All I Want for Christmas is...

This crazy fellow right here.

It's Bracelets, Bitches!

I have this problem with jewellery supplies: I find them, covet them and then proceed to hoard and hoard, waiting for the "perfect" design to use them for. It gets to the point when I've accumulated so much stuff that I just fucking explode and quickly transform into Amarina-saurus. I sweep my cluttered work table with one arm, probably singing something upbeat like Diana Ross at a volume that may be disturbing to my neighbours, and proceed to whip up 20 or 25 pieces of jewellery in one go. In these moments, my cat Yma gets very jealous that I am no longer paying any attention to her and starts wrapping and wrapping herself around my ankles.

All of these bracelets are products of my last tornado production line. I started chopping up vintage chain necklaces and mixing and matching them with new and vintage charms to come up with what you see here and more. I've also decided that maybe I should be naming my pieces so I started with something simple: at the top we have "The Cowgirl" and just above is "The Schoolgirl". We'll see how whacked out the names get from here on in.

I usually use my friends as models and cut their heads off to protect their special, secret identities. I've decided that if I just model this stuff myself I could act completely ridiculous, be able to take pictures whenever I damn well pleased and show jewellery on non-decapitated bodies!

This bracelet is "The Biker Chick" and features a badass eagle with a gun charm amongst a cornucopia of beads and chain. I have to admit, I haven't taken it off since I made it.

Thanks for reading,

xoxo
Amarina

New Jams Comin-at-cha!

Lately I've been spending a boatload of time making jewellery and then taking my sweet, sweet time getting it up online. There are no excuses, but at least I've been having an awesome time in my absence! The guy and I spent too little time in Ottawa over Halloween checking out Strayotic, and you should check them out too! Click, click, click. We looked ridiculous in our sleazy 80's costumes (Ron ended up looking a little rape-y) and this was the only picture we managed to get:



When we got back from our mini road trip, I remembered that I make jewellery and it's not going to share itself!



I'm really not a skull person at all, despite my interest in dark things and taxidermy. These however, remind me of Day of the Dead celebrations and they really have a lot of character. I decided that they needed to be long, swingy and shoulder-sweeping, one of my favourite combinations. They would have been perfect in the time leading up to Halloween, but these are definitely all-season.



I've also been doing a serious amount of photographic experimentation, and I've been so happy with the results. After shelling out big bucks for a portable lighting studio and various plastic animal props, I've discovered that the best way to take pictures is first thing in the morning with natural light and some simple backdrops. It's funny, keeping things simple is never my first instinct, I always have to work backwards from completely overthinking everything to get there...but I'm finally happy with the quality!



This crystal wolf necklace is absolutely my new favourite thing. You can wear it double stranded or open it up and wear the necklace super long like so:



There's so much more on the way, so much!

xoxo
Amarina

Land of Talk steals my heart one more time.

Here's the goddamn gorgeous new video from one of my favourite bands, Land of Talk. This also happens to be my favourite song from their last full length album Some Are Lakes, I swear it casts sunshine on the cloudiest of days.

xoxo
Amarina

The Mumlers

My musical tastes are always influenced by the changing of the seasons. I'm more drawn to bright, dance-y beats in the Spring/Summer, and tend to go for darker, folksier, more organic tunes in the Fall/Winter. At the first sign of crispness in the October air, I ran straight into the arms of San Jose independent rockers The Mumlers. They are younger than one would think, based on the richness of their music and the talent that seems to run deep among every member. I was so intrigued by these guys that I found a 10 minute documentary that follows the band for a weekend. I have to say that it only made me love them more.

Enjoy!

xoxo
Amarina

Apple Pickin' with the Fam

Last weekend Ron and I went apple picking with my brother, my mom (who I call 'Lady'), my grandma 'Nanny' and her best friend of over 60 years, Elsie. Just outside of Aurora, the orchards were bursting with fruitful trees and screaming children.



We were supposed to exclusively pick McIntosh and Courtland apples, but we couldn't resist these delicious Spartans. The dude-ish daddy in a Leafs jersey picking apples in the row next to us kept yelling "Spartacus" over and over again until I was dangerously close to pelting a Spartan at him!


The darling men in my life, Johnny and Ron crunching away.


A family shot! Lady and Johnny were rocking the shades despite the cloudy weather, now that's rock and roll!


MMmmmm at the first free moment in my kitchen, I whipped up this delicious, healthy and amazing zucchini apple bread. Here's the recipe, it's easy or I wouldn't make it!

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup white sugs
1 cup brown sugs
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup straight up flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup diced apples
and I threw in a handful of raisins for good measure

-Preheat oven to 350F
-Lightly grease 2 loaf pans
-Combine eggs, sugs, apple sauce and vanilla until blended
-In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
-Stir the dry shit into the wet until it's all one happy family
-Fold in nuts, apple, zucchini, raisin
-Bake 1 hour or until the tops springs back when touched.

Eat a bunch with a hot tea and your feet up. Enjoy!

Hibou Accessories now Available from Art Fire!

So I've decided to spend some time spreading my owl wings and selling my wears on another website in addition to my Etsy shop. Art Fire is still in it's beta phase which is good because I have some issues about how cluttered the front page is, but it has also earned some major points in it's favour. For one, a monthly fee allows me to put as many pieces into my shop as I like, as opposed to Etsy where I pay every time I list an item in my store. Also, I'm pretty sure yet not completely certain that customers do not have to create a profile in order to shop on Art Fire, as they would on Etsy. My last favourite new thing I've discovered on Art Fire is that every item that is listed makes it to the front page...check out my Crystal Bear Earrings that appeared on the front page the other day!



None of this is to say that I'm abandoning my Etsy shop, I'm just doing a little compare and contrast. I'm also curious to hear what other Etsy sellers and shoppers are thinking of the new competitor. Anyone?

xoxo
Amarina

So long summer, hello autumn

Alright, I don't usually share pictures of anything other than weird shit and jewellery. To honour an awesome summer that felt too short, I thought I'd share some of my favourite pictures that my man and I took over the course of the last few months.



"The Spaghetti Incident" - Oh man, I was so excited to celebrate the last days of this past Spring by turning on the oven to bake delicious! chicken! meatballs! yum! In anticipation of d.c.m.y., I had had an early lunch and was ravenous. I was also suffering from Class A Butterfingers, which reached a comic/tragic/sudden end when I smashed my newly plated dish of food INTO EVERYTHING. Tears, laughter and more tears ensued; this level of clutzy-ness is not foreign to me.



Just one of many beautiful shots Ron and I took on our long drive around Central California and beyond with my family this summer. Trip of a lifetime.



A major discovery: leaving Lake Tahoe felt like abandoning a home before you've moved all your stuff in. A return visit ASAP is in order.



I don't even know where to start with the ridiculous setting of this picture. Curiosity, BBQ corn on the cob and too much sun led my man, my brother, his girlfriend and myself into a "Classic Films on Ice" performance starring none other than former Canadian figure skating champion/grannie heart throb/aspiring singer/karate enthusiast Elvis Stoijko. Together with some extremely theatric singers and a bunch of amateur skaters, this solid gold team paid homage to such classic films as Top Gun, Moulin Rouge, Slumdog Millionaire with seemingly random choices like Shrek, High School Musical and my personal favourites Ghostbusters and Kill Bill, in which Elvis sported Uma Thurman's yellow unitard and went through a karate routine on ice. It didn't seem crazy at the time to honour one of our favourite overdone movie moments: Blue Steel!



Meet Yma. She's our darling cat who too often enjoys curling up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, the morning news and the remote. All I ask of her is that she washes a dish to earn her keep around here. Do you think she does it? Absolutely not.



I came home from a long day to a smiling owl on a steaming shepherds pie. Yet another reminder that I found my soul mate at a young age.



Ah! A mapless driving adventure led us to a beautiful and enormous flower garden on the lake. We decided to give our afternoon snack of muffins to the overfed and ungrateful squirrels who were clearly after something more decadent! I don't know how their tails remain so perfect when they're off doing squirrel things all day, my tail would end up all covered in tree sap.



Ron is the Tree Whisperer. He can negotiate the branches of any monstrocity, regardless of it's size.

It's been such an amazing summer, let's hope for an even better fall.

xoxo Amarina

New Grizzly Bear Music Video

I guess instead of posting new jewels today, I'll share with you the new video from the ever-amazing Grizzly Bear! So creepy-beautiful, you can't go wrong with flawless harmonies and jakalopes!

Amarina
xoxo

Feel Good Right Now

Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele has been quite the summer obsession for me. It's one of those albums you can listen to when you're working, drinking, feeling blue or dancing in your living room like a crazywoman. I also listened to it last time I was getting a cavity filled and I have to admit, it made the overall experience much better than it could have been!

Check this out. If you're disappointed, I don't know if I could ever love you.

xoxo Amarina

Back from California and in it to win it

Ron and I are back and recovering from our amazing road trip around central California. It ended up being an onslaught on the senses, with the diversity of gorgeous landscapes, temperatures, people and escapades inspiring us every step of the way. Here's a rather messy representation of where our travels brought us:



Swimming and rock climbing in Lake Tahoe, driving through the desert and losing our brakes in the Sequoia National Park mountains, this trip could never be duplicated. We're starting to think that maybe California is where we need to be for awhile.



I've been spending some time reorganizing my goods for the Fall and Holiday seasons. Tons and tons and tons to come!

xoxo Amarina

Getting Crafty, Martha Stewart Styles

It's been such a rainy summer here in Toronto (absolutely not complaining at all, I love it!) I've been thinking about and actually doing crafty projects like transforming some of my clothes. I'm quite the hoarder when it comes to clothing in particular, letting it take up valuable space in my closet when I could be donating or re-purposing.

When I was 10 or so, my hippie parents enrolled me in summer camp at the local museum in my small town. I vividly remember thinking it was going to be awesome at the time, but knowing it wasn't going to be where the cool kids were and could possibly be lame. Lame it was not, and we did a ton of amazing crafts like making corn husk dolls and sculptures out of a salty flour mixture that I'm sure kids ate behind everyone's back.

One of my favourite projects was tie dying clothes with vegetable dyes that we made ourselves from tea & beets, and this was exactly the first project I did.

This re-usable shopping bag made from a shirt is genius and of course came from the Martha Stewart empire. To oversimplify this awesome project, you cut off the sleeves and collar and then sew up the bottom. For full instructions click on the picture above.

Now I know why I've been hanging onto my oversized forest green extreme lion face t-shirt! I'll post pictures of my project when I'm all done.

Happy crafting,
xoxo Amarina

Hibou on Vacation! Monkeys as Pets!

Hibou Accessories will be on vacation from Aug. 11th - Aug. 20th. I'll be visiting my family in Santa Cruz, CA and I couldn't be more excited!

Any shop orders will be sent out Aug.21st and you bet your bottom dollar I'll be back with pictures of the random shit I come across while away. For the moment, this will have to do:

xoxo

Amarina

Kittens in Windows

Ron and I spotted these two darlings in Peterborough, ON and all I could think of was "Quick, let's document this wonder!" and "How has no one told us about this giant kitten breed? I want in, I want in!"

xoxo Amarina

Florence & The Machine & My Living Room

Alright friends, I've been meaning to put this video up for a couple of weeks now and here it is. Florence Welch is young and hot and awesome and makes me want to put slippy socks on and slide around on my living room floor. Nominated for the Mercury Prize this year and having this song appear on the soundtrack for Diablo Cody's sure-to-be-genius Jennifer's Body, this band is going to be kindof a big deal.

So hit play, turn that shit up, and shake your ass!

xoxo
Amarina

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

I have to say that Wes Anderson has directed my most favourite movies of all time...in particular, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Needless to say, I've been experiencing a ridiculous amount of impatience while waiting for The Fantastic Mr. Fox, written by Roald Dahl whose immense talent for storytelling has been inspiring me since I was a little kid.

We have to wait until November for it to be released, but here is the trailer that was released this morning. Looking good Wes, looking real good.

xoxo
Amarina

Eagerly Awaiting the New Season of Mad Men

Lord knows I love reality television more than any rational being should, ever. I may in fact, be the only person who is looking forward to More to Love, where fatties can love fatties and the skinnies can keep to themselves on the Bachelor and Bachelorette series.

When I'm not dreaming of being stranded on an island with a bunch of strangers, singing my way to stardom or drinking my face off and having tantrums in the name of quality television, I am watching Mad Men. The Season 2 finale was satisfying in so many ways and teased in so many more, I can't wait for the new season!!

Here I am having a martini and seducing Don Draper after a sweaty afternoon of taming stallions. Looks like I have some more taming to do!

xoxo
Amarina

Click on my dream scene above to make your own!

Interview with Etsy Seller Eva from Tomorrow Never Knows

1. What drew you to vintage in the first place?

Vintage has always been a part of my life. My Mom was a huge thrift shopper when I was young and would often hit up Goodwill and other charity shops to buy me clothes and my Dad has always been a collector of antiques. My parents have a vintage pin ball machine and jukebox in our basement and my Dad collected random things to sell and still does. Both of them were a huge influence on me when I was younger. In elementary school it wasn't the coolest to be shopping second hand, in fact it was pretty much a mortal sin. So it didn't become truly enjoyable until I was in high school when finally I was able to embrace my individuality.

2. What do you look for when hunting for vintage goodies?

I can spend very long periods of time combing isles of second hand stores. I never have my thoughts set on particular items, rather I go through each isle scanning the racks. I throw every interesting item I find into my cart until it's pretty much over-flowing and then when I'm finished I sort through what I have. When I search for vintage, fabric is usually key. I can usually identify the age immediately based entirely on the fabric.

3. Who is your customer?

I feel like my customer is someone who understands themselves well and knows what they want and what they like. I would think my customer is someone who also enjoys one-of-a-kind items that are going to make them stand out in the crowd. I really think my focus with my vintage shop is those truly one-of-a-kind stand out pieces. Whether highly trendy or not, the kind of item that's going to catch someone's eye.


4. Do you have a dream piece that you would actually shit your pants if you came across it?

I've always wanted to find (and for super cheap) an amazing 50's tulle frilly dress. I found one once on Etsy which I did purchase and it's more or less a prom dress. But then I came across this other one which was super gorgeous and I saved the pictures of it but couldn't afford to buy it I think it would be the perfect wedding dress, despite having no desire to get married. Other wise, I love being surprised by crazy shit. Vintage is like that, just when you think it can't get any better it does!

5. Who are your style icons?

I'm a big Mia Farrow fan (circa Rosemary's Baby). Any Woody Allen movie also usually has great sophisticated inspiring looks. I love Amy Sedaris and anything she wore in Strangers With Candy. And Miranda July.

6. As always in fashion, everything old becomes new again (am I paraphrasing Iman?), it seems now more than ever vintage clothing is playing a larger role in trends. Do you pay attention to trends? What do you do to keep your finger on the fashion pulse?

I do keep my eye on trends. Not necessarily for selling purposes, but for my own purposes. I love trends! Despite the fact that they are really blurring now in the fashion industry (to the point where you can't keep track, and everything and anything could be considered a trend) I do thrive off of them. I think it keeps the fashion industry on it's toes, but trends also tend to signify certain points in popular culture. You can identify trends with certain points of history and that's what fascinates me about them. That's why I think vintage and trends go hand-in-hand with one another. I also think the reason why it's grown in popularity is because to some extent not only have we turned into a giant generation of irony but perhaps because designers these days just can't create fresh new designs that generate mass appeal.

I try to keep my eye on trends by checking out a variety of European street style blogs. As well as magazines like Lula, Nylon, Russh, etc. It also helps to follow your guts, step outside the box and wear what ever you feel like.


7. Let’s imagine that you are 1 of 25 bachelorettes being introduced to an eligible bachelor recruited by a Canadian cable tv network, what would you wear? Note: the dress code is semi-formal and pageant dresses are allowed. Also, the bachelor is rumoured to be [insert name of dream man here].

Haha! I love this question. For one the bachelor would be Ryan Gosling or Michael Cera and I'd wear that 50's white tulle dress that I have been coveting but could never afford.

8. Do you actively market your store? What do you currently do and what would you like to do to promote Never Knows?

I've started actively marketing the store more now. In the winter time it was difficult because, well winter always sucks! People just don't buy things so it probably wasn't the greatest idea to start an Etsy shop then. I also have a few other jobs to focus on next to this one, so I didn't concentrate on it as much at first. Now it's becoming more of a focus. Starting a blog, advertising through my various networking profiles, joining Twitter (ugh), and participating in sales is my new primary marketing focus. I would love to advertise more. I've contemplated buying ad space on Facebook. I suppose that is something I'd like to do once I have the money to. I also just bought a gallery spot on Etsy for the first time which should help. Starting a full-fledged website is also a big goal of mine.

9. You are currently selling on Etsy, which of course is a fabulous place for emerging sellers of all mediums, what do you like/what would you change about Etsy? What’s your next step as a vintage seller?

I love etsy. I was a huge huge buyer on Etsy before I started selling. I believe I've bought over 200 items on Etsy if my feedback is correct, which is insane!!

I think it's a great hub for creative people in general, and despite considering moving on to a different selling system I've still stuck with it. Etsy is a great community, and it will always be one of the greatest most ingenious ideas I think the internet has seen. As a seller I've certainly realized it has it's difficulties though. I like that it's open minded, but I also find Etsy can be incredibly overwhelming. I've heard a lot of people mention that, which I think hinders it a great deal. Some people would still rather shop on Ebay than Etsy, because Ebay is a little more concise. I think I would change the fact that it get's a little over run with stuff.

I was particularly weirded out when Etsy and Rosie O'Donnell were promoting the site together. Despite her work being for a good cause I don't think it was the right outlet for Rosie O'Donnell who was selling her "craft projects" which were old awards that she glued some old crap to. Perhaps that's just my personal opinion, and no offense to anyone who loves Rosie. I don't mind her, but I think her selling mechanics were a little off the wall and embarrassing. If I were a artisan who spent hours on projects that they were later donating money to a charitable organization, I would have been pissed that they were promoting a B-list celebrity instead of focusing on shops that do good deeds. I kind of thought that was a bit in bad taste.

*Hibou here, interjecting to put my two cents in and say that the Rosie O'Donnell Etsy crafts are the ugliest shit I have ever laid eyes on.

10. Who would win this battle of the birds: Owl vs. Ostrich.

Easy...owls. Owls can fly. I'm sure if you had an owl big enough it could pick the ostrich up, therefore having the biggest advantage of the two.

*Thanks Eva, I can't wait to see what you come up with next!!!

xoxo
Amarina

Add another place to "Things I Must See Before I Croak" List

There are a million reasons why Etsy has become such a success and why artsy crafty people like me are so drawn to it. They've really managed to create a virtual environment that sucks you in and makes you feel like you are a valuable part of a community, and a community that cares about art and handmade things to boot!

This is one of their newest blog posts and I have to say that I'm really quite taken with all the locations they've featured so far in their "There's No Place Like Here" video series, and I'm especially seduced by this place in particular. It's an instant I must visit this place at least once in my life reaction. And so it will be, check it out.

xoxo
Amarina

Etsy Treasuries

I've been so lucky to have been featured in two Treasuries on Etsy this week! Click that hot necklace to check it out before it's over!

Thanks to my fellow Etsy ladies for that awesome surprise!

xoxo Amarina

Amarina Galafianakis

Dear Zach Galifianakis,

I honestly can't remember the first time I laid eyes on your delightful face, but you have been at the top of my fantasy to-do list for years. You were also on my mind when I acknowledged a pattern and discovered that my "type o' man" is typically a little chubby, a little beardy, maybe a little boozy and totally hilarious. Other men that I found jumping into this mix but didn't stay long include Richard Karn (of Home Improvement fame...he didn't meet the "hilarious" requirement) and my Grade 12 German teacher who liked to wear lederhosen-inspired khakis and button up collarless dress shirts.

Now that I've been thinking about this much harder than I probably should be, I'm pretty sure the first time I saw you was in Out Cold, which must have been airing on TV one night at 3am. I have to say that I was super excited to see you in a leading film role that was not Out Cold. After seeing a few different previews for The Hangover, I decided to go opening night. Not only was the flick significantly better than what I had been expecting, but we got to see [spoiler alert] your ass and junk. I highly recommend it if you're into masculine douchebaggery and gross-out jokes.

Not About Love from Zach Galifianakis

In honour of The Hangover being funny enough to recommend to you guys and in celebration of determining my Man Type after 27 years of crushing on the guys no one else crushes on, here's my hubby's take on Fiona Apple's Not About Love, which I am about, but only when it comes to chubby, beardy comedians with a bit of a lush streak and unruly facial hair.

xoxo
Amarina

Vintage Clip Ons from Hibou!

So I had my ears pierced when I was 7 or so and suffered from allergic reactions to pretty much every kind of metal. I didn't try to pierce my ears again until a few years ago when I learned that I had grown out of my metal sensitivities. Up until that point however, I had to get creative with the clip ons, which were difficult to find and often not my style.

I've been accumulating awesome vintage pairs to a point of hoarding, so I've decided to put up a bunch of really great ones on the ole Etsy store. Click on the pictures for the direct links to each piece.

Knowing that I love taking apart vintage jewellery and found objects to give them new life, dear friends and family sometimes share treasures, odds and ends with me. A jewellery fairy godmother dropped off these gorgeous Givenchy vintage clip ons from 1977 and a bunch of other amazing treats.

There's more to come where vintage goodies are concerned, as always!

xoxo Amarina

The Gossip - Heavy Cross

Have I mentioned that I'm in love with Beth Ditto and The Gossip? There are 6 million reasons why and here are two of them, in no order of significance:

1. Beth Ditto is hot, fat, rock & roll, and unapologetic. As a plus-sized girl, I often get irritated and ranty when it comes to fat & fashion, fat & beauty, fat & role-models, fat & fat-hate and fat & pretty much everything else in pop culture. I try to spare everyone from my long-winded rants with much success but I'm going to step out of that to say: Beth Ditto is hot AND fat AND awesome and it's about time that someone this wicked is finally breaking some molds.

2. When it comes to being fashionable (an extreme challenge for meaty ladies as we have limited options) Beth Ditto rocks that shit out, wearing whatever she feels like and looking hot. Did I mention she's hot?

Check out the new single from The Gossip, "Heavy Cross". Dripping in gold jewellery and spitting gold dust, this chick is after my heart. I've already concluded that this album is going to be one summer anthem after another and it'll be a new livingroom dance party fave.

Happy Pride Week everyone!

xoxo Amarina

Bump Bu Bump Bu Bump It Up

OKAY. I absolutely love infomercials. LOVE them. The Shopping Network is a close second to the late night 30 minute spots but I'll settle if I have to. Especially when you get to witness episodes featuring a drunk Brian Bailey hocking his Spring/Summer 2009 collection and making comments like "you'll look good coming and going" while smacking asses, throwing empty hangers around the set and talking over the poor dude who is attempting to sell his product (genius). This one-time live episodic structure of the Shopping Network is precisely why I prefer the late night paid advertisements that you see over and over again.

My affair with the late night infomercials began with the "Set It and Forget It" rotisserie grill that would be absolutely useless to a vegetarian such as myself, yet I still wanted it. The talking head of the doctor in his office features him outlining the benefits of the machine while a pair of fowl rotate and drip in the background. IN HIS OFFICE.

Next came the Magic Bullet, which sounds more like a vibrator I'd like to have and less like a piece of kitchen equipment that I can't possibly live without. The smoking hag gave the hosts a run for their money in the acting department and I was hooked.

This was followed by a brief fascination with that self-sustaining vacuum that is capable of making decisions and maybe has a soul. I have now concluded that I'm scared of it and try not to think about the advancement of machines.

I'm not even going to get into the Vince of ShamWow meth-fueled prostitute-ridden drama because it's too out there and I could really go on about it. I will say that his new "Slap Chop/Graty" show is pretty impressive, regardless of a million products out there exactly like it.

Now we get to the Bump It, which I have been enjoying for the last couple of months. I know the video is 8 mins long, but please if you're going to watch any of it, watch up to the 3 minute mark. After professions of "no teasing!", "no hairspray", and something like "no more hair disintegration", the woman is actually unable to create the look without these things. The resulting coif was described by my boyfriend as a lop-sided wedding cake. Instant classic, enjoy!

xoxo
Amarina

Toronto Air Sex Championships

Oh man, so excited that it's finally consistently lovely outside and my partner and I feel like we've broken the hermit cocoon and are venturing out into the world again. One of the things I'd been looking forward to for awhile is the Air Sex Championships that rolled through Toronto last night. A perfect mix of sexy slow jams from the 70's - 90's (hello Color Me Badd!!) and epic film instrumentals (maybe a ditty from Harry Potter?), the brave souls that ventured on stage wiggled and moaned and stripped and were generally sweaty and hilarious.

I like to think it takes a lot to shock me, but I was genuinely surprised to see the very first contestant light his prop dink on fire. This must be the ultimate sign predicting one hell of a summer and I'm so ready for it.

xoxo
Amarina

Luminato & What the hell happened to June?

Ooooh tonight me and the buds are checking out one of the free Luminato events. It's a screening of the silent horror film Tales of the Uncanny (Unheimliche Geschichten) that was first released in 1919. The soundtrack will be provided live by none other than Final Fantasy, Do Make Say Think and Berlin electronica artist Robert Lippok. Should be AWESOME!

xoxo Amarina

P.S. How the hell is it June 11th already? Where have I been?

Sharing the Shame

Just a quick one this time: Hibou Accessories is now sharing hot shit and being generally sassy on Twitter! I figure if Colin Meloy and Diablo Cody are doing it, I might as well hop on the bandwagon.

xoxo
Amarina

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Peaches Screeches Speeches

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. I'm so into the new Peaches album I just keep listening and dancing and listening and pretending that I have a great voice and charismatic stage presence. Up until now, the obvious favourite music video from Peaches was "Kick It" featuring Iggy Pop where they look hot and fight zombies. This video for "Talk to Me" rivals that with hair monsters emerging from a painting of her own face followed by a sexy hair monster orgy. Perfect way to start off a Saturday! Dance away friends.

xoxo
Amarina

Haunted Long Weekend Adventures!

Hurrah! I'm back and feeling great after a lovely long weekend with dear friends. Although I experienced various degrees of exposure to poison ivy, black flies, sunshine, tequila shots and malfunctioning scum spewing hot tubs (not in the tub at the time), the weekend was rejuvenating.

We were all excited to come across this dilapidated house on our way home and I thought I'd share these pictures.



This shot in no way represents how gross and scary this joint was, I half expected the Blair Witch to jump out and hypnotize me into the corner.



This darling little shack was full of old signs and interesting bird nests. We also had to be quite aware of the ground while navigating the patches of dog shit. That's my friend Eva, check out her fantastic blog here.

NEW! AWESOME! PIECES! Coming this week!

xoxo Amarina

Mix Tape Madness

For the first time in a million years, I am taking some time off work. Three days. THREE WHOLE DAYS! I'll be going on a mini-road trip with my partner and two dear friends, which means that I must spend every waking minute before we leave creating the greatest road trip mix of all time.

Allow me to pursue a new level of honesty here: I have reached a new level of procrastination. I'm now not photoshopping pictures (which I love doing but I have to be in the right mood), or making the ultimate mix tape (original procrastination strategy), I am fantasy shopping on Etsy.
So this is the list I've compiled of darling goods from various Etsy sellers that I probably can't live without.

Able & Game make cards that I want to send to people, including this Hipster mix tape card which has this pretty perfect description:

So I got your mix tape, it kinda rocked my world. The fact that you included The Smiths, The Cure makes me all warm inside, however this may not show on my sullen, depressed face. Oh and I also love Kate Bush by the way, just don't tell any of my friends.

Next we have this ridiculously cute felt pouch from Brave Moonman's shop.

Now I don't need to discuss the dangers of a 90 minute mix tape, I've written of this embarassment before. But when the love song mix tape is actually an adorable zip pouch free of fear-inducing confessions, what can go wrong? That's right, nothing. Embarassment-free satisfaction and there's more where this came from. Check them out for some really awesome pieces.

Finally, we have this wicked converted cassette tape notebook from Bibliopegy. This particular book is made with a map of Istanbul, which I can fantasize about living in while scribbling down master plans and dirty little secrets. You can choose one of several cities in cassette book form or request a custom city; maybe I'll see about a Toronto edition!

I hope you all have a great long weekend!

xoxo
Amarina