Sunday Somethings

This is the first Sunday Somethings of 2013, no? I'm simultaneously surprised that we are halfway through January and also that we are ONLY halfway through January, if that makes sense. Christmas and the new year seem so long ago. I guess that's what happens, holidays finish, we go back to work and our routines continue. As a Taurus, I don't really think that's such a bad thing. Routine! Stability! These things make me feel pretty comfortable and I go about my life with lower stress levels if I can count on them.

1. Browsing arts

I would like to purchase some art for my flat sometime this year. As I know very little about art, I feel like this is going to be a purchase that I will spend a fair amount of time researching and planning before I outlay any cash. Not that I'm planning to spend heaps of money or anything, but it will hang in my home so I want it to be a considered purchase. At the moment I'm surprising myself by my own interest in abstract painting. 

Painting by Elizabeth Chapman. Check out her etsy store here and her website here.

2. Shoes

I don't buy shoes unless I have to. Any other kind of clothing I happily purchase on a want not need basis, but shoes are definitely a needs based thing. I just find so many of them ugly and uncomfortable - I'm not into the clompy platform heels that won't seem to go away, and a good pair of flats is hard to find. I'm kind of stealing this from Georgia, but she recently ordered some shoes from The Horse, and I am having shoe jealousy. They are having a sale. Could this be love?

3. The Staves

I just did a quick search, and I'm surprised I haven't mentioned this band on the blog before as there was a few weeks there when was listening to them non stop. They are three sisters from the UK who sing folk music. Their music is gentle and lovely, sometimes just what I need to ease me into the day on my commute to work.

    

Their album is not yet available on Australian iTunes which is a bit annoying, but they have a few EPs that I highly recommend! 

 4. Stickygram

I recently used Stickygram to order two sheets of magnets with photos from my Instagram feed printed on them. One sheet for me, and the other for Mum as part of her birthday present. It was so quick and easy! At $14.95 a sheet and with free postage I thought it was a pretty good deal as well. The pictures I chose for mum are mostly from her garden - one of my favourite places to photograph!

xx

Sunday Somethings.

1. Summertime.

 

2. Too-late musical discoveries.

Sometimes you discover a band and it's too late. It's their last album. You spend some time catching up on their back catalogue and then you want more... but they are gone. They were already gone when you came across their music. There are some bands you just wish would reform, for one more album, or for one more tour. The Sundays came into my life around 2000 or 2001 and I would love more.


And how about those '90s fashions? Black bodysuit with Levi 501s - cuffed of course, wide black belt with large buckle, and you can probably assume there are some Doc Martens in there somewhere too.

2. The Parker - Palm Springs.

I wish they made hotels that look like this in Australia! If you like mid-century style and breeze-blocks then you might enjoy the pictures of this stylish looking place.


3. Bad Garage Sale Signs. 

What ever happened to the art of good garage sale signs? Doesn't anyone own a thick black texta or some black paint anymore?

"Oh, I know what will get noticed by passing cars - pink highlighter texta on an A4-sized piece of paper."

Wrong! Try again!

"Oh, well, what about if I stick it to a tree some distance from the road and the footpath? I'll put it behind this one that only has tape at the bottom now so you can't read it anymore because it has fallen over on itself. Will that be OK? People stop their cars to get out and read small signs don't they?"

Examples of poorly placed garage sale signs. (The one written with pink highlighter was gone when I went to take a photo of it unfortunately but I'm sure you can imagine it.)

4. Computer Game Glitches.

I think I love a computer game graphics glitch almost as much as I love watching shows about hoarders. Here are a few that made me chuckle as I've gamed over the last couple of years.

Skyrim glitch - "Oh, don't mind me - my legs are now encased in stone but I still like a chat."

The Sims - what happened to that cat!? My video card just isn't up to scratch when it comes to the Pets expansion pack.

The Sims - alien baby.

The Sims - I can't quite get the hang of this guitar.

Sunday Sevens

It's been a while since I've done one of these. That could have something to do with the fact that I rarely find a whole seven new things to get into in the space of seven days - when I like things, I tend to obsess about them for a lengthy period of time and then get over them completely. It happens a lot with food, particularly confectionary items. For example at the moment, I'm all about musk sticks and banana lollies. However, in a few weeks time I'll probably walk past them in the local supermarket while suppressing a slight wave of nausea, telling myself never again...Ah sugar. Such a cruel mistress.

Anyway. 

Here's what's on my radar at the moment. 

1. Pitch Perfect

I cannot wait to see this - basically it's is a dancing movie, but with singing instead of dance routines. From what I gather, Pitch Perfect involves a capella groups from rival colleges battling each other to win some kind of competition. It also stars Anna Kendrick, who is the only good thing about the Twilight movies and was excellent in "Up in the Air" with George Clooney, a few years ago. Watching her in Twilight is a delight, because she's the only cast member who appears to have a sense of humour about the whole business of sparkly vampires, stalking and extreme pouting. And anything that incorporates "No Diggity" is always going to be appreciated by this 90s RnB loving lady...

2. Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt is one of the few (if not the only) female guitarists to regularly appear on lists like Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists and the like. She's got a mean set of pipes as well. I was stoked to pick up two of the last tickets for a friend and I to see her play at The Enmore in April next year. She's coming to Australia for the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival - hooray for sideshows! Check out this video of her on The David Letterman Show earlier this year. She is 62...62!!! Seriously cool.

3. The Chinese Checkers dress from Gorman

It wouldn't be a Sunday Seven without something fashion related. I don't know if I'll ever be able to bring myself to pay $289 for this little number, but it is pretty damn cute. And black with white polka dots appeals to me almost as much as navy and white stripes. I always love supporting Australian based labels when I can, and I do spend a bit of time cruising the Gorman site, waiting for things to go on sale...

4. Letterpress

One of my fellow word-game-loving friends put me onto this one recently, and I've become pretty obsessed. It's kind of like boggle - the letters are on a five by five grid, you play against an opponent, making as many words as possible and stealing letters from each other where you can. It takes a few games to get the hang of the rules and is quite addictive. The interface is simple and attractive (in my opinion - Letterpress was created by the guy who invented Twitter), and the only complaint I have is that it doesn't have a messaging function - I like to be able to chat with my opponents and either compliment them on their excellent plays, or amuse myself with some trash talking. It's available for iPhones and iPads. Play with me! My user name is CarrieBe4n.

5. Closer - Tegan and Sara

So, it looks like this is going to be a music-heavy post. Do you mind? I hope not. I've been a fan of these Canadian twins for a while, and when this song came out a little earlier this year it was on a loop in my brain for about three weeks. It is definitely a new direction for them, which some fans probably won't like. It's a lot more electro-pop than their previous alt-rock efforts, and kind of makes me think they have perhaps been listening to a lot of Swedish singer Robyn, and maybe some Passion Pit as well. I'm a huge fan of both of those artists, so obviously I love this. 

6. Girls

Lena Dunham is one of those women that everyone loves to have an opinion about. She's young, she's successful, she's talented, she has the kind of body that plenty of women can actually relate to - i.e. she's not a size 4 and she doesn't apologise or devalue herself because of it, so naturally it's game on to find all sorts of reasons why she is undeserving of the success she has achieved so far. She recently signed an extremely lucrative book deal, which of course resulted in the internet going absolutely bonkers about whether or not she "deserved" that many zeros on a cheque.

I like her. I think she's funny, but I'm going to be straight with you here - I hated the first 5 episodes of her TV show Girls. I loathed all the characters and found absolutely nothing redeeming, likeable or watchable about any of them. And then in the 6th episode something clicked, and I started laughing. And laughing. And laughing. And nodding my head, because sometimes, Lena is just saying out loud what I would really like to say out loud sometimes, but don't. Because my life is not a TV show (except in my head). Also, the character of Shoshanna is amazing.

7. Bon Look

I'm pretty excited - I've just ordered some new glasses, after having the same frames for almost ten years. I don't have to wear them all the time, so have never really bothered updating them because hey, what does my computer screen care what I look like? Recently however, I've found myself wearing them more and more at work - I don't know if it's because I'm tired, or I've just been in denial, so I thought it was time to bust out and buy some new frames.

Bon Look is extremely economical, and it's so easy to order - just upload a copy of your prescription and you're on your way... I ordered the "Urban Dandy" in honey tortoise. Yesssssss.

Sunday Sevens

Hello little birds!

Let's get into it, shall we?

1. Taylor Swift's new song!

I have been singing my love for Taylor loud and proud ever since I first saw the video clip for "You Belong With Me" and will continue to do so as long as she keeps writing amazingly catchy country pop songs, and being generally adorable. I challenge anyone who has ever had a crush, or been through a break up NOT to relate to at least one of her songs - if not all of them. I bet most of you can listen to this song and say to yourself "Ha - damn straight!" whilst thinking of someone from your past... I can already guarantee that it's going to be on every single playlist I make this summer. Also, this lyric video is super cute. Can't wait for the "real" video clip! 

2. Chevron stripes

A peek into my wardrobe will confirm that I have a strong affinity for anything stripey. Usually, I go for the standard horizontal, navy and white stripes, but recently I've been getting into chevron stripes more and more. What are chevron stripes, I hear you ask? They look like this:

I bought this skirt from Marcs recently (on sale! Win!) and now I can't wait until the weather is warm enough for bare legs and I can bust it out. 

3. Ikat

Okay, I hear you say, what the hell is Ikat? Good question! I didn't know myself until recently. It's a particular way of dying fabric that is mostly associated with Central and South America, but is also common in India, Japan and South-East Asia. Here are some pictures of Ikat stuff I would like to buy, which will help explain. You'll probably think "Oooooh...that. Yeah."

Ikat by carolinelt featuring a straw hat

4. New material from Aaliyah

I was pretty devastated when Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash, eleven years ago. She is one of the most under-rated R&B singers of our time and it frustrates me when people talk about how she wasn't a "strong singer" because they are used to Mariah-style histrionics. Her subtlety is well, way too subtle for today's listeners, who are used to Rihanna leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination (and doing it all a quarter tone off key). This review sums up perfectly what Aaliyah contributed to R&B - she had nuance and class that is missing from the genre a decade later.

I know her family is not in support of the post-humous song released recently by Drake, but as a fan, I can't help but get excited. I'm not really a huge fan of Drake - I find him pretty average - but he barely features in the song, so he's easy enough to ignore.

5. Secret Squirrel

I usually lust after clothes from Secret Squirrel from afar, but when their prices started dropping, dropping, dropping on their end of season stock I had to pick up a few pieces. When they got to 50% off, I felt like they had moved into my price range (just) and swooped in. No regrets - I absolutely love their colours, fabrics and patterns. I'm looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of my new purchases, as they work quite well for the office or a bit of a smart-cas weekend.

6. Family time

My incredibly talented cousin Tom lives in Singapore, but was home with his partner this weekend for Tom's birthday. It was so good to see him - I really need to get off my butt and book a trip to Singapore...or maybe we can meet in Bali? ;) I could use a week or two relaxing by the beach/pool with a nice cocktail.

Check out Tom's showreel below - so talented!

7. The end of winter...almost!

I know I'm getting a head of myself, and it's going to be cold for a while yet (by my standards at least), but I'm starting to feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Every morning when I walk to the station I get to walk past these beautiful cherry blossoms, and it really feels like spring is in the air. Or will be soon...

xx

Sunday Sevens: 7 things Caroline is into this week

1. Mutemath

Mutemath are my new favourite band. Although they have been around for a few years now, I had never heard of them until earlier this year, when they toured Australia. Tragically, I only started listening to them after they had been and gone. A few of my friends saw them play, and when I heard about how the drummer gaffer tapes his headphones to his head before each gig, I knew I had to find out more. There is some subtly excellent at-organ grooving in this clip, and the bass player's hair is epic. Also, as in all great songs, double disco handclaps apply.

2. Chai tea made with rice milk.

I've mentioned before on Four Letter Birds that I have some crazy food allergies. Some of the lesser crazy ones are dairy and soy. Not a huge deal, but it makes finding a warming winter drink a little difficult at times. There is only so much peppermint tea a girl can handle. While rice milk by itself tastes a lot like well, liquified rice, it really makes some delicious beverages when other elements are added. I highly recommend it.

3. Once Upon a Time

It's taken me a little while to get into this TV show but I stuck with it given that one of Buffy's writers, Jane Espenson, now writes for this show. It really does have some of the elements that made Buffy so very Buffy - killing off characters that you really like, and occasional unabashed grossness. Human hearts, anyone? Currently Channel 7 is pumping out four episodes a week which is just fine with me, given that we're all binge watchers when it comes to TV now anyway. You all know I love Ginnifer Goodwin, but Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold treads the line between good and evil so delightfully, you can't help but like the character even when you suspect he's being despicable. Plus you guys, Robert Carlyle! Remember Hamish MacBeth? That show was the business.

4. My own personal Kylie Minogue retrospective.

There's no one quite like Kylie, and she's been on high rotation in my car recently. I've seen her four times in concert and Georgia has seen her five - let's just say, there's a lot of Kylie love going on here at Four Letter Birds. This is my all-time favourite Kylie concert moment. I also think this is one of her most under rated songs - it definitely makes it into my Kylie top ten!

5. Dragstar

This Sydney label has been around for a while, and I know that Georgia is a big fan, but I've really only recently become a convert. The styling is comfortable and retro, without being costume-y, and it's all excellent quality. Reasons to like Dragstar are a-plenty, but here's a few key examples - because the items are not particularly trend-based you will get a lot of wear out of your choices, everything is designed and made in Sydney - buying local is fun! - and the clothes and accessories are just super cute really. What more could you want? Check out owner and designer Celia's Tumblr here. Inner-westies and ex inner-westies among us will appreciate.

One of my recent purchases and Dragstar faves...requires no ironing!! Win!

6. Sunshine

Although it's been incredibly cold this week (in my opinion...shhh Canadians and Europeans) we have had some beautiful sunny days here in Sydney. I'm lucky because my desk at work overlooks Darling Harbour and I can see all the way out to the Blue Mountains on a clear day. It's extremely distracting - and I'm easily distracted. All I can say is, bring on summer! My electric blanket needs a rest.

7. Lipstick.

It's something that I forget to wear, and then when I remember, I always kick myself for not wearing it all the time. As a gal who is paler than pale most of the time, especially in winter, I do need to make sure I add a little colour to my face so I don't look so wan. I particularly like the Jane Iredale brand of cosmetics, and their lipsticks are no exception, as they have a good range of colours and are particularly moisturise-y. They have all been given girl's names, and there is a particularly nice shade or red called Carrie that I'm rather fond of.