Even so, I am fond of this bus. The idea of taking a deep end leap and living on the very fringes of civilization (I do love fringe) are fairly frightening; but as a road trip, long vacation, short-term sort of thing, I could get into it.
Sitting by the fire, Alice
via Scott Erickson's photo stream
Call me what you will, but I am really in love with that Stormtrooper painting. While watching Race to Witch Mountain, I was reminded of how much they just cheer me up.
Back to the point, both these pieces are by Scott Erickson, who I believe is a local artist, and creates fantastic-ly creepy pop art.
Happy that my car is a.k.a. 'TK421', Alice
It feels like fall is the perfect time to start cooking. So, it was timely to see the movie Julie and Julia, which just makes you want to cook. All the time. With lots of butter.
So, grab a cookbook, some pearls, some good butter {western family will not do}, some heavy french cookware, and enjoy the simple pleasure of making something out of nearly nothing.
* These hooks are fantastic! A hook for every pan, and a pan for everything!
**I am especially fond of Julie Powell's apartment transformation in the movie, so pay attention if you see it!
Waiting for the sun to come out, Alice
via Scrapeteria
I am not endorsing the interiors of this movie, because I haven't seen it. Frankly it doesn't look that funny. This little collage was funny. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
This weekend I watched Hotel for Dogs, and was totally convinced that the boy in it was Bastian {from the original Neverending Story} all grown up, but I was wrong. The hotel was partly animated, which bugged me, but there were some good scenes of neglected grandeur, which I appreciated.
This is probably the lamest movie Monday ever, but honestly, I haven't been watching much tv, and the DVD player is on the fritz.
Hoping to get some more coffee, Alice
via Shelterrific
This weekend I watched Spiderman 3. While I still haven't made it all the way through the movie without falling asleep, {this is my fault, not the movies fault} I have become rather fond of Peter Parkers apartment. There is something so comforting about only having room for a bed, a lamp and a computer. Plus, the wall trim and french doors are pretty fantastic. I also watched Unleashed, which has some fantastic apartments with round rooms, porcelain door levers, and great lighting... but alas, there are few online images of anything other than 'Danny the Dog'.
Not so impressed with this, Alice
via Simon's Winona Ryder Webage
This movie monday is less about the decor, and more about the sentiment. The feeling of that scratchy couch, and staying in your pajamas for days while chain smoking and calling up psychics. Doing your serious grocery shopping at the mini mart. A daily Big Gulp. A beat up BMW. The Gap. Bands in the 90's.
Listening to this, Alice
"Hello Hello, And welcome to my loverly home. May you find solace within the womblike warmth of its... downy plume." ~my favorite greeting
If you can get over yourself and watch this movie, ignore all the high brow reviews from the worlds most boring people, you will be rewarded. Whoever did the set design on this movie was truly gifted, and I wish we were best friends. I want this front door, the perfect crazing, the antique handle, the eye peep hole {hello}.
Hello bear head, cracked plaster, wide plank distressed floors, opulent drapes and spiderweb leaded windows. I wish you were mine.
Even the kitchen has an ancient farmhouse sink, a giant beat up table, instead of an awful island {when will those go away?}, and really nicely blackened walls. If only I had kitchen help with fishnet arm thingies, I would be happy.
I was so disappointed to find out that Count Olaf's house is only a model. {I feel so Monty python saying that} Nevertheless, his outdoor lighting is superb. It would be fantastic to have creepy plays in the backyard of your crumbling mansion.
Yes, his car is also the greatest. The 1960 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limo. The same car Jackie O had. Complete with about a hundred rear-view mirrors for those of us losing our sight, and a reel to reel in the dash. It is hard to decide between this and a Tatra though.
Shopping for a Nagra to put in my dash, Alice
Ah, Bohemian Hellhole at it's finest hour. If I had a nickel for every time I wished to live in this house, I might have enough cash to replace a few windows in it. Mostly, I just love the neglected-yet-functional-enough-for-a-man-club atmosphere.
After a long day, it would be comforting to walk up those stairs and know no one else would dare knock on your door, offering new vinyl siding, overpriced magazine subscriptions, or requesting your signature on some dumb petition for political action.
No one should be allowed a farmhouse sink unless their house was actually old enough to have had an original. Nor should farmhouse sinks be black, or stainless steel*.
Romantic isn't it?
Proper placement of a large CRT monitor can really give a room some panache.
Just to be clear, I am not a fan of transom spindles. If this were my house those would be gone right away. Also, the large flaky chunks of paint are a little gross, but if the walls were sanded and waxed {wearing only NIOSH Approved gear of course} they would be so pretty.
I love the combination of cookware, chemicals and a party dress.
Looks like a Hastens mattress to me. Some sheets would be nice.
House shopping for something tall dark and decrepit, Alice
*When will everyone realize that stainless steel is totally over? Especially when it comes to appliances like this. That is not stainless steel. That is junk.
via eagles on pogo sticks {what?}
After I watched this movie for the first time, I was completely consumed with wanting Ana Pascal's apartment. The textured wallpaper, the amazing chandelier that I have yet to find a substitute for anywhere, the driftwood lamps, the ease. I was even convinced that she had my zig-zag floors in her kitchen, but later came to my senses and realized they were simply checkers, from an angle.
via screen crush
Not only that, but her bakery is perfectly imperfect as well. Even the seemingly over-full shelves are punctuated with little bits of color and quirk. And, even though she scrambled all her paperwork on purpose for her tax audit, my paperwork really does look just like this box.
via hippo press
More of Ana's bakery. It's the little things that sell me. Like the scalloped trim and the mohawk.
via releaselog
The whole movie is a whiplash of environments. Professor Jules Hilbert's office is full of mid-century educational furnishings, alongside super creepy bulletin boards full of oddities and a TV in the bookcase. {I also love the constant crazy ingestion of coffee. Coffee from yesterday, coffee from the vending machine, coffee at the urinals...}
I am just as in love with the totally blank white studio of Kay Eiffel, with its shiny black trim and enormous windows. {I don't want her cigarette+spit Kleenex though}
I don't really have much to say other than I love to watch this movie and wish I could re-create each space for myself. And even though I couldn't find a photo of it, and apparently it's bad form to screen capture a movie, I do love Harold Crick's apartment as well. Everything is beige. And so plain. But he has matching lamps, and I always wonder where he got his furniture. I can't see him shopping at all.
Going to the mini-mart, Alice
