Thursday 25 November 2010

Violence might just be the answer...

I few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending an evening at the Mod Club... Big space, wooden floors and a square of mats with two pillows strategically popped up in the middle with PILLOW FIGHT LEAGUE printed on them... Despite the size of the venue, the event itself was quite intimate. I was, to my apprehension, little more than than 1m from the action. At one point I was barely spared a few bruises of my own as Eva Destruction flew dangerously close to where I was seated. Honestly, I am more of a Roller Derby fan but seeing as I have yet to see such a bout in person Pillow Fight League is definitely the next best thing. I have to admit, however, that there was a hint of tacky, over-acting but for reasons unknown it didn't bother me. Must have been the lack of silicon and the utter hilarity of some genuine humor on the part of the fighters. Fingers crossed I'll be attending the championship fight on December 4th because I definitely haven't had my fix just yet...












Friday 12 November 2010

Capturing something...

Although I don't love what I have done, I'm going to post to photos from my first and second Art Direction for Photography assignments. My teacher genuinely disliked the accessories shoot which I understand to a degree but without much guidance and little positive reinforcement I was sort of left in the dark when it came to this assignment. I shouldn't whinge and suck it up and take responsibility for its lack-luster-ness but it's one of those days and, well, I feel like being a sook...




 Thoughts?...

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Scouting for Boys??

I have an American Boy Scout shirt that I picked up from Episode on Sydney Road earlier in the year and, just quietly, I love it!! It's totally random but I have a crush on khaki and the shirt reminds me of old mate Brett so it holds a near pole position in my wardrobe. Anyway, I was just trawling through my bloglovin' list and came across this... I admit I'm reading the title of the first few books the wrong way but other than that the covers are v cute!






Images via Scout&CATALOGUE BLOG

One Day on a Sunday...

Tonight, crazy eyes set in a little earlier than usual and, as crazy eyes has a tendency to do, they have rendered me unable to communicate through words. However I feel the need to post something so as a trade off, here are some yummy pics to kill the craving...

Hannah's birthday present! 

Illustrator and Comic Artist - Alex Boake

Clyde

Picked myself up a disposable camera... I don't hate it

Roaming during Nuit Blanche

Art at Nuit Blanche

Downtown - Queen St W

View in the sewing room...

Old photo picked up in a vintage store...
Sunday in Kensington Market...

Tuesday 2 November 2010

For the Good

Seven days ago my boyfriend went into a plexiglass box... For the following 5 days and 4 nights, that is exactly where he remained. As well as being a magician, motivational speaker and - to my nail-biting, edge of seat kind of distress - an escape artist, he is also a social activist. If I wasn't so busy basking in his radiating goodness I'd probably be feeling pretty crap about my lack of skills and goodwill. Anyway, on Sunday the 31st of October (Halloween for the aussie's who could care less about the day) - and, just quietly, to my internal but no less ear piercing YIPEE! - he came out of the box. But not after raising over 18,000 pounds of food for the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto for a cause called 'Halloween for Hunger' - an annual food drive initiative run by non-profit organization Free the Children. It was the most extraordinary thing to watch the overflowing and uncensored kindness of all the people who donated to the cause! If I were feeling at all cynical about the world last week, the enormity of those donations would have instantly changed my mind. Mostly, however, I am just so f-ing proud of bf - aka Scott Hammell - for not giving up when it was 6 degrees max during the day and god knows what at night and for being willing to answer the bazillion questions that passers by had for him all the while with the most genuine smile! He is most definitely a better person than I and a lot of people I know.









More pics of the final day and the mountain of donations to come...

Saturday 16 October 2010

Adopted for Thanksgiving

At the moment my immediately family are spread throughout 4 countries and over 2 continents so there's little chance for family bonding... Last weekend however I managed to bond with someone else's family and, although I hadn't imagined it would be in the least bit painful, it ended up surpassing even those initial optimistic expectations. I don't know if I have said it yet but Canadians really are the friendliest and most genuinely welcoming bunch of boys and girls I have ever come across! I'm beginning to question how I have ever been able to be such a cynic when the universe keeps spewing out such beautiful people, places and experiences. Every day of my Canadian experience has, thus far has surprised and delighted me. 10 points Canada!



Georgian Bay at Sunset


Saturday 25 September 2010

Do one to others...

I think I’m having a charitable epiphany…. I’m not in the least trying to toot my own horn but I have definitely caught the charity bug and I don’t hate it. Nor did I ever plan to do it. All of a sudden it just seems so easy. And I swear I’m not just doing it for the karma points either!

It started with my wanting to participate in 2011’s Shave For a Cure fundraiser. I have always wondered what it would feel like and what I would look like if I shaved my head. So I’m doing it. And if I’m going to do it at all I may as well be doing it for a good cause. I have to admit that initially the notion of doing it for charity was a way to prevent me from backing out. Now I want to raise $10,000! I do still (and often) worry about the affect that cutting off all my hair will have on my self esteem (not to mention the boy situation) but then I think about how much worse the kids with Leukaemia and the millions of other people with varying types of cancer feel when they’re loosing their hair. Because for them loosing their hair is the least of their worries. So I figure that if I can gain some minute semblance of empathy for cancer battlers and survivors and all it takes to appreciate their struggle is to cut off a bit of hair, then so be it!

Next weekend (October 3rd) I am participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s CIBC Run for a Cure fun run.  It never occurred to me that this isn’t my country because perhaps one day it might be and I might need some time rich, eager exchange student to help me out.  I’m looking forward to the exercise though and have spent a lot of time recently praying for a clear day! The rain here is about as fun as soggy toast.

What I have been trying to get to in this mammoth post is the Zombie Walk: The Runway. It’s a charity fashion event designed to raise money for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and it’s being organized by a couple of Ryerson students – who, by the way I am totally in awe of! It’s extraordinary to see the amount of work that goes into the organization of an event such as this! I am soooo keen to get my hands as dirty as possible in all the pre-show bits and pieces!!! I have no doubt that this show is going to be a real rip-snorter and I am only too honoured to be a part of it as both a contributor to a worthy charity and as a fashion student.


I am now genuinely thinking - as a result of my serious like of organization in general as well as this event and my Fashion Promotion class – that perhaps fashion show production might be something that I could do after uni…. (insert thinking face here…) 

www.zombiewalktherunway.ca

Decrease in anonymity...

I have always been under the misguided assumption that Australia is the epitome of a small world. But, derrr the world is a small world!! Luckily enough however, the encounters that have lead me to this not-so-mind-blowing realization aren't the sort that make me want to turn the other way and run - unlike the way Brisbane's unavoidable and inescapable familiarity used to make me feel. Here, it makes me feel comfortable and at home. It feel a bit like I am legitimately a part of this city. And thank god!!! My friendly acquaintance with Toronto couldn't have come at a better time particularly as it follows a rather unpleasant bout of homesickness.


















Wednesday 22 September 2010

Churono







Must thank Han for the phonetically inspired spelling of Toronto... 

Must be time for bed...

I have no doubt that someone somewhere has figure this out long before me but the aftermath of a big night can go one of two ways when you're away from home... For the most part it's simple a hangover. Today however, the follow up from the night before has induced some serious home sickness... I miss you Melbourne. And Jon. And Molly. And Teddy (also affectionately known as his majesty). Luckily though last night was a big step in the right, friend-making direction and just quietly, to the other ladies who were in attendance... You guys are INSANE!






Sunday 12 September 2010

Lost, found, serenaded and slapped in the face...

I have just a little bit of love for MoMA and a lot of photos to prove it! Despite the fact that the air conditioning was so extreme I almost passed out when stepping back out into the heat, I genuinely enjoyed the space that managed to feel both clean and cavernous without being hard and sterile. I'll thank the insane artwork and their creators for that! 


Liam Gillick: 'The State Itself Becomes a Super Whatnot' 2008


Ellen Gallagher: 'Deluxe' 2004-05

Melvin Edwards: from the series 'Lynch Fragment' 1986

Simon Hantai: Untitled 1973

David Hammons: Untitled 1969

Wangechi Mutu: 'One Hundred Lavish Months of Bushwick' 2004

Tanya Berkeley: 'Ariel' 2006

Annette Messager: 'My Vows' 1988-91
We were lucky enough to catch a bit of a french guy cooling down a rather large crowd with his tune-age. Obviously I couldn't understand a word of it but I really enjoyed his music. Parked it in the courtyard of MoMA for at least 40mins silently watching this guy.