tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56924032242335396712024-02-20T02:30:40.599-08:00Petals Marked With Spotspetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-32454095599155861592010-09-17T05:51:00.000-07:002010-09-17T05:55:54.681-07:00I need to break my webcomic addiction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sNFQTAGFH_vO9JfnjPgN9HKpRkAkSSq9ZMEpxISYLFXJYzd-tUpTQYZNi1dMyGAxntHcR3mGb40KyDu8YkwfaPBsbD9-o_mZH0FaEzO-xMj4cOv4zGILFloaZKmG7awaxp8f1JoIkxOp/s1600/outreach.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 336px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sNFQTAGFH_vO9JfnjPgN9HKpRkAkSSq9ZMEpxISYLFXJYzd-tUpTQYZNi1dMyGAxntHcR3mGb40KyDu8YkwfaPBsbD9-o_mZH0FaEzO-xMj4cOv4zGILFloaZKmG7awaxp8f1JoIkxOp/s400/outreach.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517865312052635394" /></a><br />This comic, titled "Outreach" from <a href="http://xkcd.com/">xkcd</a> is perhaps the only thing that gives me a tiny twinge of envy when people tell me they're studying science. Once I stop laughing at the comic though, I remember that my degree means I get to read children's books and have only nine contact hours of classes a week. Take that, flying shark-wielding scientists.<br /><br />- Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-50537403496171623292010-09-15T16:10:00.000-07:002010-09-15T16:21:50.829-07:00Kinoko Fry. And coffee.The latest update on the wonderful <a href="http://www.harkavagrant.com/">Hark! A Vagrant</a>, was a guest comic by Rebecca Clements from <a href="http://kinokofry.com/">Kinoko Fry</a>. Kinoko Fry, it turns out, is all kinds of awesome. It's sort of like SuperMario, some anime and The Nightmare Before Christmas had an inky three-way (oh dear, where am I going with this??) which somehow resulted in a love-child. And that love-child was beautiful and humourous, knew that comics needed tight and strong narratives.<br /><br />This is one of my favourites, mainly because it reflects exactly how I choose to work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0TQc_jMk2AsPNLMWJwLRaJCLQhMqr3bH-KsoHoAMHLZVsBSzGkSZ8RLofvXsZUSOXzh3kx6xTTMD6vldt8rIX1EjfG5sH2Ormrx5X-ArEEa-NXpjIVeDlNP8q9882lwJguqZ72-WMJKp/s1600/2010-04-19-diary05movealot.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0TQc_jMk2AsPNLMWJwLRaJCLQhMqr3bH-KsoHoAMHLZVsBSzGkSZ8RLofvXsZUSOXzh3kx6xTTMD6vldt8rIX1EjfG5sH2Ormrx5X-ArEEa-NXpjIVeDlNP8q9882lwJguqZ72-WMJKp/s400/2010-04-19-diary05movealot.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517282965868779234" /></a><br />And now, given that I've run out of things to blog about here... I better go to another cafe...<br /><br />- Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-74821374857474632942010-08-20T21:02:00.000-07:002010-08-21T16:31:31.744-07:00POLcrastination<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502426055989805074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6vIGkX33Q6dPXVkinhtUuGm5UTEJKZuMjW8CL5Fc6gUa_WG6qHS7XNcd4HkSjs6lqmWsWFsjMjZLYF86OViqUXuAiQADBPetDNN2uDnCWdRAbObeV5VpCzXkD3YJETEEr__kHZekF13l/s320/014.jpg" /><br /><div>I seem to be able to find all sorts of ways to procrastinate during the endless days spent studying for me thesis. Lately at my second home - the National Library of Australia - I have been 'researching' the photographs of an Australian entertainment photographer from the 1970s. As you can imagine, endless hours spent reading through the Australian entertainment magazine POL, which is a bit like the 70s eqquivalent of 'Frankie' with a bit of 'Rolling Stone' and 'Cosmopolitan' thrown in.<br /><br />In an effort to procrastinate further, I thought I would share some lovely gems from the magazine. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502423518382659474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9EBigEJIJChLRZCecSX5BBPUEHGswfbjVbGmzdP4w7VKYJHNJQPyy6RR7LBTCKNa9W3wBI5Cd2s4QaYX83z5AWDTUNjw7eNO73v6d9D9qL9juASE0uDBysggNVhA4c58OSK-h7laQt3W/s320/005.jpg" /></div>So I'm pretty sure I need to get myself one of these pantsuits! So practical, yuet so stylish.<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502423522604453090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxSC8lrJZeJLqNYVyfdd8HxKkDSK6ubhKWO7f5C5GpwY0TdXQXm3AfSYFjqC348uBpLCFcvqog6nYJD4ig1IlYqKFY-KrvUDtpZtFSNVV2Bg0vUBThsTfUjOF-zs9oXrfZ_R2ACj9WPcw/s320/015.jpg" />Did anyone say Orlando Bloom?</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502424554612925106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR2r7kzuAobImAPSZo6R2wDW-YcCZv38jXdR92NkKwi1N9xujGFYK3cMkItuZ6QEMLJCouTME6cbzyffpWcV8p6tlqBOZd8pu5kqLp5J-B-42PwjZpzRPVeCnKo49Vf1NXPFTSp7hjsnU/s320/012.jpg" /><br /><br />A girls gotta have some croched pants!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502424559006223218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yYSynIkjPK0920zrUK8q1kFXO-b0JVgQRrYWtDXQzKiYHzXa_pBubhRSTAvVEhfBrscxzUuZOe656aVKJ74bWG1tVnUZRCrRzbao0737-nlGnIkSNy-wFVH9VRfVBcN6xOFwwsYOoego/s320/013.jpg" /><br /><div></div>I'm really not sure what's goiung on in this pic, but that sparkly number is amazing!<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502426065759007954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVZSpL1n8jH2g0xdgI3olMntK7-6nVA1KsfVN2YiPL7tyWZzNA5fBec6MRWHiKcn8649XshxoKghYjMu63IjAnPOqQ2xkvsg3uRSSsOFIQZlm_sMEeLCbjh5mCZN4NlgwIi5MvOyEgY-R/s320/016.jpg" /><br /><br />I'm guessing this pic is trying to advertise the furniture? But that guy is hilarious!!<br /><div>Gracie</div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-58271596920547937062010-08-17T06:26:00.000-07:002010-08-17T06:35:54.933-07:00A Softer WorldAfter wandering around the internet, I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.asofterworld.com/">A Softer World</a>. I then proceeded to spend a solid hour clicking through their archives because they are awesome. (Also, I really wanted to say "browsing through", rather than "clicking through" but really, browsing is very associated with books, isn't it? I still feel like a loser for saying "clicking" though.)<br /><br />Anyway, these were some of my favourites (click to enlarge... oh dear, "click," as a verb, is taking over my life...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxhf67hvkvS106uQP8lRum2eP1eMBp4wqAXdLsUB0IWvfz-xvNA-KgDW28kHrA3l-z0Qb750VHc1Jvy8_pAHUs7soxlQb9m4e_6lu2wXRuf3GhULpRweIeTcayUc5hMWcOPqZHeRJXOLD/s1600/cutter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxhf67hvkvS106uQP8lRum2eP1eMBp4wqAXdLsUB0IWvfz-xvNA-KgDW28kHrA3l-z0Qb750VHc1Jvy8_pAHUs7soxlQb9m4e_6lu2wXRuf3GhULpRweIeTcayUc5hMWcOPqZHeRJXOLD/s320/cutter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506371126445806002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HeU8RVgJZ4AhW15ygQfbpVcBolcNCXihQTo-8wYMmNqTe0SZ-Dr70UNZR9Z0E5tExOD6pJFFGO0_iWX73LW8oNhiC3arwUgT74coHPoEUakOR4m8mBzKetgs5GP9CkTSkFBKYYWENmcD/s1600/princes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HeU8RVgJZ4AhW15ygQfbpVcBolcNCXihQTo-8wYMmNqTe0SZ-Dr70UNZR9Z0E5tExOD6pJFFGO0_iWX73LW8oNhiC3arwUgT74coHPoEUakOR4m8mBzKetgs5GP9CkTSkFBKYYWENmcD/s320/princes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506371144150146530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz773NuGCBPV5nCrcF3-lhKA_FKZ_wHLYJaD84nvf9ARSwm6VYRqdEkVynvWUVPHyVGeL7chHh5-cxIzWTN9g7hjPjLTg9i4dlVWwgnDle_Qlxyfh0WxGEMjSihhIrabaRNtT3fBzjz5U/s1600/drunkdial.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz773NuGCBPV5nCrcF3-lhKA_FKZ_wHLYJaD84nvf9ARSwm6VYRqdEkVynvWUVPHyVGeL7chHh5-cxIzWTN9g7hjPjLTg9i4dlVWwgnDle_Qlxyfh0WxGEMjSihhIrabaRNtT3fBzjz5U/s320/drunkdial.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506371138886422530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoqDZJhIcYoMCPMFiwwsOGLtqxarHPD5ROxUI4wDuclwP6-1c6IjzIjrIi3189-k_JAIUy7ETY1kwKTPjQaXPNBYdJGDVwYAOYaO4AjulrLsAfabCvb0gtCdsXMGG36XJyReacTKGvmly/s1600/gamer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoqDZJhIcYoMCPMFiwwsOGLtqxarHPD5ROxUI4wDuclwP6-1c6IjzIjrIi3189-k_JAIUy7ETY1kwKTPjQaXPNBYdJGDVwYAOYaO4AjulrLsAfabCvb0gtCdsXMGG36XJyReacTKGvmly/s320/gamer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506371134755247234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1zUwWa3TwrguD1KLPG8Ofb8vcREBsq-vExMOoWtakZbLzz1TLYyEia5exiHHoKaAc_rm8HyoXesjUJJtgd4voZrzg08iVmId8AR2VkOj8OOU4V6D7moYC21c2riulohh5FLJDIGIG9hR/s1600/moderation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1zUwWa3TwrguD1KLPG8Ofb8vcREBsq-vExMOoWtakZbLzz1TLYyEia5exiHHoKaAc_rm8HyoXesjUJJtgd4voZrzg08iVmId8AR2VkOj8OOU4V6D7moYC21c2riulohh5FLJDIGIG9hR/s320/moderation.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506371130951883458" /></a><br /><br />So yeah. A Softer World. Radness ensues.<br /><br />x Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-24480223614286836522010-08-01T23:37:00.000-07:002010-08-05T20:04:14.986-07:00Naked. Famous. Florence. Win, right?Last Thursday I flew to Auckland for <a href="http://florenceandthemachine.net/">Florence + The Machine</a>. It was, to put it mildly, a bit of a whirl-wind trip. There was overpriced wine and smuggled bottles of smirnoff. There were lost mobile phones. There were free tiny chocolates. There was 2 hours of sleep in an airport before the flight back to Wellington.<br /><br />Anyway. I have <a href="http://petalsmarkedwithspots.blogspot.com/2010/02/laneway-festival-nb-not-actually-in.html">previously</a> typed numerous words of gurgling admiration for Florence. Honestly, that chick is so cool. And remains cool. Fuck, better than cool really: her rich, expansive voice, twirling and skipping, laughing and talking with the crowd makes me love her. She just has so much good energy. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRVwGhRUXTWoI9EWcDpg1ODf1fVONkJ9YUoO7J4fiZeAFzV0ZnZM8kx8s9pVscGmR4yOkp58iO8x9LYongZv-7jcx5QVzH6azicSmRB10PhDSMoosSn7SrPfRj9b8HwyubEcWlW0Nk4So/s1600/3974227.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRVwGhRUXTWoI9EWcDpg1ODf1fVONkJ9YUoO7J4fiZeAFzV0ZnZM8kx8s9pVscGmR4yOkp58iO8x9LYongZv-7jcx5QVzH6azicSmRB10PhDSMoosSn7SrPfRj9b8HwyubEcWlW0Nk4So/s320/3974227.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500391149146462866" /></a><br />Photo nicked from <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/gig-reviews/3971139/Review-Florence-and-the-Machine">here</a>. My camera died months ago.<br /><br />I realise I'm (again) gushing here, and will move on to actually talking about something new: <a href="http://www.thenakedandfamous.com/">The Naked and Famous</a>. They supported Florence. And they were great.<br /><br />I'd heard their single "Young Blood" a bit on Kiwi FM, and apparently it's getting a bit of airplay on TripleJ right now too which is awesome. Like Florence, they connected well with the crowd, and, unlike most support acts, the crowd didn't just suffer them, waiting for the main show.<br /><br />Also, The Naked and Famous have got a wicked sense of humour, if the photos on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tnafofficial">official facebook page</a> are anything to go by:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxsO_7YkQ197E0jx6PZRGzukPX6Xb00aRgsD_pK0C6AEv4yn9pSQEA1RHukOq3WAmZ8i4CbCTB46ZbHkAlzeHJdFu4IZ6JE5SPlYPFsdMWD0bdtJmd3noG5qicvZQZNyL3yVCZSJZbtD/s1600/31844_403401762807_81741167807_4114039_2398751_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxsO_7YkQ197E0jx6PZRGzukPX6Xb00aRgsD_pK0C6AEv4yn9pSQEA1RHukOq3WAmZ8i4CbCTB46ZbHkAlzeHJdFu4IZ6JE5SPlYPFsdMWD0bdtJmd3noG5qicvZQZNyL3yVCZSJZbtD/s320/31844_403401762807_81741167807_4114039_2398751_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500394457231162994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKiHW07bUo_Zi_z1k679OiL9c0CL16tHV6MzF7hxIcHve7Fe4OQF_6LSu_9UoAobbNS4UdfKH0r_g6e3jH0rP5VvJ-c3ulKXID67AXFpzrPWDqZiYL-6MgDgVsb9OpRaadtjl3wP_NjlZ/s1600/10525_142525042807_81741167807_2494717_2267021_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKiHW07bUo_Zi_z1k679OiL9c0CL16tHV6MzF7hxIcHve7Fe4OQF_6LSu_9UoAobbNS4UdfKH0r_g6e3jH0rP5VvJ-c3ulKXID67AXFpzrPWDqZiYL-6MgDgVsb9OpRaadtjl3wP_NjlZ/s320/10525_142525042807_81741167807_2494717_2267021_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500393102069024546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h4kamLUrsQGP-784kULOyoVxYHAsgnm2YqUNUh6asLhlTxaC4h13MVpBpbOSWu5DDGXB2E3FDuxQlal_VNPEdbsjpv7AJ10uGR6N7-JRk2kSdkTeosH_mxh3IIguEnKKmcSkQuopJ4_u/s1600/10525_138582617807_81741167807_2456821_7267094_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h4kamLUrsQGP-784kULOyoVxYHAsgnm2YqUNUh6asLhlTxaC4h13MVpBpbOSWu5DDGXB2E3FDuxQlal_VNPEdbsjpv7AJ10uGR6N7-JRk2kSdkTeosH_mxh3IIguEnKKmcSkQuopJ4_u/s320/10525_138582617807_81741167807_2456821_7267094_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500393100306549362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsqGrq5tI1Wq244XvYOQU8cOz3N3MsXLWgvBpQe1ObdSmsZoT0EOoWV9C-BBqoFIHwiuUkO9C8vMUSksRFwZ9tJ8Vf2C41LialFfO6nFwwiXFkTIwru8iZF7yGfds5gsagxg7IJTWi5C8/s1600/10525_135910707807_81741167807_2427327_6347878_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsqGrq5tI1Wq244XvYOQU8cOz3N3MsXLWgvBpQe1ObdSmsZoT0EOoWV9C-BBqoFIHwiuUkO9C8vMUSksRFwZ9tJ8Vf2C41LialFfO6nFwwiXFkTIwru8iZF7yGfds5gsagxg7IJTWi5C8/s320/10525_135910707807_81741167807_2427327_6347878_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500393096424474818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9xdOp9N4BToBN_Ca8_Bk99K2Jhn0gwUcWNJrOc7K4Dpi6uUtIMOp2rzl4euqLpGsIKxk9gm8Q4Y4RK493jT7cmTQGRxsv6THK5tMzCzWBj2Q04zxnCnIT7rBbEPdY4cfwTLpCCMFEfsM/s1600/10525_135910682807_81741167807_2427322_5548416_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9xdOp9N4BToBN_Ca8_Bk99K2Jhn0gwUcWNJrOc7K4Dpi6uUtIMOp2rzl4euqLpGsIKxk9gm8Q4Y4RK493jT7cmTQGRxsv6THK5tMzCzWBj2Q04zxnCnIT7rBbEPdY4cfwTLpCCMFEfsM/s320/10525_135910682807_81741167807_2427322_5548416_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500393086687173810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1yN4PB0gL0lqJk7wc95pC7OZbSdSK0_EMxvn4qDTQCXMnxapnP8KPtlxyGnzVv3Ye1mSsfI95e6TVjh_P94lTpQJ4UWWz5zYP-0dmQOycReoIl07jzx5i5aQ6odm7bKP07KqLJIuCroH/s1600/10525_135910647807_81741167807_2427316_3389118_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1yN4PB0gL0lqJk7wc95pC7OZbSdSK0_EMxvn4qDTQCXMnxapnP8KPtlxyGnzVv3Ye1mSsfI95e6TVjh_P94lTpQJ4UWWz5zYP-0dmQOycReoIl07jzx5i5aQ6odm7bKP07KqLJIuCroH/s320/10525_135910647807_81741167807_2427316_3389118_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500393076353904866" /></a><br />Their album hasn't been released yet, but there's a bit of a taster to be had with the single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/tnafofficial#p/c/9DF4EFBC9D36C4FC/0/1WSCKI4WqO8">The Sun</a> also buzzing in the interweb, like a fly trapped by a spider (it's 11pm here. Excuse the awful simile).<br /><br />Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that The Naked and Famous are rad. They sound a bit like Passion Pit. And a bit like Phoenix. A bit like they're awesome. Check them out.<br /><br />x Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-46255983865941265242010-07-18T18:50:00.000-07:002010-08-18T02:58:03.846-07:00Film Festival FunIt's that time of year again.<br /><br />Right now, Wellington can either be stunningly beautiful, channelling Tennyson's "all in the blue, unclouded weather," or unapologetically foul, as the Cook Strait is rained, blown and spewed upon the streets, houses and hills.<br /><br />Basically it's this one day:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDaPsGcgRuUn1xwDkOG7TrOwOzTwDEJGudu_PTkkcWyIEUdZJqPGouS4rWUqOHkNx4uPgBfzDPusG3jFf8tIB67MdfuODWPwQKK9s8pAzadXEa750p5OQczDaKaYe6augsL1KAmKbE07e/s1600/IMG_2335.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDaPsGcgRuUn1xwDkOG7TrOwOzTwDEJGudu_PTkkcWyIEUdZJqPGouS4rWUqOHkNx4uPgBfzDPusG3jFf8tIB67MdfuODWPwQKK9s8pAzadXEa750p5OQczDaKaYe6augsL1KAmKbE07e/s400/IMG_2335.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495435523837661650" /></a><br />And something like this the next:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIBPwseeDBPL_A9qdcilB0Gccmab_rJsH-5Ay3a7jGrqFvcuofxMdFl8oBuix_lJwYsuWutJiZVABXNUa-B1cAOHqBrjN4ntF68qTb9jXzO8iLjcYnekRU3GnkgeQy3YVgiVz3-vKgMFH/s1600/IMGP1580.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIBPwseeDBPL_A9qdcilB0Gccmab_rJsH-5Ay3a7jGrqFvcuofxMdFl8oBuix_lJwYsuWutJiZVABXNUa-B1cAOHqBrjN4ntF68qTb9jXzO8iLjcYnekRU3GnkgeQy3YVgiVz3-vKgMFH/s400/IMGP1580.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495434620020579634" /></a><br />The state of the weather is a little bit off-topic, but my point is that each year, mid-to-late July heralds the <a href="http://nzff.co.nz/">New Zealand International Film Festival</a>, and, for the the third year in a row, I plan to traipse around the city in inappropriate footwear, visiting the gorgeous cinemas, hunting down interesting new films. (The inappropriate footwear being little suede ballet flats. They don't hold up to the city's hills, and they certainly don't survive a full southerly thunderstorm.)<br /><br />Anyway, this year, I've got a lot of films I want to see. Unfortunately, due to other people being a lot more organised than me (ie, they booked tickets), I've missed out on seeing the Czech "Kawasaki's Rose" - a film inspired that explores the communist state surviellence that Czech's live with daily. Not surprisingly, this film is said to be inspired by "The Lives of Others."<br /><br />However, not all is lost.<br /><br />There's still Polanski's "The Ghost Writer" (starring the very attractive Ewan McGregor). There's the kiwi film "The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell." There's the intriguing (and beautiful looking) Brazilian film "I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You." And finally, with a nod to my Australian Gangster heritage, there's "Animal Kingdom."<br /><br />Should be good times.<br /><br />xx Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-17994420892159194732010-07-17T03:55:00.000-07:002010-07-17T04:29:35.590-07:00Fake Advertising Is Awesome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux6EypLSSqkxJhKSwn7GEKvca38t75NDbFq0lwuxpzbBK-4xbZeLJ-4NhTCSuRczb6BybVP8YJ4gnPMGuoIr2nhQyuafnzLOXMdG28Q5b3sttwmT_bpdldLlChmiXFwE_C4Z-CYDEePDN/s1600/amv_alt1977_mobilevoxx_ad.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux6EypLSSqkxJhKSwn7GEKvca38t75NDbFq0lwuxpzbBK-4xbZeLJ-4NhTCSuRczb6BybVP8YJ4gnPMGuoIr2nhQyuafnzLOXMdG28Q5b3sttwmT_bpdldLlChmiXFwE_C4Z-CYDEePDN/s400/amv_alt1977_mobilevoxx_ad.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494829413566099762" /></a><br />So I spent some time doing some non glamorous things like sitting exams. Fortunately, this was followed by a much more glamourous week spent skiing. Which has since been followed by a less glamorous week of work, and sandwiches for dinner. Life is cycle isn't it?<br /><br />However, skiing and sandwiches aside, via a friend, I have come across something AWESOME. Or at least an awesome person. Or a person who can produce awesome art. Whatever.<br /><br />Think <a href="http://www.alexvaranese.com/work/alt1977">Alex Varanese.</a><br /><br />Think 1977. Think sweet wood panels. Think warm reds, yellows and browns. Then think groovy 70s print advertising. And then think again that the advertising was for ipods, laptops and mobiles. That's right. Imagine if the 70s had our technology. And some sweet graphic designers. Go nuts imagining that.<br /><br />Have fun<br /><br />xx Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-34168818482479553682010-06-12T15:47:00.000-07:002010-06-12T16:21:31.582-07:00To Market To Market!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482026631153072434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNQEwIOUnIdWoTOFN0dIlrF2QYQi-rWnKQVuQGFwXYfbORHrtmdudA9HxFob4ipC3W38_zxcE0XFmdZZuAl7pVKwZPeShRIwppTFM3MiVPyCEchyCmmpcq5M4AsnMTwEwDVE5iVAohVgM/s320/017.JPG" /><br /><br /><div>Okay, so no-one likes the biting winter cold. Waking up freezing and debating whether to get up and brace the cold, or just stay in bed! But Winter does have its charms. For me, there is nothing better to warm me up than a delicious soup, stew, risotto, or any other veggie-laden Winter dish. Surely, this is the season when a day spent indoors cooking up a storm is entirely justified.<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482026640841545826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9zmxMtJ6fuPwqfk1xnYEQbMwGBtQc_WBrg1GFYHpqI3BuvuVnyQwIWF0EP7MYAOtujVKSvO-kp0oZWfvfojpxyDaXhyphenhyphenQrYuFuQYraBfWc1hvmOtUloGHaTRnRz0ZfMmLV8dFUVsuuCYn/s320/077.JPG" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">All those apple are only $2.50 a kilo, bargain!</span></div><br /><br />With this interest in mind, each Saturday I brace the cold and head out the the Canberra Region Framers Markets, out at Exhibition Park. And I'm not alone! Between 8 and 11am every Saturday the epic centre is a buzz with people buying and selling delicious, local produce. Fruit and vegetable abound - it is very difficult to pick which stall to visit. On top of this, there are loads of different food stands - Asian food, fudge and cake, tea, fresh honey, homemade chutneys and dips - so you can do most of your weekly food shop there. For you fellow caffeine addicts out there, there are two coffee Batista's (which is really the most important thing when you're up that early.)<br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482026620911929410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbTksUHelOlK19nXKWgnSIgesKBYHQ71NmFb5NGIFdcEDGqaGZrbJOgEeHAYuzSZJtbpF_-ygOJG8BHl9bqz78gyZxzC_bu94Bh6xooc2D7UianIbyfg3VnPrJAP0XwT2DBiiRSG-8UVT/s320/004.JPG" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">I bought these to make Esther's grilled vegetable couscous salad</span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://petalsmarkedwithspots.blogspot.com/2010/01/grilled-vegetable-couscous-salad.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://petalsmarkedwithspots.blogspot.com/2010/01/grilled-vegetable-couscous-salad.html</span></a></p><p align="left"><br />The best thing? Well there are two - the price is generally cheaper than supermarkets, and the quality of the fruit and veg cannot be better. You will never buy a supermarket apple again after tasting the one's at the Farmers Markets. And another plus - buying produce at farmers markets - no matter where you live - supports the local industry. So really, its all win-win. </p><p align="left"><br />For more info on the markets, check out the website: <a href="http://www.capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au/">http://www.capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au/</a><br /><br />Now to make some delicious soup!<br /><br />Gracie<br /><br />xxpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-31642704514589656122010-06-06T04:06:00.000-07:002010-06-06T04:52:05.938-07:00Violet Songs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hsNdO_JmWTn2kRiB-xzpuirOZ2LgvJoO7l91pzigDLhy0DqxHhfHotVufci9j-yh7pyU2gmt-rrBgyJmd0pk4H3ddBVHoAmjW8ShlP-a6BT5-UzZzJqMqh2F7jvVbaxkOVaPH__pm1lj/s1600/600px-Highviolet.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479621884337820754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hsNdO_JmWTn2kRiB-xzpuirOZ2LgvJoO7l91pzigDLhy0DqxHhfHotVufci9j-yh7pyU2gmt-rrBgyJmd0pk4H3ddBVHoAmjW8ShlP-a6BT5-UzZzJqMqh2F7jvVbaxkOVaPH__pm1lj/s320/600px-Highviolet.jpg" /></a><br />It is about this time of year when the you just want to stay indoors, rug up and relax. For fellow uni students, it is also the time of year when a little distraction is just what the doctor ordered. A few weeks ago someone special introduced me to The National's new album 'High Violet', which has proved the perfect winter album.<br /><br />The American indie rock band has eclipsed their success with this wonderful album. Their 2007 album 'Boxer' a few years ago received critical acclaim, with 'High Violet' the band's much anticipated follow up record. Fans will not be disappointed by the calming yet sombre album the National released last month.<br /><br />'High Violet' moves in perfect sequence from track to track, taking you on an acoustic journey. Opening with the melancholy 'Terrible Love' and 'Sorrow', the album draws you in to the tales of heartache, fear and sorrow that fill the tracks. My favourite is 'Afraid of Everyone', with its haunting backing vocals making for one beautifully sad song. 'High Violet' is one of those rare albums that compels you to listen to the very end, with each track complementing and seeming inseparable from the whole (I wish more albums were make like this). While a few upbeat tracks are included in the album, the darkness of the work pervades. The band's fifth studio album is one of maturity, both musically and emotionally. The hauntingly distinct vocals of front man Matt Berninger bring the intense tracks to life. The melancholy sound of the album is perfect for those grey Wintry days when you just don't feel like heading outdoors, and need a little distraction.<br /><br />If you've never listened to The National before, then 'High Violet' is a great place to start.<br /><br />Gracie<br /><br />xxpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-20876519088347328122010-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:002010-06-02T03:23:10.721-07:00Winter is... cool.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Zk3rGepREkc5dAXOgJoJsvWUVPTgLygO56ySvhRS0nBVDaO7Td2ZIGrlI-CqM693biu4eBuYzCGG_jHkK3I82w3j3uPOKdWs3M3AzoOvdvsDyvS3YXS2si07HaIy92Hu5zDhVTwQ2L3x/s1600/P1200367.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Zk3rGepREkc5dAXOgJoJsvWUVPTgLygO56ySvhRS0nBVDaO7Td2ZIGrlI-CqM693biu4eBuYzCGG_jHkK3I82w3j3uPOKdWs3M3AzoOvdvsDyvS3YXS2si07HaIy92Hu5zDhVTwQ2L3x/s320/P1200367.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477999042463518114" /></a> (Snow covered sheep. Hilarious.)<br /><br />I am a fan of winter. This may have something to do with the fact that summer is not really that great for skiing. But really, I think it's more than this. Here are some of the reasons why I think winter is... cool:<br /><br />- Legitimately hibernating inside. <br />- Ice-kingdom frosts on the lawn in the morning.<br />- Skiing (ok, it was an important reason).<br />- Deciduous tees look beautiful (in a gothic kind of way) bare-leaved against grey skies<br />- Clean, sharp tasting air (and, as a bonus you can pretend you're a dragon when you breathe out) (though, currently I get this effect in every room of my house...)<br />- People start baking (honestly, who wants to bake on a 37 degree February day?)<br />- Men look sexy in scarves.<br /><br />Any other reasons for why you think winter is great?<br /><br />Esther xxpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-21232724571814142382010-05-25T16:49:00.000-07:002010-05-25T17:09:42.897-07:00Dachshund U.N.Honestly, I don't think art gets much better than this.<br /><br />Perth-based artist Bennett Miller has created an instillation which critiques the dysfunctional nature of the U.N. using, wait for it, dachshunds. 47 of them, one for each member-nation, and a chairperson (or chairdog). 47 dachshunds. How very, very fantastic.<br /><br />Because I really should continue writing my essay on Alfred, Lord Tennyson (best name ever!) and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, I'm being a bit lazy, and will just give you the ABC's <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/25/2908950.htm">interview</a> with Miller, as he describes what he is trying to convey through the piece:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I think the UN does a lot of amazing things but it is an inherently difficult idea to pull off. It is hard for all these countries to give up their own sovereign interests to a broader global interest," he said.<br /><br />"I'm trying to make an accurate imitation of what I see in the UN, or more so what I see is the reputation of the UN. So I had to have elements that were positive and elements that were negative."<br /><br />"My sculpture is dysfunctional and that is also true of the UN but it is also quite a beautiful scene when you look at all the dogs. I hope that is what people take away from it but I can't control it completely," he said.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzdi6BapBnQpvBrQRvQQld9yFdoG-sYbBFPdjHm2LnCl-8aSxwAmz3Tqued4JtIx9qHCuSOLM0300bjaWLxicPdCvIneemP7zzAi7fp0WAnIVhg8pPbcsl7-_Ny1CuGkcCeamrWiYWE2f/s1600/29919_10150203595180433_629900432_12518010_4812534_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzdi6BapBnQpvBrQRvQQld9yFdoG-sYbBFPdjHm2LnCl-8aSxwAmz3Tqued4JtIx9qHCuSOLM0300bjaWLxicPdCvIneemP7zzAi7fp0WAnIVhg8pPbcsl7-_Ny1CuGkcCeamrWiYWE2f/s320/29919_10150203595180433_629900432_12518010_4812534_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475362839442568706" /></a><br />The instillation is on at the <a href="http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-news/2010/dachshund-un/">Museum of Victoria</a>, and has been happening for the last three Saturdays, beginning at 2pm. This Saturday is the final sitting of the Dachshund U.N. If you're in Melbourne, go along. I'm sure it will be a spectacular celebration of the dachshund. <br /><br />The photo is courtesy of one of my cousins who went and said she almost fainted from the cuteness of the cajilion dogs. <br /><br />xx Estherpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-33795338411136683582010-05-19T03:41:00.000-07:002010-05-19T05:09:51.356-07:00Regina Regina!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472934548499946930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUdNWMhCPY7AzCWL4RqKmz8UC-VU5x78GyJjQp_l3PNgkMeCEqsvONSaEZJqrL9jpLxUe0Bq9Lrldp5puYkmyWkVHG__3E8ynRNd1txB48dKPB6YawvPpz7zqDlB38NICVju47BrBX23w/s400/reginaspektor%5B1%5D.gif" /><br /><br /><div>Last month I had the privilege of seeing the wonderful Regina Spektor at the Sydney Opera House. She was as amazing as expected! Emerging from the darkness of stage wearing an gorgeous multi-coloured, striped dress, she radiated in front of the adoring crown. The dress was wonderful - even when she was sitting at her piano, she literally shone!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 297px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472949554173942482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeA8o9-myub1-w2WEqZqedyjZP5Q33bsqV3aD0rb0NR0HEhAum1fMxaQDIkt4VI4CrkiXRshzZ5MO8-OtxsOwWa7GdkAmmYi3ariN3jucBByQOxGQ0xmbPEIbP9078BKsJLrWBxe5uShQS/s400/031.JPG" /></div><br /><div>Of course there were the favorites - 'Samson', 'Radio', 'Sailor Song', amongst many others. She even played 'Dance Anthem of the 80s' on electric guitar! Despite claims of inability to play guitar, Regina got crowd going. Most of the songs were from her new album 'Far', with some tracks from 'Begin to Hope' and 'Soviet Kitsch' thrown in the mix.</div><div></div><br /><div>I have loved Regina's music ever since my dear friend - whom I went to the concert with - brought her into my life a few years ago. Producing three wonderful, diverse albums has established her credentials as a recording artist. But as a performer, she is so endearing! She couldn't believe that the crowd encircled her, as the Opera House stage is positioned in the middle of the audience. </div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472949130401531922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDirZGsCWVRe78T7VpHk8hEERqGUKtjIiSTENCNT_qpf9An3Hgbh-_WaijiufS8kInh4wEfMwl4uVfSSlztp2yWfnQWlr-ZqO6zgL4b9GJW6G_NGYPqGfvHlzp1N46D_lQ6Tuv5nip5rQ/s400/024.JPG" /><br /><br /><div>"I can't believe this place is real" she repeatedly stated, with humility and gratitude for the crowd's support. Several giggles and chats to the crowd made us all feel a part of her world, if only for ninety minutes. It wasn't the cliched performer-audience chit chat, Regina was genuinely excited to be at the Opera House (if only for being surrounded by her audience). It was almost like seeing a child at their birthday party - she was just so happy and lovely, but most of all, so wonderful to listen to! </div><div><br /></div><div>Just when you think that 'real' musicians don't exist anymore, or at least, don't combine success, humility and on-stage charm, Regina is there to give hope!Even the merchandise was Regina-esque - autographed lithographs sold instead of tacky posters. I even picked up a calico bag with a beautiful print of the lithograph on it, and only $15. I like to think That Regina isn't into milking her fans with tacky souvenirs. </div><div></div><br />If you haven't listen to 'Far' yet, then I suggest you do, especially when need a little distraction from life... I know that I do at the moment!<br /><br />Gracie<br /><br />xxpetalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-12478537549694305662010-05-09T02:14:00.001-07:002010-05-13T16:39:24.929-07:00Body Paint, Folk-Pop and a bit of TVOk, I admit it. This is, without a doubt, an essay procrastination post.<div><br /></div><div>And, it's also blatant advertising for Air New Zealand - with whom I have no affiliation - I just really like flying with them. One of the reasons behind my Air NZ loyalty is for their AWESOME (and believe me, I don't use caps lock lightly) safety <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Mq9HAE62Y">video</a> (by the way, if anyone knows how to embed youtube videos, rather than just giving the hyperlink, please let me know!).</div><div><br /></div><div>The song in this clip is by Gin Wigmore. It's called "Under Your Skin". Fans of Angus and Julia Stone are likely to enjoy Gin Wigmore's music, though I think there's more "pop" in Wigmore's folk-pop songs than in A & J Stone's music. However, I think her voice sounds quite like Julia Stone's, except less quavery. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also really like the track <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOUS0EmLbfI">"S.O.S</a>" by Wigmore. This song recently appeared at the end of a "Go Girls" episode. (Segue...) I've been loving watching "Go Girls" lately. It's a quality kiwi comedy-drama, with very unique, fresh characters. While I think "Go Girls'" writers tend to rely too heavily on mis-communication for their drama, (a topic for a different post), it's very much still a show worth watching.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy! </div><div><br /></div><div>xx Esther</div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-83605674950361049772010-05-06T01:40:00.000-07:002010-05-06T19:17:23.057-07:00Apologies and the like<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3pP1DXoWh-Q00aHP_xMi1GxelI2szws8cDyleqHB3UbAAKrwKjG-pKyQrNlIWYyVO0pEEYmVTWUrMzDXNtTmtS86looOHNUoc4S-wDdnTBi3Qv20tqKQxgyxVPZP3nB0vMhh2G-fUM8T/s1600/IMGP3494.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUzsOi0NipF6Gc-3hD7PelR48Eo9S9NFcxtnjkEwGbQCxhyIBp2_eM-WFgEaKvqfjvQn6eDS3BR2qXA9cng8bhcr7HyB2NLXPpajFD3RDU9ozWH21-MU1GP1xMlAdmDqi_0w3AOFZk62q/s1600/IMGP3497.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUzsOi0NipF6Gc-3hD7PelR48Eo9S9NFcxtnjkEwGbQCxhyIBp2_eM-WFgEaKvqfjvQn6eDS3BR2qXA9cng8bhcr7HyB2NLXPpajFD3RDU9ozWH21-MU1GP1xMlAdmDqi_0w3AOFZk62q/s400/IMGP3497.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468076826564167890" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:verdana, serif;">Sorry dear blog-readers!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">The lovely Miss Grace and I have been of late, drowning under various mountains (like those confused metaphors do ya?) of university work.</span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3pP1DXoWh-Q00aHP_xMi1GxelI2szws8cDyleqHB3UbAAKrwKjG-pKyQrNlIWYyVO0pEEYmVTWUrMzDXNtTmtS86looOHNUoc4S-wDdnTBi3Qv20tqKQxgyxVPZP3nB0vMhh2G-fUM8T/s1600/IMGP3494.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8jq78ZdeRVWEhhfvb7aowSBAg2iTSsmUdATJwSly1phJNr99EMwSFckdlQ0qXJ1yiKAE_6YeGgQUd8hRFkKP3dJpwFzcUh1KAs_r4I9kcKsyP9v-Evli5DWduvLQkue6usmSJmle2DPa/s1600/IMGP3495.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8jq78ZdeRVWEhhfvb7aowSBAg2iTSsmUdATJwSly1phJNr99EMwSFckdlQ0qXJ1yiKAE_6YeGgQUd8hRFkKP3dJpwFzcUh1KAs_r4I9kcKsyP9v-Evli5DWduvLQkue6usmSJmle2DPa/s400/IMGP3495.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468077243288124482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wenFOhgcvWjYTBe8DXSPnaSYRsNPSd9vx1UgV2ObXxmPvMm5-6RqoD-hJNeQTFmGaQpj1orIQYqbc91mAxNRoS5x3iAnmCmb6ttPG8iAGLfzb2hN2g2-5VfEVMiI9y4klRof4VkHoeJa/s1600/IMGP3499.JPG"></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">So, until Grace </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">deciphers Marxist theories and how they apply to the visual arts and I deduce whether NZ Aid's gender policies are structured within a liberal feminist framework or are simply examples of gender-mainstreaming, please excuse our blogging absence(s)!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vjehZRykMWu2SiNF8wfFvZW3UzEQJjDytYh_KZZsXDUNDlg2p-_NpzKI7GmWpTZD-MK6wKhY5BgDDvsOGZL7j4EYPPiRGWWh7tjj9jtBwmSDId4W-cdWyGpt_IRp_gLUVjxj6asZM3By/s1600/IMGP3493.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vjehZRykMWu2SiNF8wfFvZW3UzEQJjDytYh_KZZsXDUNDlg2p-_NpzKI7GmWpTZD-MK6wKhY5BgDDvsOGZL7j4EYPPiRGWWh7tjj9jtBwmSDId4W-cdWyGpt_IRp_gLUVjxj6asZM3By/s400/IMGP3493.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468076821450757186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">As an apology, here are some pretty photos of charming chicken wire fence on Vivian Street (chicken wire fences can be charming, can't they?) that I took back when I still had a functioning camera and an optimistic outlook on the world (many hours in a university library (even one with a stunning view out over a city, hills and harbour like here at Vic) will kill that outlook off, no worries).</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;">Enjoy!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;">xx Esther</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wenFOhgcvWjYTBe8DXSPnaSYRsNPSd9vx1UgV2ObXxmPvMm5-6RqoD-hJNeQTFmGaQpj1orIQYqbc91mAxNRoS5x3iAnmCmb6ttPG8iAGLfzb2hN2g2-5VfEVMiI9y4klRof4VkHoeJa/s1600/IMGP3499.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wenFOhgcvWjYTBe8DXSPnaSYRsNPSd9vx1UgV2ObXxmPvMm5-6RqoD-hJNeQTFmGaQpj1orIQYqbc91mAxNRoS5x3iAnmCmb6ttPG8iAGLfzb2hN2g2-5VfEVMiI9y4klRof4VkHoeJa/s400/IMGP3499.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468076835378109586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3pP1DXoWh-Q00aHP_xMi1GxelI2szws8cDyleqHB3UbAAKrwKjG-pKyQrNlIWYyVO0pEEYmVTWUrMzDXNtTmtS86looOHNUoc4S-wDdnTBi3Qv20tqKQxgyxVPZP3nB0vMhh2G-fUM8T/s400/IMGP3494.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468077254070794578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cSBEuWC6BBbf9j5df2oICt5RKfcvzicIFjjKpheBIdAHVk0T-e8OGqtS5a5APxFpXM0iHj649svsHbQ-B9zXEfmfb5gtbhsJuEk94mw6aeIu09gmemLMFiEDEWu6WFy7Rnh09qe35SYN/s1600/IMGP3491.JPG"></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KjiBJ5hvqRDqydm2fzqg1irpZq-Uzy1cqxGyx6OyDOot7EyDeDkjVJuFEyGqNokHuBxmVJcbcs9NioUfdJ392P8QQO_q3DwcvFPcupJ1U4lyYlLTAfqp0pqyyfq6ip86cCV4xD7Qq4Yc/s400/IMGP3502.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468078793703784850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></span></span></div></span></span></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-24041704091984038972010-04-14T14:07:00.000-07:002010-04-22T02:58:42.455-07:00Toasted Muesli<div style="text-align: left;">I’ve made my own toasted muesli.</div> <p class="MsoNormal">Three times.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is big news.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s big news possibly because it’s my only cooking news (having otherwise gone back to the tuna-sandwich dinner school of thought). It’s also big news because, being honest, I thought I would never make my own breakfast cereal. Like making bread, I thought making muesli was a nice idea, but one for very earnest, organised people, and that the process was probably not nearly as easy all those earnest, organised people said (honestly, how often do people who make their own bread preach to you that it’s so “<i>easy</i><span style="font-style:normal">”). Well, although I’m not yet converted to bread-making (for now, I’m buying Vogels or bread from Brooklyn Bagels, thanks) I have undergone a complete cereal turnaround. And so now I’m spreading the home-made muesli love.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Inspired by a lovely climbing friend, I’ve been experimenting with an American granola recipe. Like my friends’ tasty version, my muesli seems to sit on the dessert-esq side of breakfast cereals. For slightly less intense granola/muesli recipes, try either <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html">this</a> or <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/10/granola_recipe.html">this</a>. But, if walnuts, spices, lots of dates and honey is how you like the oats in your muesli to roll (please tell me someone got that joke), read on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Toasted Muesli</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1kg whole oats</p><p class="MsoNormal">¼ cup canola oil</p><p class="MsoNormal">A generous ½ cup of honey</p><p class="MsoNormal">200g chopped dates (you could use cranberries, or any other dried fruit instead if you like. Just add them after you’ve finished toasting though)</p><p class="MsoNormal">100g roughly chopped walnuts (or whichever nut variant you like. Experimentation is a good thing)</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 vanilla pod</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon (though this is kind of approximate. I’m not really one for extremely accurate measures)</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon nutmeg (ditto on the “approximate” amount)</p><p class="MsoNormal">Two baking trays (one large and one small should be ok)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUd_lZLrGWFA9X0B05FvKrNLi_Zt91Sh2UeFfQjOyH8lr7ynp5wvqCUnxinpHB7WpfVRs3tbwhE7Llk7rkTeYvrdK9q68HNC81FXDWFW7h_hwjgzZZwZgjiMrvnuj51ujuezcWVQTFc2J/s320/IMGP3622.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459805612677570130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Set the oven to 140°. Combine the honey and oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Keep stirring this mixture until it foams and bubbles right up. Take the pan off the heat and add the oats, stirring them round well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Split the vanilla pod and scrap all the seeds into the oat mix. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, dates and walnuts. Stir very well. Spread the muesli mix across the baking trays and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning the muesli over every 10 minutes. When the oats on the edges of the trays, at the back of the oven begin to turn brown-gold, the muesli is done (a very accurate way to measure, I know).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Leave the muesli to cool on the trays. Store in a large plastic container and make the world (or maybe just your flatmates) jealous of your muesli-making skills.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoiRmOaK4jl3RRytkPNvIjjM1klpvYL0RzQ4vXFKAg1ye5coS2E-Yz70Y4u5EgX_0yY1IcTp_CYNN5K3NO9NvpL_NF19o_gt8Cj6oAvbAzW12ozJTe1PGRWBJBZXG6yFkfyGwU29ZmNPs/s320/IMGP3620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459805600964325074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, I killed my little point-and-click camera (who knew they didn’t like travelling, sans case, in climbing bags) so I’ve only got photos of my first batch of muesli (I toasted it a bit too much – you don’t want your muesli to be quite this brown when you take it out of the oven).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">xx Esther</p> <!--EndFragment-->petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-21991985403848833762010-04-08T15:01:00.001-07:002010-04-09T05:24:31.457-07:00Separation City<div style="text-align: left;">I’ve been meaning to write about this film for a long time. Directed by Paul Middleditch and written by Tom Scott, <i>Separation City</i><span style="font-style:normal"> is a Kiwi (with lots of Aussies and a couple of Germans too) film that was released here last year, was and released in Australia in mid-March this year (no idea what cinemas it’s showing in, sorry).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk-HQcYuUoR6ub6ugMR7PJiypK_3RuKza7QRgYr_j1n8q4tCyThE9b2hW9BJgxMRz-hJygf3NpaD71EPzeKGYugdkiaLKHwLhSaAVRnsSZLiothX0F6pvzQRj2iNb2XFoeHWeV1HAgiAP/s320/img_sepcityfull.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457931852232143538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px; " /></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal">Put very simply, <i>Separation City</i><span style="font-style:normal"> is a film about relationships and breaking up in Wellington. The poetic irony is that I watched it, and then was broken up with, in Wellington (screw you, poetic irony). The film follows Simon, (Australian Joel Edgerton), who is married, increasingly unsuccessfully, to Pam (Dannielle Cormack). Simon and Pam are part of a group of several professional, mid-30s friends who all have small children and who all are trying to figure out love and life. Rhonda Mitra plays one of these friends, the supposedly German/Dutch Katrien, though Mitra has got the plummiest accent you’ll ever hear. Katrien’s husband Klaus, (who does sound legitimately German) cheats on her, and Simon, frustrated and not connecting at all with Pam, falls in serious unrequited love with Katrien. Unsurprisingly, stuff gets problematic.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj5LLmBOWPunutPg0QyUrD2s7HUNZgb5BmExxg4kvg5V3PzMEwnOAz8DBld85DRwaOCGqu_gTRgpIPiOM9Rxg7gU_F3LjCeedhbFtW-bcESUvIfY_01LyTc__GJ8IgBXQZNigHkrc4RIN/s320/katrien_simon_pam_joanne_and_harry_at_dinner.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457930628331660258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><i>L-R - Katrien, Pam, Joanne, Harry, Simon</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s the simple outline. <i>Separation City</i><span style="font-style:normal"> is about a lot more than just break-ups. To begin with, it’s got a sharp, dark, sense of humour. Also, being set in Wellington, it’s got politics, sleazy politicians and wry journalists. When it examines families and the daily, often cringe-worthy dynamics of family life, (used condoms, chocolate cereal for breakfast, remembering to buy "cheapish but still drinkable Aussie Shiraz" for a dinner party), it’s amusing, accurate and not prepared to gloss over the awkward things that matter. Finally, the cinematography in </span><i>Separation City </i><span style="font-style:normal">is fantastic. Wellington comes across as the spectacular, hilly coastal city it is, though in </span><i>Separation City, </i>Wellington's absolute best side is shown - <span style="font-style:normal">it’s nearly always sunny and only mildly breezy (filthy <a href="http://petalsmarkedwithspots.blogspot.com/2010/03/weather-is-serious-news-here.html">lies</a>). It’s worth watching the film just for the beautiful scenery.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL_8yECDydCWpCu0mn_SGuR8pOkZajUYjPTQ-ZjCPej0ifOTMPf6oHRw8GfEgJyOeFbp7qV3iNr4ugj4LjR8KiDJBXHvWmaa55S_zFZuw6Kz0fd5aI3kHZ6WbesfR-VGCqZTkrEwN9_gW/s320/simon_(_joel_edgerton_).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457930634532486370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">And now I have a confession to make. I really wanted to love this film. It’s set in Wellington! Joel Edgerton is very good looking! Les Hill (who plays Simon’s journalist best friend, Harry, and who is, hand down, the films’ best actor) is (without hyperbole) the greatest character ever!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjXgw3yUx5f7Ev_6Lr0VMQbjRyYi4W810U53Xq7HLNpIuYrHRPT4g0fVxhyphenhyphenfQ6BIcKOGqci2NvihMuT7GHcAkxj5FB-euElQqZY4cjSeH3prhkl6k0F-lGLVjb2C7DXICZd-uvz4p7crG/s320/harry_and_simon_stroll_on_beach.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457930621053716114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">But I couldn’t love it. I could like sections of it a lot, but in places the film feels forced and contrived. The voice over provided by Simon and Katrien is especially contrived and unnecessary (though Simon’s can be quite funny). The pace is very uneven, and although the sections with the men’s group are all at once hilarious, poignant and revealing, they feel somewhat out of place, like they could be from another film.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is not to say you shouldn’t watch <i>Separation City</i><span style="font-style:normal">. It is very much worth seeing. But just don’t go to it expecting to fall in love.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">xx Esther<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-31513655548674632982010-04-03T20:49:00.000-07:002010-04-11T06:08:31.693-07:00A Bittersweet 'Welcome'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRXRJv2Nwf1wOCZCzlc-OQt3GrFl4uBbyAXCdguTTYqFzXynjW5Mx_9n463QsMLQHa22iJcHb7yRav_RWfBEg6zEA138rOz-TB8iTA8ww0roAE4MjeH4Aj6Qc2xDUIefXujWQmG674TDk/s1600/welcome.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456133624957607890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRXRJv2Nwf1wOCZCzlc-OQt3GrFl4uBbyAXCdguTTYqFzXynjW5Mx_9n463QsMLQHa22iJcHb7yRav_RWfBEg6zEA138rOz-TB8iTA8ww0roAE4MjeH4Aj6Qc2xDUIefXujWQmG674TDk/s320/welcome.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>I am not much of a cryer in movies. This may sound a little surprising from someone as emotional as myself, but it usually takes a fair bit of sadness in a film for me to lose it. This is what happened during a screening of French director Philippe Lioret's <em>Welcome. </em>This is probably the saddest film I have seen all year! </div><div></div><br /><div>Set in the northern French town of Calais, <em>Welcome </em>is the story of Bilal (Firat Ayverdi), a seventeen year-old Iraqi Kurd immigrant. Bilal has survived a walk (yes walk) from his homeland, now setting his sights on crossing the English Channel to reach his girlfriend, Mina(Derya Ayverdi). Mina and her Iraqi family have migrated to London, with Bilal having promised to join there, and make a life together. After attempts to smuggle the border on a cargo truck, Bilial decides to swim the Channel. In this plight he meets Simon (Vincent Lindon), a heart-broken middle-aged swimming instructor. Simon takes the young Iraqi under his wing, teaching him the skills that made himself a French champion. The kindness Simon shows is at great personal risk, and the Calais authorities are soon on to him. Assisting immigrants is a major offence, with the issue a very real one for French society. However, in true French style Simon's shift from lifeless individual to one of compassion causes a change of heart in his much younger and very attractive ex-wife Marion (Audrey Dana). Love scenes and passionate embraces, the hallmarks of any French movie, ensue.</div><div></div><br /><div>It is not all tragedy. The bond between Bilal and Simon is moving. While other citizens in Calais look to the immigrants as a form of vermin, Simon takes the time to engage with one of these desperate and impoverished individuals. Plainly, Simon gains as much from the relationship as Bilal, with the coach having his passion for swimming revived through his young protege. The stamina Bilal has shown in making his way to France, all in the name of a girl whom he has spoken to since leaving his homeland, shows more personal strength than that needed to swim the English channel. At only seventeen, he has lived beyond his years, something that is the case for many young immigrants. At the same time, his love for Mina and dream to be a famous footballer connect Bilal to many of the Western citizens whom regard immigrant like himself as a unwanted aliens. Lioret manages the balance of topical and complex themes with personal bonds, making <em>Welcome </em>avoid becoming a lecture on the rights and wrongs of immigration.</div><br /><div>What really got me about this film was the confronting realness of the plot. Any Australia knows how topical and distressing issues of immigration are. This is a situation that is seen throughout the world. In France, stories like Bilal's are ever-present. I think it is so important for films about these issues to be made. Films, like <em>Welcome, </em>that do not attempt to gloss over or resolve the situation. Intersections with vignettes of the French immigration authorities, and escaped immigrants like Mina's family in London effectively convey the complexity of the situation. The perspective of each group is explored; the hesitation toward helping immigrants, their desire for a better life and Simon's choice to help one of these individuals to achieve this.</div><br /><div>This is great film, but make sure to take lots of tissues!</div><br /><div></div><div>Gracie</div><div></div><div>xx</div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-1815159445155092442010-03-26T04:36:00.000-07:002010-04-11T06:13:39.779-07:00Ford's Colour-Rich 'A Single Man'<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 271px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452921864582738226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMjXZgNNlpn6T9lEaoA6r9awTaYhUyvoFOjOV25WzY7neUv7xL5O0PJH-K0Rs1R6KTNu8MiVHo1jbHarSAzf3S80_FeN8-MEZkF4pBilbCMSIFOXbYHfkZ_ZD6g3NY9ugpTyn7qiQsDQF/s320/a-single-man2.jpg" /><br /><div><div><div>If a film were a painting, it would be <em>A Single Man. </em>The Tom Ford drama is a colour-rich tableau of 1960s design elements. From the mauve cigarettes, to sixties fashion, the film is all about colour. Using colour to highlight emotions, the viewer is lured into the layered narrative of the film through its rich palette of sixties hues. This is exactly what happened to me. I found myself captivated by the surreal quality of the film. Ford added colour to scenes of happiness, flirtation or poignancy, with a distinct greyness dominating moments of melancholy. This masterful colour awareness tells of Ford's profession as a fashion designer, with <em>A Single Man </em>marking his first foray into writing/ directing.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 365px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 193px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452923768984935218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KvcgIvb3I8mYyyPnP-KyXSjv68ckN1z4-_QXEuaMKh8rlh-0BXnHa2TwCEqiBHhJGXEvYt-x-YBnoq977Xuq_NM8R4VUvOzWhAERs22_GuKbnfmiKuNwfQYBFsv8fARr-xBuhycqc6uq/s320/a_single_man12.jpg" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>After my ranting about colour, I should probably talk about the film itself! <em>A Single Man </em>is based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood. It is the story of a middle aged College English professor in LA, George Falconer, who desperately seeking to inject some colour back into his life, so to speak. George, a native Englishman is played by Colin Firth. The actor leaves his stereotype of the desirable rom com hero behind in this role, embodying this tormented, yet passionate character. George's partner Jim (played by the gorgeous Matthew Goode) has recently died in a car accident, and his life has become one of monotony and recluse. Even his past love Charley, played by the wonderful Julianne Moore can't bring him out of his melancholy. Charley is a middle-aged divorcee, who looks like what a go-go dancer would be, some twenty years after their time on stage. Her perfectly coiffured hair and elaborately painted face mask a complex and deeply sad individual. Ford's masterly of colour and design are exemplified in his characterisation of Charley, with her mauve cigarettes and exotic boudoir telling of her dramatic personality. The same technique is used to convey the image of George as a more structured personality. The film opens with him dressing himself in the morning. George speaks about how his identity is constructed each day, carefully and slowly, before being shown to the world around him.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 418px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 291px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452920284276230194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZHuWu6ZjEDXD3SV6OFk4J2sknPvlSByXZMDWRxP6fg97LphvFTSTRYYDjz3CTbC-XE6_oFIK4zlyt7pMMm5Baabi4KKOPS2LugbgjH6oIWfrJ2qe-4RMP76y30BX3T8fjt0tndQAG0do/s320/a-single-man1.jpg" /><br /><div></div><div>Colour is drawn on by Ford to tell of George's character. As he is in a state of depression, George is shown as a grey figure, with his business suits and static image conveying a sense of routine and unhappiness to the viewer. This is not just in his clothing, but in his complexion. Each time he experiences happiness, like watching the kids next door playing or talking about literature to one of his students, his cheeks become flushed. This subtlety tells of Ford's awareness of the power of colour as a marker for expression. One of my favorite scenes is when George goes for a late night swim with one of his students at a Californian beach. The most intense hues of blue fill the screen - midnight blue in the sky, a luminescent moonlit sand, framing a rich blue ocean. The shot is so powerfully, with this power conveying the significance of this event in George's life.</div><br /><div></div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452921232220861202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJY96D_5_gBkfbeStTl8HHXiPCwn1FeQzJ5WYDhWpKnjHBYHKc43yZX1LLrUMVOb_wfPHZLqYUwr8GeGNqUrU0wQeSLS7qSTN0IpRKsFT3KaUu-hAeESVNK1g1sIxqgY84Q3jC2rU0kUf/s320/A-Single-Man.jpg" /><br /><div>In essence, this film is about dealing with the daily routines of life. Routines that, for ambitious or creative types, signal a life of mediocrity. George's solitude, and friendship with a young student, who has the same curiosity that he once had, are used to explore the ways in which our lives turn out differently to anticipated. George, having planned to spend his life with Jim, is forced to contemplate a different future. A grey future, solitary future. The prospect of this seems too overwhelming and lifeless for George, who instead seeks escape from it. Colour and design are used to subtlety reinforces these themes. The spilled ink that marks George's bedsheets and leaves stains on his lips symbolises his personal deluge. This draws on the ways in which we associate certain shades with certain emotions. People wishing for an idealised life speaking of looking at the world with rose-coloured glasses. In <em>A Single Man, </em>Ford adopts glasses of all different colours, revealing the many shifts of perspectives inherent in society.</div><div></div><br /><div>All in all, this is an excellent film! </div><div><br /></div><div>Gracie</div><div></div><div></div><div>xx</div></div></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-48597499287663220792010-03-23T04:37:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:42:37.726-07:00All About Elsa<div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 253px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451064948140933570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrKAb5t20Sskkc5XCcj1uikFiiH7NqZL91ab8Til4FNbMu7Z5DhAav66ezuGOAov90hmbTNQnyJNSsis3rnP48Qx2K3OQeKSvzH3FC9uq-dKELu7hRDNTe96hTIucqe5mSSU5SnVYTSmS/s320/elsa3.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli was one of the most original fashion designers of the 20th century. The other day whilst lunching with my best girlfriend, we got onto the subject of fashion. As two twenty somethings, we were reflecting at how our style had evolved over the years. I have long been a believer in the power of fashion. I think what you choose to wear, or not to wear makes a powerful statement about your identity. I think Elsa Schiaparelli believed this too. She created some of the most interesting and imaginative fashion pieces that I have ever seen! And in the era of the streamlined Chanel suit.<br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451008810751325730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtBedn9j8TJ2OitVteD0o5c3RnKhnGoyo4Xqgw2NUyEql65pZ39w4xPeossUF2dA1oxmgH8u2HPJu87A4Lkj_EqKc0qL7g-kidTPsXn2UaYStD2EY77dV-nrRmP8dHO0cRgmCeSKYhNdD/s320/elsa.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451073558321973922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT8gYC_3zcmrbCl74W4huL1PQ6eAV-MC3JXQjYqGB0wqy7kwp18qU6OcU7vFEx5T3VOHgA8ZqJQelG015c3TMBfjxXxaUErNhwAElN-C6USkEB0Ax2DoftnVjlds4jl6eYB7ZdUYDBVXS/s320/cocteau+detail.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;font-size:x-small;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Elsa Schiaparelli. Evening coat (collaboration with Jean Cocteau), fall 1937. Blue (now faded) silk jersey with gold metal and red silk embroidery and pink silk appliqued flowers Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><br /></span>The Italian born French couturier saw clothing as objects of art, using the body as a canvas to project her ideas. She tapped into the long association between disguise and fashion, drawing on the principles of Surrealism to explore this idea in her collections between 1936 and 1939. Schiaparelli worked alongside several of the movement’s leading artists. Surrealist artists inspired and collaborated with her in her designs, resulting in the shocking juxtaposition of artefacts, patterns and colours she became famed for. Making them just the style that I love, though am probably not brave enough to wear.</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451076119769635890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnaUrf_Cbd1BbNc1BfgmROib0T3cXuOU64Z0jDXNApBDgKSD376CBUSmOWZNi8aRXFU5qf5tGlZAvZ7TwUCtG1YqibpENILnI8UWmZnmcscbe1Z1B2Zl9QZ9vpUew1ovp6IoKXUJj_eQT/s320/Boots_IMAGE12_EX.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli,</span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> Bootees</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span style="font-size:85%;">, winter 1939-40. Pink, green, and white silk satin and leather with mother-of-pearl buttons, Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>.</span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451003052451687586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXE1V8CgVHnH1sZpueFId4rw2Bd69jdeC4eBibwXrTzUeirF92-8yNdb_s-N-UjkpYJNlLxFXE9upaliitvKjoe02ItuMAkUZFoPqy9O6hyHw2zz1hV3UZ8BlTIRqetxTQ-bZ02o75o2Z/s320/MONKEY.jpg" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Monkey Fur Shoes, </span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">black suede and monkey fur, 1938.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><p align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Schiaparelli's couture designs drew on the advancements of the modern world, seeking to bring a sense of escapism, humour and bohemian liberty to the uncertain world of Parisian high society of the late 1930’s. She was not a trained couturier, instead relying on aesthetic instincts and originality to challenge the norms of the fashion industry. The freedom of Surrealism was Schiaparelli’s rationale to let her imagination run wild in her designs, designs that she envisaged to go “beyond the crude and boring reality of merely making a dress to sell.” The boutique featured interior decorations by many in the group, including the quirky Spanish artist Salvador Dali. One can only imagine what a room designed by Dali would look like!</span></p><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 185px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451003046885917634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2VYS08IpExlwqy1sotVNvf1kGI8zX8KtRs1p_PVLh9C86m0jn28apZqOPMJ0IBknjnuKxwmhmwLkzg-r6riD9lcU3UCq-am1Q7NpwMXtzraLyAXBUELSOS8LHIaJtNyW7aajF2eCSZYd/s320/Dali+tear.jpg" /> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Evening dress and head scarf with tear design</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> (collaboration with Salvador Dalí), summer/fall 1938. Light blue, magenta, and black silk crepe.<br />Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Dali worked with Schiaparelli on her Autumn/Winter 1937 collection, producing several bizarre and intriguing couture pieces. One of these is the famous Tear-Illusion Dress of 1937. The deceptive design reflects the concerns of the Surrealist movement, in attempting to provide a new perception on traditional forms, such as the evening dress. The piece is created from the luxurious fabric of silk crêpe, complimented with an appliqué voile headscarf. While appearing simply a beautiful ladies gown, in true Schiaparelli style, closer examination reveals a much more unsettling undertone. The flowing cream voile is interspersed by a printed purple pattern, appearing as ‘rips’ in the fabric, representing bruised flesh. Now that would make for some interesting conversation at a cocktail party!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 315px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451016045195706034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvEGUsk9x9lPVIEWG4zvO8LmnKRJKmJFMA6ZAzpaka0mY05U0pP3QljjG1iAacpQhwn-_lmlwgz6X5SBjMCAMxc1wSu674uObAxa2JZduN5wq0o-N3qAAE0Ej60BzdM_R1uQsdNg-4lW8/s320/shoe+hat.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli,</span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> Shoe Hat</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, (collaboration with Salvador Dalí), winter 1937-38. Black wool felt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Rose Messing, 1974 (1974.139).<br />Photograph copyright 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span><br /></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451003049031695346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbnoNH6gpiX88G8CzF9KovrY2J3ebnaAZLyhKpOx_TDugOJookdr5yvHOi0VkdE4jNG8Di4yxSzbOFoPJp4YdC7RkiFhyphenhyphenJwDsYAIgTmtlZYZaEScyecVFEnxvBYVlpa86XlTtuTajfww1/s320/LOBSTER.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Evening dress with lobster print</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> (collaboration with Salvador Dalí), summer/fall 1937. White and red silk organza. Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>. </span></span></div><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Schiaparelli’s collaborations with the Surrealists aimed to encourage new interpretations for familiar objects and clothing. This ambiguity is seen throughout the Dali/Schiaparelli creations, such as their </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Lobster Dress</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Shoe Hat</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. Each of these again combined the conventions of dress with the peculiar. What could be more appropriate on a luxury evening gown than the image of a lobster? I can't help but think of Lady Ga Ga's outrageous and wonderful ensembles when I see Schiaparelli's </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Monkey Fur Shoes</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Shoe Hat</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. Divine!<br /></span></p><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451013205845198066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoVC_VpOo5pzC28a56fB7vJEooMTy_UiISmTD3ZGvM3-FhGUNvqt-POpqeQB1JXVZv251kZ2pV9s5Smj75ORSYxBl0SMLytxp0B9Vz02On4w134YZUin6EiVHcgFevgTxgQa826PsZ-7q/s320/cocteau.jpg" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Harlequin Evening Coat,</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> spring 1939. Blue, black, red, yellow, and white wool felt with silk embroidery. Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>.</span></span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Schiaparelli’s spectacular floor-length </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Harlequin Evening Coat</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> of the 1939 </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Commedia dell’Arte</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> collection, produced in collaboration with Man Ray and his painting </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Beau Temps</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> shows a more theatrical and playful interpretation of Surrealist movement. The garish, cubist-style patchwork envelops the wearer, marking a strong contrast to the subdued qualities of the standard 1930’s women’s coat. The piece is bold and provoking, in the same manner of her Dali works. These designs tap into the Surrealist philosophy of art with no logical conception, making for some very creative and fun fashion pieces! I don't think winter could be called the dull season if you sported a coat like this.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 207px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451016040322985730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidv9lKB_rrnWM_H6KZh70wxfrgxyOEGWRN2UlBqQfdTo0DzeSUzEqcSgyWqxTA85b29Gdapho-F3ra3tpLB8hSVIzWI_9iVnibuYP_Z9bkoVgDNzwgXuNI6s6NWwZh96cuG__Y3tQGrAGQ/s320/elsa15.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Dinner Jacket</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">, spring 1947. Black crepe and 'shocking' pink silk </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">taffeta </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">with paillette and seed-pearl embroidery and jet buttons.<br />Philadelphia Museum of Art</span>. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 308px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451071428217982642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXv7qpRlHJ98P_m-bhhU9NP_c0ay4v9OOjZYKWSKdJYioteD1dKf16-xaw3R_UgBNYMCI8ExOgFiEb-wu0n-gLLD3tTE26SQXVg1BU1bjSgsbYLDMigqYars_EcgA_L2kHB3V6tsETflM/s320/CI50_34_4_F.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli,</span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> Blouse</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span style="font-size:85%;">, ca. 1937, rayon, length at CB: 21 1/2 in. (54.6 cm), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York</span>.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span></p><p align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Schaparelli continued this contemporary, playful approach to the fashion industry in her invention of garment titles and fabric names, still used today. These include royal and ice blue, wheat yellow, and most famously, shocking pink. I wouldn't mind a bit of shocking pink in my wardrobe.</span></p><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451008805387533426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMJz9gfyaOFm4MSWPTnFlkbFhPgaCgC0QJrUL2vt-NMg-828ezVwansw4a0v23yEC98mN7cdt7qnPNj5l9YINTd9ZGtDnYNGjMJjBr5v5DetQIrk5Ft59n0uZMBgxm8npsIc-nqPY-KXQ/s320/BOWKNOT_SWEATER.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Trompe l'Oeil Jumper</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">, November 1927, Black and white wool.<br />Philadelphia Museum of Art.</span> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><p align="left"><br />The Surrealist emphasis on distortion and masquerade can be seen in many of Schiaparelli’s designs. This interest is evident from her early design years, with her famous </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Trompe l’Oeil </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">jumper of 1927. The piece, as the name suggests, fools the viewer into believing it features an attached bow beneath it’s characteristic 1920’s jabot collar, when in fact the bow design is knitted into the fabric. Deceptive or not, this is one cute jumper and certainly more interesting than your average knit. You don't even have to worry about the bow getting crushed out of shape.</span></p><p align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /> </p></span><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 248px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451064942695317698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaMKxxpqgrYPi_MhicR4jiMDnM3pHEynxTjrQ_XLJn1Mxgachi9JUuOsMbzFJwRaPl-maRGRqCmu79Bjsd_2sYYLZwQoZ5TJyZ6__S9uic_9LReKz_j4QWRlfVH__Lda7PxVv-9whpntB/s320/bustle.bmp" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Elsa Schiaparelli, </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Evening Dresses</span></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">, 1951, silk, Length at CB: 51 in. (129.5 cm)<br />The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York</span>.</span></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Just as the Surrealists questioned established concepts on art, Schiaparelli did so with dress. Women of the 1930’s were living increasingly active and independent lives. These circumstances lead Schiaparelli to create multi-purpose garments. This is seen in her bustle dresses, which included a pleated 19th century-style bustle at the back where the young woman could conceal a flask. Now that is some clever design work! Garments like these used Surrealist principles of disguise to encourage women to move away from conservatism, while still retaining their femininity, as the designer said of her aims; “Ninety percent [of women] are afraid of being conspicuous, and of what people will say. So they buy the grey suit.”</span></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451074716876604354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4DL1-HgAq2SgAICorST4-6idnnYVBrOHqYQcTz6oLJwdpb2_2qb7A0Onnmi0ddnz1Er3Xd1XTueuXLR6326M-uKEU6a6xF2PHJnHZ1oUFUwOFyFl7MVX8n-_JByTq2VvYwXesBp7cbth/s320/elsa-schiaparelli-designerquiz-de.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Schiaparelli's collections demonstrated that fashion need not adhere to convention. Her fabulous designs incorporated bright colours, unusual embellishments and patterns to otherwise standard items of clothing. Despite ending her career in bankruptcy in the 1950’s and being largely forgotten by the art world, one can see in her creations a vision of the Surrealist psyche. Fashion for Schiaparellis was a means of escaping, if only temporarily, from the boring and the everyday. One only has to look at designers like Alannah Hill to see how fashion designers continue to use fashion as a means of visual experimentation. Very fun and quirky experimentation at that!</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The message from Ms Schiaparelli, when in doubt, never, never buy the grey suit!</span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Now to track down one of those shoe hats...</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Gracie</span></div><div align="left"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">xx</span></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-21796800935253418032010-03-18T02:26:00.001-07:002010-03-19T04:06:45.856-07:00Computer trawling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlKVRw2QInIfTCQlgXDBGYEQBhqn1FSJ5zimZVAXM-ncuAYHLrriRN0dF5v21JEUT3SuE9bFsQGw9ekjYs4elQZC37yY-SYwfveBbHtLowTLWE9gwNkMFzQ5UCh8gNt5NgPs6KGrwfeT_/s1600-h/19346_231025871115_554376115_3666834_6674483_n.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">This is what happens when I stay at home every evening for a week. I trawl through the random images that have ended up in my "Other Stuff" folder on my laptop. This behaviour, I understand, only invites all kinds of allusions to my impending full-time hermitness, but oh well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Still, the variety of the images that I've collected seemed kind of amusing when viewed side-by-side. This is a random sample:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQtPxdEq56Fi59xyLROyOJ_JDhuJCQEZ9DreLkXCbVdIRF2ZyWqkNt5YdVT5N_Bfk-7ko8Wu16DOAfI3rtDnhqrwT1LbA_bnhSbQm6wF3DFDkO74E825zzXua0pKOYJOJ_U1Tea8-_U1E/s400/6d56e7fd387c91f43b7f310702f1b37cf2f2bea7_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449904163949085458" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">No idea where this came from. But it's pretty awesome.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlKVRw2QInIfTCQlgXDBGYEQBhqn1FSJ5zimZVAXM-ncuAYHLrriRN0dF5v21JEUT3SuE9bFsQGw9ekjYs4elQZC37yY-SYwfveBbHtLowTLWE9gwNkMFzQ5UCh8gNt5NgPs6KGrwfeT_/s1600-h/19346_231025871115_554376115_3666834_6674483_n.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlKVRw2QInIfTCQlgXDBGYEQBhqn1FSJ5zimZVAXM-ncuAYHLrriRN0dF5v21JEUT3SuE9bFsQGw9ekjYs4elQZC37yY-SYwfveBbHtLowTLWE9gwNkMFzQ5UCh8gNt5NgPs6KGrwfeT_/s400/19346_231025871115_554376115_3666834_6674483_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450266739865398386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 115px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">From </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://xkcd.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">xkcd</span></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9UV6RGC9aJBMkzuey_zqx9Pf-GU9cKyfsog34V1lvfsjlEg-hK6yvlCfq7aaP7CKJNMy2HH8zKuL3dItHjwGYaSo8k0N5_jZTQA-wZHs44572TY5RJlZCXJtN4dUFypZ_EwOQw3MkTbr/s400/672c9e3c-8f49-4ac7-b3ab-d1ff6074204f.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449904170560544514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Lol cat from </span></span><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Icanhazcheezburger</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> via </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.harpyness.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Harpyness</span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVe01vhxOKNVOCnTZ1lukaEkdNbIQkfob9ifqmyi9Qek-itmRWEI0sTiFPdNsYkSeXy5G0uSdggXI0ygPCBghu29AgNpzAzdiS29DHlXuIBYBmcXFYeFkkHCkMEikIQW1mjtaq89zm1raw/s400/accb8097e10e1ec4d4740af0843b77b12818e43f_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449904175653422610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Pretty sure this was from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://ffffound.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">ffffound</span></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeczXj4JD0nRBaF56AxsFFXhHU74C5l1qQ7XLUmoI6vK1am2PydjWT6e4JpJ_6odvAucH4X-SzhLXcD6tY1SJfVlCvL3E9ErzMsvBS6KVHTW_Ys0-rAI7KY8rU0KlyUWtw7a0TyI4U5de/s400/comic2-1598.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449904185025897010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Dino comic from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.qwantz.com/index.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Qwantz</span></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Esther xx</span></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-5415884099482707842010-03-12T20:27:00.000-08:002010-03-15T00:47:54.211-07:00Weather is serious news here<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana, serif;">This afternoon, after a month of solid sunshine, Wellington made friends with a giant southerly front, direct from Antarctica.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eSOwfZxVlcOhgP_fKt1h4gammSXMm624cQzxnUakF8mpQgoS89noWTt3YuF1C37bO3LawPfnrj0Py6GQ40GPf4JM6xIF4oYbuI2DdxWjbG2oHcl1la2Fq5tbSj4ywwlvGn7pcxNzWTgc/s1600-h/3441508.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eSOwfZxVlcOhgP_fKt1h4gammSXMm624cQzxnUakF8mpQgoS89noWTt3YuF1C37bO3LawPfnrj0Py6GQ40GPf4JM6xIF4oYbuI2DdxWjbG2oHcl1la2Fq5tbSj4ywwlvGn7pcxNzWTgc/s320/3441508.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447605815914838082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">(Epic storm front coming over Wellington harbour. All images from S</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">tuff.co.nz)</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Wellingtonians seem to have a complex relationship with weather: they've long realised that their city is a blustery storm trap for squally, meterological events. The airport's slogan is "Wild At Heart" and all the "welcome" style flags around the run-way bear the statement: "Wellington Aiport, Celebrating 50 WILD years". (If you never plan on flying to Wellington, or if you do, and don't mind anticipating bit of a wild ride, check out </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_LaAkAyoz0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">this</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> video compilation of plane landings.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAS12qc6iugqi9AIy-UdnSqIaNRcaKZQolpEcAkNXoimBSYXyr6Q1-ZGSTeNxPttoZ0JAd66LJOxJ-fFzRIlBm_rDFRzQxgYt4WpTetK-c9qQQpbjTYvJnYq5ksgowD5OQEvNtd2K8Qb8n/s320/3441650.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447616551571562098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">In the arts field too, the weather plays a significant role: public sculptures are deliberately designed around the winds. Sculptures </span><a href="http://www.sculpture.org.nz/engine/SID/10007/AID/1097.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">reel</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, </span><a href="http://www.sculpture.org.nz/engine/SID/10007/AID/1050.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">spin</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, </span><a href="http://www.sculpture.org.nz/engine/SID/10007/AID/1049.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">wave</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span><a href="http://www.sculpture.org.nz/engine/SID/10007/AID/1131.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">light up</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> as the wind blows through them.<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">There's also "weather" poetry (see the Wellington based anthology, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Big Weather</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">).</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Even on a day-to-day basis, a calm (oh! pun!) acceptance of the weather takes place: people don't bother with umbrellas and will never run somewhere in the rain if they'd normally walk. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Intense weather then, is a universally acknowledged truth.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Except, somehow, weather remains to be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3441447/Wild-weather-blasts-central-New-Zealand">news</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">. It's a national preoccupation. I am convinced that the weather report takes up a good half of the evening news bulletin. But I don't understand </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">why. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I mean, Wellingtonians (and New Zealanders in general) know that the weather can get spectacularly nasty. But why then does a storm front become a lead news item? Weather is not news. It's a constant. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;">And right now, it's constantly wild.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">xx Esther</span></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-23060000848298869612010-03-10T01:25:00.000-08:002010-03-15T00:47:10.892-07:00Another café review (and some zine action!)<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I love cafés. They’re my happy place. So really, I can’t help that this is another café review. It’s for </span><a href="http://www.c1espresso.co.nz/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">C1 Espresso</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, on High Street in Christchurch which, during my weekend spent trying out a possible vocation as a </span><a href="http://petalsmarkedwithspots.blogspot.com/2010/03/fashion-and-stylist-bastards.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">cowgirl</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, I managed to visit it twice. That’s how good it is. (And yes, you may have noticed that I like to only review cafes that I’ve already decided are superdooper cool – why would I bother wasting words on the dodgy ones?)</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2bRaEeJ6UTBqB6se7swa5kCe7h9Yx_8_BUO-csKKAOXQCJyo23j0_OwB4uzrAbPtW7CZczf8d4Kfj0z6gyKQ38hM2bvseeQAnoveSxsdrAShu9hVFmVAMR-JWcIGGd0zq0dvKeGKVbE7/s320/IMGP3549.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446951373114988146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">C1, just being cool</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Like most of my favourite cafes, C1 does an excellent long black, the décor is funky and alternative (they fill the holes in their brick walls with lego, people!) and there’s a large range of fresh counter food options (I tend to be too impatient to order off the menu – but their menu options do look great). Although I had a brief Oh Noes! moment when I realised they didn't serve date scones, their tasty, baked-on-the-premises sweet or savoury muffins are more than adequate replacements (the spinach, feta and tomato relish one is especially good) (so good in fact that I ate it all before I remembered to take photos).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18ZipgUzjuYQsdAjRir-XntVNf5pevGdGucF1KU7TEUYTWNlLubHyli6zga_Wa2Qjs7IDmJkfgkpZd3aYT6Mu5FTVvZrU7A5zJMqCc0qP7BUVgOEqq025lGDQ6URr664e3VzZd7He7iIw/s320/IMGP3544.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446951339111606786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Lego-filled brick wall. For the win.</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">When I went to C1 in the afternoon for a hot Lemon, Honey and Ginger drink, I brought along an issue of a very charming zine, </span><i><a href="http://storyto.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Story To…Pod People</span></a></i><span style="font-style:normal"><a href="http://storyto.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> (Issue Two)</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> which I bought earlier that morning at a groovy handmade, design-y shop (I’ve completely forgotten the name of it… fail), just off Litchfield Lane. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AHIbSrz0B172U-5_ICiudHtApXrgj28Lqm5Teihi0zWmGHKDoGYK0pRQX4rCljIx2gKrNfbjsvD8-x49K86kqcgY_nzRj8stCS51-vjzQP6CTakfBTWf04669__A_mN98E2Xvs94i1wx/s320/IMGP3556.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446951354280964498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style:normal"></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Story To’s</span></i><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> collection of public-transport themed musings range in tone and in style from the amusing to the grotesque to the quaint to the grim. It’s interesting really worth trying to find a copy. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Story To…</span></i><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> is produced in Melbourne, and though it’s currently on hold, its creators are working on other interesting projects, so hopefully we should again receive more interesting compilations of words and pictures from them. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Esther xx</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-26796754020660609892010-03-02T19:36:00.000-08:002010-03-06T23:06:23.106-08:00Fashion and "stylish" bastards<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Right. So far on this blog, other’s media commentary has (more or less) been left alone. But no more.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Sunday, in New Zealand’s <i>Sunday Star Times</i><span style="font-style:normal">, I read <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/3384820/Teens-what-not-to-wear">this</a> article about how teenage girls should dress, which, to put it mildly, seriously pissed me off. Honestly, after spending my morning shifting a herd of cattle and a bunch of horses off a very low-lying (ie. sea level) property on the Banks Peninsula so that the tsunami wouldn’t scare them (the surge did end up flooding the property!), one of the last things I wanted to read was a snarky opinion piece that spent its entire word-length indoctrinating young girls into a world of low-self esteem and insecurity about their bodies.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, I know that <i>Sunday Star Times</i><span style="font-style:normal"> is a trash-bag paper, so I wasn’t expecting in-depth intellectually rigorous journalism. But neither was I expecting such preachy, prudish, conservative ranting that uses phrases like “preserve modesty” and says that for teenage girls it’s best to “keep things hidden” – here they mean breasts/cleavage but by using “things” all they do is to encourage girls to be super-aware and extremely uncomfortable with their changing bodies. Why not call breasts breasts people?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Author Lois Cairns does address those tacky semi-sexual slogan t-shirts teenagers have a preference for (though one of the examples cites – “Miss Bitch” doesn’t seem that sexual to me). I agree that it’s creepy when say, a seven-year-old wears a t-shirt emblazoned with “Porn Star!” or asks for a g-string, but she's talking about <i>teen</i> dressing - a majority of teenagers are nothing if not ludicrously horny – if they want to advertise this across their chests, well, it’s a bit trashy, but let them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, the worst part of this article for me was the way it encourages young girls experimenting with fashion to only think about how they look in negative, restrictive terms. Cairns quotes a “leading stylish” (she's been on breakfast television) (and who the fuck is actually a “stylist” anyway), Stephanie Rumble, who lays down a number of key “rules” girls have to abide by. She draws attention to “heavy thighs” and says that girls who have these terrible legs must wear longer-length tops in order to “hide” the heavier part of the thigh. Because, you know, shock horror, society isn’t prepared to accept that people and their bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Can you imagine what this article could (and probably has) done to some girls’ esteem? Because you’re “heavier” you’re told you’re not allowed to wear the latest fashions and instead have to hide away? This is not only discriminatory but just so very damaging to girls who are already insecure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All Cairns achieves here is a perpetuation of the incredibly limited range of socially acceptable body shapes. Moreover, she also highlights how women are lectured to, made to be aware of their appearances, and told to follow "rules" (ie. “Don’t be a slut! Hide those breasts!” and “If you’re a fatty, hide under a mu-mu!”) from a very young age. This is not about dressing “appropriately”. This is about setting women up for a life-time of insecurity about bodies, clothes and the world of dressing in general. And this pisses me off.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Esther xx</p> <!--EndFragment-->petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-35331918370763731992010-02-23T16:43:00.000-08:002010-02-24T01:32:12.760-08:00Pasta with Pumpkin, Caramelised Spanish Onion and Ricotta/Fetta<div style="text-align: left;">Oh dear. Lately, I’ve been buying all my lunches. And my dinners. And sometimes, my breakfasts too. Whatever way you look at this, it is neither economically responsible, nor particularly healthy. This I attribute to working at a rock climbing gym, where I spend my day running across the gym floor to prevent people from deliberately letting their friends free-fall to the ground. After several hours of averting manslaughter and negligence litigation cases, I’m pretty reluctant to cook – meaning it’s either “Hello tuna sandwich and spoonfuls-of-peanut-butter dinner” or (as things have been lately in Blissful Financial Ignorance World) a trip to Burger Wisconsin for their “CCC” Burger (Chicken, Camembert, and Cranberry Sauce). (Incidentally, I consider this combination to be an exemplary example of New Zealand Cuisine – nowhere else in the world loves the CCC as much or rolls it out as often as the Kiwis.)</div> <p class="MsoNormal">So. Things had to change. Today I made a version of one of my favourite pasta dishes SO I COULD TAKE IT TO WORK FOR MY DINNER TONIGHT. I even made enough so there would be leftovers for at least tomorrow’s lunch and dinner. Ohh yeah.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I usually make this pasta with ricotta (the greatest soft cheese in the world) but given that I couldn’t get across town last night to the only deli that sells fresh ricotta, (having decided that tubbed ricotta is pretty much pulped cotton balls and paper, packaged in Italian-flag themed tubs), I choose to use fetta instead, a substitution that works similarly well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ingredients (serves 4)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1kg of unpeeled, seeded pumpkin</p><p class="MsoNormal">One monster Spanish onion, or two mid-sized ones, chopped into strips</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A pkt of pasta (I use spirals)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two to three garlic cloves, sliced</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Half a bunch of rosemary</p> <p class="MsoNormal">300g of FRESH ricotta <i>OR<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">200g creamy fetta, one egg, 1/3 cup milk</p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOTS of salt</p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOTS of pepper</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Olive oil for cooking</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Turn on the oven to 200˚c. Peel, deseed and chop your pumpkin into mid-sized cubes. I always feel bad for peeling the pumpkin (I know the nutrients are in the skin!) but unless you can be bothered scraping the pumpkin flesh off the skin after roasting, peel the damn thing. Put some olive oil on a baking tray, roll the pumpkin around in it. Then season liberally with salt and pepper and strip your rosemary and scatter the leaves over. Put this fabulously scented tray in the oven.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGev3hitSSh1_2CRf-7YCBwDNT11Wno7CHbJNcDx5maPvE0KQnh7A_HMJQ6tDpSbeJD4DMpRwtrbiQvXa7rfMS0jXdjUnod15yN6VUG3wgRHrIXeFA84cYFNzFE9V3TUSo4wD0yFokUgX/s320/IMGP3535.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607912131723762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Put a couple of decent sized splashes of olive oil in a fry pan. Before it is too hot, add the onion, keeping the heat low. I’m never patient enough to properly caramelise onion with balsamic vinegar, but the idea is to cook it for a long time over a slow heat, so the onion really breaks down and becomes sweet. But as long as you get it is translucent and soft, it will be ok. So, cook your onion slowly, and a couple of minutes before it’s done, add the garlic and gently fry it too. Remove from heat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Check your pumpkin, turning the cubes over. Put on water to boil for the pasta, adding pasta when it’s boiling (der). </p><p class="MsoNormal">When the pumpkin is very soft and can be easily pierced with a knife, it’s done. Put it into a large bowl and mash roughly. Add the onion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you’re using ricotta, add the ricotta to the onion/pumpkin bowl. If you’re using fetta, crumble two-thirds of the fetta into a small bowl, then add the milk and egg. Combine roughly with a fork, then add to larger bowl. Crumble in remaining fetta (or cut it into cubes, whatever you prefer). The pumpkin mix will be quite thick – this is a good thing. Taste it for salt and pepper – it is likely to need both.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAWJHnVnok_2l8A29vu3d69RbIpFMZdD2kIDVcSw73SKuCUxmX-3eS4y-Lf5TiZt08rQrjrTPR5-PM_kwii72eNHIalDWks_LIiontJ4mh4uW7wCjdkFwDyvafQjpGyZINuEUMClp1mDc/s320/IMGP3542.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607920889240674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Drain pasta. Put pasta back into saucepan and stir through pumpkin mix. Serve. In this case for me, “serve” means “shove into plastic containers”. Classy presentation, hey?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqFAcvMwG11A7Nra1BqhctvCBDhnRKheCFuoyvxYCdQujV5dhBZL5JHFO5w531iHiJWP3kqhW5mUGXFL-6_SU7KR7wlrlaKeCCA60H5AkeNDuZusSTJTGhYBdMjhJ1-6SZ4HOLqpCXVsS/s320/IMGP3541.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607934191116882" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYU0XtrfYblAUsRkObaUVGFYhtpomOKoz7qXBoyBOF9vV1uLx_un3kXbu9b4u8oOeywBdUo93ACkYnHZEYVgGG8-3chEvpdga64fBRshhJlc_xmJBxAn4xewGQExZK5FDdIwV2JdQzqJJ_/s320/IMGP3543.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607949233696418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span><p class="MsoNormal">Esther xx</p> <!--EndFragment-->petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5692403224233539671.post-30131437899883063632010-02-20T21:50:00.000-08:002010-02-24T02:47:05.414-08:00Kenzo CrushI often have fashion crushes. If I see a stylishly dressed woman with a quirky flair walk by I can't help but look at her with admiration, and jealousy. My favorite couture label is without question Kenzo. The Parisian company is all about arty, eclectic and gorgeous fashion, which are all the things I love. Amidst study procrastination, I checked out their Autumn-Winter 2009/2010 collection (online of course, you can't get much more than Kenzo fragrances in Canberra, sigh) and fell in love with the label all over again.<br /><br /><div><div></div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440580892886995874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpbXZjj_4fsVVBxzmGFojUQeNtrvzD4V1spEf9EzV3JlS5JEDSJAG4tlJHlJGBsB8CnO6IgF28Yd4OYW-3wyDDvQh9qgI4IMN7qu2UbP7bM7mZKqek45Y6yPTbd3_Uxz1VJuwTrEhutc2/s320/308793-1_n%5B1%5D.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440578313036457106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bagTGqzSbvzySN1Q0nr1YHM5quu3vycs80JAS3p9kVgPouTA4IZLbCnHaENREj6rnUGChv_TwKAIc-WwFRT8CVSdYEOQt5jIq-BsP3NuywdoZADWrSHpgKn5txf_FlPbVXY3oYloo_Zv/s320/308775-1_n%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><div><div><div>The collection is filled with detailed trench coats, leather gloves, fur,boots and pretty floral dresses. The clothes have a distinctly Russian feel, with the calf-length dresses teamed with fur-trimmed boots. The patterns remind me of something you would see in a Nathalia Goncharova painting or costume design, with their folkish, vibrant feel. Goncharova was a member of the Russian Avant Garde, with her cubist, colour-rich style reflected in the contrating fabrics and cuts of the latest Kenzo line.</div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 269px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440588575549235634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0f5cE_BFpXXx5D5ePCQNwUPl76Vch7xdy45OCfUWslBT5KaqJWFZ6zQswo-mI8rew0xl6YaO8CD3VcZLwwcCWiNNmv_lN-GrILE7EjPlEyf0bkxIV3xYPagrI3jBP7zYa432ucIHX-VkI/s320/01490R%5B1%5D.jpg" /></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Nathalia Goncharova, <em>Original Ballet Russe Season Program 1940-41,</em> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Illustrated cover, Private Collection.</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440588567015553394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlc4u_GhIub-sbwhOgHc-F0NAgykE2wIK4vnOjI3-UDuzfsN64TTEf2mNh2UmvylyKlV2im2QVx1h5_Xyj7nV3GfQ7Gf2ZEg_2Bmak0sX2kcj1QL79Sh2RR3jnIKviWxnxOL_ZHtQLi16/s320/3328201308180047%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Nathalia Goncharova, <em>Costume for a Peasant Girl in the Ballet</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>'Foire de Sorotchinsk',</em></span><span style="font-size:78%;">1940, </span><span style="font-size:78%;">graphite, transparent and </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">opaque watercolour, </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#ffffff;">gggg</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div></div><div>I love the colours that dominant the collection; clear blues, metallics, purples, reds showing that winter doesn't have to be boring. It is a chance to accessorise with cute gloves (I would kill for the blue Kenzo ones), jackets and scarves. The Kenzo designers clearly shame my excitement, the over sized cuts of thick material and chunky jewellery indicate that these pieces are designer to keep you nice and warm on those cold winter days. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">ff</span></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440580357967398546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGawn-b18pcdgo2CTMds1V0PpPua8ZKIijoom8P8IpF06X264GZzcvbp0nZ7h1oZWseaFcXKzXKquCvASE1MhYVYQDw3ndbc7ibWndncy4j47KC3g1Ffa05LmzzLtA0HK7ivcclspAoMmc/s320/308815-1_n%5B1%5D.jpg" /></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 322px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440591366928919570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYKour1dwUsupFZJ0mO-Hz9r4ueHe25YvmA5UJWm2yy58jbLA2G4RQm6qWqSBPeXkcQ55hgN1bcP939_lToUuKXb_qO6aKKVUWl9KQKwcv2707CD-ZvKJc1pTuBLnDj3kRm0AF2RWoG3t/s320/308769-1_n%5B1%5D.jpg" /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">gg</span></div><div>Kenzo is known for its eclectic, folkish style, something that once again stands out in this collection. The designers have incorporated elements of knitting, quilting and embroidery, giving the jackets a distinctly rustic and unique feel. They are nothing like the slick, streamlined trenches that normally populate the Paris catwalk. This floral piece is my favourite, with its shapeless cut reminding me of my own collection of (much less stylish) handmade, woolen jumpers that are all about keeping you warm, and looking chic in classic florals at the same time. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">ggg</span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>It is probably a good thing that I'm not anywhere near Kenzo fashions at the moment, my Parisian Aunt had to drag me out of the Paris boutique as I became incredibly overexcited by all the colours, patterns and gorgeous fabrics. I mean really, is $8,000 too much to pay for a Kenzo jacket? Perhaps I should wait until I have a real job. For now, I will have to settle with my tiny bottle of <em>Flower</em> perfume.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a Kenzo fix you can check out the collection on the Vogue Australia website, where I got these photos by Marcio Maderia:<br /><div><div><a href="http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion+shows/galleries/kenzo+ready+to+wear+autumn+winter+2009+10,6967">http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion+shows/galleries/kenzo+ready+to+wear+autumn+winter+2009+10,6967</a>?</div><br />The Kenzo website also has footage of the runway show, complete with a Babushka doll, blue lights and Russian music. What more could you possibly want in a fashion show? <a href="http://www.kenzo.com/index_mode.php?langue=en">http://www.kenzo.com/index_mode.php?langue=en</a></div><br /><div>There is a Kenzo boutique in Melbourne for you lucky things down there,</div><div><br /></div><div>Grace</div><div>xx</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>petalsmarkedwithspotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11461415801570385176noreply@blogger.com1