what, no new post yesterday? you’re probably not going to believe this but… we had another public holiday. what the heck is going on in south africa! you might be thinking. i have a feeling we’re trying to go for the record of the most public holidays in the entire world. anyway, that means a these things catch up is in order.
hila tagged me in her seven facts post. i kind of love these things and have never done one… so decided to play along. i’m not going to tag anyone – but if you like this and end up doing one yourself, please leave the link in the comments!
1. the movie i have seen the most times in my life is the three amigos. over 100 times would not be an exaggeration.
every single time i watch it i try to hold my “three aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-migos” as long as they do..
2. my favourite food in the world is classic macaroni and cheese. here’s a good recipe.
3. the only heels i actually own are black ones, something i realised when trying to figure out what to wear to a wedding this weekend. this is not a good thing. i prefer wearing heeled boots to actual heels (perhaps because my legs are “sturdy” ? heh) – consequently i own a variety of beloved boots. can you wear boots to a wedding?
4. i grew up speaking afrikaans but now only speak english. my parents speak afrikaans to each other. my three brothers all speak afrikaans to eachother, my dad speaks afrikaans to them & vice versa, my youngest brother speaks english to my mom and vice versa, and i speak english to everyone. on top of that two of my brothers are married to lovely german ladies – so they and the four grandchildren sprechen ze deutsch. conversations when the family comes together can switch between english, afrikaans and german all in one sitting. this confuses outsiders… which is awesome.
ps: perhaps it seems ridiculous that i linked to a wikipedia article on what afrikaans is – but i have seen foreigners refer to it as “african” so many times it absolutely does my head in. south africa has 11 official languages, which is only the tip of the language iceberg … just so you know. nobody speaks ‘african’ – such a thing doesn’t exist.
my brother and i – one of my favourite photos ever.
5. i do not possess any apple products besides my circa 2007 classic ipod. no iphone, no mac, no ipad. the uncoolest designer / blogger award would go to me. that said, i grew up with PCs. they do not confuse or irritate me. everything i know about computers is PC based. so i ask myself…will i ever be able to make the switch? the best of both worlds would be nice… (are there any apple dudes reading? care to sponsor? i’m not desperate or anything.)
6. i know all the words to dead prez – hip-hop and cannot stop myself from rapping along every single time it shuffles into my playlist. yes, me rapping along IS as ridiculous as it sounds.
7. i have never broken any bones. hopefully this fact holds true forever.
more radness planned for the week, so be sure to visit joanna’s blog.
last year fair lady magazine asked if i’d like to contribute one of my things i like right now lists for their march issue, since they were doing a special on local bloggers (bloggin’ buds angie, lana & lauren are also featured.) they even let me design the collage, which was really awesome of them. read the article here and see my list below…
Swedish Hasbeens. Said obsession with the seventies is encapsulated perfectly by these t-strap clogs.
Boardwalk Empire. Set in prohibition era Atlantic City, not only is the costume & set design absolutely lush to look at – the storyline is dark and gripping. You wouldn’t expect anything less with heavyweights like Steve Buscemi and Martin Scorsese involved.
Scotch Naturals. A water-based environmentally friendly non-toxic nail polish – need I say more?
LeRoy Grannis. California’s surf culture in the sixties & seventies as photographed by LeRoy Grannis.
Matt & Kim – Sidewalks. Joyous indie pop might be a good way to describe this album – just the kind of thing to play when you’re planning a sunny road trip or having a pool party.
Spence. A sophisticated online shopping experience that provides only the best from local designers like Missibaba, Christopher Strong and more. Basically what I’ve been waiting for since the internet came into existence.
Everson’s Cider. I love this handcrafted cider from the Elgin Overberg – make mine icey cold please.
Tsovet Watches. Designed in California, these watches are inspired by vintage aviation gauges from the 1940’s and ’50s.
Svpply. A great way to discover products online, ranging from fashion to homeware, as curated by like-minded people from across the globe.
i realise that my entire blog is technically my own ‘things i like right now’ – but i am enjoying this series so much i needed to take part. every time someone sends me their list i think damn! i like that too! and then mentally rearrange and add to my own list. so here goes. things i like right now, by me … birthday edition. i am 27 today.
1. david sedaris. i am ashamed to say that i had never read david sedaris before my recent trip, where i found his book dress your family in corduroy and denim in the flat we were staying in. i read it in one day because i am a shameless lying-in-bed-reading-until-four-in-the-morning-because-i-can’t-put-it-down kind of person. i managed to track down a copy of me talk pretty one day at the good old abbey bookshop around the corner, and so had more awesome reading material for the plane. his books have sold over 7 millions copies, and i only discover him now? needless to say, the man is a genius. and his writing appeals exactly to my sense of humour.
2. simon & garfunkel. a while back i was all about paul, but now i’m giving the duo much love again. not that i have ever fallen out of love, mind you. i can watch old videos of them harmonising to an enraptured crowd over and over, resulting in extreme jealousy of anyone who has ever seen them live.
3. beer. i am a late bloomer when it comes to alcohol preference. my student days were all ciders and vodka (shudder.) it took me years to get on the red wine train, and then one day i had a glass and just loved it. the same goes for beer, which is now my beverage of choice pretty much at all times.
4. this illustrationby maria sibylla merian. oh man, i would give my…. simon and garfunkel collection for a giant print of this. jokes, it’s all digital anyway. fine! i’d give my ipod for one.
5. boots. shit! it’s almost summer. which means, no more boots. no more of the boots i have been living in for the past few months. worse still – the internet is quickly filling up with all new boots that the northerners will soon we running around in, keeping their toes warm. while my toes melt. oh well, maybe i can wear them in the evenings…. right?
6. her hair. i have been wanting to cut my hair forever (right now it’s at the birth of venus hair length, basically.) my friends are sick to death of me umming and aahing over whether to cut a fringe again (it’s just grown out!) this stylish lady’s hair has me practically convinced that i should lose the fringe and go shoulder length.
7. blouses. i had to stop myself from buying a suitcase of blouses when i was in paris. (cheap, too! can you say h&m?) and i instantly regretted it as soon as i got home because i have a feeling i’m going to live in them this summer.
8. music mixes. i like making these way too much. i am constantly compiling and rearranging the stupid things, trying to make the perfect mix. but most of all, i am contemplating doing two a month – that’s how much i love sharing them and knowing that people are enjoying them. i hope the free music police don’t catch me, though.
9. not-skinny jeans. i haven’t dipped my legs into the flare / boot / wide leg revival yet, but i am excited to once i find the right pair. high waisted and hip hugging like karla’s would be amazing.
10. stroopwafels. i saw my dutch family when i was overseas and they gave me a tin of stroopwafels (proper ones, from gouda). nothing, and i mean nothing, excites me as much as a tin of stroopwafels. i’ve been rationing them much like a child would their easter eggs.
11.photography. picking up a camera and just shooting my entire holiday made me realise how much i love photography. i haven’t done anything creative (properly creative) in a long time …work doesn’t count. now all i can think about is reviving my old film cameras and getting into it again – for good.
12. my family. i suppose i don’t like my family – i love them. and not right now, but always. of course right now i really like them because i think they might give me cake today.
* i had to stop myself from putting mad men on this list. that would have been too obvious! but just so you know, mad men is on this list… it’s just invisible. omnipresent, if you will.
the september Elle magazine has been out since mid-august, and i was determined to wait till september to actually post about this – but i am far too impatient for my own good….
kim, lana, lauren and i were lucky enough to be featured in their spring issue for ‘the scoop on spring’. in case you read the article and were wondering what on earth i was talking about – here’s my post about atonement & morris and here is the old mac daddy trailer park. i also mentioned pastel blouses, this is what i had in mind:
amber from mr price’s blog in the loop asked local bloggers (amongst which blog friends kim gray and lana kenney) to contribute the 3 things that we loved this season. go here to check out my list…
spending time in a studio, whether it’s in front of an easel by the window or just at a desk, is probably my favourite pastime. unfortunately i don’t make that a priority any more – somewhere between work, eating, sleeping, friends & family, i lose my spare hours mostly to procrastination and the internet. how can i not, considering the never ending supply of awesome it presents me with? that’s no excuse though (and believe me, i’ve tried to make excuses). less internet, less computers... these are things i need to work on.
i know that it’s ironic considering i’m saying this on my blog – but maybe an affirmation is needed here.
replace facebook, youtube & yelp with art, design & fashion blogs (by david fullerton)
if you feel similarly, or perhaps there’s another aspect of your life you have been neglecting or just want to work on, you should check out mnmlist, a project about minimalism by the guy who brought us zen habits (a great website about simplifying your life and focusing on what’s important). leo doesn’t update mnmlist too often, but that’s kind of the point. one of my favourite posts is about making small changes, and i like his article about taking a digital vacation.
