Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The B.W.O. Yo!

 I would like to take advantage of the fact that I am sitting in front of my computer not for work, and inspired all at the same time to tell you a great idea brought about by one of my favorite artists.



Look to your right. You see that cute little badge? It makes me feel all the better about writing when I  feel the inclination to do so.


The Amazing Tiffany Electra X, the brains and beauty behind Tartx. I have a few of her gorgeous necklaces, love them! (I am not being paid for this shamelss plug, I really do love this gal's stuff). While rummaging through her blog I came across this great POST and that great badge about Blogging without Obligation. 



Ms. X talks about how much she hates to see (read) people stressing out about not posting often enough, or how bad the feel about not producing enough content or at the prescribed pace you have set for yourself. The thing is, you have set it for yourself. In a forum you have created, originally, for yourself, no? If this is your creative outlet, you should enjoy it! Blog without the stress baby!

Creative Outlets

Hello!
Wow, October has just flown by! So much going on, still disoriented, disorganized and a bit depressed.  This is usually my favorite month, I haven't paid much attention this year. I am working two jobs (as well as possible) and Mr. is working weekends, so I have mostly stayed in, worked on being creative.

Here is a card I made for my friend Cristina's birthday at the beginning of the month:

Flower Children 2010

I really like how it turned out. I am working on getting some more college stuff together, by organizing the things I have. I want a nice set or drawers to sort stuff into, but I want nice ones...this will do, but it's still out of my price range.

I have also spent time sorting through photos, scanning them and posting them on Facebook for family far away to see as well. I had no idea that a couple of them had never been seen before.

Garrity Children 1917

That baby sitting between her brothers is my grandmother, in Chicago, 1917.
This has inspired my photoshop work, I am taking my time trying to make it look good.

Before leaving you this evening (morning?) I have to add that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Check your breasts! Here's a handy guide! HERE.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

 Louise Carbasse ca. 1913 / photographed by Rudolph Buchner

"The rhythm of the weekend, with its birth, its planned gaieties, and its announced end, followed the rhythm of life and was a substitute for it."

  ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Robert Plant Interview Pt 1 Fallon 9/13 (TheAudioPer.com)

Did you see Robert Plant on Jimmy Fallon on Minday?
Eeeep! It was so good!
I was so surprised that Band of Joy didn't play, they did the night before in New York to promote the new album.



Monday, August 23, 2010



"In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet."
 
~Albert Schweitzer

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Saturday Happy Song - Li'l Red Riding Hood - Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs (1966)

I came across this on Sur La Lune Fairy Tales Blog today and just had to share.
I love that this person edited it together with a Betty Boop video, I frickin love Betty Boop (I just can't stand all the crappy souvenirs that she get's stuck on in Hollywood.)

Rundown of the month gone by

So, in the interest of continuing to keep my sanity AND not allow this blog to be entirely consumed by Robert Plant (although that could be totally worth it, but I have other interests) I'm gonna ramble off another post. July flew by, the entire month was a win; I had SO much fun! We had fireworks, bonfires, drunken escapades in Long Beach and Hollywood, Hot Tubs, Bike rides on Venice Beach, and 100 year old Balsamic.

August has been more, trying...We did a great photo shoot in the beginning of the month, and it left me quite inspired.
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The Man and Ms. Jillian modeled in an engagement style shoot cause Richie is gonna be shooting a wedding in November and I always look for excuses to work on my photographs cause...well if I don't force it a little right now it doesn't happen. I hate to say it, but it's true.I hope to have the whole set finished on Monday night now, there are so many other projects....

Last Friday we went to The Getty Villa which also left me itching to work on the post production of my photography. I am also trying to make a dent in my dept however, and that has taken up a lot of my thought space lately. Working from home has presented a whole new set of challenges and the art has suffered, again. I am working out the bumps, stay tuned.

Primus Live at the Santa Barbara Bowl August 15, 2010
(Richard CastaeƱda)
In other news, last Sunday we went up to Santa Barbara and saw Primus. It was one of the best shows I have been to in a while, Les Claypool is always a good time. I have never seen Primus. Les Claypool yes, 5 or 6 times now, but not Primus. It was a good show. Mr. Claypool was not very talkative, and they ended abruptly after a spirited encore of Southbound Pachyderm and Too Many Puppies; but still totally worth the drive AND the sweaty shirtless hippies! Richie had the great forethought to bring the perfect camera and got some amazing pictures. Do make sure you read the accompanying review.

Got lots of belly dance practice in last week! I am can almost completely roll my belly now!
That's about all the good news I have...I am gonna go read, have lots of that to catch up on too. I'll be back with some other random stuff later, and lots of pictures as they get edited. Have a great Saturday!

~Hell

Friday, August 20, 2010

Happy Birthday Robert!

WOW.

Just one really big wow. I am in awe in so many ways. So, so many ways. I can't believe it's been over a month since I said anything here, I can't believe how fast this month has flown by, I can't believe how fast this WEEK has flown by! It's already Friday again! I really can't believe it's Robert Plant's birthday and I totally forgot! What the hell?I needed the radio to tell me, and that didn't happen till an hour ago when I went out to take my father home and buy ice cream. What the hell man, I have been so...out of touch.

I got this job, and I am working form home, and it rocks. But, I am having a hard time getting enough hours in to live comfortably because, some weeks are just freaking hell. This was one of those weeks...But I digress. The point is I am totally obsessed for some completely unexplainable reason to Robert Plant, and on this day 62 years ago he was brought into this world from some amazing portion of heaven to forever change music by singing in one of the most powerful rock bands in history.
Yes, I realize that he is only 2 years younger than my own father, it's creepy for some of you, blah blah blah. Well get over it, Mr. Plant is still an amazing singer and that makes him sexy. Very Sexy. In fact, look how great he looks in his very recently updated home page photo:

He just finished a one moth tour of the mostly southern portion of America and will be touring Europe and the U.K. starting Sept. 2nd.


No other dates in America are planned. Neal Preston was misinformed! Drat! Well, that's ok. We still have youtube!
Here's Robert singing one of my favorites Tall Cool One in Austin Texas last month:



The audio doesn't rock, but Robert's still got it. The Man found this great one of Robert having to excuse the bands horrible confusion of songs on the flu, I ove the way he smiles in this one, I love that he calls NyQuil and Dayquil the "Night Nurse and Day Nurse", EEEEK! So fricken cute!




Happy Birthday Robert!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 
  (RobertPlant.com)

I ♥ you SO much! Rock on!
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Band of Joy


Mr. Plant was honored with a star on the Orpheum Theater's sidewalk in Memphis Tn. this morning! Such a great picture of him too! Tonight he will play there, kicking off 12 show tour, only lasting for the month of July, only in the south. Boo! The closest he gets to me on this tour is Phoenix Az. I wanted to go, but have been so broke it's not funny. Also, when I met Neal Preston in April and got my copy of Led Zeppelin singed he told me not to worry, Robert wouldn't completely avoid Los Angeles.

(Cynthia Fox from KLOS, Neal Preston, and I @ UCLA Festival of books)
Well, it looks like this tour, I'll be missing out. I can't wait to read the reviews and see the bad cell phone video on youtube, and really, I'm not that worried. The album is out in September, I'm pretty sure this is just the warm up part of the tour, and who wanted to drive two states away?..I did.

Please, please Robert announce more tour dates!

I don't think I posted this, I wanted to scan some of the pages to give you a look at what an amazing book of photography this is. Neal Preston is freaking gifted, and the nicest guy! It reads: "To Sydney, give my regards to Culver City" right over Robert's beautiful silhouette.

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Dark Master, in his youth

Oingo Boingo (EP)Image via Wikipedia
Those that know me well could probably ramble off the short list of my all time favorite bands because I am so very, very obsessed with them. I like music from all over the world, however, if I were to narrow it down to music I couldn't live with out; music that I would require to keep me sane on my proverbial desert island it would come down to about 5 bands. Sadly or not most are rock, I realize Led Zeppelin is a given here seeing as I have sung loudly the praises of one Robert Plant. I also realize, startlingly in fact, that you wouldn't be able to claim to know me so well without one vital piece of information I have neglected to mention in this space: I love, LOVE, LOVE...Oingo Boingo.


In the earlier days of seeing each other, The Man and I realized we were having one of those I'm really gonna like this person moments when I asked if he liked Oingo Boingo and it happened to be the CD he had grabbed to put on.


The music of Oingo Boingo shaped my youth and may be a very good indicator as to why I am so...unique.


Anyhow, you can imagine how surprised and delighted I was to find this as I was going through my fathers slides:


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That is an approximately 20 year old Danny Elfman, in approximately 1974, on the beach in Venice California. EEEEEEK! What a fricking find!


The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo formed in 1972 by Danny's older brother Richard Elfman as a performance art group that toured large parts of the world. In 1976 Richard retired the group to Danny who turned it into the Punk/New Wave wonder that took over the 1980's and toured for 17 more years.

Incidentally I also happen to have a photo of Richard taken on the same day!!

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Double Eeeeeeek!

Both Elfman brothers in one day! I nearly fell over when we found these. There are a few more, of the band in costume, with instruments. I haven't photoshopped those yet, so I'll post them later. Till then you can just bask in this rare and amazing Boingo find.
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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Love


"The hardest-learned lesson:  that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind."


~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Apple's full of speed

Oh my freaking GAWD! Came across this on channel 5.2 here in L.A. or "This."

The Movie is Called The Apple, 1980, directed by Menahem Golan, chorographed by, get this: Nigel Lythgoe! (from So You Think You Can Dance. I dance, so I watch.) Set in the distant future year of 1994! 1994 people! No one actually dressed like Jem in 1994! That was all over by like, 1986....


So for the now really late Saturday Happy Song, just in time for 4th of July, America is on Speed! Yippeee, we're all gonna die!


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Friday, July 2, 2010

Happy 4th of July, Friday faves

          
FIREWORKS (CREATIVE COMMONS PROJECT)
(PHOTO)

Hello, Happy Friday!

How was everyone's week? Ready for the long weekend? I sure am! I have no real plans other than helping a friend move, trying to find someplace to watch the race (if we're finished moving), and figuring out what to do for the 4th on sunday. We will be with friends of course, just not sure what else yet. What are you gonna go do? I love 4th of July, I love summer. Barbecue and beer and fireworks, how can you beat that? I suppose I should add how wonderful it's been to be an independent country, how amazing America is and how proud I am to be American. All those things are true, I have never lived anywhere else, have very little travel experience and truly love living here. Without much to compare it too, how could I say anything bad right?

Well...our great country has had a few...struggles over the last, 40 or so years and right now it's in an awful slump. I am not going to explain all the details of how I feel, this is not about the politics side of America this weekend. It's celebrating the best part, of the U.S.A. in all American style, with large portions of grilled meat, copious amounts of alcohol and setting stuff on fire and releasing it into the heavens!

So what has kept me entertained, enlightened, and inspired this week?

The Consumerist. I know, where the hell have I been eh? Well, I didn't really spend any time at the consumerist till I was stuck in an edit bay in Burbank yesterday waiting for The Man to finish up a session with a client. I googled "cutting sugar out of your life" cause I'm fat and need to do that and this great story about a woman suing over Fruit Roll Ups not being healthy came up. I was hooked, this whole site has some of the best weird news stories!

Historic Lolz are amazing!

 Also on the amazing just because it has funny funny things and anything that makes me laugh belongs here because laughter is the best thing in the world to make me feel better category is: Hyperbole and a Half!
Go, read, now. Then, laugh till it hurts. Also a blog that has been around for a bit, so maybe you have already seen it. I'm alway out of the loop but that's what makes my links so crazy fun!


 Do you need ANYTHING belly dance related? L.A. Raqs (pronounced Rocks, get it?) is THE place. Love this site!

 Also, in case your not sure what Raqs means, I found THIS handy glossary of belly dance terms!

Small Swords Magazine's Salute to the Greatest Crotches in Rock History smade me laugh out loud, litterly. Who's #1 on this list? That's right, my secret agent lover man, Robert Plant. YES!

"The crotch of Robert Plant should be considered the fifth instrument of Zeppelin."


♥ AMEN! ♥



Artist and Sexologist Annie Sprinkle's site is informative, inspiring, hilarious, thought provoking and BRIGHT PINK! I can't wait for her Love Art Lab's purple wedding to the moon in October! (NSFW)

This Photo (also NSFW)

 Gypsy Lady Hats Etsy shop RULES! I want a tiny top hat! Eeeep! 

 Last but definitely not least, last weekend Jillian took me to The Annenberg Space for Photography for the opening of Pictures of the Year International. Breath taking. Absolutely amazing photographs. If you are in Los Angeles you must go, closes on October 10th, but I wouldn't wait that long!

Ok, have a great 4th of July everyone, be safe, don't drink and drive, don't burn your hands off. 
Peace!
      ★         

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Happy 100!

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It's my 100th post!
Yay! I can't believe I have stuck with this silly little blog for 100 posts. It's turning out to be a pretty great little outlet actually. It's still a little all over the place, but, it's turning into a tiny shrine of all the things I love.

To those that read this, thanks for sticking with me. It's one long commentary on my life, all the things that make it so great. I started here, a year and a half ago, and I gotta tell you looking back on this I have a much brighter outlook on life! I remember this day, but, I don't remember many like it lately. Starting during that same time back in November I also started reading How to Win Friends and Influence People, Happiness Project, Think Simple Now, and The Positive Life. I actively started looking for the best part of every day and focusing on that. Counting the blessings each day holds is a very powerful mood enhancer. I have of course followed amazing people like:  Gala Darling, Nubby Twiglet, Richard Castaneda, Hunter S. Thompson, and Violet Blue for awhile. People doing what they want with their lives and loving it can teach you a lot.

A year and a half, and 100 posts in I am having a great time and loving my life a lot more than when I started. I still have off days, but we all do. I have resolved to learn from it and do better in the future, creating a stronger, wiser person each day.

Here's to the next 100 posts!

Zucchini Bread @ Midnight!


I figured since I was on a posting roll I'd get one more in before I hit the ol' hay. Almost 2 weeks ago Jillian brought over a bunch of food that she wasn't going to be eating while she couch surfed. This plethora for the senses included 6 squash, 3 zucchini and 3 yellow patty pan. We don't really eat squash. It's good and all, but I prefer the big butternut squash, or pumpkin to summer squash. So, I had to use it up, can't let food go to waste right? So of course that means...Zucchini Bread!!

Yay!



It's actually summer squash bread since I used all the squash in it. I used this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I reduced the curry to 1 teaspoon instead of the tablespoon, got sick of chopping crystalized ginger and added a teaspoon of ground to make up for the last bit I didn't chop and added a teaspoon of cardamom cause I didn't have any lemon to zest.

It's Soooo Goood!

The depth and complexity of flavor is amazing. I wish I had more nuts than just the little sprinkle on the top, and really I can't wait to try it with actual lemon zest cause I really love lemon. But it's gonna rock my breakfast world in about 5 hours.
Goodnight!

Rush, Rush!

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Friday we went and stood in the hot sun to watch one of The Man's favorite bands, Rush receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! I have never been to a star dedication before, now I know why...so many people! 

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I never did find Jason Segal, so either he wasn't there or...I don't know I couldn't see anything!!

Thank the goddess for a 300mm lens 'eh?

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IMGP5028

ESPN, Must Bar, Father's Day

I love the weekend. I know I am either out of work or working from home lately, but, magical things happen on the weekends. This past weekend rocked just as much as any have this last month, but this time my dad was in tow and that always makes things more interesting.

Saturday night I belly danced at The Key Club in Hollywood! I had a great time, even though the crowd was expecting a different night...I danced for Rebelle Jacobs, a punk witch thrown into a rap showcase at the Key Club. She and her band made the best of it though, I closed the set with a dance and we all had a great time!

I have one crappy picture because I parked several blocks away and wasn't sure if I could bring in a camera. Apparently I want to be the queen of horrible cell phone pictures on my blog. Or maybe, deep down I want to confuse the fuck out of all of you because either I pay no attention to if the pictures are good, or I put so much damn work into creating a magnificent photograph that it's all I post. Either way, it keeps you on your toes, no? Also, Viza played on the main stage that night and even though I only got to hear 2 songs they both rocked!

Sunday we got up way late cause we're lazy, and went to ESPN Zone in the Nokia Center downtown. It's...loud. They were all really nice people, but the NASCAR race we wanted to see was on one of the super small screens across the room. We did drop a hefty dime on beer (because I didn't know they were quarts, he just said "large") so during the last 10 laps the bar tender switched it to a screen closer to us, but we still didn't get any audio. Jimmy Johnson won in case ya missed it.

We then walked like, 14 blocks to The Must Bar. We passed through The Biltmore Hotel, and if you have never walked through you totally have to! It was breathtaking! No photos, cause I knew I would just frustrate  myself and I was gonna do that anyway at dinner.

I won a Citysearch raffle at The Grilled Cheese Innovational for a free dinner at The Must Bar and went to see if it was still good. After a call to the owner they said they would honor it and we were off! Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered a ton of food. And several Raging Bitch Ale's (we didn't know till I just looked it up that it was special 20th anniversary issue...no wonder it was so pricy....), everything amazed and delighted. We chose Connect Four out of the large stack of board games by the door and had a seat.
We started with a lovely wine and cheese plate, Fiscalini Bandaged Wrapped Cheddar and Roaring '40's blue accompanied prosciutto, bread, grapes, walnuts and dried fruit. IT all went really well with our beer choice, and really I would come back just for this portion of the meal. That cheddar was amazing! We then had the tater-tots ( I neglected to photograph these), they come with a creamy melted cheese sauce and a smoky ranch. Really good, not...heavy or greasy, these were light and tatery. I also ordered the happy hour portion of grilled cheese, (which was delicious but unnecessary after the cheese plate and tot sauce) and the Green Goddess Salad. The salad was very good also, my only lament being there is some sort of mustard in the dressing I was not aware of from the description and I don't really care for it. It was not offensive, but I would have chosen something else. Have I mentioned I am a weirdly picky eater? Yeah, there's that too.

The Man had the Steak Frits and loved every bite, I can't comment as i didn't taste it (in addition to being all picky about what I eat I am also vegetarian due to some deep guilt laid on me in my youth). Dad had the Mac & Cheese and the Portobello Sliders. His only complaint being the portions were too small, but he doesn't understand gourmet dining, which is exactly what it was but at a much more reasonable price. Had we not ordered the fancy beer we would have had money left over!




We finished our meal based solely on the Yelp recommendations and got the Fluffernutter, a grilled peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and banana sandwich with melted chocolate dipping sauce. Oh! Eeep! Soooo good! Over the top, totally unnecessary, I was SO full! But, I had to try it....
And now, here's a really bad picture! 

Then, cause we were all busy being drunk gluttons (except for dad, he doesn't drink) we completely lost track of time and came back to our car to find this: 

They had locked the gate! This is my father trying to pick the lock. After about a half hour and all kinds of crazy ideas about how we could get the car out that didn't work we...took the bus home! 

Happy Father's Day Dad! Aren't you so glad you hang out with your crazy daughter and her crazy boyfriend? 
(I am working hard to get post about my weekend up before the following weekend! Wish me luck on that and all those other things that pile up all over my life!)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Gus G.

Ozzy has a new guitar player on the tour he kicked off tonight at House of Blues Hollywood tonight.

He's CUTE!

Swoon!
Guitar World Feature

Ozzy Official Site

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I'm Back!

I have internet again! Hurrah! Things have been a bit...flustered this last week or two and we forgot to pay the internet bill...oops!

I will go on and on about the amazing weekend I had later, I have errands to run in a minute. I am waiting for The Man to finish shaving and thought I would post my Happy Father's Day now. Two days late.

Happy Father's Day!
We grabbed my dad and had an adventure downtown! It was so much fun! Again, details later, gotta run. Here's a picture of my dad at the nitorous Hyatt House (Riot House) in Hollywood waiting for the elevator. This one is also stamped 1974.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010


All that you touch
and all that you see
All that you taste
All you feel.
and all that you love
and all that you hate
All you distrust
All you save.
and all that you give
and all that you deal
and all that you buy,
beg, borrow or steal.
and all you create
and all you destroy
and all that you do
and all that you say.
and all that you eat
And everyone you meet
and all that you slight
And everyone you fight.
and all that is now
and all that is gone
and all that's to come
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

"There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it's all dark."  -Roger Waters