favourites

I snapped today and bought tickets to Joanna Newsom and The Dirty Projectors!


I'm very excited about both, obviously, but I am especially excited about seeing Joanna Newsom.


I saw her about three years ago in Wellington, and it was just so amazing. She played unaccompanied and managed to make the San Fransciso Bath House seem hallowed. We all stood in attentive silence while she sang then burst into huge applause at the end of each piece. I'm really looking forward to seeing her again (and her band!) and basking in her reflected glow.


Also, the Dirty Projectors are playing on the same night as Cheese Fest 2010! Could that night BE any better?

Piccies from here, here, and here.

who ate all the pies?

Lou, Kate gave me my present yesterday! Thanks so much for my lovely new pie dish!
I can't believe you remembered how much I loved it. Big plans for pies. YEAR OF THE PIE. Georgie and I are thinking of chicken and mustard pies, rasberry, vanilla and toasted almond...general vegetable ones with puff pastry on top... We'll watch Waitress again for inspriation.



Now all I need is to steal my mum's entire Poole collection and my kitchen will be perfectly pastel!

read it

Three cheap, easy, and wholeheartedly recommended online purchases:

I Love You
Only 5 Euros! I know that it works out to a little more once you pay for postage and convert the currency, but a few days later this magical magazine will arrive on your doorstep and you'll forget all about those 3 or so coffees you could have bought.


Pie Paper
Introduced to me by (and featuring) the lovely and talented Natalie Smith. It's only US$10 including postage worldwide. I'm waiting for my copy in the mail now, weee.



Troubleshooting
'an 80-page book of stories and art which is the result of a collaboration between me [Molly Young] and the talented Christopher Luxton.' Limited run of 500, US$16 including international postage, go go go before it runs out!


Pictures all came from the websites they're linked to..... Please go buy these things, they're totally worth it and lovely and pretty and independant and international and these are all good things.
I have to admit this was all made possible by the surprise(ish) appearance of money in my paypal account - thanks ma...

pretty

Lisianthus are my favourite flowers for home at the moment. This lovely pink and white bunch is brightening up the windowsill of my freshly cleaned room.

hold on while I put on my face

I read an article last night about make up.

Basically, it talks about how if you really want to have pretty looking make-up, the key is to put on six different types of make-up (like skin corrector, then a primer, then concealer, then foundation, then blush, then highlighter) in tiny amounts in exactly the right places on your face. Apparently, by doing this in tiny, thinner than wafer-thin layers, with wee brushes that look like little fans, you can wind up with the best make-up in the world.


My personal makeup usage varies. Sometimes I wear heaps, often I wear none. At the moment, I barely leave my office during the week so I see little to no point in wearing any. My skin is a bit patchy and a bit dry (Auckland is great for patchy/dry/oily) at the moment, so wearing lots of makeup would probably make it worse. Also, I had, for the first time in ages, two horrid pimples, one hidden on the side of my right nostril, and the other, right next to inner corner of my left eyebrow. I have no idea where they came from. Luckily, they weren't huge. And extra luckily, I hardly ever get pimples so its not something you're going to hear me bitch about a whole lot on the internet (dry skin = a whole other story). Anyway, I feel that makeup worsens pimples so I tend to wear less when I have breakouts.

Carrying on. I tend to use Mac. My last trip to the Mac counter was slightly disastrous as my friend who works there was too busy so a less awesome make-up artist piled my face in slap and I wound up buying it just to leave the store. It is wierd though, the way makeup artists take one look at me and say "NW20!!!" as though it is glaringly obvious. Is my skin tone that transparent? Yes. Anyway, turns out this Mac stuff works. It took some getting used to, but my step-mother complimented me on my skin and its glowy-ness the other day which is all I need to declare it a roaring success.

I used to use id Bareminerals. Now that is a nice foundation. PITY IT COSTS SEVENTY DOLLARS. And it has almost no ingredients? How do they get away with that? What kind of a world do we live in, where to buy "natural" makeup with "nothing" in it, it costs seventy dollars? Really, id? REALLY?

OK. Rant over. The point of all this is to say that this weekend I plan on trying the Harpers' several different layers of makeup in tiny amounts in exactly the right place all over my face. I'll let you know if it works.

Images from here

lonely hearts aw 2010

Lonely Hearts: What is Your Damage from Nik Riviera on Vimeo.

happy australia day

Hope those of you in Australia have a lovely, sunny day throwing shrimp on the barbie tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to doing as many of these things as possible:

Sleep sleep sleep, I have about a week of late nights and early mornings to make up for.
Go to the pools
Sip on Pimms cups or gin and campari in the sun
Going to the garden shop, and spending some time working in the garden, not just lying around next to it
Cleaning my room (eek, I'm not too hopeful about this actually happening)
Having an early night!

xx

want

In February I'm going to a wedding in a forest and I think I'll need some kind of pretty vintage dress I can get muddy in.
And some peach nailpolish.

love letter

Steve Powers' murals have been all over the internet lately but I only just found his website with photos of the whole series. If you haven't seen them already, go have a look, they're awesome and sweet.

its really really crazy when a U appears out of nowhere, right?

I spent about three hours watching Sesame Street on youtube on Saturday.

so happy together

one night stand

Best Weekend Ever!

In the wee hours of Saturday morning I flew out to Auckland for two of my bestest friends' engagement party, it was so much fun!! I got to experience the joys of international travel with only carry on! I didn't even take a pair of flats (eat your heart out sea of shoes)! I had a blast 'DJ'ing and dirty dancing with my beautiful friend Natalie and drank far too much chamagne. Actually, too much bubbles, not enough champagne... Someone told me I look tanned! I got to see so many of my favourite people all in one place and also made some new friends! My feet hurt! I'm exhausted! But it was worth it, thanks so much to the lovely Kate and Scott for such a wonderful party, and as usual the hospitality, and now I CAN'T WAIT for the wedding!

xxx

what a great night

My did we have fun this weekend!

I'm very tired and hungover so here are some photos of pretty lights from Franklin Road in Ponsonby.

Things I like today include: cheap hamburgers with extra cheese, Lou and her jet-setting ways, bloody marys, white carnations, fifties skirts, dirty hip-hop, hairobics and the "Requiem for a Gleet" episode of Deadwood. Oh, and my Dad for taking one look at the wasps' nest outside my house and saying he'll be round next weekend to deal to it, and will bring something to spray on the scarily prolific ivy. Thanks, Dad.

PS. I'm thinking of buying some grey marle, two toned hareem pants. My flatmate said they look like an elephant's vagina. She's totally right, I don't even know why I like them. But I do. I like the idea of showing up to work at the Opera wearing two toned grey marle hareem pants - I'll be extremely comfortable, and all my lovely, kindly, Aunty-esque colleagues will be totally amused. And what am I here for, if not to amuse?

kaugummi

I may be a bit late here but I just discovered Kaugummi, a French publishing house with some beautiful beautiful books and zines like the one pictured above, called nofound(bedroom), which is a collection of photography about bedrooms printed on separate sheets by 36 different artists.

so far, in january

Here's a new thing!

We know how interested you all are in our lives, obvs, so thought we'd start sharing a little more with you each month, I'm sure that my mum and han's sister will be totally excited to read this!

So far, in January here are the things that we have been:

Reading
H: "Tender" by Nigel Slater, After the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Playboy June 1971
L: The best American non-required reading 2009 edited by Dave Eggers (hugely recommend this to anyone who likes anything smart, poignant, funny, topical, or short), The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Listening to
H: The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, the song Animal Farm is my favourite. And Lovefool by the Cardigans.
L: The Coloring of Pigeons by the Knife (and some other people, from the opera about Darwin which is coming out in MARCH), Beach House, that song Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros

Wishing for/obsessing over
H: THE DRESS THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED AKA WORST DRESS OF ALL TIME
L: THESE Miu Miu shoes (above), ACNE 'Dressy' in pastel lilac

Watching on ebay/etsy/trademe
H: 3 bedroom houses with dishwashers and gardens, le creuset casserole dishes
L: Macrame hanging plant holders

Doing

H: staying up too late aimlessly mucking about on the internet and eating lots of cake

L: riding my bike to the park with a basket full of beer. Babysitting a Boston Terrier (above)!!

Wearing
H: tan clogs and a grey maxi dress from Valley Girl. I chopped the bottom off it so it is a wierd length and like it much more now. Because it is Auckland I wear it with a light cover-up, aka the Kate Sylvester Anorak from three years ago aka the jacket my aunty told me off for buying aka the jacket that totally proved her wrong by being totally the most useful thing I own

L: bike shorts and mini dresses. Slightly more colour than a few months ago, lots of silk and velvet.

Looking for

H: A wallet that is not disgusting and covered in germs

L: A flash for Diana Mini, a new bathing suit

Eating/drinking

H: Things in sandwich form. Springtime casseroles made up of treats from the vege box with wine and chicken and fresh herbs

L: Caprese salad from Rosamond

Hating

H: how obsessed I am with Heidi from The Hills' 10 plastic surgeries in one day story. I'm finding it totally compelling

L: the weather

sale!

Arnsdorf and Tina Kalivas

Yesterday was my first day off since I got back to work and so I spent it wisely - shopping.

It's sale time ladies and here is what you need to know:

ARNSDORF rules - they make lovely, simple things in lots of pretty colours. They're closing the pop-up shop on Gertrude Street today but if you hurry you can probably convince them to cut you some sweet deals.... If you read this after today (Friday) then you'll have to shop online or look for them elsewhere, like Alice Euphemia.

...which brings me to ALICE EUPHEMIA. Alice also rules - they stock an awesome range of Australian designers, and now some Kiwis too, the delivery of Lonely lingerie by Lonely Hearts has been delayed but I have faith it will arrive, and soon! Also, I spotted a lucky girl purchasing a sweet Deadly Ponies waistcoat (vest? jerkin?) there last night so yay for you NZ. As well as my two fave nz labels, Alice stocks Romance Was Born, Friederich Gray, TV (which I have to say, is growing on me), Marnie Skillings, and heaps more. I scored the Tina Kalivas mini I've had my eye on all Summer and they're on sale NOW so go there!! ps I'm so excited about Tina Kalivas' new collection, but more on that later

Everywhere is actually on sale at the moment, but these guys are my top picks.

Oh and while I'm at it, ACNE have about 3 good things on their sale rack, which are actually almost affordable, I would recommend going in there if you are extremely tiny or quite large (so you can get the lilac dress that I fell in love with, and I can be jealous of you but happy that someone lovely has it), FYI there's nothing worth trying on there if you're just in between.

PS I bought colour!

a good cause

Go bid on some art (some by my buddy Henrietta!) for Haiti via Art Loves Haiti on trademe. Go on.

bucket of chicken

"Some criminals just want to do hood rat stuff. This Pennsylvania criminal just wanted to do normal, everyday stuff. He broke into a house, cut his hair, showered. The homeowner returned "to discover him watching TV and cooking chicken." [AP]

From Gawker

in print

Grow Fonder is now on twitter.......... Follow us if you are too!

art

I have long been a fan of Nikki McClure.

I bought a calendar of hers years ago from Madame Fancy Pants in Wellington for my Mum, but have not been able to find any of her books, postcards or prints available anywhere else in New Zealand.

So today (being my birthday - didn't you know???) I decided to bite the bullet and buy her 2010 calendar online, but it is all sold out! Woe is me!

She cuts her images from a piece of black paper with a craft knife.

You can buy Nikki's work from here.

Pictures from http://www.buyolympia.com

AND

PACEY

I fulfilled a life-long dream and watched the final episode of Dawson's Creek whilst in Melbourne. It was incredible.

self pitying as a Dawson Leary

Tomorrow is my birthday.

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

I don't really want any presents apart from a cookbook, a frame for my print from Henrietta, and a new wallet because mine was a lovely mustard suede but has now turned into a nasty filthy coin depository I do not like to touch or grope for in my bag. But I don't really want anyone to buy me these things. I just want them.

Print by Henrietta Harris

Twenty four seems like a nothing age. Definitely not a landmark.

I'm older than several successful writers, singers and actors.

I think the magic birthdays has finally faded. Am I so jaded? When did this happen? Ach.

The lamp I ordered ages ago arrived, it blew up as soon as I turned it on (H8 LYF?).

not everyone can look up, even at me. it hurts their eyes

"Not everyone can look up, even at me.
It hurts their eyes."
"Oh Sun, I'm so grateful to you!"

"Thanks and remember I'm watching.
It's easier for me to speak to you out here.
I don't have to slide down
between buildings to get your ear.
I know you love Manhattan, but
you ought to look up more often.

And
always embrace things, people earth
sky stars, as I do, freely and with
the appropriate sense of space."*

Frank O'Hara is one of my favourite poets. When I was little my Aunt sent me a book called Talking to the Sun, it was an anthology of poetry illustrated with art from the Met. It was the first context in which I read Frank O'Hara, and many other poets, as well as many lovely traditional lullabies and proverbs which have stuck in my mind.

Anyway today I read this post on This Recording, and it reminded me of all of this.

*That's an excerpt from A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island and the picture is of Frank O'Hara and Grace Hartigan

back, though not yet back in business

Hello again, happy 2010?

My lovely Summer break is finished and while Han has another week of holidays she's back in NZ now too.... So I suppose some things might start happening around here again soon.

I think the part of my brain that forms sentences may have melted and poured out of my ears sometime during the hottest night ever, so for now I will leave you with these pretty pretty 'balloons' from Clementine Henrion and some random highlights of the past few weeks...

We danced in the rain on rooftops, we read by pools slathered in sunscreen, we wore hats and little else, we ate ham and cheese croissants, ham and cheese toasted sandwiches, and drank bloody marys, we drank gin from a bucket and beer from plastic cups, we watched bats fly over audrey hepburn and dozed as she searched for "cat, cat", we walked, and trammed, and taxied. We found The Worst Dress (which shan't be mentioned again), and bought too many books, rowed boats, danced on rocks and saw lions roar. So far it has been an excellent Summer.