Take a look, it's in a book! A Reading Rainbow

Why, hello there. Welcome to my secret cove of handheld delights.

It's super convenient that books are available electronically now, and I no longer run the risk of smearing chocolate all over the cover, or accidentally lighting pages on fire.

But beautiful and absurd books are my weakness. Sometimes I actually avoid stepping into used bookstores, because I might want too many of them, just based on their looks. Living in a teeny apartment means no storage, and no room for such stray dogs I want to claim as my own.

The thing about those paper pups... is that they always find their way to me somehow.

These relics are my little treasures. I always try to downsize my stuff upon stuff, but I just can't toss these:


101 Glamorous Gifts to Make by Miriam Morrison Peake, Scholastic Book Services 1967

Design by Roger Heins, Photograph by John Gruen 

Found: Garage Sale (I think), from when I was 9ish. I tried to make some of these crafts, but only got 1/8th of the way through, every time. Love the *glamorous* cellophane lion. This handy book also includes plenty of gift advice, such as:

The Masculine Approach
"Men, it has often been said, are really just grown-up boys. For them, humor, hobbies, and sports replace the little fripperies that delight a woman's heart. You should flatter their egos, appeal to their sense of fun, and cater to their preferences [...] Wrappings can have masculine flavor."



Cavalcade of Comedy by Louis Kronenburger, Simon & Schuster 1953

Design by Seymour Robins

Found: Last year I went to a Korean restaurant, and for about 15 minutes no servers seemed to notice us. So we left, and lying outside was this court-jestery consolation prize.

Carefree Gardening by Jean Hersey, Van Nostrend Reinhold 1961

Found: Value Village in Barrie, Thanksgiving 2008. My bedroom is adorned with many faded old photos of sunny gardens and fields, and this cover + the typography = slam dunk. I've been meaning to frame it. Alas, I can be pathologically lazy sometmz.

Heloise's Hints For Working Women by Heloise, Simon & Schuster 1971

Found: Recently a neighbour was moving, and tried to give me a ton of her old things. Then she asked me for a monetary donation for them. This book was worth it, I think. I dig the title typography. The content is a confused little mix of sexism and go-get'em-gal-ism:

"It's unfair that working gals, who have to be seen in public so much, are the ones with the least time for beauty and grooming. Though we all want to look nice for our families, they'll always love us, even if our nail polish is chipping a bit. But appearance on the job really counts! If you work in an office, naturally, your boss is going to want a well-groomed, attractive you to welcome his clients."

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Pan Books 2001

Found: Antique Store on Queen West, on a summer stroll in 2009 (although it's not exactly an antique, as this commemorative edition was published in the current decade). This cover looks like a photographed tv screen, in friendship bracelet colours. Neat science fiction type treatment.



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Doubleday and Company 1945

Pride and Prejudice, inside cover

Found: Junction Value Village last year. There seems to be a dust jacket missing, but we don't need it. It's so cute, it looks like Pride and Prejudice for Newborn Baby Girls. Oh, the lessons they'd learn.



Vivre en Amour by somebody amazing, 1974

Found: Value Village in Montreal, summer trip 2008. A ton of NSFW illustrations inside, with French Canadian couples frolicking in bed and doing stuff. It's a seriously informative book, but nothing beats the ridiculous photographs:

Oral Contraceptives

Fantasies

In-Laws

Hand Intercourse

The 1960s: Now with less logic

This has been very 60s month. And while yes, I do feel like I'm getting all senior citizen-y (see: needlepoint), I'm actually referring to the visual research we've been doing at the studio. My eyes have only been grazing on all that is Mod, Parisian, and Optical Art.

I've been loving that era since I was in the womb. Honestly, I was born with my hair in a beehive. My tolerance for the wackiness of the 60s is pretty high. High as a hippy.

Sure, everything from the 60s is ridiculous in a way; Men's turtlenecks, paper dresses, and a love of polyester/plastic. While I've been scouring for inspiration and references, once in a while something truly ridiculous made its way to me. 

Such as this beautiful hat:

For those sunny summer days, when you don't need a real hat because your arm is willing to do the work for you.

And there's this lovely ensemble:

Next time, I'm not going to stop after three squares of chocolate. I'm going to eat the whole damn bar, and then put on this dress. 'Yes ma'am, I believe I do have a perfect figure. Well, one leg is more than enough for me.'

And these delightful sunglasses:

I know what you're thinking. But Lady Gaga was born in 1986, she didn't invent this style. It's all registered trademark of the 60s!

And I'd like one of these swim caps for my birthday, please (just in time for beach season):

Nobody will even try to pinch my butt or make fun of my cellulite, because it looks like I'm always watching. (Or sleeping, or meowing, or just... you know, sticking my tongue out).

Now this is a tricky picture:

I feel like.... it's breastnotizing me. But the lack of nipple is jarring.

There, I fixed it. It's a whole new you! You're welcome.

I feel so... alive. I've postmodernized pop art, and the adrenaline rush is unbelievable. I just can't stop.

And on that note, I'll leave you with the delightful game of Orgy:

Vintage Ad from Playboy

Flora On My Mind

It's spring!

I stop to stare at the local flowers, as neighbours stop to stare at me... staring at their flowers. I'm a woman obsessed with blossoms and petals (even though my thumb is the opposite colour of green. I have a red thumb). 

Maybe it's because my birthday is in May. Maybe it's because this means the Canadian blizzards are finally on hiatus for a few months. But when it comes down to it, I get high on spring.

Once upon a time in 1988, I watched a mesmerizing stop-motion animated tv show where the characters and background made from real grasses, leaves and flowers. It was called Windfalls, and there's barely a trace of it on the Internet. 

BUT. There's an artist named Elsa Mora who has created some of her own petal people art. They're very similar in style to the Windfalls characters (like Nettle, Butterbur, Rosebay, Delphinium), and they are graphically stunning.

They look good enough to eat.

Speaking of which: when we were filming scenes for Dundas Street at Domino's on Sunday (in the St. Lawrence Market), I perused their incredible selection of edible flowers, like candied lavender. Flowers, for eating! I'm kinda tardy for the party here, but as an amateur vegan/wheat-free baker, it got me all kinds of fired up!

(To be fair, one of my favourite movie scenes ever is when Willy Wonka drinks the daffodil tea cup, then eats it.)

He takes a whiskey drink, he takes a vodka drink

He eats a lager drink, he eats a cider drink....

and sings the songs that remind him of the best times

Right? So good.

Also, I always loved this Alice in Wonderland scene. I might have talked to flowers as a kid, after seeing it. Because hey, plants have personalities too.

Alice in Wonderland Pansies

Tiger Lily and Dandelion, in Wonderland

And, as is evident from my name in the top right, I have a soft spot for poppies. And Dorothy is literally getting high on spring here. I was just being metaphorical about myself before; She's the one doing the hardcore substance abuse. 

Wizard of Oz: Dorothy high on poppies

At least it looks pretty damn good on her.