Littlest brother

This is the same kid who convinced me to climb atop a suburban mailbox by saying "come on, I've never seen a girl do anything cool."

Meanwhile in Germany...

Angie is getting surprise guests in the house!!! AHAHAHA, oh hey! Hey...you there, who let you in?

Seeing Merkel's face also reminded me that a lot of people talk to themselves in Berlin. Especially on trains. This one time I was riding to Charlottenburg or something dumb and this guy was loudly reciting facts to his captive audience. It went something like: "ANNNNNgela MERKEL is our PRESIDENT! SHE issssss a WOman! She is from EASTGERMANY! EAAAAAASSSTTTERNER!" He luckily had his back to me and another dude I happened to be facing. Fortunate. We were truly doing our best to laugh silently and allow him the glory of an uninterrupted monologue.

Back in the fold

My, what a busy week...

We'll miss you Howie!

To each, his own.

It's happening.

Total bummer that the HasBeen has to relocate to make way for gentrification, but hey. That's how it all works, right? Off to scummier digs until the ice cream shops and fancy restaurants start moving in...but before they do that come get yourself decked out head to toe in fancy frocks, discount HasBeen gear and pump your fists in the a-yer.

Ladies night: Gentlemen prefer blondes

...but they're the ones that I crave, goddamnit!

(Psst! This one also comes in mansize! Series coming soon to the shop...)

Musical Monday #7: Iggy Pop

Not much to say except hanging out with your bff David Bowie in West Berlin of the late 70's fighting a heroin addiction and recording great albums must have been the real deal. Also purportedly the first artist to "stage dive" (wikipedia), Iggy is classic and so is this record.

Intergalactic you and meeee...

Introducing: Space Traveler from another galaxy! This guy's quilts are totally off the hook, I mean, you see them here. Words cannot describe the dude quilting genius that spawned them. I was lucky enough to run into a video of the maker one night trolling through Etsy. Jimmy McBride. Many of you already know how deeply I appreciate unexpected contrasts. Well, meticulously mapped nebula-inspired space quilts hand sewn by a man certainly hits that one on the nose. Please check out more of his work at jimmymcbride.com or his Etsy shop at stellarquilts.etsy.com. Thank you.

Someday...

I will also be organized and cohesive enough to make me one of them brochures! Anyway, I posted a while ago about Strawberry Earth Wonderland here in Amsterdam and would like to introduce to you a lovely London designer I discovered there! Her label is Lu Flux, she also uses quite a large quantity of second hand, vintage and salvaged materials in her collections, and she happened to be rather delightful as well. She was really friendly and enthusiastic about what she does (which is dope. Both the things she makes and being stoked about it). It was inspiring for me to see what something similar to my aspirations looks like on a larger scale, in Europe...and in reality!

These are scans of her Spring/Summer 2011 Collection: Over the Hills & Far Away

Check out her older stuff here.

P.S. I have a sneaking suspicion that this collection would be a big hit in Portland, especially for dudes. Although, the dudes who would covet it are likely unemployed or "in a band"...

Man of the Future

I had many theories about this photograph upon reception, including: aliens have arrived, chosen Berlin as their dropoff point and Germans must wield weaponry shirtless to prove their prowess in battle. Or at least defend the more helplessly lounging folk in the fountain with rigor. Elaborately photoshopped hoax also crossed my mind, I have no recollection of this Neptune fountain anywhere near the iconic TV tower. Turns out, it's just my fiancé in a tiny scarf, demonstrating against the man on a hot day with a squirtgun. The simplest explanation is always the winner, isn't it?

May 7th: Einar is coming today, we have to meet him at the train station!

Einar is my former roommate from Cal Poly. A little over four years ago, Jeannette, my other former roommate and I were interviewing for a vacancy and wanted to keep the place 100 percent lady for walking around naked and other various purposes. But out of the three candidates, softspoken blazer and t-shirt wearing guitar playing computer programming Swedish exchange student Einar was the obvious choice. So we made an exception, but were still worried we would no longer be able to chill out comfortably/non-awkwardly in our underwear. The very next day he had his room sparkling clean and was at the computer in his boxers. We knew immediately we had a winner.

Speeding up to the present, I knew Einar was flying in from Madrid on this day. We all knew it. We talked about what he would be wearing and what type of luggage he would have. Konrad thought maybe he had checked something, but I pointed out he would only be in Amsterdam for three nights. I thought just a slick rolling carry-on. Matthias thought stylish manpurse. We waited with bated breath as he stepped off the train...Matthias was right.

May 1st part II: For all the non-believers

I know many of you reacted with surprise and incredulity when you discovered those sexy acid wash jeans I had been sporting were meant for Matthias. "He will fit into THOSE?" You gasped. All I have to say to you is: BUH-lieve it.

Musical Monday #2: K'Naan

I usually am not all that enthralled by hip hop, but sometimes I head off on a search for child-appropriate things to play in dance class that I also like. Although he is often totally inappropriate for children, this is how I found K'Naan. He is so elegant. What I like most about him is that you would think he'd be one of those "peace and love" dance hall type world music rappers, but he grew up in Mogadishu and is totally hardcore. In addition to being totally hardcore, he is totally a poet. He tells it high and low, oscillating between a taut, do-not-mess-with-me rage and spinning a tiny glimmer of hope into a thread to hold on to. He is an excellent storyteller. Check out his tiny desk concert for NPR, "Fatima" is my favorite.

Sunday = Skull smashin' man fashion

As I have recently been coaxed into some doing some man shopping before jumping the Atlantic (euro/dollar exchange rate, expensive Levis in Europe yadda yadda), I luckily stumbled across this shop. It's pretty much exactly how New York SHOULD look and all hot skinny androgynous men should be dressing. Euro or no. Oh, AND they have excellent lady selections as well. It's pretty much just like the man fashion but with spike heels and some dresses thrown in. As it should be, as it should be...Images all from oaknyc.com