HORT

more inspiration. what keeps me going through the darkness and rain.

Eike Koenig from Hort from Leonardo Mercado on Vimeo.

READY ABLE

i just can't get enough of this video right now (or the song for that matter). ed has been inspired by allison shulnik (the maker), and i have become obsessed with learning more about her. which lead me to an interesting interview Ryan Christian posted on fecalface.com a few months ago. 

inspired by the likes of Harryhausen and Bruce Bickford, her art, to me, borders on being really ugly, but somehow the colours and movement of every piece make it beautiful, the sadness and rejection is pictured through calm and charming creations. 

I dunno you check it out for yourself.

allisonschulnik.com

also, if you get a chance, watch another video she has made, Hobo Clown

STARVING ARTIST KOKEBOK

photos courtesy of maren sundt-hansen

model andreas grødtlien

for those who do not know, i have been keeping myself very busy with the up and coming starving artist kokebok. based on the love is my velocity cookbook, myself, edward and my canadian housemate, tim are doing the oslo version. 

we have 35 oslo based independent bands who have submitted their favourite recipe, 36 oslo based artists (mix of illustration, graphic, paint, photography and film) who have submitted artwork based on the bands, 8 oslo based music journalists who are writing about the bands and 6 oslo based industry-related businesses who are helping out and submitting recipes also, involved. that is a lot of people. a lot of talented, friendly and exciting people.

we are now in the final stages of putting the book together. plus there will be an accompanying sampler cd, with 20 tracks - kindly donated by 20 of the featured bands.

so far we have media coverage to be printed in natt og dag and D2, plus many music blogs are following suit and getting involved.

oslo is amazing, everyone acts like part of the family. we could never of done this if oslo hadn't let us be part of the family too. support has been incredible. it is a project that will hopefully bring everyone together and show not only oslo, but the whole of norway, and the world where the oslo music and art scene is at right now. 

anyway if you would like to help us promote the book - write about it on your blog, or wherever - hit me up! the more people are involved, the better this world will be.. right?

MARIT

best friends aww...

top picture: øyvind engebretsen

middle picture: kamilla langeland

fourth picture: edward raison

last picture: charlotte nordeng

GLOW

my dear friend maren is a not only delightful company but also a lovely photographer. she gave us cava and glowsticks. the rest is history.

to see the full story visit smuglesning.no

photographer Maren Sundt-Hansen (Veravuru)

REFERENCE

please refer to my post in march, titled 'QUOTE'

WEEKEND LOVE

i had another one of those weekends, filled with cava, friends, dancing, laughing and love. 

i watched other people hurt the ones they love.

i saw new love spring.

i saw old love die.

i fell in love three times.

i sensed forbidden love. 

i gave away too much love that i shouldn't have.

i am in love.

i miss my love.

the weekend was great. so much fun. but i cant help feel like i need to cry... maybe too much love is a bad thing. i guess the cliche is true. love actually does hurts. don't mix your drinks.

FRIENDS

so i left the blogging behind for a while. partly because i thought i had little to say, and partly because i miss my camera.

whilst i still do not have a camera, i am back. seeing as i can't really document where i am at, i thought i would document where my dearests are at. these are some of their pictures from some of the places they are at.

i miss them so it is a good thing i have the internet to stalk them on.

sophie johnston

lives in london and takes pretty pictures of the places she goes. she too is very pretty.

katherine mcfarlane

katherine lives in toronto. it is hard to find pictures of her but she is actually the coolest person i know. (she be the one in the middle)

claire biddiss

claire lives in perth. she has the most fun out of everyone i know. 

(she is the one in the middle also)

claire white

claire white runs thailand. she also travels around alot. i think these pictures are from laos. i can't keep track, but i do know she experiences life and doesn't just let it pass her by. and not in a cliche way.

angela flood

angela lives in perth too but she is moving to melbourne soon. angela has so much beauty and talent, i hope everyone gets to hear her voice. she also makes the best conversational sound effects.

thomas rowe vs america

thomas took these in portland. thomas takes very nice pictures and meets interesting people. i think its because they trust him.

sean allen and ben mcneil

sean and ben are traveling. i think they get drunk in as many european cities as they can. they didn't come to oslo but i don't completely hate them, even though i want to.

these are my friends and i love them. moments like this make me wish teleporting was actually possible. i wish i could have all my friends in the one place at the one time. (just for one night). but i also do like the idea that they are all over the world.

BUBBLES

i love bubbles and i love these pictures

all images by sheislikeheroin

MAGIC

i am seeing the new harry potter film tomorrow morning. the first possible chance i can get. unfortunately ed and my plan to sneak into the oslo premier and befriend fred and george failed, as a result of the premier being held in a fortress. literally. clearly those places weren't built to sneak into.

there are many reasons i wish i was hermione. one of which is illustrated below.

ps. teen vogue is underrated.

SECRET GARDEN

i wish i had a garden. i was never a gardener, but ever since i can remember gardens have been entwined in everything i enjoy. the secret garden is my favourite movie of all time, and my favourite materialistic reward is a magic garden. parks offer much appreciated space and nature, however a garden's intimacy can never be beaten. in perth i had my own secret garden. a place i only ever went alone. my own garden that i found. beauty alone. everyone needs a secret garden.

i am yet to find a garden in oslo. a person must find their own secret garden, never be shown, as then it remains their own. i will continue to keep searching for my garden.

My secret garden cast your spell in mist.

Mark down your truths on an unending list.

top image from 'the secret garden' 1993
words by dove
lower images by littlesilverboxes <3

MISSING

so i have been missing in action lately. due mainly to the fact i have no working computer... woe is me... but i promise i will be more dedicated once i resolve this issue... until then keeping checking out my fellow adventures for all your blogging needs <3

IAN AND JOHN

so, 'our fold' have just been announced for hove festival and for those who don't know them, would probably recognise the lead guitarist, aziz ibrahim, from simply red and the stone roses fame. aziz joined the roses for like half a year after squire left.

the stone roses are my all time favourite band, and after hearing that our fold were joining it made me remember the wonderful brown and squire interview from 1989. the journalist is awful and the arrogance of ian and john is pure bliss.

i know i am a brit pop sucker. give me arrogant english rock pop any day.

GOOD AND BAD

my weekend was confusing.
the following bad things happened:
i lost my camera
i lost my keys
i fell off a bike
some boys stole the bike
i got the bike back after having to spend time with dickheads
got covered in glitter

but i can feel better because the following good things happened:
eddie bought me flowers
we felted and stuffed
hove party was fun
went to a very fun exhibition
wore masks
enjoyed yummy revolver food x 2
slid/jumped/rolled down a giant jumping castle/monsters tongue lots
made new friends
played a french game
was given a much too kind gift
drank much free alcohol


still really wish i had my camera though.

HO HO HOVE

hove festival is sneaking up on us so quickly, and last weekend we celebrated by saying goodbye to oslo, in prep for going down! the party was much fun and now i am extra excited for hove!

SICK

eugh. i am sick again. i dont know what is wrong with my stomach, but lately it has been super sensative. maybe i insulted it one day and i didn't realise so now it is holding a grudge.. i don't know. but i do know, that when i get sick, i feel weird. i start thinking how nice it is outside, and how i don't feel like enjoying it, and how i am broke - so i can't enjoy it anyway. oh yeh and i am sick and can't stop shaking.

three strikes and i am out.

1 by (colitide)
2 and 3 by sergeyloie
4 by eyebrizzle

DETAILS

every monday i like to try and think of a little task i can do for the week. not for accomplishment purposes, but to share a little secret with myself. sometimes its health related - 'only drink 1 cup coffee per day' or sometimes it is music related 'listen to only music from france for the whole week'.

this monday i have chosen to appreciate the details. the small cracks in the wall, the tiny flowers trying to reach the sun, the buckles on shoes... etc.

photos: 1, 3 and 5 by ye rin mok. 2 and 4 by slumberingheart

HEAVY METAL

i do not listen to heavy metal, but lately i have been surrounded by it. (not the sound, just the descriptions of it..) so in the lead up to hove, and seeing as i live in norway now, i have decided to do some heavy metal research.

luckily for me, this was the best thing i found. (credits found at the end)

The Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot from Leslie Supnet on Vimeo.

PURPLE

wow. what i would do to see this movie again... and to think that little boy billy, who i was so in love with, would grow up to be neil patrick harris - the hilarious actor i am in love with now. i only recently put two and two together.

i guess i am one-eyed when it comes to love

also. trivia. thora birch was in this film too
(apparently... i cant remember... i really need to watch again!)
i also love thora.

ROCKBAND

i dont have rock band, but i am, like most people, a huge beatles fan. i am also a secret enjoyer of advertising (a result of studying the subject for way too long) so i cant help but get excited about this new ad for the new beatles edition of rockband. check it out. i predict this will be award winning...

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE US

is where i want to be. (and where i possibly am..)

these pictures are a mix from lookbook slash the internet and if you can imagine morphing these all together into one person, that is who i want to be.

hmm. one day.

SUNSHINE, SOLSKINN

oslo has had sunshine 2 days in a row. i didnt appreciate the sunshine yesterday so today i am by sitting in the sun on our balcony and listening to old streets.

dont mug yourself

CHRISTIAN LA WAHHH...

is this the gec coming into action?

22 year-old couture label christian lacroix has gone to the wall, filing for bankruptcy in paris with losses of 10 million euros and a shrunken revenue of 30 million euros.

in a letter to his 125 staff, lacroix wrote that he will give "200 percent" to keep the 22-year-old couture house in one piece, to "preserve the know-how, without which the lungs and the heart of the house couldn't exist."

investors will determine whether we will see further collections on the catwalk...

MERRY

day four was easily the best day in london. ed and i went to an old timey fair (highlight), we met up with cameron jones, hung out in the fields (again) and then had a tasty dinner out with all of our favourite londoners.

we left london the next morning (as did the sunshine).

ANNIE

london.
day three.

after a rough start to the day, annie and i managed to get away to one of the most splendid of parks, st georges park (an old cemetery) and share our favourite meal, antipasto. dappled lighting, olives, blue cheese, grapes, friendship and people watching. could one ask for anything more?

my favourite quote of the day:
"ill give you fucking gingivitis in the face in-a-minit if you're not careful" (mother to son)

the evening, whilst adventurous, was short lived. i wish i had a camera with me for the view from chris' 9th floor apartment roof. and the roof above that.

BOATING WITH BROTHER

london continued.

day two was spent on route to regents park, at regents park and back again.

the night was awful (despite starting well). unfortunately an evening that should have been spent enjoying the company was ruined by heartache. but hey, aren't all good things eventually ruined by heartache these days.

back to the day.
in the morning we headed to broadway market where i finally saw my miss johnston (at work) and was suitably ecstatic to do so. then a balanced party of eight (one lady to every gent) went boating in regents park, a most enjoyable of events, eventually stumbling upon our wonderfully tipsy housemates. we followed this up with a drink and delicious nachos at a pub. the rest need not to be detailed.

please see the following images for further evidence of the enjoyment:

BRAINSTORMING

im not sure what it is about brainstorming, but i never seem to answer the problem i start out wanting to solve, instead solving a problem i didnt even realise i had. i started brainstorming ideas for work today (party plans and media releases) and through my brainstorming i resolved myself to complete the following activities:

1. start a new project whereby i leave notepads/post-it notes " blank canvas' " around oslo in certain places and request patrons to write/draw what they like and pass it on, eventually returning it to me. (still need to brainstorm on finer details... but that is the idea so far...)
2. learn more norwegian (a constant struggle, always in the back of my mind, and comes out whenever i make resolutions)
3. get involved in more organising of events. bring a little of london to oslo maybe - markets or something... hmm that also requires more brainstorming.
4. plan a swing to swing event (this is mainly for self benefit and the invite list will most likely only consist of myself)

who knows, perhaps whilst i am further brainstorming for number 1 and 3 i may solve my work tasks.

LON-DONE

so i went to london. i had never been and i didnt think i would get there before a long list of other cities, but i did. and after initial overwhelming and fear of the use of the english language, i did indeed enjoy it. (will detail my particular enjoyments soon)

when i have sorted out the copious amounts of out-of-focus, uninteresting tourist shots i have, i will put some up.

but for now, here are some day 1 highlights:

VIRGINS

some excellent music i've been listening to in the lead up to hove festival

little boots - rich boys (the virgins cover)

golden silvers - arrows of eros (the shoes remix)

fujiya & miyagi - sore thumb


i particularly like the first one and both little boots and the virgins will be at hove. two boots, one virgin (if you get what i mean).

♥

DANIEL

after a series of hilarious events, i have ended up watching this. my aim is to get through it without laughing. so far i have failed on all accounts.

DARLING BUDS OF MAY

norway is pretty much ruling at the moment. alexander won eurovision and the national day is really very beautiful (in comparison with home!).

LYKKELIG

i've had a pretty good run with luck lately. in two days i found work, received tim-tams, vegemite and peppermint tea and was injected with k.rudds stimulating package. life in oslo is starting to fall into place. maybe one day i will be wealthy, professionally stimulated and linguistically talented enough to stay here. until then, i endeavour to make ed and i enjoy our time.

PRETTY

a pretty walk home was well deserved and even more so enjoyed

SAFE IN BREAD

INSPIRATION

i hope somewhere in the world (possibly Milan or NYC) these two people are dating. i also hope they have children. i hope i am one of these children.

WE ARE ALL UPOPULÆR WHEN WE PARTY

CARMEN

opera on the roof + lovely marit = a beautiful start to a wonderful night

ULTIMATUM

i am giving myself an ultimatum. i have 3 things to acheive in the next two weeks. i cant say what they are, but i will report back in exactly 2 weeks and say if i achieved.

ps. its 11.11
pps. no challenge!

THE THINGS I MISS

FLAMINGOS

QUOTE

this text may just save your life.

"Chronic remorse, as all the moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment.
If you behave badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time.
On no account brood over your wrong doing.
Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean."

- Aldous Huxley, A Brave New World

FIRE

MIRROR

RIS

OSLO