fancy footwork

Ok: it's no secret I love shoes. I also LOVE to dance, although sadly it is something I don't do nearly enough of these days (maybe I should start going "clubbin'"? Do people still do that??) So when Elizabeth rang me up a few weeks ago, offering me a rad pair of Aldo shoes in exchange for shakin' it on camera one morning with several amazing young ladies, it was kind of a no-brainer. It was a bit on the early side for a dance party (many a grande americano had to be wrangled from hand before we rolled...) but it was really great to finally meet so many faces theretofore familiar only as an extension of my laptop.

But what does it all meeean, Basil? Long story short, ALDO is hosting a pretty rad contest right now, involving--you guessed it--shoes, dancing, AND no less than $2500 in prize money. Think of the video above as a kind of jumping off point for you and your killer moves. I mean, come on, you can do better than us right???

P.S. There MAY be a video solely featuring my physical stylings floating around out there...but to see it, you'd have to follow this link. I can say no more.

When I say "happy" you say...

Pssst...it's Alex's birthday today! I'm in the process of prepping for an epic celebratory feast--fish tacos and ginger lemon fizz to drink, plus brownies with raspberries and ice cream for dessert, and (almost) all home made, natch!

I really don't know what I'd do without this boy. He's simply the kindest, sweetest, most patient (and that is key, haha) person I have ever met in my whole life. Plus he's in a cool band and loves glam rock and rainbows almost as much as I do. Happy birthday Alley Cat!!

frankie rose

A couple of days ago, I received the sweetest package in the mail, all the way from New Zealand. In it was a copy of the Frankie Photo Album, along with the May/June issue of Frankie Magazine and a (handwritten!) note from Holly at Frankie. Since it can be a bit elusive here in the states, I'm awfully excited whenever I come across Frankie (and back in February I spent quite some time in the Melbourne Mag Nation pawing through back issues!)









The Photo Album has been on my wishlist ever since I heard about its coming out. The photography in the magazine is always so perfectly gentle and tasteful, and I knew any collection they'd had a hand in curating couldn't be anything short of magic. Above are just a few of my favorite pages, but honestly, there isn't a bad egg in the bunch--not even close. Thanks Holly, and thanks Frankie!! And thanks to all the photographers featured in the Album for capturing such beautiful, simple, funny, strange moments for all of us to see.

tiny love

Opening Ceremony just posted a bunch of great photos of Chloë, including a few from her own personal collection. Check out her child modeling card! Lookit that Sears-catalog-ready smile. I think the eight year old me would have had a girl crush on her too.

you know you love it

Aaaah, how fucking ridiculous is this video of Kate and Christie, circa when dinosaurs still roamed the earth?? What a little scamp, that Miss Moss! You've gotta go watch the rest of them over on the RUSSH blog, this stuff is priceless.

orchard of my eye

Oh man, I'm so in love with this Forestbound canvas carryall I found via Effie's blog. It's made of a salvaged 100-plus-years-old apple sack, and the leather is from a Swiss military backpack from the '30's. Uuuuuum. Yep, pretty much. 'Course, it's kinda a moot point since it's already sold out!

I'm always looking for alternatives to the same old grungy canvas tote I invariably end up falling back on. I just get so frustrated not being able to fit enough stuff into other bags--not that I'm that high maintenance, it's just that I like being able to say "no" to plastic bags while shoping as much as possible. Cram it and go, friends!

little Lou

I recently came across these shots of Lou Doillon from a 1996 copy of L'Officiel--taken when she couldn't have been more than fourteen! She looks so wee, and sweet, and just a little awkward (also, does anyone else see a vaguely disturbing resemblance to Cory Kennedy in some of these? Hrrrrm, must ponder implications...)

(photos found here)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...

I recently had the honor of being the latest in a fine line of bloggers to complete Style Symmetry's Symmetry Seven. I'm mighty honored, and it was a lot of fun. Thanks Eyeliah!

(Photo from tubes. on flickr)

Super Duper

Firstly, I just want to say thank you all SO MUCH for the wonderful comments on my last post!!! Oh man seriously you guys, reading them left me with a big ol' grin on my face...and the impetus to make more films! As much as I love photography, nothing can quite compare to the feeling you get when you project your first roll and watch it come to life, thinking: holy crap, I made that!



About the film itself: I shot it on a Yashica Super 40, which is a Super 8 camera. There are lots of Super 8 cameras out there, for a broad range of prices. You can get them off eBay with various levels of guarantee, and anything made by Canon is usually a pretty safe bet for a beginner. Additionally, I often see them in second hand shops for little more than a few dollars. Of course, here you take the risk of having no idea whether it will work or not. If the battery case (often inside the handle of the camera) looks clean and free of corrosion, that's a good sign. These batteries will almost certainly need replacing, as will the battery that runs the camera's light meter. This battery is a little more tricky, since it will be of the very small, round variety that is used to run watches and other small electronics.



There is a lot of information on Super 8 available on the web. This is a great resource, as is this. Super 8 film is still available, and generally costs between $8 and $14 a roll (about 3 minutes worth), depending on the brand and type. To make my film, I used Kodak Ektachrome 64T, which I purchased at Eastman Kodak here in NYC. After you shoot your film, you'll need to have it developed, which is sort of like having a roll of photos made into prints. You'll get a nifty little spool of film, which can then be put through a projector, should you have access to one. In order to edit your film (unless you want to go old school and try your had at splicing), you'll then need to have it transferred by a lab onto a DV tape, which can then be transferred, through a deck or through a DV camera, onto your computer. As far as I know, the majority of Labs that do this kind of work in the US are located in California and New York, but most of them accept mail orders. You can fill out an order form, ship your film to them, and they'll ship it back to you ready to go.



Bottom line is: this is definitely not a cheap hobby, but it is an extremely rewarding one. If you're a student, be sure to ask about discounts, both when buying your film and having it processed, as they are very often available. Even if you only get it together once or twice to follow it all through from start to finish, you'll have a piece of work that you can hold on to forever. And it is infinitely more satisfying than a Flip Cam, I promise you. (Not that I don't want one of those to...) Feel free to email me if you have any further questions. I am by no means an expert, but I'm an excitable novice, and I would love to share what little I do know with other curious parties!



About the music: you can check out Girls here, and buy their album here. They're on tour at the moment, and will be stopping off at a few US cities come November, including my own. Can't wait!!

(last photo courtesy of Girls' myspace)