fancy pants

the last of the really great whangdoodles

i used to be a pretty avid reader. now it seems i go through only phases where my nose is constantly in a book. i also always feel better and more accomplished when i am in one of these phases. time is much better spent reading a book than having your eyeballs glued to a computer screen to useless things like facebook and blogs! ah. at least i'm blogging about books i suppose.

as i said, when i was younger, i was a really avid reader. in fact, so much, that i was in a book club of sorts called 'battle of the books'. its kind of one of those funny childhood memories, a bit nerdy, but definitely worthy of some level of bragging rights. i think. with a group of four people, there was a two page list of books that you had to read, and memories titles and authors. then you went to 'battle' and questions would be asked about the book and you hate to state the book name and author, or vice versa. many a good books were on that list and not just children books.

however, one childrens book that will forever remain a favourite  is last of the really great whangdoodles, by julie andrews edwards. amazing right?! as if she wasn't children's idol already - being marry poppins and mary from the sound of music - she also created one of the greatest childrens books ever.

my parents bought me this book only a few years ago for my birthday because i mentioned that i really wanted to re-read it.

they ended up finding a beautiful hardcover first edition of the 1974 novel. 

the book is about 3 siblings who befriend a professor who makes them really see the world around them so much that they are able to see a tunnel to another land where they meet an assortment of strange creatures and overcome various trials that test their judgment and character. they eventually help the last of the really great whangdoodles by giving him a wife and restoring the whangdoodle's faith in humanity. the book is chockablock full of good morals for children along side exciting imagery like purple trees that are scented like various types of baked goods and golden rivers that sing with harmonies when disturbed!

it is decided that this is a bedtime story for my future children.

[salsa] obsesion.

my salsa obsession has been revived. i always loved to dance, and took lessons for many forms of dance when i was younger, but never salsa, or any form of latin dance to be honest.

then one day salsa nights started at my family's restaurant..it was the best [easiest] way to be introduced to it.

i always worked salsa nights, and eventually started sneaking off for a few minutes to have a few dances. now, i'm rarely scheduled for friday nights for the sole reason that i end up going to the restaurant anyways to dance.  no formal lessons, but its amazing what you can learn after a few social dances.

anyways, i really only know the basics, and can distinguish between a few forms of dances. i really love them all, but i simply can't get over bachata.... and i can't get over this song! whenever i leave salsa nights this song is stuck in my head for about 3 days.

obsesion [no es amor] - aventura



there was also a version put out by baby bash, for all you early 2000's hiphop/r&b lovers like myself.
[funny, this is the second thing by babybash i've posted somewhere this week!]

unicorn origami

i am not sure where my fascination with unicorns [or other fantastical creatures] stemmed from but i don't see it going away anytime soon. i also don't know how i happened upon this, but i did. and i love it.  apparently it has something to do with blade runner [which, by the way, i have never seen] but who cares. someone buy me this tshirt!

but first make it in black and white and in a nice thin, soft fabric.

LIKE THIS!

better yet, make it into a nice slouchy tank top. someone make me this t shirt!

continuing with the unicorn origami theme, i came across this amazing little geometric mirror neclace from bouf.com for about $45.

all the origami unicorns you could wish for here!
and a diagram to make your very own unicorn...a very pudgy one at that!

galo de barcelos

really exploring portuguese influenced art. another take on the galo de barcelos.

24" x 36"  large scale pen and ink drawing. which, in fact, i sold the other day! feels nice!

[sorry about the crappy cell phone pics, the only thing i had to snap a few pics last minute!]

if anyone is interested in purchasing a galo ink drawing, i have more. or can do one to order. every piece is completely different and come in a variety of sizes.

mariza_gaspar@hotmail.com

mountain men & pretty birds

not mountain men at all but the most serene of song birds. good for contemplative lonely walks in snowy forests. and toe dipping in twinkling lakes. if you haven't heard of mountain men, or their album made the harbor [2010] you must open your heart up and let them spill into you.

leo da vinci

my nana brought back this tshirt from italy a few years back. the print is of leo da vinci's sketches. i am a huge fan of his and did my IB thesis on his fine art works. through my research, i decide that leo is much more fascinating for his anatomical, scientific and mechanical sketches.

i was pleased with a tshirt full of his math and sketches of one of my favourite things, bicycles! however the tshirt was too small around the neck and fit awkwardly. after a few years of finding its way into every spot but on my body, i decided to do something about it and cut it into a basic tank. now i love it even more!

2 ears 2 hear

thank god for my 2 ears 2 hear the musical brilliance that are the new york born suckers - "2 eyes 2 c"

crackberries

now as many of you know, i have entered the realm of smartphones. [rip LG keybo!] still not 100% sold on blackberries [OR iphones, so don't tell me to get one of those instead] as i already have realized the increase in cellphonescreen-to-eyeball ratio, its international connectivity [which was the reason to get the phone] is actually quite fantastic! i don't even have a data plan but i have been chatting away to people thousands and thousands of miles away for free. pretty great! there is however one thing i WILL miss, and that is my mass and mass of charms and korean stickers. blackberries have no spot for charms and are too rounded for many stickers! :(  anyways, as a usual internet junkie and class-A time-waster i have been browsing for interesting blackberry gear to compromise. but while saving the funds for the big move in april, window shopping keeps my wallet happy : )

and this.. this is just pretty awesome. they have the most ridiculous cellphone accessories in asia.
they are called flash tree pets, and they are live mini plants on a cell charm that you can water and watch grow!!!

and this, well this is just funny. remember? those were the days... when a simple banana satisfied ALL of our communication needs.

humble abode

a few people have been asking what happens to all these 'things' that i collect when traveling, and what my space looks like. well here is a sneak peak into the most utilized space of my house - my comfy bedroom. i recently updated this room, and a few weeks ago decided to throw in a deep red wall. my favourite colour scheme at the moment, deep reds, golds and a touch of turquoise. i am not home all that much, but when i am, this is where i sit down to relax and read a good book and eventually, fall asleep. 

great grandmother's clock, fishies, old trunk & my instruments, my 'princess' bed

japanese trio, thai marionette, parasol, favourite books & knicknacks, maltese evil eye and backpacks

amazing tunisian glass paintings

german smoker, overstuffed childhood bookshelf, books & knickknacks from abroad & amazing floating bookshelf!!!

 so there you have it. next i will update with photos of the little office in all its finished glory!

good and sad and thoughtful vibes

indeed i have been slacking! but i am working on a few new bigger posts! but for now, here is a song for your listening pleasure.. a song and an album that i have been listening to a lot lately. things have been dragging on since i got home, and the entire album fits my moods perfectly. good and sad and thoughtful vibes.

slow, ambient, dreamy, hazy, shoegaze, sluggish, disarray

if you haven't listened to BURST APART [2011] by THE ANTLERS. I highly suggest you do so.

every song is great, so i will just start with track 2 [1 is intro]. hounds by the antlers.