Things I Love Thursday: 5.15.08

The Economic Stimulus Check Edition:
Today's edition of "Things I Love Thursday is dedicated to the beautiful things, both big and small, that I wish I could dedicate my U.S. government provided economic stimulus check to. In reality, it's probably going towards debt & groceries, because I've got a pizza, water, and barbeque sauce sitting in my fridge.

Miu Miu's Floral carved sandals from Net-A-Porter. I love the simplicity of the overall design of the shoe, combined with a distinct, beautiful, and complex heel. One of the charming aspects of this shoe is how I could see it incorporated in to the wardrobe for at least three out of four seasons. In the Fall they'd be lovely with a chunky tight and tweed skirt, while during the Summer and Spring they'd be the perfect heel to wear with all of those lightweight dresses. At $550, they aren't unreasonably priced for the quality and craftsmanship of this shoe. At $550, they're still a bit beyond my financial means (plus, I think my feet would just look fat in them).

Next up: Best Buy Video Sales. Great savings on movies always gets me-- going in to Best Buy is as dangerous as going in to Borders or Barnes & Noble. Right now they've got two of my favorite shows, The West Wing and Six Feet Under on Sale for $19.99 and $16.99 a season. Especially for Six Feet Under (which I've never seen on sale), those prices are AMAZING. There's a likelihood that part of my check may go to a few seasons.

New + Pretty Bras: Since picking up one at Trashy Diva's Lingerie store, I've kind of been in love with my Felina Bra. I'm looking to expand my pretty underthings with the Alexa Bra and the Victoria Bra.

Lot of Links! Love: 5.14.08

Some quick picks; a few are quite old, but I they're still on my mind!

- On the art of Networking:
The ever-lovely Nubby Twiglet answers my questions on how to network honestly. And from Girl Meets Business, parts one and two of "An Introvert's Guide to Networking." I hate the idea of networking, so I find these articles refreshing and pleasing.

- From the "Not Necessarily Safe for Work" Angle: (From Coilhouse)
White One White: A Photographic Top 10-- a very startling, striking collection of images where white is the dominant color. An excellent study of skilled technical photography and beautiful sense of style.
Isabella Rossellini: Pervert of the Month. In a new series presented by the Sundance Channel, Isabella Rossellini stars in a series of "Green Pornos." Very mind blowing and powerfully evocative (and a wee bit squeam inducing!).

- For those Going Green:
If you're looking for bigger & brighter ideas on how to bring more "Green" in to your lifestyle, without sacrificing your style, Miss Malaprop is passing along Green Chic: Saving the World in Style to a reader at random. The only catch is that after you read it, you have to repost it and pass it along to a reader of your own.

Jennine has a great posts, How to Buy Vintage, which is all the information you can get in a book, condensed to a fantastic easy-to-read piece. While you're there, be sure to check out her new Coveted Shop, which is chock full of beautiful, thrifted German bits and pieces.

-In Case You Missed It:
Tricia at bits and bobbins's post asking Why Do We Wear What Wear. The answers are shocking and insightful, and one day I promise to finish the 400 page manifesto that is brewing in my mind as a result of this question.

Mischief-Managed Media Presents: Martina Topley Bird

Recently I was contacted by Independiente regarding their artist, Martina Topley Bird and her single, "Poison."

I agreed to review the track, because my research in to Bird provided me with a new artist whose music I enjoyed and whose style I found fresh and vibrant.

Martina Topley Bird has a surprising track record of working with some of the music industry's most innovative mavericks: Tricky, the Gorillaz, Primus, and John Spencer Blues Explosion. She embarks on her most recent musical voyage with long-time friend, Danger Mouse. Her first release came out in 2003, and her upcoming album, "The Blue God," [May 2008) is a testament to the "contradictions of her past."

"Poison" is a catchy pop song combining surf rock and electronica to create a delightful and dance worthy song about the way that betrayal and love creates a poisonous after-effect. In "Poison," Bird's voice is sensual and raw, sticky sweet and gritty with the memories and burdens of the past. Like any good dance tracks, the song is filled with highs and lows, but each beat is guaranteed to keep you on your feet. What I love most about this song is it's versatility; I can say in all honesty that it's on several playlists on my iPod, that I've listened to it in the car, and while dancing around the house. The more I listen to it, the more I've come to really enjoy it.



Martina Topley Bird: "Poison [original track]"



Martina Topley Bird: "Poison" [Van She Remix]"

Things I Love Thursday: 5.08.08

There's lot of excitement and change in the air! My life has been a whirlwind of job applications, approaching the final weeks of my internship, the changing of the season, and so much more!

While my feet and head are moving too quick for the rest of me to catch up, the world gets passed by so fast that I can't even stop to register things as favorites! Please, dears, tell me how you manage your time, because I always feel like Alice chasing the White Rabbit.

Firewater: A New Album and Back on Tour! Since they haven't released an album in several years, I haven't quite had the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite bands of all time, Firewater. After several years in Middle East and Asia, my favorite singer/songwriter Todd A. is back with a brand new album, The Golden Hour. Not only is there a glorious new album (featuring Balkan Beatboxing!), but they are on tour, and stopping in three Mischief-Friendly areas: Chicago, New Orleans, and Austin. At the very least, I hope to catch two of those shows!

Graduation! In just a few short weeks, following the last of my paperwork, I will receive my diploma for my M.A. in Arts Administration. While it may not mean the end of my educational career, it does mean the end of this book. And some lovely graduation presents coming, too!


Patrick Nagel! Thank you, Wendy B., for reminding me of my love of Nagel's work. It happened when I first discovered Duran Duran's "Rio," album, and have consequently wanted to dress up as the Cover Girl ("Rio" as I call her) for my Duran Duran Dance Party. Nagel women kind of remind me of the living embodiment of Robert Palmer women, how the live, what they wear, how they move, when they're not pouting with guitars.

Text-Based Browser Games! Yikes, geek alert! I love checking in on the progress of my nations in Ikariam or driving my little yellow semi, Bumblebee, in Trukz. Oh, the shame!

Purple! I'm absolutely crazy for dark orchid, royal and plummy shades of purple. Inspired by a dress that Alysan Hannigan wore in How I Met Your Mother, I've decided to construct a dress to wear to my upcoming summer weddings. And my Twitter and current computer background have been changed to this lovely image:



And More! Vladmaster: handmade Viewfinders!; Bourbon Chocolate Torta, a locally made goat cheese; farmer's markets on bright Spring days; Gala Darling's Crowing Your Beautiful Life t-shirt; Mid-Western thunderstorms; this Thoreau cuff bracelet; Peachy Pan's elaborate kanzashi's; Twin Peaks; Robert Downey Jr.; mass media consumption

All A Twitter

So I've broken down and joined Twitter. You can find Miss Ashe Mischief here.

It reminds me of my favorite feature of Facebook. Now if I could only remember to update it as often as I remember to update Facebook.

Bonjour! While the postings have been a slow-coming, I have had many things to share-- from how much I love my new Heatherette lipgloss (yes, it's been that long!), to thoughts on consumption + going green + thrifting, to my love of My So-Called Life, and a treatise on "Why I Wear What I Wear".

In the meantime, I leave with you with 6 Randon Facts About Me, as tagged by the ever lovely Une femme d'un certain age. (Merci! I do love a good game of tag!)

1. I use my cell phone (and only phone) more for text messaging than for actually talking in to.

2. Shopping for brassieres is more painful than shopping for jeans-- at a 44B (large rib cage, smallish bust), finding bras in my size is nearly impossible. Finding bras where the cup is not larger than my head, even more difficult. Just because my band is big doesn't mean my boobehs are!

3. Try all I can, sometimes I have poor money management skills. My bills are paid on time, my credit card debt is slowly decreasing, but I will still spend my last few dollars on a cup of coffee or eating out once than buying a cheap loaf of bread and lunch meat to last me a week.

4. Sometimes I worry I could never love a child or a partner as much as I love my kitten, Lottie.

Who could say 'no' to that face? I can, but only sometimes.

5. I'm really upset that Sienna Miller was cast as The Baroness in the upcoming G.I. Joe movie, and I'm ashamed at how much it bothers me.

6. Sometimes I crave a simple life more than anything. A garden, a small house, easy living, a job that ends when the work bell rings. And have I been looking up job opportunities in Fiji to make this come true? ...maybe.


And to continue the game, I'd like to tag...
Cybill
Tali at the Pin-Up Blog
Miss L
& (to avoid retagging anyone who has done it many times) whoever would love to fill it out!

Mega-kisses & mischief,
Ashe

Beige Not Brown

Glee! A few rare moments of quiet & calm.

There are so many, many posts I have been wanting to make lately. But a part-time job, full-time internship, and job search, along with snuggle & tv time, have kept me most occupied (from here and from my routine Livejournal).

So as an apology for neglect, I leave you with my most current shoe desire (which has actually dwindled quite a lot). I've been having a fetish for natural colored shoes lately-- white/beige/nude, and been thinking about how I would incorporate such a combination in to my wardrobe.

Then, Lord Fluevog bestowed me with the pretty:


(From his Wedding collection...)

Similarly, I love the grey & bone colored Yunnan shoe. The soft scalloped edges, the thick lace, and the peep toe make for a delightful and unusual color combination.



Both shoes are so quiet, yet refreshing and vibrant for the warming season.