Archive for July, 2008

:: Pretty(ish) in Pink

Posted by Vanessa on July 30, 2008 | Permalink

Here’s my friend Kayla with John Crier - Duckie! At a screening of Pretty in Pink at the New Beverly. It was the last screening from a week of programming set by Diablo Cody, and it was fantastic fun though I’m pretty sure I was the only audience member who hadn’t seen the movie before.

It’s a film full of mad home-made creations that the heroine hobbles together with her sewing machine out of Goodwill finds and so I was absentmindedly noting the 80s outfits and crazy creations throughout the film, UNTIL the big reveal; the pretty pink dress itself. The audience knows that it’s going to be a combination of two prom dresses that she’s going to adapt herself… and… it’s horrific - just the ugliest, baggiest dress possible. Much worse than the two donated dress it’s ostensibly crafted out of. I’m wondering if this is the worst craft-disaster in a popular film? And whether it’s charming, because the film is full of not terribly attractive people and not terribly sane outfits, which is very sweet, or whether it’s just a thoroughly odd choice by whoever did the costuming. She is definitely NOT pretty in pink…

Categories: about us, art, craft, los angeles, style
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:: A Feteful Night

Posted by Joelle on July 25, 2008 | Permalink

World’s Best photo from last year’s fete, by Martin Deutsch on Flickr

Just a quick note to tell anyone reading this in London today that the annual wonder that is the V&A Village Fete is taking place tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Not your average fete, this one is filled with games and bizarre activities laid on by London’s funnest creative people. Stalls this year include a tatt off, a beard tent and helioke (karaoke + helium).

I do love a tombola, so I will be cycling over after work tonight. See you there?

The fete takes place in the garden at the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. It’s on tonight Friday 25 July 18.30-22.00 & tomorrow Saturday 26 July 13.00-17.00. Can’t find any info on the website about tickets. I think it’s free or cheap to get in, but will be busy so arrive early.

If you can’t get enough fetes, tickets are also on sale for the Innocent Village Fete, which is 2nd and 3rd August. Ah, I do love London in the summer.

Categories: adventure, london
Tags: summer, V&A Village Fete

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:: Darn it

Posted by Sonja on July 25, 2008 | Permalink

I’m a lucky girl because I usually don’t have to go back to work till the second week of January after Christmas holidays. So last January, in my ‘free week’, I did a LOT of darning. I went through my wardrobe and sewed up all those ripped underarms, torn linings and loose buttons. It was nice to be able to wear everything again.
Since then I’ve kept it up. The Home Front got it right with its Make Do And Mend slogan during the war. I bought a little book at the Imperial War Museum that’s a reproduction of a ‘Make Do And Mend’ leaflet the government issued during the war, full of tips and tricks on how to unpick old jumpers and sew them into socks, or put pretty patches over holes. They’ve also got a Mend, Make or Spend? online game.
There’s always the odd thing I realise I’m not wearing because a button’s missing or a waistband needs taking in, but as I go along I backstitch my wardrobe back to life.
If you can Mend, you don’t have to Make Do.

P.S. I do not advise the mending of trousers while the owner is wearing them, as shown above. That could lead to a nasty accident…

Categories: about us, craft, green, style
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:: The Museum of Jurassic Technology

Posted by Vanessa on July 23, 2008 | Permalink

One of my favourite places in LA is the eerie, uncanny Museum of Jurassic Technology located in Culver City. I think I read that it has won an award as a work of art, and once you visit, it’s easy to see why. Locked behind a large steel door that gives it a perpetually closed look, upon first entering you watch a very bizarre video on the ‘Jurassic age’ and then meander through a series of strange and wonderous exhibits which include a room based around Napolean; a display of model trailer parks; a room dedicated to old wives tale cures made in sculpture form and a display of cat’s cradles. Phones dot the walls and make strange noises. Lifting the receiver of one you hear odd wailings that turn out to be the voice of the opera singer whose story you later encounter, another will be the barking of a dog.

Read more…

Categories: about us, adventure, art, local guide, los angeles
Tags: , adventure, gothic, jmt, jurassic museum

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:: Recipe: soft, American-style chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Kerry on July 21, 2008 | Permalink

Makes: loads (approx two dozen - thirty, depending on how much mixture you eat and how big you like ‘em)
Read more…

Categories: recipes
Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, food, recipes, sweets

5 comments

:: An hour and a half, a yard and a half, a swimsuit and a half!

Posted by Kerry on July 21, 2008 | Permalink

I’ve been meaning to give Burdastyle a proper once-over for a while, but so far none of the free patterns that I’ve seen have really piqued my interest. Until now. Yowza!

The gorgeous, vintage-inspired bathing suit above is available as a free pattern for you to print out here. It’s rated as easy, and from the reviews on the site it sounds like it should be a breeze even for a newbie like me. I plan to give it a whirl in the next month or so - I’m planning a holiday to somewhere warm, for once, and I think it’d be a shame not to go for the full-on retro faded glamour approach.

I already have a turban and a pair of enormous sunglasses, so I guess all I need to complete the look is a tiny, vicious dog dog, a large martini and a packet of Sobranies. And a private pool. And a gay husband.

Categories: craft
Tags: bathing suit, burdastyle, free, patterns, sewing, swimming costume, swimsuit, tutorials, vintage

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:: Ethical shopping picks

Posted by Joelle on July 20, 2008 | Permalink

Jeans by Camilla Norrback, bag by Ashley Watson, fabulously hip ethical styling: all at Fashion Conscience

For the last year or so I have been making ever increasing efforts to avoid sweat-shop produced clothes as much as possible. First up was just to buy less stuff, and to make sure the stuff I did buy would last me, and to favour independent and local shops. I have been getting stricter and stricter with myself, looking for organic and fairtrade labels, recycled products and manufacturing practice that cares about the communities who make it.

Luckily it’s getting easier as more and more labels with watertight ethical credentials are appearing, and getting more publicity. Gradually I hope, it will become normal and we won’t have to do so much detective work before we can shop worry free.

So, it’s time to share a few of my favourite ethical shopping picks with you - nice timing at the moment as there are quite a few summer sales going on. Each month or so I’ll be posting more picks.

Fashion Conscience - the picture above is from this UK based online boutique, a great one stop shop.
Howies - most days I am wearing something from Howies! They do great organic jeans, t shirts and laid back clothing and they are awfully nice.
Annie Greenabelle - Very cute retro themed clothing in organic, fairtrade and reused fabrics. Stocked at Equa and the Topshop Oxford Circus concession.
Toms - I bought the loveliest pair of simple summer shoes from Toms. They work with communities in Argentina and South Africa and for every pair sold, they give a pair to a child in need
Enamore - very glamorous label with fancy underwear and vintage styled dresses in organic and sustainable fabrics.

Categories: green, shopping, style
Tags: ethical picks, fashion, green

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:: Get Folksy

Posted by Joelle on July 16, 2008 | Permalink

Rulers by GetFolksy on Flickr
Enchanted by the name, I’ve been keeping an eye on folksy.com for a year or more, since a mysterious message appeared there about beta testing. It seems the project finally launched in beta a week ago, and is taking it’s first faltering steps towards becoming a suitably marvellous site.

A lot like a UK based Etsy, this is a place to buy and sell items by crafters and small designers. There’s also a making section which will showcase how to guides and stories about the making of items on the site. Currently there’s a good showing of work for sale from design graduates. Here’s my picks: Read more…

Categories: craft, design, shopping
Tags: craft, design, folksy, handmade

12 comments

:: Homesick for cheese and pickle

Posted by Vanessa on July 16, 2008 | Permalink

Some days I can track being homesick purely through my stomach. On the days when I’m most missing all things British - my family, friends, changeable weather, red phone boxes, cities with clearly defined centres - I also start wanting chocolate digestives, monster munch, heinz baked beans, fish and chips, my mum’s bread and butter pudding… Things you could basically get in any local co-op ‘back home’ (home is always where I’m not as well as where I am - I’m going home when I head to Bradford and I’m heading home when I get on the plane back).

If I wanted a good meal out, fabulous LA food abounds. On Sunday I went to the Bastille Day festival in the West Hollywood park and had a fantastic mozarella, tomato and basil panini. Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian; there’s excellent restaurants every where. But none of it is as comforting as my stodgy British favourites.

I could spend an arm and a leg buying the imported versions, but somehow that’s not the point, although I’m always more delighted when Stephen puts pickle in the fridge than I would be by flowers. Yep, I’m looking forward to a trip back home this winter, accompanied by some mince pies, salt ‘n’ vinegar chipsticks, mulled wine and if I’m lucky, some snow.

Categories: about us
Tags:

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:: Gok’s frocks - do they rock?

Posted by Sonja on July 15, 2008 | Permalink

Fashion television can be amazing or shit. But I’ll enjoy it whatever the quality! The Clothes Show had its day, I used to love She’s Gotta Have It, Looking Good presented by Lowri Turner, who looked square but was hilarious as hell, and I still enjoy What Not To Wear although it should be titled How To Dress Middle Class And Boring.
I have a secret penchant too for How To Look Good Naked - not strictly a fashion show, but presented by total queen Gok Wan and a fabulous mixture of high camp and self-esteem boot camp. So at the end of the last series when he said his next show would be a fashion show, I probably grinned at the tv (between my tears over how great the woman who’d just come out of chemotherapy looked in a bikini).
I watched the first in the new Gok’s Fashion Fix series last week and was impressed that he had Brix Smith Start, owner of Shoreditch’s Start boutique, as an ‘expert’, and that they dared poke fun at her with lots of shots of her chasing her silly little dog, Pixie, around her boutique. At one point I swear Pixie pawed at a dress worth thousands of pounds, about to rip into the silk with her doggie claws, and Brix Smith Smart didn’t bat a fake eyelash. I also loved the moment when Gok told Geri Halliwell “I love you with all my chinkie heart”. Not so good was the cheesy jingle, presence of Alexa Chung - (sh)it girl of the moment - and repetitive repetition of what had already happened in the show, and what was coming up (um, I may be a dumb fashion girl, but I do possess a short-term memory).
This week’s episode was also fun - polyester, an amazing Alexander McQueen dress, Karl Lagerfeld looking like Michael Jackson’s grandfather and a few small online shops getting their stuff featured in the ‘high street’ outfits.
It’s not the Amazing Fashion TV Show that I truly crave, but hey ho any old rag show will do for me!

Categories: style
Tags:

3 comments