R.I.P. June Havoc (November 8, 1912 - March 28, 2010)

cassandra rhodin

i'm really liking Swedish fashion illustrator Cassandra Rhodin's work. see more here.

the cackle sisters

y'ever tried ta sing like bird? the DeZurik Sisters did. emulating the birds on their Minnesota farm began an innovative style that would have Mary Jane and Caroline Dezurik dubbed the Cackle Sisters.

the duo, who played numerous radio shows as well as gigs at the Grand Ole Opry over the course of their career, recorded only six songs to accetate in 1938. lucky for us however, a number of their 1937 performances on a radio show called Checkerboard Time are still in existence, many of which can be heard here. if you haven't yet heard the lovely lilting voices of these ladies from long ago, i highly recommend you check them out. below is a sampling of what you're in for. enjoy :)

nathan athay exhibit

my extraordinarily talented husband, Nathan Athay, is having an art opening a week from today at the Extempore Studio/Gallery here in Toronto. if anyone reading this lives in the area, you owe it to yourselves to come and see Nathan's paintings in person at 141 Spadina Ave on April 1st, from 5pm until 11pm (it's free and so are the drinks). you can read more about Nathan and his art here. hope to see some of you there! :D

yesterday's muse #19 - elise daniels

yet another mystery muse, I'm afraid. try as i might, i can't seem to find any biographical information on Elise Daniels, who has been captured by the great photographers of her time and whose beauty lingers, despite the void of information. i was presented with a similar quandry when i sought to write about Georgia Hamilton, but was pleasantly surprised by an email from her son which solved the mystery. if there is anyone out there with any information on Elise Daniels, please do let me know as i would be delighted to share it with my readers.

free stuff

i just discovered Canon's Creative Park, which offers all sorts of nifty printable downloads for free. my favourite are these adorable CD/DVD cases designed by Tomoko Suzuki. go take a peek, there's tonnes o' fun stuff!

a real gem

i've a love of hyper-realistic painting, as you may already know, and i am awed by Carly Waito's detailed renderings of gemstones so real i can almost touch them. as it happens, this extraordinarily talented artist lives right here in Toronto, so i'm hoping to see her work in person sometime! see more of Carly's paintings on flickr, and while you're at it, check out her fabulous blog.

R.I.P. Alex Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010)

all the king's women # 19 - joan o'brien

Joan O'Brien was born on Valentine's day in 1936, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. she began her career as a singer on a local television show while still in highschool and made her film debut in Handle With Care in 1958. Joan is perhaps most famous for her role in Operation Petticoat(1959) with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis, in which she plays an army nurse whose bountiful proportions make it difficult for sailors to concentrate whilst confined to the tight quarters of a submarine.


O'Brien proved her versatility by appearing in dramas and comedies alike, and even starring opposite John Wayne in two westerns, The Alamo (1960) and The Comancheros (1961). oddly, however, Joan played a nurse in more than half of her films, and her appearance in Elvis' 12th movie, It Happened at the World's Fair (1963), was no exception.




as nurse Dianne Warren, Joan plays hard to get while Elvis' character pursues her in every way possible, even paying a young boy (played by an 11 year old Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shins so he'll have an excuse to visit the infirmary. in the end his advances pay off, of course.

Joan made one more film after this one (Get Yourself a College Girl (1964))before retiring from the screen due to a stormy personal life. O'Brien concentrated on raising her two children (one from the first and one from the second of four marriages) and eventually became a successful executive for the Hilton hotel chain.

if polygamy were legal # 30

if polygamy were legal, i would marry this 'Two-Wheeler Shirtdress' in a field somewhere, then renew my vows to it every summer for the rest of my life. i. need. this. dress.

[click on the image to enlarge. it's the pattern that slays me.]

spring along the mississippi

spring is finally peeking out from behind winter's petticoats and i couldn't be happier for it. i am victim to the wintry doldrums most years, and this has been no exception. as in past years, i welcome spring with every atom of my being. bienvenue fresh air and warm breezes! how i've missed you sun and leaves and little wee birdies!

on that note, here are some photos to get you i the springtime mood. these are from a series i found at the Life Photo Archives called Spring Along the Mississippi, taken by Loomis Dean in March 1949. so fresh and sweet and lovely, no?

shadows and thread

behold the extraordinary work of Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita. note that the portrait below is made entirely of thread and pins. astounding.

McQueen's last collection

the late Alexander Mcqueen's final collection is sublime. the world has lost a true master of his craft. see more here. [click on images to enlarge]

hall of dames #17 - meg tilly

my husband and i watched The Big Chill for the umpteenth time the other day, and i was reminded of how much i adore Meg Tilly. she has a quiet grace and a mysterious depth about her that captivates me. so much so, that i've decided to induct her into the Loose Leaf Tigers Hall of Dames...


Meg was born Margaret E. Chan on Valentines day 1960, in Longbeach, California. after her parents' divorce in 1963, she was raised by her mother, Patricia Tilly, and stepfather, on rural Texada Island in British Columbia, Canada. Tilly studied ballet as a teen and made her film debut as a dancer in Fame (1980). a serious back injury prevented Meg from continuing her dancing career, and so she decided to become an actress.



Tilly appeared in some of my favourite films -among them The Big Chill (1983), Agnes of God (1985)(for which she won a golden globe and was nominated for an oscar) and Leaving Normal (1992)- but retired from acting in 1995 to to devote herself to writing and raising a family.


Meg has three children, two with her first husband, and one with actor Colin Firth, with whom she had a five year relationship. Meg and Colin met while filming Valmont in 1989. Tilley's second husband was 30 years her senior, and a former president of Sony Pictures. the couple were married in 1995 and divorced in 2002. now remarried and living in British Columbia, Meg has written four novels - Singing Songs, Gemma, Porcupine and First Time. you can find out more about these books, as well as read Meg's blog at her official website.

R.I.P. Corey Haim (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010)

werd.

jordan strong

i am entranced by this beautiful photoshoot from Jordan Strong's flickr stream. so ethereal and strangely inviting. makes me wanna put on a romper and run around the woods with this girl, y'know? it does look a bit chilly for a romper though :) see more of Jordan's photos here.