home sweet home and kudos to shugo!

well i am back in the beautiful city of halifax, and well it just doesn't seem as great as i was thinking it would be.

don't get me wrong, after living in belleville i appreciate almost every single shitty little town or city, and my love has grown immesely for my home town of halifax. but getting thrown into a city (no matter how great it is), where there is horrible crappy, cold, weather you just really can't help but be bitter about it. or atleast i cant! and i was so enjoying the lovely warm weather of ontario...
oh well. anyhow. whenever i come back to halifax i sometimes become a slave for my parents and work at our portuguese/brazilian restaurant called 'Pipa' on argyle st. , downtown halifax. i don't mind the place, i just find that it sucks up all of my time and i feel obligated to help out.

but truthfully it isn't so bad right now. all the painting or signage you see in the place is my beautiful handiwork (or not...) but i would much rather be stuck back in the atrium doing construction and paiting portuguese 'azulejos' tiles!
actually i just finished my first of two tile wall murals. the first one completed is a whopping 6x3 feet. well thats alot for me to paint atleast. it is extremely tedious work. when i finally upload some photos perhaps i will show you.

until then please enjoy the beautiful song of shugo tokumaru, a japanese folk-indie-pop artist. i found out about this guy years ago and i was glad to see that he is finally making his rounds in the west, making it up onto allmusic and pitchfork!
this is first (and personally, still the best) song i had heard of shugo. it reminds me of the simple but calming effects of a tiny, but intricate japanese music box. ^_^ i think its a much better take on now seemingly boring plain acoustic guitar tracks. it works really well with the traditional japanese folk music influence.



if you would like to check out more shugo, which i highly advise you do, here is his myspace!

a lasting impression

it was the spring of 2006. the air was surprisingly warm for the end of march, or maybe because the piles of sweaters and huge mass of people provided enough body heat for me to think so. the trews (another great band) had just finished their act and were clearing out. the stage then was barren. all of a sudden the lights shot on and a gangly figure walked out onto the stage, electric guitar at hand.

it was the free concert at parade square for the halifax juno awards, and the musician, was Joel Plaskett. my love for this man started right then and there, and hasn't died out since.


he is the perfect mixture of feel good, or comforting music, (either making you want to dance, or relax by a fire) mixed with patriotic elements (and numerous references to NS) that would make any canadian happy to hear.

originating from and residing in my home province of beautiful NS, here is my ode to joel plaskett. and i figure, the beautiful canadian weather outside today calls for it; its the kind where i wishhhh i had a car to drive down the highway with the windows down, or could lay on some grassy hill (preferably citadel) eating a 25 cent freezie, - both while blaring his music.

here are a few of his fun, easily singable, mostly danceable, songs (others i really love, unfortunately are hosted by bad cell phone live footage) with video!

Through & through & through: jp takes us for a ride through the beautiful coastal scenery of NS, literally



Work out fine: for any of you that might be JP fans, you'll quickly realize that many of his videos are a bit of a joke, particularly this one - i cant help but laugh! but on the flipside, his rockstar parody looks good on him! really good ;)



True Patriot love: it speaks for itself.

shades of grey

i always love my random trips to value village... i found myself a few pairs of sweet sunglasses, and a fantastic blazer. it is very rare to find a jacket that fits appropriately at value village, at least for me. i am usually always swimming in them. but after visiting there ALL this school year, i finally found one, on what is likely to be my last trip to value village this year ^_^ hoorah!

anyways, glasses at 2.50 plus a case for an extra buck?... i love it when the things i buy don't hurt my wallet ^_^

bonfire, beach n booze

yesterday we had very informal and half assed plans to have one last get together before school lets out on friday. it ended up working out splendidly, better than i could have imagined.

we went to the banks to hang out, have a few beers while watching the sunset, and stay toasty by the bonfire. it was followed up by some 25 cent blizzards from DQ and a few drinks at the red lion pub.

here are a few photos from the night

thanks for the great night, see you all next year!

packing it away

so today i moved a surprising amount of crap OUT of res, and into my new home for next september. it was shocking to see how much junk i was really able to squeeze into this tiny room, while living quite comfortably at that! it was also quite embarrassing seeing stephen (new roomie!) with 2 boxes? to my 1 gigantor box, large rolley suitcase, 6 or 7 random bags, guitar case and mirror.

but we managed. but along with the packed junk, went my tablet! i decided i would be just too busy this summer to worry about dragging it back and forth with me... across essentially 3 provinces.

to commemorate my new found or rather, re kindled, but abrupt and forced ending with my tablet..a drawing!

tablettinggg

i love drawing with my tablet, i really do! so i had to get a few drawings in before i pack the ol thing up before i go to halifax. its 2.30 am and i am still putting around doing this and that. my boxes are slowly taking up the living room.. and yikes, i have a lot of crap.

anyhow, taking a few breaks here and there.. here are a few things i came up with..

tomorrow is going to be a busy day with packing, moving, exams and a few last hangouts with some friends.. i am going to postpone the postss..

this is how i am feeling at the moment, utterly frazzled:

but to lighten the mood, how about some happy, seemingly drugged out fruit!

4:20

light one up for good old bobby.



(fantastic reggae beat. - the video was a disappointment, and threw me off a bit to be quite honest, but props to you collie buddz)

a wee bit of art

sometimes i really just enjoy sitting down and doing a few sketches. this is also why you are seeing a redesigned blog title and the cute little duchess on the side.

they were just quick photoshop drawings done with my wacom intuos 3 (4x6) tablet. its a really fun thing to have around once in a while. it was shoved underneath by bed since midway last semester but it found its way back onto my desk ealier this afternoon.

it reminded me, i think i have a bit of random pieces of art sitting around on my computer. and since im in the mood for sketches, paitings etc, i'll post 'em up!

summer nights

i decided to check out some of my old 'favourites'. bershka, a lovely spanish store stole my heart long long ago, but it slowly has been fizzling out, whether i meant it to or not! anyways i decided to rekindle that love.

their aw10 spring/summer lookbook - as always, can suit just about anybody's taste. there are delicate, soft and flowy pieces inspired by the 60's, and bold, bright, tight and slouchy peices of the 80's - all ofcourse with a modern flair. they always have wicked shoes and bags as well.

but it's not so much the clothing that i remember from bershka so much as their collections. their aw10 spring/summer collection is reminiscent of a graduation after party in the back woods of some girls house, the hot and sweaty summer nights, and of course, those fantastic summer flings.

the lighting is beautiful, and i will forever love this theme. ... and how much fun would it be to be either model OR photographer! sigh...but atleast it has got me increasingly excited to go home for summer. there is nothing like rural nova scotia in the summer time...

it's fb official

well, i feel it's time to let my little blog be known. its 'facebook official' now. how sad it is when that is becoming an everyday term... anyhow, as is quite apparent now...i am just going to melt my photo and "fun" blog together. why have two, hard to keep track of and inefficient blogs when you can have one spectacular one. anyways, enjoy the space, and appreciate; i actaully have been updating i think almost everyday, which is the most continually dedicated i think i've ever been to something like this!

and please, to all fellow photo j's and bloggers, if you want to be linked, let me know!

ghandek kejkijiet ghad-dijabetici?

a few from my trip to the beautiful country of malta last january: click on the photos if you want to see the larger size & resolution!

triple threat

a real multimedia piece, audio,video,stills, and my first attempt. if it wasn't for darn rendering and time consumption, i swear it would be increasingly better. oh well! c'est la vie, and its friday! so who cares!

the piece is on john ottman, quinte ballet school of canada's art director. he pretty much runs the show at the ballet school. anyways it was a really fun place to shoot, as i love dancing, and particularly ballet, and john was a really great guy.

i'm sure most of this video he would kill me for, as in, brutal death.. as im sure some incorrect movements and lines of the body are not what they wan't to be broadcasting of their students, and their school... but a school is about teaching, making mistakes and learning, is it not? plus this is photojournalism baby!

anyways, the music is really quite lovely, especially the last song. i shall have to find out the name...enjoy!

procrastination is my middle name

here i am, in the computer lab at school with only hours until my final cut pro multimedia piece is due (okay, well its actually due tomorrow afternoon, but with the way i work that is more like only a few hours) its been such a long process that never seems to get any shorter.... anyways i feel the need to break it up with song, and a bit of blogging :) ...

here are a few cool new jams:

an edgier "The Shins" ? i'm loving the organs...



love this video..



my brain when listening to this song: tiny ponies wearing colourful party hats climbing up and down ladders. don't ask why.

i came across an old photoshoot i did with simone back in november 09. the light was beautiful that day, and again, it was shot at the back of residence. there is such beautiful plant life around here! anyways, the sunlight and dried plants made for the perfect late fall photoshoot.

groggy leggings, zara metal studded dress, zara coin sequin vest.

living behind the emerald isle

we had to do a short multimedia piece for software regarding our multiple pictures project. Here is Johnny Cree, a 96 (almost 97) year old irish immigrant, andddddddddd, my absolute one of kind, favourite (and only) great grandfather. anyways, its not the best, but it's my first attempt working with final cut pro.

i will be creating a photo story and hopefully a multimedia peice. Pier 21 and Canada's immigration museum wants to publish his story in their bi-yearly newsletter.

des. bots!

i had a bit of time before a shoot today so i wondered into value village. i came across these fantastic AEROSOLE desert boots. how cool. they are the comfiest things i think i have ever put on my feet. i might even wear them to bed!..no not really but as of right now they are doubling as house shoes because that's how comfy they are. and for only 7 dollars, what a steal!

kicks to boot

every body needs a pair of good black boots. i have been realizing lately that a pair of big ol' black motorcycle style boots would be the perfect addition to my wardrobe as currently, my only pair of black boots are over-the-knee sued ones.

oh if only i had an extra $1325 kicking around (no pun intended!) for these wild TAO Comme Des Garcons boots available at Satine Boutique.



or how about these beautiful CO-OP Barney New York studded ankle boots at a more "affordable" price in comparison to Des Garcons..but still at a hefty $580



and how cool are these vintage studded combat boots from Free People.



however, these cute boots from Urban Outfitters are probably more in my price range...

animal of the night!

a photo shoot with my little sister simone, in the woods at night. as much as i mostly despise this place, i have to admit there is some very beautiful foliage around the residence! it made for beautifully eerie shapes and shadows. these are actually clips from a video that i hope to put together over the summer.

canadian spring nights

i suppose its surprising that i must wear a huge furry vest in the middle of spring. but infact, we even had a few flurries yesterday in rural ontario! oh, canadian weather...dollhouse vest, zara basic peasant top, vintage Joe Sanchez boots, random seed neclace from south africa.

give me a b! give me an a! give me an n-a-n-a!

as i was on a brief shopping trip i noticed that chapters was having a fantastic sale on books right now. i always love when i happen upon huge book sales. anyways i went and picked up a few books for $11. i ended up going back to the mall and couldn't resist going in for more. i found another 3 books.

one of them is titled 'hardboiled & hard luck' by Banana Yoshimoto. yes, her name IS legally banana and she is an up and coming author from japan. i am a huge haruki murakami lover, in fact, i think he might just be my favourite! and so i am really into japanese literature lately.

banana yoshimoto has been compared to murakami for her ethereal style in writing, well thought out words and sense of characters. so far, im loving her name, and the cover is cute! i'll let you know what i think when i read it!

preppy pride

i was feeling the preppy theme today. lovely cotton ruffle pinstripe shirt. some blue jeans and beautiful $9 leather kicks from value village. my favourite! i will try to do more of these postings as the days go on. i am trying to start up with look book but i find that i rarely get my picture taken to do so!

illustration infatuation

two words: yoko furusho. she is originally from tokyo, but now resides in nyc. her illustrations are beautifully whimsical and highly imaginative. i can't get over the colours either... the illustrations are so colourful, yet are made up of muted and delicate tones.

her work is not limited to illustrations. she is the creator of pillowy-soft mushrooms, and an assortment of other squishy and soft fine art pieces.

if i had to describe the perfect dream world, it would be the amalgamation of furusho's illustrations and artwork. she really has created the most idyllic dream world; one that i would very much enjoy living in!