Rita Ora: how we do?

So I will just get this confession out of the way, sometimes I listen to commercial radio (*minus ten cool points, I know*). Currently, this Rita Ora song plays about one thousand times a day on the top forty stations. It was stuck in my head this evening so to exorcise it I watched the clip on youtube. What I witnessed was a barrage of duck face, it lead me to ask the question: Ora, duck face promoter or innocently large lips?

'How We Do' is one of those songs that I was immediately morally opposed to. With lyrics such as "I get that drunk sex feeling, yeah, when I'm with you" this is not something that I would choosingly expose myself to. (*Please remember, I had to watch it to expel it from my poor brain.*) Above is a selection of overt duck face. Too many times is Ora an advocate for this facial expression within a video clip that lasts just under four minutes. Even though a major sound throughout the track is "ooOOoo", there maybe something more sinister afoot.

At three pivotal points - the duck face seems to spread to those around her. Admittedly, upon close analysis of this video, the contagion spread to me... 

There is an actual man with an actual duck's face in her video. A fashionable point of whimsy? Or a satirical occurrence of self-awareness?

 

To conclude, this video makes me hate the song even more and hate myself a little bit too. My personal belief is that she has some sort of investment in the promotion of the duck face and is trying to cram as many facial contortions into the video as she can. I am still opposed to this song, but feel better after analysing its strange behaviour.

-Sarah

the first of Winter

Today is the first official day of Winter, and sometimes Wellington weather - I just love you. Here are four quickies from today's Winter shoot in the Botanic Gardens. The drawings are also by me, I am looking forward to extending this project.

-Sarah

embroidery for leisure

There is an upholstery shop in Whakatane where they sell old samples and offcuts for really cheap. My mom has uncovered the greatest finds and has long term plans of waiting until current stock is deemed past-it so she can snap it up. I brought about five variants of this nice fabric (60cm x 40cm approx) for $2. I made this for my friend and her husband who bought their very own adult house this year. 

It was so nice to do embroidery for leisure! All of the lettering is done freehand - I don't draw on the fabric first. To me,  embroidery is just a slower version of drawing anyway, the methodology has to be considerate so there is less of a chance to make mistakes!

-Sarah

Terrarium Awesomeness:

 I made this terrarium about three weeks ago and it is going really awesome. I'm not sure if the moss has grown (it has not died, which is great) but there is other stuff growing in there! Probably the weirdest thing is that I have had to lift the lid twice the let bugs out?! Yay for growth!

-Sarah

decoration trial: numero tahi

A paper plane version on bunting. 

I first saw this idea executed by Matthew Parker Events and bf-Lachie told me this morning that "Cheap and Effective" are his middle names, so these paper planes are perfect. We have booked a sweet coastal community hall here in Wellington to celebrate our civil union so I am excited to fill the place up with decorations like these. 

 Deets.

 Deets.

Look at the great shadows that the planes cast! Those are also my legs which kind of match.

These look great in my bedroom and I can imagine that they will be really impressive en masse.
-Sarah

creepy socks

It is so Wintery today ~ a great excuse to put on my creepiest pair of socks.
-Sarah

Dots.

 I brought a dress off trademe and it was a dumb disappointment (slash maybe my hopes were too high). The only good thing about it is I can use the waist-belt as a head scarf, a ninety dollar head scarf.
-Sarah

Dream outfit #2

My current dream Autumn outfit. Velvet would be involved. Mostly i just want a black wool cape with a hood, but they seem to be out of fashion right now as no one wants to sell me one. This outfit also requires much better hair and a new body.

Yesterday I tried on perfumes, in an attempt to find a replacement for my Demeter Gin & Tonic, which is almost all gone. I have settled on one by Tokyo Milk, but i think to wear it i have to be the sort of lady who wears black velvet and has suitors and that kind of thing.  It's a bit fancy, is what I'm saying.

Can you wear expensive perfume with dirty jeans and ill-fitting sweaters? I think probably you can.

x
Devon.

Derby and embroidery: a good night out

Photo by Sean Gillespie

Roller skating and embroidery, my two most favourite things. Above, the beautiful Jem Molition is wearing a helmet cover (or pantie) that was whipped up in five minutes with the combined brain power of Danger Spouse, Suffer Jet, Scary Maclary and some last minute speed stitching by Skatechel Hunter (me-ish). 

Roller derby is often talked about as a DIY sport, but these insulation tape Jammer Panties are next level! I have been undertaking a 100 day embroidery project, needleneedle.tumblr.com, and it was cool to be able to lend those stitching skills to a practical outcome. The Smash Malice aesthetic is derivative of "trashy trailer BABES" as stated in the team cheer - so I am hoping that the spectators didn't think our last minute panties were too out of place!

The actual game was super fun too. Our opponents, Brutal Pageant, are made up of a lot of new skaters to Richter City Roller Derby so it was exciting to see their new cohesive performance. Pag went through a bit of hardship last year so it is awesome to see a full and happy team for 2012. As for Malice, I love them. Things were adrenaline filled in the first few jams due to our pantie problems! But the team put that nervous energy to great use, gaining an early lead which Malice maintained throughout the whole sixty minutes. 

Thanks to Sean for letting me use his photo of Jem, check out more of his work here: www.seangillespie.org/

-Sarah

ps: excuse my cray-cray writing style. Thick academic texts + It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathon = brain mash.

Fabric~a~brac

What fun! Yesterday I attended my first Fabric~a~brac with my friends Sian, Sammy and dozens of other fabric enthusiasts. Fabric-a-brac is a fabric sale which is held twice a year here in Wellington (there are also Fabric-a-brac's held in Sydney, Brisbane and Palmerston North). This weekend's event was held in a church hall in Newtown.  It was a bit overwhelming at first, the doors opened at 9am, we were there at about quarter past and it was jam packed. My spendings came in under budget and went home with a pile of treasures. There was also tasty (and cheap) home baking- the lemon cupcakes and chocolate centred yo-yo's made for a great breakfast. 

Made Marion had one of my favourite stalls, I got a bundle of fabric dyes for my mom's doll making, luminous thread for my bf's fly tying and embroidery frames for me. Check out the three examples of beautiful fabric above, other stand out purchases were of  ten vintage handkerchiefs and doilies for around one dollar each! 

The whole event had a really nice vibe, people were happy to have to opportunity to hunt for bargains. 

 I can't wait for the next Fabric~a~brac event in November!

-Sarah

Paletteness

*Top left drawing by Sian Torrington

Like a lot of Wellingtonians, most of my wardrobe is compiled of varying shades of black. My major exception to the rule is turquoise - I cannot get enough.

 All four items above were thrifted:

 - Turquoise and black playsuit (unfortunately never publicly worn due to its moose knuckle tendencies)

 - Stunning western shirt, as previously discussed

 - Pashmina, of which I am wearing today

 - Made in New Zealand blazer has to be carefully applied to an outfit as it can look a bit hobo-clownish

I am getting civilly unionised this December and I am just wanting putting it out there in the universe that I want a turquoise dress. Not that I'm fussy or anything (!) it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Oh well finders crossed.
-Sarah

Smash Malice

There is roller derby this weekend, I (slash Skatechel Hunter) am bench managing for the Richter City Intra-League 2011 Champions, Smash Malice. My team is going up against Brutal Pageant, co-captained by one of my besties Bubble O'Kill. 

Above, is my dream bout fit. I don't own anything close to this but hopefully I will one day! In the mean time, I'm not sure what I am going to wear this Saturday. 

-Sarah

Cat Moss - A Terrarium Story

This is my mantle piece. On it you can see an image of the Pink and White Terraces, a framed Odd Bodz card, a white deer I got from Sydney last year, plastic animal rings that were a leaving work gift from my friend Georgia, a flat warming water colour from Devon and the newest addition - a Cat Moss Terrarium. 

I made it this afternoon with the dangerous moss that grows on the steps up to my house. I don't know if it is going to survive but I love it. The tiny cat was given to me by Devon at the same leaving work occasion in which I received the epic animal rings. -Sarah

Dosey Doe

Above is the best op shop haul I have ever pulled off. Four beautifully new western shirts for the astonishing price of $6 each. Thank you Whakatane Hospice Shop. Their labels read: "Western Shirts, New Breed" and "Horseshoe Western Wear, Clevedon New Zealand". Excitingly, I grabbed two of the turquoise shirts thinking they were identical - it turns out one is exactly my size, and the other a perfect fit for my bf.

Yee haw matching shirts.

-Sarah

New things

Devon wore:
-Men's v-neck Tshirt from AS colour
-Cheap highwaisted jeans from Glassons
-Asos Poodle blazer
-Cats-eye sunglasses
-shoes by WhyWho

Sarah wore:
- Stolen boyfriend's wolf shirt (literal, not the brand)
- Vintage teal cardigan
- Black highwaisted skirt
-Doc Martin boots.

We are two girls, and we are both pretty cool. Sarah is a photographer who tutors at a university, and she also does amazing embroidery. Devon is a painter and drawe-er who works at an art gallery.

You can see some of Sarah's work here: http://www.needleneedle.tumblr.com
And Devon's here: http://www.devonannasmith.tumblr.com

This blog will sometimes be photos of our outfits, sometimes drawings, maybe sometimes other things. We will post about what neat projects we are working on, and sometimes write about things we think are important.

x

Devon & Sarah