Oh gosh.

This made me laugh a lot. If anyone needs an explanation just google Eric Gill and read about his interesting (horrible, illegal) preferences.

Al mare

Copy and Pasting My Life

I feel like if I just posted emails I wrote to people I would actually have a fairly consistent blog.

This is an email I wrote to a friend today. It sums up my day:

I went to a store called Argos for the first time today. I had heard a lot about Argos. It is the closest thing to a British Walmart. Except you walk into the store and it is just books of catalogs. You find what you want in the catalog, write down the number, then go and pay for it. Then you have to wait for your number to be called to pick up the item. I had heard all these bad stories about. People would roll their eyes and say "Argosssss", but I thought it can't be so bad.

It was bad.

It was the exact clientele who might go to Walmart, but crammed into a smaller space, and getting angry because your item doesn't necessarily come in the order of your ticket number. For example I was number 211 and 215, 216, and 217 got served before me. I heard so many people mutter "Fucking hell!" under their breath, and some not so quietly. It seemed like everyone was angry there, maybe because the instant gratification of owning the product upon payment is missing.

And what did I go there to buy? A toilet brush and new kettle.

I am definitely back in England.

Watts

Random Series of Photographs #4

Gorgeous

Paris Vol. 5 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

Supper's Waiting on the Table

I forgot about this video. I'm really enjoying 90% of it and 100% of the song. The song always makes me think of winter. Soon enough.

Riverbank

I am really fascinated by this photograph. This is an artist/gay witch on the banks of the Thames. I think a lot of elements and even tones here capture an element of life in London.

London Story 2

Yesterday I caught the Maison Martin Margiela '20' exhibit at Somerset House before it closed today. I'd been meaning to go all summer, as did C so it was good that we went in the nick of time. The exhibit is a 20 year retrospective on the fashion house, and I really respected the design ideas and ways that the house pushed the boundaries of conventional design. Photography was politely prohibited, but that's what the internet is for!

It should be mentioned that the day ended with a stroll down the Thames and across Blackfriars Bridge up to London Bridge where we delighted in Borough Market. I'm still thinking about that Haloumi wrap I had. Plus my Turkish admirer is all about discounting Baklava for me. At this rate it should be free by November.

London Story 1

Yesterday I walked all along Clapham Common to find an HSBC. It was sunny! And warm! Well warm in the sense that wearing that wool sweater and leather jacket and short shorts was a good balance. Clapham Common is like a massive field with trees dotting it every now and then. A very well kept field I should mention. The lawns were being mowed and the smell of grass hung over the whole area. It was lovely.

I saw some interesting sites on my walk. My two favourite being the Canada geese who kept a suspicious eye on anyone who stopped to look at them. AND the interesting phenomenon I refer to as "City Fishers". I am surprised every time I see someone fishing in a city pond. The fine folks at this particular Clapham pond would be referred to as "white trash" if they lived in North America. Luckily they don't. But they were hunkered down for an afternoon of tanning and fishing, complete with beer cooler, umbrella, fold out chairs and bathing suits. Again, let me note it was 20 degrees and windy. If I had been more adept I would have photos to accompany this little tale, but I said "I'll take photos later" and then walked home on the other side of the street. Oops.

Today's journey: Greenwich, to find the Prime Meridian!

Random Series of Photographs #3

Nostalgic Maybe?

I will, will, will start blogging again. In the meantime be distracted by this video and song. It makes me think of Canada. Jamie Harley makes beautiful videos out of public domain footage. Beautiful.

PRIZES (formerly known as Treasure) - "Canada" from Jamie Harley on Vimeo.

35mm

A movie about 35 movies.

35mm from Felix Meyer on Vimeo.

LDN DM

It feels like I've lived here for two months, but it hasn't even been two weeks. While I have sadly spent the day in bed and have completely lost my voice, I'm hoping I'll be well enough to go to the Design Museum tomorrow.



The museum actually started out in the basement of the V & A in 1982, and was one of the first places to exhibit mass-produced design objects and items from daily life. I'm really looking forward to visiting, the museum is a meld of graphic, furniture and industrial design, as well as architecture and fashion. How have a I never been here yet! More posts will come as I get settled.

Au revoir!

Grain Edit did a post on the Spacesick I Can Read Movies book covers awhile back. A friend of mine recently brought to my attention that this is still an ongoing project. The bottom few are my favourites, but check out the site. This is a great personal series.

This is the last post I will write in North America for some time, and although I've been really sporadic with posts for awhile I hope that my new surroundings will inspire much more design blogging. Wish me luck!

Times They Change

I took off from the city again this weekend (madness in it!) and am once again hiding out at my parents' place. I keep finding books and drawings from my youth, and just now the vintage French 101 Dalmatians record I had that I would attempt to decipher on my Fisher Price record player.

Now, when I was young I wasn't so into Disney's The Jungle Book. My little brother however was obsessed. He watched, as he called it, "The Goggy Show" endlessly. As an adult I have to say I was actually surprised by how much I like the aesthetic of the film now. The colour schemes, the dialogue, the overall style. Very 1967. And the music is great. So jazzy. So not-Disney. It's funny that I had to grow up to appreciate this one.

Top 3 Best Pops: Dr.Pepper, Root Beer, 7up

Today's post is inspired by the delicious root beer I just drank. It is a very hot day in the city and I decided I better enjoy some poutine while I still can. Nothing complements a tasty dish on a hot day like a cold root beer (from a well designed bottle). I was partially compelled to buy the Boylan Bottleworks root beer because of how great the design was. After checking out their site/other bottles I'm really into the vintage soda pop look that Boylan Bottleworks creates.




I can't find a picture of the bottle cap, but it's the best part of the entire design. Even better, just now in my internet trolling for pictures of these bottles I came across this great idea on Etsy:



I actually want one of these! And I want another root beer to drink.

Monday Afternoon

I've escaped the city and have been staying at my parent's place. It's so nice to see trees and lie outside without garbage men whistling at you. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. In 2 weeks I bid adieu to this big country and move to a little island. While I am writing this outside in the sun the weather reports say it will rain today, and my once broken ring finger is hurting, so it's probably going to be a big storm. What will I do when it rains? Why continue on with my film education of course. Today I am watching Cinema Paradiso. Not until it rains of course.
Ps. the reason I am able to write this post outside is because I am on my new macbook pro. I didn't think I could feel this way about a screen that was less than 20", but the secret's out. We're in love.

We're waking up so slowly

Where does the time go? Here is a visual list of what I have been doing:



I didn't forget about watching the 100 Essential films. I watched Bicycle Thieves last weekend. Cried my face off at the end. I had to watch with subtitles though, I could not understand the Roman dialect. Rats.





It's like the Winter Olympics all over again! My life has been taken over by the World Cup. Luckily there is that 2 hour break between 12 and 2 where I can at least get some* things done.

* I get nothing done during these 2 hours.





I have begun packing. I recycled 3/4 of the work that had amassed in my office. It's really hard to decide what are essentials in a move. I think I have to have my wrapping paper book. Besides it's good beside reading. These images of Barcelona are up because I have Barcelona beaches on the brain.

Sir, you are my toy

I bought the Best of Bardot last night randomly on itunes and am sort of loving it. Her music is just so fun and I love the era it represents. Everytime I hear "Moi je joue" I think of the Sofia Coppola Miss Dior Cherie commercial. No matter how many times I watch this I love it as much as the first time. Like LOVE it.