Monday Monday

DSC08806
Originally uploaded by kebabette

Am liking the new NZ site Pretty pretty pretty = looks like one to watch for makeup and girly tips. Good on them for recommending Minifies - it's a great place for Ben Nye makeup, hairpieces, party dress up things, and jewellery.

A belated tribute to Etsy and NZ site Felt and the new breed of crafts - it's hot hot hot.
My petite Blythes are of course catered for by various sewing whizzes, as are my penchants for:
Boudoir style
Steampunk
Gothic Lolita

What's the connection between sci-fi fads and what's happening in society? from io9 - I almost got diverted into the Battlestar Galactica spoilers -hell, the tagline "Rough sex with Starbuck" is a hard one to resist!

On the telly watching theme -
Underbelly. You know a show is good when after the hour is up you are gagging for more. Adios Vince Colosimo as Alphonse Gangitano, you were a princely gangster indeed. Carl Williams and his new sidekick Roberta are terrific entertainment. As a frequent Melbourne visitor, I knew a bit about this story but Underbelly tells it so well.

You know I like me some t-shirts - how about this lot? Patrick Bateman? Dancing is gay? Who can decide.

I would like a Dethklok t-shirt though. Brutal. Metalocalypse is death metal humour (on dvd from Alice in Videoland). They are virtual, but like cartoon band Gorillaz they kick ass and are on tour. Not for the squeamish - yummy downloads here.

And at the other pole ... Heeeere's a new Blythe ... Can can can!

T-shirt + Charity + fashion + Howlin' Pelle Almqvist

After reading a very moving story about his sick daughter from Michael Laws in the Sunday Star-Times, here's another plug for the work done by Starship Hospital. From 27 February, The Warehouse will be selling t-shirts to raise money for them (see Runway Reporter):

The uber retail store and New Zealand designer have teamed up for the second time to create a range of children’s T-shirts in support of the Starship Foundation. World has designed six different T-shirts which are available in sizes infant to 16 years. Five dollars from every T-shirt will go towards the Starship Foundation. The proceeds will particularly boost Starship’s air retrieval service, which airlifts more than 200 young patients each year to the children’s hospital.

I got a couple for me from the last lot, designed by world so the bigger sizes certainly fit buxom adults too.


And of course the Breast Cancer t-shirts for 08 are out at Glassons. I got the rather lovely one designed by Ruby with the big pink flouro heart. Cos I am emo.

For more fashion stuff, I recommend Anglomania. It's a weird un ... historical costumes in conjunction with 20th and 21st century fashion - staged in vignettes set in period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The mannequins who wear the costumes are a bit scary, like the clockwork characters in the Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace. I've got the perfume Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood, and her style is all over this book.

I know Valentine's Day has been and gone, but NME brings you some of music's pretty boys to warm your cockles. Hear hear to Serge of Kasabian who looked delish on Later with Jools Holland last night.And am listenin to Howlin' Pelle Almqvist of The Hives as we speak ... (Throw it on me with Timbaaaaland).


On another music strand, another brilliant ballbuster by Fedde Le Grand with Ida Corr "Let me think about it". "Put your hands up for Detroit" is such a genius song and this has similar boppy robot funkiness. Love the Robert Palmer video with added afro.


On the visual entertainment front, we are fully immersed in So you think you can dance Australia. Unlike the tedium of other talent shows and Idols, these people are quite incredibly talented. It is down to top 20 now, so the standards are ultra high. Breakdancers, poppers, Latin, Ballroom, jazz, it's all in there.

We are watching the series Robot Chicken as recommended by one of the dudes at our local Video Ezy. Stop start animation and fast paced furious humour, and one of the creators is Seth Green of "Family Guy" fame. It massacres all your favourite pop culture stuff from Star Wars to the Muppets. In love in love.

The Eisteddfod & Gold Guitars - Music ahoy

Threadless - there is always something wonderful to salivate over. And this music snob one is a gem.

We had to write a story for a seminar @ work. Here is mine:

At my high school although sports was important, we also had an annual Eisteddfod which was quite a big deal. An Eisteddfod is a competitive festival, mainly of choral singing, originating from the medieval gatherings of Welsh bards. Many are held in Wales and by Welsh communities abroad. I’m not sure why St Peter’s College, a Catholic school in Gore had one, maybe we had had some Welsh priests in the past.

Most people had a bash at it – And there was a House folk song competition so everyone had to participate.

I have lots of good memories. My sister Barbara and I were keen competitors and both had a go winning “the best in show” in consecutive years. There were prepared speech, solo, duet with my sister, group singing … a gang of us did a doowop rendition of something called “song of the single girl”.

My brother Jon (who can’t sing but is really good at sports) sung Ebony and Ivory with his mate Ryan Tattersfield) and the theme from MASH for solo.

Song choice was usually to the emotional end of the spectrum. I did “you light up my life” debby boone and “evergreen” barbra streisand – that long last note is a kicker. One year I wanted to sing “Give me the night” by George Benson but I was banned because of adult content.

I can remember singing Fernando with my sister. We were quite a duet team and one year even entered the famed Gold Guitars singing (I think)
The Happy Wanderer -
I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.
Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.

We wore red sweatshirts and tights, denim minis and white skellerup commandoes.

Junebugs

I am rather fond of this nutbar Ascot hat. It probably helps that the girl wearing it is chocolate box lovely ...

calls to mind Christopher Marlowe - "all they that love not tobacco and boys are
fools".

Been watching the Royle Family - check out some of their choicest bon mots:
Dave Best: 'Ey, I'm rough today me me guts are well off, I had a bad pint last night.
Jim Royle: I bet you washed them down with a few more, though, didn't you.
Antony Royle: How d'ya know if its a bad pint?
Dave Best: Cos you can shit through the eye of a needle.
Jim Royle: Where did you go?
Dave Best: Pear tree.
Jim Royle: Bloody hell, you don't wanna drink in there.
Dave Best: Well, I know that now, don't I?
Jim Royle: Bloody hell, He doesn't clean his pumps him.
Antony Royle: No, actually the lagers all right.
Jim Royle: How would you know, soft lad?
Antony Royle: Dad, I'm 15.
Jim Royle: 'Ey! listen if I ever catch you in The Feathers I'll clip you round the bloody ear, you do not shit on your own doorstep!
Dave Best: I nearly did last night, I couldn't get the key in quick enough.

Pimp names - Mine is Fine Ass donna Slither & Shane is Pimptastic shane Trump. Fo sho.


Hot t-shirts - yup it is a perennial theme. I am taken with Threadless. Particularly:
Communist Party, Meat is Murder and Chinese Peaches.

I think I better check this out if just to see young George Michael from Arrested Development again.

Yet another intriguing graphic novel.

Of course Sapphire and Steel is on Wikipedia.

I like Tulip's perfume Commes des Garcons - what ingredients! Cardamom Oil, Coriander Oil, Geranium Oil, Nutmeg Oil, Cinnamon Bark Oil, Clovebud, Labdanum essence, Styrax, Cedarwood, Cut Hay, Olibanum essence, Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Rose, Honey. No wonder it smells so fracking good!

Last but not least, my attempt at a LOLCat