Loose Leaf Tigers

uncommonly good

2012-01-17T13:09:00.004-05:00

photo by Gemma Gonzalez

recently discovered a blog called Not Common People that features interviews with young photographers as well as examples of their work and links to their sites. i dig it. maybe you will too. go see.

photo by Maja Malou

aron wiesenfeld

2011-12-19T11:11:00.004-05:00

loving these wonderfully narrative paintings by Aron Wiesenfeld. see more here.

pakayla biehn

2011-12-19T10:53:00.003-05:00

as is evident in these sublimely beautiful paintings of double exposures, Pakayla Biehn is ridiculously talented. i can't even speak. so amazing. more here.

tree,line

2011-12-16T10:43:00.005-05:00

wow, it's been almost two months since i've posted anything. let's get right to it then, shall we? i've a few marvelous things i'd like to draw your attention to today. let's begin with this extraordinary photography series by Zander Olsen, called 'Tree,Line' in which Zander reconstructs horizons by wrapping trees in white cloth. i could stare at these images for hours. you really must click on the images to see them larger. more here.

R.I.P. Sue Lloyd (7 August, 1939 – 20 October, 2011)

2011-10-24T15:35:00.002-04:00

johannah o'donnell

2011-10-24T15:03:00.005-04:00

Orlando artist Johannah O'Donnell's candy colour palets makes me drool, and i love the clean lines, layered backgrounds and fantastical subjects. see more of her work here.

hall of dames # 24 - tilly losch

2011-10-19T13:00:00.008-04:00

Ottilie Ethel Leopoldine "Tilly" Losch, Countess of Carnarvon, was born in Vienna, Austria on the 15th of November, 1903. Tilly began studying ballet at the Vienna Opera as a child, later becoming an accomplished dancer and choreographer and eventually expanding her repertoire to include dramatic stage work.

Losch's stage success led to supporting roles in several Hollywood films, including The Garden of Allah (1936) with Marlene Dietrich. Tilly was best known for a composition entitled "The Hand Dance", which was featured in a short dance film by Norman Bel Geddes.

Losch was married twice, the first time to millionaire Edward James, a patron of the surrealist arts. Edward founded a ballet company specifically for Tilly which made performances in London and Paris. he would later file for divorce on the grounds that Losch had committed adultery with american hotel executive Prince Serge Obelensky, to which Losch launched a failed countersuit stating that Edward was a homosexual. at James' former estate, a permanent reminder of ms. Losch can be found woven into the carpet of his spiral staircase. as a token of his love for her, James had Tilly's wet footprints (left on the stairs after emerging from her bath) woven directly into the fibres of the rug. in the years following their divorce, Edward made a similar carpet from the footprints of his dog.

battling severe clinical depression, Tilly eventually abandoned dance entirely and spent time in a Swiss sanitarium. she married second husband Henry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon and began painting, first in water colours and then in oils. out of concern for her health and fear of the escalating danger of war era Europe, Herbet sent Tilly back to New York. there she had her first painting exhibition in 1944, which was well received. her work now hangs in London's Tate gallery, among others. Losch and Herbert divorced in 1947.

Tilly died of cancer in New York at the age of 72.

all the king's women # 31 - suzanna leigh

2011-09-20T10:33:00.009-04:00

Suzanna Leigh was born on July 26, 1945 in Belgrave, England, where she later attended convent school. her first film gig was as an extra in Tom Thumb (1958), followed by a small role in Oscar Wilde (1960) with Robert Morley. in 1965, producer Hal Wallis saw some photos of Suzanna dressed as Madame Du Barry for a London costume ball which tickled his fancy, so he signed her to a contract. Leigh's first Hollywood role came in Boeing Boeing (1965), starring Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis.

Suzanna's next venture with Wallis would bring her to work with the king himself in one of my favourite of his films: Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1965). this is not one of Elvis' shining moments, to say the least, but there is a kitschy charm to this one that never fails to delight me.

the second of three king flicks filmed in Hawaii, there is little to no plot to follow as Elvis travels the country wooing wahinis and singing god-awful songs to children and dogs along the way. Suzanna plays Elvis' assistant Judy Hudson who pretends to be married to the king in order to help him ward off unwanted advances from lusty clients of their helicopter touring business :)

soon after working with Elvis, Suzanna returned to her movie career in England, appearring mostly in chillers, such as The Deadly Bees (1967) and Lust for a Vampire (1971).

in 1998, Suzanna published an autobiography entitled Paradise, Suzanna Style. [*snicker*]

say something nice

2011-09-16T14:40:00.002-04:00

yes.

sonya kozlova

2011-09-14T11:55:00.004-04:00

click on these photos by 18 year old Sonya Kozlova to see them larger. check out her website for more lovely images.

a bow tie affair

2011-09-01T10:12:00.003-04:00

once again, i find myself apologizing for not having blogged in far too long - but this time i have a legitimate excuse: i've been preparing for my brother's wedding this coming saturday! he's the bow-tied brother on the right in the above photo and i'm to be the master of ceremonies at the event (*eek*). i still have much to do and the day is almost upon me, so i can't stay long. after this weekend, all comes floating back down to normal and i'll have much more time to spend here. in the meantime, enjoy your labour day weekend! xo

the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire

2011-08-22T15:01:00.006-04:00

ever thought about what you'd take with you if your house was on fire? i figure, in a panic, my hands would be pretty full with cat and dog to carry anything else, but i've a few things in mind if i had time to prepare - mainly boxes of old journals and photographs. if you've ever wondered what other poor souls would gather in the event of such a disaster, go to theburninghouse.com (from whence came these photos), where people submit pictures of all the stuff they'd risk arm and leg for. it's interesting to see so many different representations.

argh!

2011-08-18T12:40:00.003-04:00

k, there's something wrong with blogger right now and all my sidebar stuff is moved to the bottom of my blog. don't have time to mess around with it right now 'cause i'm at work, but you can bet i'll be toiling away at it when i get home. likely time for an overhall anyway! xo

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #11 - mari blanchard

2011-08-18T12:30:00.007-04:00

remembering a king

2011-08-16T09:55:00.008-04:00

an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fans gathered outside Graceland last night on the eve of the 34th anniversay of Elvis Presley's death. thousands more are expected for tonight's candle light vigil - a testimony to the breadth and endurance of his legacy. i know it may seem silly, given that Elvis died when i was but a babe in arms, but today, as on every 16th of August, i am saddened by his passing. my heart goes out to Priscilla and Lisa Marie, and to the grandchildren he would never know. his sacrifice was heavy. it is for this and for his extraordinary gifts that thousands remember and return to say thank you. [click here for crowd photos source]

summer daze

2011-08-11T11:33:00.006-04:00

you'll have to forgive my fairweather blogging as of late. i've been enjoying the outdoors more than the computer screen, as i'm sure you can all understand. this weekend i'll be heading to a good friends cottage and i couldn't be more excited. nothing beats fresh air, trees, people i love and lots o beer n chuckles. looking forward to nights like this one...

wishing you all a marvelous weekend filled with chuckles of your own. take care of yourselves! see you next week! xo

smoother than a gentle breeze #2 - steve mcqueen

2011-08-09T13:06:00.008-04:00

jenny morgan

2011-08-02T16:17:00.003-04:00

Utah born and New York based artist Jenny Morgan's oil paintings are astonishingly beautiful. see more of her work here.

halter? i don' even know 'er!

2011-08-02T10:20:00.006-04:00

1950s bubblegum dress

enchanted afternoon dress

meet me at the halter dress

meyer meringue dress

70s halter top

made in the shades dress

lukasz wierzbowski

2011-07-27T14:01:00.006-04:00

i have spent a good portion of my afternoon mesmerized by the work of Polish photographer Lukasz Wierzbowski, who shoots exclusively with film. these are but a few of the photos i found most inspiring. click on the images to enlarge, and do visit his website to see more.

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)

2011-07-23T13:48:00.001-04:00

gimme the willies

2011-07-22T11:36:00.003-04:00

kay, Willie Nelson is badass. this song is a bit dark for a sunny friday morning, but he's so intense! dig it.

tony katai

2011-07-18T12:41:00.004-04:00

photographer Tony Katai is based in Detroit. see more of his work here.

all the king's women #30 - donna douglas

2011-07-13T14:13:00.001-04:00

actress Donna Douglas was born in Pride, Louisiana in 1933. a self described 'tom boy' and animal lover, Donna related to the character she would become most associated with - that of Elly May Clampett on TV's The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).

Douglas was married shortly after highschool to Roland Bourgeois Jr. and had a son, Danny. within a few short years, the two were divorced and after winning a couple of beauty contests, Donna moved to New York to begin her career in television.

in 1965, during a Beverly Hillbillies summer hiatus, Donna began working with Elvis on Frankie and Johnny (1966), a script modeled from the lyrics of a folk tune. Elvis played Johnny, an 1890's river boat entertainer with a suspiciously modern hairdo and a gambling problem.

[note: as this series progresses, given that we're moving chronologically through Elvis' film career, you may notice an undeniable funk beginning to eminate from some of the movies made after 1965. though i myself would liken such funk to that of a well aged and delicious cheese, Frankie & Johnny is particularly stinky even to my nose.]

when Beverly Hillbillies was over, Donna got her real estate licence as a security measure, but spent most of her later career as a gospel singer, recording several albums, and public speaker, often making appearances in her trademark Elly May costume.

Donna has also written a children's book titled Donna's Critters & Kids: Children's Stories with a Bible Touch.

social periodic table

2011-07-13T10:48:00.003-04:00

my social network sphere is fairly limited. facebook and this blog are the only vehicles i use regularly, though i do have a tumblr account that i update every once in a while, a flickr account i haven't updated in years, and a twitter account without a single tweet. a dabbler at best, i wasn't entirely shocked when i came across this periodic table and discovered that there are quite a few sites i know nothing about. while i haven't the time or the inclination to grow my wee sphere at the moment, there were a couple of really interesting sites on there, particularly some of the music ones, so i'm posting it here for you. click on the picture to be taken to the site where you can click on each symbol.

between the lines

2011-07-12T13:24:00.003-04:00

i found a lovely blog today that has all kinds of awesome tutorials like the bracelet pictured above, which i'm totally gonna use, it's called Between the Lines. go see.

jo hamilton

2011-07-11T13:27:00.003-04:00

came across the incredible crochet work of artist Jo Hamilton this morning. you should visit her website for more.

yesterday's muse #25 - gitta schilling

2011-06-29T11:13:00.018-04:00

Brigitta ("Gitta") Schilling was born in Berlin in 1936 into a world of war and poverty. her family faced many hardships - something she discusses in the 2010 documentary: Gitta Schilling - Timeless Beauty. at the age of 16, Gitta was discovered while walking in a local parade, and by 1958, she was dividing her time between Berlin, Florence, Paris and New York, working with the best designers and photographers, as one of the world's most famous fashion models.

from 1958 to 1964, Schilling graced the covers of numerous magazines, including Vogue and Madame, and was appointed 'ambassador of elegance' in Germany. after her modelling career, Gitta became a stylist in Monaco before eventually retiring to a private life.

Gitta now lives in Italy, and at 74 years old she remains an extraordinary beauty.

dear photograph

2011-06-23T13:25:00.003-04:00

Dear Photograph is an awesome tumblr site where people are asked to submit "a picture of a picture from the past in the present". i'm totally gonna do this! these are just a few of my favourites, but there are lots more. go n see!

the making of a pin-up

2011-06-23T11:52:00.007-04:00

found an awesome collection of 20 pin-up model photos with their resulting illustrations (click photos to enlarge). so neat! see the rest here.

if polygamy were legal #35

2011-06-21T15:00:00.003-04:00

if polygamy were legal, i would marry this hand sewn leather guitar case by Whipping Post. i'm certain our marriage would last as she comes with a lifetime warranty. not certain she'd accept my proposal, however, as i only know how to play 4 songs :)

dad

2011-06-19T18:28:00.002-04:00

my favourite photo of my dad, who turns 70 tomorrow. happy fathers day people!

video vendredi - u900

2011-06-17T11:30:00.004-04:00

i found these videos ages ago and had forgotten all about them. U900 is a Japanese ukulele duo who make strange and adorable crochet videos. made me smile. hope it makes you smile too! have a wonderful weekend! xo

vivian maier

2011-06-16T15:09:00.006-04:00

Vivian Maier worked as a nanny in Chicago in the early 1950s. in her spare time, she walked the city streets with her camera, quietly documenting her surroundings. Maier's work went virtually unnoticed until 2007, when John Maloof, a street photographer himself, purchased a lot of 30,000+ negatives that had been seized from an unpaid storage locker at a small Chicago auction house . Maloof has since become a champion of the late photographer's work, which includes more than 100,000 photographs as well as documentary film and audio recordings. Vivan's work is truly astounding, and the quiet modesty of it all could just about drive me to weep. i had so much trouble choosing but a handful of photos to post here, and in the end i decided to post some of Vivian's self portraits, but not to visit the link above and see the rest of her work would be a disservice to yourself.

time for action

2011-06-13T10:28:00.005-04:00

i saw a photo of myself from behind on a friend's blog this morning and was absolutely mortified. i have been overly indulgent in food and drink for many moons now and the resulting pudge is worse than i had imagined. no more excuses for me. i'm gettin off the fat train this instant! buyin me a ticket to Health Town. who's comin?

bob's your uncle

2011-06-10T10:53:00.006-04:00

Uncle Bob wants to tell you how to love a woman. let him, he knows what he's talkin 'bout.

“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She’s not perfect – you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking
about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there.”

- Bob Marley

yoshiko fukushima

2011-06-09T16:39:00.002-04:00

i'm quite fond of Yoshiko Fukushima's pencil drawings. see more of these and some interesting paintings, too here .

i must have a vintage/retro bathing cap!

2011-06-09T15:03:00.003-04:00

smoother than a gentle breeze #1 - marcello mastroianni

2011-06-02T13:04:00.011-04:00

in the tradition of you can't say Bombshell on an airplane, i'm starting a new series featuring photos of smooth, lady-loving sons-o-bitches from back in the day. lets begin with Marcello Mastroianni, who may well have been the smoothest sonofabitch that ever lived :)

neon bike project

2011-06-02T11:10:00.004-04:00

toronto blogger Caroline MacFarlane recently transformed a rusty old bike, long abandoned on our city streets, into a cheerful thing of beauty. you can read all about her process and the idea behind it here. the truly sh*tty thing is that just two days after the bike (which had been locked in the same spot for years) had been transformed, the city slapped a notice on it demanding that it be removed within seven days. that makes me sad. if you live in toronto, visit the good to see how you may be able to help, and if you don't, visit it anyway 'cause it's a cool blog.

video vendredi on mardi

2011-05-31T15:55:00.005-04:00

The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit from Jens Henricson on Vimeo.

it kinda feels like friday today even though it's only tuesday. maybe cause it's beautiful outside and i'm sleepin over at my friend's house tonight :) regardless, since it feels like friday, i don't see why we can't pretend it is. so here's some friday tunes! i saw Radio Dept. play at the Horseshoe here in Toronto last Sunday. great show.

The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire from Thal on Vimeo.

R.I.P. Jeff Conaway (October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011)

2011-05-29T13:13:00.002-04:00

vintage nails

2011-05-28T08:37:00.002-04:00

these i936 manicures are flippin awesome, don't you think? found them here, where they've a link to instructions for the modern version.

ciorania

2011-05-26T11:14:00.005-04:00

stumbled upon flickr user 'Ciorania's beautiful portrait work this morning. these photos make my heart speed up a bit. see more here.

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #10 - tina louise

2011-05-24T22:50:00.004-04:00

what's your damage? #2 - blog name

2011-05-18T14:40:00.006-04:00

2. explain the meaning behind your blog name.

when i wrote my very first post back in 2008, i don't even remember what i had called this blog thingy. i think it may have just been Heidi's Blog. clearly a working title.

then one day, i was reading about Amelia Earhart.

if you've read any posts from the genesis of this blog, you'l likely surmise that i wasn't in the greatest head space at the time, but something Amelia had said was resonating in my muddled mind, and from her words arose the name: Loose Leaf Tigers. you can find the quote in question at the top right corner of this page where it remains -though it may have little to do with what i write here- to remind me that i am bigger than my fears. and hey, guess what? so are you. xo

i ked you not

2011-05-18T13:09:00.007-04:00

i think i might pick me up some keds this summer. i've always liked the way they look with a sweet little summer dress or a pair of turned up jeans. my favourite is classic red, pictured perfectly above by the Snail and the Cyclops . below are some other favourites from href="http://www.keds.com/store/SiteController/keds/home">the keds site. you can also design your own online if you're so inclined. hurry up summer dagnammit!

a visit to the archives

2011-05-17T16:59:00.005-04:00

sifting through the Life photo archives yesterday, I found this lovely set by master photographer Gordon Parks entitled "french fashion models". the pictures were all dated june 6, 1950, when it appears that Gordon spent a day and evening with a group of models in various locations, including the county fair. there are tonnes more from this session if you go to the archives and type in "french fashion models". these are some of my favourites.

what's your damage? #1 - an introduction

2011-05-17T14:56:00.016-04:00

1. Introduce yourself with a recent picture and 15 interesting facts
allo, bonjour. my name is Heidi, though visitors here know me as Poke Salad Annie, a moniker derived from one of my favourite Elvis songs. i think it's cute that some people address me as Annie when emailing or leaving comments. not my name. cute though.

in approaching the 15 interesting facts, i feel i should direct you to a post i did way back in 2009 called 10 things you don't [and might not want to] know about me. that's where you'll find the main building blocks, complete with embarassing adolescent jazz dance photo. here's some more junk about me:

1. i'm sort of a massive self sabotaging, inner critic riddled, to-thine-own-self-be-cruel-and-nasty kinda girl. just gettin the heavy stuff out the way right outta the gate. even writing that link above made me chastise myself for being so self-centered and bragadocious when, really, talking about yourself on your own blog once every two years is not so effing bad

2. i wish i was born in 1940. that would have made me 16 years old the year Elvis exploded, which i think my head would have done if i was actually alive at that point, so perhaps it all worked out for the best.

3. i hate cake. stand next to me at any shower/office function where there might be cake and you can have mine. i'll have the last piece o pie if you're not gonna eat it though. any day.

4. i love to draw. part of me thinks i'm pretty good at it too. too bad i can't show you what i've been drawing cuz the other part of me thinks it sucks :)

5. i secretly long to be a photographer, but i don't think i'm good enough at that either.

6. i got married at Graceland

7. i think i'm being so miserably forthcoming because of this awesome speach i watched today about vulnerability:

i should watch it again right now cuz it made me feel all warm n fuzzy inside.

8. i'm learning to play guitar! though i think any instrument which requires you to sacrifice the feeling in the tips of your fingers is inherently flawed, i am beginning to develop guitar calluses, as vile as that sounds, and am having a blast!

9. i love to play vids. if i've got nothin to do and a good xbox 360 game, i'll play til my bones hurt from sittin in the same spot too long. i'll play til it's way past my bedtime and i wake up feelin like a zombie from all the video game dreams. i'll play til i find myself looking at walls like i could scale them if i had a running start. thus, i try not to keep good vids in the house. my husband's Fifa doesn't tempt me in the least.

10. i used to be the most dedicated smoker in the universe, but now i only bum smokes off real smokers when i'm drunk. three months clean bitches!

11. i talk to my pets in full f*ckin sentences when noone's around.

12. the first record i ever bought with my own money was Arena by Duran Duran. i was in grade four and had never been to a concert. it wasn't until years later that i realised it was a live album. i always wondered why it had some of the same songs as Seven and the Ragged Tiger :)

13. Welcome to the Dollhouse is one of my favourite movies of all time, partially because i WAS Dawn Weiner.

14. Humour is my saviour. despite all the whiny stuff i said about beatin myself up all the time, there is nothing i love more in life than laughter. i laugh as often and as long as possible. and the people i surround myself with are hilarious. i'm ever so lucky that way.

15. i would totally take a bullet for my husband. no jokes.

challenge (to be pronounced shh-al-awnge, like the french)

2011-05-17T13:47:00.013-04:00

whilst pottering around the internet this morning i came across Dead Robot, a blog written by a ridiculously clever and droll bearded gent, that puts sh*tty little post-things-i-like blogs like mine to shame :(

said blogger is currently taking on a 'blog challenge' that involves writing about 64 distinct predetermined topics, each revealing a little more of the scribe to the reader. in the interest of bringing a bit o soul to my idle ramblings and of sharing a bit more of myself than my favourite old timey photos and some clothes i can't afford, i have decided to take on this challenge myself. ima call it what's your damage?

regular loose leaf postings will continue as before, but now in amongst them will be 64 challenge posts as follows:

1. Introduce yourself with a recent picture and 15 interesting facts
2. Meaning behind your blog name
3. Your first love
4. Your parents
5. A song to match your mood
6. A picture of something that makes you happy
7. Favorite movies
8. Something you’re afraid of
9. Favorite TV shows
10. Something you don’t leave the house without
11. Bible verse
12. Dream house
13. Something you’re looking forward to
14. Favorite Place to Eat
15. Something you miss
16. Nicknames
17. Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?
18. Something you’ve learned
19. Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
20. Your Dream Wedding
21. Something that stresses you out
22. 3 Wishes
23. 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge
24. Your favorite song
25. Your favorite book
26. Your favorite quote
27. A photo that makes you angry/sad
28. A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
29. An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
30. A talent of yours
31. A hobby of yours
32. A recipe
33. A website
34. A YouTube video
35. Your day, in great detail
36. Your week, in great detail
37. This month, in great detail
38. This year, in great detail
39. Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
40. Something you ate today.
41. Your idea of the perfect first date.
42. An animal you’d love to keep as a pet.
43. The item you last purchased.
44. Y our favorite place to eat.
45. A TV show you’re currently addicted to.
46. Your celebrity crush.
47. Something you crave a lot.
48. A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
49. A photo of something that means a lot to you.
50. How have you changed since last year.
51. Something you could never get tired of doing.
52. Talk about a regret you have.
53. Share a story from your childhood.
54. Explain how you got one of your scars.
55. How do you think others view you?
56. A poem you wrote.
57. Tell us about your best friend.
58. A talent of yours.
59. Your deepest fear.
60. Reveal your most guilty pleasure.
61. If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want or why you don’t think they are right for you.
62. Talk about the last “random act of kindness” you encountered.
63. The last thing that made you cry.
64. Say something to your 15 year old self.

i think this oughtta be fun. if you think it's crap, just skip over these ones. xo

yesterday's muse # 24 - ivy nicholson

2011-05-16T15:28:00.007-04:00

forgive me for being vague, but i wasn't able to find a great deal of information on Ivy, so i'll just share with you what i did find...

born Irene Nicholson in Queens, New York, Ivy started modeling at age 16. in the 1950s she graced the covers of Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, among others. as many of her contemporaries would do, Ivy sought out acting roles once the end of her twenties began to loom. somewhere in her search she found Andy Warhol, and was cast in minor roles in a number of his films.

i know that at some time in her life she married and divorced a Count (DePoleon), with whom she had a son Darius -consequently a Viscount- who plays in a band called Eurotrash, made up of other entitled Europeans ;) Ivy has three other children, Sean Bolger, a Los Angeles fashion photographer, and twins Penelope and Gunther Palmer, whose father John is also in showbiz. Penelope was a child actress and her twin brother a child model. Gunther is now a drummer and vocalist in a band called Stagefright.

lucas foglia

2011-05-09T13:21:00.009-04:00

for four years, San Francisco based photographer Lucas Foglia traveled around the south eastern United States photographing those who have chosen to live 'off the grid'. Lucas' subjects are striving to be self sufficient for varying personal reasons, be they environmental, religious or otherwise, and his photos provide a small and intimate window into their way of life. i find these photos to be deeply expressive and captivating. see more of Foglia's work here.

third helping

2011-05-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

here, have some more :)

2011-05-06T16:52:00.004-04:00

i dare you not to swoon

2011-05-06T16:28:00.003-04:00

there is no excuse for my lack of posting as of late, other than the burgeoning spring. stick with me my dear readers, i'll be back to my regular schedule in no time, i promise! in the meantime, here's a video treat - a young and otherworldly beautiful Elvis performing live on television for the first time after his return from the army. ole blue eyes' speach is dubbed in spanish, but this was the clearest version i could find on youtube :) tell me you don't swoon when you watch this. i won't believe you. i don't care who y'are.

werner amann

2011-04-29T13:58:00.006-04:00

visit German photographer Werner Amann's website for more of his inspiring work. (oh, and click on the photos here to see them large)

cats n dogs

2011-04-29T11:14:00.007-04:00

i've been a fan of Cat Stevens since i was 8 years old, when my older brother came back from Junior Rangers all teenage cool and come-of-age, blasting new anthems from his tape deck, the likes of which i'd never heard. i've been a fan of my dog Rudy for three years now, 21 if you're asking her. so yesterday when i came across one of Cat's songs i hadn't yet heard called I Love My Dog, i fell instantly in love with it. without further ado, this one's for Rudy and all the other four legged lovelies out there. happy friday!

robin eley

2011-04-27T11:59:00.006-04:00

i am forever awed by the seemingly divine talent of photorealistic painters. Robin Eley clearly possesses mindblowing skill and artistry. see more here.

foxy ladies

2011-04-27T11:32:00.004-04:00

sally jane vintage

this adorable libris lunaria fox tote has been popping up on some fabulous blogs lately. i want one. follow the links to see more of how these ladies rock it.

fancy fine

some girls wander by mistake

the snail and the cyclops

a thought is the blossom

hope gangloff

2011-04-14T11:58:00.004-04:00

i love Hope Gangloff. i love her style. i love her subject matter. i love her colour choices. i love her off. you can love her off too, here.

peculiar snapshots

2011-04-13T15:02:00.003-04:00

i found a wonderful collection of 'peculiar' vintage photos on flickr this afternoon. check it out.

R.I.P. Sidney Lumet (June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011)

2011-04-10T11:29:00.003-04:00

none o yer beeswax

2011-04-06T14:13:00.002-04:00

terrible post title, i know. i just couldn't help myself :-) i'm liking these awesome beeswax sculptures by Markus Fiedler

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #9 - diana dors

2011-04-06T13:15:00.004-04:00

caribou pour vous

2011-04-01T16:33:00.009-04:00

i'm feelin the Caribou today. enjoy your weekend! xo

before i die...

2011-03-31T15:26:00.003-04:00

check out this incredible street instalation by Candy Chan. Candy transformed the back of an abandoned house in New Orleans into a chalkboard of shared aspirations. and the best part is, whenever the wall is full, she washes it clean and the process begins again. i like this. read all about it here.

cabin fever

2011-03-30T11:56:00.013-04:00

rustic camping stool

i haven't been posting as often as usual. blame it on cabin fever. winter is hanging on here like a piece o gum that gets stuck in your hair and i've got some serious seasonal whatchamacallit. i'll bet that if i looked up the posting frequency of previous years, there'd be a lull about this time ever year. this slow and arduous season turn, promising spring and then snatching it back again over and over. but don't cry for me argentina, i have recently received word that our site has been successfully booked for a mid-June canoe trip!!! and though i realize this is months away, i am already dreaming of paddles n pine trees. . .

bakelight lantern/flashlight

shawl neck sweater

vintage binoculars t shirt

axe brooch

explorer case

little red lantern necklace

pinecone print

R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

2011-03-23T12:58:00.001-04:00

hall of dames #22 - malvina reynolds

2011-03-17T10:32:00.018-04:00

singer, songwriter and activist Malvina Reynolds' most famous song, Little Boxes (made famous by the great Pete Seeger), recently enjoyed renewed popularity as the theme song for the showtime TV series Weeds - and thank goodness for that, 'cause that's how i first came across her music.

Malvina was born in San Francisco in 1900. she married a carpenter and labor organizer in 1934 -William "Bud" Reynolds- and the two had a child, Nancy Reynolds Schimmel, now a songwriter and performer herself. though refused her highschool diploma because of her parents' vocal opposition to World War I, Malvina went on to earn a doctorate in Romance Philology from Berkley in 1939, long before it was considered proper for women her age to return to school. it wasn't until her late 40s, after meeting Pete Seeger and other folk singers, that Malvina began writing songs in earnest. Malvina's songs have since been recorded by Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, the Seekers, Harry Belafonte and Elvis Costello, among others.

Malvina wrote songs for Women for Peace, the Nestle Boycott, the sit-ins in San Francisco on auto row and at the Sheraton-Palace, the fight against putting a freeway through Golden Gate Park and other causes. she wrote songs for children and contributed material to PBS's Sesame Street, on which she made occasional appearances as a character named Kate. when Malvina passed away in 1978, the world lost an extraordinary and inspirational human being, who lived as an example that it's never too late to discover and pursue your passions, that it's cool to be smart and to express your opinions and that blindly conforming to the status quo will only prevent you from truly becoming yourself. thank you Malvina!

if you'd like to know more about Malvina, check out her daughter's blog about writing her mother's biography.

this last one is a short song that you must listen to all the way to the end. the last verse makes me want to cry.

forgive me

2011-03-11T16:25:00.003-05:00

i hope you'll forgive my absence this past week. busy as a bee at work and haven't had a lot of time for blogging. in two hours i'm off to the hair dresser to chop off all my locks! provided i'm not traumatized by the results, i'll be sure to post a photo of my new doo. i'm wishing you all a wonderful weekend and thanking you ever so much for continuing to visit me here. i got nothin but love for you people! xo

grace o'connor

2011-03-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

i'm diggin the heavy nostalgia of Grace O'Connor's paintings. i'd love to have one of these dudes hanging in my rec room (if i had one). see her website for more of her marvelous work.

amelie on the brain

2011-03-07T12:26:00.011-05:00

Tshirt

it's been 10 years since the release of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie (2001). this is a film that has extraordinary resonance for me, as for thousands of others. it came to mind this morning and i remembered it warmly. so, here is a collection of Amelie inspired items i came across while i should have been working ;)

jacket

red dress

boots

magnifying glass

gold frame

Michael Sowa print

garden gnome

photo strip

instamatic camera

Amelie's pig lamp

2011 wall callendar

chrysanthamum wallpaper

french spoons (for your creme brulee)

if you're interested, there's also a fun Amelie inspired photoshoot here, an Inspired by Amelie flickr group here, and a crafty blog called Inspired by Amelie that offers Amelie themed challenges(although it appears to be since defunct). hope you enjoyed this post, i think i might have to rent the movie again soon!

all the king's women #29 - mary ann mobley

2011-03-07T10:45:00.011-05:00

Mary Ann Mobley was born on February 17, 1939 in Biloxi, Mississippi. in 1959, she entered the Miss America Pageant. for the talent portion of the competition, Mobley sang a highly formal, operatic rendition of Puccini's "Un Bel Di" that transitioned into an energetic version of "There'll Be Some Changes Made", as she stripped into something skimpier. she won the crown, becoming the first Mississippian to do so.

when her reign had ended, Mobley began her television career, making appearances in shows like Perry Mason, Mission Impossible, and later Fantasy Island, the Love Boat and Different Strokes.
of course, the reason i'm writing of her now is for her connection to the King.
in what i consider to be the highlight of a career that included a standing position on Hollywood Squares, Mary Ann appeared in not one, but two Elvis films: Girl Happy, costarring Shelley Fabares, and Harum Scarum - both in 1965.

as it's tagline suggests ("Elvis brings the big beat to Bagdad in a riotous rockin' rollin' adventure spoof!!!"), Harum Scarum is a little on the silly side. Mobley plays Princess Shalimar, damsel-in-distress to Elvis' tanned and turbaned Johnny Tyrone. though much of the film remains below the standards of most, there lies a hidden gem within the mire, in So Close, Yet So Far - one of the better songs in an an Elvis flick of this period [if you can get past the outfit].

in 1967, Mary Ann married actor Gary Collins. they have one child, daughter Mary Clancy Collins. Mobley is well know for her charity work and has been a March of Dimes spokeswoman for over 25 years. in 2009, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, and is currently in remission.

though i look nothing like these stunningly beautiful ladies, i'm pretty sure i want this haircut.

2011-03-03T14:57:00.008-05:00

hugo lugo

2011-03-03T12:16:00.003-05:00

these marvelous paintings are the work of Mexican artist Hugo Lugo whose work spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture and photography. see more at Hugo's website, and be sure to check out his incredible murals.

hall of dames #21 - jane russell

2011-03-01T10:46:00.023-05:00

it saddens me that this must be a posthumous induction to the hall of dames, as miss Russell passed away yesterday in her Santa Maria home, at the age of 89. let's take a moment to remember the extraordinary contributions of this breathtaking beauty and consummate comedienne.

Jane was born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell on June 21, 1921 in Bemidji, Minnesota. three of Jane's four grandparents were Canadian, so we have the great white north to thank! she had originally wanted to be a designer, but took a job as a receptionist after her father passed away, which helped her save the necessary funds to study drama - something she had been interested in since highschool. Howard Hughes would discover her while she was working as a secretary at his dentist's office, and cast her in her first film: The Outlaw (1943). the film was made to highlight Jane's sex appeal more than her acting abilities, thus beginning her rise as a prominent sex symbol of the 40s and 50s.

Hughes signed Russell to a seven year contract, during which most of the films she would star in concentrated more on her genetic assetts than her talent. it wasn't until 1953 that Jane had a chance to display her natural comedic flare, opposite Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. during the 1950s, films like Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) and The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) finally allowed Jane to show the world what a fine actress she indeed was.

Russell, who made over 20 films in her career, made fewer and fewer throughout the 1960s, and the 1970s found her not as a movie star, but as a spokeswoman for Playtex bras. Jane's ample breasts are actually the namesake for 'The Jane Russell Peaks' in Alaska, and the troops in Korea named two embattled hills in Russell's honour. Howard Hughes, designer of airplanes, once designed a bra for Jane and is reported to have said of her stardom: "There are two good reasons why men go to see her. Those are enough." what a pig. :)

Jane was thrice married. first, to highschool sweetheart and football hall-o-famer Bob Waterfield from 1943 to 1968. the couple adopted three children over the course of their marriage - Tracy, Thomas and John. Russell, who was unable to have children due to a botched abortion at the age of 18, founded World Adoption International Fund (WAIF) in 1955, an organization that pioneered adoption from foreign countries by Americans.

after divorcing Waterfield in 1968, Jane married actor Roger Barrett in August of that same year. the two remained married until his death just 3 months later. Jane's third husband was real-estate broker John Calvin Peoples. they were married from January, 1974 until his death in April, 1999.

Jane has long been an outspoken republican, pro-life activist and born again Christian - but hey, nobody's perfect. [just kiddin around folks. please don't leave me nasty comments. i got nothin but love for Jane, despite our political differences.] you can read all about her in her autobiography, published in 1985: Jane Russell: My Path and My Detours. and just because it exists, here's a picture of the great Jane Russell as she appears next to the king...

fuco ueda

2011-03-01T10:29:00.005-05:00

i am entranced by the paintings of Japanese artist Fuco Ueda whose world is at once captivatingly beautiful and frighteningly creepy. check out Fuco's website here.

R.I.P. Jane Russell (June 21, 1921 - February 28, 2011)

2011-03-01T10:19:00.001-05:00

R.I.P. Suze Rotolo (November 20, 1943 – February 24, 2011)

2011-02-28T15:31:00.001-05:00

R.I.P. Annie Girardot (October 25, 1931 – February 28, 2011)

2011-02-28T15:17:00.001-05:00

all i want is loving you and music, music, music

2011-02-25T16:35:00.008-05:00

couldn't you just eat her up?!

this isn't what it looks like

2011-02-23T11:52:00.003-05:00

artist Alexa Meade uses human models and acrylic paint to “perceptually compress three dimensional space into a two dimensional plane”. the results are astonishing, wouldn't you say? see more here.

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #8 - mamie van doren

2011-02-19T20:54:00.004-05:00

mama needs a brand new bag

2011-02-18T09:44:00.005-05:00

were i in the market for some handcrafted artisanal quality designer leather (which, incidentally, retails for twice my monthly condo fees), i would adhere myself to one of Brooklyn based a.b.k.'s masterpieces o' bag and never let go. should you happen to have four to six hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, i suggest you do the same.

best. photo project. ever.

2011-02-17T12:31:00.005-05:00

i am so completely and utterly in love with Argentinian photographer Irina Werning's Back to the Future project, i could vomit. these are some of my favourites from the series in which Irina's subjects reinact their own photos. i find these images deeply moving in the humorous way that they approach the inevitable passage of time. i think everyone should do this! see more here.

decidedly weird vintage valentines

2011-02-14T13:30:00.006-05:00

happy valentines day! this isn't a holiday i actively participate in for a whole mess o reasons i would verbalize if not for fear of raining on your parades, but i do have a love of vintage valentine cards, and as far as i'm concerned, the weirder the ephemera, the better...

and now for the strangest valentine i have ever laid eyes on:

R.I.P. Betty Garrett (May 23, 1919 – February 12, 2011)

2011-02-14T13:20:00.003-05:00

all the king's women #28 - julie adams

2011-02-11T13:53:00.006-05:00

born in Iowa on October 17, 1926, Julie Adams' birth name was Betty May - later changed by Universal Studios, first to Julia and then to Julie. raised in Arkansas, Julie moved to California in pursuit of an acting career. there she became a part-time secretary while taking speach lessons and visiting studio casting departments.

Julie's first role was as a starlet in Red Hot and Blue (1949), in which she was credited under her birth name, followed by a series of six cheap westerns, all filmed in a period of 5 weeks. her big break came while reading lines opposite football player Leon Hart in a Universal Studios screen test intended for him. the Detroit Lions player proved a better athlete than an actor, but the studio fell for miss Adams and promptly changed her name and signed her up!

Julie's career began in B-movies, and the role that would bring her the most attention came in 1954 when she starred in Creature form the Black Lagoon.

A few films later, Adams made a shift to the idiot box, appearing almost exclusively in television from 1957 until present day (her most recent role being in the TV series Lost). 'course a movie or two did pop up in the middle of it all, which brings us to Julie's connection with the King...

In 1965 Adams had the fortune of appearing opposite Elvis, and the misfortune of appearing in one of his less than stellar screen endeavours. in Tickle Me Julie plays Vera Radford, owner of the dude ranch/health-spa-for-wealthy-hot-chicks that Elvis' singing rodeo cowboy character wanders into. what with all them women and the promise of hidden gold in a nearby ghost town thrown in, hilarity inevitably ensues (once again). the film made big money at the boxoffice, which is surprising considering they didn't even bother recording new songs for this one. the soundtrack is made up of songs recorded from 1960-1963, all having been released previously on various albums.

Julie has been married and divorced twice, to actor/director Ray Danton, with whom she has two sons, Steve and Mitchell, both in the movie business; and to screenwriter Leonard Stern.

claire pestaille

2011-02-09T10:43:00.003-05:00

love these. see more of Claire Pestaille's fascinating photo collages here.

35 things to do in my 35th year

2011-02-08T14:11:00.010-05:00

click images for sources

35 years ago today, a little baby me took her first breath of air. three and a half decades later, i remain a work in progress, just as we all are. it is in the interest of progress that i began the loose leaf traditon -now in it's 3rd year- of compiling a list of goals for the year ahead. you can visit my first two lists here and here. i can't quite explain it yet, but this feels like an important year for me. i sense a great deal of positive change ahead. haven't felt this way in some time and i welcome it more than i can say. so without further ado and in no particular order, here is my list of 35 things to do in my 35th year...
(pink = done)
1. actually put something up for sale on the loose leaf tigers etsy shop that's been sitting empty since february 2009 (!)

2. visit the renegade craft fair in any of it's incarnations (preferably San Francisco or Brooklyn)

3. complete at least two workshops/classes - you're never too old to learn something new! 1/2 (completed an online painting workshop called Get Your Paint On. you can read about it here)

4. work on the handbook i've been daydreaming about - i'd like to see an outline at the very least

5. actually use the benefits alotted for massage that my work offers. i have never been for a massage in this country. this must be remedied.

6. submit a piece of writing to a magazine/newspaper/website - anywhere!

7. spend as much time as i possibly can creating -be it painting, drawing, taking photos or writing- giving as little thought as possible to mistakes and failure and all that yucky stuff

8. have something on display somehwere - ideally a little art show in a cafe or some such thing

9. go camping in the beautiful northern regions of the province i call home

10. get new specs

11. lose 20 pounds (i've lost ten since January 1st! 20 more to go)

12. quit smoking. for ten years i've been holding my 35th birthday as the day i finally kick the habit. this one starts tomorrow. wish me luck!

13. learn german. my dad gave me a German language CD for christmas, so i'm on my way!

14. pay off my credit cards. pesky buggers.

15. learn to swim

16. get photoshop and take a refresher course

17. get a lens for my camera that lets me open the aperture to 1.8

18. learn to develop my own photos

19. find a studio space that i can actually afford to rent

20. reorganize and revamp this blog

21. take a funny picture of my husband and I with our dog to use as a christmas card

22. have a girls only weekend getaway with my ladyfriends

23. visit the Museum of Modern Art

24. eat at summerlicious - i always say i'm going to, but i've only been once and that was years ago

25. learn to play at least one song on guitar

26. go to the jazz age lawn party on governor's island

27. read at least 10 books

28. have a drink (or two) at a swim up pool bar

29. try hot yoga

30. play outside more

31. get a new bike. the one i bought off craig's list last year was a rip off and barely made it through the season :(

32. go on a road trip and complete volume three of my Road Chronicles DVD

33. learn to meditate

34. see more of my family. my brother moved to a new house (albeit a 3 hour drive away) like a year ago, and i haven't even seen it yet. shame on me.

35. attempt, once again, to accomplish all the things i missed from last year’s list

thank you all for indulging me. i hope it feels like your birthday today, even if it isn't! i'm off to dinner with my lovely husband. bonsoir darlings!

if polygamy were legal # 34

2011-02-07T13:55:00.003-05:00

if polygamy were legal, i would marry this dress today and then renew my vows to it in fifty years, just 'cause it's that bleedin classic. looking at the rest of my wives, i'm starting to see a recurring pattern. i could have a whole harem of full skirted shirt dresses. hurry up spring g*dammit!

winter in durham

2011-02-07T11:26:00.004-05:00

ok winter, i've had just about enough of you. my weary frame is in dire need of a vitamin D dose. i'm yearning for some colours other than white and grey, as is customary for me this time of year. but alas, there are weeks, perhaps even months to go before spring comes to Toronto, so all we can do is try and make the best of things. sometimes it helps to get out of the big city and see the snow in a cleaner incantation. my friend and i did just that the other day, driving out to Durham county to take some photos on a sunny winter's day. here a a couple of my favourites.

keep dreaming of springtime! maybe it will get here faster :)

R.I.P. Tura Satana (July 10, 1938 – February 4, 2011)

2011-02-07T11:05:00.004-05:00

get your paint on!

2011-02-02T16:23:00.005-05:00

sorry sorry sorry sorry. i haven't written in donkey's years. but i've some news! i've just spontaneously signed up for a 5 week online painting course with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough! i'm one o those peeps who really needs a push and some structure to her creative endeavours, lest they fall by the dreaded wayside - so this'll be perfect for me. i'm so excited, in fact, that i gotta run n work on my first lesson right away! you can join me if you like, but you must hurry 'cause the 'course is underway. do it!!! here's the link.

you can't say 'Bombshell' on an airplane #7 - irish mccalla

2011-01-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

video vendredi - coolest skate video ever

2011-01-21T10:04:00.001-05:00

k, so i don't know much about skateboarding, but my husband knows enough for both of us. he tells me that Rodney Mullen invented this style of street skating, and that mr. Mullen 'destroys' the young man in the video above. just so ya know. that aside, i happen to think this is the coolest skate video i have ever laid eyes on. the music, the clothes, the fluidity and fred-astaire-like grace of Killian's moves. i've watched this thing like five times already. i could watch it all day long.

thank you tenniscoats!

2011-01-17T14:23:00.005-05:00

i arose this morning in a dreadful state of melancholy, only to find out when i checked my facebook page that today is what's known as "blue monday". this is the first i've heard of it, but it seems some british dude has worked out some kind of 'scientific' formula by which he's devised that today is the most depressing day of the year. sounds like a load o malarkey to me. neverthless, i've had a terrible time trying to shake the blues today. so, in defiance of this silly man's silly theory, i hit the internet in search of a little piece of joy to make me feel better. and i found one:

wayne white

2011-01-14T10:24:00.008-05:00

Aw Cmon

Good Looking People Having Fun Without You

what i wouldn't give for half an hour o shootin' the sh*t with this guy. Wayne White is a painter, art director, illustrator, puppeteer and banjo player originally from Chatanooga, Tennessee. he's won 3 emmies for his work as a designer on Pee Wee's Playhouse, as well as MTV and Billboard awards for his work in music videos, such as Peter Gabriel's Big Time. Wayne also works as a fine artist, creating, among other things, the 'word paintings' you see here. these paintings feature oversized text integrated into reproductions of vintage landscapes. i realize this stuff might not be for everyone, but i think they're unspeakably awesome. there are over two hundred of these gems on White's website varying greatly in style and content. most are humorous, but some are poignant, even sad. i suggest you head over there and flip through them right away.

Tell Me You Love Me

Biguns

if you live in California, Wayne's currently doing a one man biographical show complete with banjo and harmonica playing at Largo, every Tuesday in February.

Walks Into a Beck Concert and Says Whats This Suckass Shit

all the king's women #27 - shelley fabares

2011-01-13T10:05:00.008-05:00

Shelley Fabares has been acting since she was 3 years old, and first became famous for her role in the long running 60s sitcom The Donna Reed Show. the attention this role brought Shelley -life long friend of Annette Funicello- the opportunity to record two top forty hits, one of which (Johnny Angel) climbed to number one on the billboard charts in 1962.

in 1963, Shelley took a break from television to pursue a career in film. it was during this time that she appeared in Ride the Wild Surf with Barbara Eden and Susan Hart...

and not one, but three Elvis films: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout(1966) and Clambake(1967). Elvis once said that Shelley was his favourite actress to work with. perhaps because they shared an interest in music as well as acting?

Fabares returned to television in the 70s, appearing in numerous shows and made-for-tv movies. some of my readers may be a bit young to remember, but Shelley is probably most know for her role in the tv series Coach with Craig T. Nelson :)

Shelley married record producer Lou Adler in 1964, but the couple separated two years later and were divorced in 1980. in 1984, Fabares married actor Mike Farrell (B.J from M.a.s.h.) and is stepmother to his two children, Erin and Michael.

in October 2000, Shelley received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis.

shame on me

2011-01-10T10:15:00.006-05:00

January 8 has come and gone and i've neglected to post my annual birthday salutation to the greatest entertainer who ever lived. shame on me. two days ago would have been Elvis' 76th birthday. in honour of the king, here are some of my favourite rare photos. happy belated birthday Elvis!