Spriggets

I'm working on a media project for a friend's pop-up Speak Easy. I'm making a mash-up of various silent horror movies. I used to make movie highlight videos using my dvd recorder and vcr but this is my first time actually attempting this digitally. It's going pretty well but I can tell it's going to be pretty time consuming so I have to be disciplined on working on it every day.

Yesterday my one big goal was to paint my animal head pendents but I got an email that ACTS (local thrift store) was having a 40% off sale for three hours so I dropped everything and drove over. I already had a $10 off coupon so I was excited to comb through it and get some stuff. My favorite part about acts is that they bundle random art and craft supplies in bags for .79-$3 depending on what all is in it. I always end up with weird partially used supplies that I would normally never buy, but that's what makes them more interesting.

I had a dream last week that I was at this weird cheap grocery store, Not cheap in a questionable way, cheap in a totally unrealistic dreamworld kind of way. Everything in the store cost mere pennies. I bought a giant brownie from the baker for a few cents and she gave me a complimentary watercolor set, exactly like the one at the bottom of the picture. I've been wanting a dry palette like that, all my water colors are in tubes and I feel like I often misjudge how much I need and waste them. In that same dream I saw my Aunt. She was dressed kind of funny and wearing really shiny shoes. She was on her way to work so I went with her, which in my dreams was this place where Swedish inventions are tested called "Spriggets". It's like a stumbled into a Roald Dahl universe. It was nice, I'd like to go back.

Anyway, I got a whole bunch of stuff and wasted a huge chunk of the day shopping, which is the last thing I should be doing. So today my to-do list is massive. Starting with these bad boys...

Will post pictures upon completion.

Why do thrift store candles always smell like Chantilly Ass? Why do I buy thrift store candles. All the time actually. I usually have one nice ass target candle going in the kitchen and forty miscellaneous old person candles in the bathroom.

Anyway, better "Start" my "day".

Beachez Foreverz

Visiting Florida for a few days. As much as I hate Panama City, it's abrasive tackiness shaped me. I wouldn't have such an unmatched lack of taste if it weren't for growing up in airbrushed t-shirts and collecting shell art.

There's a magical awfulness I love and can only try to recreate in my little one bedroom Pasadena apartment.

 On a more serious magical music note, I discovered the greatest bath product of all time. Crabtree and Evelyn has made the most lovely products. I grew up with Nantucket Briar in the shower, but I rarely buy it or experiment with their other pricey scents. This weekend being sort of an early birthday celebration I splurged on some things that make me feel like a lady! I bought this Vetiver soap that has changed my life...

intense bath time wizardry.

dainty juniper dreamz.

My flight was canceled today so instead of going through Houston tomorrow I'll be connecting through Baltimore. I keep day dreaming I'll see John Waters on my flight *heart*

XENOMORPHING!

YAY! I miss my darling Lisa Franklien!

I fart hearts.

records are round

We went to the Pasadena City College Flea Market/Record Swap the day before yesterday. It was really pretty mind blowing. I started out perusing the outer area which was mostly antique collectibles. It's the kinda place you gotta be careful or you could easily spend all your money in one spot. I could have probably found stuff I wanted at any random booth but I'm glad I held off, after walking around for a while I came across a booth of Japanese antiques and ephemera. They had these amazing movie posters, they were so cool I knew I had to get one even though I had no clue what I was looking at. There were several that were under consideration, one with Toshiro Mifune, but I didn't really like the design of that one. Another was obviously a Roman Porno, I was able to get the Japanese lady who worked there to translate the title as "Sex Document". It was pink and had women in bondage on it. That was a serious contender but after much consideration and pacing back and forth, I ended up going with this one...

"Tiger Mask"...sure, I've never seen it. All I know is that it's a late 60's Toei production and that's good enough for me. Plus it goes more with what I'm trying to do with the apartment. I also went ahead and picked these up...

Lovely! Must frame!

And this for $1...

The Avon bottle, not the Egbert.

After that I moved on to the massive parking structure that housed the records. It was more than overwhelming, it was kind of a dream come true. We only focused on a few vendors and ended up with the following...

This was really the find of the day. The cd goes for about $60, I'd much rather have this $25 LP. The two issues are the the only place you can get most of these themes.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this one at first. Side A is like melodramatic opera, but side B is much more upbeat beginning with a twist song and keeping a steady rhythm throughout the rest of the record. Definitely worth it and now we own another Riz Ortolani score, Score!

Ever since hearing the "Shock" album, I've always had a fascination with the Creed Taylor Orchestra. This one is even better, it's spy jazz! My favorite. I had completely forgotten that the Nervous Beat is a song I'm already familiar with and kind of love. Kind of a lot.

Tangerine Dream keeps popping up in my life lately. First I bought that silent film L'Inferno in which TD has redone the score for contemporary release. Then a facebook friend posted a bunch of TD youtube videos, including the theme to Sorcerer, which peaked my interest in the score and the film. Because of both, TD has just been coming up in conversation more than usual lately. This was a cheapy so I decided to jump on it. Every once in a while you need some nice ethereal Tangerine Dreaminess.

This was my husband's big find of the day. He's been wanting it for a while and if you're a fan of experimental jazz, you can understand why. It was written by Bob Graettinger. Anytime you see a Stan Kenton record with Graettinger's name on the credits, it's going to be awesome. Think Ornette Coleman or even Naked City. I was very please with this one too <3

This one's a given. One of my favorite compiled soundtracks. The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Lords of the New Church, Concrete Blonde. Such a fun movie and a fun soundtrack.

I love me some Matt Helm! This is basically just any old Dean Martin record only you get to hear his rendition of the theme to the Silencers, which is awesome! One of my favorite 60's spy themes!

This was kind of an impulse buy. It was cheap and I'd never heard the Roxy cast recording...plus, can't beat that cover. Well, the truth is I'm a little embarrassed of this one. Not sure why. To top it off it's not even as good as the movie cast recording, behhhh...oh well!

Gotta go! Good morning to you Sir!

and Ma'am'zzz!

Devo and Xuxa.

I saw Devo. That's right. And it was glorious. Indescribable. Magic.

I might also add that I recently acquired a dvd of miscellaneous episodes of Xuxa. Yes, Xuxa, the vixenous children's show hostess. How I loved her. It was a pocket of my childhood I remember well. I was seven years old, it was at the peak of kid's variety shows like "What Would You Do?" and "Wild and Crazy Kids". This show is obviously a cash in on both, the success of such shows and an American vehicle for the Brazilian sensation, Xuxa. I remember colors, shoulder pads, hot pants, dancing, singing, animals, kids having fun...

Then I watched it now.

It's so terrible. Her english is so atrocious, she has no idea what's going on. The jokes aren't funny, the music's pretty lame. It's really just an awful show. Does this mean I dislike Xuxa now? Of course not. Her memory will live in my heart forever, and apart of me wonders if that's where she should have stayed. Thankfully, no matter how sucky the show might have been, there will always be this...

easy breezy

I went make-up shopping in Destin with my Mom yesterday! I'd really been wanting to do this for two reasons.

• I'm getting married next week and I think I deserve nice new make-up after using nothing but Revlon, Cover Girl and NYC for the past 5 years or so.

• I'm moving to California next month! Going to Destin reminds me of spending quality time with my Mom and Grandma when they'd take me back to school shopping. I wanted to relive this experience at least one more time before I leave!

So we went and had our much needed Mother/Daughter time. Lots of venting about this or that, talking about cleavage, food, sleazy Italian waiters and why certain colors of eyeshadow make us look tired or retarded. I love the Cosmetic Company Store (I think that's what it's called) you spend as much on MAC and Estee Lauder as you would on Revlon or Loreal at a drugstore. I ended up with a nice haul of great stuff. I got things I normally wouldn't too, which is always difficult for some reason. I usually gravitate towards smokey eyeshadow and something in the bold/dark red family for lip color. This time I got bright summery eye colors and light, flowery lip colors. I really love MAC. Their colors are truly outrageous! I ended up with mostly blues, greens, pinks and purples. The lipsticks I ended up falling in love with were two (well, three really) colors looked that looked great together! Pink Nouveau (really bright 60's bubblegum pink) and Vanity's Child (which is SO not like any lipstick I've ever bought, it's kind of a modest beige. It goes on sheer and mixed together they make the perfect not-too-loud retro pink. Even better if I go over it with the MAC Suntints Liquid Lip Balm I got in "Moist Plum" a translucent purple gloss. When I wear these things I feel like France Gall or something. I know I don't actually look like her but it's nice to feel so dainty and pretty.

Getting much over-due decent make-up was great. But the highlight of the trip was definitely picking up a bottle of this for myself...

Oh how I love Anna Sui Fragrance! I started buying her original scent in middle school. I think I got my first bottle at this same fragrance store! I remember being instantly attracted to the vintage-looking black and clear bottle with the lovely purple perfume inside. It has a CLASSIC smell, it reminds me of the 1920's, not that I know what the 1920's are like but my projection of it. This was my staple perfume for years, I distinctly remember wearing it on my first date when I was 15. Then when "Sui Dreams" came out in it's strange arched shape bottle with the lovely sky blue perfume inside, I was overwhelmed! I liked it even more than the classic scent. It really is soft and dreamy. Over the years I've gotten some of her other scents. Sui Love in the sweet pink and orange butterfly shaped bottle. It's the most flowery. It has a beautiful smell like they all do but it's kind of strong so it never quite ranked up their with the Classic scent and Sui Dreams. I only just ran out of my first and only bottle, I did use it and enjoy it but very slowly in small doses. That's another thing, I've had some bottles for years and it never gets that old alcohol-ly smell that some do. Even other designer perfumes. My Mom has a bottle of Estee Lauder's Youth Dew that I bought on a whim around that time that smells even worse than when I got it. That's some rank-ass old lady shit. I can always tell right away when someone walks in the room wearing Youth Dew. It's very musky and geriatric. Don't wear it ladies, it's just awful.

 Anyways, I just love all of Anna Sui's perfumes, they're so fresh and versatile. You can even mix them! No, don't go breakin' those pretty bottles. I mean, you can wear a two at once and it's not gross and over powering. It makes this awesome hybrid. I always used to do that with classic and dreams, or dreams and love. Dolly girl and love are great together too! I swear Dolly Girl actually tones down "love". Ok, I'm WAY too enthusiastic about this. I just hadn't been keeping up with any of her fragrances in the past several years so I was shocked and amazed when I saw this awesome peacock bottle! and I KNEW it would smell amazing, and it soooo does. It makes me want to wear pearls, powder my nose in front of my vanity and have tea parties. It's weird how she always manages to match the design of the bottle to the aroma and make it fit! I would describe Dreams as "dreamy", Classic as "classic!" and now I would describe Flight of Fancy as "feathery".

Boy did this blog get boring.

I think I'm all yuppied out for the night.

Goodnight my darlings. It's time for beautiful dreamz!

My Early Morning Projections of Cigarette Island

But I don't smoke?

tiny friends

Last night I dreamt that these weird little bugs were swarming around my head. I was with my Mom and she was really freaked out by them. She thought they were locusts or something. I was unafraid, I reached my hand out and several of them landed on me, then we realized they teeny tiny humminbirds!! Hundreds of them flying all around us!!

Smaller than this even.  Not much longer than an inch. I could feel the aviation of their tiny little wings fanning wind on my hands.


I love coming in contact with creatures from the dreamlands.

Broadway Magic

Last night I was dreaming that I had a special breed of colorful cats. They communicated with my telepathically. They warned me of impending disaster and if I left them today they'd surely die. I think this is probably due to my apprehension for going to my Grandma's today. It was a lovely dream, and playing with these colorful cats was set to this song...




I remember listening to this song a lot on my way to New York for the first time. So I literally associate it with Broadway. I was listening Jem and the Holograms like crazy. That and the All Girl Summer Fun Band really encompassed this magical time in my life! 17 years old, first time in a big city alone, discovering Chinatown! Make no mistakes. Pure unbridled Unicorn Magic.

Hey Handsome!

last pic taken from my favorite blog and BFF forever!