The Danforth

 

Okay, I lied. The last photo was taken in Parkdale. It's funny how it's only a few steps west of where I work and I never saw it until last Saturday! It's this gorgeous space that is usually a cafe but also hosts film screenings and whatnots every so often. Polished wood and Victorian furniture can never go wrong.

Music: October 2010

Thanks to Jake

Thanks to Sarah

Thanks to Fred.

Thanks Enrico

Thanks Mia

October was a wicked month for music. You should give these guys a listen.

New York

So much has happened over the past few weeks that I can't believe I forgot to post photos from New York, which is a shame because that weekend was so amazing.

.

The trip winded down with a nice long talk with Enrique.
At the pier.
At sunset.
Talk about the perfect way to end something, right?

If my life was a movie, that moment would be a part of it. And the soundtrack of the moment? None other than Phoenix's Love Like A Sunset, which I swear I could hear in the background.

Deja vu

Two years ago, David and I collaborated (he drew/painted and I supplied the words) on a children's book that we submitted for a contest in Japan. Whoever won would get their book published; amazing right? Of course we didn't win, but being able to work with David was pretty sweet. He's really one of the most talented and amazing artists/friends I'm honoured to have known and worked with. Naks. These are a few of the paintings from the book.

The book was about two siblings who went to the beach and wanted to take the beach home with them, so they decide to collect each thing they find and put it in a pail. Then they look into the pail and see how sad the starfish, fish, turtle, and jellyfish are because they've been taken out of the ocean. In the end the kids decide to put them back into the water.
David was part of the marine biological society in school so he specifically wanted to draw the stuff he'd seen underwater. I had no problem with that because some of the most magical things I've seen have also been underwater.

So imagine my surprise when the guy in the Dukoral commercial (who gets a sudden attack of traveler's diarrhea while swimming in the ocean) looked a lot like David's drawings!

Coincidence, yes?

Milk

Yesterday I went to Kensington Market to buy milk and came out with a new coat and six books....and the five boxes of milk. Damn that place, everything is just so amazing! If I had an extra pair of hands, I would've brought this chair home too.

Did I ever tell you how afraid I am of cameos? I once watched a MacGyver  episode where a lady's soul was trapped in her granddaugher's cameo. Suffice to say, that fear is still with me today. You won't see me buy a cameo anytime soon, especially if it's vintage. That's probably the only thing I won't buy second-hand. And underwear.

P.S. Those three shots are a feeble attempt to copy Enrique's zoom in posts. That was pretty bad, maybe I should stop.

Maleficent

I'm seeing this self-proclaimed "Mistress of evil" everywhere.

In art as seen in Joseph Stella's Song of Barbados 1938

In real life, my friend Kab dressed up like her  for Halloween 2010

Okay so maybe I didn't really see Kab because we live on different continents yet again. *cry*

The original in the movie Sleeping Beauty

Everywhere, I tell you.

Krampus Campus

While perusing Travis Louie's Curiosities, Tim noticed that there were a bunch of paintings based on the krampus.

Tim: "You know what a krampus is?"
Me: "No."
Tim: "They say he goes around with Santa, if Santa gives good children gifts he punishes the bad ones."
Me: "Talaga?"
Tim: "Yup."

I didn't believe him, same way I didn't believe him when he said Christopher Plummer was Captain Von Trapp. So I Googled the krampus. Of course, he was right.

Check out these freaky postcards/photos I found of the mythical creature.

The krampus reminds me of Mr. Tumnus (from C.S. Lewis' Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) + El Fauno (from Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth).

Little Women

 

Spent my Monday evening going through Travis Louie's art and wishing I had these ladies' hair and wardrobe. For more (Halloween) inspiration, get yourself a copy of Travis Louie's Curiosities. I just bought one myself and I couldn't be happier.