn’t you?! Okay! Thanks, video game making people!
“Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviours.
Keep your behaviours positive, because your behaviours become your habits.
Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Okay, bunny! Tell us what is making your toes tingle with happiness!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [83] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 29 October 2009, 23:10 ]
Hello! Hello! Hello! I am late! I am sorry! Please forgive me! Here we go! Things I love! Exclamation points!
Laughing all the time; holding hands; people stringing fairy lights in trees; walking around New York with Chloe & having weird old men make even weirder comments (one of them said, “It’s not Hallowe’en yet!”, hur hur, & then we passed another old man & a middle-aged woman said to us at the traffic lights, “You two just made that dirty old man very happy”!); the word “gloom”; jewellery as a present (I have a new necklace by Gregg Wolf that I totally loooooove, plus I maintain that jewellery is the best kind of present ever, all girly diamond-madness aside, because you get to wear it & it always reminds you of whoever gave it to you); rice crackers (I wrote a letter to them in my head on Monday, it went like this: Dear Rice Crackers, Yum! I’m gonna eat you! Love, Gala.); people who make dog handbags based on me (this is a hard one to explain, I will show you photos when I have them); Lupe Fiasco — Fire; the fact that in America, Hallowe’en runs for the ENTIRE month of October!; my brand spanking new sparkly pink Fulmer helmet (it arrives tomorrow, YAY); The Dish making videos of Huey Lewis for me; Teletubbies in the street smoking cigarettes (oh the horror, don’t worry, there are photos), anticipation of the CunninLynguists show in December (I will be there this time I promise); being super-obnoxious (sad but true); Gift of Gab f. Brother Ali & Del tha Funkee Homosapien — Dreamin’; big glasses frames; getting big packages in the mail all the time; “you are making me blush you adorable thief”; when The Dish imitates the way I talk (especially the way I say art — “ahhhhht” — & party — “pahhhhhhhty”); also when The Dish speaks fake Twitter updates out loud (“At-sign World…”); running into sweet flame-haired girls in the street; taking Chloe to bad events & walking out smelling like our mothers; Weezer’s new single (it is so catchy, it’s like… brainpox); MAC Red lipstick; my new bunnyhead ring; looking forward to Halloweenie; dinner with Mike Dooley (& our waitress recognised him, it was so cute); relief & sanity; watching Nazi zombies in Dead Snow; autumn photoshoots; pretending the couch is a ship & cuddling with the family unit; having all my vitamins arrive!; taco night!!!; Hanky squeezing into tiny spaces & snoring like an old man, geez I love him; impromptu songs; Where The Wild Things Are; wearing sequins all the time; using plenty of exclamation marks; FakeAPStylebook on Twitter; being productive; server upgrades; CunninLynguists – To Be For Real; planning for SXSWi next year (yay, Austin, I’m coming back! I have missed you!); saying “OH MISTER SHEFFIELD!”, etc. etc. etc. ad finitum!
“Can one explain the magic of life to someone who cannot perceive it in the smallest everyday things?” — Rosa Luxemborg
Okay, pile on the yummies! Give us your lovin’! Baby, I need your lovin’, got to have aaaaall your lovin’! I have been working on Love & Sequins #6 flat out for the past few days so am totally distracted & over-stimulated & I apologise, it will be released TOMORROW & I am so excited! See also: Carousel! MWAH!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [42] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 October 2009, 17:31 ]
Things I love this Thursday! Yes’m!
Signing up for a New York City library card; You Say (Puppy Love) by Brother Ali (wow); having people to talk to about hip-hop!!!; wearing The Dish’s wifebeaters while he is away; my new rainbow Moleskine planner for 2010; writing at the coffeeshop; going on a mad coat buying spree on eBay & the excitement of having them roll into my apartment one at a time; good strong coffee; obsessive cleaning missions; putting together bulletin boards; Chloe; being photographed by everyone in a room (“Is this what it’s like to be famous? It sucks!”); gin & tonics; running around Chelsea in 7” heels trying to find Richard Gere; finding Miss Jay instead (!!!); swapping shoes with Chloe on the way home; people who jump into your photos; black & white photobooth strips with Molly, Loulou & Chloe; calling Hank “moon man”; being totally immature & ridiculous; not having a washing machine (I always did my own laundry until I moved to New York, where you can either a) go to a laundromat or b) drop your stuff off & have someone else do it all for you — I go for option b & it is SO GREAT); the beautiful weather we’ve had over the past few days — perfect, warm, yellow trees, leaves everywhere; Huey Lewis & The News, & specifically singing Stuck With You (check out that silver dress, whooooah) to Hank when I take him for a walk; these shoes — I tried them on & almost died, they will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine; walking around the city taking photographs with Lydia Hudgens (she is rad & v. talented); unexpected phonecalls from the Midwest; sparkly stockings from We Love Colors; office planning; building up a list of prospective projects (it feels good to know I am going to settled here for at least 3 years, it makes life feel more expansive, like there is more room to move & grow, does that make sense?); Duran Duran & Depeche Mode; ordering vitamins; being quizzed on American coins (I think I know them now!); the fact that all my friends LOVE my boyfriend; looking over photos from the night before & laughing; when Hank rests his head against mine while we’re sleeping; clean sheets; Jeff Buckley; “No, I want to stay here in the world’s largest mall of shame & misery without you. Forever.”; being back in America; laughing really hard, etc. etc. etc. But mostly I am really excited that The Dish comes home tonight!
I leave you with this photo of Miss Jay & me. You’re welcome!
Okay… your turn please! What happened to you this week that was totally rad?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [75] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 October 2009, 17:06 ]
Hello my darlings! I know it has been quiet around here, I have been setting up my new life as well as dealing with a wicked case of jetlag! Things will be back to normal as soon as possible — thank you for your patience & for bearing with me! Now, without further ado, here are some of the things I’m loving this Thursday…
Having Antipodeans to talk to when I’m awake at 4am on the other side of the world dreaming about really blue water & flowers made from snow Hank Williams snoring in my lap while I work dressing Hank up as Pocahontas harnessing the power of the Moon & Venus in Virgo & obsessively cleaning/organising/setting up my new office & wardrobe room the fact that One Lucky Duck now does home delivery drinking green tea that The Dish made me (tea & coffee always tastes better when it is made for you by someone who loves you, fact) finding a voucher for Forever 21 amongst all my things & going on a much-needed shopping trip madly trolling Ebay for winter must-haves telepathic dream sharing S Factor by Tigi Body Booster Plumping Spray (it smells like strawberry bubble gum & gives rad volume) Cuban food with Stef aka POS (see also, he was nominated for an mtvU performing award & you should vote for him because he really does deserve it) using Hank as an impromptu hot water bottle delicious breakfast & laughter with Philip my new hooded faux fur coat cozy couchness furniture shopping sweet unnecessary compliments (even better: totally weird ones that people don’t expect you to hear) vintage Playboy centrefolds as my desktop wallpaper my new indigo desk all the bunny ears for sale at Ricky’s watching Greek in the bathtub while surrounded by pink glittery bubbles (Lush I love you!) jingly bracelets Silversun Pickups this purple, life-size, glitter-covered skull that I bought cuddling with my two favourite boys when people say “Welcome home” napping plotting new stuff to put on bulletin boards Jane from Sea of Shoes (she is a sweetheart) being reunited with all my clothes ...& even though I am exhausted, the thing I am most pleased about is being home — in my new, real, actual home — with my little family unit. Love love love.
“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, & demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long & its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people & grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food & for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one & no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools & robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep & pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song & die like a hero going home.” — Tecumseh
Best thing I’ve read in ages.
Tell us about the most wonderful & beautiful things in your life this week!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [72] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 7 October 2009, 18:49 ]
I have lots of love today, hold tight baby!
Big boxes from ModCloth; Tumblr (it is like an inspiration machine, I go browsing & lose hours & make notes); the word “splendid”; watching Hackers while working; The High Heeled Guide To Enlightenment (I received it in the mail the other day & read a couple of chapters while I was having my hair done — it is SO FASCINATING, especially the chapters on Kabbalah & Shamanism!); friends who call me with exciting opportunities; shopping for slightly terrifying items with my mother (I am staying quiet on this one! For now!); circlets (“Former Queens Consort whose husbands had died sometimes only wore their consort crowns as circlets after their husbands’ death” from Wikipedia — also because I just bought a rad headband-cum-circlet thing which I plan on wearing very, very often); the vampire face emotion >:[ !!!; booking plane tickets (v. satisfying); miniature feathered headdresses; marking things off with my pink highlighter (nerd-o-rama); good headphones; watching new episodes of Greek in bed with the electric blanket on; the fact that Air New Zealand’s safety messages were filmed with their crew naked & their uniforms painted on (we do things differently in NZ, troof); flying up the North Island as the sun rises on my right; crazy tumultuous weather (non-stop hail for 3 days?!); thinking about sleeping (I haven’t been doing much of it!); anyone for whom mediocre is not good enough; writing on planes; being charming (a little bit goes a long way, NEVER underestimate the power!); taking photobooth pictures in Auckland (you have to do it whenever you have the opportunity); my Fauxbiagas which still bring me so much joy every time I wear them; my friends, who are eternally supportive; cosy scarves; sending out love all the time, no matter how ridiculous things get; befriending nervous people in queues; orange juice; MAC Cosmetics & turquoise sunglasses.
...But mostly I am excited to
a) have my (!!! 3 year !!!) visa for the United States — for which I flew up to Auckland this morning (!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy!), &
b) have new hair!
HOLLA! It was time for a change! We didn’t know if all the pink would come down but it would. Amazing! There are teeny little pieces of super-light pink, making my hair look kinda like coconut ice! Haha, I love it!
Also, I want to give my hairdresser in Wellington some props. I go to this tiny little place called Modz Hair Company in Eastbourne, which is totally unassuming but my hairdresser is rad & loves a challenge! When I’m here, he always does my hair, & he does a great job for a super-reasonable price. (My cut & colour was $110NZ, & I was there for 4 hours!) So if you want a recommendation for good hair in Wellington, you just got it.
This time next week I will be back in New York City. OH HELL YES. Right now I am in a coffeeshop in Auckland, listening to Hall & Oates on my headphones, yay. I’m flying back to Wellington in a couple of hours, & then I start on Operation: Suitcase which involves going through the four bulging suitcases in my room, sorting, trying out, washing, pondering, etc. Oh le madness!
Also, it occurs to me that Things I Love Thursday has a theme song! All You Need Is Love by The Beatles!
Turn it up!
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein
It’s your turn, yummyface! Lay it on thick! Listen to the song as you write your list! Love, love, love… Love, love, love…
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [141] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 30 September 2009, 18:39 ]
Here it is, ma petite, & can you believe it’s October already?!
Things which have brought me immense joy & happiness over the last week:
The Dish The Dish The Dish also Chloe, my girlfriend, the otter, & life-saver (& her OhJoy list!) laughing on the swings in a playground until I felt sick daylight saving finding a piece of paper on which I had scribbled (who knows when) “dream incubation” (?!) The Beatles Mercury going direct again (it happened on Wednesday, hallelujah!) emails which make me melt & swoon at the same time wheatbag slippers (AMAZING) Mer, honestly, what a champ, & I secretly really hope she will move back to New York sometime soon! Yayoi Kusama for keeping it surreal wedding invitations Joycelle being invited to participate in magnificent projects playing dress up avec ma maman in vintage furs & ridiculous wigs watching Old School & laughing out loud “Now double your money & make it stack~” super-good-news Coco Avant Chanel (makes me want to throw all my clothing away, must resist!) thinking about dressing in homage to Willy Wonka (I would wear a purple velvet coat & top hat, candy rings, false eyelashes made of licorice & a unicorn horn made of sugar) writing challenges people who hang up your dresses for you so that they won’t get wrinkled, how thoughtful & wonderful is that?! having a hat babysitter New York anticipation Wellington coffee (I think I said it last week but it bears repeating) electric blankets watching television in bed angora blankets Bach flower remedies (still amazing) & Aura-Soma (ditto) Kruder & Dorfmeister (K&D Sessions is an oldie but a goodie)...
Juicy Couture ad by Tim Walker. MAKE A MESS, yes!
...Planning parties in my head (disco balls in the pool, see above!, sparklers in cupcakes, mandatory glitter for everyone, & huge bunches of flowers) spending lots of time with my father Georgette for being so amazing all the time! TOTALLY OBSESSING over Jay-Z & his occult connections (?!?!) & Jake says, “It’s all silly cuz you kinda just have to assume everyone is in on it, so if anyone came out against it is it like well maybe that person is just a puppet of the Illuminati trying to keep us distracted while they wear robes and $%#@ with the stockmarket?!” my friends, who give the best advice ever really heavy rain Gareth Pugh my mother who plans outfits way, way into the future the very very clever Star for fixing how my site looks in Internet Explorer (!!!) ...& I really can’t wait to get home & see my boy & his dog.
“The more time you put into being magnificent, the more you become magnificent; the more you put into being mediocre…”
Okay, magnifibunny! What is making you super-happy this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [82] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 September 2009, 20:44 ]
Learning about colour — I had an Aura-Soma consultation with Joycelle on my birthday & it was mind-blowing. As well as giving me lots of insight as to where I was & where I needed to get to, she told me a lot about colour & how we can use it for transformation. She told me to incorporate more blue & turquoise into my life, & since then I have been wearing blue almost every day, & this might sound kooky, but I have been feeling better than I have in a long time! I can’t really explain it but I feel more productive & lucid, which is a great thing! We chose an Aura-Soma bottle for me to start using which arrived a couple of days ago, it is bright pink (of COURSE!) & it smells amazing, & so I am basically dabbing this yummy love-generating oil on myself, massaging it into my skin & smelling it all day. It is pretty incredible! BY THE WAY we’re kicking off our psychic Q&A section TOMORROW! YAY!
Long phone/Skype conversations. I have been having a lot of them recently, it’s like everyone has so much to say & discuss! & even though I have so much work to do, it has been really really good to reconnect with everyone, comb through our lives & analyse the hell out of everything!
Dinner with new friends — Last night I went to one of my favourite restaurants with Mer (who is one of the co-founders of everyone’s favourite magazine, Coilhouse!) & we had such a great time! She is wonderful, we talked non-stop & laughed until we actually cried. She is fantastic company, I like her so very much. Also, she said this about the dark side of Burning Man, & I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe: “I’m going to take an E & dry-hump some random person on a fun-fur bean-bag.” MWAH!
Watching Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory — From 1971, natürlich! It is so ridiculous & bad but I love it anyway. & did you know that it was given that title because at the time, the word “Charlie” was a nickname for the Viet Cong? Also, did you know that the exterior of the chocolate factory was Munich’s gas works? & that the picture held up by the newscaster of the last finder of the Golden Ticket was Nazi Martin Bormann?! ALSO did you know that Roald Dahl (my birthday twin!) HATED the adaptation SO MUCH he never saw it?! Apparently he saw some of it by mistake in a hotel room but changed the channel as soon as he realised what it was!
I wish I remembered where this came from. It is SO OLD.
That the rumour about the Montgomery animal shelter closing down & euthanizing any animals left was not true — but mostly this comment left on this article:
Posted by louietwostep
September 23, 2009, 5:54PMToo bad it wasn’t true. I was gonna start a cat boxing league with all the adopted cats.
Aahaahahahaha!
Honourable mentions: Gonzo: The Life & Work of Hunter S. Thompson (this is much better than any other documentary I have seen on him — it was released in December last year & produced by Johnny Depp); papillon puppies; the word “Wonkamania”; “I am now telling the computer EXACTLY what he can do with a lifetime supply of chocolate!”; 2-for-1 cocktails; Pee Wee Herman on Twitter!; MAC Cosmetics, yesterday, today, tomorrow; rad feedback on Love & Sequins #5; old episodes of the Krypton Factor on television; irresponsible breakfasts; not getting a lot of work done because I’m spending so much time talking to friends; this tweet; this one too!; Kylie Minogue & her come-hither eyebrow (zing!) — I actually think it is totally rad even though many people do not; having Fashion TV playing constantly while I work & periodically getting up to GAPE at something; Yayoi Kusama anticipation; rain (it is also the name of an excellent track); Eminem (my friend the other day was thrashing Relapse & now I really like it); waking up early every morning; that The Rum Diaries are being made into a movie!!! (I’m having an HST week, can you tell?); watching Madonna Truth Or Dare which I really love & find totally fascinating, she is incredible (& if you want to get the gist of it, read this — Warren Beatty: [after Madonna declines to talk to her doctor off-camera] “She doesn’t want to live off-camera, much less talk. There’s nothing to say off-camera. Why would you say something if it’s off-camera? What point is there existing?”); planning hotel rooms + lingerie + cameras, YAY, & finally, this quote from Paris Hilton… It makes me laugh, I just love the way she puts it!
“The only rule is don’t be boring & dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in.” – Paris Hilton
Oh & in other news I really do think there should be more musical interludes, sing-a-longs & choreographed routines in everyday life. Don’t you agree?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [63] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 September 2009, 05:49 ]
& Discovering melatonin which resulted in the best sleep on a plane ever. I know I talked about magic pills the other day, but these need to be added to the magic pill roster. Why had no one ever told me about them before?! They are tiny, you take one & you sleep like a baby, completely uninterrupted &, BONUS, the sleep is actually restful. When you wake up, you feel like you’ve had a really good quality, REM snooze. I bought a bottle of about 60 pills at LAX for $12, & they are worth much more than that to me! There’s nothing more horrifying than being unable to sleep on a 13 hour flight, after all… I arrived in Auckland feeling totally rested & ready to tackle the day. Amazing!
My 25th year. It really was amazing. & I want to thank you for being part of it & helping me make it that way! SO MUCH has happened since this birthday & even more has happened since this one! (Blast from the past to the maximum!) Life continues to become more & more magnificent, & I am so grateful.
Birthdays because — for me at least — they can teeter so dangerously on the edge of magic & sadness. But my 26th birthday was très bien. I kind of ended up spreading it out over a few days, & there was plenty of ice-cream, two professional massages, multiple bubblebaths & lots of laughter.
Ayurvedic medicine which is so supremely interesting & cool. Additionally, I had an ayurvedic massage the other day, where two therapists massage you in synchrony, & it was… amazing. It was like being massaged by one person with REALLY big hands! I can’t really explain it but it was wonderful, & I came home scented like sesame oil & had a really long shower before collapsing into a fluffy white hotel bathrobe.
The Dish. Mega-. He is such a badass, you have no idea. Also he is very cute. Every time I see his face I am surprised by how good-looking he is. GEEZ. I can’t wait to get back to New York & see him! & also see Hank! Also, we have rad plans. Just you wait.
Jennie, aka Mama Turk, who always has my back, even when I don’t know it. I LOVE HER.
Other languages, they are so beautiful! I watched Inglourious Basterds again the other night & it made me want to take up my French & German practice with FERVOUR! Avec GUSTO! You know?!
Honourable mentions: reading Charles Bukowski in airports & on airplanes; Viktor+Rolf’s Antidote (smells way too good); finding my favourite cleanser in a pharmacy in Auckland (Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion, I am going to stock up since I can never find it in America); going out to dinner with my parents; sleeping in big soft hotel beds; walking into my friend’s shop & surprising him; soup & garlic bread; talking to Ana on the phone; avocado & tomato on toast for breakfast; sending birthday wishes to rad Virgos; The Chocolate Boutique; stocking up at Lush; dining al fresco & writing in the sunshine; email from my friend five minutes after I thought about him; offers of tarot card readings for my birthday; owning this jumpsuit; purikura sticker photos with Skelerina; waking up with crazy hair; vintage-inspired lingerie; Miss Nubs; “We adore you!” emails; maintaining eye contact; magical flower potions; sweet homeopaths; immense sparkly jewellery; watching my friend get his skull tattooed; glitter-laden Flosty Gritter bubblebaths; girls who scream & hug you in the street; Andre Leon Talley; women who wear hats; dinners at Chow; talking to my dad; pretty much the entirety of Blueprint 3, I love it, it’s fun & fabulous, & I especially adore Empire State Of Mind; wearing my father’s dressing gown (it is cozy); coffee made by my mother (it tastes better); talking dreamies with Angeliska; apple cider & long hours of writing!
Love is the only sane & satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. — Eric Fromm
Oh wise words Eric Fromm, WISE WORDS! How about you, sweet international bunnyhead?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [62] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 September 2009, 09:28 ]
Well, it has been a crazy week — I got back from Vegas early this morning & in a few hours I’m flying to Auckland via Los Angeles — so it feels (to me!) like my TiLT is kind of low on details. It is not, however, low on love! In fact! I have been feeling the L-O-V-E even more this week than usual, which is really quite wonderful & I have definitely done my fair share of wandering around with stars in my head! I hope it has been exactly the same for you, my delicious little morsel!
Las Vegas — Always & forever. I really do love this place. It’s the perfect mix of ridiculousness & brilliance. This was a very quick trip for work, but it was still an excellent time. In my two & a half days, I made new friends, paddled in the Hard Rock Hotel’s faux-beach-pool-thing, walked miles every day, drank some scotch, went to some parties, had a bath, did plenty of writing & saw Busta Rhymes perform. (He did good.) I also stood next to Suge Knight for the entirety of the performance, ha! A friend of mine told me to get a drink at the Double Down Saloon, adding, “Do not try the bacon martini, it will give you acne”. It’s a pretty rad joint (& I managed to avoid the bacon martini). Not to mention, the Magic tradeshow was mind-blowing… & made me really, really, really want to open a shop. EEEEEEE. Like I need another project! Finally, as Barbie & I were on our way to the airport, our taxi driver gave us a rollicking impersonation of Tom Jones, complete with steering wheel thumping for emphasis! It was brill. I really loved staying at the Hard Rock Hotel, but next time I want to kick it at the Wynn! It is so beautiful in the way only a hotel in Vegas can be. Take note, universe!
Early morning coffee dates — When you’re pressed for time, you’re pressed for time, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make things happen. I got to see my favourite for coffee & smooches this morning, & it was totally worth waking up painfully early for. “You’re so cute in person!” Sheesh.
Being amazed by people & their honesty, authenticity & integrity. I love it so much when people open up & are brave enough to be really real. It is definitely one of my most admired qualities. Suffice to say, I have had some interesting conversations this week… but they have all left me feeling enlightened & happy. I call this a win.
Maybe finally mastering the art of packing light once & for all?! This will boggle most people who know me, but the following is what I took to Las Vegas. My Frye boots (for walking) & my Fauxbiagas (for prancing). Two strapless dresses (one from Forever 21, one from Charlotte Russe) & a thick black patent belt which went with both. A grey tank, the faux leather skirt I mentioned yesterday, a black slip for sleeping in & a grey sweater with zippers at the shoulders. & it was perfect! That is major underpacking for me — everything fit in a Matt & Nat carry-on, including my laptop, camera, cosmetics, notebook, & lingerie (!!!) — & I was totally happy & satisfied with what I took! So good! I packed for New Zealand on Sunday in a similarly understated fashion, & I’m hoping that it will do the trick. If you see me in Auckland not looking very stylish, please understand that I am trying not to be a mad bag-lady, & forgive me my trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us! Etc.!
Progress, ‘cause it’s nice to feel like things are moving foward, innit?
...& synchronicity, because it’s doubly-nice to feel like things are working out exactly as they should. (They always are, but it’s fab to get a reminder. It’s like being tucked into bed by the universe. Right on.)
Life with Nubs. We have both been so busy ever since she arrived in New York, & we have not had anywhere near as much fun as we should have. But I really do adore having her around. We rock out to Michael McDonald & talk each others’ ears off, & I love it when she welcomes me home from slumber parties in the mornings. It drives me nuts to be in a confined space with most people, but with her, the crazy never comes. When you meet someone like that, you know it is special. I want to lavish her with gifts always!
Honourable mentions: Mega-over-indulgences at Max Brenner (waffles with blueberries & raspberries & chocolate sauce, holy drool); dreaming about Indian food, then waking up & ordering it; using Biosilk in my hair (miracle treatment, for real); raspberries for breakfast; laughing with the Dish; working out at the Haunted Mansion; when people call just as you’re thinking about them; deciding I wanted something & being offered it the very next day; Inglourious Basterds (just as good as everyone says, if not better — I really, really enjoyed it); impromptu photoshoots with Handsome (my neighbour’s dog); “I can’t believe you didn’t know about Matthew McConnaughey & the naked bongos”; pre-dawn send-offs from Miss Nubs which go along the lines of, “Don’t get kidnapped by any lizard people”; nickname evolutions (sometimes I wish I had a big list of every cute name I had ever called anyone, the latest is babezilla); free wifi in JetBlue terminals (hello, rad); Felt 3 anticipation; sorting out my living situation; garage pep-talks; creepy old men (you honestly just get to the point where the whole thing is 100% hilarious); getting lots of work done on the plane; spending time with my favourite; Justin Timberlake (he’s so great, I just saw a performance of his on VH1, killer); listening to my last.fm library when I’m away & don’t have my external HD with me; JetBlue seats (I do love travelling with them); DJ Z-Trip’s The Classic Sh!t mix; laughing with Barbie; looking forward to Auckland (& also, having a long sleep!); my new sparkly heart ring (as if I need more bedazzled hearts, I know, but I can’t help myself); pink & black feathers to dangle from my hair (it feels very Weetzie Bat); eating salad every day!; caffeine (thank you); horribly awful but madly compelling reality shows (Tool Academy 2? Really?!); Pony by Ginuwine (I swear, it is the best); see also, My Boo by Ghost Town DJs; coming up with secret codenames for Barbie & myself (& our editor!) while lying in a cabana — Dairy Queen & Cotton Candy in full effect! (Our editor’s codename is a secret for now…); Siouxsie & the Banshees being blasted throughout the casino before noon; lots of bronzer; sitting next to rad people on the plane; birthday party invitations; cooperation, support, & sparkles.
“As we become purer channels for God’s light, we develop an appetite for the sweetness that is possible in this world. A miracle worker is not geared toward fighting the world that is, but toward creating the world that could be.” — Marianne Williamson
MWAH!
Alright! No more holding out! It’s time for a big goobly love-fest. Make it count! What are you head-over-heels for today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [71] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 August 2009, 12:24 ]
The Dish the Dish the Dish the Dish the Dish. If for no other reason than he buys wine with illustrations of Mexican wrestling masks on the front. See also: he is rad beyond belief. Truth.
Whitening toothpaste... Because, I swear, it has saved my life so many times. It really does remove stains from ANYTHING, including hot pink hair dye off polished wooden floors. Yow! Oh, any brand will do, just slap it on nice & thick, leave it for a bit (sometimes 5 minutes will do it, but when I’m really freaked out I leave it on for an hour or two), then scrub it off with one of those green scratchy pad things you use for scouring dishes. Good as new mate, right as rain love!
Rob Brezsny... again. One day I would like to meet the man & give him a hug.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I was listening to a sports talk show on the radio. The host had recently discovered Twitter, and was pleased with how many fans he had already accumulated. But he was not at all happy with the words “Twitter” or “tweet.” Too effeminate, he said. Not macho enough for a he-man like himself to use comfortably. In fact, he promised that he would never again refer to his Twitter messages as “tweets,” but would hereafter call them “spurts.” Instead of “Twitter,” he would say “Twister.” I encourage you to draw inspiration from his example, Virgo. You’re in an astrological phase when you can and should reconfigure anything that doesn’t suit your needs or accommodate your spirit, whether it’s the language you use, the environments you hang out in, or the processes you’re working on.
Travel anticipation & when I say travel, I mean travel. Let’s review. Las Vegas from Monday the 31st of August to Wednesday the 2nd of September. Auckland, New Zealand (HOLLA!) from the 3rd of September to… well… I’m not sure. I will be there a week or so. Back to New York somewhere around my birthday (13th September!), & London from the 16th of September to the 23rd. Then I am going to come back to New York & sleep for a zillion years. Sounds good. But I am excited about seeing all my friends (& parents!) in Auckland, being dazzled by the madness of Las Vegas, & experiencing London Fashion Week for the very first time. I haven’t left New York in 3 months! It will be good fun to mix it up.
Notorious B.I.G. GOD Christopher Wallace I LOVE YOU. ‘NUFF SAID. “Sold more powder than Johnson & Johnson!”
This piece of writing by an unknown author:
To “let go” does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else. To “let go” is not to enable, but to allow the realization I can’t control another. To “let go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands. To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another, it is to make the most of myself. To “let go” is not to care for, but to care about. To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive. To “let go” is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being. To “let go” is not to be in the middle of arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies. To “let go” is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality. To “let go” is not to deny, but to accept. To “let go” is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings & to correct them. To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, & to cherish myself in it. To “let go” is not to criticize & regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be. To “let go” is not to regret the past, but to grow & to live for the future. To “let go” is to fear less & to love more.
Honourable mentions: Over-the-knee socks worn with Fauxbiagas; Cuban food; watching New York Minute while I work; weird old men who sing “Monster Mash” when Nubby & I walk past; seeing Nadia!; stationery shops; making friends with my neighbours; cute new puppies on the street (my neighbour has this Maltese/Poodle cross, oh my GOD, adorbs to the max, & I just started dogsitting him, AHHHH, photos to come, you can never have enough doggy love, for real); “What is this place?” “I don’t know, but I think we found our people”; looking at the dogs for adoption on the ASPCA site (& reading the comments: so funny & cute); my new oversized Moleskine (it’s this one & I love it!); Aleister Crowley obsessions; David Barton’s haunted mansion gym; looking at apartments on Craigslist; secret jottings; lunch meetings with my ChinaShop chums (chums! I love that word too! Mark it up!); exciting new assignments & ways to challenge myself; meeting with midgets (okay, almost-midgets) to buy things off Craigslist, ha!; RedBull energy shots (whoah, evil); “Did you say ‘tugging my glute’?!”; giving Nubs a Biggie education; listening to Nubby laugh while she listens to Biggie’s lyrics; thinking about Hunter S. Thompson; blossoms in jars; royal purple nailpolish; sequinned suspender belts; re-watching Secret Diary of a Call Girl; covering Hank’s head with a blanket; Snoop Dogg; seeing cool Scottish men in the morning; “Aren’t you supposed to be working on your podcast as opposed to watching videos about furries?”; coppelgangers (doppelgangers in police uniforms); Haruki Murakami; S&M salad for breakfast; sore muscles; trashy lingerie; “Oh whatever, you’re too short to have feelings” (heeeeeee, said with love, I swear!); dreaming about fashion week (actually dreaming); holding hands with my favourite person; French accents; Hank Williams.
What’s filling your heart with cute today? Today is a good day for L-U-R-V-E! Love love love! Please tell us!
P.S. Your list will be more fun if you smile while you write it… Sounds kooky but it’s true… !
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [95] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 August 2009, 11:25 ]
Girl time. Much needed, & very important for the soul. Nubby, Molly & Jazzi are a constant delight. It is so good to have the Nubs here — we have slipped back into our old routine, which goes something like: talk about blogging, marketing & online personality stuff/work/listen to bad old music/google ridiculous things/walk around Manhattan/take photos/sleep/repeat. It is a good time — I love her so much! Sammy (who I haven’t seen since February) arrived from L.A. last night, & today is a big adventure involving Nubby, Jazzi, Nadia, maybe Sammy, & myself… I’m looking forward to it, despite the oppressive heat!
Rob Brezsny, for this specifically:
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): No more rotten dessert, Virgo. No more silky danger or juicy poison. No more worthless treasures or empty successes or idiotic brilliance. Soon all those crazy-making experiences will be gone, blasted, dead. By this time next week, the bad influences that were trying to pass themselves off as good influences will have fallen away in response to your courageous drive for authenticity. You will be primed to restore your innocence and play in places where purity is the rule, not the exception. Already, the wisdom of your wild heart is regenerating, giving you the strength to overthrow the sour, life-hating influences that were threatening to smother your spirit.
Writing about my grandma & getting an email from my father telling me how much he & his brother enjoyed reading it.
Honourable mentions: Lots & lots of little things this week. Small sweet moments a go-go! Like… Going out with the sparkly ear troupe; sunset rooftop photoshoots; photobooth mishaps; when your two favourite people get along famously; spontaneously finding gifts for people (I bought Nubby a vintage Swatch red cross watch at 10pm the other night); shopping with the Nubs; Two Doves by Dirty Projectors; the way a day can turn on a dime; Protagonists from Felt 3 (A tribute to R____ P____! & Aesop Rock produced!); bouncing between low & haute Mars-Saturn & Mars-Neptune (read: mad cleaning binges, making resolutions, doing yoga, lots of deep breathing, lots of water VS cider, scotch, nausea, psychosis); cute hats from Ms Twiglet; planning outfits & talking style; Victoria Beckham’s Coming To America (honestly, it never gets old); strawberry macarons for dinner; sequinned leggings; crossing things off my to do list; Nubby’s dream Michael Jackson jacket; obsessive cocoa butter application; free clothes; going to yoga every Monday; having Nubby interrupt my yoga class; looking forward to seeing my mother for a week (!!!); new episodes of Entourage (though I read someone on Twitter saying that it’s better if you imagine Entourage is a parody of Entourage, & now I can’t watch it without thinking that! It does make it funnier, though…); sharing cans of RedBull; talking about obsessions at a feverish pitch; anticipating trashy lingerie; re-watching the Las Vegas video with Nubby & laughing really hard; smiling while I write this list; new hats; hip-hop insider trading; when Jake tries to trick me, but it never works, because I am clever; emails from Sera Beak; new moon in Leo; sleeping in false eyelashes; learning how to use my camera (it only took me 3 years, ahem…); the Nubby boogie; little old men who buy their newspapers at 2am; googling ridiculous things; Z!nk’s September issue; writing long lists on the back of postcards to remind myself of what’s going on in the next month or so; letting the man who owns the deli choose what I buy; going to the movies with my lover; weirding Nubby out with my music collection; organising to see old friends; getting emails from people I dreamed about (who have never ever contacted me before, ooh psychic universe go go go!); bizarre direct messages from Courtney Love in the middle of the night; Michael McDonald; the photobooth strip of Molly, Jazzi, Nubby & I where we all look like shoplifters; feeding Nubby massive quantities of vitamins; bursting out of the front door looking completely nuts in hats, heels, dresses, sequins et al, & smiling sweetly at men in shorts & t-shirts; remembering to take things one day at a time; air-conditioning; sleeping in.
“As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” — Marianne Williamson
How about you, my little sequin-bomb? What has had you breaking into spontaneous moonwalks lately?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [69] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 August 2009, 11:23 ]
Karl Lagerfeld & Linda Evangelista!
THIS IS THE 100th THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY! Amazing! I am so excited by how long this has been going for, & it just keeps getting bigger & better! Things I Love Thursday is a total internet phenomenon, seen all over the place in various incarnations, inspiring people to see the beauty in their own lives & delight in the details of others’. I want to thank you all so much for your unerring enthusiasm, heart-expanding love & sweet devotion to keeping TiLT alive!
Here’s to many, many more TiLTs!
& & My father & the Dish emailing each other (they are kindred spirits like you wouldn’t believe); the fact that my favourite deli does home-delivery of my favourite sandwiches; my Faux-biaga booties (I have been wearing them pretty much every day & I am totally in love with them); smudgy black sparkly eyeliner pencil; being walked home in the mornings; Beefcake’s Viande De Gateau (it’s still great, years later); listening to every number one single from 1952 to the present day — in order; faux job interviews; magical vitamins (I will write about them soon!); daydreaming about fall fashions; mentally preparing myself for more travel (it has been a nice couple of months at home!); the way people react to me having long hair (summary: resoundingly positively, but it’s a very chicken-or-the-egg scenario — are they responding positively because I look good or because I feel good & therefore look good?); anyway, regardless, long hair is the best; being productive; looking forward to lots of girltastic fun-time; John Lennon’s Imagine...
Yo Gabba Gabba! which is the most incredible show I have ever seen, it is like the inside of my brain at all times. I saw it for the first time last night. Unicorns sliding down rainbows, “My name is Gala & I like to dance!”, Pop Tarts on a train, carrots, yeah, in my tummy, party party!, songs about smiling & being happy, & it features Mark Mothersbaugh & Biz Markie!
Jazzi & Nadia & Nubby & Sammy — All of whom arrive within the next week (with the exception of Jazzi who is here already)! Actually, when I think about it, it’s kind of creepy — they are all small in stature (I don’t think any of them are over 5’5”) with black hair & brown eyes. They’re like an army! AN ARMY OF CUTE! I can’t wait to see them! & I can’t wait to be working side-by-side with Miss Nubbenstein! It is so much fun to share a space with her, we are constantly brainstorming & laughing & making evil plans, & we have also decided to bring back cocktail hour! Ahhhhhhh!
& My new yoga class, because it is perfect & nothing about it needs to be changed. My teacher is from Sweden & the class is always very small, usually between 3 & 5 students. She plays Damien Rice & Jose Gonzalez & lots of other music I really like, & during Savasana, she anoints you with essential oil, cradles your head, & gives you a massage. Um, amazing. Each class is totally different & I never know what to expect, which is great because it means you never get bored. She encourages me to try new things & adjusts me a lot. I love her. Also, this week the guy next to me fell asleep & started snoring, it was so funny & cute. That kind of thing bonds you to a class. I am so excited to be back into my practice & loving it so much!
Korres & not only because they sent me a bunch of products, but because what they sent me is 100% delicious! I had never used any of their skincare before & I am really impressed. I’ve been using their Wild Rose 24-Hour Cream (Make-up Alley review) as a night cream & I really like it, it smells good & soaks in really well. I’ve also given their Pomegranate Cleansing & Demake Up Wipes (Make-up Alley review) a whirl, & prefer them to the baby wipes I usually use — they smell brilliant & are more thorough than I’m used to! But without a doubt, my favourite product of the bunch is their Jasmine Lip Butter (Make-up Alley review). It is totally scrumptious & I am obsessed with it, & have kept the pot next to my computer where I apply it with feverish regularity. It’s creamy & luscious, with the added perk of smelling like candy floss. YUM. Consider me a convert… They also told me to tell you that if you guys use the code iCiNG at check-out, you’ll get 30% off your online purchases until September 15th! Hello, rad!
...Adjusting to the weather (we left the haus this morning & thought it was “chilly” — it was 24 degrees Celsius); clearing out my inbox; a drawer full of colourful knickers; really good/bad old music; looking at pictures of Richard Simmons & laughing from sheer delight; looking at Hank’s face & laughing because obviously I am nuts; making up songs & chants; Gary Numan; seeing this comment on Youtube “i dont see whats so trippy about ketamine, it just makes me walk like a robot :/”; having vampire picnics; wearing the Dish’s shirt; favourite secret breakfast spots; exciting stuff in the works; RedBull obsession; being excited about my friend’s love affair, & also, I saw a really adorable honey-coloured Cocker Spaniel mix the other day & I think I am in love with it. (I have kind of gone off dachshunds — sound the alarm!!!)
& “Wherever I see grey, I paint it pink.” — Alain Berliner (Director of Ma Vie En Rose)
(Incidentally, if you haven’t seen that movie, you really, really should.)
Et vous, sweet bunnyheads of the world? What is making you dizzy with excitement & ecstatic with joy? This is the 100th Things I Love Thursday so let’s make it a biggie this week, huh?!
P.S. I know my stylesheet is messed up! If the site is displaying without formatting, just refresh it a couple of times & it should fix itself. I need to upgrade my server, too much traffic, wheeeeee, sorry, we’re working on it! MWAH!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [99] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 August 2009, 12:07 ]
/ / / Amon Tobin; apple juice; slumber parties especially when they are more party than slumber; Entourage; new shoes; everyone at the Sex & The City casting looking so damn fly; big glowing Aquarian moons (did you see that yesterday?! The sky over Manhattan was blue all night!); “all unicorn vomit all the time”; soy gouda sandwiches with avocado & plum tomatoes; long hair anticipation (yessssssssss); girlfriend anticipation (Nadia Nubby Jazzi Sammy & Angel, & all before October!); planning a NubbyJazziGala adventure on the scale of our Disneyland exploits at the start of the year (tricky but we will manage!); Chicago (If You Leave Me Now & Baby, What A Big Surprise!!!); reading lots of articles about fascinating people & feeling totally inspired; taking the dog for a walk in my sleepwear; late night impromptu photoshoots with Chloe; Kings Of Leon (um, why did I not know how great they were before now?); Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes (I just got it the other day & some of it has made my jaw drop with its terrifying accuracy); my UPS guy who calls me “DAHHHHHHHHLING”...
/ Being a little too liberal with the silver glitter hairspray in my dimly-lit bedroom & emerging from my haus looking like a fairy orgy; long, strenuous vinyasa yoga classes taught by Swedish instructors with dulcet, mellifluous voices — & lavender eye-pillows to rest with at the end; catching the ferry across to New Jersey on a beautiful day (um, before the heavens opened, that is); lying in bed reading How To Be A Hepburn In A Hilton World; big piles of pillows; The Dish looking at my outfit & saying, “Are you on drugs?” & then being photographed in it by Elle magazine, hahaha!; coming up with new mantras with Nubby (like “LIZARD PEOPLE ARE SEXY”); Captain Eo!; learning new things (about Ducatis & Spanish pronounciation); running into friends on the street; the fact that my apartment is on an insane slope, & things will roll from one side of the floor to the other (sometimes I feel dizzy walking through the hallway); describing things as “epiglottal” — like if a beautiful sky made your breath catch in your throat, that could be epiglottal (you can partially blame Super Kawaii Mama for that one!); Grand High Witch obsession (favourite villain, I think, & what I wouldn’t give to be able to spit ink); super-stretchy yummy-sore yoga muscles; stashing treats in the fridge; air conditioning…
/ & my morning playlist: Big L – Put It On / Drake – Sooner Than Later / Ghostface – Back Like That (feat. Ne-Yo) / Solange – Sand Castle Disco (Machinedrum remix) / J Dilla – Won’t Do / Big L – Street Struck / The Hold Steady – First Night / Aesop Rock – Daylight / Atmosphere – C’mon / Brother Ali – Pedigree / Camp Lo – Luchini AKA This Is It / Living Legends – Watch Out / Soul Position – Keep It Hot For Daddy / Big L – Devil’s Son / Atmosphere – Hockey Hair / Blueprint – Big Girls Need Love Too / Al Green – I Can’t Get Next To You / Atmosphere – They Always Know / Atmosphere – Feel Good Hit Of The Summer 2 / Kenna – Static / Atmosphere – Party For The Fight To Write / Diddy Ft. Nicole Schererzinger – Come To Me (!!!) / Jane’s Addiction – Chip Away / Nine Inch Nails – Non-Entity / Nas – U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim) !
“Confine yourself to observing & you always miss the point of your own life. The object can be stated this way: Live the best life you can. Life is a game whose rules you learn if you leap into it & play it to the hilt. Otherwise, you are caught off balance, continually surprised by the shifting play. Non-players often whine & complain that luck always passes them by. They refuse to see that they can create some of their own luck.” — Frank Herbert (from Chapterhouse Dune)
Alright then, my beautifulest flower! Give me your list of things you love this week! The things can be as small or big as you like, from crunchy toast crumbs to sitting under a favourite tree or a new pot of marmalade. Yummify us with your adoration! Serve up delicious slices of your world!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [87] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 30 July 2009, 11:32 ]
Constant thunderstorms (no point in getting mad about, might as well enjoy it!); ankle socks with heels; my ridiculous & very jangly stacks of bangles; “I need to get you pregnant… asap”; sparkly pink lipstick before 9am; being told that I look like “a creepy witch” (oh, you); the fact that the Sam Edelman Balenciaga knock-off booties go on sale again in August (I got an email about it this morning, thank you so much Georgie, & almost DIED with glee); The Temptations’ Papa Was A Rolling Stone (surely a contender for one of the best songs ever recorded?); Yves Saint Laurent’s Imperiale Platform Over-The-Knee boot (I think I have actually become a shoe fetishist, it is very troubling & I foresee it also becoming very expensive); strangers who say odd but charming things like, “Have a blessings day!”; S-T-A-U-N-C-H!; blue peppermint jelly foot baths; bulk ordering magical vitamins from Canada; maybe maybe MAYBE going to London (I will keep you posted!)...
New brass knuckle earrings & new sunglasses!; The Dish’s ever-evolving nicknames for me (latest: Pinky McNutter); “If Hank” (you know, the dog) “was in a band, what instrument do you think he would play?” “The electric sleep”; eels! eels! eels!; David Dallas (um, hello, you are amazing, it makes me really happy to be able to count you as a friend); hanging out with old Scottish men; having my tattoo worked on (we only did about four hours on Monday but my siamese twins look so much better already, geez Tim you are the bestest)!; girls who can really really sing; scotch & ginger ale; “you make my life better every day”; looking forward to All Points West tomorrow (Jay-Z! Vampire Weekend! The National! The Pharcyde! The Knux! Flying Lotus! Q-Tip!); Jordon (who was once my pastry henchman & now I am his, nice switcheroo there buddy) & Sean (who is really never afraid to tell it like it is) — seriously, they are effing hilarious on a zillion different levels; good mail days; wearing pink irridescent eye glitter almost every day; cute messages; the very sweet responses to Love Letter To The Universe, & those moments of realisation where it occurs to you how nice the little life you have built for yourself really is.
“The people in my classes, including me, did not need to be controlled, managed, nor even taught. What we needed was to be encouraged, accepted & loved just for who we were. We needed not to be governed by a set of rules that would tell us what we needed to learn & what we needed to express, but to be given time in a supportive space to explore who we were & what we wanted, with the assistance of others who had our best interests at heart. I believe that is true not only for my students, but for all of us, humans & nonhumans alike. All we want, whether we are honeybees, salmon, trash-collecting ants, ponderosa pines, coyotes, human beings, or stars, is to love & be loved, to be accepted, cherished & celebrated simply for being who we are.“ — Derrick Jensen
So then, my sweet coyotes, ponderosa pines & stars… what are you celebrating in your universe today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [93] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 July 2009, 08:59 ]
Seeing a guy on a Harley-Davidson blasting Bon Jovi, sooooo funny & mega-cliché!; ORLY La Vida Loca nailpolish with ORLY Rocker Chick over the top; long portraits (Clayton Cubitt does these exceptionally well); the movie MOON with score by Clint Mansell who really, in my mind, can do no wrong; see also Mr Moon; my new Pee-Wee Herman watch from Summer!; bubble machine obsession; being really really busy; magical mysterious emails from my amazing friends; Breathe by Alexi Murdoch (I just found this song on my iTunes, I don’t know how it got there, but I am glad); “you are best you are elf pink in new york thank flowers for you”; The Night Hank Williams Came To Town haha; finding delicious treats hidden in your house; dressing magically; “ease off Gary Glitter”; Angelina Jolie; noisy bracelets; freshly-dyed ultraviolet hair; this amazing woman I saw the other day whose hair was dyed RAINBOW & her entire outfit was tie-dyed rainbow too; well-deserved naps; motorcycle adventuring; Cosmic Brownies (not the actual taste, just the name); dubstep; iiiiiiidly considering getting an iPhone & looking at Swarovski crystal-encrusted covers (danger danger, seeeeriously); Johnny Depp & this comment: “i love how he looks like a total hobo in some of his interviews but you still hear hoots and hollers from the women in the audience lol you know you’re hot when you can look like a hobo but you can still make girls swoon over you haha”; daily deliveries of mind-blowing books; using my brain in new ways; putting postcards & letters on my fridge; finally getting my suitcase out of storage & tripling my wardrobe as well as rediscovering all my old SHOES!; my new equestrian helmet & bag (thanks ModCloth!); staying up late for international phonecalls; Prince.
“To love beauty is to see light.” — Victor Hugo
Your turn, bunny moon! Show us your love — & your light!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [94] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 16 July 2009, 13:15 ]
Okay, we’re doing something a little different today! Je vous présente... An alphabet of lurve! An A to Z of things which make me smile, laugh or just feel good in general. Alright, here we go!
A is for… Alexander McQueen. He is my favourite designer bar none. Look at this & tell me he is not the greatest. I see a pair of those in my future. Oh yes I do.
B is for… books. I just made a huge Amazon order & now I am all giddy waiting for it to arrive. On their way are books on subjects ranging from sex astrology to colour theory to NLP & neuroscience. I am so excited, YAY.
C is for… Courtney Love. She was a huge inspiration to me as a teenage girl — I have said repeatedly that if you were hooked into the Courtney Love thing at a young age, it never really leaves you, & I am convinced that that is one of Life’s Golden Truths. But right now I mostly love her for following me on Twitter, sending me cute delirious direct messages & this. Awww.
D is for… the Dish. Yep, still my favourite person, still very jumpable, still makes me laugh, still rocks my world.
E is for… evil food. Like Frito Pie. I discovered Frito Pie last night. Essentially, you tear open a packet of Fritos (corn chips), then pour chilli, cheese, sour cream & jalapenos on top. It sounds so vile, I know, but it is completely amazing. Ahhhhh!
F is for… bunches of flowers. I finally took full possession of International Playgirl HQ on Monday & so I have been Galafying it ever since. One of the easiest ways to make it more “me” was to buy big bunches of white & pink roses, as well as fuchsia lilies. So pretty.
G is for… getting dressed up. I’m going out for dinner tonight (Momofuku Ko)! I am going to wear my new shoes (which have not yet made their debut) & a frilly dress & I will do my very best to take an outfit photo!
H is for… Hank. He is so cute, I want to eat his face.
I is for… interns! Yesterday I hired myself an assistant who my psychic told me about months ago… Eerie! She is adorable, wears great shoes & managed to be charming even while a junkie hit on us in the middle of our meeting. Sehr klasse! She starts on Tuesday. Radvegas.
J is for… Jay-Z. I love him. That is all.
K is for… kissing. Favourite activity? Yes. Yes. Yes.
L is for… lingerie! Imagine my delight to receive a parcel from Loulou Loves You full of beautiful frillies! She sent me the Love bra & the Love knickers (the first pair), both in turquoise & pink. So beautiful, they fit like a dream & make me feel all luxurious. I want her to be my official underthing supplier! Yum yum!
M is for… motorcycles. We have been out riding a lot in the past 7 days & I really do love it ever so much.
N is for… new jobs! I recently signed on as ChinaShop‘s Fashion Curator — which is a fancy way of saying Fashion Editor — & am having so much fun with it! It’s rad to have a new project & to write in a different style; good for the brain! Subscribe to their RSS so that you know when my new pieces go live. I’ll be writing there two or three times a week.
O is for… old friends & running into them when you least expect it!
P is for… P-Money. Especially this song. I got an email from my friend Helen the other day which said, “This song makes me think of new zealand summers. And how we should be chilling driving around eastbourne in a car with no top. xxx” Cute! You can’t be unhappy listening to this track!
Q is for… quirky people. Like Meg. Hee! But they make life more interesting, don’t they?
R is for… ridiculous phrases! Cynthia Kaboom coined a new one on Twitter the other day — “Sad Trombones Everywhere” for bummer days! STE for short…
S is for… scotch. Hello scotch, I like you so much, especially with ginger ale.
T is for… Tarina Tarantino. She makes the best jewellery on the planet. Maybe even in the galaxy. (Gala xy!) I just bought a whole bunch of it, I can’t wait to be a blinding, sparkling, flashing danger to oncoming traffic!
U is for… unicorns! (Thanks Schmooz!) I am so looking forward to getting my unicorn tattoo, too! (& that photo was too hilarious not to include!)
V is for… Vegas! The other day I re-watched the video Nubby & I made of our trip to Las Vegas last September & cracked up. We had such a good time! I’m going back in August & October (& hopefully taking Nubs with me, too!) & can’t wait. It is one of my favourite places of all time, which is so funny, because it never ever appealed to me until I actually got there.
W is for… rad web design. Star did such a great job on iCiNG, & Damian Rebman did such amazing things with Love Letter To The Universe! It seems so silly but putting a brand new beautiful face on your web projects really does make you feel good, more inspired & more productive!
X is for… xoxoxoxox.
Y is for… you. YES I DO. MWAH. Also, Yoko Ono for this tweet alone…
“I would like to see a sky vending machine on every corner of the street instead of the coke machine. We need more skies than coke.”
Z is for… zzZzzZzZzzzzz. I love to sleep! Especially sandwiched between my two favourite boys (that would be the Dish & Hank, of course!).
Homework tasks for nonpareils, in order of decreasing difficulty:
Make your own love alphabet; post it.
Write a standard Things I Love Thursday list; post it.
Sit really still & think about ten things you’re really happy about.
Smile at the next person you see.
Stay beautiful.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [90] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 9 July 2009, 09:30 ]
Supernumerary rainbows; wearing multiple feather earrings in one lobe; planning outfits on paper; sitting with my laptop at a window; talking to old friends who I missed very much; daydreaming about L. Amelia Raley‘s chocolate & lavender non-milkshakes (totally worth a trip to Austin); Angels & Airwaves, I love them & I will not be ashamed!; chasing & capturing fireflies; the smell of gasoline; wearing short summer dresses with boots; old David Bowie records; tattoo anticipation (next week!); people who impersonate Pee Wee Herman (“I’m LISTENING to the voice of REASON!”); cruising dogs with the Dish whenever we go out for a walk (we walk all over the island every time we’re together so this is an almost constant activity); becoming Hank’s mother officially; striped fingernails; deciding to take a holiday!; Jake Money; buying delicious essential oil blends (rose absolute + vanilla absolute = the delishimost); Atmosphere’s Leak At Will EP (add it to your cart, it’s free free free!)...
Big gleaming Aquarian moons; Icelandic 45% semisweet chocolate; women in the supermarket who tell you how much they love your outfit (I was wearing fingerless gloves & boots & geek glasses!); having rad epiphanies while walking down the street; polka-dot dresses; planning a trip back to New Zealand for Christmas (avec Dish in tow?!); finding fortunes on the street (“Someone can read your mind”); surprise ice-creams; “HOT?! Who’s hot?! Feels just fine to me! I feel just perfect! In fact, I can’t remember when I felt quite so cozy down here!”; celebrating the 4th of July with burgers & beer (très Américain, non?); sparkles on everything; layering yummy scents (cocoa butter + Lush Candy Fluff talcum powder + rose absolute + vanilla absolute!); “Count your blessings + eat your damn eggs”; monster foot slippers!; sitting on the back of the Dish’s bike while he aims for pedestrians at high speed (!!! hahah); remembering to take my vitamins; laughing so much I snort aloud!
“I live & love in God’s peculiar light.” — Michelangelo
AHHHHH OUI! ET MAINTENANT, it is time for your list! ‘Cause it ain’t all about me! Give it to me! Yes! You! You & your big long list of lurve & excited silliness! Bring it on, MA PETITE CHOU! (Little cabbage!) JE VEUX TON AMOUR! (I want your love!)
MERCI BEAUCOUP POUR VOTRE COOPÉRATION! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmwah!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [109] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 2 July 2009, 13:27 ]
Yayoi Kusama + sparklebutt!
My boyfriend aka le Dish (yesssss hahah); people watching; making mixtapes in my head; compliments; underwear as outerwear; being so involved in writing Love & Sequins that I didn’t even notice the Dish walking into the coffee shop!; thunderstorms; big type; stylish people on bicycles; neon toenails; fake (but not orange!) tans; big icy juice blends; unexpected invitations; the teenage boy on my block who says, “Looking good rockstar” whenever I walk past; listening to Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness, hello blast from the past!; dressing up like a droog as standard daily wear (bowler hat + drawn on lower lashes)...
Wolf girls.
Fantasising about shoes; immaculate pedicures & chipped manicures; Jay-Z for speaking out against auto-tune, publicity stunt or no, someone with some musical authority had to do it & I’m glad it was him!; coffee shop productivity; buying new dresses; remembering Michael Jackson; long phone conversations with Nubby; mad chilling with Hank; napping; 5htp; fun surprise packages in the mail; new jobs (!!!); bunny slippers; monster feet slippers; getting dressed up & going to fancy parties with the Dish & having a really good time; my friennnnnnds — so good to me & so rad, & finally, looking forward to 4th of July weekend… I don’t really know what to expect other than fireworks but it will be exciting I’m sure!
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
How about you, my bunnyheaded warrior? Send out all the love & sparkles you’ve got!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [114] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 25 June 2009, 10:40 ]
Entourage, I love it forever, & Ari Gold is one of my favourite characters of all time cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine at all times! Hank — he gets a mention every week, I know, but I love him & I like to call him Hankenstein, & also he has miniature Chuck Taylors which cutes me out like whoah smiles from Betsey Johnson on the street! getting rained on but not minding! really good Thai food holding hands with my favourite person (oh gosh)
seeing my first ever firefly, oh my god, amazing, glowing butt!!! I have never seen anything of the sort! huge feathered headdresses (just you wait) The Dish & my mother talking on the phone (they are both Aries & instantly bonded, mad cute) impromptu drinks with Molly Crabapple tiny braids which make me into a modern Pocahontas my new Liza Minelli hat shopping all weekend cuteness ahoy at all times
watching Grease & eating hot dogs thinking how much better Grease would be as a vampire musical really fun exciting job offers meeting The Dish for lunch & thinking about how extremely fineeee he is 3-hour long mani/pedis Death Cab’s Narrow Stairs emails from strangers which say exactly what I need to hear making lots of plans writing almost-fiction planning to write all weekend & being nerdily excited about it amazing things in the mail!
“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food & for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” — Tecumseh
Okay little honeybee! What were your favourite moments this week? Tell me what’s making you burst into spontaneous smiles on the street! (I keep doing that lately & it makes me feel kind of mental but I really don’t mind…)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [101] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 June 2009, 17:33 ]
It’s so grey & rainy in New York City right now that I decided a blast of ultra-colour was perhaps what everyone needed! & who better to deliver that than Stuntkid?! ()
Here are some things I love this week…
Taco night!!!; taking the day off & going shopping; Hank photoshoots; being cute in the mornings; Elton John; Rock The Bells anticipation; for that matter, P.O.S. anticipation; candy-marshmallow-fluff legz; our little family unit (The Dish, Hank Williams et moi); @StanDarde!; peach cobbler; when The Dish raps over MF Doom beats for me while he cleans the bathroom; Pepperidge Farm soft-baked snickerdoodle cookies (ahhhhh); this ring (hello swoon); taxidermied bears; staying inside with a stack of books & magazines; being given an old red hardcover copy of Dracula with a BITE missing from the spine!; kissing Hank on his snoot (“snoot” is a word I stole from Steve Braunias); ...also, using Hank as my personal ottoman/pillow/procrastination device; staying inside when it rains; getting dressed up for fancy dinners; the strange noise my ‘s’ key makes; really good coffee; a surprise package of super-cute lingerie from Bravoom!; watching episodes of The Mighty Boosh in bed; wearing high heels; going out to dinner & not having your phone on the table — focus on one another for a change!; snoring puppies; walking around the East Village; compliments from strangers; working from coffee shops, & The Dish, The Dish, The Dish. He is totally part of my Favourite People Brigade.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” — Og Mandino
How about you, kitten moon? What’s making you happy today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [73] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 June 2009, 15:52 ]
New York — Being back here is better than words could possibly express. It is a blissful, Bacchanalian full-body experience. Oh yes. The first morning I was here, I rode on the back of a 1968 Triumph across the Brooklyn bridge, where we went to a 1950s diner & ate breakfast in a garden full of roses while listening to Bauhaus. Hello magical city, I missed you, did you miss me too?
My new apartment — One of the first orders of business in getting back to the city was finding somewhere to live. Craigslist has not failed me yet. On Sunday night I went to see a furnished sublease; on Monday morning the owner called me to tell me it was mine. & I love it. It’s beautiful with strange wallpaper & taxidermy, in a fabulous location in the East Village. I don’t get to move in until the 13th of July but I can’t wait & I am so excited!
Dogs wearing birthday hats — Someone should start a website about this, it would be a total hit. Anyway, The Dish’s dog (Hank Williams!) turned 9 on Tuesday, so I bought helium balloons & party hats, because I am obviously a complete lunatic. Regardless, how cute is that photo? EXTREMELY. I am in love with this dog. He is lying down with his head in my lap right now. I even love him when he gets scared by thunderstorms & has to be cuddled back to sleep. I estimate he spends 60% of his time asleep, 30% of it staring at me adoringly & 10% on a walk. & he has velvetty ears! So cute, argh, death. I had forgotten how much I love dogs, they put me in such a good mood.
Getting back into my life — Being anywhere but New York City feels like being on an escalator where the handrail is moving slower than the rest of it. Does that make sense? When I’m here I feel like everything gets caught up again & I can start making progress again. Happy.
Honourable mentions: Flirting with immigration officials; laughing every morning until I can’t breathe; the result of New Zealand’s Next Top Model; really really really good coffee; brainstorming with Molly Crabapple; hearing Journey on the street & thinking of Nubs; dogs who sleep with their head resting on your stomach; going out for amazing meals every night; sugar cookies; night-time cuddling; good morning kisses; freshly pinked hair; discussing “internet fame”; submitting speaking proposals; when people in real life talk as if they are Tweeting “@galadarling hello” (hahah); making my friend laugh so hard he spat tea all over his computer; catching up with my work; making holiday plans (Las Vegas, is that yoooou?!); Jim Rohn; messages which say “I miss you” after only an hour apart; holding hands & getting to know people & The Dish’s impersonation of Danny Zucco. “SANDY!“
Photo by Tim Walker.
“It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light.” — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Et toi, my beautiful gazelle? What’s got you bursting into song in inappropriate places today?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [81] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 4 June 2009, 10:45 ]
It’s such a beautiful day & almost the weekend — what better reason do you need to make a huge list of things you LURVE?!
Here are my favourite things from the week we’ve just had!
This ridiculous series of events: 1. Dave Navarro following me on Twitter; 2. Direct messaging him to ask for tickets to see Nine Inch Nails & Jane’s Addiction in Toronto; 3. Him replying, “Of course!”; 3. Going to the show & getting amazing seats & passes to the aftershow; 4. Messages from Dave at the end of the night which end “xoxo”, aw, bless. If you’re thinking about going to see NINJA, you definitely should — it was a great experience, & they only have a few dates left so don’t dilly-dally! P.S. Um, helloooooooo... !
Having new make-up to play around with because it is surely one of the best things of all time. My newest crush is Maybelline Mineral Power foundation. It cost pretty much nothing, I love the consistency & it’s nice to think I am doing something good for my skin, as opposed to throwing on a whole bunch of stuff to clog me up.
This one cute boy who my friend has nicknamed “The Dish” (because he is a dish). Um, he is pretty excellent & taking up a LOT of my mental space right now. Blush, blush, hi, um, hi.
My friends in general — From married vegans in Gisborne to pink-haired male dynamos in California, they are so great to me & I love them.
Using the word “adorbs”. It’s adorbs. Fin.
& lots of little things. Viz…
Honourable mentions: When you go into Lush Cosmetics & come out smelling like it; forgetting that you have your Lush purchases in your handbag & getting a pleasant olfactory surprise whenever you open it; taking your friends shopping, getting them to try new things & seeing their excitement about how good they look; typing “Tarina Tarantino -kitty -Barbie” into an eBay search & browsing until my eyes fall out of my head; the NINJA 2009 Tour Sampler (download! Rejoice!); when you find a really talented photographer’s Flickr stream & go through favouriting pages & pages worth of pictures; chilling out with my friend Neil & eating ice-cream & talking about writing every night (having anyone to talk about writing with is so, so awesome); boys who draw pictures for me; boys who write songs for me; boys who write poems for me; um I guess any boy who does anything creative for me in general… I like that stuff; fried pickles (!!! My friend introduced me to them recently & it is true love for sure); sparkly pink helmet anticipation (!!!); Haagen-Dazs Mayan Chocolate ice-cream; Canadian strawberries (so sweet & juicy!); dancing around my friend’s apartment; remembering how very easy it is to manifest whatever you want (all you need is a vision & lots of love for it); exercising; that the ATM machines here say “Welcome / Bonjour”; my new liquid Lip Smacker in “sugar crystals” flavour (it smells like plastic dolls from the 80s, do you know that smell?); going back & watching old episodes of Gossip Girl; that Jolt Cola still exists in Canada! (& holy hell does it give you an epic rush); pickle-flavoured Pringles (hello my mind is blown); making birthday cards for dogs; Shoppers (wow Canada, you did good), & finally, this photo of Marilyn Manson by David LaChapelle. I have always loved it.
Music to feel dreamy to: Sun Kil Moon’s April; Tiger Army – Cupid’s Victim; Marvin Gaye – My Precious Love; Pornos For Pyros – Tahitian Moon; Beastie Boys – She’s Crafty; The Cure – The Caterpillar (whoah, I had forgotten how great this song is!); Marilyn Manson’s Portrait Of An American Family (definitely an-oldie-but-a-goodie territory); Jose Gonzalez’s In Our Nature; Lisa Germano – Trouble; Concrete Blonde – Joey; Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged. (Do you guys like it when I post music?)
“People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yummy. I feel all satisfied & gleeful! Okay moony moon moon, it’s your turn. Let’s talk about LOVE! ! Please tell me all the delicious things you can think of!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [113] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 28 May 2009, 13:07 ]
& Alright, so to be totally honest, I haven’t done a lot in the last week. I have mostly been packing up everything I own, organising, cleaning & running around like madwoman, as evidenced by the lack of writing here! So it has not been the most adventurous, action-packed week, but here’s what I’m happy about anyway!
Toronto! Specifically: how extremely nice everyone is (it isn’t just a myth! People keep making conversation with me & I love it); the fact that everything is also labelled in French (very lusty for a budding Francophone comme moi); that there is an ad featuring Avril Lavigne which plays in every commercial break (I kind of love her actually); that my friend I’m staying with says “eh” all the time (it reminds me of New Zealand where people punctuate their sentences with “ay!” constantly!), & that I don’t have to leave the house because the weather is so dreary! (I didn’t bring my brolley!) But mostly Toronto is great because of my friend, my friend, my friend, who has totally come to my rescue, is awesome, & a MAJOR Virgo. We understand each other! It is good!
Working out — I haven’t had access to a gym since April 2008! (Oh my god!) While hooping & walking all over New York City is good, it’s just not the same as having all that fantastic equipment at your disposal. Yesterday I used my friend’s gym for an hour. I had forgotten how good it felt, which I am convinced is part endorphins & part smug self-satisfaction! Anyway, I have decided my next apartment needs to be in a building with a gym. Fingers crossed!
Russell Simmons — There are so many reasons to love him. Click his name for another one. MWAH.
Honourable mentions: A Salt & Battery in the West Village; my new Jem earrings (big pink stars!); being distracted by boys; juice & chocolate for breakfast!; vegan burgers; having access to MTV (I really like having it going in the background…); Anna of Lucid New York (she saved my booty on Tuesday!); my friends; people noticing your absence; listening to Justin Timberlake on my old fire escape; puppy cuteness; vegan peanut butter fudge shakes from Lula’s Sweet Apothecary; lesbian lovers having food fights in public (seriously); Bergdorfs; “When you’re in the room I can’t pay attention to anything else”; really cute emails & enthusiasm & honesty; my friend saying “What a dish”, & this email from my mother, after I arrived in Canada.
“Hi Darling,
Thank you for that, have been thinking about you all day.
So pleased your friend isn’t an axe murderer.
Speak soon when you are well rested.
Love and kisses,
Janet.”
& Songs to love: Nine Inch Nails – The Perfect Drug (blast from the past, for real, but so good!); Astro-Creep 2000 by White Zombie (one of the best albums ever, maybe, I don’t know, but if I ever see it in someone’s music collection I know they’re a goodun — it’s like a personality test); Commodores – Nightshift; Burial & Four Tet – Moth; Michael Jackson – This Place Hotel; P.O.S. (add him!) – Purexed & Drumroll; Soul Position – Keep It Hot For Daddy (add Blueprint, too!); Jose Gonzalez – Down The Line; Team Sleep – Natalie Portman. Also White Zombie are one of the only groups who ever ever ever made me want to play guitar. (Them & like… Pantera?!) If someone ever played me riffs from Astro-Creep 2000 I swear I would SWOON to death.
“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof & instant coffee, to un-employment insurance & library cards, to absinthe & good-hearted landlords, to music & warm bodies & contraceptives… & to the ‘good life’, whatever it is & where it happens to be.” — Hunter S. Thompson
Alright my darling. Your turn! If you were at a fabulous dinner party right now, what would you toast to?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [97] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 21 May 2009, 12:13 ]
By John Ryan Solis.
Bonjour, bonjour mes petites! Kaixo, even! HOORAY, it is Thursday, which of course means the weekend draws ever nearer, but even more excitingly, it’s time for Things I Love Thursday! If you’re new to iCiNG — hello, readers from Next magazine! — here’s how it works. Cast your mind back over the last week, & start making a list of the things which have been making you smile. Then write it all down & submit it as a comment.
The premise is simple but the impact is epic. It’s so easy to get caught up in what we don’t have that we lose sight of all the wonderful things surrounding us. Your list can be as wild & ridiculous as you like, veering from your love of ghost stories to your deep appreciation of clean socks. It’s all good & it’s all welcome!
So without further ado, here’s my list!
& Going to Canada next week! Aaaaahhhh! I have never been to Canada & I have heard such good things. I’m going to Toronto (it has just worked out that way, even though I want to visit Vancouver & Montreal so much!) to stay with a friend of mine & take it all in. I’m not sure how long I’ll be there — maybe a week, maybe two, maybe more — but I think we should probably orchestrate some kind of nonpareil meet-up, oui?! Also, please give me your tips about what I should do while I’m there!
Jess from Sugadeaux — She is my favourite Australian bar none, & every time we hang out we have such a great time. She is doing a tour of the States right now, & just rounded out 5 days in New York City. Last night, at the end of our 4th consecutive day of shopping, I slept for 12 hours. The girl has endurance! We “reviewed” cupcakes, suffered blisters & braved arctic winds, all in the quest for the perfect pair of shoes. It was quite epic, to be honest. She left for Boston this morning (boo!), but she is guest-baking at Sugar Mama’s in Austin next week! You need to be there — Jess makes the best cupcakes I have ever tasted (& I’ve done the legwork!).
Louis Vuitton bunny ears! I love them very much. I really didn’t want to take them off. Ever. The whole thing was very exciting to me because Madonna wore them just the other week, & she is one of my idols. I also love Louis Vuitton for throwing parties, feeding me & being so very, very charming to me in every way imaginable. For real.
OkCupid is awesome. Even if you are way too cool & in demand for internet dating. It is still a good time. Go check it out. I’ll see you when you resurface in three hours!
Changing my mind — I do it all the time, & I have to say it’s very liberating to be able to. That’s the thing, you see: just because you planned to do one thing doesn’t mean that you have to do it if you’ve decided it’s probably not the best choice. Like when I was going to go to a show on Friday, but decided to go on an impromptu date instead. Or like how I planned to go to Minneapolis for Soundset, but after weighing it up, decided it made way more sense to stay in New York, clean out & vacate my apartment & go to Canada instead! (Don’t worry Minneapolis, I will see you another time!)
Honourable mentions: Extreme excitement about Bibio’s Ambivalence Avenue album coming out in June (you can listen to the free sampler MP3 here; Helmut Lang (sometimes I wish I could wear grey jeans & a loose white tank all day every day but I know I would get bored in about 3 hours); Remix After All, a Daft Punk remix album, P.S. it’s FREE!; beautiful weather; mani/pedis by sweet girls (hot pink fingers, royal blue toes!); royal blue in general actually, I think it’s my new “thing”; turning pantyhose into stockings; staying up past sunrise on cute late-night dates; new shoes (I know, I know); people playing Jimi Hendrix in the warm night air; Kid 606; my natural habitat; Alexander McQueen (still makes the best shoes ever); answering emails in the park at night; anyone who plays xylophone in public; taking the day off; Godiva’s dark chocolate & raspberry chocolixir thingy — totally incroyable; being cruel to people who visit; sailors everywhere (Fleet Week! “Ladies, seamen, 12 o’clock!” “I pray that when I turn around there are sailors, because with her, you never know!”); buying Jem earrings ($2.50!); Russell Simmons (I still think Do You! is completely brilliant); mega-excitement about finding a new apartment when I get back to the city, & being a Nubby Lover forever. (Not to mention, Nubs — the real one, not the one which comes wrapped in plastic — has been so good to me this week, & I can’t wait to show you what we just dreamed up!)
!!!
“Follow your bliss & the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” — Joseph Campbell
Don’t be shy, little starburst! Join in, let us have it!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [161] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 14 May 2009, 15:34 ]
New Zealand’s Next Top Model — I officially love it. I can’t remember what I said about it when it first started, but I am a confirmed fan. The girls are so cool & lovely, & they all seem to really like each other which is so refreshing! I still really adore Christobelle & Laura but Ruby is quickly winning me over with her rad personality. If any of them won I’d be really happy about it.
My new skincare routine! Yes! I now have my hands on it & I am happy to say, it is working! I’m using MD Forte Facial Cleanser III (reviews), Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil (reviews) & Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate (reviews), & I am so happy. I love all of it. I’ve only been using them a few days but I already feel like my skin looks better than it has in ages. YAY.
New Zealanders in New York! My friends Timmy & Erin are in town from Auckland, & have been staying with me. The three of us fit in my bed, amazing! (International Playgirl HQ is like an orphanage for wayward children.) Also last night I went out for drinks with Lucie Boshier, controversial NZ fashion designer & sex blogger, who is great fun. According to some of my American friends, New Zealanders are taking over. Maybe! It’s funny to sit in America & be surrounded by these weird accents that I am so familiar with!
Yoga misadventures — I feel almost like I shouldn’t put this on the internet, but… it was too amazing not to share. I went to a jivamukti yoga class this week — which was cool, I enjoyed the chanting & music & readings very much — but there was a guy two rows in front of me wearing shorts without underwear. It was amazing. Yes, everyone behind him saw everything he had to offer. AHEM. I really do suspect that he came along just to show off his crown jewels. At least it made for good entertainment?!
Honourable mentions: Good lip balm; my round-table of clever girls; “It’s a deal, but not a big deal”; cupcakes & cocktails with Kris Atomic, Cynthia, & Jazzi; mid-afternoon naps; Soundset anticipation!!!; straightening things out & really awesomely honest communique even despite Mercury retrograde madness; Anna Wintour (I was really impressed by her professionalism & polish when I saw her on Tuesday night); saying “KAIXO!” (ki-sho) instead of “hello” — it’s Basque!; seekingarrangement.com (“for mutually beneficial relationships” — wow, wow, wow); boys who do eerily spot-on impressions of Notorious B.I.G.; kisses on the windowsill; Russell Brand (every time I see Forgetting Sarah Marshall I love him more & more); me as a mermaid; dark chilli chocolate for breakfast; shopping sprees at Forever 21; super-fluoro nailpolish (bright pink, yes!); decoding boy behaviour; orange & mango juice; sweet old men on the street who tell me they love my hair; peanut butter & chocolate shakes at Lula’s Sweet Apothecary; obsessively tidying; “She was a thief! You gotta believe! She stole my heart & my cat!”, & last but absolutely not least, regaining my old friend — who I had missed terribly — & making a new one all at the same time. So good.
I have a new addition to Things I Love Thursday… un petit playlist… ! Hope you enjoy!
Songs which are making me swoon: Kam Moye – 3 Ladies; Ghostface – Back Like That & Kilo; Kid 606 – Megachurch Meltdown; Big L – Devil’s Son (beware disturbing lyrics); J Dilla – Won’t Do; Drake – Sooner Than Later (what good is being famous if I’m never on your mind?); Digable Planets – Jettin’.
“We can deny everything, except that we have the possibility of being better.” — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Show us yer TiLTs, love!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [63] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 7 May 2009, 12:16 ]
Things that made me smile this week…
Being spotted in Time Out New York & being asked to audition for a major studio film (!!! yes of course I am going to do it!); printing some of my favourite photos & hanging them up all over International Playgirl HQ; listening to the old stuff I used to love & really questioning my 14 year old taste (Type O Negative, Coal Chamber, Sevendust?!); Common People by Pulp; Candle 79 & Inder from Matt & Nat (he has, seriously, the BEST eyebrows I have ever seen — he is also amazing company, & a Virgo!!!); hearing that something I never thought would happen actually happened; “Don’t tell me Carver can cut school just because she broke her leg in 3 places. HELLO, get a wheelchair”; Australia’s Next Top Model, season 3 (oh Paloma); getting so much great feedback on Love & Sequins #1 (thank you so much); coconut chai from Bonobos; pink blossoms everywhere; Mrs Doubtfire (“Good waste of juice”); buying lingerie from sex shops (these are so cute on); sending postcards; people who tell me they like my hair in the street; unusual dates with intriguing characters; sweet emails; mind-blowing phonecalls…
+ DJ Low Bee’s Smooth Holiday; avocado for breakfast; new shoes; butterfly-shaped sunglasses; channelling my inner Marie Antoinette (by which I mostly mean big hair with things in it, but overspending could be in there too); seeing all the green blooming outside my window; my feature in Next magazine (NZ) hitting the stands; $10 manicures; meetings which fill you with glee; good mail; being introduced to someone at a party with “She gives good Tweet”; penthouses with rooftop access; TopShop’s shoe department; condoms with my face on them; my date reviews being published in Time Out New York; old horror movies + rainy nights; Roxanne M. Carter (she has been inspiring since me since the late 90s); oh, & I get to see a cute boy tonight!
“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, & when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” — Anaïs Nin
Okay, your turn. SHOW US YER TILTS! (Hahah!) & make it super-syrupy good with a cherry on top because we missed it last week! (Oops…)
P.S. Mercury just went retrograde but we’ll survive! I was watching my horoscope this morning & Christopher said he views Mercury retrograde as encouragement to think differently & come up with new ways of communicating. Yes! V. empowering! We’ll get there!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [77] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 April 2009, 13:32 ]
Yayoi Kusama: permanent inspiration.
My silver diamante G ring — I just rediscovered it at the bottom of my jewellery box (which is actually a Hello Kitty lunchbox, & has served me well), & have been wearing it every day. I used to wear it as a set — G A L A across my knuckles. Want a blast from the past? Remember this? (Whooooah!) Anyway, I have a bunch of other rings I like to wear now too, & since G A L A takes up a lot of finger real-estate decided to just wear the G on my thumb. It makes me very happy. Funny how something so cheap (I think it was probably $3) can bring so much unabashed glee.
Having my breakfast delivered. The ultimate in laziness… or is it? Yes, I could run next door & grab some nosh, but when you’re in the middle of a writing frenzy, in the flow & really don’t want to tear yourself away from the keyboard, a deli which delivers is like a gift straight from heaven.
New apartment possibilities — I’ve been thinking about taking over the lease in this apartment when the current lease runs out (I’m subletting), which is on the first of June. But I told myself that I would have a look around the city during the month of May to see what else is out there. Make an informed decision, you know. Plus, scouring Craigslist for apartments is one of my favourite things to do. You think, what would my life be like if I lived there? How would I decorate it? What kind of parties would I throw? Anyway, yesterday a cute apartment appeared in my life which I am going to look at this weekend. It’s a two-bedroom with no closets, but I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Well, I could use that second bedroom as a closet… & merchandise it like a shop…’ YUM, how good would that be?! So, we’ll see…
My friends — What a group. Oh, how they indulge me. Especially when I am cast adrift in the wild seas of Boytopia. Damn, I love you.
Manfesting Mondays (#MaMo) on Twitter! This is new to me & I have yet to participate but I think it is the cutest idea ever. You can read about how it works here & here!
David Dallas – Indulge Me is my new favourite song. FAVOURITE SONG. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve listened to it since I discovered it yesterday. Firstly, mean beat. Secondly, nice flow boyyyy. Thirdly, David is totally awesome. Best rapper in New Zealand, what what. It’s such a privilege to know him. Okay so now that I’ve totally shamed him out, listen to this song (& enjoy the amazing video — PostIt Notes!!!), then go buy his song on Amplifier! It’s only $1.99NZ, so… give it up!
Honourable mentions: The Mixtape Show (extremely enjoyable, I have been playing this constantly for two days, mixtape 118 is especially great); late-night phone conversations full of laughter with cute boys with good voices; letting episodes of The Girls Next Door play while I clean my house; the question What is one thing you can do today to “try on” the life you say you want? (via @TheQuantumCoach); sweet girls who send you “feel better” tea; 2 hour phonecalls with Simon; being a French new-wave movie (boy with dapper haircut lying on the bed, girl in lingerie smoking by the window, at night, talking about the nature of love); 10,000 Twitter updates (WHAT!); anticipation of The Box (oh you & your filthy mind); cake for breakfast; also, avocado sushi rolls for breakfast; making arrangements to see my friends; MF Doom as wake-up music; making my bed in the mornings (a friend of mine said to me recently, “An unmade bed is the first sign that your life is out of control”, & now I am meticulous about it); S&M salads; being pulverised by the masseuse; upcoming indoor picnics with cute girls & a pup; looking at shoes online ALL DAY; a comment on a new Ludacris track which said “this get the panties off straight up” (aaaaamazing); seducing Luis Tovar from Pretty Much Amazing via Twitter — him & his dad, the pirate; good soup; shout-outs on my friend LAYFE‘s radio show; getting as much sleep as I feel I need; dinner with some of my favourite people; Venus going direct (thank you); invitations to visit other cities, & the return of bunnyhair! (The thrill will be short-lived, I assure you, but I do like a change!)
“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains two descriptions: might have, & should have.” — Louis E. Boone
It’s that time of the week where I invite you to pull up a chair, grab a cushion, crawl into my lap or whatever you like, & participate! Gimme some sugahhh! Odds are excellent that if you’re even reading this you have a pretty privileged existence, & you probably already have everything you need to survive… The happiest people are always those who have the ability to look around them & appreciate whatever they already have — rather than constantly thinking about what they don’t (aka don’t have)! So think about what you’re super-happy & thankful for today, & let us know! It’s no good without your contribution, we’re waiting for you! Lovingly, of course… !
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [114] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 16 April 2009, 15:42 ]
It’s Venus retrograde — forgive me for my sentimentality. (More on that later today!) But… Thinking about my American adventures thus far… Driving around Los Angeles; Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen; Nubby‘s new best friend & serial killer serenades in general; writing love letters to James St James with my pen from the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas; walking down the street with my wife; Sam; photobooths in San Francisco; In-N-Out burger; cuteness at SXSW; Angel in a swanboat; 24-hour diners in Austin; balloons; SNOW!; the body language of those two guys as they cross the street towards each other; Star!
The song is Smile Around The Face by Four Tet! How appropriate!
How about you, moonface? What’s making you smile today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [43] Tags: things i love thursday,
video Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 9 April 2009, 15:54 ]
Dear Antipodeans,
I’m so sorry that you are getting this on a Friday morning. (Hopefully it will help kick your weekend off in style, though!) I’m going to do my best to get more organised so that TiLT posts at midnight New York time — 4pm Thursday in New Zealand, & somewhere around noon in Australia. I love you!
Horror movies in bed on a Sunday; boys who make you breakfast & coffee in the morning; listening to records until 4am; spending time with really great, strong, hilarious women; boys with clean houses (cannot be overestimated); CHLOE; Pure’s S&M salad; accessory-buying binges at Forever 21; Cadbury mini eggs (with a candy shell!); international playgirl breakfast meetings; Deftones’ Around The Fur (oh to be an angsty teenager again); technicolour pool parties; Trent Reznor’s current playlist; KRS-One; cupcakes for breakfast (always); people who value good coffee; New York’s weather (always keeps me guessing?!); wearing bunny ears on the subway; dancing on trains in high heels; thugs on the street who tell you they love your hair; getting my creative spark back; fun writing projects (I have to write about my experiences with my Time Out New York dating profile — SO excited!); talking about the power & magic of names; NUBBY; decorating International Playgirl HQ; catching up on my sleep; constantly meeting smart, funny, cute, good people; lying in bed & laughing; sudden snowflakes; upcoming shows in the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History (hell yes); making midnight snack dates; massages; calling super-fun hot girls “supertramps”; the guys at the deli downstairs (they are always so cute & happy); singing Don’t Stop Believin’ with Jenah (new BFF uh huh) at the top of our lungs at a bar in Queens; sandwiches & Drake.
Oh Biggie, give me one more chance…
“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” — Joseph Campbell
Your turn, little star-lover. Tell us what is making your galaxy bloom & explode with delight!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [81] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 March 2009, 17:17 ]
+ + No explanation needed.
Though I will say this: it feels REALLY GOOD to be HOME.
Honourable mentions: Scented candles; everything Apple; bunny slippers; Elton John; spending Amazon vouchers; unpacking all my belongings; walking around New York City; dates with good looking boys; sitting next to someone on the plane who follows me on Twitter; SXSW; contemplating the concept of the International Playgirl Olympics; making out; being back in my apartment; Palmer’s Dark Chocolate & Peppermint cocoa butter lip treatment stuff; ANTM; looking at the easter candy selection; “keep it cute or put it on mute”; watching really terrible old movies (namely Look Who’s Talking — “Molly, I know this sounds awful, but I’m going through a selfish phase right now”); pre-dawn singalongs; vegan chocolate-lavender shakes at Toy Joy; cannibalism (I can’t really explain this one); American accents; rapping & hooping at the same time, & last but certainly not least, ALL OF YOU for being so overwhelmingly supportive, excitable, fabulous & beautiful, delightful beings. I love you.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [69] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 March 2009, 13:21 ]
Molly Crabapple who was my SXSWi buddy. It’s always good to have someone to trawl the convention centre with, & Molly was an excellent companion. She’s also my birthday twin so she gets extra points. We had such a great time walking around, meeting people & talking business. (My Virgo Power clique is always the best to talk business with!) I love her heaps, I wish she hadn’t left already!
Meeting & connecting with internet people in real life. It’s always funny to meet people off the internet in person. They are almost always how I will imagine them to be, & because you already have a whole lot of backstory & have interacted previously, there’s typically very little of the normal awkwardness that you have when you first meet someone. Highlights for me? Halcyon & Andie, Guy Kawasaki, Violet Blue & Jake. Awesome ++.
Microphones — Oh, the power. I used to do lots of drama & even musical theatre (yep!) when I was a kid, but when I turned 14 or so, I stopped. Saturday was the first time I’d been in front of a microphone in ages, & I loooooooooved it. I wasn’t actually that nervous about speaking at SXSWi & I think it went pretty well. It’s interesting how just a little thing like that can change the way you feel about yourself — it did something really magical for my self-esteem, & so when I met Guy Kawasaki on Tuesday, for example, someone who I really admire, I wasn’t nervous about it, & I felt really confident. So now that I’ve spoken there, I want to get as many other speaking gigs as I can… Beware!
Swanboats! On Tuesday I went swanboating with L. Amelia Raley, Miss Angeliska & Laurel. I probably don’t need to elaborate on this much, but of course, IT WAS AMAZING. Pedalling a swanboat around a beautiful lake is pretty incredible, but the real treat was the girls. What amazing women. I have been talking to Angel & Lau online for years, & this morning Amelia made Jake & I banana-free smoothies (yes!) & English muffins. Fantastique to the max.
Unicorn cupcakes! During my panel, this cute boy from New York City — who I met through my profile in Time Out New York! — had a dozen unicorn cupcakes delivered to me. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing. I mean, really. Wow. Well done. Points.
SXSWi is probably one of the best things ever. There is nothing more magnificent than spending time with people who understand what you do, talking to them about it, learning heaps & soaking up a whole lot of inspiration. I think I said this last time but I had the best time ever. Molly & I have made plans to come back every year for preeeeeeetty much the rest of our lives. & now the music festival is starting…
Austin... again. I still love it. The thrill has not worn off. I’m here for another 6 days & I’m really amped about it. This is such a cool town & the people are wonderful. Oh, & this morning I went into Toy Joy & almost died with pleasure.
This video:
Honourable mentions: Cute boys with swagger who give you their number; The Driskill; high-quality flirting; the foccacia/baked brie/apricot jam/roast garlic thing at The Driskill; Mystic Medusa (holla); “Paul, I think I told you, I’m a lover, not a fighter!”; feeling so much love & excitement that you think you might burst; business meetings girl-style; Gary Vaynerchuk’s energy; Wholefoods Austin (RAW BAR hold me back); Andrew Bird live (I saw him at the taping of Austin City Limits last night & it blew my mind); Bikini Kill; my SXSWi panel getting picked up by ABC News (!); live country music (yes, actually); taco salad at Gueros (whoah, drool); enormous slices of pie with Oreo crust & Reese’s peanut butter cup ice-cream (even if it made me feel kind of sick…); being interviewed by K-VUE TV — & they actually knew who I was?!; raw chocolate cake for breakfast; coconut bubble baths; sweet emails; my bag from Matt & Nat (holds everything & never seems heavy — how is this possible?!) & my Helio Ocean… Eternal love. I am a proud non-iPhone owner. Hahah.
What about you, bunnylicious?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [57] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 March 2009, 14:58 ]
The American adventure thus far. It has been a mad time, but so much fun. Constant movement, insane amounts of FOOD, & lots of discussions about things I love to talk about — like writing, blogging, fashion, relationships, marketing & plans for the future! I am super-blessed to know the people I do. Viz…
Jazzi — The hostess with the mostest. Jazzi has been so good to me over the past two weeks… Indulging my whims, driving me around, taking me to In-N-Out burger all the time, showing me her favourite spots in the city & being sweet++ all the time. She is such a rad girl! Nubby & I are thinking about adopting her. Which brings me to…
Nubby — The one, the only, the inimitable Nubby Twiglet. My wife, my star, my Virgo soulmate. I saw her last weekend, & it was brief but beautiful. We shopped, we ate, we drank pre-mixed bottles of alcohol, we were faux-seduced by faux-serial killers & real construction workers, we took a bunch of photos & we laughed a whole lot. She is still the best.
Star — I love Star! I talk to her a whole lot but before last week, had only actually met her in person twice: on my 23rd & 25th birthdays, both times in New York City. Jazzi & I stayed with her in San Francisco, & I walked into her house to see this! We had late-night cups of tea & almost-passed-out conversations in her big red bed & lots of hugs. I adore her so much.
Christopher, Gala, Adam.
SoulGarden! Most of you probably know that I am obsessed with the SoulGarden daily horoscopes on Youtube. Well, we got talking (somehow?!) & during my time in L.A. I hung out twice with the guys who make it happen. THEY ARE SO AWESOME. Honestly. You have no idea. They are the coolest, most interesting, inspiring, fantastic guys ever. We have plans to eat Mexican food in NYC & some other stuff too. Watch this space!
Disneyland is so much fun. I still love the Haunted Mansion the best. My obsession with the supernatural that I had as a kid has never really left me. I laughed madly all the way around the Matterhorn, & screamed my way all around Space Mountain! We took so many pictures, ate completely ridiculous food & bought more ears than anyone could ever need. It was the perfect place for our 6-month anniversary, haha.
Austin — Okay, so I only arrived last night but in my very brief travels so far I have noticed that Austin is absolutely full of extremely cute boys. That’s all I can tell you so far, but obviously, this is good news…
My female friends, collectively — They are an amazing bunch of girls. I am so proud of all of them. They almost exclusively are known by names they created for themselves, they’re doing work which fulfils them in some kind of capacity, they have plans & dreams & they’re optimistic about the future. They are committed to doing the best they can, they are intelligent & supportive & insightful, they are good to me & there for me & we wear each other’s clothes. I think I said this a while ago but I used to be pretty much totally incapable of making female friends; it’s something I learned to do about a year or so ago. I didn’t really understand how they worked, I think I was intimidated half the time & riddled with jealousy the rest of the time, so it never really happened. But now? Having close girlfriends is one of the best things about my life.
Jake countdown — I get to meet my friend Jake next Wednesday & I am SO EXCITED. We have been talking online like total lunatics since late last year & he’s coming to Austin for SXSW & Gala mania! His birthday was a couple of weeks ago, so I called a bakery down the road from his work (in Minneapolis) & had a mutual friend of ours (pastry henchman!) pick up & deliver him a bunch of cupcakes, cookies & pastries. Obviously I think he is pretty great. I have been counting down the days on Twitter (see?) & well, I don’t know what I can really say except that I am amped. He is awesome incarnate. YAY.
My new pink sequinned maus helmet! Oh dear god. I love it so much it needs its own mention. It is my new boyfriend. It’s like what you would wear if you were battling in the disco apocalypse. It is SO my favourite thing right now. I am considering wearing it to my panel on Saturday… I think I should probably do it.
Honourable mentions: Internalols (“I’m lolling on the inside”); talking to my friends on AIM while driving across the country; cello recitals by beautiful girls in the morning; honesty; The Legendary Pink Dots; writing next to a swimming pool in the sun (it’s an unbeatable combination); the Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame; James St James; weird people in costume who ask for your phone number; 9th Wonders’ Nas mix; epic productivity buzzes; running through the airport & making your plane at the last moment; 24-hour restaurants full of good-looking people (in both L.A. & Austin!); Röyksopp; excitement about SXSWi (it kicks off tomorrow!); spinach dip (new obsession?); Sam & Liam Lynch (he is so cool); coconut water; In-N-Out (I wish it wasn’t true but it is); salads from California Pizza Kitchen; puppy kisses.
How about you, kitten moon?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [78] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 5 March 2009, 14:47 ]
Secret vintage treasure troves — Last week, Jazzi took me to this nondescript warehouse surrounded by factories, which just so happened to be an awesome cave of delicious vintage happiness. I am not usually super-into vintage, I think because I lack the patience to go through racks & racks of stuff which doesn’t appeal to me that much, but this place was incredible. Really incredible. The prices were insanely cheap, there were free snacks & it was super-fun. Unfortunately Jazzi made me swear not to blog about it. (The girl who took her there the first time actually blindfolded her in the car so she wouldn’t know where they were going.) But there’s information about it online, so maybe with a bit of surreptitious googling, you will discover it too!
Managing to accomplish plenty even though I’m technically on “holiday” (honestly though, when am I not?). Packing lots of adventures into every day, having major fun & feeling totally on top of it all & not even a smidge jet-lagged. How am I managing this? I think it’s due to the fact that I’m eating really well — big smoothies for breakfast & enormous salads for lunch or dinner. I feel so good right now!
San Francisco! Someone told me recently that San Francisco is what would happen if New York & Los Angeles had a baby, & I think they’re pretty right. I like it here a lot, & this visit has been way more fun than the last time I was here. Even though this has been such a flying visit, & I leave tomorrow (!) & I feel like I haven’t seen anything yet! Today I’m going on a couple of strange adventures & then we drive back to Los Angeles in the morning. Aw. Sad. I need to come back to San Francisco in the summer. I feel this very strongly.
Rob Roy, who is my new favourite musician. He’s a friend of Jazzi‘s, & when she played me his CD, I was totally blown away. His music is INCREDIBLE & cool as hell, & well, let’s just say, I think you’ll enjoy it. This interview with him is cute too.
Awful pick-up lines on Venice Beach — Last week I made the perhaps questionable choice of wearing bunny ears at Venice Beach. I’m kind of glad I did, because the guys who approached me were HILARIOUS. Honestly. I wish I’d thought to film them but I didn’t. Oh, & some guy tried to hit on Jazzi by calling her “chocolate tender”. What?!
Honourable mentions: Blizzard phonecalls; AMAZING; also amazing; my Flip Mino HD (still); Trashy Lingerie; five minute long shout-outs on Wisconsin radio; cute emails from people you really respect; sitting by Jazzi’s pool & working with headphones on; Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape; daytime naps; my pastry henchman; lying in bed & talking to Star; looking forward to getting back to L.A.‘s weather (no offence S.F., you’re just too cold for me right now!); hobbling around in Jazzi’s Balenciaga knock-offs; big glasses of water; takeaway cups of hot chocolate; my new Adidas track jacket; Austin anticipation; growth & learning, learning, learning. Also, I get to see my wife & favourite Virgo on Saturday morning for a Disneyland adventure. You can’t top that!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [62] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 February 2009, 19:49 ]
America! I know you knew I was going to say that, but I’d hate to disappoint you! I’m so pleased to be here & in such good company. I love it. This place is so weird. The weather is really beautiful, almost exactly like Wellington right now except without the wind, & everything is super-convenient once again. I went to bed at about midnight last night & woke up at around 6 or 7, & appear to have acclimatised already. YAY. It’s super-nice to be back in what Jake calls “real life” — meaning we can chat at a semi-normal time! & also, you know what? It’s nice to be in a place which is inspiring & stimulating. I can’t wait to do some more writing — I know it’s been sparse around here lately while I’ve been packing, preparing & flying! I hope you can forgive me!
My brand new Flip Mino HD is totally amazing. I received it yesterday when Timmy & Sam picked me up from the airport, & it is completely rad. It’s so easy to use & the quality is faaaaantastic. I just shot this as we were driving around today. I’m already obsessively documenting my adventures, don’t you worry! Thanks Flip!
Harper’s Bazaar, specifically the March 2009 issue with the hot pink cover. Why? Oh, let me tell you! #1. Sarah Jessica Parker dressed as Diana Vreeland. YES. #2. The designer from Marchesa dressed as the Marchesa Louisa Casati. WHAT?! #3. Karl Lagerfeld acting as “sartorial shrink”, with comments like, “Better a split personality than no personality at all”, & “Going from shop to shop is, perhaps, today considered a form of cultural anxiety. There are more constructive & intelligent ways to spend your time”. SWOON. I picked it up totally on a whim, without even flicking through. It was a great whim! You should definitely go & hunt yourself a copy.
Making plans! My life feels incomplete when I don’t have a list of things to do, people to see & adventures to go on. This is perhaps sad, but it is definitely true. For example, I get to see Nubby — & take her to Disneyland! — in a week & a half! Virgo Power reunited once again! I can’t wait to see my girl again! Aaaahhhhhh!
This email:
You are going to have the best year
Be good and try not to break too many hearts
You’ve always got a place to stay wherever I am
And I hope you get everything you want
I’ll miss your face, but I get to see it everywhere so its okay.
xx
Honourable mentions: Cute boys with good cheekbones & sweet afros who make you mixtapes; Jazzi; sleeping almost all the way on the plane; Jay-Z (I watched a documentary about Reasonable Doubt on the plane, it was great); coffee & chocolate milkshakes; getting through American immigration! (always a source of immense relief); secret vintage shopping dates; synchronicity; arriving in L.A. to cupcakes & cuddles; Disneyland plans; bright pink handbags; sweet immigration officers who even act sympathetic when you tell them about how your contact lenses have dried out; planning slumber parties (“It’s going to be like Cute Island in here!”); being able to use my Helio Ocean again!!! (mega-addict); responsible eating (smoothie for breakfast + salad for lunch = happy Gala!); Hugnation & Halcyon (another great person I get to see in 2 weeks!); the word “boytopia” & um, America, America, America. Oh, wait, do you know what the best thing EVER is? Sleeping in an incredibly comfortable queen-sized futon bed when you’ve been cramped up on a plane for 15 hours. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
& you, my sweet? What are you looking forward to? Who have you flirted with recently? What divine smooches have you received from the universe? Holla!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [79] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 February 2009, 21:22 ]
CunninLynguists — If you only buy one album this month, it should be A Piece Of Strange. It came out in 2006 but I somehow only just stumbled across it, & it is incredible. No one deserves your hard-earned coin more than these boys! My friend Greg introduced me to CunninLynguists years ago via a little track called Rain (it samples Elton John, I mean COME ON), which I instantly adored. Things have changed since then. A Piece Of Strange is sexy, rhythmic & beautifully produced (props, Kno!). Hell, download it if you have to, but when you’re done, throw some coins their way. Okay? (They’re also touring Europe in April. Go see them!)
Cute boys who email you through Time Out New York! Uh huh! No explanation required?! (When I say cute I mean cuuuuute!)
Going out every night — I feel like most of the time I’ve been in New Zealand I’ve been in hermit mode, but as I’m leaving really soon, I’ve been stepping it up slightly. I’ve been seeing friends, having adventures & drinking probably too much liquor. I’m trying to adjust to going out & doing stuff much more, because America is pretty much a non-stop social event for me!
Getting made-to-order t-shirts — Yesterday I went a bit nutty & ended up designing (& ordering) shirts for Jake, Nubby & myself. Jake’s is basically a ridiculous in-joke written in glow-in-the-dark text (YES!) while mine says “Virgo Power” in sparkly raspberry writing. Nubby’s says the same thing in red sparkles! I can’t wait for them to arrive & then to foist them onto their rightful owners! Hahah. YAY.
Helen & Jennie — I’m meeting my two favourite New Zealand girls tonight for drinks & ridiculousness & I can’t wait. Helen moved away from Wellington years ago, so having her back is always novel, & I’m so excited! I have known both of them since I was 15 years old, they are always there for me & I love them like mad.
Cuba Street Carnival = epic glee! I haven’t been in years & it’s happening this weekend. Basically what happens is that they close off a bunch of streets & have music stages, stalls, food & a parade. People are encouraged to dress up, so the odds of me wearing a sequinned bikini top are very high indeed! I will be out & about, frolicking & being ridiculous, so if you see me, please come & say hi — it will be one of your last opportunities before I kick off overseas for a prolonged period!
The fact that next week’s TiLT will be written in the sky! YES! I leave for Los Angeles next Wednesday, aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I am so excited. I have my fingers crossed for good weather there, but from what I’ve seen of the forecasts, it’s not something I have to worry about! Mmmm sun & big blue skies. Best ever!
Honourable mentions: Organising my accommodation for when I arrive in New York (I’m staying in the place I lived in when I first got there last year — & I managed to bargain the price down to below what my friend pays for his place in Brooklyn! AMAZING!); exchanging filthy text messages; suspender belts & stockings; two-for-one cocktails; hooded Adidas track jackets (I recently rediscovered my green one & just bought a black one with black stripes for $12 on Ebay!); singing along to songs instead of working (oops); watching Girls Of The Playboy Mansion at 3am with my mother; huge salads; Valentine’s Day cupcakes; my tentative schedule for SXSW (drool, swoon, spasm); Rove (still cute as a button & funny as hell); scheming; playing around with my dictaphone; boys who propose to you via email; surprise visits from “internet celebrities” haha; seeing & hanging out with the father of my first boyfriend EVER!; the Wham! rap (it makes me laugh every time); bright lights & burning stars & swirling colours; winks & nudges from the universe; crossing things off my to-do list; beautiful weather & hugs. I have had a lot of them recently. I’m a fan.
I also just re-read this & it made me laugh like mad to think about how much things have changed since then — & that was only 23 weeks ago!
“A better world has gotta start somewhere. Why not with you and me?” — Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins.
How about you, beautifulest girl/boy/unicorn of the sky? What’s making you stare dreamily off into the distance today?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [82] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 February 2009, 22:22 ]
The Current from Minnesota Public Radio. I happened upon it totally by chance last week when I listened to POS do an in-studio interview, & when it was over, I just left it on. It is my new obsession. I love it so much, which is a big deal because most of the time, I loathe radio. I haven’t actively listened to the radio since Channel Z went to the dogs in late 1998! Anyway, my point is, The Current is amazing & you should tune in, because I think you’ll enjoy it too. Listen to the stream here.
Plane tickets — On Tuesday I booked & paid for my flights to America. OH YES. I leave in a week & six days. Not that I’m counting down or anything! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Valentine’s Day picnics! Also on Tuesday, I got an invitation to attend a Valentine’s Day picnic with my friend, who said he will make me food & massage my feet!
SXSW mania — I am in the grip of Austin overload. So many of my friends are speaking at SXSW Interactive, so many amazing bands are playing & I might even be persuaded to see some films… I have been told Austin has many excellent cupcakeries, too. I’ve been looking at Design*Sponge’s Austin design guide which is good but does anyone have any additional info about what’s worth checking out?!
Raw food coaches, namely Heidi & J.S. Ohlander from Raw Food Right Now! Yesterday I had a two-hour coaching call with them via Skype where we discussed all kinds of things, from gurus to sea salt to trampolines, & it was amazing! They are so cool & they gave me so much information. I now have all sorts of insider knowledge on making amazing smoothies, supplements & tricks for beautiful skin, & a whole lot more! (As I try out their suggestions I’ll write about them, never fear!) One thing I really loved about talking to them is their approach to raw food — they don’t think everyone needs to go 100% overnight, or even ever if they don’t want to! & I love that. I think a lot of us go 100%, then freak out & go back to cooked food & feel like we’ve “failed” somehow, which is nonsense. Any incorporation of raw food is a triumph, & as long as you’re happy & your body feels good, who cares whether you follow 80/10/10 or not! Know what I mean? Anyway, if you’re in the market for fantastic raw coaching, Heidi & J.S. get my hearty stamp of approval. Their blog is a great source of info too. Mad props!
Time Out New York! I’m on the cover this week! Yes, really! I was picked as a “sexy single culture-maker“ & have been offered up on the sacrificial dating altar! Oh my. The emails I’ve received so far have been amazing. Stay tuned for upcoming adventures in Manhattan-based bachelorettedom!
Honorable mentions: Milk (totally brilliant); saying “hamazing”; The Prodigy’s Invaders Must Die; being productive; Bose desktop speakers (they blow my SoundDock out of the water & I am the happiest girl ever); good black ink pens & pages full of handwriting; “At Last” covered by pretty much anybody; vegan chocolate-covered plums (I actually bought them by mistake — if you believe in those! Best “mistake” I’ve ever made, god they are amazing); getting a drawing of an “evil & rabid” unicorn on sparkly purple paper in the mail; Tao Lin; Larabars; schemes with my wife; using the Virgo moon energy to organise my suitcases & wardrobe from top to bottom; lots of rain when you get to stay inside; reading old love letters (& only keeping the best ones); mega-watt naps; dreaming about dachshunds licking my nose; amazing yoga sessions; dancing around my living room to Mobb Deep; “that wasn’t vulgarity, baby, that was poetry!”; HD video cameras in the post; Ringtone by Big Boi; researching photobooths in Austin & hilarious AIM conversations.
So, what’s flippin’ your switch this week?
P.S. Hey. To help spread the love this week, you know what would be super-cool? If you donated to the Australian Red Cross to help them fight the insane bushfires which are going on in Victoria right now. They are in serious crisis mode, & even a few bucks flicked their way will help more than you can fathom.
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [96] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 4 February 2009, 20:39 ]
Louise L. Hay — I know I mentioned her last week, but last night I started reading the book of You Can Heal Your Life. Um, wow. I think it might be the most amazing book I’ve ever read. My eyelashes fluttered with delight at each paragraph, & I kept thinking about how I wanted to buy a copy for pretty much everyone I know. I’m planning on going to a secondhand bookshop & buying up a whole lot of copies to give out, actually. I’m almost tempted to make it “prescribed reading” for anyone undergoing the iCiNG Transformation Challenge, because I feel that reading this would help anyone achieve anything they wanted to do. Seriously, it is incredible, & even if you “hate self-help” or on the opposite end of the scale, think you’re a super-enlightened being, everyone will learn something amazing from this book. So put your reservations aside & pick it up. Okay? (Oh, & for those of you who wanted to improve your self-esteem as part of the iTC, this is ESSENTIAL READING.)
Spontaneous dinner dates, bookstore haunting & walking around the city wearing diamante-studded sunglasses. I have to give special props to my favourite dinner spot, Chow, which is best for spontaneous dinner dates. Plus their cocktails are hard to beat, & there is at least one nonpareil on the staff! Smooches!
“She isn’t a hooker, she’s like an… international party girl.”
“She’s a hooker with a passport!”
Having long hair again! I am aware that this may sound ridiculous but having long hair makes me really happy. It’s different to how it was previously — I think it’s a bit longer & it’s now a combination of hot pink, fuchsia & ultra-violet — & I absolutely love it. Cass from Wildilocks made a specialised haus-call on Monday (quelle champ!) & decked me out. It is perenially amazing to me how much a good haircut or hairstyle can change how you feel about yourself. With magical unicorn hair I feel more confident, attractive & sexy than ever before. Love it. Longer, pinker, faster, stronger!
Watching the Super Bowl! I am not even kidding. SERIOUSLY. I had never seen it before, & on Monday I watched Twitter go nuts about it, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I arbitrarily picked a team (Cardinals! ...oops) & sat down to watch. I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it! I don’t even like sports, really! I actually yelled at my television screen. There may have been un petit amount of cursing. Dude, it was amazing, even though “my team” lost. I am officially a fan. I think that on Monday I inadvertently started a new tradition.
Leaving Las Vegas New Zealand — I love New Zealand very much but I am super-excited to be leaving in a little under three weeks. There are not enough exclamation marks in the entire universe to express my excitement & it would be intensely obnoxious if I tried, so I won’t. Just… you know. Be aware. I am excitement incarnate!
Honorable mentions: P.O.S.’ new album Never Better (buy it TODAY!) & the fact that he is now on Twitter!; Slick Rick; Tech N9ne; early morning phonecalls full of laughter; Ray LaMontagne; The Current; thinking about getting more tattoos (in L.A.!); sticking Swarovski crystals on my fingernails; reading in bed; making plans; karaoke; Larabars; counting down the days; good black ink pens & loopy handwriting; quoting American Psycho (my favourite book); not doing the 25 random things meme on Facebook (resist!); silly boozey Skype conversations; hooping while I talk on the phone; this girl’s tattoos; books with personal inscriptions; watching Sex & The City from season one, episode one; watching Gossip Girl from season one, episode one; hoop bruises; working out new tricks (SO satisfying); forthcoming EEBT (Epic Evil Bad Times™!); Señor Coconut & fun mixes.
“What happened?!”
“He became predictable.”
“How predictable.”
Also, & this is totally random, I think someone should start a website called “Hipster or Homeless?” which is a game where you see a photo & have to pick one. That is all.
Oh & hey. How many of you are hooping now?! Should we join forces & call ourselves the SWOON ARMY?!
Alright, enough silliness from me! Time for silliness from YOU! What’s poppin’ in your love universe?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [113] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 28 January 2009, 21:42 ]
Louise L. Hay — I watched the movie of You Can Heal Your Life a few days ago & was blown away. I’ve heard a lot about the book, & had a friend in Auckland who was obsessed with it, but I’ve never even flicked through it. Well, the film version is tremendous, & is really less about healing your life than it is about moving forward & creating the kind of life you’ve always wanted. I recommend getting your hands on it however you can!
Mystic Medusa — I love her. I discovered her thanks to a nonpareil recommendation this week, read one blog entry & immediately signed up for her daily horoscopes. I’m really loving them, too — she talks about how the planets are moving & how that impacts us. The one I got this morning was incredible! Her blog is great as well, check it out, especially if you’re interested in astrology like I am. I feel like I am learning plenty just by reading it! (& I really want to get a reading, aaaaargh! If I do I will let you all know how it goes!)
Girl Talk — Just like his show in New York City, his show in Wellington on Saturday was brilliant. It was also a roaring, rollicking, orgasmic, deliciously nutritious, no-holds-barred, good old-fashioned sweatfest. I have never been so sweaty in my entire life. I know this does not sound sexy, but it is the truth. The whole room was going NUTS. It was like someone had gone wild with a hose. This was not an “Oh gee how embarrassing, I have sweat patches on my t-shirt” thing. This was a “My entire t-shirt is soaked & stuck to me” thing. This was a “Why is my cardigan, which is tied onto my bag, damp? OH, because it has been TOUCHING MY LEGS OCCASIONALLY”. Suffice to say, it was completely amazing, I had a rad time, & it was hilarious to be around so many sodden people.
This photo!
Try It On Everything — Yes, another movie! I’ve watched a few this week but I made a point to watch things that were going to improve my life in some way, not just distract me or provide some kind of downtime, & funnily enough, I keep finding movies that are of direct interest to me. So I’ve been watching them. Anyway, Try It On Everything is a movie about EFT, one of my favourite things ever. Those of you who are new to iCiNG might not have heard me talk about it — it’s a healing technique that I swear by & has completely changed my life. The movie is incredible, & you can watch the trailer at the above link.
Travel plans — I am deeply embroiled in itinerarymania. As a Virgo, this is one of my favourite parts of the travel process: organising it. Where am I going to go, & with whom? I’m currently plotting my late February/early March trip, which goes from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Austin to New York City. Mmmmmhmm. I am about to start making lists. Among the things I want to do are see the bat caves & the bat statue in Austin (!) & visit Charles Manson’s house in San Francisco. Uh huh. FUN. I am going to go to Borders, sit in the travel section & make extensive notes. What a nerd!
Honorary mentions: Re-reading old journals (& even better, reading them aloud to your friends & laughing until you can’t breathe); tidying, cleaning, re-organising when your brain feels like a slumbering cephalopod; Beastie Boys; enormous sunglasses with diamantes on the arms; sweet girls at MAC who make you over for fun; Lunice; rapping while hooping (Juicy is a perennial favourite); rapping at karaoke (haha, ditto); the phrase “leapfrog-the-homeless” (!!!); this!; weiiiird dreams; friends who encourage you to go on adventures; Dior couture (drool-o-rama); coming first place in Gran Turismo (& I haven’t played a video game in about 5 years); going out for dinner with my parents & laughing the whole time; the new Antony & the Johnsons album; Mercury retrograde drawing to a swift close (this weekend!); swimming in the sea (in sunglasses & a headscarf no less); Sara Bareilles; pretending that irritating people are actually just performing for your entertainment & putting on a really bad play; dreaming about spending sprees in Agent Provocateur; Lily Allen’s He Wasn’t There; Soul Position; being really proud of & excited for my friends; DJ Z-Trip; Jake; “...& then we all got chest infections”, & watching the President & First Lady dance to Beyonce. Yes, I cried. It was an amazing moment.
I know there was no TiLT last week — I unwittingly upped my MSM dosage & spent the day feeling horrific — so let’s make this one a bumper edition! Write a big big big love list, pile scoops of it up high like a $1000 ice-cream sundae drizzled with chocolate sauce & gold flakes. Tell your twin sister to get in on it, ask your grandma what she’d add, & think bigger, bolder & more magically than ever before!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [105] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 January 2009, 00:25 ]
Blackboard photo from Dazed & Confused, lipstick photo by Aprille, glitter eyelids from Numero, illustration by saint.barbie, Dear John by Lottie Frank.
Love — I had some realisations about love recently — time alone in airports & on planes & walking around with headphones on is good for me! One of the things I became aware of is that true, real love doesn’t have to be a competition or have any kind of goal, it’s just pure & gleaming & clear, & without expectation or demand. It doesn’t have to go or be a certain way for it to be valid. Another thing I realised is that there is an infinite supply of it, & the more you give away, the more comes back to you. There is no time limit, no rush. Tonight, next month, whatever. Doesn’t real love stretch beyond the horizon, beyond this life, into another dimension? You don’t have to love someone, move in together & get married. It’s possible to love someone in a way that is distant & vivid & magnificent, to love someone the way a virgin loves a unicorn, the way teenage girls love the night sky, the way children love sugar. Love coloured by the hand of fantasy, spun through with magic thread, not tangible, invisible to the human eye. Love which is fabulous & overwhelming, the kind of thing you only see when you’re dreaming. I don’t know where all this awareness came from, but all of a sudden it’s more true than I ever thought possible, & not just a philosophical ideal like it once was, it’s an actual real life truth for me. This is a major shift, & it brings me more joy than you could ever believe.
“Two-thousand-&-divine” is my new way of saying ‘2009’. I encourage you to do it too!
Hoop anticipation! Yesterday I ordered two hoops from Hoopnotica — the Harajuku Girl Fitness Hoop & the Fitness TravelHoop in pink/gold! I am so, so, SO excited about receiving them, learning some new tricks, & getting my hoop on! I am even more psyched about having a TravelHoop — they collapse down & sit happily in suitcases for international nomads & playgirls (& boys!) of all stripes! Mmmm, yes, hoop mania, it is true what they say! I’m also loving making seemingly incongruous hooping playlists: Bikini Kill, Beyonce, The Hold Steady, Missy Elliot…
Routine — As much as I love impromptu adventures & bouts of tree-climbing, ultimately I am a creature of habit & I really love having a daily system. Auckland was totally sweet but it’s excellent to be back in Wellington, where I have my hoop, my exercise DVDs & my Bose SoundDock! Yes ma’am! I’m going to be out of here soon, so I’m soaking up as much routine as I can before it all goes mad again!
SXSW — Yes! I am officially going to SXSW & yes! I am officially speaking at SXSW Interactive 09! I am super-excited & psyched to go. The panel I’m on is called A History Of Growing Up Online (& was originally called Growing Up As An Internet Oversharer, which honestly, I preferred very much) & my angle will be how I took what I learned as an online journal girl in the late 90s & early 00s & spun that into what I do today. It is going to be so much fun & I can’t wait to explore Austin, I’ve heard such good things about it, & I know a whole bunch of people who either live there or will be in town for SXSW, so it is going to be a GOOD TIME! Plus it’s nice to have a travelling deadline — in my case, I’ve gotta be back in the USA by March 13th! Phew!
The 365 Project — It’s actually a lot more fun than it sounds. “Take a photo every day” is kind of a boring concept, but what about if you make that photo representative of your day? Outfit, mood, events, etc.? I’ve already noticed some interesting progressions in my pictures & other people’s, so hopefully this challenge will help bring a bit more interest to my daily outfit photos, too! (By the way, you should start it too! I am determined to rope in everyone I know!)
Honourable mentions: Being brought coffee in bed; people offering to do amazing favours; inspiring treehouse talks; chemistry, sparks & electricity; real hugs; alternative dimensions; emails sent in the bat hours; walking around Auckland with headphones on; wearing sunglasses in the airport (it’s hilarious, people stare much more, I guess they think that if they can’t see in, you can’t see out?!); dancing in my plane seat; metaphysical adoration; soaking up life & all its deliciousness; crystal rings which cast rainbows everywhere; being a carrier pigeon between sweet boys; unbelievable anticipation about two-thousand-&-divine; editing adventure videos; flying over New Zealand (sometimes I can’t believe how beautiful it is); songs which gives you chills over your entire body; writing love letters I’ll never send; “& you say New York City!”; old friends who already know all your back-story; conversations which twist your neurons — we like to call it “brain sex”!; working on the plane (I love love love it! A change of scenery is excellent writing fodder); Coeur de Pirate; Stick It (“What country are they gonna represent? The state of deluuuuusion?!”); emails which make me laugh with pure delight; intercontinental brainstorming; this & this (I sweeten my blood with the tea of the innocent! ...I’ll make her skin into a kite.); being spotted in Shibuya!; hustlin’; huge eye-widening full moon action; bat glasses; fun plottings, & this exchange…
Starstruck dude: You’re Jon Lovitz!
Jon Lovitz: Jealous?
Oh, so funny. Alright, how about you, little one? Lay yo’ love on me!
P.S. Who you know fresher than Hov?! Riddle me that!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [139] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 8 January 2009, 04:56 ]
The Bird & The Bee — Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future is amazing. It’s so good it deserved its own mention. Get your mitts on a copy if you know what’s good for you!
Being in Auckland! I actually came to town because today was my first ever real magazine photoshoot. Um, amazing! I caught a cab to Newmarket where I was fussed over by hair & make-up, before being plonked in the back seat of a Mercedes Hercedes-Benz & photographed looking uber-glamorous. Holy crap, it was so much fun. Can I do this every day?! But even without that, I am having an amazing time. I’m staying with my super-generous & charming friend Adam, who is treating me well, & last night I had dinner with my favourite Aucklander & his girlfriend, who I finally got to meet! So much fun was had. I have about a gazillion people to see while I’m here, so there will be no official iCiNG meet-up — sorry! But if you’re in town, come to Atmosphere on Friday night (tomorrow!), ‘cause that’s where I’ll be, & I’d love to give you a hug! Come & meet my friends, we will be sweet to you, I promise. Just tap me on the shoulder! The show will be amazing, too — David Dallas, Brother Ali & Atmosphere, woo! — & to get you amped for it, here’s a mix by BK-One, Brother Ali’s DJ! The weather’s good too, huh?
Auckland part ii — I want to expound on this a little bit because there is more to Auckland for me than just the people — though to me they are magnifique in every way. Auckland is special to me because it’s the city in which I first established my independence. When I left home, I think I was 18, & one day while my parents were in Europe on holiday, I packed my bags & moved 600km north to Auckland. I lived here for many years, it’s still the site of my longest relationship, & it’s also the first city I lived completely alone in (which I loved — only child style, represent!). This city is magical in a lot of ways, even though a lot of people think it is charmless or lacks a centre or whatever, there are so many beautiful things about it. The streets have energy & vibrancy, the weather is superb, there are delicious nooks & crannies everywhere & major adventure to be had if you’ll just explore a little! I love this city & so many places in it are dear to my heart. Myers Park, Rakino’s, World, Ponsonby Road, K Road, Albert Park, the list goes on. I am delighted to be here & soaking it up again after a two year absence!
Taking out my extensions! I have soft sweet pink bunny hair again. They were getting all dreaded & crazy, so after my shoot I came back to Adam’s place & started removing them. They’re going back in at the end of the month, but in the meantime I am embracing the short messy look again! Yay!
Hooping — Okay, I am now in full-on hoop obsession. I am actually experiencing some (mild) separation anxiety being away from mine. To prove what a nerd I am, yes, I did check to make sure my hoop wouldn’t fit in my suitcase. Amazingly, last night after a fine Japanese meal & some Japanese photobooth action, Erin, Timmy & I retrieved two hoops from their car (!!!) & went to a seedy alleyway for some good hooping time! I tried two hoops at once & was an instant pro. FUN! I am looking forward to getting back to mine again, & buying a full-size one too!
Playing DJ — Well, not wicky-wicky style (I wish! I’ve never even tried!), but I do love playing music for people. A LOT. So my Macbook is plugged into Adam’s stereo & I am constantly bombarding him. “Listen to this! Ooooh do you like this one?! How about this? Listen for this bit coming up right… now. Okay no you have to listen to the lyrics, pay attention!” He’s loving it, or so he says, haha! Talking about music makes me mega-happy. All over. The end.
Honourable mentions: Strangers who write sweet, strange songs about your friends; visible ab definition (thank you, hooping!); new watches; being missed at parties; having a row to myself on the plane; the fact that on Air NZ, they display brainteasers & riddles on the little screens instead of television; it being warm enough to get away with just wearing a t-shirt on the plane (I usually have to layer up like nobody’s business!); spending plenty of time with Timmy!; scotch & dry; surrogate boyfriends; eating dinner in a treehouse (I’m going there this weekend!); Company Flow; making fun plans; filming & documenting everything; doing the 365 project, & last but not least, my friends. A more awe-inspiring, supportive, loving group of people you could not meet. I adore you & I hope you know it.
“Do everything with so much love in your heart that you would never want to do it any other way.” — Yogi Desai
& you, my sweet?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [96] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 1 January 2009, 06:16 ]
We missed one last week; I know. I got swept away with Christmas fever but I was sending deliriously happy tremors out to the universe all day, so I think I did what I needed to do! Let’s make this week’s list a humdinger to fill the gap, huh?
2009! I am unbelievably excited about this year. I have so many magical plans in the works, & I am totally hyped (& a bit scared) about putting them into action. My new year’s eve was awesome too — I got to see everyone I wanted to, & there were lots of hugs & heaps of laughter. At about 5.30am I looked up at the sky & decided it was time to disappear. I watched the sun rise over New Zealand while I talked to my taxi driver & sent text messages from the back-seat. It was a great, great night. I hope yours was too!
Skype! What a magnificent invention! It’s all good, all the time. Even in little ol’ New Zealand, where I thought my connection might be too slow to handle it. I have been Skypeing like a nut, talking to cute excitable girls (& their excellent Virgo boyfriends) in Los Angeles & frozen icicle boys in Minneapolis, as well as seeing more than enough CATS on camera! (Chicken & Monster, respectively.) My (literally) sweet friend in Melbourne is next on my Skype agenda. Yes she is. No pouting allowed!
Good music — Some weeks sound better than others. This one has been a goodie. I’d like to thank… Antony & the Johnsons; The Replacements; RZA; Does It Offend You, Yeah?; Mogwai; Tv On The Radio; Dillinger Four; Explosions In The Sky (Jake says, “If the time lapse of life had a soundtrack it would be Explosions In The Sky”); The Hold Steady; Doomtree; Built To Spill; Al Green; Murs; Brother Ali; Bell X1; Common; Yo La Tengo; The Mountain Goats; Blue Scholars; MC Shan; The Weakerthans; Prince; Digable Planets; Company Flow; The Living Legends, DJ Concept, El-P & Spinnerette. Yes, thank you all very much. Well done.
Privileged is my new favourite show. A sweet but geeky & slightly socially awkward girl (who I think is a cross between Sarah Michelle Gellar & my friend Sammy) gets a job tutoring two spoilt girls in Palm Beach. Insanity occurs, & we get to watch it all unfold! For those of us who like our television unabashedly trashy, this show has it all.
Exercising every day — My mother & I are doing an experiment which started five days ago. We’re following a program of cardio & weight-training, & every morning we don our sexiest clothing (um, not really) to start the day off sweating. It’s not glamorous but it’s extremely satisfying! I’m documenting the process & I’m going to write it up soon! I also bought a hula hoop for $6 the other day. It is lime green & made of this awful hard plastic which smacks the bones in my feet when it falls down. It hurts. But the point is… I love it. I am getting really good at it. (Okay, not really good, but I can keep it going for a while now!) It is really fun… I put on the best music & shimmy around the living room & laugh & swivel around until I’m out of breath. I can see how people get hooked on hooping. & really, any activity which involves holographic accessories (sparkly hoops! Insane costumes!) is so me.
Yes Man — I just went & saw this tonight & I LOVED IT. I am really not a movie person normally, but it was really great. The premise is that this guy who is closed off to life starts saying “yes” to every opportunity he’s presented, no matter how ludicrous, & how that completely changed his life around. It was based on the book of the same name written by a British journalist called Danny Wallace, who did exactly this & wrote about the results. Really, I think you should see it. It made me super-happy.
Honourable mentions: Post-Christmas sales; amazing news; having a fleet of international spies of magic & mystery!; parsnip & ginger soup; my super-amazing magical unicorn shirt (you can get your own here!) which I think I have worn every day since I got it; new year’s kisses; Joy Bar ice-creams (they’re baaa-aaaack!); false eyelashes; boys who are really nervous but tell you you’re gorgeous anyway (awwww); friends who are genuinely happy for you; dancing; Auckland anticipation (this time next week I’ll be there!); catching up with old friends; hugs & holding hands & being excitable; loving your friends so much that you feel compelled to tell them every half an hour or so; chance encounters; surreptitious photo-taking & um… can I say my unicorn shirt again?!
I asked my parents to make their own contributions to Things I Love Thursday, & here’s what they said! (Why don’t you ask whoever’s around to add to your list too?)
Mama Darling: Friends & family; relaxation; sun & surf; chocolate; Jamie Oliver!
Papa Darling: People are in holiday mode & calmer & happier; looking out the window & seeing people have fun & frolicking around; people laying fishing nets; seeing the bus go by with virtually nobody on it, meaning nobody’s working; the garden’s exploding with lovely yellow roses; having all our family around us; chocolate-coated ginger; pistachio nuts; being woken up at quarter to 7 by your daughter coming home & her telling you you have “swamp-mouth”; bacon & eggs & coffee for breakfast at 11, as opposed to porridge at 6.30!
“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” — Dale Carnegie
How about you? Start off 2009 the right way with a BIG love letter to the universe! Go go go!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [65] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 December 2008, 21:09 ]
Starting the day off right with a mix of Notorious BIG & Girl Talk. Oh yes.
Making plans for 2009 — I have a text file called ‘2009’ which I have open at all times (TextWrangler, I love you!), which I keep adding to whenever I have a thought or idea about something I want to do next year. So far I am mostly making travel arrangements, but it is going to expand hugely over the next couple of weeks! It’s SO EXCITING! I am psyched for 2009!
Thinking about making horoscope-specific diaries! Yup. The Virgo one could have extra pages in the front with doctor’s phone numbers & DIY diagnosis information, & lots of pages for to do lists. The Leo one could have a mirror on the inside cover & a space for an ever-evolving list of people to conquer. Sagittarius would have pages at the back & a huge map of the world for travel planning… & the Gemini diary would be twice as big for all the multiple personalities! I really want to do this, & am thinking about making them for 2010. So. Stay tuned!
Moleskine love — I just opened my 2009 diary. I was kind of nervous about doing it. Now I am planning how to pretty it up. Swarovski crystals all over the cover, perhaps?
Unicorn madness…
Ebay lust — Sometimes Ebay is a wasteland of ugly, misshapen dresses. But sometimes you strike pay dirt. There are four dresses on my watchlist right now which I am OBSESSED with. I am probably going to bid way too much for them at the final moment. But I keep thinking about how good they would look on! I must own them!
Magazine features! OKAY! So in January I am flying to Auckland because this magazine — whose name I don’t think I should mention yet — want to shoot me for a feature they’re doing on me! Eeeeeeee! I am so excited, I have never done this before. Do you think I will get to wear whatever I want?! Can I wear ears?! Will they put me in a burlap sack… & throw me in the river?! Am I going to end up looking like a muppet?! Immediate short-term goal: Learn to get comfortable with other people taking photos of you. Squeal! I don’t know when it will be published yet, but you better believe that I will tell you as soon as I do!
Honourable mentions: Writing my bumper end-of-2008 post; Christmas cards with cupcake smudges in them!; planning Grease sleepovers; “Well… I hate to tell you this, but your hair looks like an easter egg!”; talking to Timmy Crunk on the phone (he makes me feel really excitable, he has good energy!); The Beta Band; sweet winks from the universe; frequent flier points; compiling things for my new website; dreaming about eating cupcakes with Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen; seeing rainbows; making bracelets; Brother Ali’s The Undisputed Truth; Common’s Universal Mind Control (not at all what I was expecting but enjoyable in its own way); designing t-shirts & entitling them “the most awesome shirt in the universe”; my mother having glitter on her face from wrapping presents; The Replacements (SO GOOD); calling people “chief” or “boss” (so funny); being called “honey-bunny”; buying horoscope books for 2009; meeting nonpareils in the street who say “you look just like you do on the internet!”; realising there is a unicorn on the front of my passport!
“Don’t carry a grudge. While you’re carrying a grudge, the other guy’s out dancing.” — Buddy Hackett
What made you dance this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [154] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 December 2008, 05:49 ]
Hey! It’s the 69th TiLT! Fabulous, non?
Yoga — Aw man, I had forgotten how good it feels to do a yoga session! Deep breathing, slow stretching, feeling the sensations & being in the moment is one of the most magnificent things. I always forget how great it feels, & I feel like I should write myself a big reminder somewhere! Just scrawl it on the wall: “Do yoga!” Like, oh yeah! That!
Unicorns — New obsession. Honestly. That holographic Christmas decoration launched something bigger than me! Ever since I bought it, unicorns keep popping up in my life. Everywhere. They’re mentioned in videos I watch on Youtube, in random conversations & in photographs of people I’ve never met. It’s been like unicornmania in the Galaverse! The weirdest thing is that I have never felt any affinity for them whatsoever, especially because I was never a “horsey girl” (I have written about this before), but now I am all over them. & thinking about getting one tattooed on me. Oh yes.
These two pictures which made me smile really widely yesterday.
Fixing my website — It was such a mess yesterday, & I was so freaked out about it! But then this morning, I woke up, & I pottered around, & I fixed it with my own two hands. Figured it out on my own. I cannot tell you the amount of pride I felt! & the relief! I quote from my own Twitter account: The relief is so sweet, it tastes like… lime marmalade spread thinly on someone delicious.
Writing late at night when the house is quiet & I am the only person awake, the black chandelier above me (yes, really!) the only light. Honestly, you should see me sitting here, headphones on, dancing to Missy Elliott in my chair, taking breaks from typing to mouth words & wave my hands around like a lunatic. It is a good time!
Lying in the sun in a pink sequinned bikini, with a hat over my face, guzzling water & listening to Prince, The Roots & A Tribe Called Quest.
Timmy Crunk who I miss dearly. Since I came back to New Zealand we have been embarking on regular late-night phonecalls, in which we discuss unicorns, half-creatures, porn stars, rappers, orphans & channelling the spirit of awesome. Boy makes me laugh. We have sweet mental rapport. Blah blah blah anyway I can’t WAIT to see him in January!!! Lookit! Ditto! Awwwww.
More magic all the time & making a commitment to it.
Sammy — Hello, I love you.
Honourable mentions: Gibsonton, Florida; dichotomies (an hour of yoga followed by an episode of Jackass); boys who give good phone; persuading people to sign up for Twitter; making bracelets & giving them all individual meanings; Doomtree; using the pen from the Las Vegas hotel I shared with Nubby to write “to do” lists; serendipitous super-sleuthing; looking at other people’s Twitter favourites!; Chopped ‘n’ Skrewed; my new necklace from Trashy Deluxe!!!; being called “BatGala”; researching unicorns; “I hope you’re not offended by this, but I think yo’ ass is fine as shit” (so funny, totally needs to be looped & made into a ringtone); sympathy soy hot chocolates made by Mama Darling; having my own chapter in a bright pink book (cover, pages 1 & 2, pages 3 & 4 — & you can buy your own copy here!); people on the bus who do BACKFLIPS DOWN THE STREET when they disembark!; packages of toffee which arrive in the mail; being called a “dirty awesome slapper” (usually not such a compliment but in context, it was excellent); sexy zombie pants; my new bracelet from Gem (thank YOU!); obsessing over this old photo; saying “bwahhhh!” (sometimes it is all that feels appropriate); iGala!!!; B.O.B. by Outkast (an oldie but a goodie); old photos in general (aw, sheesh).
“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, & you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” — Anais Nin
How about you, beautiful? I have my fingers crossed that something insanely delicious & juicy happened to you this week!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [87] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 December 2008, 20:31 ]
Planned domesticity — I have started planning how my apartment in New York is going to look. I cannot even tell you how excited I am. I haven’t lived on my own — in my own place — since 2006, which feels like it was a very long time ago. I am getting all delighted about colour schemes, the sort of kitchen implements I’ll buy (not that I cook), what I’ll hang on the wall, bedding, rugs, lamps, awesome gear for my writing area… I’m going to resurrect my rainbow of vintage typewriters, & put pictures of my friends all over the walls, & have pink striped bedsheets. Probably. & I am DYING to go to a secondhand bookshop & stock up! I am going to take one of those grandma carts that you usually put your groceries in, & trundle them back to my house with an enormous grin on my face. Bliss-o-rama, for real!
Looking forward to things! Here is a brief list. I am looking forward to… Working side-by-side with Nubby at Darling HQ in New York City; seeing Helen this weekend (I haven’t seen her in well over 2 years!); seeing Skelerina on Monday (ditto on 2 years!); going dancing this weekend; being in Auckland in January (there are so many people because it’s Big Day Out time, I have heaps of friends there who I adore & the weather & energy is totally perfect); giving away amazing prizes as part of the iCiNG 13 Days Of Christmas!; kicking it with Sammy, Zoetica, Lumi, Star & Violet in California in February; visiting Florida; being in America full-time; everything! EVERYTHING!
My holographic unicorn necklace — It’s way too amazing not to warrant its own heart-shaped bulletpoint! I want to go out just so I have an excuse to wear it. Having an accessory or piece of clothing that makes you feel like that is so awesome, & it doesn’t even have to cost you a lot (in my case, about 7 bucks)!
Kanye West & Nas — Yes, I saw them on Tuesday night! First up, 808’s & Heartbreaks is really, really good, despite the autotune madness. I especially like Say You Will, Paranoid & Street Lights. The show was amazing — Kanye & Nas were both brilliant, & I was so thrilled to be able to go. I thought I wouldn’t be able to, but then at the last minute my friend offered me a ticket, so I quickly got dressed, took photos (of course!) & raced out the door! I danced like a complete fooligan, until my back was aching & my feet were incapacitated. It was brill. A++.
I wish this song would really come true, I admit I still fantasize about you…
Free phones! My New Zealand phone stopped working — sad trombone! — but my friend is couriering me a new one! How great is that?! It will be exciting to be able to send text messages again, what a thrill! Haha.
Honourable mentions: John Legend feat. Andre 3000 – Green Light (Three Stacks [Andre] is incidentally the hottest, coolest vegan on the planet); the Grease soundtrack (I swear I will be rocking it in my 70s — & still swooning over Danny Zucco); Placebo’s cover of Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush; immaculate hot pink mani/pedicures; getting work done ahead of time (best feeling in the world); ridiculous frivolous purchases (ice-cream scented bubbles? WHY NOT?!); fake tan (I’ve been using St Tropez mousse & it is BRILLIANT); ...I can’t even write the name of this song because I am so embarrassed that I like it (plz don’t judge); perfect eyebrows (truly satisfying); unexpected emails; Helen & Mama Turk; the fact that someone went to the trouble of making this (a-m-a-z-i-n-g); Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) which I think is the funniest concept for a song ever (“QUICK GIRLS, GET MARRIED!”) but is also an awesome booty-shake song (you can imagine that if you like); Tim Ferriss (I love his ass); BFFs in Minneapolis!; buying domains in bulk (I’m so excited, YAY new projects!); Will Ferrell as Harry Caray (“HEY!!!”); N.W.A’s “explicit content only” version of Straight Outta Compton & by the way it is sooooo NSFW & I kind of want to make one of those songs my ringtone; my brand spanking new hot pink piggybank from Nadine!; Jake!; pulling my hair back in un petite pomp (like miniature Marie Antoinette!); talking about boys with clever girls, & dark chocolate-covered ginger. Yum.
“Don’t despair too much if you see beautiful things destroyed, if you see them perish. Because the best things are always growing in secret.” — Ben Okri
& you? What had you leaping out of your seat to call your best friend this week?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [112] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 November 2008, 21:23 ]
Oh, what’s that? What did you say? Speak up, I can’t hear you. Oh, it’s time for the WORLD FAMOUS THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY?! Really? How appropriate! I was just getting my list ready! Don’t you love it when things work out like that?!
Okay, so here’s my TiLT list! It’s been a really quiet week, maybe one of the quietest all year, but here’s what I’ve come up with!
Remember that if you want to participate on your own blog or journal, start a Facebook thread, whatever, you can use a badge! (It will make you look cool, promise, & there are two wicked new badges by Kate & Karen for you to pilfer!)
Murs — I just heard the track he made with Busy P, To Protect & Entertain (thank you, Sophie!). Have a listen, it is magnifique. Best parts? “L.A., city of smog, scenesters, hipsters, sneakers, blogs… Tomorrow morning I’mma be on Cobrasnake, makin’ out with a chick that my girlfriend hates!” Murs, you are awesome.
What I Wore Today — I was first contacted by Graffito Books about appearing in WIWT aaaaaages ago (or so it seems!), so you can imagine my delight & surprise to see a copy of the book in my local Urban Outfitters! (Well, it was local at the time!) It’s an amazing book, featuring some of the most interesting, cool & innovative outfits worn by girls online! I have 3 pages in it, & there are also pictures of a whole bunch of my friends, including my infamous wife, Nubby! Yay!
Seeing old friends — Moving to a different country can often fracture friendships. It’s really easy to forget about people when you don’t see them all the time, or to get more involved with the people you do see regularly! One of the best things, though, about meeting awesome people, is that when you get back together in the same city, often it’s just the way it always was. I also really, really love the fact that the three girls I see most often in New Zealand are people who’ve known me since I was 14! Bonus: They’re all just as sweet & cool as they’ve ever been. I love them.
Planning roadtrips! A friend & I have been trading excited emails about making the trek north in January. By then, I will have my learner’s license (simultaneous laughter & excitement!) so I will actually be able to do some of the driving! Oh my god! Auckland, you’ll see me sooooooon!
Easing back into the NZ lifestyle — Wow. New Zealand & New York could not be more different. Every time I come back to NZ, it becomes even more apparent to me. My parents live by the sea, & it is so quiet here! All the time! Yesterday someone crashed their Mini down the road & I actually went out to witness the excitement! Seriously. While I am still hankering for the energy of Manhattan, Wellington definitely has charm, & it’s really beautiful. Postcard-esque. I’m doing my very best to soak up as much of it as I can — by kicking back, relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, & taking lots of photos, because I know that when I leave for the States next year, I won’t be back for a while!
Honourable mentions: The video for Hello by Lionel Richie (my friend told me about it on Saturday night, & it just happened to play on television the next afternoon — I laughed SO HARD, it is unbelievably awful!); Commodores – Nightshift (love it so much); Blueprint (new favourite Rhymesayers artist, maybe?); having a lazy eye in photos (channelling my inner Paris Hilton); Snow Patrol (I am a fan, I am, I am); working on new projects (coming soon baby!); big bowls of guacamole; big stacks of books; “I like snogging better than sex“; MSM (I haven’t taken any for months & have just started again); 2 hour + phonecalls with my girlfriends; reminiscing & laughing; running through the rain in high heels; Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreaks (even though it suffers from a major case of auto-tune overdose); new Moleskines (I just bought my 2009 diary & started a new blank soft-covered one, too); apple slices with peanut butter (new obsession); Bong-Ra’s super-long mixes; looking at my wedding ring (what a nerd!); planning trips to the beach; Lamb — I forgot all about them, criminal! Especially when Little Things (lyrics) could easily be the TiLT theme song!; counting my blessings on the Flickr blog; the fact that gratitude is ALL THE RAGE!; having manners; being productive; good rich coffee; my new awesome vampire t-shirt (it says “Truth be told, vampires suck. BLOOD THIRSTY IMMORTALS!” & was a gift from Timmy Kern!), & getting to wear my summer clothes again!
I also want to send my love out to my favourite crew, Palms Out, purveyors of FINE tunes! They are getting a lot of grief from Google & Blogger right now, & it’s all very unfortunate. Fingers crossed that everything gets sorted out soon. I love you guys! My palms is outttt!
Bonus points! If you have any pressing questions you want to ask me about, well, anything — being Gala, the iCiNG project, etc., send ‘em through! iCiNG’s 2 year anniversary is coming up (can you believe it?!) & as a special treat, I decided to do an interview with myself like y’all have been requesting with my career articles! So, ask me whatever you like, all I ask is that you please email ‘em through rather than just commenting, because otherwise they’ll get lost forever! Peeeeace!
“The trick is not how much pain you feel — but how much joy you feel. Any idiot can feel pain. Life is full of excuses to feel pain, excuses not to live, excuses, excuses, excuses.” — Erica Jong
Okay then gorgeous, how about you? What made you do a little jig of glee this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [106] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 November 2008, 19:19 ]
Here’s a list of things I am in love with this week — & it’s pretty travel-focussed, because I just (as in, a few hours ago) touched down in New Zealand!
Girl Talk — Oh, he was so good live. The atmosphere was amazing, like a nu-rave convention. I swear, I have never seen so many American Apparel lamé headbands in one place in my entire life! But damn, I danced my ass off, from the start to the finish! & I didn’t stop there! I danced in the subway station, I danced on the train, & then I danced by my window, before slithering into bed where I tapped my toes until I went to dreamland. I took a guy I don’t know very well, but he is a music nut, so we sang the lyrics to one another the whole way through while we boogied. It was so good! The best thing is that Girl Talk is also playing in Wellington in January. I am so there!
Seeing my parents’ new house — It is amazing! They’ve been remodelling it since January & it’s just been completed. It is the kind of house Nubby Twiglet dreams about. The whole thing is red, black & cream. I have nicknamed it the Swiss Hotel. It’s totally weird but awesome to be in this house I know so well but which looks so different! & my parents are so happy with it. Aw, bless.
Hearing New Zealand accents again — It’s so weird to me! Being back here is like being in a Flight of the Conchords episode all the time!
Sammy — Arrrr, she is so cute. She picked me up from LAX & we sped along the freeway to Santa Monica, where we ate grilled sandwiches in a vegan-friendly diner. Later, we met “the devil from Vietnam” (he looked pretty white to me), & went to the boardwalk where we saw a girl rollerblading with her dog in her arms, a guy playing a guitar on a skateboard, & some crazy monkey people swinging from hoops. After some quality photobooth time, she took me back to the airport & I boarded my flight to Auckland. She is lovely! We were both wearing Frye boots — she was wearing a pair I was thinking about getting, & I was wearing the pair she was thinking about getting! (I think I need her ones now too, they are the Frye Engineer & they looked gooooood on her.) We had never met before & it all turned out really well! We laughed & talked & it was awesome. Yay! Such a good way to spend a stopover, instead of in some stinky lounge, bored out of my mind!
Watching the sun set over Santa Monica & then rise again over New Zealand. It was pretty beautiful, both times.
Long flights which seem short — 12 hours & 50 minutes is a long time, but somehow it went really quickly. What did I do to entertain myself? I ate mashed potatoes from aforementioned diner. I read some of Sundays With Vlad (which is SO FUNNY & awesome, I had to cover my mouth so as not to drive everyone around me nuts. Buy it now & visit Paul’s blog!). I watched Baby Mama (um, not good, do not recommend) & Hot Fuzz (which gets better every time I see it). I slept & drank apple juice. & boom! Just like that, it was all, “As we’re now approaching our descent, please ensure your safety-belt is fastened, tray-table stowed, seat-back upright & all electronic devices are turned off…”
Planes with wifi! I love that. Technology makes me so happy! Thank you, American Airlines! Communicating from the clouds is pretty cool. I chatted with Nubby, sent some emails, browsed Etsy… It was a good time.
Honourable mentions: Pinkberry with Chloe (she is my new girlfriend, didn’t ya know?!); cute girls who appear at your door with hand-knitted garments; Arizona half iced tea half lemonade; Bose products (their SoundDock & headphones make my world such a good place); photobooth strips; realising how many cute, smart, creative, awesome girls I know; having conversations with people you’ve just met but totally getting it & understanding one another; spending up at MAC (glee!); my Eat Raw Live Long shirt from One Lucky Duck (I bought it at Pure as a reminder to eat good food!); warm weather; being by the sea; MAC Studio Tech foundation (I just picked it up & I am reeeeeally happy with it); finally having a shower after hours in the sky; seeing my parents again (they are so cute, they always meet me at the gate & always look SO EXCITED to see me!); feeling the days stretch out in a glorious expanse. Yum.
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” — J. B. Priestley
Bring on the magic! What’s filling you with delight today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [107] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 November 2008, 11:35 ]
Missouri! It’s pretty neat, actually. I really didn’t know what to expect before I came here, but it’s been really interesting & a lot of fun. It is so, so different to the coasts, & has been a major eye-opener. All kinds of exciting things have happened, from meeting a nonpareil in the street in Columbia (!), to having a girl tell me I reminded her of a Barbie she once had, to being yelled at by an impatient Taco Bell drive-thru customer! Everyone I’ve met has been super-nice, too (well, with the exception of the woman who got all malignant over her burrito!). It’s been pretty chilly, but I’ve been wearing my new favourite hoodie & it’s kept me very warm!
City Museum —This deserves its own mention. We went yesterday & had so much fun! It’s hard to describe, but basically it’s this insane building that you can climb all over & discover. There are caves & 7 foot slides, huge bank vaults & aeroplanes high above the ground. There’s also an awesome little sideshow area where we took oldschool b&w photobooth strips, & I heeded the wisdom of a mechanical fortune teller. Ahh, it was so cool!
New York! For all the excitement of Missouri — hee — I’m looking forward to going home today. It’s a bit sad though too, because on Tuesday I leave for New Zealand! It has seemed like such a short trip! There are so many things I’d like to do before I leave — like ice-skating! — especially since I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be back! (Sob!) Early 2009, for sure, but I don’t have any dates set in stone yet. But I do still love love love New York, & I am looking forward to seeing its sweet face again.
New Zealand anticipation! Yup. I am starting to get excited about going back to NZ. I’m going for the Christmas/summer period, & I’m so happy about getting back into some warm weather! Eeeeeeeee! I think I’ve said it before, but cool temperatures just aren’t my thing, so I avoid them. Haha. Anyway, NZ will be good. My parents just renovated their entire house so I’m really looking forward to seeing it, & odds are fairly high that I’ll be making a trip up to Auckland some time within the next couple of months too. It will be nice to see all my strangely-accented friends, haha!
British Vogue (December) It appeared in my hands as if by magic on Saturday night & I spent a good half an hour flicking through it, audibly squeaking with rapture & having to take pauses to put my hand on my forehead. Seriously. It was dramatic! So you know that I mean it when I say that this is the BEST ISSUE OF VOGUE, from ANY country, that has come out in a long time, & you would be a complete fooligan to miss out. They call this the “fantastic fantasy fashion” issue & oh boy, do they deliver. There is a Roald Dahl-themed photoshoot shot by Tim Walker, for god’s sake! Get that sweet toosh of yours down to your local magazine shop & snap it up! It is glorious.
Vampires — Aahahah. Well, last week I went to see Let The Right One In, which was awesome, & it has really only gotten worse since then. On Tuesday, I bought a second-hand copy of Sundays With Vlad from this teeny but awesome bookshop in Columbia, & ended up having a weird conversation about blood-sucker culture with the woman behind the counter. & then… Timmy bought me fangs. HAHA. I am almost embarrassed to admit it. I haven’t worn them yet, but they are so hilarious. Way to be ridiculous, Gala!
Honourable mentions: Magical thinking; big bottles of kombucha; FOUND magazine; doing the right thing for my body; dangling upside down; Prince; seeing my first real teepee!; ridiculous jingles; drinking pumpkin spice soy lattes while searching through radio stations; staining hotel room pillows pink; invitations to Florida; um okay this is so gross but spicy chicken crunchwraps from Taco Bell are sooooo good; listening to Wham! in hotel rooms; thinking about fun new projects; having my feet rubbed; going to super-Walmart at 2 in the morning; cuddlin’; smoochin’.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Okay beautiful — how about you? Tell us the best parts of your week!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [143] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!4th Grade TiLT
[ 6 November 2008, 15:30 ]
I received this email today, & it blew me away, so I had to share it with you.
“Ok, so you don’t know me but I am likely, nope surely one of your HUGEST fans. I have no idea how I discovered your blog, but I adore you. You are the cool kid I want to be. You have this touch that when I read something you write I get it, I juuuust get it. Anyway, I started a Things You Love Thursdays email to my friends and family. Really, I only have 22 people on my TiLT list. But it has exponentially EXPLODED into this thing where I get comments like “I look forward to your TiLTs Thursday mornings” and people are passing it on.
Yesterday I got an email that said that my girlfriend that I went to teaching university with was sharing this with her grade 4 class:
I do TiLT with my students every Thursday and they love it. Here are a few responses that I will share:
Today I got 6-8 emails back of TiLTs from some of my closest friends/family. The best part is that even people on my TiLT list that know none of my other friends and family hit “reply to all” so everyone gets the TiLT joy! They were fabulous!
Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that you have inspired even us Canadians to be grateful and thank the universe for all of our blessings. So for this I thank YOU miss Gala beautiful! I have had the worst year of my life and I feel like your blog and your hilarious and wonderful take on life has inspired me to keep going! So thanks a super bunch!”
I am so filled with happy right now. & I swear, “bacon!!!!” is the best TiLT entry in the history of the universe! Consider this a late addition to my own TiLT!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [45] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 November 2008, 12:44 ]
America — I am so proud of my new home. Enough said.
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen — Meeting them the other day was so exciting. I didn’t get to see them for very long or anything, but they are ultra-cute; even more so in person than in photographs. They were also completely charming & sweet. Don’t you just love it when people live up to your expectations?!
Hallowe’en in America — I was REALLY EXCITED to have my first American hallowe’en, & it was EVERYTHING I could have ever dreamed. Dude, it was amazing. New York City pulled out all the stops. I saw 200 people do the Thriller dance all the way down 6th Avenue. They closed off all the streets around my house & it was like martial law with costumes. People roaming in huge packs, yelling & screaming & dancing & posing for pictures. It was totally amazing. The Village Hallowe’en Parade was so, so good. It’s a huuuuge event, attracting 2 million (!!!) people every year. People line 6th Avenue & stand there for 4 hours (!!!) as the procession goes past. I saw all kinds of crazy things. Huge, moving skeletons, mariachi bands, a Ferris Bueller re-enactment, Pacman, a portable haunted house (complete with spinning chairs)... I sat on my fire escape, which had an awesome view, & surveyed the scene. It was SO exciting to me. I couldn’t even express it. As soon as it started I was just like, ‘Oh my god, I cannot possibly live anywhere else ever’. New York City is so incredible, there is so much energy here, & there is so much hard work going on everywhere, it is unbelievably inspiring.
I made a silly video of it, too.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall — One of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a really, really long time. If you haven’t seen it, you should. I thought it was hilarious.
Pumpkin pie — I had my first slice of it the other night. I took a bite, & then said, “Oh my god, are you serious?!” Aloud. To no one in particular. I was standing alone in my kitchen. Okay, so this might be going just a little bit too far, but I think pumpkin pie might just be the food of the gods. If you have never had it — which is probably almost all of you outside of America — you should make some yourself & experience the sheer delight of it. The piece I had was vegan & it was absolutely incredible.
American Psycho — The book is one of my favourites (which is something you might not guess from reading this website!), but the movie is pretty excellent too. I watched it again for about the gazillionth time last weekend, & enjoyed it as always. “That’s a very fine chardonnay you’re not drinking.” Oh, Patrick!
Vampire movies at midnight — Truly, midnight is the best time to indulge in a little macabre cinema. I saw Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre at midnight last week, & it was so much fun. I think I am going to see either Otto or Let The Right One In this weekend at midnight as well. There is a Dracula sub-plot in Forgetting Sarah Marshall & I swear it pushed me over the edge. So, my point is, I am becoming obsessed with vampires. Seriously, I am, I want to buy a pair of plastic fangs & paint on a hot pink widow’s peak. I seem to recall wearing plastic fangs as a child & drooling uncontrollably, but maybe technology has advanced since. I want to watch Buffy, & speak in a silly accent, & swoop around! What a NERD! Um, I also really want to buy this t-shirt. Ahem.
Ustream.tv — I found out about this from Darren Rowse, & I am obsessed. It’s not a complicated concept, just streaming webcam action, but I love it! I watched him open his Macbook Pro (yes, really!) & the quality was really high, with no crazy buffering madness. It was just like watching television, except you can chat at the same time so it’s not all one-way. I’m thinking of doing a regular “show” that you can all tune into! Tell me what you think & what you’d like to see!
Honourable mentions Adorable tattooed Virgo hairdressers who make house calls!; Jake One’s White Van Music (I’ve been listening to it all week, & it’s totally worth your hard-earned coin!); people telling me they’re dressing up as me for hallowe’en (what?!!! Amazing!); fun dates (ahhh I love New York & the people in it!); getting new shoes in the mail; Otis Redding (Cigarettes & Coffee!); bat signals; Red Bamboo (I have eaten there at least four times in the last week or so); surprising phone-calls; ridiculous invitations (like uh, Mariah Carey’s hallowe’en party); planned ice-skating trips; blueberry bagels with strawberry tofutti; Blueprint – Big Girls Need Love Too; chocolate-covered goji berries; finding cute little vegan restaurants close to my house; Greek (I still love it, you should check it out); 24-hour diners; Quintessence; High Fidelity (“I will now sell 5 copies of The 3 EPs by The Beta Band.” “Do it.”); interviews; foot massages; sequinned everything!
“Our time here is magic! It’s the only space you have to realize whatever it is that is beautiful, whatever is true, whatever is great, whatever is potential, whatever is rare, whatever is unique, in. It’s the only space.” — Ben Okri
& now, sweetness, your list of delight, if you please! What is the best thing that happened to you this week? Bring on the love-fest!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [128] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 October 2008, 12:19 ]
Bruno Dayan — His photos are above. Anyone who can make bookworms look sexy & chic gets my vote!
Seth Godin — His talk yesterday morning was totally brilliant & incredibly inspiring. He was speaking about the concept of tribes, & how people want to belong to a group with which they identify; how it defines who they are. He was encouraging us all to start movements, & it was SO GOOD! Totally my thing. I made pages & pages of notes which I keep looking at & feeling these jolts of excitement. There were a couple of people filming but I haven’t seen a video of the full thing yet — slackers! When I do, though, I’ll link it up for you!
Walking 40 blocks in the sunshine — I decided to walk home from the talk yesterday & it was great. It was cold but warm at the same time, if that makes sense, but mostly I enjoyed it because I got the opportunity to immerse myself in the city. You can only absorb so much of it in taxis & on the subway — you need to get out & walk around to get a real sense of it. I love it every time I do. Best city on earth.
Photo by Bruno Dayan.
Secret society meetings — Obviously it’s secret so I can’t say much, but on Tuesday night (with my freshly tattooed arm all swollen & bandaged), I put on my favourite pair of shoes & trekked uptown for a soiree in an apartment on the 31st floor. We ate meringues, swilled wine, discussed disturbing performance art ideas & laughed. A lot. So much fun! You should form your own secret society, it’s a good time!
Emrys — On Friday, my friend Emrys came into the city from Connecticut. I haven’t spent a lot of time with her, but we have a great connection — she is an amazing person & I respect her so much. Well, it turns out that seeing her last week was exactly what I needed. She’s a counsellor, & one of the most grounded, positive, thoughtful people I’ve ever met. I absolutely cherish her. She really helped me sort through some of my head-spin-o-rama detritus, for which I am so, so thankful. I love you Emrys!
Elton John remixes — Okay, there’s only one I know of, but it’s amazing. Download this if you know what’s good for you. It makes me so happy!
Gmail’s new features — God I’m a geek, I can’t believe this makes it to my list. But canned responses! Random signature rotation! Custom label colours! LOVE IT. Way to go, Google. You guys do a good job, keep it up. (& if you don’t use Gmail… you should!)
Chew Fu — Even though our jet-setting lifestyles (ha!) have thus far prevented us from hanging out in person — I mean, he’s in Australia right now for crying out loud! — he still manages to bring a whole lot of happiness to my life by churning out fantastic remixes. (& name-dropping me in interviews, haha!) My latest favourite by him is Frank Sinatra – New York New York (Chew Fu Big Room Fix). (If you receive Cupcake, then this is the song I was listening to yesterday that made me fall over!)
Battle Circus — My exceptionally talented friends from New Zealand are in New York right now, playing shows, & I got to see them last week for the first time in aaaages! So much cute. They’re fresh from Germany, where they were supporting Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls! How amazing is that?! Add them to your Top 8, enjoy their tunes, go to their shows, turn it out!
“Do you know what I love? When I describe something as a playful but mysterious little dish & someone gets the reference.”
“I think YOU’RE a playful but mysterious little dish!”
Honourable mentions: Trevor Brown calling me “the most chic girl on the planet“ (!!!); Coconut Chai from Bonobos; soy lattes from Joe’s; Remix Sunday 127 from Palms Out (oui, I’m a bit late to the party, but it was a goodie!); this (most perfect sexy awesome photo ever, maybe!); Damien Rice (totally on a D.R. kick right now); emails which overflow with love & delight; circus anticipation (I’m going tonight & I have a hot date!); remembering that my friend used to call me a “candy haired gangster”; heart-shaped balloons; dreaming about making little elf babies with Nubby; having my siamese twin tattoo worked on; spending two & half blissful hours getting a massage & facial; just like last week, listening to NAS’ ‘Black President’ & feeling excited; N-O, T-O, R-I-O, U-S, you just, lay down, slow; fun stuff to come, & hallowe’en!
What’s the cutest nickname you’ve ever been called? Imagine I just called you that, then smile & start writing your own delicious, magical Things I Love Thursday list! (Oh, & moi? “Candy haired gangster” is up there. But good old “Ms. Darling” works for me too, in the right circumstances.)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [94] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 16 October 2008, 12:13 ]
1. Crazy Horse Show in Lisbon: Rehearsals, 2. Marlies Dekkers 15 years, 3. Untitled, 4. Inspired by Lulu Brooks
Having friends that I respect — Years ago, I used to think a lot about how I would feel if I met one of my idols & was going to introduce them to my friends. Would I feel good about it? I was always a bit iffy on the answer. That might seem like a slightly shallow thing over which to deliberate, but sometimes it’s hard to gauge how you feel about someone until you consider them in a specific situation. Anyway, I am proud to say that yesterday I realised that all of my friends are amazing. I respect them so much. They are so inspiring, so cool, so grounded, & really, really, REALLY good people. I love ya.
Lula’s Sweet Apothecary, otherwise known as my new favourite place. Oh yes. Sean Bonner tweeted about it the other day & I had to go. What is it, you ask? It’s an ALL VEGAN ICE-CREAM PARLOUR in New York City’s East Village. Oh yes. Ohhhh yes. So I went, & honestly there was trepidation in my heart because sometimes — not always, but sometimes — vegan “remakes” of things aren’t very good. But the good news is this. I had a peanut butter & chocolate shake that was so good I almost cried. & then I had an enormous mint chocolate chip sundae with cream, hot fudge sauce, Oreos & a cherry on top. It was amazing. I have thought about going back every day since then. If you’re in the neighbourhood, you have to go. Even if you’re not vegan. Tell them I sent you & give them my love!
Sean Daley from Atmosphere. Honestly, he is preeeeetty much the coolest person on the planet. He is totally honest, genuine, authentic & hilarious — exactly what you would expect from hearing his records. I can’t believe I got to meet him; I cannot describe the total awesomeness of hearing a voice that is so familiar & iconic actually saying your name. Even funnier was listening to the people around me tell their friends, “OH MY GOD I MET SLUG”! Adorable++. I saw their two New York shows on Monday & Tuesday, both of which were excellent. I’ve said it before, I’ve said it a million times: find out if they’re coming to your city, buy a ticket, go & enjoy yourself! Oh, & of course, I had to take photos…
Manko (link not safe for work). I had breakfast with her on Monday, & she is fabulous. I’ve admired her for a really long time — I love her aesthetic & her attitude — & just like with Sean, it was awesome to discover that she’s just as cool in real life. The funniest thing is that we’re going to be in Wellington at the same time later this year! Hi-jinks are in the works! Yay!
Hour-long Shiatsu massages — Oh yesssss! Timmy & I got massages together on Monday & emerged from the darkened room an hour later, feeling like new people. God, it was so good! & what’s better than an hour-long Shiatsu massage? That’s right! Booking to go back a week later!
Eveline Tarunadjaja. Clever, cute! Look! (She’s also exhibiting in Melbourne & California in a show curated by Audrey Kawasaki, & you should totally go.)
Loverboys who come over, make you dinner & buy you ice-cream. Enough said, right?
My apartment. I am still in absolute rapture at having my own place. I also love this neighbourhood & the people in it, I love the church bells, I love the park. My place is fabulous. When you walk in the front door, you smell lilies & roses. I also received a package from the United Kingdom the other day, with a dress & a whole bunch of holographic stars in it. The stars exploded all over my living room — they’re sprinkled across my floor & table. I stuck one to my lover’s forehead with spit. They stick to the bottoms of my feet & I keep finding them everywhere. It makes me smile.
This quote:
“Learn to ask for what you want. The worst people can do is not give you what you ask for which is precisely where you were before you asked.” — Peter McWilliams
Honourable mentions: Black President by NAS; Vanity Sick by Atmosphere (new favourite track — it was the bonus track on When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold if you bought it on iTunes, but I didn’t, & thus, I had never heard it until the show!); this tampon chandelier!; ripped stockings; people who come up to me just to tell me how much they like my hair!; also, leaving pink hairs everywhere; learning to let go; validating phonecalls; The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs; upcoming travel (St Louis in November, hee!); my Givenchy lip glosses (boy-approved!); spending an entire day writing in my Moleskine; spooning; This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan, hahaha; phone interviews with charming people; talking to my friend on Skype while she was naked in bed (saucy!); writing in weird places (parks, rooftops, fire escapes); Spaced (“she looks like a turd in a wig!”); planning trips to LA; gothic fonts; Vogue Nippon; people who are delighted by my accent (soooo cute); making extravagant hallowe’en plans; sending super-excitable emails; kissing; anyone who tells me I have cute teeth (especially because I don’t think I do); my parents; shock, joy & awe.
Now, my beautiful babushka, tell me your list of current infatuations! Sit there with your eyes closed & let the excitement & happiness & glee build up inside you until you feel like you will explode… Then start writing! I can’t wait to hear what weird & wonderful things happened to you this week!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [97] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 9 October 2008, 00:20 ]
Photo by Felix Larher.
Drinking espresso under the Eiffel Tower at night & watching the light show (which I think is beautiful). The tower was lit up in blue, with shimmering white lights all over it — it was really an incredible sight to behold. It was definitely one of the best things I did in Paris, & after seeing that, I pretty much fell in love with the city.
Paris! Yes. I really enjoyed my time there. It’s a magnificent place. It doesn’t give me the same rush that New York does, but it has its own, very specific charm, & I think after another visit it could easily nudge its way into #2 on my favourite cities list. I’m glad of that actually, it’s always good to have a few different cities in which you feel comfortable & happy, & which you can pick from. The best clue that I really liked it there is that I am already planning what I will do on my return… !
Being immersed in the French language — It’s so beautiful, really, & just seeing all the signs & listening to everyone around me was totally inspiring. I also found (& this filled me with total delight) that a lot of my vocabulary knowledge started to come back to me after a few days of being there. By the end of the 4th day, I was speaking with a lot more authority & felt much more comfortable with the language. I cannot TELL YOU how satisfying this was. I am even considering taking regular classes at the Alliance Française, because when I go back I would really like to be able to communicate even more confidently. Though of course, I would need to be in one spot long enough to take a course… !
Speaking in a fake French accent — Haha. So, I speak (un petit peu) French. But Timmy, who I went with, doesn’t. Well, he can say hello, goodbye & thank you, but that’s about it. We caught the hell out of the Métro, & we often had to discuss which stops we were going to, so he started trying to pronounce the names in a French accent. Eventually it devolved into the two of us talking in fake French the whole time, using “boeuf” in place of regular curse words & preeeeeetty much acting like huge dorks. It was totally obnoxious & incredibly hilarious. Hahah.
Finding a carousel with a big hot air balloon on it — There are two carousels near the Eiffel Tower. The first one is on the other side of the road, but if you go back across the Seine, there’s another one which is two storeys & much more decadent! The best part of it to me was the fact that there was a seat in a hot air balloon if you didn’t want to ride ye olde horse! It matched my tattoo, so of course that’s where I sat. So much fun!
French people en général — You know, they get a really bad rep usually. “Oh, Paris? Everyone there is so rude!” Actually, everyone I met was super-polite & went out of their way to help me. When you walk into a shop in Paris, they always say hello, ask if they can help, & bid you farewell when you leave. I haven’t been anywhere else like that, & I loved it. I did meet one rude person, but he was in the airport & clutching a passport I couldn’t read the front of, so he wasn’t even from France!
Le Crazy Horse — Cute, smiling, nearly naked dancing girls, check. Amazing light show, check. Shoes by Christian Louboutin, check. (Hyperventilate, oh my god, fan girl!!!) We went to the show on Sunday, our last night, & really enjoyed it. I kept nudging Timmy & making him pay attention, hee. “No! Look at the shoes!!!” If you ever go to Paris you must go to the show!
Being told that I speak French with “no accent” by an actual French person. Dude. Ultimate compliment! So good it warrants a heart-shaped bullet-point all of its own! You have no idea how happy that made me!
Photos by Felix Larher.
Being back in New York! As much as I love travelling — & obviously, that is a lot — I love having a routine, too. Because flying & transfers & hotels & foreign public transportation systems are interesting, & challenging, & kinda cool, but sometimes you just want to sleep regular hours, get some work done & mooch around a neighbourhood with which you’re familiar! (Especially after my mad route home, which included an unplanned overnight stay in Philadelphia’s très glamor Ramada Inn!) It’s so crazy & awesome to me that New York is like home to me now, too!
My new place — voilà!
Monthly soundtracks — There is a girl who makes them on ljmixtape & every month she releases a new one. I have to say, sometimes on the first listen I’m not totally grabbed by the tracks, but by the second or third listen? Eeeee! These mixes of hers get SO MUCH PLAY on my computer! Her taste is really impeccable. You will need to join the community to see it, but here is her soundtrack for September — have a listen, & I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Lip yummies — Yesterday I went to Sephora & bought three lip treatments. I decided about two days ago that I wanted to start wearing something on my lips other than just flavoured balm, so I was on the hunt. I am really, really happy with what I bought — Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm (for lovely moisture), Givenchy Rouge Interdit Shine in Raspberry Shine & Givenchy Pop Gloss Crystal in Glitter Pomelo. The Givenchy products are seriously the best things ever, beautiful colours with the addition of irridescent glittery awesomeness! I’d never used their stuff before but I am sooooo happy! You should go & try them out, they’re fabulous & they make me feel like a total vixen.
Honourable mentions: Sleeping all the way home on the plane (I know I’ve said this before but it’s so good to wake up with only an hour until you land); having a row of four seats to yourself; dreams about your idols; sugar highs; befriending small French girls who wear bunny ears & draw pictures of you; brightly coloured macarons; having Japanese tourists take photos of you; perfect plane outfits (long-sleeved thin black hoodie + American Apparel grey sweater + long black cardigan + harem pants + socks + books + scarf); women behind you on the plane who sing; fashion parades in the Catacombs; kissy faces on a carousel; balconies which look out over Paris; bathtubs (in Paris & in my new place!); ‘Dolores’, the new album by Bohren & der Club of Gore; watching Almost Famous while eating ice-cream for dinner; Sex… With Mom & Dad (new MTV show featuring Dr Drew, who I love!) & Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (uber-trash but & as if I even need to say it, my favourites are Onch & Zui); kissing videos (awww); the super-super-super-friendly woman in the canteen in Philadelphia’s Ramada Inn!; big stacks of foreign fashion magazines; vegan tacos; big piles of blankets; impulse purchasing white bunny ears, & cute voicemail from people saying they miss me. Awww!
This is one of the most amazing things I’ve read in a while:
“Listen to people’s stories, & you’ll find that they could all be entitled “Why I Cannot Be at Peace Now”. The ego doesn’t know that your only opportunity for being at peace is now.” — Eckhart Tolle
Okay, bunny! Time for your TiLT exercises! Wiggle your fingers — in, out, up, down, around! — in preparation to compose us a big fat list of your current loves! Ready? Set? Go!
If you’re posting your Things I Love Thursday list elsewhere, remember you’re more than welcome to sneak a badge!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [110] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday (Um, Friday?!)
[ 3 October 2008, 07:12 ]
Eeeee! Sorry I’m so insanely late! I arrived in Paris yesterday at 8am, wandered around in a stupor until about 4 & then passed out! I woke up to a non-functioning internet connection, but now I am conscious again & fuelled by caffeine, whee!
This week, I am thankful for…
Being here. But of course. The city of Karl Lagerfeld, cute accents & tiny winding streets… Among other things. The city of lights — La Ville Lumière. (Lumière is my middle name, so it all seems to make sense.) I can’t wait to go exploring today, I have some awesome suggestions of places to visit, & with my headphones, a map & a camera I am unstoppable! I always thought it would be fun to split my time between New York & Paris, so I’m kind of walking around with that in mind, seeing what I can see…
Travelling alone — I love it, I really do. & when I say “travelling”, I mostly mean the actual physical part of getting from A to B, because it’s always nice to have someone to do things with when you arrive. The thing that makes me happiest is being able to do it all at my own pace. I can arrive at the airport insanely early if I want to, I can be as charming as I like to whoever checks me in, & basically I can focus all my intentions on having a great trip & seeing what unfolds. The funniest thing to me is when I think I know what’s best — thinking, “Having these two seats to myself would be excellent” — but then a girl sits down next to me with whom I get along like a house on fire, & who personally delivers me to the hotel at the other end. At first when she sat down, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to stretch out, but hey! Trust in the process! It always works, non? & my flight was much more enjoyable for it.
Making new friends — So, further to my point above, on the plane, I ended up sitting next to a girl from Cleveland who was awesome. Her name was Betsy, she was working in France teaching English to children, & we were almost disturbingly similar in our world views. We talked most of the way to Paris, which was great & then she helped me navigate the French train system (which is really very user-friendly but slightly daunting when you haven’t slept properly for 2 days). I also made friends with a little French girl who drew me a million pictures & who I think is in love with me, but that’s a story for another time!
Productivity — Mmmmm, getting things done. Oh, the rush! (What a Virgo…) I recently had a few days entirely to myself, where I didn’t leave the house, & it was great! Haha. I had so many things that I needed to catch up on, & actually doing them was immensely gratifying. Geek-o-rama, but I love it!
Speaking French — First of all, I’m so glad that I took French classes in school. I loved it at the time, but now I can’t stop thinking about how great it is to actually know something which has real practical application! Secondly, even though I feared that I would get here & be awful at speaking & understanding the language, I’m not at all. The best thing is that just being around French speakers & seeing French signs is helping stimulate my memory so that the words I thought I had forgotten years ago have come back. Being able to effectively communicate in another language is soooo satisfying! Ah! I can’t even attempt to articulate the untold pleasure it gives me! So good!
This video which demonstrates the power of saying thank you, & being grateful!
Having my own place — On Tuesday I went to my new place in the West Village & picked up my keys. I move in the day after I get back, & while hauling two suitcases up four flights of stairs won’t necessarily be the most thrilling thing, I am stoked to have my own space! I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but it’s the same building as last time, & in fact the same apartment as last time, just a floor below! It’s completely different to the last one, but it is beautiful & I looooove it. Pictures to come, oh yes!
Unwinding — In my universe, at this time, that mostly means lying down with a blanket & watching episodes of Gossip Girl, Greek, Californication or Entourage. I like it.
Honourable mentions: Late night wine excursions (see also: choosing a wine based on the name alone [Helios] because it’s the name of one of my favourite musical projects, & it being completely delicious); conscious conversations; growing my nails (they look amazing right now!); friends who name dresses after you (!!!); looking forward to taking daily outfit photos in Paris!; people who really look at you when you’re talking; visits from New Zealanders (my amazing friends from Battle Circus are coming to play a show in New York & I can’t wait! They’re also supporting the Dresden Dolls, clever huh?); super-loud thunderstorms; communicating honestly; live music anticipation (Battle Circus, Atmosphere [x 2!], Legendary Pink Dots & Girl Talk are all coming soon!); doing something scary & being massively rewarded for it; the way that French people say “Gala” (it makes me smile); eating spinach & kale chips on the plane; getting a phonecall from my friend in New Zealand when I was waiting to board my plane; Orangina (I like it a lot); hotel rooms with big balconies & bathtubs (I’m going to go to Lush & buy bath bombs & emerge covered in glitter, YAY!); upcoming dates with cute boys & mostly-naked girls!; big bags of Maltesers; exploring gleefully; being featured in this article alongside a whole bunch of people I really admire, & um, can I mention Paris again?!
“I’m not interested in being a ‘lover’. I’m interested in only being love.” — Ram Dass
Okay, how about you? What’s turning your crank today? What are you looking forward to this weekend? Let us know!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [50] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 25 September 2008, 14:31 ]
My list of things which are making me smile & giggle this week!
Having my parents in town — My parents came to NYC once in the late 80’s & weren’t very keen on it. Anyway, when I was in Wellington in August, they were planning their trip to the UK, & I managed to convince them to come over to NY to check it out for a while! They arrived on Monday night, & they’ve been having such a great time. It’s really awesome to see them experience the city & understand why I love it so much here. My father is delighted by pretty much everything he sees, it’s so CUTE! He is in love with the energy of the place just like I am. Last night we went out for dinner with my cousin who lives here, & laughed & laughed. I also showed them the West Village, where I was (& will be) staying, & they adored it. “This is the view out my window that I described to you on the phone!” I can’t wait to take them shopping, & a meal at Pure Food & Wine is on the agenda, too!
Las Vegas — Nubby & I had the most amazing time ever; it was the perfect place for our honeymoon! Hee! Las Vegas is absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible! I love it, & will take any opportunity I get to go back! Before we even left, we were making plans to go back for the Blog World Expo next year in October! We walked miles, ate enormous meals, slurped even larger cocktails, lounged by the pool, went bed-jumping, danced in clubs & got ready while listening to the classic rock station! We also took about a billion photos & video clips — not that you’re surprised by this information of course! The Blog World Expo was amazing, really inspiring with excellent organisation. I was totally impressed (& I got to meet a bunch of great people). So happy. It couldn’t have been any better than it was!
PARIS! Next week is going to be busy, oh yes. Next Thursday, I will be writing my Things I Love Thursday list from Paris! Oh yeah! Haha, I am so excited! I fly out on Wednesday night, arrive Thursday morning, & then I’ll be running around like a completely mad person until Monday morning, when I return to New York (& my new digs!). You must give me your suggestions for things to do while I’m there, because I have only been once before — I stayed out in the suburbs, & was there for a mere 24 hours to see a Legendary Pink Dots show! This time is going to be very different & I want to make the most of it. Colette & Laduree are already on my list, but I’d love to hear what else is worth doing! Even better, my amazing friend Craig is going to be there too! By the way, EEEEEEEEE! Squeal! Rapture!
My new place — I’m moving in next week, yay! Amazingly, it is the apartment directly below the one I stayed in last time — same building & everything! It’s totally different though: my previous place was super-minimal, while this one is lived-in, with a little library, work area & an antique couch. It also contains a sage green version of one of my favourite typewriters (Olivetti Lettera 32!) — I used to own a red one! It’s so lovely, I cannot WAIT to settle into it & do some writing! Bliss!
Atmosphere! Their NYC shows are approaching, & I’m reeeeeally looking forward to it. I also heard Slug on Loveline last night & it was amazing, haha. Actually, I think Loveline needs a mention too — I used to watch it on television years ago & it is just as great now, if not moreso!
Honourable mentions: Salads made by cute boys; taking photos in Mexican wrestling masks & other accoutrements; smoochin’; drunk men who pole-dance for you on the monorail (soooo funny); Virgo power!; trying on white tiger masks at 2am; riding in limousines (I think they are so tacky but so funny); being recognised in public; making time to write in my moleskine; the Criss Angel bible; catching the monorail with Nubs (monorail, monorail, monorail!); fuelling up on big juices; sparkly bracelets which leave glitter everywhere; my new (to me) t-shirt with a Trevor Brown illustration on the front!; Pantera; cute phonecalls; !!!; ultra-charm; lame pick-up lines (hilarious++); fond memories of the Virgo Boarding House; writing long to-do lists & checking them off; Nubby Nubby Nubby Nubby Nubby Nubby Nubby; sleeping on planes; fun dreams about celebrities, & last but certainly NOT least, the amazing Star for editing up this video of the Virgo extravaganza!
& now, ‘cause it’s always better when more people get in on the act, tell us what you’re head-over-heels about this week! Bring it on, & lay it on thick & delicious!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [99] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 September 2008, 16:23 ]
Having Nubby by my side — I’m so happy to have my Virgo soulmate back! She is amazing & I’m so pleased that we get along like we do. Everything is very easy, & well, we understand each other. It’s almost creepy sometimes but mostly I am just really glad to have someone who “gets” me! It’s cool, too, because we know a lot of the same people (though I don’t really know how that happened), & since we’re both in similar work with similar goals, we can pretty much talk about anything & it’s always interesting & entertaining. Our birthday party was amazing, & the last week staying in the makeshift Virgo Boarding House (hee) has been great, too. We have a hilarious red velvet couch routine & have spent many many hours sitting, talking, walking, shopping, plotting & blogging side-by-side. Tomorrow we’re going to Vegas — woo woo! — but on Monday she flies out of my life for another few months. Pout. Does she have to go?!
The Virgo Extravaganza — I know I’ve already written about it, but seriously, it was good, yo! The weather was really warm & even though it looked like it might threaten to rain at any moment, it didn’t. Everyone was so so so cute & lovely, & we were really overwhelmed by how sweet everyone was. Nubby & Star turned up with a bunch of helium balloons which matched my dress perfectly, & there was lots of hugging & excitement as we caught up. (I hadn’t seen Star in two years!) Timmy took a bunch of awesome pictures of the day, & then he, Nubby, Gilda & I piled into the subway clutching our bags, balloons, roses, cakes & other assorted nonsense (!!!) before going to our hotel. We are definitely thinking about renewing our vows every year, & really, the parties are just going to get bigger & better… Maybe we should have next year’s in the Bermuda Triangle?!
The Hotel On Rivington — We decided that we wanted to stay in a cool hotel for the night of our birthday, & after about a billion emails back & forth, we finally decided on the Hotel On Rivington. It was the ideal choice. Our room was great, with floor-to-ceiling windows & an enormous (& I do mean enormous, it was easily a four-person bed) Tempur-Pedic bed. The shower was AWESOME too, set against the outside of the building with a wall made of glass — which meant you could watch the entire East Village as you scrubbed yourself (& uh, they could see you, too). It was my favourite part of the room, I spent a lot of time there. I want a glass shower, ahhh it was so good! Anyway, the hotel was great — the staff were really friendly & helpful, the room was lovely & the location was impeccable. A+++! Would trade again!
The Garment District — I was in the Garment District last week to go to a Stephen Burrows show (which was amazing — & I was sitting opposite Carol Alt & Jay Alexander!), & when the show (which was brilliant) was over, I crossed the road to go into a trimmings shop. It was amazing. Glittery crystals, sparkly pendants, neon ribbons… It was a magpie’s dream. I spied a bunch of tiaras in a cabinet & told the cute little Chinese lady that it was my birthday & I thought I needed one. She gave me a whole lot to try, & then told me, “That one! I like that one!” Her enthusiasm was totally contagious, & so I bought it. Thank you, cute little Chinese lady. You helped make my birthday even more magical.
Adventures in the Meatpacking District — Last night, after a photoshoot in the middle of the street in the East Village, Nubby & I caught a cab to W. 13th Street to see what we could see. In a whirlwind of colour & madness, we started off on the roof of the Hotel Gansevoort, overpriced drinks in hand. After wishing happy birthday to the friend of an ex-pornstar, we were cornered on the street by a video crew who shone a light at us & asked us questions about our sex life. A few short minutes later, after navigating our way around the cobblestones, an enthusiastic gay guy waved us over & asked if he could take a picture with us. After running in & out of clubs, our feet finally got the better of us & we hobbled home… but not before catching up with the video crew again, & snapping this picture with the host… which I absolutely LOVE.
Honourable mentions: The word “fudge-packer” (oh so funny); blowing kisses to bus-drivers; cups of coffee the size of my head; rooftop pools; birthday cake for breakfast; sweet lemon cocktails; When I’m With You by the Legendary Pink Dots (& yes, I am going to their show!); Las Vegas anticipation; naked gymnastics; Michael Jackson’s Twitter!!!; laughing on the subway until I hyperventilate; compliments from friendly strangers; $10 lattes at The Plaza; introducing Nubby to my shoe guy at Bergdorf’s; aloe vera juice; Marie‘s corn outfit (& watching my wife jump on a bed in it); walking the streets of Manhattan in my Betsey Johnson dress & full transvestite make-up; $1000 bills; dreams of Bob Saget; birthday phone-calls from Mike Dooley; dressing up like babushkas in H&M; gourmet marshmallows; super-long Virgo to-do lists; foot rubs; Nubby’s accent (way too cute); my birthday twin Molly Crabapple!; considering the iCiNG national tour (oh yeahhhh); talking about New York plumbing in Starbucks; “I feel like a corpse.” “You feel like a reptile!” “You feel like a vampire!”; lizard people in general; plotting to club intruders with an obese person’s prosthetic leg (Nubby says, “I would totally do it, it’s like a baseball bat. You can’t throw any of this other stuff!”); picture-perfect suburban America; cute curled-up snuggle-sleep; writing on the porch swing!
“One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams.” — Salvador Dali
What are you adoring this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [60] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 September 2008, 16:50 ]
+ + + Oui, mes petites, it’s time for Things I Love Thursday! The biggest, happiest, most fabulous, ooey-gooey lovefest this side of… well, Burning Man maybe! Those of us in the northern hemisphere are experiencing one of the most beautiful season changes right now, while those of you in the antipodes (hello, Friday!) are watching spring come to fruition! How could you not be delighted?! Join with me in this week’s TiLT — my last list aged 24! Shocking!
The things I love this Thursday, in no particular order… Drumroll, please!
Porch swings! More specifically, the one I’m sitting in right now to write this! There is dappled sunlight & people walking around & beautiful houses all the way down the street. It’s amazing. There is no better place to write a gratitude list from, I swear, especially while listening to the Legendary Pink Dots. I am a major swing fan, so having one right outside the front door at my disposal is pretty much the best thing ever!
Arriving in New York at midnight… & being greeted by a dozen cupcakes from my favourite cupcakerie in NYC... & a cute boy to share them with! Awwww, geez.
Fashion week madness — It has been super-fun. I haven’t logged hundreds of hours in the tents, because I value my sanity too much — ha! — but the time I have spent there has been fabulous. Yuli has totally taken care of me & shown me a really good time, as well as showing me plenty of tricks of the trade for next year! It’s really, truly fabulous to sit in on the shows, & even more interesting to observe the general scene. I love to see what people are wearing, listen in on their conversations & soak up the atmosphere! It’s a different world inside the tents — so much so that when you walk out onto 42nd Street, you almost get culture-shock. I’m really loving the whole experience & think next year will be even bigger & better!
My New York experience in general — I am having a damn good time, oh yes! Highlights so far include “trend-spotting” at a party for Tattoo Society magazine, holding hands, eating dinner at Pure Food & Wine, luxuriant lounging on the world’s largest velvet couch, sleeping in a lovely cool bedroom, walking blocks & blocks in uncomfortable shoes but not minding because my company was so hilarious, American accents (I love them, okay?), getting really dressed up all the time, non-creepy strangers on the street telling me I look beautiful, sweet phonecalls & hugging people I haven’t seen in too long (like, omg, a whole month
My birthday outfit — No, not my birthday suit, my birthday outfit! Mmmmm. Yes ma’am. I bought a dress & shoes from Betsey Johnson the other day, & I cannot wait to wear them. I took the dress out of its garment bag last night, & I actually squealed. God, I’m so excited. The whole outfit is totally Barbie on acid, it’s amazing. Plus, you know you did good when you send a photo to your mother via email, & when she looks at it, the first words out of her mouth are, “Oh, WOW!” I also discovered that the free underwear I got at the Betsey show has a glittery cupcake on the front with a candle stuck in the top — hello, birthday knickers!
Impatient by Will.I.Am — It’s like the story of my life. Which is not to say I’m not enjoying the present moment (apologies to Eckhart), because I am, yes I am! But I am also super-excited about the future. There are always so many amazing things on the horizon! I can’t wait to see a certain cutie who gets back to the city tomorrow, & I get to see Star (who I met on my birthday in 2006!) tomorrow night too! I’m going to embrace my Virgo soulmate on Saturday morning, before we run all over the city collecting birthday supplies, & then we’re going to have big decadent partyyyy, then elope to Vegas for our honeymoon… Seriously, way too exciting, & way too much awesome for one girl alone to handle!
Will.I.Am in general — Honestly, the whole Songs About Girls album is phenomenal, though my favourite tracks are Ain’t It Pretty, Spending Money, Over & Heartbreaker. So good it warranted a heart-shaped bullet-point all of its own!
The official Gala tribute cupcake made by my brilliant friend Jess, who unfortunately can’t be in New York City for my birthday bash on Saturday…
!!!!!!!
Honourable mentions: Watching Grease on the plane; using my Helio phone again!; hanging out with Timmy Crunk at Auckland airport (aw!); sleeping on the plane with the blanket covering my entire body, including my head; kissing; beautiful warm weather; compliments which make me blush; big packages in the mail; watching fashion TV at 6am & talking over the top of it; misleading Nubby into thinking there were real midgets living above me!; antique handcuffs; pink stains in the bathtub; colour un-coordination with an entire house; my bags from Femme Sud!; making new friends; raw dinner dates; glossy black manicures; Coilhouse magazine (it’s a beauty, you should snap it up!) & their mention of me in their acknowledgements — awww!: realising my signature looks like it says “Galaxy“!; slightly terrifying energy drinks; hanging out with my birthday twin (same day & year!); preparing my “things I did the year I was 24” list; fashion week swag bags; genetic miracles; the 9/11 tribute (pretty beautiful), & um… cute boys in general! I am a fan.
How about you, gorgeous?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [70] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 September 2008, 18:04 ]
Daphne Guinness.
Blog World Expo — I am in the incredibly fortune situation of being able to go to Las Vegas for this expo on the 20th & 21st of September! I’m really, really excited about going to immerse myself in BLOG MANIA for two days! I can’t think of anything better! God, America is cool. ...But wait! That’s not all! Guess who’s coming with me? NUBBY TWIGLET! It’s going to be our official honeymoon, combining some of our favourite things: extravagance, flashing lights, lunacy & blogging! Haha. Aahhhhh! Virgo Vegas Vivaciousness! I am absolutely over the moooon about the whole thing, because I’m going to see a whole lot of amazing people speak, as well as fuel up on inspiration & insights! Even better, it’s in Vegas! Aaaargh! I have never been, the closest I have been to Vegas is watching National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation (Chevy Chase is pretty much my dream man) over & over again… I hear it is amazing & bright & colourful & ridiculous, so I am totally PSYCHED! Plus I get to see my Melbourne BFF, Darren Rowse! Hee. Yay! We’re not going to be there long — three nights (though I hear that will be long enough) — but any suggestions of must see places are welcome! (Nubby doesn’t know it yet, but we’re totally going to hit up Retro Bakery!)
International playgirl lifestyle! Otherwise known as… I am going to the airport in a few hours! Ooh la la! Even better, during what would be a boring three-hour layover in Auckland, I’m instead going to enjoy the company of one Timmy Crunk — the likes of whom I haven’t seen since August 2006! Too long! (My response to this news was basically “&^*&$^$!!!”) I’ve also appointed myself as the queen of sleeping-while-flying (& I kind of love the image it conjures up, slumbering Gala above the clouds, at a gazillion kilometres an hour), so I am looking forward to reclining my seat & passing out for a good zillion hours before I arrive in my favourite city ever. It is going to be excellent!
Spring — It’s a good season, & it just started here in the antipodes. I saw a pudgy bumblebee the other day, flying around drunkenly, & I smelt honeysuckle as I passed my neighbour’s house… Now I am leaving, but I trust you New Zealanders will enjoy it! & I will be back for the infamous New Zealand summer! Hooray!
Ridiculous manicures — You get the best ones at malls, I find. Not the best quality manicure, no no, but the most decadent, over-the-top & silly. A manicure to make Marie Antoinette proud! My latest? Eye-gouging pink with a sprinkling of clear jewels in white. Oh yes, baby. I hope that after it all starts to fall apart, people find the jewels stuck to ridiculous places & think, ‘What the hell is this?
Anticipating warm weather — ‘Nuff said.
Pole-dancing! Last week I went for a pole-dancing lesson taught by a girl with the coolest name ever (Hester!) & my super-sweet friend Jo. It was so much fun! I loved it! Even though I had to wear short-shorts! It was really great to swing myself around & pretend to be sultry, haha. I have been meaning to try it for such a long time, & now I finally have, & I am totally into it! It was the best type of exercise — so much fun that I didn’t realise how much of a work-out I was getting. I was in complete pain for days afterwards, I couldn’t even lift my arms above my head! I am definitely going to go to classes as soon as I have some semblance of a routine again, hahah…
This song which has been in my head since Monday evening…
Honourable mentions: “Call the cops when you see Tupac…”; Talladega Nights; listening to the top 100 hip-hop singles; Skinny Puppy (Mirror Sawwwww); Enduser; Legendary Pink Dots (playing in NYC in October, hell yes, it’s been years since I last saw them — 2003 in Paris!); Clock DVA (Jeffrey Dahmer’s favourite); a compulsion to only wear sexy black dresses for the rest of my life; Ebay frenzies; cupcake promises; brilliant girl geniuses; Whittaker’s Dark Mocha chocolate (yup, just like last week!); obsessively planning outfits; setting new goals; “I’m tired of using technology; why don’t you sit down on top of me?”; chokers; dancing around the living room playing dress-up; Happy Mess; late night talks with Ana about split tongues (!), lust & Japan!; my father snoring (too cute); imagining a crystal-encrusted bone to go through my nose; actually, crystal-encrusted anything!; time-lapse photography; cupcake hairclips; Kylie Mole (!!!); making huge salads; watching Mike Dooley; assigning myself as Jazzi‘s godmother; deep-fried Mars Bars (oh, my, god); lovely cool awesome people, oh & did I mention I’M GOING TO NEW YORK TODAY?!
Okay, your turn! What are you excited about right now?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [84] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 August 2008, 20:15 ]
I decided to buck the trend & do a video TiLT…
Yes, I had way too much coffee-infused chocolate this morning. P.S. I swear in this, so beware!
Also…
Honourable mentions: The feeling of wanting to crawl into a piece of music or a photograph; writing lists with big fat check-boxes; new skincare regimes; eating raw!; doing menial things (like chopping vegetables) & realising you have a big smile on your face!; yummy manuka honey lip treatments; dancing in my bedroom; being proud of my girl Jess for getting into The Age’s Good Food Guide section!; really cute & sweet emails; salad!; cozy snoozing; chocolate creme Oreos; an… tici… pation!; having my student loan wiped (yay!); making ridiculous videos; “I was trying to picture you ‘dating in your league’ but I don’t think those people exist”; surprise international phonecalls; having dancing fever; excitable talks with Jess, Jennie & Helen; lovely boys; listening to my old podcasts (I am a nerd!).
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” — Plutarch
Your turn, baby!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [145] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday,
video Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 August 2008, 22:54 ]
The one, the only, the original Things I Love Thursday! Roll up, roll up, step right in!
New York anticipation! So, I was going to go back for three weeks — have a birthday shindig & hang out a bit & then return to New Zealand — but I was talking to my father about it & he said, “Well, I don’t see why you’d come back if that’s where you want to be”. Of course, he is right. So on Tuesday, I bought a ticket… with a return date of mid-November! Eeeeeee! I will have Christmas in New Zealand, because Christmas in summer is always really awesome, & then I will move to NYC in early 2009… Super-fantastico-insane-excitement!
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week — Hello, I am going this year! With a video crew! Gasp! I’m going to the Betsey Johnson, Erin Fetherston, Zac Posen, Anna Sui & Miss Sixty shows, & will be talking to people about their outfits, running around, & appearing on camera giving my impressions of the collections! & of course, it will all be going live on iCiNG! I’m so excited, & I hope you are too!
Awesome offers — At the time I’m in NYC, my friend is going to Canada & I was invited to go too! But unfortunately I had to go to a Betsey Johnson show. Unfortunately! Had to! Betsey Johnson! How amazing is that?! I am kind of bummed because I have never been to Canada & would really really love to visit, but, well, you know, there will be other opportunities! (I will make my way up there soon!)
Karaoke — On Tuesday night I went to karaoke with my friends Jo & Tim, & my brother. It was so much fun. I haven’t sung karaoke since I was about 6 years old, & now I am a confirmed addict! I want to go all the time! At first we just sat in the room feeling embarrassed & then I decided we needed to sing one at the same time to get over our stage-fright. Well, after that, it was ON! We were flicking through the books, choosing songs, shoving microphones at one another & “singing” at the top of our lungs! God, it was so good! Some of our hits? Forgot About Dre (complete with high whiny Eminem parts), I’m A Slave 4 U (complete with breathing & talking intro! ... “I know I may be young…”), Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor, Would by Alice in Chains, Malibu by Hole, Encore/Numb by Linkin Park/Jay-Z, & many more. It was totally awesome. If you have never been to a karaoke booth, I urge you to go this weekend. Seriously. Amazing.
Planning the Virgo Extravaganza — Yup, still! It is going to be taking up plenty of my brain power until it happens! The most exciting thing to me at the moment is the amount of people who are flying in for it! Talk about rallying the troops… It is mind-blowing to me! Doki doki! I can’t wait to see you all!
Hallowe’en in the USA! Okay, I think if you’re American you might not understand this. But for those of us who grew up in the antipodes, where hallowe’en was pretty much a non-event, hallowe’en always seemed like the pinnacle of awesome Americana. Especially if you were a voracious devotee of Sweet Valley High & Babysitter’s Club books… Oh Francine, oh Ann M. Martin, how you have ruined us for life! Anyway, my point is, I AM GOING TO BE IN AMERICA FOR HALLOWE’EN & my inner 8 year old is having a huge glee-induced heart attack! I don’t know who I am going to dress up as, the primary contender at the moment is zombie Little Edie. I would talk about being a s-t-a-u-n-c-h woman & dance with an American flag, it would be amazing!
Atmosphere in New York City! Oh baby. Life just gets better & better, I swear. Atmosphere are playing in Brooklyn on the 13th of October (a month to the day after my birthday!) & in NYC on the 14th. I am so there. Slug told me to email him for tickets but now I am too embarrassed… Hahaha. Regardless! They are playing all over the States so you should check the dates & get on it! Anyway, YAY! My favourite group in my favourite place. Picture me with a massive smile on my face & that is a fairly realistic approximation of how I am right now!
Honourable mentions: Surprise long-distance phonecalls; Int’l Players Anthem (& Andre 3000, of course!); luring people to New Zealand; reconnecting with old friends; IAMX; plotting birthday presents; 25 kisses (I want one kiss each from 25 people for my birthday!); “NYC misses you” emails; taking ridiculous photos; forming the secret society girl mafia; kneesocks; eating Mexican food with Rosie; getting my brother to sign up for dating sites (he is my pet project!); my mother’s wedding ring; the fact that I already have a bunch of events written down to take place during my NYC sojourn; sleeping for 11 hours (sometimes you just need to); organising for my parents to come to NYC in late September (!!!!!!!!); my favourite Turk; stretching & drinking orange juice!
“When I count what’s wrong with my life, I get totally depressed. When I count the good things, I feel like smiling and I do. Then I think, “well, it’s not all that bad.” Life is just a bowl of cherries. But when I see myself smiling in the mirror, I like myself more. Well, life is a roller-coaster. That’s what I now think. Recently, I got a message that I was a king, and I should stop the battle, and appreciate my victory. Well, I should listen to this one. And you, too, my friend. We are all kings. The battle is the battle of goodness winning WORLD PEACE. At all times, find something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best workout! Chimpanzees are wise to it. Are you?” — Yoko Ono
Your turn, babycakes!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [143] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 August 2008, 18:36 ]
/ / / That it’s TiLT day! I woke up really excited at the prospect of writing this list. That definitely deserves a mention!
Roadtrips! I am currently in the process of planning a fabuleux roadtrip across the United States with my friend Jess in May/June 2009. HELLO, I am so excited! California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Louisiana… Oh baby, it’s gonna be good. There will be food, music, live blogging, encounters with natives, way too many photos & videos, & general GLEE! I am so psyched!
“How long could we maintain? I wondered. How long until one of us starts raving & jabbering at this boy? What will he think then? This same lonely desert was the last known home of the Manson family; will he make that grim connection when my attorney starts screaming about bats & huge manta rays coming down on the car? If so, well, we’ll just have to cut his head off & bury him somewhere, ’cause it goes without saying that we can’t turn him loose. He’d report us at once to some kind of outback Nazi law enforcement agency & they’ll run us down like dogs. Jesus, did I say that? Or just think it? Was I talking? Did they hear me?!”
Planning my birthday party wedding to Nubby! HELL YES! Nubby & I are in the depths of a Virgo-tastic planning frenzy for our joint birthday party, which is going down in New York City in September! If we were in the same physical space, you can bet we’d be sprawled on the floor surrounded by maps, charts, miniature dioramas of Central Park & a big platter of cupcakes. But instead we make digital plans & send them back & forth through the magical internet! We’re also considering showing up in wedding dresses, with matrimonial underthings made by Lou Lou Loves You & hot pink veils by Gilda! & I happen to know a certain fellow who owns a priest outfit so maybe he can officiate?! Anyway, our Virgo extravaganza is going to be a big huge party with cupcakes in Central Park, so if you want to come along, we’d love to have you! Eeeeeeeee! (Oh, & Winona‘s going to be there too… do you need any further incentive?!)
!!!!!!! I don’t think I even need to begin telling you how happy I am to be flying back to NYC in… four weeks times! I’m going to be 25 — scary! I can no longer say I am in my “early twenties”, not that I think I have ever said that… Maybe I need to say it as much as I can in the next month to make the most of it! But whatever! New York! New York! The glee is palpable!
Star & Nubby — My GIRLS! I love them both very much. They are both geniuses, & always happy to help me out, for which I am forever indebted to them. Knowing positive creative people is one of the greatest gifts, je crois!
Aqua aerobics with my mother! So funny. I have been feeling super-sluggish since I got here — it is so cold & I am in the middle of nowhere, pretty much, so there is nowhere to walk to & no motivation to do it! When I was in NY I walked everywhere & loved it. I also had five flights of stairs to traverse when I finally got back to my apartment (which annihilated everyone who attempted them). So anyway, we went to the pool this morning, strapped big polystyrene belts around our waists & made like underwater ballerinas. It was hilarious but lots of fun, & today I’m going to get an actual swimsuit (or as they call them here, “togs”). Ahhh, it feels so good to move!
OkCupid — I signed up for research purposes (honestly!), & now I am totally addicted. Obsessed. Insane. It’s soooo muuuuuch fuuuun… you get to write a profile & answer ridiculous questions & take tests & then get hit on by guys with usernames like “small_dick11” (seriously). It’s hilarious, & I keep meeting people who have good music taste (!) & who actually read books (!!!). Amazing! You should sign up. I love it. Hard.
Hibernating — I am actually really enjoying just staying inside near the fire, writing & listening to music & talking to people.
Secret awesome plans — I know that secret awesome plans make a lot of appearances on my TiLT lists, but honestly… I am always plotting something secret & awesome. It makes me smile. It enhances your life! I promise!
This video of Alex & I.
I have watched it about a billion times!
Honourable mentions: Mosh & Xenia — both so cute!; my Bose SoundDock (about a billion times better than just listening to my MacBook!); Alxndr (who is now in Melbourne but I still adore him!); Meltdown by Missy Elliott; big glasses of orange juice; dreams about Karl Lagerfeld (I dreamt that he & I somersaulted together down a huge, inflatable, spiral-shaped, red & white-striped slide!); browsing Etsy for sparkly neon treasures; knife-fighting weather; hot photographs (not worksafe); the drawer next to my bed which is full of evil/delicious treats; Twitter (I still love the way it connects people together); “Dannevirke” cocktails at Chow (yummy); puffy veins; petite crushes; dissipation of mental fog!; watching Olympic gymnastics & synchronised diving; chillin’ in my father’s ugly long johns/makeshift harem pants; my pink afro in the morning; this post (way cute, thanks Ben!); waking up early; hot fried food on a frozen evening; salacious anything; phonecalls with Bei, Jennie & Helen; sunshine & clear blue skies; Out Here by Pendulum; morning bedhead reports!; alcohol which tastes like flowers; using Twitter for research purposes; bedtime portraits & ridiculous bedroom photoshoots!
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, & that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton
Okay, babushka! It’s your turn! What are you loving? Your new boots? Lupe Fiasco? Sly glances across the room with someone who makes your heart race? Tell us, share with us, we want to hear it & share in your excitement!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [136] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 August 2008, 19:25 ]
Okay, so… exciting news! This is the FIFTY-SECOND TiLT! Do you know what that means? YES! If you’ve been with me since the first TiLT, we’ve now been doing this FOR A YEAR SOLID! I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome that is. It makes me SO happy! & even better is that every week, TiLT just gets stronger & stronger! More new people join in & start to experience the glee! One of the coolest things is that TiLT is spreading all across the internet; I read SO many blogs now where they do a regular love list! It’s fantastic! The more happiness you can generate, the better you feel. Sometimes my mental image of TiLT is a girl on an exercise bike, pedalling like mad, with little heart-shaped bubbles blowing out behind her. I love it! Love it love it love it! So, kudos to you for sticking around & participating, thank you!
Practising my social skills — I have been doing this a lot lately, especially with all the travelling I’ve done. If you can be charming to the people who check you in, it pays dividends. They’ll give you good seats, I guarantee, & even though my suitcases are always over the weight allowance, I never get charged for it. But the thing is, everyone likes a bit of enchantment. Sometimes I almost make it into a game. I like to see how much fabulousness I can extract from people I’ve only just met; I like to give them a chance to prove how completely awesome they are. They almost always delight me, it’s totally great. You should try it, it’s good sport!
Cute emails from amazing people — On Tuesday night I received a really adorable email from… deep breath… Slug from Atmosphere. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, there are not enough exclamation points in the world to adequately express my excitement. By the way, he read your comments & they made him blush! Awww!
Laughing until my cheeks hurt — There is nothing better than spending time with people who really know you & make you laugh. My parents, my best friend Jennie & my ex-boyfriend Alex all fall into this category, & since they’re the people I’ve spent the most time with recently, it’s all good. My cheeks are getting a good work-out. My grandmother’s nickname for me used to be “Face Ache” (charming, right?!) & this week it has never rung more true.
This photograph of Eva Carrière:
My new hair — It took me a couple of days to adjust to the change — after all, I’d been purple for about 10 months — but now I have & I’m LOVIN’ it! Wildilocks did such a good job, & I love that it’s not just a flat one colour all over like it used to be. In the olden days, I used to just slather a bottle of Atomic Pink all over my tresses & hope for the best. But this is a combination of Atomic Pink & Virgin Rose, so the colour is deeper & richer, & I adore it! It looks amazing in the sunlight, & it makes my eyes look intensely aqua. Mermaid eyes! Yay!
Makeshift winter outfits — I am wearing my grey Country Road cardigan as a skirt right now. It’s warm. I’m into it.
Life itself — I went from New York to Melbourne to Wellington in 5 days. I cleared out the life I used to live in four hours after spending five times that many hours on a plane. Now I’m here in New Zealand, quietest place on earth perhaps. To say it has been a drastic adjustment is an understatement, but I am doing pretty well, & I am actually really happy. Going from action central to the place I grew up in is pretty mind-bending, & has presented its own challenges, but I’m convinced that it is good for me! It’s important to be able to be happy wherever you are, because ultimately it’s all about how happy you are with yourself!
Billy Joel — Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)
One of my new favourite songs.
Honorary mentions: “I wish you were here so I could make you raspberry macarons at an obscenely early hour”; a conversation with my lovely friend Jo which incited her to throw double horns; smuggling cupcakes across the border (no kidding!); loooong talks with Jennie; sitting in the sun drinking tea & writing; the fact that even though it is cold, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be!; jumping back on the raw wagon; my super-uber-hyper-pink Barbie manicure with purple gems; making fun plans for NYC in September; sleeping in my new polka-dot hoodie from American Apparel (cozy & cute); awesome boy karma; stalk-o-vision @ the galaverse!; teeny little Fafinettes (see above!); good hands; barbeque rice crackers; soup with lots of pepper; Entourage (did you know I have a crush on Ari Gold?!); Darcy Clay; ugg boots (secret admission: I stole them from my father & they are so hideous but so warm, I cannot stop wearing them, but I promise I will never leave the house in them!), & that whole ‘when it rains it pours’ thing!
“Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes & choices… Today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.” — Kevyn Aucoin
Your turn… ! Make it a BIGGIE for TiLT’s first birthday! Woooooooooohoo!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [152] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 31 July 2008, 01:39 ]
/ / / Jess — My friend Jess is an awesome, sassy, cupcake-baking powerhouse. I’m sleeping on her couch while I stay in Melbourne, for which I am eternally grateful. Yesterday she shipped out 800 cupcakes — that is not a typo — & still managed to be utterly hilarious & fabulous, even at the end of an extremely long couple of days. This morning she woke me up with a saucepan of warm salted caramel, & she just emailed to tell me that she had baked me a whole bunch of cupcakes for my masticating pleasure. You don’t get any better than that. I am going to miss her so much!
Sleeping on the plane — Honestly, there is almost nothing as satisfying as sleeping for 80% of your 20 hour (yes, 20 hour) plane ride. I mean, sure, you could work or watch movies or make conversation, but really, when it comes to your sanity, sleeping is totally the way to go. I was so exhausted by the time I got to JFK on Monday that I fell asleep before the plane even took off, & I slept for pretty much all of my 15 hour flight from LAX. My secret? Headphones + eye-mask + blanket over my head + pyjama pants + socks. Mmmm, cozylicious!
Wildilocks — My hairdressers, who I will be very, very sad to leave. I’m actually sitting in one of their chairs right now, taking advantage of their free wireless while we change my hair. Eeeeee, so excited! Pictures to come soon ;D Anyway, my point is, they are the best hairdressers I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with. They’re charming, hugely competent, experimental & fun, & it’s always a total joy to come here. If you need a hairdresser & you’re in Melbourne or Perth, you should totally check them out, & send them my love. I am going to miss Cass & Kat so much!
Coney Island — I went on Saturday & had such a good time! I rode the Cyclone which was utterly terrifying (I climbed out with shaky legs & have an awesome bruise on my elbow from holding on for dear life) & the Wonder Wheel (which has a fabulous view of the boardwalk), ate funnel cake & a hot dog, visited the New York Aquarium, took photobooth pictures, attended the Coney Island Circus Sideshow (with a genuine lobster boy!!!!!!!), & generally had an awesome time. So much fun. I’m so glad I went.
Independence — Being in New York City alone for 3 months really taught me a lot about my own level of competence & independence. This point was really driven home to me on Monday when I had to wrestle 2 enormous suitcases down 5 flights of stairs. It sounds like a little thing but it was difficult & kind of stressful & yet I still did it, all on my own, & with little to no fuss. I was proud of myself because it’s normally the kind of thing I would moan about & try to coerce someone else into doing for me, but when I was finished I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment. Then I remembered that I had been living in one of the most intimidating cities in the world by myself for months & felt even better. Haha!
Getting organised — Yesterday I sorted out everything I own in under four hours. Then I called a shipping company & organised for them to collect what was left. After that I booked a plane ticket. It felt good. I am a die-hard Virgo!
Simon — Yesterday, after 20 hours on a plane, I arrived at what used to be the iCiNG Bowl: the apartment I shared with Simon for a year. I was nervous about how things might go as I cleared out all my belongings, but to my utter delight (& relief), everything was great. We got along & he helped me out — from whoah to go in 4 hours! We went & had lunch, walked around, had dinner & listened to music. Then I left. There were tears, but man, it went about a billion times better than it could have… for which I am eternally grateful. I am going to miss him. He is a good person.
Honourary mentions: The smell of salted caramel; strangers who help me with my suitcases; sleeping on the plane with a blanket over my head like a babushka (hey, I thought it was hilarious!); being able to wear the snoods I bought when I was in the States (P.S. Melbourne is coooold); not feeling jet-lagged (bonus!); looking forward to seeing my friends in Wellington (yay yay yay!); Bermuda Shorts nailpolish by Essie; churros dipped in chocolate; burgers shared; lovely treats in the post; new hair glee; seeing my parents (can’t wait! Favourite people!); superb emails; plotting & planning… as always!
“The talent for being happy is appreciating & liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.” — Woody Allen
Okay, my sweet treats! Share the love! I want to hear it! Warm up my chilly wintery heart with stories of happiness & excitement!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [110] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 24 July 2008, 01:38 ]
Well, I’m leaving New York City on Monday for at least a month, but possibly up to 6 months. I am very, very sad to be leaving, but I am also so thankful to this city for turning it on for me. I have had the most amazing time ever. Ever ever ever. & so, as a way to say thank you, I decided to make this TiLT entirely New York themed.
My apartment — I adore it & don’t want to give it up at all. Yes, it’s up five flights of stairs, & yes, the toilet is in a tiny little room outside my front door, but it’s these little idiosyncrasies that make me love it even more. Traversing all those stairs every day has done wonders for my legs, booty & general fitness, & I always find sending people out into the hallway to pee hilarious! I love the space I’m inhabiting — the bed is so comfortable, the wardrobe space is so ample, the furniture is so stylish — & so much has happened within these walls that it seems downright weird to leave it all behind. This place has been good to me.
Taking full advantage of my rooftop access — Oh my rooftop. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! Clomping up the stairs in heels; lying down with my back to the Empire State building as I swig iced tea; realising how many people I know have a fear of heights!; lugging my tripod around; staring up at the full moon; getting black marks on my limbs from clambering over obstacles; staring down at the fountain below; trying to spy on people in other buildings; clinging onto Nubby as we sit on a ledge; pacing around it as I talk on my phone; staring out over the city as I make plans for the evening; stretching & planning & laughing & whispering & feeling violently happy.
The West Village — It’s so beautiful, it has treated me so well for these past two & a half months, & there is no place I would rather have stayed. I love its leafy streets & crazy cobblestone madness (even if it is dangerous for those of us who like to clip about the place in stilettos). It is full of good people; I’ve made friends with everyone from the pizza guy to the women in the convenience store & the guy at the bar who always tells me to come down & hang out. Don’t make me leave! Don’t maaaaaake meeeeee!
New York cuisine — Not always the most healthy, admittedly, but the food here is mind-blowing. It’s just so good. I very rarely eat an average meal here. Most of the time it makes my eyes bug out of my head & causes me to exclaim about how delicious it is. I don’t know why everything is so tasty, it just is. It’s incredible.
The green spaces — There is nothing quite as relaxing as walking through Central Park on a beautiful summer day. The trees keep the sun off your face & cool the air down, there are dancing roller-skaters & plenty of other things to look at, & there is all the junk food you could ever possibly want. There are lovely little parks all over the city, though, you don’t need to go all the way up to Central Park for your dose of nature. Most of them are perfect for stopping to sit down & eat a cupcake on a bench. Bliss!
Strange events — NYC is totally the place to be if you want to do weird things. From book signings where girls flash their boobs (I did that last night) to watching midgets have entire bottles of champagne poured over their heads (Saturday), this place has what you’re looking for (even if you don’t know it beforehand). I love the fact that as soon as you step outside the house, anything could happen — it adds to the overwhelming feeling of excitement & glee that is what NYC is all about. It keeps life interesting, believe me!
All the amazing people I’ve met — Definitely too many to name them all off, one by one, but those of you who have spent time with me since I’ve been here know who you are. Cities are wonderful & full of possibility but ultimately it is the people you meet who enrich your life & make a place worth staying in. Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to show me their version of the city, met me for coffee, taken me to dinner, run through the streets with me or otherwise. I love ya, truly!
Honourable mentions: Listening to Atmosphere (always, always, always… Now he’s got a best friend instead of a wife, but he feels like he stole the best years of her life); not having a fever (unlike last weekend — not so much fun!); the Billboard Top 100 from 1990 (best ever album for bedtime singalongs!); miniature desserts; Yankee Stadium (& hearing Yankees fans openly mock anyone in opposing team regalia); thunderstorms; watching pieces of my life slide into place; Heath Ledger as The Joker; two shows in a row at The Box; speaking about blogging at Fashion 2.0 (lots of fun!); walking 20 blocks in my licorice strap platforms (it brings me joy); uncanny connections; daytime naps; sugar energy; my Willy Wonka-esque sunglasses; ticking off things on my to do list; spending time with people who make me smile; laughing & singing along to really old, bad songs!
“There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something… Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion.” — E.B. White
Okay, gorgeous! Tell me what’s making you happy this week. It doesn’t matter how small it is; a flower growing in a crack in the pavement is a perfectly acceptable entry! Let us know, we love to hear it!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [154] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 July 2008, 12:22 ]
Getting tattooed! Aaaahhhhhhhhh! So, yesterday I spent 6 & a half hours in the chair at Tribulation Tattoo. This morning I am achey but elated. (I slept like the dead — it was good.) My first tattoo — the half-sleeve with siamese twins & candy — now looks completely different. When I first got it I was pretty happy with it, but after Tim Kern did my other arm — the swanboat — I realised the first one didn’t exactly measure up. So yesterday, I went back to Tim & had him re-work it. It’s probably about halfway done, & we’ll finish it off when I come back to the States. It looks amazing! The process of being tattooed is pretty interesting too. There are a multitude of stages, ranging from total bliss to complete zen to having a sore butt for sitting down so long & wincing while needles caress your armpit. Gilda came & hung out for a while & stared at me, fascinated. Haha. So, it was a long day but je suis heureuse & of course, it was totally worth it. & I will show you photos in a sweet second, I promise!
Tings — My new obsession, haha! Why can you not buy these all over the world?! They are vegan snacks that are all weird & misshapen & made to resemble those crazy cheese-flavoured corn snack things which coat your fingers in terrifying orange dust which stains everything it touches. Okay, so all of that to say that Tings are delicious & taste better than what they’re meant to imitate. I ate most of an enormous bag yesterday. It was tasty. I love that they’re vegan; it means I can scoff them & not sweat what it’s going to do to my body. Yay yay yay!
My lawyer — He rules. We had a meeting on Tuesday & the news he gave me about immigrating was so good that I ran out of his office & took these pictures. I felt like commemorating the moment, because to be quite honest, I was worried that he’d say, “Sorry, nothing we can do for you… Back to New Zealand you go”! So to mark the occasion, here are some photos of me looking excited…
Vegan deliciousness — A couple of weeks ago I told Simon that I was feeling not-so-good. I felt ill a lot, had no energy & my skin sucked. When he asked me what I was eating, I realised that I was subsisting on pizza, ice-cream, chocolate & other assorted nasties. He said, “I think if you ate vegan for three days you’d feel completely different”. Well, god bless the boy, because he was totally right. I have been eating raw as much as I can manage & being queen vegan the rest of the time, & I feel soooooooo muuuuuuuuuch betterrrrrrrrrrrr. It is shocking, in fact. Thanks Simon!
Yayoi Kusama (草間彌生) — Last weekend, Gilda & I went to see a documentary about Yayoi Kusama at the Japan Society. It was reeeeally interesting; she is such an unusual woman. Best of all, at the end of the show we were both given little buttons with Yayoi’s face on them. I have been wearing mine when I feel like I need it; I am almost regarding it as a magical talisman. On the button, she is wearing a pink wig & staring bug-eyed at the camera, in a galaxy of weird swirls & polka-dots, & I love it.
Rooftop photoshoots — You’ve seen some of the photos from last Thursday’s photoshoot by Bianca, but there were way more than I posted! I especially like the one below… & you can see more here! (I miss Nubby! Thankfully she sends really cute emails to tide me over…)
Honourable mentions: The Coup; burritos & tacos; Gilda’s sequinned harem pants (a-m-a-z-i-n-g); being compared to incredible people; anticipation of my friend arriving from New Zealand! (tomorrow morning!); lovely cards from famous fashion bloggers (you know who you are!) addressed to “the inimitable Gala Darling” — awwww; Girl Talk (still); paying someone to do my laundry (I looove not having to do it, & I loooooooove that all my underwear comes back folded neatly in a stack!); the weather (it has been really beautiful lately); feeling my head clear & things become more obvious; planning my next few months; sleeping while a cool breeze blows over me; Will Ferrell, & wearing my hair in pigtails!
“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof & instant coffee, to unemployment insurance & library cards, to absinthe & good-hearted landlords, to music & warm bodies & contraceptives… & to the ‘good life’, whatever it is & where it happens to be.” — Hunter S. Thompson
Preach it, HST!
Okay gorgeous, your turn. Sing it!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [68] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 10 July 2008, 14:08 ]
Nubby Twiglet — Cutest girl on the planet? I would say, almost certainly. If not, she’s a very strong contender. It is so fabulous to meet her after having known her online for years, & even more fabulous to realise how freakishly similar we are! It has been so cool to just sit around & compare notes. But we haven’t had a lot of time to just sit, we’ve been busy! Oh, the things we have done… decadent art deco parties, treehouses inside art collectives, talking in Ukrainian diners until 3am, photo sessions on rooftops, nestling into private boxes at hilariously elitist establishments, giving gay marriage serious consideration & passing out unconscious with the air-conditioning going full blast. I love her. I looooooove her. Also, sometimes she draws on her face by mistake. Le swoon! She just said, “Finally, I found my Virgo soul mate! & we’re getting married in Hawaii!” Oh so cute. Too much cute to handle. I can’t wait wait waaaaait until we can spend more time together. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough exclamation points in the whole world.
Journalling — Oooooh yes. I am journalling up a storm! I have finally started to put my black soft-cover unlined Moleskine to use. I like to fold the cover back, lean on a hardback book & hold my black pen aloft before I start scribbling. I woke up on Sunday morning with a strong urge to write in my book before I did anything else, & it has been the same every day since then. Now I remember why I used to love doing this. I used to be an obsessive journaller — it was part of my daily routine (& made my commute to work on the bus much less painful, if not downright enjoyable!), & it helped me process a lot of what I was going through. Anyway, all this to say, I LOVE writing with ink on paper, I LOVE filling up pages, & I love the fact that I am taking time to do it — it feels like a really positive step & an affirmation of my commitment to be good to myself.
Entourage — I used to criticise my mother (who has always owned her own businesses) for coming home after work & watching television. I was a self-righteous teenager, oh yes. “Why don’t you read a book?!?” I would exclaim. But you know what? Now that I am in the same position, of working until I feel like I will fall over, sometimes I just need to turn my brain off. Really, off. No thinking allowed. Meditation is cool & everything, but sometimes you don’t want to concentrate on the tip of your nose. So, the best way to do that, for me — unfortunately — is by watching television. Entourage is my new thing. Adrien what’s-his-face is cute. It makes me laugh. I recommend it.
Everything happening for a reason — Sometimes things don’t go to plan, or are difficult or weird. But in my experience, it always works out for the better. I love seeing this demonstrated in my daily life. It fills me with sheer delight! Delight, I tell you… delight!
Sparkly pens — I found a bunch of incredible sparkly pens in a stationery shop the other day & it has whipped me into an ink-fuelled frenzy! I’ve been scrawling postcards, using them on everything & going mad. They are called “Gelly Roll” & I bought two purple (deep sparkly violet & a plain indigo), two blue (dark midnight sparkly & sky sparkly) & one pink, which is more like a fabulous deep raspberry with silver irridescence. Yum. I want to colour my entire body with them, like in that Amanda Lepore commercial (NSFW!) where she covers herself with MAC lipstick. I am a total pen nerd, but I do love them so.
Secret plans! Plotting with various people over big glasses of water & insane meals of every stripe. I keep meeting fantastic people who believe in what I’m doing & want to help me, & it is mind-blowing & magnificent. I am so, so thankful & happy & elated by this life. Honestly.
Honourable mentions: Nicole Atkins (her album Neptune City is on heavy rotation); A-Trak feat. Lupe Fiasco – Mastered; Molly Crabapple & The Box; talking to my friend Jennie in New Zealand on the phone for over two hours & laughing uproariously; fresh juice (my new favourite is pomegranate, apple, orange & spinach — which you can’t taste!); Duffy; Elton John; Kiki de Montparnasse (an upscale erotic & lingerie shop, where they sell duct tape in a range of colours… yes!); lesbian bars; this re-cap of the Sweet Valley High board game!; clunking up & down 5 sets of stairs every day in 5-inch (Nubby measured them!) platforms (buns of steel, bunnnnns of steeeeeeel!); text message marathons; talking to my mother as I walk home at 3am; $1400 phone bills (not mine, thankfully!); Atmosphere (& Jake!)...
...& this photo.
Today is super-special because we have a guest TiLT! You guessed it… here’s Miss Nubby’s list! (Yay!)
Walking through Manhattan at 4am & hearing birds chirping
24 hour cafes
Late night photoshoots on rooftops overlooking the city
Buying Marc Jacobs key-chains shaped like rats
Getting a portrait with Gala & Gilda drawn by Molly Crabapple
Learning the art of walking up five flights of stairs in heels to Gala’s apartment
Having amazing food in every corner of the city
Making plans for the future
The massive accessories section of H&M
Hugging jumbo ice-cream cones
Friends across the cit welcoming me to sleep over
The kindness of complete strangers
& free drinks & dinner!
“Believe me, the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness & greatest enjoyment is — to live dangerously.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Now… we hand the microphone (or megaphone!) to you! Shout it loud, kitten-face!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [109] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 July 2008, 00:02 ]
This TiLT mosaic — The two photos of the girl above are from Deutsch Elle & they make me want to draw on incredibly dramatic eyebrows & flick paint all over myself. So beautiful & inspiring!
Nonpareil enthusiasm — I was talking to Sera Beak, who saw my article on her & all your comments, & she was blown away by your absolute deliciousness! She said that all your enthusiasm & love & excitement has inspired her to keep writing her second book. !!! Anyone who has read her work knows what a fabulous thing this is! & it just gives me more fuel — I love you guys!
The Manhattan iCiNG Bowl — Last Friday I went to a stationery store nearby & stocked up on office supplies! I bought a whiteboard, a cork-board, whiteboard pens, markers in pastel hues, a box of pens, three soft-cover Moleskine journals, index cards (white ruled, white blank, & pink ruled), multi-coloured bulldog clips, scissors, glue… You get the picture. Anyway, now my living room has been transformed into a fabulous little inspiration station. My cork-board is covered in pictures to keep me motivated, my whiteboard has lists of things to do, my pens are all arranged & I am ready to go go go! It’s funny how just having these little things is changing my outlook, but it is, & I love it!
Setting my intention — Last night I went to a new moon ritual (which is the sort of thing I would never usually do) & it was amazing. Since I started reading The Red Book (which I am still working on) I’ve decided to open myself up more & try new things. The idea of a new moon ritual is the sort of thing I would normally scoff at, but secretly want to go to. So I went. It was basically a guided meditation that went for an hour & a half, utilising the power of the new moon to assist in planting new seeds, finding fresh direction & growing upwards. We did breath exercises & chants as we focussed our minds on what our goals were. It was really, really great. (I’m going to write up a little piece about how to set intentions, too, so sit tight!)
Fruit — I’m consciously increasing my intake of fruit because let’s face it, it makes a much better snack than “double-stuf” chocolate creme Oreos! (Tasty though they may be.) I have been a mandarin-segment-gobbling, blueberry-popping, strawberry-chomping fiend, & it’s making me feel so good!
Having faith & trusting in the process. The more I believe the universe has my back, the more it supports me. The more I trust it, the more incredible life becomes. There is no greater gift.
Jay-Z — As well as being a brilliant rapper & businessman, I adore him for being wicked cool. He was recently criticised by Noel Gallagher for headlining the Glastonbury festival. Noel said, “I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music. I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.” Jigga’s response? “It didn’t make me angry because I don’t know him. What people say about you is none of your business.” YES! I love you, Hov!
Having time to myself — I’m an only child, so I really thrive on being alone. It’s good for me. It’s great to just sit around & be alone, to have time to myself to think & sort out my feelings, goals & passions. The other good thing about being alone is that it reminds me just how strong I am. It’s important to be reminded of that, I think.
Honourable mentions: Wearing my hair in two buns (I totally ripped this off Casey from Greek — imagine, taking style tips from a fictional girl in a sorority!); strutting my stuff in high heels; packages which come with little sachets of rose petals (squeal!); watching silly shows (Australia’s Next Top Model + Tila Tequila!); napping (I have really needed it recently); imagining having a big bristly moustache to tickle people with!; shopping with Emrys!; having the Notorious BIG on my Twitter watch list!; doing interviews with fun, odd people; The Wedding Singer & The Addams Family (both of which have brought me infinite amounts of joy this week!); classical music; Chaka Khan (haha!); the fact that Nubby arrives tomorrow (!!!!!); my new hat; natural fabrics (a blessing in this heat), & of course, my air-conditioning unit. Undying love for my air-conditioning unit!
“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” — Albert Einstein
Et toi? What is making you happy this week? Spill thy beans!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [107] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 26 June 2008, 01:50 ]
Super-size it! 1. To Flickr with love, 2. Grady McFerrin ~ Illlustration, 3. flou, 4. stella mccartney fitting room wall, 5. delivery, 6. Bunny Face!
Ah, bonjour! You’re new to iCiNG, huh? Are you wondering what this is all about?
Well, every week, anyone who wants to participate is welcome to join in on Things I Love Thursday (TiLT for short). What this means is that we make lists of the things that make us smile, make our heart flutter with excitement & make us dance spontaneous jigs in the middle of the street! Then we share them with one another. I think one of the best ways to get excited about your life is to take stock of the things in it which are already magnificent, fabulous & delightful! If you do it regularly, it starts to become a way of thinking — you feel that your life is already full of glory & wonder, rather than lacking. It’s one of the best ways I know to start feeling real happiness.
So, if you’ve never taken part before — or if you’ve just been skipping out on TiLT for a while — make this week the week you start expressing real love & gratitude & appreciation for yourself & your life. You don’t have to do it publicly if you don’t want to, but just give it a try! I think you’ll find it quite wonderful.
“The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.” — Woody Allen
Now, without further ado… my list!
Luxurious lounging — You know, when it’s hot, to me there’s nothing better than swanning around in front of the air conditioner in a black silk slip, with a wristful of jangling bracelets & my damp hair twisted up into an unruly chignon. (I wish I had my kimono here because it would totally add to the ambience, but truly, it’s too hot for it.) It’s lovely to just do nothing; stay out of the heat & walk around my place & think & listen to music & make notes.
Creating vision-boards — I have been meaning to do it for the past couple of days, I really need to go & buy a cork-board so I can start! But I keep getting really excited about it & dreaming about it, which is why it’s getting a mention! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, basically a vision board (or an inspiration board, or a dream sheet, or mood board, or any combination you like!) is a space you create where you pin up pictures, words, trinkets & anything else you find inspiring. Some people use them to remind them of the things they want to achieve, while others use them to aid them in creative projects or to help them keep looking forward. I can’t wait to make a new one! I think it will be my big weekend project. & if you want some inspiration to make your own, look at the Inspiration Boards group on Flickr!
Girl Talk — I didn’t even know about this artist, & based on the name I feared it was a girl pop group with 4 members or something, but I’m so glad I decided to risk it! Girl Talk is mash-ups taken to the next level; I love it. My new favourite activity is to listen to it while I’m walking around & test my own music knowledge by naming, in my head, the artist & song title of what I can hear. Geeky but gleeful! The newest album, Feed The Animals is available for download for a donation of your choosing. Awesome.
Getting involved in the city — There is no better way to take ownership of a place than to get involved in it. Since the last TiLT, I have participated in a bubble battle, been to a wine & cheese party, gone dancing, attended an Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday, seen the New York Philharmonic play in Central Park (followed by fireworks!), seen Sera Beak talk & visited a cupcake shop at 9.30pm which had a queue out the door! The best thing? None of these activities cost me a dime (with the exception of Sera Beak but it was worth every penny). It’s amazing to be in a city you are in love with — it changes your entire outlook. The thing is, even if you’re stuck in a tiny country-bumpkin town which bores you, there are still always things to be excited by, to enjoy, to find pleasure in. So find them!
Chelsea — Coolest neighbourhood ever. Every time I see men holding hands as they walk down the street, it gives me a huge dose of happy! It might sound like a small thing but it makes me so very, very gleeful that I felt it deserved a mention all of its own. Ahhh!
Honourary mentions: Soy coffee with honey; cupcakeries which are open until late at night; Spice Girls (I have honestly never listened to them by choice before this week & I’ve been really enjoying it, haha!); metaphysical pampering; pomegranate yerba mate tea; late night trips to Wholefoods & cardboard boxes of Turkish Delight; good black pens & permanent markers in pastel colours; dark chocolate with peppermint oil; Panic! At The Disco (still!); Greek (still!); honeysuckle (I haven’t seen any but I love it anyway); the strangely exuberant but harmless man who told me this morning that I had “beautiful toes”; my book of matches, courtesy of Sera Beak, which says “Ignite Your Divine Spark” (!); open invitations (Austin, Philadelphia, Montreal, London, Miami?!... but I am staying here for now); making an effort to connect; crossing things off my to-do list (Virgo power); sitting around in my underwear singing & writing & smiling!
“Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.” — William Adams
Ain’t that the truth? Alright, moonshine. Your turn!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [148] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 June 2008, 11:25 ]
Greek — I started watching this at the suggestion of Kris Atomic (I have been name-dropping her like mad recently but evidently, she can’t help how incredible she is!) & I am obsessed! Cute but awkward geeky boy? Demented socialite sister? Fraternities & sororities? Yes, yes, yes! I am convinced that my obsession with these oh-so-American things comes from growing up in New Zealand, with only my well-worn copies of Sweet Valley High for company (not really, but you know what I mean), imagining what “normal life” in the States would be like. I also attribute my going to cheerleading lessons to SVH. Oh, SVH, how you have warped me! Regardless… Greek is great. You should watch it. I think you’ll love it.
New shoes — They don’t change your life or anything, but they sure do make a gal smile. I keep taking my McQueens out of the box to look at them. They are the shoe equivalent of candy. Mmmm, shiny, & lickable! I’m officially wearing them out for the first time today. Here’s to not breaking one’s neck! Cheers!
Airbrush tanning! I have a thing tonight that I want to look fabulous for, & my legs have crazy bruises on them which isn’t terribly beautiful, so I decided to enlist the help of a spray tan. I looked around on Yelp, found Gotham Glow & called for an appointment. So yesterday, Tamar came to my apartment, set up a tent in my living room, had me strip naked & sprayed me with coloured solution. Ooh la la! Interesting times we live in, when you can change your skin colour in ten minutes! But she did an amazing job — so much better than your standard spray tan in a booth. She used an airbrush, which meant that she was able to give me definition as well as making my limbs look long & lean. I keep pulling up my t-shirt to look at my stomach — it has never looked better! Anyway, I’m so so happy with the results. (You will see pictures later today!) If you ever get the chance to have an airbrush tan, take it!
Jess — I went to see her the day before I flew out to New York at the start of May, not knowing whether the New York trip would happen or not. We hung out, watched Australia’s Next Top Model, talked a bunch & I watched as she made cupcakes. She had plans to come to the States in June (California & Texas), but as I hoped to be in New York at that time, she made arrangements to spend 6 days in the city. She arrived on Thursday, went to her friend’s place & passed out, & then we spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday together. Oh, the things we did! We shopped! We laughed! We hunted out cupcakes, frozen yoghurt, guacamole & Mexican food! We compared foot pain, avoided drunks in Starbucks & bought dresses! We spoke in crazy codes, dropped in pieces of our extremely limited French vocabularies & gesticulated wildly as we spoke! Suffice it say, it was a Good Time™. Yesterday she jumped on a plane to Austin, & today she embarks on a road-trip to New Orleans. I’m so envious; wish I could keep her here, all to myself! She is such great company & I really adore her. MWAH!
Sex & The City: The Movie (The Book) — Okay, so I know we weren’t all delighted with the movie, so it might come as a surprise to hear me say this, but the Sex & The City movie book is excellent. I picked up Sex & The City: Kiss & Tell a few weeks ago too, which is a book about the series, & it too is brilliant. Why? Well, SATC, for all its flaws, was an exceptionally well-put-together show, & that’s something you might not realise until you look through these books or listen to the director’s commentary on the DVDs (which I really, really recommend). In fact, I was a fan of SATC but when I heard the director’s commentary, I really started to appreciate the show. I love people who do things well, & SATC was really in the hands of some magnificently capable people. On the commentary & in the books, they talk about things like, why did they choose this dress? What did it mean for the character development? Where did it come from? How did they style the characters this way or that way? Why is Carrie’s apartment this colour? The books are even more in-depth: there are comments from the actors about the scenes, notes from Michael Patrick King about directing it, an investigation into Pat Field’s styling process & so much more. Even if you didn’t like the movie, comme moi, there is still lots to love about the way they put it all together. So it comes highly recommended; I’ve been really enjoying it.
New music — My most recent favourites are Vampire Weekend, Panic! At The Disco (I cannot stop listening to Pretty. Odd., I think it is totally brilliant), Snow Patrol, Nicole Atkins, Lights, Katy Perry, Deerhunter, Born Ruffians & Fleet Foxes. They all make me very happy. What are you listening to at the moment?
Triumph versus the Star Wars nerds — Oh, honestly. I know this is such old news but every time I see it I end up laughing until I hyperventilate!
Honourary mentions: Fabulously positive emails; anticipation (always always); SoulGarden horoscopes (yes, I am a huge fan); waking up three minutes before your alarm goes off; walking out my front door first thing to see that a pigeon is hanging out in the building — I startled it, it flew away, HELLO I am awake now!; dressing like a cupcake (my passion for it has been re-ignited!); my pink sequinned bikini top (must make an appearance at the Mermaid Parade this weekend, though I need something to wear it with…); the fact that hip-hop karaoke gigs exist; Skinny Puppy’s Greater Wrong Of The Right; falling asleep with the fan going & my faux-dachshund, Salvador, at my side; hot pink (I love it & can’t help but gravitate towards it); cherries for breakfast; finding nail-polish that matches my new dress perfectly; the Tarina Tarantino Barbie (so cool!); sunshine & real conversations!
“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Okay… your turn!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [73] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 June 2008, 01:42 ]
TLC — I posted this photo on Flickr last week & my friend Jo called me Gala “Right Eye” Darling. I had completely forgotten that Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes got her name because she used to wear a condom in place of the left lense of her glasses on stage, as a way to promote safe sex. So then I started listening to TLC’s CrazySexyCool album, which is so great (did any of you notice Andre 3000’s part in Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes?). & THEN! Lo & behold, Palms Out, only the purveyors of the greatest sounds ever, posted this: TLC – Creep (Norrit Remix). Coincidence? Psshhhh! Nawww!
When The Day Met The Night by Panic! At The Disco. Am I too old to like this kind of thing? Before Tuesday I had honestly never heard a P!ATD song — thank you Morgan! — & now I’m a big fan of their album Pretty Odd... Is this the sort of thing I shouldn’t admit in public?!
Australia’s Next Top Model — It’s down to the final four! & I like all of them! I think I would like Alex or Sam to win… How about you? Place your bets now! (I love Banzai too.)
Cute girls who buy me cupcakes — It happens a lot. I am very blessed. Shout outs, you know who you are! I also like girls who share slices of peanut butter pie with me, who wipe frosting out of my hair (I am totally classy), who dance like whirling dervishes & drive trucks all over Manhattan. In case you couldn’t tell, I have met some MIGHTY fine dames in this fair city. Awwwh!
Pharrell Williams is a genius. He is also very good-looking, VEGAN (!!!!) & the boy can dress! This makes him my #1 all-time celebrity crush. I recommend getting your hot little hands on Seeing Sounds, the new album by N*E*R*D which came out two days ago! It is fabulous times one thousand! My favourite tracks? Laugh About It, You Know What, Yeah You, & Spaz. Heart-throb!
“Secret single behaviour” — Do you remember that episode of Sex & The City where they’re talking about the things they do alone? Carrie’s secret single behaviour is eating a stack of Saltines with grape jelly, standing up at the kitchen counter & reading fashion magazines (or something like that). Well, I am not single, but I am living alone, so I am back to my normal weirdo single behaviour. This means dancing around the living room in my underwear to The Roots, talking to myself in a silly accent all the time, passing out at a ridiculous hour wearing an eye-mask, listening to music no one else seems to like (see: Deftones) & lounging around all day in a slip dress, regardless of the circumstances. It’s very luxurious & glamorous I assure you, except for the crumbs in the bed, random outbursts, maniacal dancing, heavy guitars & total lack of cleaning the house ever. Haha!
Calling New Zealand & having them understand me when I recite numbers… ! I said to the guy on the other end of the line today, “It’s so good to speak to someone who knows what I’m saying!” & he laughed. Even in Australia you end up going through that whole, “Say six! Say six!” “Six.” “Haha!” thing!
Honourable mentions: Fabulous invitations (Louis Vuitton Cruise Collection? Yes please, & also, thank you!); my new lip-wear combo (Revlon’s Just Bitten lip stain in Cherry Tart + plumping gloss); writing things down & ticking them off (or in my case, highlighting them in a flourish of purple); meeting raw people purely by coincidence; the whole concept of coincidence (it means co-in-cide — to be in accord or agreement. Latin: co “with” “together” & incidere “to fall on” — thanks Dhrumil!); Sigur Rós’ new album; Venetian Snares (I’m seeing Mr. Funk next week & can’t waittttttt); strutting so hard you pull a muscle (true story!); hip hop (I love you, always & forever!); magicians at 4.30am; Sade; wearing a slip dress with boots & four necklaces in tribute to 1994; living in a walk-up building (I now have legs & a booty of steel!); having so much to be excited about that I make daily news phonecalls to my most beloved people!
Shinu made doki doki shitai wa!
(I want to feel that doki doki feeling until I die!)
What gives YOU that doki doki feeling?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [83] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 5 June 2008, 02:56 ]
Chester French — Set to be the next big thing, or so I hear! Pharrell raves about them, & I love Pharrell, & what I’ve heard is great, so I’m sold. You can listen to their tracks here. Pharrell describes them as a mix between the Beatles & Motown… yum! They also do amazing remixes, which you can hear on their Myspace. Good stuff! Have a boogie!
Air conditioning! My landlord came over yesterday & “mounted” (not as dirty as it sounds) my air conditioning unit. I am so blissed out right now. The temperature here has been warm but the past couple of days it has started getting hot in the city, hot in the city toniiiight! (Click the link, haha! I love this comment on the video — I just have to add this to Things I Love Thursday: “I wonder how much tail he got in the 80’s. Women just wanted to f*ck him madly!!. He always did his best to please his female fans. Literally. Billy your the best. Rock on.“)
Giving back — On Wednesday night I met & made friends with one of the heroes of my adolescent years (Dame Darcy). The best thing? She wants help with some stuff & I think I have the ability to assist her. A lot, actually. I feel really good that after years & years of reading her work & admiring her from afar, I can actually give something back that is of true value to her. Yay!
Lush Cosmetics! I went into their store near Union Square yesterday & as well as having the manager offer me a job (haha — but at least it’s proof that I know what I’m talking about!), I also picked up lots of beautiful things. Cosmetic Warrior face-mask: stinky but gets the job done! Irridescent Glitterbug: smells fabulous & makes you sparkle like a mermaid from outer space! Ocean Salt: the most vigorous, hearty salt scrub of all time. & the pièce de résistance — American Cream Solid Perfume! Swoon-o-rama, I’m telling you! Damn it smells good. I am almost out of Viktor + Rolf’s Flowerbomb, which I love, but I feel the need for something slightly more vigorous for this new phase of my life. I will pick up a little somethin’ somethin’ in duty free (suggestions welcome!), but for now, the American Cream solid perfume is rocking my world!
My Moleskine — It is saving my life right now. I am scheduled out the wazoo: I have nary a free day from here until next Thursday (& then my friend arrives & I will be spending the vast majority of the week with her). Amazing. I spilt some water on the book two days ago which you would expect would be a horrendous tragedy, but I managed to soak most of it up & now the tops of the pages are satisfyingly wrinkled & crinkly. It gives it this really worn-in feel, which I’m digging. It reminds me of old library books caught in the rain. It’s good.
Palmistry & tarot cards — I had my palm & cards read last night & it was a fabulous revelation. “You were put here for one sole purpose, & you’re doing it right now.” Damn right! I have always loved anything mystical, supernatural or weird… I used to devour books about ghosts, UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster etc. when I was a child, & my love of anything clairvoyant & psychic-related has continued to this day. Sitting with someone who is talented in that area is an incredible thing if you are open to it. (In fact, if you are looking for an amazing psychic, my friend Ed is mind-boggling.)
Elliott Smith — Oh, like I need to explain myself!
Everything is exactly right when I walk around here drunk every night, with an open container from 7-11 in St. Ides heaven… I’ve been out haunting the neighbourhood & everybody can see I’m no good, when I’m walking out between parked cars with my head full of stars…
Honourable mentions: Lots of guests on the way (my friend from Melbourne arrives in the city next week, the first of many!); meeting new people (randomly struck up a conversation in Pure yesterday with a woman who is a fashion editor & stylist — we totally hit it off & are going dancing this weekend); new music — Bola’s Kroungrine, Vampire Weekend, Talib Kweli’s Beautiful Struggle, Sade’s greatest hits (yes!), The Roots’ The Tipping Point etc.; upcoming Venetian Snares show (heart attack, I am so excited); talking to Simon & being overwhelmed with love (it’s hard to show it from so far away, so I just keep telling him how much I love & appreciate him & hope that does the trick); crazy packages in the mail (comics & straightening irons & condoms with my face on!); reading trivia on shows I love (like Buffy & SATC); my camera (I cannot even begin to explain how much I adore it); Gilda (my nominated heroine of the week — kisses); my parents (who do not take shit from anyone & are perpetually inspiring to me); eating way too many cupcakes (I ate 8 cupcakes over 3 consecutive days… & I loved every moment of it!); Pierre Hardy (SWOON); endless opportunities; true freedom!
“Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” — Henry Miller
Okay, now it’s time for your joy to take the spotlight! Gather it all up in your mouth & spit it as far as you can — we want to hear it! Email your best friend & your brother & have them tell you what their favourite things today are, too. There’s no time to waste! Make this a golden moment. Don’t disobey Henry!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [66] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 29 May 2008, 11:16 ]
Writing by an open window... with good music blaring (usually Notorious B.I.G., believe it or not), drinking ice-cold water, munching berries with juice-stained fingers, & watching life unfold below me. Honestly, it’s a hard combination to beat. You know what? Being a writer, just that in itself, is pretty amazing. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love, love, LOVE what I do, or how happy it makes me. Getting into a good writing space & producing something worthwhile is like entering bliss on earth.
A social calender laden with delights — Patricia Field’s party last night (see below!), Sex & The City: The Movie avec my NYC nonpareils on Friday (yay!), a polo game on Saturday, & upcoming meetings with illustrators, astrologists, writers, bakers, graphic designers & all-around fabulous people!
Patricia Field & her marvellous parties. Last night was so exciting! I went to M·A·C Cosmetics to have my make-up done, which was $50 extremely well spent. (See below!) Then I came home, got dressed & trotted over to the Patricia Field boutique. Her shop was packed, there were lots of cool fashion-forward people & cameras going off at all times, but it was so cramped that it was almost a bit redundant. So Gilda (my date!) & I decided to go to Patricia Field’s apartment instead & scope out the scene there! Well, Pat’s house is gorgeous — a huge space a couple of doors down from the boutique, full of art, pictures, big lounge spaces & bright colours. Gilda & I found ourselves a great little alcove to sit in & watch the circus. So much fun. (There is footage of me on Last Night’s Party, looking like I just escaped from an asylum, & I am here too…) & at the end of the night, I sidled up to Pat herself, & we had a conversation, flirted (!!!) & took the above picture. She is totally cool, not intimidating at all, & I loved every moment. I left on a high like no other. So good.
Reagan at M·A·C Flatiron — He was absolutely sublime. So much so, in fact, that I just called him to propose marriage tell him how thrilled I was with his work. Eeeee! I was so impressed: he listened to me, adjusted things to my requirements & was generally magnificent. He’s the make-up artist who did Richie Rich’s face for the Heatherette for M·A·C launch, so he is definitely the guy… I can’t recommend him highly enough. Go to him if you need your face done! But I was amazed — $50, when he worked for an hour & a half? God that’s a good deal. I also got free mascara as part of the makeover. Yay! So happy! (You can see a close-up in natural light here!)
New York City — Have I told you lately, that I love you? Have I told you, there’s no one else above you? Fill my heart with gladness! Take away my sadness! Ease my troubles, that’s what you do!
Treats in the mail! It’s so nice to have an address again (!), because it means I have things on the way. For example: a Chi straightening iron (contented sigh), condoms with pictures of me on the front (I will totally write about it, don’t worry), Rhymesayers loot… & this morning I received three hats with major cute-factor. Fun fun!
Sex & The City: The Movie! No explanation needed. I AM SO EXCITED. & if anyone spoils me… there will be trouble!
Giulianna! I received this email yesterday, when I was getting my face done — & it made me smile so wide, I just had to share it with you!
“I was given an assignment. I was told to define myself with a picture. My portrait is titled Make Cupcakes, Not War/ The Icing Army.”
Honourable mentions: Ridiculous music (Wham!, Black Sabbath, Paris Hilton, Deftones… often played in quick succession); the fact that Discotech made an AWESOME song out of Bill O’Reilly spitting the dummy — download it now!; big yellow school-buses (before this trip, I had only ever seen them in movies); horse poo (I’ve decided to learn to love it — it stinks, but what can I do? First in Melbourne, now New York, & all for the sake of the romanticism of a horse-drawn carriage. I am resigned to my fate! I accept!); talking to my schmoo (that would be Simon — by the way, did you know that we sometimes refer to ourselves as Simon & Galafunkel?); my relationship with my parents (I talk to them every day); my Helio Ocean (it’s been sprayed with M·A·C Fix+ & made sticky with an über-strong Cosmopolitan [both of which happened yesterday], dropped & sweated onto, but I think it all adds to the “patina” — it’s along on the ride with me!); little things (like cold water, stretching, enjoying the sunlight & really good quality recordings of music); life in general (if you couldn’t tell from this particular TiLT, I am totally enchanted by life right now).
“It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” — Roberto Benigni
No mediocrity allowed! I want to hear your BIG LOVE list! Sit there, close your eyes, imagine yourself bursting with energy, vibrancy, excitement & vitality… then start typing! Go go go!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [77] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 May 2008, 01:49 ]
1. Peony Pink, 2. grad-6, 3. Seducimos valiendonos de mentiras y pretendemos ser amados por nosotros mismos., 4. Untitled
Here is my list of things I luuuurve this week!
Meeting new people — In the last week, I have met (among others): Andrea, managing editor of The Fashion Spot; Wendy Brandes, jewellery designer extraordinaire & her husband, former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal; Craig of street style blog Altamira NYC; Jenny & Soren of Copenhagen Street Style; Gilda of Bunka, Parsons & holiday in the sun fame; Colin of No Impact Man; the girls from Bag Snob; Chris from Stylehive; Wendy from Nitrolicious; Aaron from Haute Concept; Lesley from FashionTribes, a whole lot of lovely people from Louis Vuitton, & uh, probably some other people too! Phew! Not bad for a week, hmm?! Even better, it shows no sign of slowing down… I am loving it!
My new place! I probably don’t need to explain this, so let me just say: my new apartment is bliss. I am so happy to be here that I could pass out with glee. Each morning I wake up with this little feeling of delight that begins somewhere in my eyebrow & slowly spreads down & across until it bathes my entire body, & I lie there feeling fabulous, blessed, excited, energised & ready to kick booty! Dear Universe: thank you, thank you, thank you.
Bicycle delivery guys — At about 5pm, you have to start being a little more careful when you cross the streets of Manhattan, because the city slowly becomes awash with dudes on bicycles couriering food from restaurants to apartments. I love it! It’s so quaint & cool & they are all so fearless — racing with taxis, risking life & limb, all in the sweet & simple quest to deliver your pizza hot. Amazing.
Ricky’s NYC — If you’ve never been into a Ricky’s store, let me explain. Every city needs at least one. It is basically your one-stop beauty shop. It’s better than Sephora, because they stock pretty much every beauty accessory known to man. There is a wall of false eyelashes, all in different colours, shapes & materials. There are candles, delicious-smelling soaps, straightening irons, all the best types of shampoo, & my favourite thing? The entire range of Special Effects hair dye. (They also have Manic Panic but it is an inferior product & you should not waste your money.) I think I have been into at least one of their stores every day since I got back last Thursday. I cannot walk past without going in. It makes me very, very happy.
Eating raw — Tonight I was feeling a bit petulant, & wanted a salad but couldn’t be bothered going & buying all the individual ingredients. I know, what hardship, right? So I got off the bed & walked to Pure Food & Wine, which is a mere stroll from my apartment. Yay! I had a delicious dinner, & made jottings in my Moleskine as I ate, & thought, & sipped at a glass of amazing lemonade. (Amazing, I tell you.) When I was done, I went next door to their takeaway area & picked up a pint of almond butter cup ice-cream, which is devastatingly good (& I swear tastes about a billion times better than conventional ice-cream), & a slice of cake (gasp!) for tomorrow. Breakfast, probably. Yum yum!
Avril Lavigne — I’m sure I’ve mentioned this in a Things I Love Thursday before, but it’s still true, so it’s worth repeating! When I worked at Lush, her album, Under My Skin, was one of the only decent CDs in the shop (& believe me, before I started working there, I didn’t like her at all). The Grease soundtrack was the other great one, but we also lots of stuff that drove me crazy, like Maroon 5 (argh!). Anyway… I was going through an ugly break-up & infatuation with someone totally unsuitable at the time, & this is going to sound so lame, but singing along to Avril Lavigne when the shop was empty was truly one of the best things ever. (I do have other female vocalist loves though — & taste, I swear! — notably Fiona Apple, Amy Winehouse & Ani Difranco.) Oh, & I read an interesting thing about Avril Lavigne a while ago where she attributed her constant angst to eating too much sugar! She said she went to a nutritionist & sorted herself out & she’s much happier now. Neat, huh?
New Zealand music — I didn’t like it much when I was in New Zealand, but as soon as I left, everything changed! This is one of my very favourite NZ songs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Che Fu – Scene 3
Honourable mentions: The fact that contact lenses are half the price here!; being asked for directions twice in one day & being able to help both times!; the Barney’s sale (uh oh, look out…); the charm that is inherent in practically every New Yorker I’ve met so far; Lupe Fiasco (I listened to The Cool on the bus back to Gainesville & was really, really impressed); fashion illustration (sometimes I wish I lived in the pictures); a big stack of stationery from the New York Palace; my friend Bei Badgirl’s art (one day I will have her paint a wall in my house); falling in love with skirts (1 with detail, & 2); sitting in my window watching the world go by (it is so exciting & happy-making that I feel like my heart might burst!), & emailing back & forth with Simon while I was at dinner (it was like a very slow date, but I loved it).
“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” — Woody Allen
Don’t be shy! It’s time to join in! (Especially if you are in the antipodes — it is 2am, & I stayed up finishing this so that you would get this on Thursday & wouldn’t feel left out! So you owe me… haha!)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [81] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 May 2008, 22:50 ]
Southern hospitality — This time last week I was on my way to Florida. I had such a great time there, & Meg & Charles made me feel so welcome! (Thank you!) It was all about Spanish moss, amazing weather, birthday parties, bubble machines, s’mores & a nice slow pace. I don’t know that I could live in Gainesville, but we went out to a tiny little town called Interlachen where we spent some time at this beautiful house which made me think that I could happily spend a lot of time in a spot like that.
Disneyworld, Orlando & Mike Dooley. To me, the three are now inextricably linked, haha! I had such an amazing time there! I was only there for a day; I caught the Greyhound there on Sunday morning & back the next day. Mike & I went to Disneyworld, out for dinner in a beautiful setting (dining alfresco by a lake, warm tropical breezes & all), then spent time lounging by his pool talking. He has a great lifestyle, I didn’t want to leave! It was so much fun to spend time with him one on one (& fall kind of in love with his dog). Mike is great, I totally adore him, & wish I could have spent more time in his company. Disneyworld was great too, of course! We went on the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean & the teacups…
Good plane seats — I have had incredible luck with seating this entire time I’ve been travelling. Lots of leg room, entire rows to myself, super-pleasant seat-mates, & more!
Butterfly Rainforest — In Gainesville, we went to the Museum of Natural History which contains one of the most fantastic things I’ve ever seen: a butterfly rainforest. Picture yourself walking through a beautiful, lush, green valley, as butterflies of all colours & sizes flutter past, occasionally landing on you & then flying on. It was incredible. Really, really incredible. The lime green one below fell in love with me, I think — it hung around for ages! Having a butterfly land in your hair is quite something, you can feel these tiny vibrations as it beats its wing close to your ear, & you get this feeling that you should stay very, very still so as not to disrupt the moment. Yeah. It was fabulous. If you ever get the chance to go, do it!
Flying into NYC — I flew into NYC’s LaGuardia airport last night, which I’ve never done (I have always been a JFK gal!). We flew right over the city, which was awe-inspiring & gorgeous. I stared out the window the whole time, getting my bearings & marvelling.
New purchases! I haven’t been going shopping crazy, but I have definitely picked up some fabulous new things. Hit picks: vintage Chanel scarf (free!), silver mesh high heels ($21!), black DKNY dress ($39), Disney hats (no idea) & my latest new toy… a Helio Ocean. Be still my beating heart! So sexy, so sleek! I am in rapture, truly. It is a marvellous thing. Meg & Charles (my hosts in Gainesville) both had them & every time they whipped them out to do crazy tinkering, my blood bubbled with lust! Now I’m back in NYC, & I have one of my own… Nyah nyah! Hee! I’m so happy, I have wanted one for such a long time!
Simon — He is great 24/7. I wish he could come back to New York! Eep!
Honourable mentions: Breakfast meetings at the St Regis (I met with Louis Vuitton this morning!); grey v-neck t-shirts (my new craze); ridiculously high platforms with straps all over; technology (man, it’s good — all the videos in this post reminded me how great it is!); the Sex & The City movie’s approaching release (maybe we should have an NYC nonpareil meet-up & all go & see it together?!); the way New York streets smell (amazing food scents 24/7); New York City’s incredible convenience (it might be all of the States, but Victoria’s Secret doesn’t close until about 9pm on a Wednesday! Wow!) & looking forward to settling into a sanctuary & writing furiously for hours on end!
“A single thankful thought towards heaven is the most perfect of all prayers.” — Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Okay, my sweet! How about you? I know this is going up a little late, so hopefully you have had extra time to think about what would make your weekly list of glee!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [54] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 8 May 2008, 07:16 ]
The iCiNG community — You all continually amaze me. I received this email from Mica a few days ago.
“Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you for organising the contact page for us all. I had to go down to Melbourne for a graduate position and I had a break before my flight home, so I asked one of my new Melbourne-based iCiNG facebook friends what I should do. I got some great suggestions although I actually ran out of time to do much, it was still helpful! When I got called back to Melbourne again the next again week I made sure I had a bit more time to spare so I could meet my new Melbourne friend! I met up with the lovely Nora yesterday and we sat in a little Melbourne coffee shop, drinking hot chocolate and chatting. It was a perfect way to relax and unwind after an interview, and I’m really glad I got to say hi to her face to face… My favourite part was being thrown out of the coffee shop as we had overstayed our welcome, we’d both not noticed the time! hehe. Not something I would have expected to happen after meeting a complete stranger…!”
Telephones — This is going to sound silly maybe, but have you ever thought about how incredibly amazing the telephone is? You press a sequence of numbers & you are connected to your best friend, your lover, your parents; instantly transported to a kitchen in Bombay or a library in Boston or someone climbing a tree in Dunedin. I love it!
New York — Oh, come on! You knew that was coming! I’m really starting to feel at home here. It has been fabulous roaming the city with Simon, but now that I am here alone, & have been a bit nervous about it, I feel like New York is cheering for me. It wants me to stay. It’s doing its best to make me happy. The weather is warm & beautiful, & when I stepped out the front door today, here’s what I was greeted with. Blossoms.
Raw food — Man, New Yorkers have it totally sussed. I went into a tiny health food store on the Upper East Side yesterday & found an entire wall full of raw food. Not to mention the amazing food I’ve eaten since arriving here — mind-blowing, to say the least.
Being open to opportunities — I’ve made a conscious effort to open myself out to new people & experiences while I’m here, & it’s paying off in a major way! I have had offers to stay all over the city, go vintage shopping, explore Brooklyn, scope out street style with Altamira (aka Craig), stay at someone’s summer house in East Hampton, visit Disneyworld, hang in the Egyptian wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, go to Minnesota & stay with a guy from Rhymesayers, & way more than I could ever mention! It’s absolutely amazing & I’m so excited. I love having so many choices that I’m not sure which one I’m going to pick!
Warm weather — New York has totally been putting on the ritz in terms of weather. Blue skies, sunshine, blossoms & butterflies are everywhere. Even better, as you read this, I am 30,000 feet in the sky, flying to Florida, where it is even warmer! It feels kind of like cheating to go from the Australian summer to the American one, but you know, I’m okay with that!
Feeling a bit Carrie Bradshaw — Oh, I know it’s a cliché, but here I am, a girl in the city, laptop in hand, writing about her experiences & trying to make sense of them… Of course, there are probably thousands of girls in Manhattan who feel exactly the same way, but it’s a club I’m pleased to join! (Also: can’t wait to see the movie! Squeal!)
Honourable mentions: Lots of books to read (I am dying to get into them but have been too busy thus far!); Disneyworld (can’t wait to go!); spontaneous phone calls; yerba mate tea (yummy!); my bathrobe from the New York Palace (it is pimp); the New York Palace in general (I’d be happy never to stay anywhere else again); the East Coast raw community (aaaaaabsolutely… faaaaabulous!); Zappos.com (upgraded me to overnight shipping for free & were generally amazing); plotting out an informal Spring uniform while I’m here (pictures to come once I’ve obtained it!); marvelling at the things in the supermarket (really, it blows my mind); my new Frye boots (pictured above); pink (it’s everywhere & I’m embracing it); my New York City Moleskine; new friends who want to help; tulips (they are all over the city, huge & vibrant) &... well, pretty much everything! I am a little bundle of loved-up loveliness right now! Mwah!
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” — Gloria Steinem
So, gorgeous, tell us! What’s ringing your bell, turning your crank, keeping you awake at night? The promise of Spring? A new Winter coat? Stolen kisses? Trapeze lessons? Let us know!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
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video Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 1 May 2008, 03:00 ]
The Cure’s Disintegration — I was having a bit of a rough time on Friday, so I turned up this album as loud as it would go & made guacamole while I sang along. It totally cured (ha!) my mood. Seriously, I think Disintegration is one of the best albums of all time. Yup, I love me some Bob!
Australia’s Next Top Model — Ah! Trashy television, my secret (or not so secret, given I constantly talk about it on the internet!) obsession! America’s Next Top Model has lost its sheen & I’ve stopped watching this season; I just don’t really care who wins. Sad but true. But AusNTM? Oh baby! I love it! My money’s on Demelza & Alexandra to win, I think they both “have it”. Oh, & Charlotte Dawson is hilarious, too.
iCiNG Treats — I’m so happy with how they’ve been turning out & who has been getting involved in producing them! Talk about a star-studded cast, phwoar! It’s an absolute honour & privilege to work with such girl geniuses!
Waking up to the rain — & all the things that go with that. Lazy mornings in warm marshmallow beds, splashtastic walks with a fabulous umbrella, bundling up in my faux fur coat & staying cozy, gloves & hats & scarves looped twice. Winter doesn’t phase me — I’m ready!
Really exciting news — I have something incredible to share with you on Friday. I am dying to tell you, as always, but I’ve sworn myself to secrecy for now! Sit tight — it’s only a day away!
Eating raw — I probably said this last week, but hush! It’s my list, I can say anything I like! Other than a mild slip-up on Tuesday (watching someone bake three trays of cupcakes is a real test of willpower!), I’ve been eating lots of raw goodies & baby, I feel good. How are you going with your personal iTC?
Honourable mentions: Spending an evening with a professional cupcake mistress (ooh la la!); central heating (my saviour — in the last few days the temperature has taken a major dive!); my fitted Crowning t-shirt in black (new unofficial uniform); connecting with new friends; Gossip Girl (last week’s episode was tragic but this week’s was better & there are rumours of hot Sapphic action to come!); ‘Acoustic Romance’ by A Kiss Could Be Deadly (new favourite song); lots of options & choices & opportunities!; SoulGarden horoscopes (Christopher Witecki is awesome); the big stack of books I received from Amazon on Monday, & major an… tici… pation!
“Take away love & our earth is a tomb.” — Robert Browning
Your turn! I’d love to hear what’s been making you smile this week. Make us a list of the secret things that make your mouth curl at the edges; those things that cause you to laugh out loud & blow kisses to strangers! Delight us!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [72] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 April 2008, 21:35 ]
Raw food — Dark chocolate-covered ginger, oh yes! It is insanely good, I have been eating huge amounts of it. (I buy mine but you can make your own easily!) Big bowls of guacamole (avocado, tomato, red onion, garlic, lime, salt, pepper, ground chilli — combine, then dip carrots!). Mushroom pate (sunflower seeds, mushrooms, sundried tomatos, garlic, water, salt & pepper blended)! Yum yum yum. & the best thing? My body feels really good.
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh!t Gold — Atmosphere’s new album. It is great. My favourite tracks are ‘Dreamer’ & ‘Me’. To celebrate their release, they launched Paint That Sh!t Gold dot com, & if you go there you can listen to lots of the tracks as well as taking part in an awesome game. Atmosphere are on tour RIGHT NOW, so if you’re in the States or Canada you should check out the dates & get your ass to a show. I promise you will not regret it, they are my favourite music act ever. Ever ever ever. Oh & also, as part of TiLT, dreams about Slug are pretty good, too. I woke up very happy this morning! Wheeeee!
Karen Knowler — Raw saint & genius. Behold her halo! We had our second raw coaching call last night & it was just as amazing, if not more amazing, than the first one. She gave me tons of useful prompts, questions & exercises to help make my transition easier (& as soon as I post this I’m going to do my “raw homework”!). If you’re going raw as part of the iTC or are just curious, check out her free resources (I especially recommend So You Want To Go Raw?) & books, DVDs & audio. Everything she does is infused with love & passion — she is the perfect raw guide. Bless. (Oh, & I will be posting our raw coaching call as an MP3 very shortly!)
Salvador — I love my fake dog. He sits on the bed with me & watches television, it’s great. Hanging out with him often reminds of the law of attraction stories where they tell you that you should make space for whatever it is you want, so it’s more real. I feel like I’m doing that every time I see him. It’s good.
Cheerleading — A number of things. One: I still can’t believe I actually did it. I am so proud, seriously. That is so not like the old me. Two: I’m amazed at how much fun it was! Three: I’m flabbergasted by how coordinated I actually am! Man, I can’t wait to go back on Sunday. Squeal!
Reading the iTC discussion — I’m really loving hearing about everyone’s progress. It’s so cool & so inspiring to know that we’re all experiencing triumphs & issues, & it makes my heart boom with pride to see people helping one another out. The encouragement is amazing & exactly what a lot of us need. The iTC has been hard work for all of us, but you know what? If it was easy, everyone would do it! Some things are worth striving for, & we’ll get there together, I promise!
Honourable mentions — My new Bettina Liano cardigan (a great score at a clothing swap); sore legs (while it hurts, it does mean I’ve been working hard!); installation art (see the pictures above for an example — swoon); my exercise DVDs (they have all arrived, yay, & as soon as my legs stop hurting I’m going to do one!); looking forward to butoh on Saturday; planning a mini-holiday (I’m going to take four-day weekend from tomorrow, woohooooo!); eating fruit (I’m doing only fruit today, at Karen Knowler’s suggestion, to boost my energy & perk me up); having long hair (YESSSSS) & fabulous weekend plans!
“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” — Henry Miller
Now… your turn! Lay it on thick!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [78] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 16 April 2008, 20:20 ]
The “No Complaints” experiment — I wrote about this a little while ago, & Simon & I decided to give it a try. The aim is to go 21 days without complaining (though you’re allowed to complain if you then follow up with a solution of some kind). We ordered some wristbands from Mike Dooley that say Thoughts Become Things… Choose The Good Ones!, & they arrived on Monday, so we’ve been monitoring ourselves & swapping the bracelet to the other wrist whenever we hear ourselves having a moan. It’s really interesting — the first couple of days I was a bit complain-tastic, but since then I feel like I’m mellowing out, & I’m really looking forward to how it changes me over the coming 20 or so days! If you’re keen to try it out, grab a bracelet of some description, & start!
iCiNG Transformation Challenge prep! — I can’t waaaait for the challenge to start on Monday! I went to the library the other day & got out a whole lot of books on being your own personal trainer, as well as exercise & health tips, so I’m hoping to be able to pass on some of what I glean to you guys! Mostly I’m excited to see how good I feel when I start making an effort. I know it’s going to blow my mind!
Exercise dreamin’ — It’s like California Dreamin’, except with less flowers in the hair! I’ve been investigating various things I can do to keep exercise interesting & fun. I wanted to do a trapeze or contortion class, but unfortunately they’re all full up. On the plus side, I have aerials, butoh, yoga & one of those weird inflatable ball things, as well as access to a gym & a whole lot of exercise DVDs… so I think it will keep me on my toes!
Bad television! — YES! I LOVE bad television! There is so much of it on the way. For example, Gossip Girl starts up again the 21st of April (otherwise known as Monday, the day the iTC starts — talk about a reward!), while A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (yes, apparently Bobby wasn’t the man for her, so she’s back!) airs on the 22nd of April (Tuesday). So happy! Couple this with the fact that The Hills is back, & you have a very happy camper. Oh, & if that wasn’t quite enough for you, Australia’s Next Top Model hits our screens on the 22nd, too. Wooooooooooooooo!
Freedom — We are all free to be whoever we want. If you want to be a walking contradiction, a whirlwind, a mind-bending Sphinx-like riddle, someone who is happy with themselves & doesn’t answer to anyone else, you can be! Let criticism roll off your back. Embrace your individuality. No one is stopping you but yourself.
Having lots to do — I don’t like being busy for the sake of it, since I think that usually happens because we’re fearful of being alone or feeling like we have no direction. But I love having lots of projects on the go, piles of juicy stimulation & exciting people to work with, a head full of ideas & starry-eyed vision. I have so much to do today but I am totally amped about ALL of it! Bliss!
Treehouses — I just like ‘em. I have a vision of an apartment in New York with a rooftop garden, lush & verdant, & a treehouse in the corner… it will require a secret password for access. It’s going to be good.
Honourable mentions: Enormous bowls of guacamole; The O.C. (oh, trust me, I know... I’m only five years too late, haha); birthday drinks that come with cupcakes; my new dachshund Love On A Leash purse (I took the strap off, it lives on the bed at the moment, & is excellent for snuggling while we watch movies); my charm bracelet; make-up experiments in the afternoon; ruby red grapefruit for breakfast; sweet-talking our ISP into upgrading our account for free (it pays to be charming!); Tycho’s ‘Past Is Prologue’ album (you can listen to it here); Cut Copy’s ‘In Ghost Colours’ album; Lindt dark chocolate (I bought some as a gift yesterday but I have snuck a couple), & of course, Simon in his stripey pyjamas.
“There is no time for cut-&-dried monotony. There is time for work. & time for love. That leaves no other time!” — Coco Chanel
What’s rocking your socks, pushing your buttons & grinding your pepper today?! Tell us, share the good stuff! Make a huge list that reaches to the sky. Get your best friend to make a list too, call your dad to ask him what he’s happy about today, surprise someone with a kiss & ask them what makes them so wonderful! & don’t forget to grab a badge & slap it up somewhere!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [106] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 9 April 2008, 21:15 ]
Illustrations by Laura Laine & photographs by John-Paul Pietrus.
Paul Arden — I was so sad to hear that Paul Arden passed away last week. His books (It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be, Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite & God Explained In A Taxi Ride) are fantastic & really inspiring; a magnificent wake-up call for anyone interested in design, marketing or business. What better way to celebrate his life’s work than by getting stuck into one of his books & feeling your mind do a jig of delight?! Another thing — I always wanted to meet him in person, but now I’ll never have that chance. If you have a role model or icon that you want to connect with, don’t put it off! Do it TODAY!
Ugni molinae berries — We bought these at the markets on Tuesday, though they were labelled “tazziberries”! They’re teeny little pink berries with a sprig of green on the top, & when you chew them, they taste like strawberry perfume. So weird but so cool!
Meeting nonpareils — I know I say this all the time, but it bears repeating. When I was in Wellington I met four nonpareils in one day! It was incredible! I am constantly bowled-over by the amazing calibre of people who read iCiNG. I hope one day we can all have a big slumber party & then you’ll find out for yourselves! Not to mention all the well-dressed girls who smiled at me when I walked past — which always leaves me wondering, ‘Do they read iCiNG or do they just like my clothes/hair/strut?’ A little mystery is a good thing, I think.
Palmsout.com — In my opinion, the best ever place to go for new tunes. I always want new music, so I make a point of visiting them every Monday to download their latest Remix Sunday compilation. They collect tracks from DJs all over the world, & make their latest remixes available for your listening pleasure. The mixes often keep me dancing all week, & while the quality can vary, most of it is fantastic. My favourite DJ is Chew Fu — I have so much time for that man! If you just want to get a few tracks to see if it’s your kind of thing, check out Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” (Chew Fu Big Room Fix), Snoop Dogg – “Cool” (Chew Fu Fix) & The Ghost Frequency – “Never Before Have I Seen…” (Zombie Disco Squad Remix). Whee!
My New Zealand bunnies — All the people I saw in Wellington are doing really well for themselves. They’re happy, earning money & getting their lives together, & they’re either loving being single or in really fulfilling relationships. It’s so good to see!
Rove! I love him & think he’s so cute, he is my #1 Australian crush! Awwwww. We’re going to see him this weekend & I’m so looking forward to it. For an example of how awesome he is, watch this:
Rove interviewing Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen.
Honorary mentions: Turkish Delight assortments; having a closet full of new things (it’s been way too long); knowing that there are lots of treats in the post for me (I have been on a leetle bit of an Ebay frenzy recently, as well as placing a $250 order with Amazon… !); buying someone a really great gift (we’re about to go watch shopping for Simon’s birthday — I am going to buy him something fabulous); my favourite chocolate place, San Churro, is opening a new shop really close to my house!; my OhMiBod (review coming soon!); hanging out with 3 long-haired dachshunds (bliss!) & thinking about going to the Bright Autumn Festival (maybe…)
“Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look to others for fulfilment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” — Lao-Tzu
So, what do you love today? What got you out of bed early, made you sing in the shower & dance at the bus-stop? Tell us! Share the glee!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [91] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 2 April 2008, 17:22 ]
Nouvelle musique — Wrapping your ears around new music is one of life’s great pleasures, I think. I’m currently loving the Will.I.Am tracks on the Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition (‘The Girl Is Mine’ & ‘P.Y.T.’). I also really adore Janet Jackson’s Discipline, the Hackers soundtrack, Portishead’s Third & Neon Neon’s Stainless Style.
Anything with a sitar! When I was a kid, I knew a woman who was quite spiritual & went to silent meditative retreats & that kind of thing. Often she would visit me & bring me thick sticks of temple incense & tape recordings of music with sitars in it. One of my favourite memories from childhood revolves around sitting in my bed, sunlight streaming in on me, listening to sitar music, incense burning, reading a book. I recently got my hands on Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale’s Breathing Under Water album & it brings it all back to me!
Being in a house with my parents — They’re so cool, considerate, entertaining & gracious. It’s like being in a little hotel — really nice, new, fluffy towels folded for each of us (they even got us a loofah each!), a copy of Simply You magazine beside the bed, a new blender in the kitchen for smoothie-making (!)... Why would I possibly want to stay anywhere else?!
Honourable mentions: Curling up in bed with a scarf; The Goddess Guide (I bought it in the airport bookshop yesterday & read half of it on the plane last night — it’s fantastic!); charming people at duty free (they gave us a 10% discount on the two MAC eye-shadows & bottle of Krug we bought!); tomato juice (still love it!); drinking water out of the tap (you can do that in New Zealand & it tastes just as good as filtered water anywhere else); the wonderfully amazing & supportive Simon, & borrowing clothes off my mother!
Sorry this is so short — we’re about to race off & start doing some frantic socialising! My friend from Auckland (Ana) is in town & I’m going to have dinner with my best friend tonight, so it’s all go!
What has you screamin’ out HALLELUJAH today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [108] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 March 2008, 01:29 ]
Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School! Last night I modelled for Dr Sketchy’s Melbourne, & it was totally brilliant! So much fun. The room was totally sold out — there were people standing at the back, for god’s sake — & it was a really amazing experience. I did two different costumes — disco diva bunny girl & my interpretation of Tank Girl — & lots of weird poses. My amazing friend Marie, make-up artist extraordinaire, came along with me & did my face. She used stage make-up, lots of glitter & a pair of diamante-encrusted eyelashes & it looked awesome! Mel made up great playlists which had everyone boogieing in their seats & she even held a “draw a Tank Girl cover” competition. The winner, a very shy but incredible woman, won an assortment of cupcakes from Crabapple Cupcakes… lucky! My pictures (thank you Simon!) are here!
Yummy food! I have discovered lots of new things to munch on & adore this week. They are… Seaweed, my new favourite thing. I buy packets of it & chew on it & it goes all flakey on my fingers but I love it anyway. It’s the best thing ever, seriously — plus it makes you taste like a mermaid! Tomato juice with black pepper... Oh baby. YES. I especially like to drink it while watching Angel... it seems appropriate somehow! Apricots with rosewater & chocolate soy ice-cream — too good for words. Try it!
Rain — It has been raining for three days. It’s so much fun to watch it from our apartment; because we’re up so high it looks amazing. Another thing I’m totally psyched for is the weather in Wellington (where we’re going next Wednesday) — apparently it’s really warm & beautiful! This is such a rare thing in Wellington (hee hee) that I’m really really excited about it!
Planning my birthday party! Months away, I know, but I can’t help myself. There is so much cool stuff in the works, but at this point all I’ll tell you is that it’s going to be in New York in September, there are going to be lots of amazing people there & if you’re around, you can be one of them, because you are TOTALLY invited! Ring a ding ding! GOD I can’t WAIT!
Watching the iCiNG community blossom — I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see all my nonpareils interacting, sweet-talking each other & helping one another out. It is beautiful & truly, truly, truly outrageous… whoahhhhh Jem!
Lots of amazing new iCiNG developments — I have many BIG awesome surprises coming but the first one is going live on Tuesday. Yes, the first of April, but no, it’s not a prank or a joke! You are going to flip your wigs, I promise!
Honourable mentions: 3D glasses; big colourful bunches of flowers; Do You Lilac It? by OPI; meeting nonpareils!; my new camera (Nikon Coolpix P5100 — arrived yesterday!); trying to type with thick fingerless gloves on (it’s a total comedy of errors!); snuggling with loverboy under two duvets; being super-hydrated (feels so good); staying at home & working (I’ve had a whirlwind week & was at IKEA all morning, so the next few days are going to be iCiNG-tastic, I’m totally looking forward to it!); having new shoes which make me feel like a fashion-forward pixie!; beauty maintenance (hair & nails appointments have made — I love having someone else dote on me); knowing that things are getting better & better every day!
“He who enjoys doing and enjoys what he has done is happy.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ahhh yes, mes petites! Your lists, please! Last week we had over 200 submissions, which totally blew my mind! I’m so proud & thank you so much for taking part! So, as always, I’d love to hear what’s making you smile, dance, sing & whistle! & here’s an idea — why not email your list to your four favourite people & ask them what their list would be? Joy shared has much more power!
Oh — & grab a badge too!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [123] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 19 March 2008, 18:05 ]
Apricots — Yum! When I was a child, we used to drive from Dunedin to Wanaka in Summer (Dunedin was where my grandparents lived & Wanaka was where they had a holiday house). On the way we would inevitably stop at some of the fruit sellers along the way to buy fresh apricots or big bags of black cherries, the latter of which we would delightfully chomp & spit out the seeds. I don’t know whether we actually sent them sailing out of the windows or whether I am just imagining it, but anyway. So apricots have a good association for me, but there aren’t many around at the moment. Hallelujah! They sell them in cans at the supermarket! Not the most natural form, I admit, but they are still delicious (especially in a smoothie with some maca powder, hazelnuts & chocolate soy ice-cream)!
Atmosphere — I think I said this kind of recently, but I still do! Their ‘Paint It Gold‘ show is hilarious & awesome. I sent them a question yesterday, I really hope they answer it!
Wasabi peas! I had never had ANY wasabi at all until I tried wasabi peas at an engagement party on Saturday. Instant love affair! I hoarded the bowl & ate so many! On our way home, we stopped off at the supermarket & bought two packets. I have been munching on them pretty steadily, though the other day I put four in my mouth at once (absentmindedly I think) & felt like I was having a stroke, so I haven’t had many since then! Haha!
Adventures at the Asian superette! Sometimes (okay, often), at night, I get restless & want to go on an adventure. Usually we would go out for dessert or churros or something sinful, like visit the 24-hour Krispy Kreme (dear god, no!), but since we’re trying to eat as well as possible, instead we went to an Asian superette down the road! We spent ages in there, going “Ooh!” & “Aah!”. We came home with a nice haul of weirdness, too — sesame paste, fried crispy onions, radishes in chilli & some weird chocolates in the shape of tree stumps & burgers. It was awesome.
Ani DiFranco — I am on an Ani kick right now. I go through phases of loving her & then not being able to listen to her for months at a time… but right now I just can’t get enough of her.
Anticipation! So many things to look forward to. Wellington = YAY! We’re going to stay with my parents in their new house, & they’re going to lend us a car so we will be able to do our own thing. (This is another reason why being with Simon is so great — I don’t have a driver’s license, I always used to have to rely on the bus to get around! Haha!) I can’t wait to see all my friends, go shopping & eat all the food I developed an affection for over an 18 year period!
Honourable mentions: By this time next week I will have had my appearance at Dr Sketchy’s, eeeee! Also… Shopping (I have done quite a lot of it recently & have heaps of things to show you!); pomegranates (yes, I tried one & it was AMAZING!); the international friend-scape (it is really cool to know I have great friends in all of my favourite cities!); working out (I am back on it & I have started taking glutamine before I exercise which makes, seriously, a world of difference); crossing things off my ‘to do’ list; Elliott Smith; pyjama snuggling; the new season of The Hills starting soon (seriously, I know I shouldn’t care but all of a sudden, I do?!); 3D glasses & this picture:
“There is always something to be happy about. Truly happy. And if you have the audacity to find it and the courage to make it your focus, in spite of the countless temptations to dwell upon problems that don’t really exist, you will have learned well, your life will be transformed, and all things will be added unto you.” — Mike Dooley
Yes, cuties! It’s that time again! Tell me what you LOVE this Thursday! Lay it on thick! Sit there & visualise all the things making your life better, & let it build up so you get little hearts instead of pupils in your eyes & then LET LOOSE! On another note… Can we get 200 submissions? Whaddaya think?!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [203] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 March 2008, 19:09 ]
Photo key: 1, 2, 3. & grab a badge here!
Ooh la la, it’s that time again…! This is my list of things I LOVE!
Mike Dooley! I’ve just spent a lot of time with him so I am a bit “high on Mike” (!) right now, but wow. What an incredibly cool, authentic, generous & thoughtful human being. Meeting him was a thrill & interviewing him was a delight, & I strongly recommend anyone who has the chance to hear him talk seizes the opportunity! His seminar yesterday was amazing — a full day of learning about how to make your visualisations more powerful, how to avoid self-sabotage, the effortlessness of creating & trusting in the process. There were fun exercises, lots of anecdotes (always my favourite bit — I always want to know how something applied to someone else’s life) & of course, heaps of Notes From The Universe to supplement the material! It was so good, & I am feeling so inspired today. Awesome. He is coming to Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland & Minneapolis soon, as well as embarking on a cruise from Hawaii in June (details), so get your booty in a seat! It is totally worth skiving off work for a day — you will love it. I liked it so much I bought him a Lindt chocolate bunny & wrote him a poem about the glorious shape of his head (see?!) & how he likes cigars, haha! Oh, & I wish I had a picture of us to show you but I don’t — all the shots we took are still on his camera. You can imagine it though, I’m sure!
Meeting nonpareils! The call I put out a week or so ago for volunteers to help at the Mike Dooley show was heard & the challenge was accepted by some super-cute girls! I met at least four nonpareils at his talks, all of them ADORABLE, bubbly, cute & most importantly, well-dressed! (Hee hee.) Huge kisses to all of you. It always amazes me to meet the people who read this site, they’re just such good people. One day, we should do regional meet-ups — then you would understand!
Eating lots of fruit & drinking lots of water — When we left the house yesterday we didn’t have time for breakfast, so we took some apples & a big bag of mixed bits, including dark chocolate, fruit & nuts. Kind of like a trail mix, except we like to call it “flail mix”! Anyway, we picked at it all day & drank heaps of water & man, my body felt good. A nice change from constant restaurant-hopping, which is what happens when my parents are here!
Spending time with my parents — Anyone who lives with their parents right now & loathes it, take some comfort from the fact that my mother & father just spent 5 days in our living room & we didn’t kill one another! In fact, we all got along famously; it was fantastic. I have a set of purikura photos on my desk of the four of us (them & me & Simon) making faces, it’s so funny. They are great company, I love them very much.
Plotting upgrades for my Macbook — Quelle nerd! But, well, I don’t have a lot of space on my baby, & I found out the other day that it could have 6 times more space for a mere penny! But then, I want a big honking screen, too… Dangerous!
Awaiting treats! I don’t have it yet, but a Nikon Coolpix P5100 is currently winging its way to my loving arms! I used to have another Coolpix a few years ago, & I loved it — it was brilliant. But I took it to Burning Man & well, let’s just say it’s done its best work. It sits, a bit mushed-looking, in a drawer, pretty much useless. I have my Nikon D80 of course, which is my main camera, but I have wanted a point & click camera for a while now. Something I can throw in my purse & take out with me, without lugging a huge SLR all over the city. The P5100 fits the bill perfectly; I can’t wait for it to arrive.
My regularly scheduled life — It’s been quite a whirlwind recently, & I have to admit it’s good to be sitting here this morning knowing I don’t have to leave my house or see anyone for a while! I have lots of writing to do & emails to respond to, & I have happiness in my heart. It’s all good up here in the clouds.
Honourable mentions: My new shoes (I feel so Fred Astaire!); my nailpolish (Cherries In The Snow by Revlon); pinning a flower on my leather jacket; my Tarina Tarantino sparkly ring (I have had it for months now but every day I look at it I think, “Ooooooh!”); walking back from the Mike Dooley talks (4.6 kilometres/2.8 miles) both nights with Simon & talking & plotting the whole way; thinking about New York; Ferrero Rocher easter eggs (so bad for me but totally irresistible!); setting new intentions; getting focussed; embracing life.
Two of the most powerful words in the English language for bringing about change are ‘thank you.’ Especially when offered before the change even happens and everything still looks pretty much like it did yesterday.
Notes From The Universe
Okay gorgeous, your turn! What has you leaping around your bedroom, waving your hands in the air, hyperventilating & squealing with joy this week? What makes you want to sing? What are you looking forward to? What are the best things that happened this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [109] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 5 March 2008, 19:41 ]
Photo key:
1. yukata, 2. kyocera, 3. untitled, 4. rippling reflection
Working on my podcast — I’m changing the format so that it is more like a radio show & less like me just reading out an article! It’s really exciting & a whole new challenge. I can’t wait until the first one is done! I hope you all enjoy it… I think you will!
Skins & Angel — My two new favourite shows. Skins is hilarious & heart-breaking at the same time (& I adore Cassie, she is just too cute). Angel is all terrible acting but you know, the occasional appearance of Spike is keeping me interested. (I’m not far into either so please don’t tell me any spoilers or I’ll cry!) One of my favourite things to do at the end of the night when I’m exhausted from working & thinking is to crawl into bed with lover-boy & watch an episode or two. Best ever.
Blazing my own trail — Sometimes it can be hard for me to know where I should be directing my energy or where I want iCiNG to go. Especially because I feel like there aren’t a lot of people who I can ask for advice on the subject. A lot of what I’m doing is breaking new ground & no one has done it before. It can be kind of scary sometimes but mostly it is exhilirating & wild! It is such an incredible position to be in — to be able to choose your own limits & partnerships, to make decisions that have real impact & write things that make a difference! I am so glad & so fortunate.
My mirror-ball — Did I mention this last week? Well, if I did, it’s worth saying again. I don’t have the mirror-ball hanging up yet, it is just sitting on our dinner table because I want to find the best possible place for it, but it still does the trick. I LOVE walking into the iCiNG Bowl in the morning to see tiny circles of light all over the ceiling & scattered across the kitchen. It’s like entering some strange & beautiful galaxy. It is really amazing & fills me with happiness.
Ninagawa Mika
Ninagawa Mika — My new favourite photographer. Super-high saturation, sexy girls & lots of joy. It’s a hard combination to beat!
Hunting around at the market — It’s all still very new to me. We have a fun little routine: we wake up super-early, I crawl into my knee-length cardigan (I have had it for a year but I still adore it), we grab our trolley (we have a little granny cart! I want to stick jewels all over it) & set out for the market. It’s not far so we walk & talk & check the mail & drink smoothies. Then we go to our favourite stalls & talk to the owners & pick the loveliest-looking things. I feel like a total fruit & vegetable virgin so I am always pointing at things & asking, “What’s this like?”. Today, for example, we bought kiwiberries (like a miniature kiwifruit!), a pomegranate (I’ve never had one!) & fresh figs. We also ordered a tray of wheatgrass to be collected next week — eep, exciting! A miniature lawn in our kitchen! & of course I love the end result, too: a kitchen full of exotic, delicious delights!
New musique — My current favourites are Boxcutter’s live set on Nova FM (downloadable!), Burial (still), Autechre’s new album Quaristice, Neptunes Present: Clones & IAMX!
Planning travel — New Zealand & possibly Sydney in April are on the cards, as well as New York & San Francisco in September! I can’t tell you how excited I am!!! I’ve been plotting hotels. Library Hotel, Hotel on Rivington, The Alex, 60 Thompson or Soho House? WHO KNOWS? (I love organising travel, I am such a geek. Eeee!)
Honourable mentions: Lots of tapping (& lots of sleep & water to help it process); anticipation (my parents arrive tomorrow & are staying until Tuesday!); sore muscles massaged with arnica; wonderful packages in the mail (this morning I received two mind-blowing soaps from Soapylove which smell & look incredible!); this amazing necklace (NSFW!); all your comments on my House of Holland post yesterday (you’re all so clever, I’m so proud! Cluck cluck!); re-shuffling all the pictures on my lamp (it is covered in purikura & postcards!) & Slug! Oh, & also — the fact that Things I Love Thursday has now been going for 30 WEEKS with no signs of slowing down… how INCREDIBLE is that?!
“Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
Now then, sweet poodles & nonpareils! Open your chests & strum a few notes on your heart-strings! Tell us what’s going on in your life — make a big list of all the things that have you spontaneously celebrating, kissing the earth & smiling as you walk down the street. We want to hear it, please add your love to ours!
(& if you’ve posted your own list on your blog, don’t forget to nab a badge from the Participate page!)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [116] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 February 2008, 17:21 ]
Hello cuties! I know that lots of you are now doing Things I Love Thursday on your own sites & blogs! It makes me so happy, I’m like a proud mother! Cluck cluck! Anyway, I have made up some little banners that you can use if you want to (it’s not compulsory!) — they just have cute pictures & say “Things I Love Thursday” on them. If you want to swipe one, you can check them out on the Participate page!
Et maintenant, without further ado, here is my list of Things I LOVE Thursday!
Soy hazelnut hot chocolate — Shamefully, it is from Starbucks, but it is very tasty! I think it probably has about 36,000 pounds of sugar in it but, well, sometimes a major chocolate shot is just what a girl needs to get her through the day.
Karl Lagerfeld — The one & only. He’s just so fabulous. I love seeing him in documentaries — he speaks so quickly & everything he says is brilliant & bold. He’s like a hilarious quote generator. I just adore him.
My new digital dictaphone — It’s an Olympus WS-300M (as recommended by Miranda, thank you!) & it rocks my world! I love it so much. I have been carrying it around with me & rambling into it as I see fit. It’s tiny, about the size of a packet of chewing gum, & it is sooo much fun. I had a dictaphone when I was a kid & as an only child, it was my favourite toy ever. Even better than Nintendo if you ask me. So, it brings back very fond memories (mostly of wandering around putting on voices & making up stories). I have grand plans for this dictaphone, let me tell you! I also think I’m going to buy some super-shiny crystal stickers & bling it up… Ooh! I’m such a magpie!
Dhrumil — Of We Like It Raw & Give It To Me Raw fame. He is a champ. Listen to this & this & just try to tell me differently! I love his energy & charisma, it’s so exciting just to listen to!
Clearing my intentions — There’s some old saying that goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. I like to use this in terms of working out what I want, too. If I don’t know what I want in certain areas (work, lifestyle, relationships), I attract all kinds of things that aren’t quite right. The best way I know to clear your intentions is to grab some index cards, write headings at the top (like ‘Friends’ or ‘Myself’) & then do a bullet-point list of how you would like those things to be. Phrase it positively, i.e., instead of “Not a liar”, you’d write “Honest”. Look at the cards regularly & add to them & change them, but focus on them & visualise those things being true for you NOW. You will be amazed at what happens, I promise!
Dubstep — One of my new favourite things. If you haven’t heard Burial’s Untrue album, you are missing out in a big way. I also strongly recommend getting your paws on anything by Skream, Benga, Arovane, Monolake & Boxcutter. It’s all perfect grey sky music — which describes this morning pretty well!
Rhymesayers Entertainment — Best independent hip-hop label in existence (& since it was founded by my favourite rapper, it has a special place in my heart). They’re so cool & down to earth & are devoted to breaking new ground, & every time I have any kind of interaction with them, I feel good afterwards. If you want a real crash course in what great hip-hop is like, go to their site & buy a bunch of albums!
I think Slug is one of the most crushed-on rappers of all time.
Holographic nails! I can’t help myself, it is my magpie nature. My favourite holographic nailpolish is OPI’s ‘Glamour’ from their Designer Series. (It’s not on their site any more but you could definitely find it on Ebay.) It’s a fabulous violet with miniscule holographic flacks — the perfect polish for any intergalactic love warrior!
Going through old pictures — I haven’t saved much to Flickr recently, so I’ve been going through my pictures to find something for this post. I don’t know how it happened, maybe just good planning, but somehow I have managed to keep all my pictures since… well, basically since I got online (1996). It is amazing to see what I liked & what I saved. It is basically a catalogue of my taste from my teenage years through to the present day, which I think is incredible. All morning I’ve been looking through the photos of these girls whose sites I used to read & whose words I used to treasure. Who knows where they are today or what they’re doing?
Honourable mentions: Procellous grey skies; cosy sweatshirts that feel like a hug; vibrant connections with people in other cities; watching Angel in bed with loverboy; making travel plans; meeting new people with passion that matches your own; reading about finance (haha); excitement & anticipation!
I asked Audrey for his TiLT list too, & he said…
My new hair! After having to spend just over a week with my shock of red, I had a consult with the amazing Kat at Wildilocks. Despite their obvious love of all things dark and kooky, she embraced the chance to get her hands dirty and play around with the colour. It was a great experience — the staff are open and friendly yet there’s still a definite air of professionalism in the salon. Everything was discussed and explained, which I think is important when somebody is mixing chemicals to put on your scalp. And the end result is perfect: I feel like me again.
iTunes and iPod! I finally bit the bullet and joined the 21st Century and bought my first ever iPod. This isn’t just a ‘I want to look cool and ignore the rest of the world while I’m on the tram’ thing either. I’m actually on a quest to simplify and organise my life and the amount of stuff I have. Once I have all my music organised I can get rid of a lot of clutter (finally).
Reorganising my music collection which has also made me nostalgic for the songs I grew up on. I’m now playing all my old albums as I rip them into iTunes and I’m having all sorts of flashbacks to high school and the like.
Gossip Girl. Yes, I too have succumbed to the hype and am totally hooked. I love the way that B is the bitchy, power-hungry mogul of their scene, yet seems to be the smallest character. Not sure if it’s just an accident from casting, but I think there’s actually a deeper, hidden meaning behind the way this pint sized little girl can be so manipulative and evil. Also, Chuck is officially on my Style Icon list. Those blazers and those SCARVES! Wow.
The weather today! It’s gloomy and rain is pelting on the roof. Lord, its so good. A good excuse to stay inside and get jobs done. Plus I’ve finally pulled my coats and jackets out from storage. Can’t wait to get out there, grab some warm caffeinated beverages, jump in puddles and take advantage of this briskness.
Masseurs. I’m going through a rough patch at the moment, but guys can benefit from a little pampering just as much as girls.
“The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love & feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti
Join us for a big love-fest (or as Madonna would say, “a metaphysical orgy”)! What do you love this week? Big cups of tea? The promise of spring? Fashion shows? Dressing in only one colour? Your boyfriend’s moustache?! Tell us — we’ll all blow kisses in the same direction!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [110] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 February 2008, 20:33 ]
Here are the things that are making my heart go doki doki this week!
Fleetwood Mac — Especially after coming home from a long walk in the cold with my lover. (Last night we went for a walk to a place that does amazing chocolate drinks.) I like to lie on the bed in the living room, stare out at the night below, crank up Fleetwood Mac & start working. It makes me feel peaceful & energised all at the same time.
The iCiNG Community — It really struck me the other day, as I walked back from the post office, how good we have it here. The article I wrote the other day on A Passionless Marriage was what drove it home to me. A woman in a dissatisfying marriage wrote to me asking for my help, so I wrote her a piece outlining my thoughts on the matter, & the comments were an amazing outpouring of help, advice & wonderful, thoughtful insights. There were words from 60 year old women who have been married twice before, & 12 year old girls who have never dated. I can’t think of anywhere else online where such a diverse but positive crowd come together. I love you guys so much, & it makes me the happiest girl in the world to get to hang out with you every day!
Exploding Dog — I like this one: When I look at you, I get more ideas.
Wearing my hair in a chignon — I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s just that I never used to be able to do it, but I love putting my hair up in a loose bun! It makes me feel very effortlessly elegant & groomed. I am an addict!
This picture is amazing.
Notorious B.I.G. — I just do. He is great. It’s all about booty-shaking bass! I am usually pretty torn between trying to work out whether I like him or Tupac better, though I think I am ekeing over towards Tupac. Tupac was a hot, intelligent, awesome anarchist, & Biggie was… well, a crack dealer. So hey!
Dark chocolate with chilli — I know a lot of people think that sounds nuts, but it is seriously incredible. You don’t really taste the chilli at first, just chocolate, but after you swallow, your mouth fills with an amazing flavour. So good! If you can find some, you should definitely try it.
Having someone else pretty me up — There has been a lot of that lately, & I love not having to think about it & let a professional do what they do best! I had so much fun with Marie when we played with make-up the other day. Today I’m going to get my nails painted & I’m also going to Wildilocks, for more extensions & a trim (not sure how radical yet)! Yay!
Enjoying the calm before the storm — The first week of March is fashion week here in Melbourne & it is going to be intense. I have shows, concerts, seminars & exhibition openings coming out my ears! After that my parents are going to be here for a bit, & then I’m going to go to a seminar held by one of the coolest people ever (Mike Dooley !!!), & after that, I’m modelling for Dr Sketchy’s! Then I will collapse. It is going to be a magnificent, high-energy month!
Cake decoration shops! They are the most fun place on earth. I am going to go scouting for fun decorations for cupcakes. I am strongly considering buying some crystallised violets & some fabulously neon food colouring. Hee!
Honourable mentions: Earrings that make jangly noises while you walk (I love anything noisy that I can wear!); shoe shopping (it’s on the cards!); juices (I am planning on upping my juice intake in a big big way); lovely lovely raw foodists; my boyfriend (his devotion to improving himself in every way improves my life & love for him too); fabulous pink-covered books & sticking jewels on my Moleskine!
“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.” — John Lennon
Plant some seeds! What do you love today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [99] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 February 2008, 18:42 ]
Photo key:
1. tim walker, 2. saturday morning fun reading, 3. senior moment, 4. big city
The massage song — Sometimes when Simon massages my back he sings me a song at the same time. He makes up the words but normally it is basically all the good things about me that he can think of. It’s like a lyrical Things I Love (About Gala) Thursday. Best boyfriend ever. Oh yes.
“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green. It’s just a great song. Though I think part of the reason I like it is because of Pulp Fiction.
The Gymnast — I’ve been meaning to see this for ages but only just got my hands on it. It is the story of a budding romance between a super-cute Korean girl & a super-buff blondie who is in an unhappy marriage. But this isn’t just your standard lesbian love story, it’s actually about two women who meet while practising aerials (!!!) & their love blossoms from there. It’s so good! Lots of red fabric & acrobatics. It gets the Gala seal of approval. You can see the trailer here.
Elbow patches! I found this amazing Alice + Olivia blue cashmere sweater on Ebay with navy elbow patches & it rocked my world. Unfortunately, I forgot to bid! Tragedy! & it’s a few seasons old so I may never find another one. Regardless, I remain hopeful that I will find something equally fabulous! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Takashi Murakami — Ah, delicious superflat. Why do I love him so? Viz: 1, 2 & 3…
Many of you will have seen this,
but it is still brilliant.
Mensa — I really want a Mensa t-shirt. I just think it would be funny. I have a weird sense of humour, I guess! I think I would wear it with a high-waisted skirt & Oxfords & glasses & a pencil through my chignon — true geek chic!
Missbehave magazine — I never read Sassy (before my time, unfortunately), but I imagine that if it existed today, Missbehave would be its kindred spirit. Example: the front cover of the latest issue says, “How to get a hot stripper body fast! Without kidnapping!” That is so cool & overwhelmingly awesome that it hurts. It also has features on Heatherette & Moschino. I love it very much.
Garbage & Shirley Manson — While I was never wild about their singles, some of their tracks are gorgeous. At the moment I am particularly loving ‘The Trick Is To Keep Breathing’, ‘Androgyny’, ‘Special’ & ‘Temptation Waits’. & how can you not love a band that give a song the title ‘Supervixen’? Plus, have any of you ever noticed how incredibly foxy & fabulous Shirley Manson is? If not, I present evidence:
“Mozart was a punk, which people seem to forget. He was a naughty, naughty boy.” — Shirley Manson
Heart-shaped disco mirror balls! This is going to be my next purchase for the iCiNG Bowl. Dancing specks of light around the room? A resounding YES!
Amazing business documents — Miss Nubby Twiglet (go & buy her heart t-shirts!) sent me a mind-blowing PDF about branding & marketing the other day. I have been reading it with rapt attention. It is freaking brilliant. I owe her bigtime!
Chocolate chilli ganache frosting — It’s so not vegan, or even raw (contents: dark chocolate, cream, margarine, chilli powder). But it is tasty! I made chocolate cupcakes with this frosting for Valentine’s Day. I decorated them with little candy hearts, too! Yum. We guzzled them in bed last night!
“Love is the beauty of the soul.” — Saint Augustine
Now I turn the floor to you! It’s Valentine’s Day, too, so make it a super-love-fest! What do you love today? What’s turning your crank? What are your current obsessions? What can’t you get enough of? Spill!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [84] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 7 February 2008, 13:18 ]
My Vogue 2008 calendar — I’m so glad I bought it (it came with the Dec/Jan issue of French Vogue). Beaucoup du beautiful pictures to take me from day to day. There is so much detail in every photo that I’m finding it really inspiring. I love the February model’s short hot pink nails, they are fiiiiierce! (Thanks, Tyra Banks. You have ruined me!) I had hot pink nails when I was in Sydney last & it was totally hot. I need to get my nails done!
Leather jackets — I have been stalking them on Ebay like mad but this morning I finally bit the bullet & bought one. It’s tiny & cropped with a diagonal zip, a belt around the waist, epaulettes on the shoulders & 3/4 sleeves. Too gorgeous. I can’t wait for it to arrive! I am going to rock it all winter. I’m going to wear it with cocktail dresses, jeans, maxi skirts, vintage t-shirts & my collection of turbans! YAY!
Benn Jordan of The Flashbulb — I have loved The Flashbulb for a really long time, but this article makes me love Benn even more. You should download Soundtrack To A Vacant Life — NOT from iTunes — & bliss out.
Lagerfeld Confidential — & the fact that the March edition of Australian Vogue came with a free copy of it. Be still my beating heart. It’s a great piece of film; I saw it at a film festival a while ago & really enjoyed it. I am in love with Mr Lagerfeld, I adore the way his mind works. If you haven’t seen it, you should definitely make the effort.
Wishlists that come true! Some of you will remember my Wishlist For 2008 that I posted a week ago. After I made that collage, I set it as my desktop wallpaper so that I could see it all the time & be reminded of what I wanted. Well, yesterday I received a Lelo Lily in the mail — free. I’m going to review it soon (ooh la la!), but let this serve as a reminder that the law of attraction works!
L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival — It’s coming! There are lots of fantastic events going on & I can’t wait to attend them — & to shake hands with the fabulous Zandra Rhodes! (I met her right-hand woman at the Chelsea Hotel, she was very friendly. She stopped me in the lobby to say that Zandra & I had the same coloured hair...)
iCiNG plans! Ooh baby, wait ‘til you see what I’ve got coming. This year is going to be HUGE & I’m so happy that you’re all along for the ride!
My mini-trampoline! Putting on some good, loud music & jumping up & down on my trampoline is one of the best ways to exercise that I know. It’s also good for getting rid of cellulite, yay!
This poem by Marianne Williamson. I have replaced the word ‘God’ with ‘the Universe’ because I think otherwise it is easy to misconstrue the message. Sorry, Marianne!
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of the Universe that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Audrey wanted to get in on it too, so here’s his list!
Robyn — I’m a little behind, I know, but I’m totally obsessed with her latest album right now – especially ‘Konichiwa Bitches’. It’s even my ringtone because I’m a complete dork. The video is amazing, and a little bit Michael Gondry-esque.
Accessories! I’ve gone accessory mad at the moment. My heart/lock necklace is of course paired with everything I’m wearing, but I went and got some charms to make a few more at a bead shop in the city. I also scored an amazing black woven-leather bracelet from a beatiful store in Adelaide called Bauhaus (257 Rundle Street). I brought five different hats with me on my trip (I scored an old grey houndstooth trilby from my grandpa which I’m loving immensely), and I’ve bought four pairs of cheap Kmart white canvas shoes in Adelaide to take home with me.
The February issue of GQ — It has an excellent article about America’s up-and-coming fashion designers for menswear in 2008. It’s great reading, judging from what I skimmed while standing in the store (I’m saving a proper read of it for my flight home on Saturday) but even better is the photo shoot accompanying it. Though it’s nice to look at a designer’s line of clothes, I find it even more inspiring to see what the designers are wearing themselves. Check it out.
Road trips — Though the road between Melbourne and Adelaide isn’t exactly exciting (straight road, a line of bitumen, some trees and a lot of dead grass), it was all kinds of fun. My friend Darren flew to Melbourne just to drive back to Adelaide with me. We stocked up on energy drinks, had a spindle of awesome CDs on standby, and explored little country towns for thrift stores. I bought some hacked in black-and-red Reebok Pumps for FOUR DOLLARS! So grab some friends, fill your tank with gas and get on the open road! Bonus points if you buy mirrored aviator sunglasses from a truck stop. Double bonus word score if only your driving arm gets a tan.
Family — As much fun as it is to go out into the world and make your own life, there’s still something to be said to being back in your old house, in your own room, eating home cooking, playing with the dog and watching cable TV. So get off the internet, all of you, and call your family to tell them you love them and appreciate everything they’ve ever done.
Alright, darlings! Fill the page up with your love & happy heart. TiLT is a great thing to do on a good day, to boost you up even higher, but it is even better to do on days when you feel miserable & dejected. By bringing yourself into the present moment, you will find that you have more to be grateful for than you ever imagined. Give it a try! This means you!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [97] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 31 January 2008, 12:44 ]
Photo key:
1. agyness deyn, 2. 390462971, 3. beautiful, 4. witty chic, 5. czechmate, 6. please handle with care!, 7. house bed, 8. 390462598, 9. czechmate.
Organisation! Simon just helped me devise a fantastic email system which makes my life so much easier. It feels really good to look at my inbox & be able to tell what is in there straight away. This is not the most exciting thing to share, I know, but it brings me MAJOR delight!
Talking bidness — By which, of course, I mean “talking business”. Sara of The Bargain Queen has been in town from Sydney & thus far I have taken her out to a clothing-themed bar (Seamstress) & eaten salad with her outside the State Library. Yesterday was our salad date & it was brilliant to speak to her about fashion blogging & hear her perspectives. It’s lovely to talk to someone who knows the industry & understands the very unique challenges it presents. She is jetting off to New York to live in late February (so jealous!), & will be leaving me alone in little ol’ Australia as the only full-time fashion blogger! Shock horror!
Easter eggs — I know it is totally obnoxious for them to be in the supermarket at all, but they are. (Still three months until Easter, geez!) & while they are definitely not raw (or even vegan), sometimes a girl just wants a cheap, dairy-laden thrill. For moments like that, a pack of miniature easter eggs is like the holy grail.
Huge reductions — At the start of winter, I tried on a pair of very cute shoes. They were $180 & at the time I had other more prudent places to throw my money, so I decided not to buy them. Imagine my glee at going back into the store to find them reduced to $30!!! I am going back to buy them today. They are beautiful. You will see!
Rain — It makes a lovely change from the searing heat of an Australian summer. Plus it helps to switch your mindset from “what is the piece of clothing that feels closest to being naked?” to “what looks good?”, which I appreciate. I am also a huge fan of big grey procellous skies, so it’s a win/win really.
Raw power! Eating raw continues to push my boundaries. I recently bought The Raw 50 by Carol Alt, a raw (un)cookbook, so that we could start introducing a bit more variety into our eating. Specifically I wanted to make some sweet, easy raw food for us to nibble on when we want snacks. Sometimes I just need a sugar/carb hit, you know? A lot of the stuff in there requires a dehydrator, which we don’t have, but there’s a recipe in there for strawberry tarts which look amazing & only require refrigeration, so that is my next task! Woop woop! Oh, & something else that’s interesting? My tastebuds are changing. Things that used to be delicious (rice crackers, croutons) are now bland & leave me feeling empty. Spooky!
James Marsters as Spike in Buffy — I admit it, I am officially in love after weeks of pussy-footing around the subject. & I am only onto Season 6 so don’t spoil anything for me please :P
Comfortable clothing — I am pretty much living in pyjama pants at the moment. It’s not glamorous but it is fun!
Honourable mentions: Pharrell Williams (hot, hottie, hot); Agyness Deyn (so cute though I preferred her blonde…); watching thunderstorms roll across the city (I have a prime view from my desk); clothes as a gift from well-meaning sweeties; connecting with my nonpareils; flopping around in bed; flipping the page on my Vogue Paris 2008 calendar (officially tomorrow, but hey!); making cards of my goals which I review every morning & evening; big hopes for the future; content with the present.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer
So tell me, cutie. What lit your flame this week?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [92] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 24 January 2008, 15:21 ]
Photo key:
1. bjork, 2. heartsrevolution, 3. iranna, 4. 觸及, 5. beach studios, 6. eiffel
My new hair — Oh, you already knew I was going to say that, huh? Well, I am in love. It is amazing. It is long & swooshy & soft. I cannot tell you how incredibly feminine it makes me feel — which is a new thing for me. With short hair I feel angular, interesting, weird. With long hair I feel like a coy, sexy vixen. The transformation is quite incredible. I think the plan is that in a couple of months, we’ll put extensions in the back of my hair too. I can’t wait! Argh!
Dr Lewinn’s Revitanail — My nails have never been so long & strong before. They are so long I’m starting to freak out, I really need a manicure! Do you know I’ve never clipped my fingernails ever? They used to either break or be chewed off. Wow, wow, yay, wow!
Ice-skating! We had such a good time on Saturday, ice-skating is the best thing ever! Truly! Plus, it truly was “disco on ice”, as the flyer said — the terrifying music really added to the glee. We took lots of silly videos which mostly consisted of us trying to do tricks & then laughing, & our friend played paparazzi by the side of the rink. Totally awesome. If you’re in Melbourne, you have to go; we’ll definitely be back.
Learning — I think my new motto is “just ask”. I have had several fantastic interactions recently, all revolving around me asking someone to help me get what I want. As long as you make sure it’s beneficial to both parties, it works like a charm. Plus, if you don’t ask, how will anyone know what you want?
Riot Grrrls! I remember, young whippersnapper, back in the early days of the internet (okay, to me that is ’96/‘97) when most girls on the internet were basically insanely obsessed with Kathleen Hanna & Courtney Love. I loved Bikini Kill’s message but aligned myself most closely with Courtney — she dressed better than the others. Anyway, I spent years listening to Bikini Kill & Hole & 7 Year Bitch & L7 & Sleater-Kinney, yelling along to the music & quoting lyrics to my friends in emails. My heart still beats for all these bands, & I have been listening to Bikini Kill, Hole & Nirvana all morning. I think having a short burst of “angry young woman” rebellion is good for you — as long as you let your anger go at some point. I believe in the radical possibilities of pleasure babe, I do, I do, I do.
Purikura — I really love Japanese photobooths. They make me incredibly happy. I met some Alaskans on Monday (hi River, hi Randall!) & I introduced them to the glee of purikura. The flashing lights, the nonsensical instructions, the cardiac arrest-inducing music, the sparkly end result… ahhh, it’s all so good. Have I told you that I am going to have one of those machines in my house? Well, I am. So there!
Deciding to change my ways — Consider this. Everything you think you are only exists because you believe it does. So if you believe that you’re a shy, introverted person who isn’t good with people, then that’s how you’ll be. I’ve decided to alter a whole lot of my beliefs about myself that have never been problems, per say, but just lingered in the back of my mind. I am not going to be that person any more. I choose to throw off my self-imposed shackles!
Honourable mentions: Sleepy blissful back-rubs; naps in the late afternoon with the doors to the sky wide open; opening up delightful channels of communication on a whim; delicious smoothies (fresh mango, coconut & soy milk!); having our internet connection back at full strength (we went over our limit! 64k is really a drag!); ticking things off my To Do list; selecting perfect avocados; strange fruit (we have finger limes!); working on new projects; apologising; letting go.
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
You know what this means… your turn! Pitch in, pile up the love as high as you can!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [88] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 17 January 2008, 02:14 ]
Tofutti cuties! I’d never had them until recently. I knew of them as a fabled vegan treat but really couldn’t even begin to fathom the wonderfulness that is a tiny soy ice-cream sandwich… until I had one! YUM! Belly goes “mreowr”! That’s a good “mreowr”, by the way.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer — I didn’t watch it when it was on television, probably (& this is very shallow of me) because when I was at school, there was a group of supremely annoying girls who used to screech about Spike & Angel & blah blah blah. Anyway… now I like it! I’m up to the bit where Willow is on the verge of becoming a lesbian, very exciting. (I think I have un petit crush on James Marsters. Grrr, arrrg.)
Raw foodism — It’s been so interesting to watch my energy levels, mood & hunger fluctuate as I go through this transition to raw veganism. Mostly I’ve been feeling really good (& blissfully happy/ecstatic, which is amazing), with occasional very strong urges to snooze. I’m eating about 75-80% raw at the moment, breaking my rawness for dinner (tofu curry on rice) & the cupcakes I made last night (chocolate cupcakes with lavender-flavoured buttercream icing — vegan!). I’ve been having major starchy cravings at midday but I learned today that if I have a green smoothie in the morning, those should go away. It’s so exciting to learn all this stuff!
New hair anticipation! Yes, that’s right! This afternoon I am dashing off to ye olde hair salon, where they are going to deck me out good & proper! OH I am so excited, this is a new frontier for me! Photos to come!
Ballet — In case you couldn’t tell from my mosaic, I am obsessed with dance! I still can’t do my ballet conditioning DVDs all the way through! Even though the woman on screen is this tiny petite little thing, girl has a body like steel! The exercises make my body ache for three days afterward & give me a huge energy boost, I love them. I promise to review them in full when I can actually complete a session!
“I’ll say sorry but I’m not taking off my glasses!” Corey Worthington is hilarious! For those of you who don’t know, he is a 16 year old kid who threw a huge party which got out of control recently. The Australian media is crucifying him & the moral outrage patrol is on the loose, but at the same time, they follow him to the beach (?!) & amp up his celebrity status. He’s just a kid & all the journalists who are trying so hard to make him look bad just end up looking like morons. It is an incredible saga. I personally love his sunglasses devotion, it’s great. At one point, radio host Matt Tilley tried to forcibly remove the boy’s trademark yellow sunglasses, resulting in a scuffle. The boy ran off. The teen has repeatedly refused to take off his sunglasses since the saga of his out-of-control party began.
Honourable mentions: Curling up with my beloved; cute knickers (I bought some which say “Hey, cupcake!” on the booty!); big packages of books in the mail; layered-up pearls secured with brooches; chocolate soy shampoo (smells so good I want to lick it!); fabulous plans (ice-skating this weekend!); huge bowls of guacamole; my Ebay watchlist (sneak sneak); my orchid Kioko ~
“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” — Buddha
Okay, beautiful, your turn. What’s setting your heart on fire & driving you to new levels of bliss today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [116] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 10 January 2008, 12:18 ]
Photo key:
1. light & fantastic, 2. light & fantastic, 3. untitled, 4. lots of blue eggs, 5. jewel redux, 6. the raven mistress, 7. snipsnip, 8. light & fantastic.
Amazing people. Every day I am blown away by the people I attract. Fantastically inspiring raw foodists, upbeat & helpful publicists, excited nonpareils who find things online that they think I might like, & the list goes on. I feel so blessed to be able to choose who I interact with, & that the people who come to me are so frequently incredible. BIG HEART!
My new blender! & the amazing smoothies I’m making with it! My daily morning smoothie at the moment looks something like this — chocolate protein powder, Cadbury chocolate powder (eek — when I finish it up, I will buy some Green & Black’s chocolate drink mix), vanilla soy ice-cream, soy milk, ground linseeds & mixed berries. Délicieux!
Contemplating a raw diet. It’s scary & I am resisting it like mad, which makes me think I should probably do it! I’ve been upping my intake of fruits & vegetables, which is no small feat, since I am usually not into anything that doesn’t come wrapped in plastic. I am feeling pretty good but have been really hungry, so last night I gave in & ate pizza (& it didn’t even taste that good). Anyway, I’ll see how I go! I’ll write some more about my adventures in raw when I have more information for you!
Fun dreams — Last night I dreamt that I was about to be on the Oprah show. It was awesome. I think it might have been sparked by the O magazine next to my bed, but who cares? It was fun anyway!
“Business lunches” with Audrey which basically involve us drinking juice, sitting in the sun & plotting!
Ebay restraint — Yes, you heard right. Ebay restraint. I almost bought a bracelet on Ebay yesterday, but at the last moment, deleted it off my watchlist & walked away from the computer. Later, I went into Tiffany to try it on. I’m so glad I didn’t buy it. It was totally not me & not worth it!
This week’s TiLT mosaic — It makes me really happy. I have the big version set as my desktop wallpaper, & there is so much to look at! I keep rearranging my windows so I can see something lovely while I work.
My new orchid, Kioko. Name chosen by the lovely Cookie! Thank you so much! Kioko means “meets world with happiness”, & that is the PERFECT thing to have in the area where I work, create & interact with people across the world. (Does anyone know how to write Kioko in Kanji or something else?) Also, thank you so much to all my nonpareils for the amazing suggestions. I feel like I need to buy a whole lot more plants, just to use up the names! Kisses!
Sparklers! Especially when Audrey & I get our mitts on them!
“The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” — Henry Miller
Well, babydoll, it’s that time again! Time for you to have a turn. Give us your lists of love, lust, marvel & magnificence! Bowl us over with the brilliance that is your life! Make us sweat green, envious tears!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [109] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 3 January 2008, 12:16 ]
Photo key:
1. untitled, 2. issue3cover, 3. treehair, 4. our pink gingerbread house, 5. bettys butter biscuit hearts, 6. stars, 7. untitled, 8. toffee apples
White — I am just obsessed with it! I really love white rooms with white furniture & really a minimal, but whimsical & pale kind of aesthetic. I think I blame Kris Atomic. You should see her redecorated bedroom. Très fabuleux.
Late Show With David Letterman — I know it is really dorky & probably no one who lives in New York ever watches it. Especially since the studio audience is full of husband & wife teams from Kentucky wearing matching baseball caps & “fanny packs” & khakis & really white sneakers… BUT! I love to watch it, because… & this is even dorkier than the show itself… it makes me feel closer to NYC. I can almost feel the energy of the city coming through the screen. I know this is probably crazy talk, but the show makes me really happy, even when he is interviewing people I don’t care about. It gives me hope & it excites me to think that even at midnight in Australia, New York is still out there — across the ocean, but still there, waiting for me. (Awwww.)
Making myself good, proper meals — One of my goals for 2008 is to eat properly, create meal plans & stock my fridge with Good Stuff™. I have been eating rubbish for too long & I’m sick of it. I am going to be 25 this year (PANIC!), & surely, it’s time to get on with it?! I have been making myself delicious sandwiches (wholemeal bread, hummus, salt & pepper, baby spinach, tomato, cucumber, chicken, parmesan cheese & balsamic vinegar) as well as bowls of yoghurt (plain Greek with fresh berries dropped in it by my loving hands — currently raspberries & blueberries). This stuff is probably obvious to you but to me it is a big deal! Also I am going shopping for a recipe book this weekend with my accomplished kitchen maestro friend. Yay!
2008! Yes, yes! It has been great so far. I have my new Moleskine & my system is to draw a heart, then write a “to do” action next to it, & when I’ve completed it, I shade in the heart with a purple highlighter. I have also been doing yoga regularly — I have been watching MTV Power Yoga & I have a new pink mat for downward dogging on! My ballet conditioning DVDs are in the mail & I’ve been reading great books. I have been eating properly & keeping the house tidy, making big plans & going for long walks. This year is going to be amazing, I feel like I could burst with excitement!
Elle UK — I love it. I really got into it when I was last in London, & I think it is one of the best magazines out there. I’ve been looking through the November edition recently & there is just so much information in there! It made my brain swell with ideas & colours & volume & cacophony. I think Elle UK is a true fashion bible of our time, more so than any other magazine I’ve ever read, in fact. I encourage you to get your hands on a copy soon!
The new iCiNG header! Those of you using an RSS reader to read iCiNG probably won’t know this, but we have a new header as of yesterday! New year, new look & all that! More excitement is coming, this is just the first step! (Watch me rub my hands together gleefully!)
Oprah — She is amazing. She was born to an unwed teenage mother, & at age 14 gave birth to a son who died soon after. She got a job in radio while she was still in high school & co-anchored the evening news at age 19. She then moved into the daytime television arena, & the rest is history. She says fantastic things & is the only black billionaire. What a woman! She is absolute proof that it doesn’t matter WHERE you come from or WHAT your circumstances — you can be as successful as you please. Read more about her here.
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
Even better, in the latest issue of O magazine, she has an article called “Awakening Joy”, which is about how to feel happy in your every day life. Along with singing & getting a joy buddy (“a running partner in the pursuit of happiness” !!!), they encourage you to write lists of the things that make you happy! Well, don’t argue with Oprah. Let’s talk happy! Your lists! Go!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [101] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 December 2007, 18:36 ]
Photo key:
1. my 10 cent granny garage sale slippers, 2. untitled, 3. 觸及, 4. moc 18c dresses in store, 5. deadhavefriendsingoodplaces, 6. serenity 21, 7. serenity 31, 8. baby pink, 9. pistacho-rosewater cupcakes, 10. sprinkles and stars, 11. untitled, 12. 15, 13. wonderland, 14. neuschwanstein’s castle, 15. heart sugar cookies, 16. untitled, 17. calados, 18. paint the sky, 19. untitled, 20. Untitled, 21. look petite ‘explosion’, 22. untitled, 23. collecting old keys, 24. my bed, 25. magic machine.
This is my new desktop wallpaper… I love it!
Okay, well, I just returned from my holiday, so it’s time to get back into it! This is the last TiLT of 2007!
Our Christmas, otherwise known as “getting away from it all”. Simon & I decided that instead of just giving each other ‘stuff’ for Christmas, we would have shared experiences instead. We went out to Daylesford, the spa capital of Australia, where we spent several days getting massages & beauty treatments, as well as immersing ourselves in amazing hydrotherapy baths. It was truly marvellous & just what we needed. Instead of giving & receiving material things, we had relaxation, time together to plot our future, wonderful conversations, fabulous walks & lots of snuggling. We had the best time & I came home more in love than ever. Awwwww!
Gingerbread people! I love them! I looooove them! We bought some in Daylesford & munched merrily. I have always wanted to make gingerbread & I think I might do it in these few days before 2008. I will make one that looks like Salvador Dali & one in homage to Little Edie & one that looks like Diana Vreeland. Yes, I will take pictures!
Excellent service. I really adore giving money to people who actually know what real customer service is meant to be like. People who make you feel good & are happy to help you. There were lots of examples of that over our holiday — at The Lakehouse‘s restaurant & spa, at Cherry Tree Cottage where we stayed, & even at the information centre! “Tell them Jim the Irishman said to give you extra!”
Cheese platters & ensuing dreams! Hee! We received cheese & champagne on arrival & scoffed it… then had crazy cheese dreams. I adore crazy cheese dreams. In mine, I was working in a shoe shop!
Snuggling & nooking. ‘Nuff said!
Christmas dinner. We had ours at the Lakehouse — five courses, all incredible. Soup: Cucumber vichyssoise, smoked trout custard, house cured salmon, crème fraîche. Entree: Pressed duck terrine & morello cherry sauce. Main: Roast breast of free-roaming turkey, wild rice, cranberry & pine nut pilaf, miniature turkey pie (!), sweet potato. Dessert: Nougat parfait, berry sorbet & local berries. Then miniature plum pudding & mince pies… & Christmas cake to take home. It was like drool central. So tasty!
Being back in Melbourne... Daylesford is awesome, quaint, & magnificent (as well as being overrun with lesbians), but it’s nice to be back in the iCiNG Bowl, with my stereo & our own bed. Oh — & the internet, too! ;D
Honourable mentions: Second-hand bookshops (I went a bit nuts at the Daylesford Book Barn!); watching little ducklings (we call them “ducklettes”) swimming around in a group; dogs everywhere — guaranteed to make my face light up like a Christmas tree; the Late Show with David Letterman; strange radio stations on country roads; spa baths; industrial showers; excellent fish & chips; amazing pub lunches (chicken kiev with garlic butter all over the plate, aaaarrgghhh cardiac arrest but YUM!); watching the Dalai Lama speak on television; lavender farms & lavender lemonade; the new Atmosphere album released to fans (& the cute chess-playing video!)!; having a new set of goals & lots of excitement!
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” — Dalai Lama
Please tell me what you’re grateful for! Plum pudding, boxes of chocolates, snow, the Rockefeller Center? Blow a huge kiss to all the wonderful things which have happened this year — make it count!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [41] Tags: gala,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 December 2007, 11:13 ]
Photo key:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
New musique! Our friend Joel, DJ extraordinaire, stayed with us for a few days & left me a whole lot of music to listen to. My favourite tracks at the moment are Riot In Belgium – La Musique (Ooh Ee & Loot remix), Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow (Guns’n‘bombs Freakout remix) & Justice – D.V.N.O. (LA Riots Bootleg).
Sofia Coppola — I just think she’s beautiful & amazing, especially in a suit. I also have a thing for this picture.
Cleaning & organising! I took my own advice yesterday & cleaned out my desk & bathroom cabinet(s). Needless to say, I threw out bags of stuff. Everything looks so much better! I feel empowered by cleanliness! Hooray!
Sweet little trinkets. My friend Yvonne recently sent me a tiny silver ring with a cupcake on the front. It is so small I’ve taken to wearing it on my middle finger, between my fingernail & the main joint. I adore it!
Gearing up for my Christmas vacation! Just un petit holiday, malheureusement — a few days. But I know how to make the most of the time, & it will be spent relaxing & getting pampered, spending time with my love & planning my moves for 2008. I swear, I am almost looking forward to quality time with my Moleskine more than I am the gamut of massages, facials, mud wraps etc. I have planned! What a geek, seriously! (I will still be posting while I’m away, so don’t fret! I love you too much to abandon you like that!)
Photocopying at the library! I’ve been visiting the library & making photocopies of pictures I like to clip to the line of fairy lights across the iCiNG Bowl. I want new pictures for the new year, to go with my new vision! In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, when the new year rolls around, I like to wipe EVERY slate imaginable!
Fresh flowers — I cannot begin to tell you how much pleasure the Christmas lilies on my desk have brought me this past week. They smell glorious & look fantastic. Crisp, clean & glamorous. Beautiful.
Dramatic aesthetics, not dramatic lifestyles. What else can I say?!
Paying attention to my appearance. Okay, honestly, I always do this, but at the moment I’ve been paying more attention than usual. I just had my eyebrows done, & they’re blue-black this time — très intense! I have a matching mani- & pedicure — Russian Navy by OPI with holographic glitter. & I just bought some MAC Studio Fix concealer, which I really love, much more than their other concealers. Like, it actually conceals things! YAY!
New York dreaming. Forever & always. Mmmm, yes. The Gramercy Park Hotel. The Plaza. The Soho House. Hot dogs. Wide streets & jaw-dropping skyscrapers. Gossip Girl continues to fuel my obsession, but oh, let’s just say I have a secret plan which makes me hyperventilate… (I had a dream about New York last night which was SO EXCITING that I had to wake up really early. Eeeeee!)
Yum yum!
Honourable mentions: River by Joni Mitchell (best Christmas song ever); big hoop earrings; lists on index cards; avoiding the mall!; people who push aesthetic boundaries; charming people on the telephone; colourful shoes; a very optimistic Ebay watchlist; secret code languages.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” — Henri Frederic Amiel
Alright, you! Out with it! This is the second-to-last Things I Love Thursday for 2007, so make it count, baby! Tell me what you’re grateful you learned this year. Write about your friends, your home, your love affairs, your amazing lasagne-making skills. Go! Scrawl it with all the power of your pulsating heart!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [55] Tags: aesthetic,
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things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 13 December 2007, 11:45 ]
1. s i n k i n, 2. Versus, 3. tea in portobello, 4. Untitled, 5. LSD, 6. Heatherette, 7. Manolo Blahniks, 8. too darn hot
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” — John Keats.
Here are the things I am appreciative of this week…
Inspiring friends who make your brain crackle. Last weekend we had a friend staying with us from New Zealand — he is a great adventurer & starts stories with, “So I was in an alley way in New York & walked up some stairs & saw Lenny Kravitz & asked, ‘Is this Milk & Honey?’ & he said, ‘Only one way to find out’...” or “Well, it was either riding across Kyrgyzstan on a horse or hunting moose in Greenland…”. Anyway, he lived in New York for years & it is his favourite place on Earth (a high accolade coming from him, since he has travelled practically everywhere). He has totally been stoking the embers of my NYC obsession. I am now DYING to go back.
Flight of the Conchords! If you don’t know who they are, they’re a musical comedy duo from New Zealand (actually, Wellington, where I grew up). I’ve seen them perform in person more times than I can count, & they are absolutely hilarious. They just finished filming a series for HBO & there’s a second season in the works for 2008. (Yay!) Anyway, I have a little crush on Jemaine & I am pretty convinced that listening to one of their songs first thing in the morning is the best ever way to start the day. (I recommend Business Time, If You’re Into It & Bret You’ve Got It Going On!)
Polyvore. I know I am totally late on the bandwagon, but I am having way too much fun constructing imaginary ensembles with it. It’s a major time-suck, but I like to justify it to myself as content generation! I am going to post a whole lot of them soon. Anyway. LOVE IT SO MUCH. Sign up & go nuts!
Hip hop! Drool. I find it hard to explain how happy it makes me. It combines some of my all-time favourite things, including spine-tingling bass, sexy men’s voices, taking old ideas & making them new again, & clever word play. Good hip hop makes my heart race, it makes me jump up from my seat, it makes me dance like a lunatic all the way around my living room. (At the moment, the tracks making me do that are American Gangster & Ignorant Shit by Jay-Z, Give It Up by Twista feat. Pharrell, Desire by Pharoahe Monch, Hombre by M.I.A. & everything off Shock Value by Timbaland.) Ahhh! So happy!
Singing ridiculous songs, especially in bed. This morning, my boyfriend said, “I better brush my teeth before I leave to meet Joel,” & I started singing, “Brush your teeth! Before you go-go! Or else Joel will think you’re a mofo!” to the tune of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! HEE HEE.
No regrets. It’s a really, really good feeling to look back at your life & feel okay about everything that’s happened so far. All the little things that happen to you, no matter how horrific or disastrous they may seem at the time, have helped propel you to this spot… & if you can look at it with the view of ‘everything happens for a reason’, your life will seem less confusing & random.
Honourable mentions: Beauty therapists who give you product samples (I had a facial on Tuesday, yum); blossoming friendships & the sneaking suspicion that the reason someone called me was just an excuse!; fabulous new opportunities to grow & change; yoga anticipation (I have a class tonight & I found about yoga in the parks on Sunday!); the incredible emails I receive every day; scribbling all over my Moleskine & knowing that I have a new one to use in two & a half weeks!; talking to my parents on the phone; looking forward to going away over Christmas; taking naps whenever I feel the need… & this video.
Foux de FA FA!
(This is the alarm tone on my cellphone.)
So, what’s turning your crank today? It doesn’t matter what day it is — there’s always a reason to celebrate & be happy about what you have! Think of it as mentally blowing kisses to the things that make you feel good. Share with us!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [69] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 December 2007, 13:50 ]
Yes, it’s that time again! Time for Things I Luuuuuuurve Thursday! Ready… go!
Susie Bubble’s piece on Matt. This guy is amazing & the way he dresses is totally inspiring. He looks incredible. I have never wanted to be a boy before, but Matt almost pushes me over the edge!
Walking out onto the balcony in the morning & stretching. I also like to think I am giving back to the community by doing it in my underwear. Surely it makes some accountant somewhere rather happy! Haha!
My make-up classes. Seriously, I love them so much. Our last two classes are next week & I’m actually really bummed about it. I feel like I have learned so much (I will write up some stuff for you soon!) & I want to keep learning! Not to mention, my teacher is totally amazing — like a glamorous version of Lauryn Hill, with an Australian/British/Canadian accent. She is inspiring just standing there. She has presence, you know? It is great just to be around.
Make-up experiments a go-go!
Waking up with a song in my head & then making it the first thing I hear when I fire up iTunes. Oh technology, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!
Gossip Girl, again. If you haven’t seen any of the series, use the internet (& your noggin) to get your fix. You won’t regret it! It is so great. My friend Allan called me yesterday & we just ended up talking about the show… I was squealing so loudly my boyfriend came out to check I wasn’t being murdered!
Making plans. I am a major plan maker in general, but it’s all in overdrive at the moment because of this book I’m reading (which I am going to review for you soon, so never fear!). I am about to make some big adjustments to my lifestyle & I am really really excited about it. They’re not going to be “new year’s resolutions” because really, if you don’t want to start now, you never will. I am starting SOON! YAY!
Saturday! Why? Because my make-up teacher has asked me to help her do make-up backstage at a fashion show… I am gobsmacked & enthralled. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I will let you know how it goes. Audrey is going to come & take pictures!
Covering a blister with a blue band-aid which is decorated with little ambulances, teeth & crosses. If you’re going to heal, you might as well do it in style!
Honourable mentions: Tupac Shakur (sexiest voice in hip-hop? I’m not quite sure. It’s probably a tie between him & Ludacris.); vegetarian hot dogs & fake bacon; Chevy Chase (I LOVE him); Madonna (“Get Together” may be the best song in the history of the world); talking to my parents on the phone; stumbling into little arcades & finding amazing shops; making photobooth plans; dancing around the living room ecstatically; speaking in my own language of squeaks & mumbles, especially when I’m sleepy; earring shopping (my new mania!); visualising the life I want & feeling it come closer; every nonpareil ever — P.S., this means you!.
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Okay, your turn! I love the way some of you save up thoughts all week to spill on a Thursday, it makes me totally gleeful! I recommend putting on some high-energy music while you write your list, it makes it even more fun! GO! Regale us!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [79] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 29 November 2007, 23:50 ]
Photo key:
1. nominal comfort, 2. mystery photo miss Cilly and tiger at Circus Krone ? 1930s, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Great Yarmouth, 6. Untitled, 7. Picture, 8. burgerrr, 9. Untitled, 10. christmas lights, 11. christmas in hampden, 12. Untitled, 13. At Santa Speed
Sitting cross-legged on the bed in the living room, with a big bowl of guacamole, tortilla chips & an episode of Sex & The City (namely, ‘Luck Be An Old Lady’, episode 503). I swear, Carrie is the best friend I always wished I had. As long as I have SATC on DVD, I truly feel I can never really be sad.
On that note: making guacamole! It makes me feel wholesome! & it’s about as domestic as I’m ever going to get… haha!
Unconsciously engaging in weird mannerisms that are exactly what my parents do. It probably isn’t obvious to anyone but me, but I love it & find it hilarious!
Big stacks of books. I went to the library on Tuesday, in between my hair appointment & make-up course. I came away with a whole lot of pages on various subjects, including feng shui, palmistry, body language, & strangest of all, a motivational book called Do You! written by Russell Simmons! Amazing! Also, today I received Nina Garcia’s Little Black Book of Style in the mail. Thank you Michelle!
Sparkly red nailpolish! Namely “Ruby Slippers” by Essie. Having glitter on my toes makes me very happy, & the colour perfectly offsets my purple locks.
Cupcakes which never seem to go stale! Mmmm, delicious. There is nothing better than having a big stash of baked goods in your kitchen, waiting for you!
Honourable mentions: Soft t-shirts; daytime naps; salvaging old lamps; long, friendly emails; workouts that leave you satisfied & sore; food court conversations; improving my make-up skills; warm summer nights; the way my boyfriend understands me; constant encouragement; rosehip oil (I like it so far!); twirling around in my long black skirt!
“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life & the world.” — John Milton
How can you not express gratitude after a quote like that? I hand the microphone to you, my dear nonpareils. Let your love ring from the mountain-tops!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [50] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 22 November 2007, 15:13 ]
1. ejan, 2. Untitled, 3. Untitled, 4. Whisper, 5. Delicious Indecision Redux, 6. Ophelia – Clothes spread wide, 7. Ponder, 8. Night Swimming 2, 9. night swimming deserves a quiet night, 10. day sixty seven, 11. An instant before entry, 12. midnight swimming, 13. NRM Revisited: Royal Crest
I hear a rumour (!) that it’s Thanksgiving in the United States. Well, while you’re enjoying that last piece of pumpkin pie, be sure to do some actual thanksgiving here! Here’s my list…
Plain black Zorro-esque masks. I love them so much! I kind of want one to wear out on Friday night, too…
Good Japanese food! I found a place which serves super-tasty agedashi tofu for a pittance. It also happens to be less than 5 minutes from my house. So much happiness! Doki doki!
Naturally occurring phenomena like phosphorescence, the Northern Lights & crystal formations. The world is an amazing place & I think it’s important to keep sight of that. One of my goals for a long time has been to visit Sweden & photograph the Northern Lights… & now I want to go swimming in a bio-luminescent bay, too. One day!
Breakfast in bed. Admittedly, I am a very spoiled girl. When I lived with my parents & was going to school, my mother would bring me breakfast in bed every morning because otherwise I wouldn’t eat anything before leaving the house. It doesn’t happen so much these days, but today is foggy & rainy & I want to stay in all day. Super-boyfriend to the rescue! He brought me coffee & a bagel. Miam miam.
Nostalgia & going through old photos. So many “What was I wearing?!” moments (viz!), though admittedly I do adore looking at how my style has evolved. The great thing is that everything has changed — my makeup & hair, piercings, the way I put clothing together, etc. Examining progress is so interesting & totally rad.
Cupcake anticipation! On Saturday morning I’m going to collect a dozen cupcakes from a super girl who has just opened her own cupcake business called Sugadeaux! I’m going to be receiving 6 peanut butter chocolate (mmmmm) & 6 mocha, & I am SO excited about it! Man, good cupcakes are really hard to beat. Imagine me hopping from foot to foot with extreme glee, & you get some idea of how thrilled I am!
Actually, peanut butter chocolate anything. Americans really know how to do this well, but from what I’ve seen, it’s pretty much a non-existent flavour outside of the USA. I just found out about Reese’s Dessert Bar Mixes. YUM...
The Rooftop Cinema. It opened two days ago & is an excellent way to spend an evening. Lounging in a deckchair, watching Ghostbusters atop a sea of astroturf, drinking a cocktail & eating a burger. Yes please. & if you see me there, say hello!
Honourable mentions: Crests & emblems & coats of arms; skinny dipping (to do this summer!); rose-flavoured Turkish Delight (I try to have it in the house at all times); really good & salty chicken & sweet corn soup; hilarious spam (“This will stuff more than your turkey” ?!&%#@%!); plotting my summer; A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (forever & ever); promotional codes (for you aspiring preps, enter HOL2007 at Ralph Lauren before the 10th of December for 30% off!); fabulous manicures; sleeping in; inspiration & joy, style & substance.
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” — Dalai Lama
Now it’s your turn to share the things that give you butterflies & make you dizzy with excitement! Make it count!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [67] Tags: things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 15 November 2007, 14:40 ]
Photo key:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
False eyelashes — At the moment, I wear them almost every day. I adore them! I like to bat them & pretend to be Bambi. I have a pair which are decorated with little pearls & they kind of make me feel like Marie Antoinette. ...Marie Antoinette with neon purple hair. But you know what I mean!
Accents — I am on a big accent kick right now. I just love them! They’re so interesting! I always think about them a lot because my accent is weird, kind of a British/New Zealand mix, & Australian accents are still really bizarre to me! I think that if someone’s words are the outline of a drawing, accents are the colour within the lines. They tell stories of where people came from & where they have been. As a child I used to speak in different accents all the time & record them on a dictaphone!
Saying “epic”, “major” & “so very” — I can’t help myself. I say these things all the time. I picked “major” up from Ms Beckham — it is fabulous. & I said “epic” at least 5 times in my last makeup class. (To be fair, we were looking at really major [ha!] fashion eye makeup, & it WAS epic!)
My stubbed toe — Usually not so cool (I walked into the trampoline, OUCH!), but it’s turning purple & I think it’s kind of sweet because it looks like it’s trying to match my hair! Maybe it just felt left out… I am giving it lots of love just in case.
Breaking free of my hermit shackles — I am a bit of a workaholic so it’s very easy for me to abandon the outside world in favour of typing away at my desk. From now until the new year, we’re going to have about 8 visitors (!!!) from NZ & the UK, & in the next two days I have social occasions with two people I have never met before. Exciting!
My boyfriend — aka King Gimlet! (Gimlet is my new pet name for pretty much everyone, but my boyfriend is the King of them!) He does this really neat all-singing, all-dancing breakfast weasel act which I really like. Also we sometimes have lobster fights which is where you put your elbows up in front of you & try to grab the other person’s head between them. It is way more fun than it sounds. Simon
Honourable mentions: “Clicking” with people; shiny new opportunities; fossicking around with my new hairstyle; rediscovering old music (at the moment it’s Tool, which I haven’t listened to in years!); baby blue & baby pink; hair dusted with candy-scented powder; making faces at the window cleaners (it cracks me up); Christmas lillies (snow white with hot pink spots!); clearing out my inbox; full-length fur coats; eyeballing all the purikura sheets I have clipped to my desk lamp; Disneyland; sticking jewels & crystals on my face; eating an ice-cream while watching A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (& further to that, Domenico & Amanda & Bobby & Dani — it took me a long time to like her, but I do); Turkish delight; this picture & secret admirers!
Oh, & this video.
“Nothing is worth more than this day.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Join me in making the most of your day by expressing your undying L-U-R-V-E for whatever is thrilling you! The postman, your new slippers, holographic nailpolish, home-cooked meals… ? Spill it!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [83] Tags: gala,
quote,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 8 November 2007, 15:14 ]
Photo key:
1. DSC_0006, 2. plushitorium, 3. colin. 2/3, 4. blue, 5. Robin – Quasi Fetal Positioned Red Head Freckled Jazz Singer With Barely Visible Green Square Arm Tattoo and Elbow Bruise In A Musty Old Suitcase On A Semi-Fancy Old Rug Of Unknown Origin, 6. Living a Cree Dream CRE_3229, 7. BRC bus, 8. christina braun, butohologist, 9. two_turtles, 10. Untitled, 11. classical contemporary neo-punk style#3, 12. pink green lanterns, 13. Lesbian Sorority, 14. Butoh in the streets of Avignon, 15. Elements II dance performance, 16. greetings from planet black rock
A girl named Nicola who lives in England — she sent me a copy of Rachel Zoe’s Style A To Zoe, which brought me an intense amount of glee! Big loves to YOU, my darling! I devoured it in a day, & I am going to write it up for you all soon…
Daydreaming about taking a butoh workshop — it spans five days & I know it would totally kick my ass. I don’t know if I am brave enough to go, but it would be amazing!
“The aim of this workshop is to develop body awareness and expression through a response to landscape. This 140 acre site nearby to Mt Arapiles allows participants to move between bush land, sand dunes, open fields, river and elevated rock, opening up the senses to color, texture, sound and form. Over the weekend, Yumi will introduce various methods of Butoh, Body Awareness and Consciousness of Well-being. Yumi also invites Qi Gong /Tai Chi Teacher Andy Green to introduce us to a way of controlling and focusing the inner energy. The se body works will act as powerful counterpoints and as opportunities to filter one into the other, strengthening the links between the external environment and the internal landscape.”
Lesbian pulp fiction — I once read an interior decorating book where someone had filled their bathroom with stacks of old gay pulp fiction books. I can’t think of better reading material, quite frankly. I am yet to purchase my first lesbian pulp fiction tome, but I’m looking forward to it, I tell you.
Treehouses — Since we live up really high & in the middle of a city, having a treehouse is not totally realistic. I am, however, very keen to start filling the living room with plants. I am also very enthusiastic about buying a little lavender plant whose buds I can use in my baking.
Carnival tents in bright colours. I have always loved them. I especially love them when they’re in slightly unusual colours — like bright pink or purple, or with stripes or polka dots. Too beautiful, especially against a vivid blue sky. (Oh!)
Wigpees. Okay, I know you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. I have had an obsession for a really long time with the idea of having a teepee in my apartment, with cushions inside it — somewhere I could just sit & be. But as far as I know, teepees or wigwams are really big. I would want a little one, Gala-sized! So I combined teepee & wigwam to make… wigpee! I used to call myself the Notorious W.I.G.P.E.E. See, I am mental!
Looking through other people’s Flickr favourites! It tells you a lot about people, I think. It is kind of weird & voyeuristic but it is one of Flickr’s best features.
Trapeze. I love people who can be graceful & strong at the same time, it impresses me like nothing else.
Burning Man — I am on a big Burning Man kick right now. I keep looking at pictures of it & desperately wanting to go back. Next year’s theme kind of turns my stomach — the American Dream (?!) — but I don’t know, I still really want to go…
New haircuts! & also, my new hairdresser. The girl who used to cut my hair — who I went to school with in New Zealand?! — has gone to Mexico & been replaced with this fabulous new girl. Initially I was going to go white, but the pink just wouldn’t come out (thanks, Special Effects!), so we had to come up with a new plan. We decided on purple with blue ends. Then she cut it into a weird pixie do. It was very cheap, too — $189 for two protein treatments, two lots of bleach & a bleach bath, two colours & a cut. I like the cut a lot, which is rare because I usually hate what hairdressers do for at least a day! She has millions of fabulous ideas & I am happy to be her guinea pig. The next step is long purple extensions coming from the back of my head & cascading over my shoulders, like some techno geisha. Yes please.
iCiNG Day! This weekend! Yay! I am very excited. Also, there is a hint in this piece about what I’m celebrating… hee hee!
Other honourable mentions: Typing (it makes me feel productive!); The Village festival (I am really excited about going!); beautiful sunny days; scoring incredible vintage dresses on Ebay (wait until you see what I just bought…); hanging crystals which cast rainbows all over the iCiNG Bowl; watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit? & feeling like Roger & I are kindred spirits; unexpected gifts; dressing up & getting giddy; making plans & long lists of things to do; listening to ‘Timbaland Presents Shock Value’ really loudly; being secretly in love with all my nonpareils (aka YOU!).
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” — Melody Beattie
Okay darling, your turn! What’s making your head spin with happiness right now? Please share with us, unlock your hearts & spill your beautiful secrets!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [87] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 1 November 2007, 18:08 ]
Photo key:
1. been a while, 2. Untitled, 3. Kitchen Bar, 4. LoveLetter Themed Crane Mobile, 5. Longwood Gardens 11-19-06-146, 6. inspiration mobile, 7. victoria_beckham_you_bw_5_big, 8. ωнат іѕ faѕніоиавle exactly ..?, 9. Mia, 10. old pic, 11. Roses, 12. pink room, 13. Petals
People moving to my city! I just realised that three of my friends from Wellington are moving to Melbourne within the next 6 months! How incredible is that?! Needless to say, I am pretty stoked about it. I guess I’m going to have to stick around here a bit longer then, huh?!
Finding elusive things — I managed to procure some Red Vines for my boyfriend last night, which was a major triumph because in Australia, I can only ever find Twizzlers. (He insists there’s a difference — to me they both just taste like red wax, but hey!) It was exciting. Feel my excitement!
Healing — It’s fantastic to hear that anyone is getting better, but this week I’m thinking especially about my sweet friend Lisa, in the middle of the mosaic. Not only is she beautiful, but she knows how to help herself, & I couldn’t be more delighted for her!
Booking my Christmas holiday! I am so overjoyed that I can really only say this: $%&*%&^$%)^!!! We’re going to stay in a lovely place, chill out & enjoy our double-shower & jacuzzi. I am daydreaming about beauty & relaxation treatments. I can’t think of anything better. Last Christmas we watched The Day After Tomorrow while watching SNOWFLAKES fall past the window. In the middle of summer. Fear!
Big packages in the mail — My sweet dolly Leigh from Cosmopolitan spoils me rotten! Yesterday I received a heart-shaped box full of lovely things: lipstick, nailpolish, false eyelashes, eyeshadow & lots of glitter! If she didn’t live so far away, I’d give her a big smooch!
Caesar salad — Bonified obsession. I would even go so far as to consider it as a legitimate food of the gods. Beware those who try to get between me & my croutons! (Mmmmm…)
Trying weird face treatments — I just did a “mini-facelift“ in a bottle & my face looks like it has been ironed! It was not unlike smearing egg white on my skin (which would probably be less expensive). Fun but strange!
Hot donuts dusted with sugar & served with a pot of warm chocolate — My donut-scarfing place of choice is San Churro. It is far, far too good. Yum.
Obtaining new music — My current favourites are Jimi Hendrix, Coldcut, The Cinematic Orchestra & Arcade Fire. I start to go nuts after listening to the same music for too long, so new music is always a grand adventure for me!
Shuffling around in my kimono — & generally being an old lady. I like to bundle up in it with lots of bangles, put my hair in a haphazard chignon (the best kind), drink coffee & write. Definitely a great way to spend the day.
Honourable mentions: People who colour their dog’s hair (pink poodles, eeeee!); my new Moleskine for 2008 (it’s still wrapped in plastic & winking at me!); energy drinks (powering the iCiNG Bowl since 2006!); “clean” dressing (by which I mean pieces in one-colour with no logos or madness on the front); silly but fun tasks (I am going to learn how to fold origami cranes!); procellous weather (& the word procellous); doing my dream job every single day & interacting with all of you AMAZING people! You make iCiNG what it is, truly! Huge kisses to ALL of you!
“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” — Aesop
Your turn! Share your obsessions & love affairs!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [59] Tags: gala,
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things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 25 October 2007, 12:31 ]
Photo key:
1. Striped, 2. Untitled, 3. KK, 4. Dynamite, 5. Too Many Notes, 6. it’s getting colder, 7. Untitled, 8. Motherf#cker Halloween at the Roxy, 9. my ugly feet, 10. Untitled, 11. Motherf#cker Halloween at the Roxy, 12. blow up, 13. i’m having a conversation, 14. 10_6_4, 15. tara toes, 16. poised ballerina
Soft, neutral colours — I am on a bit of a placid colours kick. I am obsessed with white & soft pink & moody shades of blue-grey & cream. I cannot explain it. I feel like my brain is unwinding from the year & moving towards gentle colours is just one facet of that. They make me very happy.
Dry shampoo — Some lovely iCiNG cuties (namely Sarah & Iris) recommended it to me, so I went out & bought some! The brand in question? Klorane gentle shampoo with oat milk. It comes in a can, & basically you spray it at your noggin, leave it for a couple of minutes & then brush it through. The results are incredible! You could easily go without washing your hair for days if you had this. It would be fantastic on long road-trips, camping excursions & other acts of torture where you are required to be without water or basic conveniences for a long time. I think this is the sort of thing EVERYONE should have in their bathroom cabinet, just in case. Consider it part of your fashion emergency kit.
Seewantbuy.com — Recently launched, Seewantbuy is an excellent way to get your paws on lots of great clothes from high-quality, reasonably-priced labels like Ladakh & Wish! (Ladakh especially is excellent value for money, I own a lot of their pieces.) They have lots of basics, a really glamorous maxi dress, a drop-dead gorgeous trench & many other things for your excited perusal!
That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels & Everything in Between by Victoria Beckham — My boyfriend brought me back a copy of this from London, & it is AMAZING! I have never read a more comprehensive book on style, seriously. I know some of you dislike V.B. for various reasons, but say what you will, the girl can dress. The inside of the book says “with Hadley Freeman”, so I guess she had some help (Hadley is a contributing editor to Vogue), but the whole thing is really well-written, hugely informative & full of glossy pictures. Even better, the photography is by Ellen Von Unwerth, my favourite photographer of all time! HOORAY! This book gets 5 cupcakes out of 5, so be sure to add it to your Amazon wishlist or snap it up NOW!
Turbans from Topshop — Another thing my boyfriend brought me back from London was a collection of satin turbans from Topshop! One was silver, one was turquoise & of course, he also snapped up the ever-practical black! He is so great, he even texted me from the shop to see which colours I wanted. I love them! They are so fancy, & are going to get a lot of wear.
Shopping for cute underpants — Every now & then when your life gets complicated & the weasels start closing in, the only real cure is to load up your mp3 player & go shopping like a bastard for silly, adorable, inexpensive underwear. Allow yourself a budget of, say, $30, which will nab you several pairs & simultaneously give you intense gratification. This almost always makes me feel better. Excellent choices include briefs printed with Dr Seuss characters or Hello Kitty, though panties proclaiming “Will do anything for chocolate” & other ridiculous phrases should be avoided at all costs! Sometimes, even if you can’t find anything you like, spending a bit of time thinking about colour combinations & seams can be very therapeutic. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true!
Classic wooden HB pencils— I very rarely use pencils but I love the way that old-fashioned HB pencils look, especially the ones which are painted yellow & freshly sharpened. I would kind of like to have a dozen of them in a vase, a cross between an art installation, a stationery jar & a flower arrangement. They also look good skewered through long hair pulled up into a chignon, which I cannot do yet, but someday!
Paramore — They’re the definition of pop-punk, which normally drives me crazy, but I reeeeeeeally love them! (Hayley Williams is also a major cutie.) I think their best songs are “Conspiracy”, “Franklin”, “For A Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic” & “Misery Business“.
A dozen assorted donuts from Krispy Kreme — Especially after you’ve been craving them for HOURS! My favourites are the strawberry & cream filled ones… Yum! I also recommend having them for breakfast. The sugar-crash is a bit epic but the taste sensation is, uh, sensational!
6% Doki Doki — A shop in Tokyo which I am DYING to visit! Click on “Shop Tour” for pictures of the store — they have carousel horses & everything! Then, click on “Girls Icon Tee” for an example of their wares. Oh my god. I would die happy if I owned any of those t-shirts. Especially “Lovely Stomach”, how incredible is that?! Aaaaiiieeeeeeee! They have an online store but it is all in Japanese, so I have no idea what it says, but clicking on the pictures is fun anyway…
Planning holidays — I LOVE planning holidays! I adore doing all the research & getting good deals & working out what I want to do. Even though I don’t really know where we should go… We would like to rent a car & drive somewhere lovely over the Christmas period. I am keen on staying in a place that is on the lavish side. I am idly considering Byron Bay but it would be a two-day drive & I think it might all the tourists might send me off the deep end… Suggestions?!
Paul Arden — Author of It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be & Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite. I love him. He is a genius. I would like to photocopy the pages of his books & then wallpaper my house.
“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete until it is expressed.” — CS Lewis
What do you love today? Tell us what makes your heart go doki-doki!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [58] Tags: gala,
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things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 18 October 2007, 04:12 ]
Photo key:
1. voguehoney, 2. By Louise Dahl-Wolfe, 3. Vintage Tin, 4. THE MOJAVE DESERT | Louise Dahl-Wolfe, 5. Tea for Two, 6. Natalie in Hammamet | Louise Dahl-Wolfe, 7. manko, 8. Urban Motion #3 (Zen), 9. KV004631, 10. Jiang sisters of China, 11. music, 12. morning procedure, 13. I’m Blue, 14. after, 15. milk is love, 16. Pink head two, 17. Untitled, 18. Untitled, 19. just trying things out…, 20. Untitled, 21. purikura, 22. Moi, 23. XIIII, 24. cut in Japan, 25. mosh_sun02_web.jpg
Eartha Kitt — how can you not love a woman who released an album called “My Heart Belongs To Daddy”?! She is my new favourite vocalist; she positively purrs. I also adore the way she annunciates. Listen: C’est Si Bon, & seek out “I Want To Be Evil”, too.
Louise Dahl-Wolfe — the three black & white photos in the mosaic above are hers. Everything she did was supremely glamorous & had a permeating air of perfectionism. (I do love that quality in people.) You can see some more of her photos here & here. The astute among you might notice a picture of Diana Vreeland nestled amongst them! Also, as an aside, when I was little I used to misspell Louise as “Lousie”. Hee!
Appreciating my boyfriend — he is so great. Really, he is.
Parkour — it is not really my thing, & I hear it is terrible for the joints, but I think it is amazing to watch (1, 2) & still photographs of it can be mind-boggling, death-defying & totally beautiful. Talk about making wonderful use of your environment.
Gossip Girl — oh, the shame is palpable. But I LOVE it. I am OBSESSED with it. I cannot get enough! I swear! Do not attempt unless you want an addiction. Consider yourself warned, okay?
Meeting new people — especially people who recognise me in the street or in shops, & tell me how much they love iCiNG. You cannot begin to imagine how much happiness this brings me. Two people did it yesterday & I wanted to kiss them!
Other notable mentions: Pale girls with blue hair (when it’s right, it is so, so right); anything kitsch & regal (I have secretly wanted a collection of royal mugs for a long time); Angelyne (still!); anyone wearing eyeliner with a septum ring; purikura/sticker photobooths (every time I use them, the love affair is re-ignited); the song ‘Conspiracy‘ by Paramore; Crowded House (it’s weird, I like New Zealand music so much more when I am not actually in New Zealand!); teapot collections (I would love one of my own, at the moment all I own is one Tiffany-blue teapot); my makeup classes (my teacher is beautiful, I think I am in love, & I am already learning so much!); receiving sparkly bow-ties in the mail!; waistcoats (I just bought one & am really excited about wearing it!); massive frappuccinos with cream & syrup late at night (so bad but so good); Kris Atomic; long necks & tall hats; synchronised swimming; chivalry regardless of sex; going for long walks with friends; bribing people to sew buttons for me (yes, I really am that terrible a seamstress); jumping up & down on my trampoline; dancing badly by myself; the thrill of trying new things (I just bought some dry shampoo & am really looking forward to trying it!).
Tell me what has you jumping for joy today! Gratitude is good for you, so let’s go go go!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [60] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
question,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 11 October 2007, 12:33 ]
Photo key:
1. crunkstyle, 2. Wooooooooooooo!, 3. balloons & birthdays, 4. Trucs, 5. red&blue, 6. aquí! / here!, 7. Twiggy Halloween Paper Doll, 8. oh*my…., 9. “Where the F*CK is Carmen Sandiego?”
Where’s Wally? I have so much love for Where’s Wally? that it is quite incredible. I once cut up an old copy of one of the books & stuck pictures of Wally in strange places around the city — bus stops, corners, underneath door handles, even sliding them into letterboxes. I hope it made people happy. P.S. “According to the American Library Association Where’s Waldo has ranked 88 out of a 100 of the most banned and objected to books in the USA. The most common reason this book has been banned because in one picture, there are tiny cartoon breasts being wantonly flashed. !!!)
Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? Yes, today I am majorly feeling the love for my childhood. I loved that she was an art thief & an international woman of mystery! I also liked Ghostwriter, but that’s a story for another time…
Exercising & actually seeing results. If that’s not addictive/encouraging, I don’t know what is. I swear, my arms are changing shape. I am SO HAPPY.
Slumber parties! My friend is staying over this weekend & I am really excited about it. Unreasonably so, maybe! We are going to go to a party celebrating all things nerdy & then watch bad television — Gossip Girl, Sex & The City, The Hills, America’s Next Top Model, etc.! The next morning, we’re going to go out for breakfast & then work on our respective writing projects (her: thesis, me: iCiNG). Major glee!
Hallowe’en! I am really looking forward to it this year, though it is one of my plans to spend at least one Hallowe’en in America. Americans do it best, you know! I’m really hoping that there is a good party going on somewhere, because I really want to dress up & be a dork! (& yes, there is a piece forthcoming on Hallowe’en costumes & ideas!)
Dancing! Mostly around my living room, but it counts! My favourite booty-shaking track at the moment is Notorious B.I.G. – Machine Gun Funk. “So you wanna be haaaardcore…?”
Visitors! My dear friend Timmy Lee hits Melbourne tomorrow! I haven’t seen him in over a year, & it is going to be so weird/exciting/awesome! That’s him in the collage above, top left. Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Summer in general. It’s starting to heat up, I think! I am really looking forward to spending time on the beach, running around in skimpy dresses & getting out & doing some things in the city. Melbourne is amazing in summer, it really comes alive, & there are hundreds of free events. So much fun.
Okay… so… what are you loving today?
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [45] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
question,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 4 October 2007, 15:12 ]
Dr Seuss audiobooks!
The best thing ever for bedtime! Ted Danson reading The Lorax? Dustin Hoffman reading Horton Hears A Who? John Cleese reading Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? Perfection!
Tim Walker photoshoots!
One of my new obsessions, I had never seen any of his work before! He likes to take pictures of futuristic girls in turbans, Indian influences, colourful balloons, disco balls & all manner of gleeful delights.
Mysterious postcards!
Especially those with strange postmarks & no name on the bottom!
Dada!
“Liberty: DADA DADA DADA; – the roar of contorted pains, the interweaving of contraries & all contradictions, freaks and irrelevancies: LIFE.” (Educate yourselves!)
Also…
Faux-royalty; red toadstools with white spots; brilliant minds which focus on details; sparkly baubles to put on my turban!; innovative fashion shows; dramatic photographs; aristocrat style; silver service; boys in shirts which match their eyes; dada; ridiculous hair accessories (like a small bird, for example); talent, hope & tenacity.
Okay, I showed you mine, now you show me yours! Tell me what you love this week!
Q: Why do we do this every week?
A: From last week’s cupcake: People who tend to experience gratitude more frequently than others also tend to be happier, more helpful and forgiving, and less depressed than their less grateful counterparts (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002; Watkins, Woodward, Stone, & Kolts, 2003).
So don’t be afraid to get involved, even if the things you’re happy about are really little!
P.S. The blackcigarette community is doing this too! Hooray!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [72] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
question,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 27 September 2007, 13:34 ]
Hot air balloons!
We finally went on our balloon adventure this morning. We woke up at 4am & had the most incredible time. Highly recommended, kittens!
Excitable sales assistants!
I went to the sunglasses section of Myer yesterday in search of something that will fit in with my new fashion direction (information coming SOON!), & the girl helping me was totally adorable, kept hopping from cabinet to cabinet & showing me everything she thought I’d like.
Barbara Cartland
How fabulous was she?! So very.
When inspiration strikes
After weeks of lamenting the blatant lack of summer style in the shops, yesterday I was finally struck with a vision. I am so relieved.
Shopping trips with friends!
This afternoon I am going shopping with my favourite Melbourne girl. I am really excited.
High tea & sugar-laden treats
This weekend! Whee! Also, a new cupcake shop opened on Monday (on Degraves, if you’re interested) & their cupcakes are devoon! (That’s Grease-speak for “divine”.)
Also…
Napping. Three-finger rings. Professionalism. Charisma. Exercising. Smooches.
What are you thankful for today? (Hint! If you want to follow my format, you can bold words in the comments by putting an asterix [*] on either side of the word!)
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [51] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
question,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 20 September 2007, 15:24 ]
It’s Thursday, so it’s time to celebrate the good things!
On my list this week are… David Lachapelle, beautiful old vintage wallpaper, aloe vera juice (tasty & healthy, bonus!), retro air hostess fashion, girls in hats, this girl, old telephones, Violet Crumble ice creams, long naps, super-speedy morning walks, vibrant blue skies, mismatched saucers & teacups, other people’s birthdays, the way that Anthony on Sex & The City says “Chanello!” when he walks into Chanel, candy-coloured illustrations, bearded ladies, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Ani Difranco’s Canon, tall stacks of neon magazines (Dolly & Teen Vogue!), 5htp, receiving big orders from Amazon, green eyeshadow, boxes of sparkles to add to envelopes, edIT, brightly coloured flowers, glittering swimming pools, describing someone as a “gimlet” (it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a new nickname!) or an “electric boogaloo”, glossy lips, a fridge full of cupcakes, the fact that helium balloons are only $2.50 each one block away!, amassing treats for someone else’s birthday, clearing out my inbox & big sunglasses.
The last photo in the mosaic is of my dog. My parents had to have her put down on Monday. I’m pretty sad about it. She was 17, not bad for a teeny tiny dog! (That photo was taken with my webcam YEARS ago, in my old bedroom — note the purple obsession.) RIP, little mitten.
1. Smoke, 2. Milla Jovovich, 3. Fabulous Amanda, 4. Amanda Lepore., 5. lavazzacalendar2, 6. Trolley Dollies13, 7. Trolley Dollies04, 8. Art hotel, 9. a little bit of everywhere, 10. The Master Bedroom, 11. nursery rhymes, 12. Sunny Side Up, 13. from after17 issue10, 14. Untitled, 15. 8.11.07, 16. The Four Agreements., 17. discoball, 18. pop, 19. polaroid, 20. permanently disconnected, 21. Christina Ricci, 22. Fafi, 23. strandkai club inside, 24. Clémentine à Paris, 25. cuteblanche
I’ve also been expanding on my vision of the iCiNG Bowl. I wrote in my Livejournal a little while ago… “I like to envision myself walking around the iCiNG Bowl, with a row of ladies in tight sweaters with cat’s eye glasses typing furiously at beautifully restored typewriters. There would be seven of them, & their typewriters would be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo & violet. Their sweaters would match & on them would be pinned a glittery diamante brooch of their first initial…”
Anyway, my new plan is that instead of a desk, I will sit in a swanboat filled with cushions with my laptop, & I will pay a girl to shine the swan every day. It will lacquered shocking pink with miniscule pieces of holographic glitter mixed into the paint & it will have a handle on the side which, once cranked, would play weird tinkley music. Yes please!
I also adore this video, it makes me smile my face off!
Kisses from Burning Man!
Tell me what you LOVE today!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [35] Tags: aesthetic,
gala,
inspiration,
question,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 14 September 2007, 01:32 ]
Okay, it’s almost midnight but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the day we’ve just had!
Today, I love…
Flowerbomb perfume; talking to my mother about fashion; Kanye West’s Graduation album; free trash on mtv.com!; being sung happy birthday by my psychic friend in Texas with a faux-Russian accent; big striped sunhats; bejewelled turbans; passionate waiters; blowing out candles; massage; having my makeup done by a professional; meeting people in the street; John Travolta as a woman; a full mailbox; fresh flowers; coffee with soy milk; lip gloss which tastes like candy floss; lantern earrings; lying in a big marshmallow bed; eating big marshmallow cupcakes!
Here are some videos which I adore, I hope you like them too!
This video is by Ellen Von Unwerth
& this is by Ellen too!
Miniature Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera & Britney Spears
My favourite perfume
How to turn day to night with M·A·C cosmetics & how to create a smokey eye & how to create an evening look in minutes (aka an amazing beehive!)
Clubkids (clupkips!) in Amsterdam (nsfw, boobies & underpants!)
The Death Of Salvador Dali part one & part two. (With Dita Von Teese as Gala, please watch this, it is incredible!)
Okay, now it’s your turn to tell us what is making you do backflips & walk down the street with love-hearts in your eyes instead of pupils!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [21] Tags: inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 6 September 2007, 17:55 ]
Yes, this is going to be a regular feature… Feel free to chip in or just admire the pretty pictures, whatever works!
Today I love…
Safari chic, my mother, hugging, my media pass for fashion week!, remembering that nastiness is nothing to do with you, emails from friends telling me how their Burning Man experience was, my new kimono, lovely friends who are keen for adventures, meeting new people, recognition, swans & flamingoes — it’s all in the neck!, beautiful masquerade masks, octopi & squid, Fawn Gehweiler (I’m going to her exhibition on Saturday), Lomo cameras, hedge mazes, twins & triplets, bubbles, Pee Wee Herman, false eyelashes, accordions, dramatic eye-makeup, Crazy Horse Paris, & Amanda Lepore…
Big versions:
1. Day 131: Sphere, 2. Sasha Pivovarova, 3. ITVogueAnimal5.jpg, 4. february swaporama: p.w., 5. butterfly, 6. Crazy Horse Paris, 7. homecoming, 8. amanda lepore, 9. Octopus, 10. Keira Knightley by Arthur Elgort for VOGUE US, 11. ITVogueAnimal4.jpg, 12. lashes five, 13. roy liechtenstein, 14. drink, 15. A Belated Valentine…, 16. A few of my pieces en route to Barcelona…, 17. bubblegum, 18. ITVogueAnimal2.jpg, 19. drink, 20. roy liechtenstein
If you’re wondering what Things I Love Thursday is about, I’ve learned that expressing your appreciation for things — no matter how small or trivial — makes you feel really good, & helps to propel you forward. It’s good for you, so get on it!
Finally, doesn’t this crazy piece of installation art BLOW YOUR MIND?! Here is a big version. Surreal!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [30] Tags: aesthetic,
gala,
inspiration,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 30 August 2007, 13:29 ]
Girls with violet hair; hula-hoop wriggling; big bunches of balloons; fairy floss; kink; Russia; booty-bangin’ bass; Halcyon’s Burning Man video (I think I have a teeny crush…); going on adventures to new places; clocks worn anywhere but the wrist; Tupac Shakur; “The thing I love most about the web is..” at SXSW!; gift vouchers; bearded ladies (I have one on my wall) & P.T. Barnum’s host of “freaks”; birthday cake-eating phonecalls on Skype (my favourite psychic, Ed, turns a year older on September 1st!); I must be emo (funny forever); random phonecalls from excitable girls; cat’s eye makeup; dreaming about New York pizza; plotting for the future; bubble mixture; dressing up; & Fafi’s inspiration!
Tell me your favourite things! What are you excited about? What is making you smile today? Did you dance around your room to a great song today? Come on! SPILL THE BEANS!
Links to the above photos:
1. report01, 2. post video shoot, 3. Pure Wonder│by Ellen von Unwerth, 4. fairy floss, 5. Scarlett Johansson, 6. Raspberry macarons, 7. dork chic supa smarty, 8. circling, 9. Hoopn 4 Peace, 10. MK in Vogue Italia (June 2007), 11. Ice Cream, 12. Back in USSR#3, 13. the tide rises, 14. Fairy Floss 線菓子, 15. Best. Desktop. Ever., 16. japanese candyfloss
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [32] Tags: aesthetic,
gala,
inspiration,
life,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 23 August 2007, 11:38 ]
Dachshunds; the promise of spring; blue skies; pink blossoms; Japan (always); delicate sweets; new eye-wear; making birthday wishlists (stay tuned!); going on chocolate dates with cute friends; wearing lots of lip gloss & smiling at everyone; palm trees; dreaming of America; Black Rock City (wish I was there!); really high heels; weird people who ask if my hair is “real” & if they can “touch it”; kissing my boyfriend; back massages; hiding treats all around the house; hot pink Post It notes; matching underwear; marshmallow beds; people who write sweet emails; sending postcards; sparkly anything!
Here are links to the photos above:
1. Evan has be Crowned Prince of Leaves by Me. (series), 2. wanderlust, 3. Blossoms, 4. 梅 / うめ, 5. Pink Nails, 6. さくら / Sakura, 7. Solomon with his birthday treats, 8. さくら / Cherry, 9. さくら / Cherry, 10. さくら / Cherry, 11. curious, 12. Sakura_at_TOKYO_#2, 13. macarons, stacked, 14. on a stick, 15. spring dream, 16. Like fireworks
Note:
Sorry for the comment screw-up! It’s fixed now… let’s gab!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
Comment [16] Tags: gala,
inspiration,
life,
things i love thursday Follow me on Twitter! Listen to my latest podcast! Love & Sequins 10: International Playgirls Unlimited!Things I Love Thursday
[ 12 July 2007, 12:43 ]
Okay, here are some small things which are delighting me today!
Clockwise from top left corner: a girl drawn by Fawn Gehweiler, a fake indoor beach in Japan, Audrey Kitching’s fringe, a photo by Ellen Von Unwerth, an unknown girl, bound papers, a hotel room, origami paper cranes, a cupcake, cute shoes on purple carpet, another girl by Fawn Gehweiler, balloons, & a ballerina on a cupcake.
Also…
The gap in Madonna’s teeth!
Really sweet peanut butter, yum.
Thinking I had disappointed someone when actually, they just forgot to reply to my email & think I am brilliant!
Watching orchestras all turn the page of music at the same time. Is that dorky? It just looks so beautiful, like a momentary flock of butterflies.
Trading skills with a friend — “I’ll write you a new company profile if you make me a dress!”
Wearing pink, glittery tabi socks around the house when I wake up.
This video of the Three Tenors where Pavarotti is grinning like mad at Domingo & Carreras at 1:58! SO CUTE! Oh my god I love it!
Chilled green tea with jasmine.
Obsessing over the baths I’m going to take in Sydney. I haven’t lived in a house with a bath since about 2003?! I’m going to go to Lush & buy a Fairy Jasmine bath bomb for every night I’m there. Ohhhhh it’s going to be soooo good.
This is absolutely hypnotic. I love interesting musical notation, drool!
Being able to watch almost any of those Next Top Model shows on Youtube for freeeee & whenever I please!
Jumping on my trampoline & singing along to 2pac!
Oh my god, this is from the city I grew up in.
Whenever I remember, I like to make lists of things I appreciate. It’s a great thing to do as soon as you get out of bed, because fuelled by all that positive energy, how could you NOT have a good day?!
My boyfriend & I sometimes play this game where he says, “Okay! Ten things you’re grateful for right now!”. If I’m grumpy I’ll roll my eyes at him & say, “this sandwich” in a voice dripping with sarcasm, but by the time I’m up to about number six or seven, I’m starting to feel good & it oftens helps get me out of my funk. Try it next time you’re irritated. Even if you make a list that is ALL sarcasm, at least it’ll make you laugh!
RADICAL self-love & stardust,
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