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Thursday , August 6, 2009

LOVE YR BLOG: Anabela of Fieldguided

Anabela of Fieldguided, Fieldguided, and Fieldguided, is the "Blue Jay Way" of bloggers. Like BJW, and Serge Gainsbourg, and foxes, Anabela is dazzingly cool, but also dreamy and serene. The fact that Anabela lives in Toronto, and we are buds who hang out, is easily the Blue Jay Best thing that's ever come out of my writing for nogoodforme.com. It definitely soothes the ol' "Liz Barker Stole Emily Richmond Away From Me" wound.

Fieldguided.com is run by Anabela and her boyfriend Geoff, who is "Dear Prudence." Together, they create lovely arts and crafts and clothes, which you can, and should, purchase at their Etsy store, especially if your name is Courtney Love. Fieldguided: The Blog Edition is pretty much my favorite thing in the world: heaps of pretty clothes, photographs, words, and housescapes. And sometimes it talks about ME!!!!

Last but not least, Anabela's a total Twitter Genius. I think the crowning moment of both our lives occurred this past Friday, when we were referred to as "Twitter celebrities" at a barbecue. CHECK HER OUT!!!!!

FIELDGUIDED AWESOMENESS: (l to r) The sweetest dress Anabela made for Erin of Robber; a photograph by "Dear Prudence"; "Blue Jay Way" herself, cutin' it up

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

One thing I'm really into at the moment is hanging out real life-styles with this amazing girl named Laura Jane? Maybe you know her?

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

My all-time number-one music crush would have to be Serge Gainsbourg. I've said this before, but I would be a very different person had I not discovered De Gainsbourg a Gainsbarre when I was 16, and, you know, I like who I am. Thanks, Serge!

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

I adore my rose quilted Swan Clothing XL Louche. I wanted one for a year and when I was finally able to get it, it was as though I had always owned it. It just felt so right.

What three albums do you want accompanying you on a hypothetical lifelong desert island exile?

The three albums would be Colleen's The Golden Morning Breaks (for those melancholy moments when I'm missing my life on land and my friends), any Motown "Best Of" compilation for when I feel like having an impromptu island dance party, and Heart's Dreamboat Annie.

What's your spirit animal?

I have spent some time researching this and I have decided that it is a fox (I even meditated on it here:

-- I was hanging out with a fox in a meadow at dusk, no big deal). I often wish I were invisible, especially on bad hair days, and since the fox is a symbol of camouflage according to shamanic traditions, the fox will be my guide. Also, they are quick, intuitive, nocturnal, and have beautiful coats of fur, so I feel quite connected to them.

THINGS ANABELA LIKES: (l to r) Me, being deadly foxy; Serge Gainsbourg, being mind-blowingly foxy; A Baby Foxy, being very adorably foxy, and also just regular foxy, since he is literally a fox

Tags: Anabela Fieldguided, Fieldguided, Find Your Power Animal with Denise Linn, foxes, Heart, Laura Jane Faulds, Love Yr Blog, Serge Gainsbourg, spirit animals, SwanDiamondRose, Toronto

Friday , June 12, 2009

Love Yr Blog: Jessica Goldfond of Shiny Squirrel

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Jessica Goldfond of Shiny Squirrel.)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about. I can't stop watching French New Wave films or quirky surreal films by Fellini or Godard. I love how each scene could be a beautiful snapshot, especially in Juliet of the Spirits, which I just watched this evening.

Who is your all-time number-one music crush? Otis Redding.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without? My hat collection. I own so many, from fedoras to pillbox and anything over-the-top and quirky. It all started with one miniature black bowler hat covered in beaver fur, and I was hooked. It also doesn't hurt that my friend is a designer.

What's your spirit animal? I can't help but say the squirrel. I don't think I will ever get away from it.

(L: Otis Redding on his ranch. R: a poster for Juliet of the Spirits. It should be noted that Liz Barker totally slacked off on posting this interview, so when Jessica says she watched JOTS "this evening," really she means "one night several months ago." BTW, do check out Jessica's newly launched Brooklyn Design Mart, which highlights Brooklyn-based designers/artists each week.)

Tags: bloggers we love, blogs, Brooklyn, Federico Fellini, hats, Jean-Luc Godard, Otis Redding, squirrels

Sunday , May 10, 2009

LOVE YR BLOG: Maria Chavez of Houndstooth and MY NAME LOOKS LIKE ME

ABOVE: some of my favourite images from Maria's blog: a Viennese kindergarten; M. on a swing; a hot dude playing the cello

Houndstooth co-owner Maria Chavez first entered the nogoodforme.com-i-verse last June, when we filmed our legendary Dude Makeover vid at her store. Now, Kat Asharya and Laura Jane Faulds of nogoodforme.com are highly discerning folk, so when I say that we had our minds blown by Maria's off-the-map coolness and intelligence, it means that this is some colossal awesome we're discussing here. All-men's vintage boutique Houndstooth is one of the Laura Jane-endorsed Coolest Stores In The World- dudes and vintage clothing? Could I ask for anything more in this life?

In addition to owning Houndstooth, hyper-cool Maria is also an avant-turntablist (I don't really know what this means, but I'm sure it's awesome), and maintains one of my favourite photoblogs on the Internet, My Name Looks Like Me. As is implied by the name of this column, I love Maria's blog. I also love Maria's answers to our "Love Yr Blog" Qs. Okay, let's face it. I LOVE MARIA.

1. Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

Arthur Russell would be an obvious answer. Springfield is my favorite album right now. With the DFA remix. But if you want me to get a little less mainstream, then I would have to say Robert Wyatt is my other obsession. It's going on two years now. Rock Bottom is my album of choice. It's from 1973, but sounds like something that people are trying to make today but can't. The poor bastards.

2.Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

That's a tough one...there's so many- T-Rex, Ian Curtis.... again, super obvious...but o.k....you want me to be honest...OMG, don't make fun of me. I love Maxwell. I want to take him behind a middle school and get him pregnant.

3. What three albums do you want accompanying you on a hypothetical lifelong desert island exile?

Ah, yes. The desert island question. O.K., here goes:

Camp-Lo, UUptown Saturday Night- Just in case I happen upon an island field of happy tobacci.

Music from the Chiapas region of Mexico- for when I'm starting my bonfires.

Buena Vista Social Club: to keep my spirits up.

4.What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

Michael Kors espadrilles (nude suede, peep toe)- I don't even like Michael Kors, but if his design team keeps making these shoes, I will be a customer for life. So easy to wear!!! I took a pic and put them on my blog. That's how much I love them.

5. What's your spirit animal?

I want to say the elephant. But I have a terrible memory. I do know that my Chinese year is the Monkey. So let's go with that.

from left- Robert Wyatt being awesome; MC's MK espadrilles; the Camp Lo rekkid cover; a baby monkey (courtesy of Zooborns); the WC Fields wall panel on display at Houndstooth

PS: Just so y'all know, Houndstooth has recently started up a small women's section! Some killer new menswear is trickling in as well. Go there! If I could, I'd go there right this exact second. Life's hard.

Tags: avant-turntablism, Brooklyn, Houndstooth, Love Yr Blog, Maria Chavez, Michael Kors, monkeys, Robert Wyatt, spirit animals, vintage, WC Fields, zooborns

Wednesday , February 4, 2009

Love Yr Blog: Rhiannon of Liebe Marlene Vintage

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Rhiannon Leifhert from Liebe Marlene Vintage, whose blog I've been reading for ages for not only Rhiannon's superlative taste in vintage fashion -- check out her Ebay store! -- but also her warm, down-to-earth-but-no-less-chic take on all things style.)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

British novels from the '30s and '40s! The Mitford sisters especially make me wish I could go back in time to the 1930s and become a British aristocrat rebel.

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

David Bowie, for the last 9 years! I went through a 2 year Bob Dylan obsession at one point but I think that if I could meet any rock star at any point in their career it would have to be David when he was crazy in Berlin. He wore really nice hats and skinny suits and said strange things.

What three albums do you want accompanying you on a hypothetical lifelong desert island exile?

Definitely T. Rex's The Slider because it puts me in a good mood. Then I'd have to pick a David Bowie one--maybe Diamond Dogs. Also Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde because it's so nice and long, but I think I would still have to skip that annoying first song every time I listened to it.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

My tallest platform heels because they make thrift store dresses look less dowdy and being taller makes me less shy.

What's your spirit animal?

I did the quiz and turned out to be a spider, which I could be but I'm not sure . . . . I think I might be a kind of bird, and probably not a graceful one. Maybe a tough but mangy little sparrow with a temper.

(l-r: Davie Bowie in Berlin, lookin' mighty fine; a sparrow, not so mangy but still kinda tough; some of the Mitford sisters)

Tags: bloggers we love, blogs, fashion, vintage

Wednesday , January 14, 2009

Love Yr Blog: Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind.)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.
I've sort of always been really into this, but my FAVORITE gift to give is Jin Patisserie chocolate. The packaging is GORGEOUS and the chocolates are all so unique and yummy. Definitely worth a look!

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?
Oh this is a hard one! Can it be a girl crush? I loooove Carly Simon. But then again, I've got a thing for Tom Petty and Damien Rice. Much too hard to choose.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?
My gray American Apparel short-sleeved v-neck. It's just basic enough to pair with jeans, flat boots and a scarf, but classic enough to dress up with pearls and a crenaline skirt!

What's your spirit animal?
I hadn't ever heard of a spirit animal, so just took the quiz. Turns out I'm an otter, which is fairly accurate: Otters are nurturing, playful, and easygoing. You often put others' needs before your own, offering what seems to be a bottomless well of compassion and care. Though your decisions are guided by your feelings, at heart you're pragmatic and self-possessed, making you the ideal head of a family or small business.

(You really OTTER go buy yourself a copy of Carly Simon's No Secrets right this instant - if you don't have it already, of course.)

Tags: American Apparel, bloggers we love, blogs, Carly Simon, Jin Patisserie, otters, spirit animals, Tom Petty

Saturday , December 27, 2008

LOVE YR BLOG: Karyn Starr of reasonigetupinthemorning

For once in my life, I am making a grandiose statement that is in no way hyperbolic: Karyn Starr of reasonigetupinthemorning (.blogspot.com) has the best personal style in all of New York City (or Brooklyn at the very least). I generally find the vast majority of Daily Style Blogs boring and annoying (again: this sentiment is totally not hyperbolic), but Karyn's is complex and detailed enough that I find myself consistently excited to see what the Helen Keller this hella cerebral babe is wearing every day. I'd be speaking entirely in hyperbole if I claimed that Karyn's daily blog posts were the reason I get up in the morning, but, like, you know: close enough.

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

These boys' blogs:

1) Cold Splinters
2) Secret Forts
3) Born to be Nervous

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

I think it would have to be Robbie Robertson (of The Band) and Bob Dylan (late sixties), though from the 4th-8th grade, I was really into Robert Smith. But really, Robbie Robertson and Bob Dylan are so dreamy.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

My initial thought was skis, but I can rent skis. Agghhh!- what can I not live without? I think I couldn't live without my sunglasses. Whether it be my dad's old gold Cartier beauties, my rose-tinted ones (for cloudy days, or when the world just needs to be seen through rose-colored glasses), or currently, my big black Grey Ant pair, I need sunglasses every day of the week, and sometimes in the evenings, too.

What's your spirit animal?

A horse! A wild one, or one loved deeply by somebody.

l to r: Bob Dylan being dreamy; The Band being dreamy; Bob Dylan being dreamy again; Wild Horses Run Deep

Tags: Bob Dylan, dudes, horses, hyberbole, Karyn Starr, Love Yr Blog, Robbie Robertson, spirit animals, sunglasses

Thursday , December 11, 2008

Love Yr Blog: Ez of Creature Comforts

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Ez of Creature Comforts.)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

Can I say a color combination? I'm totally obsessed with fuchsia + grey at the moment. Those two colors totally make my heart swoon. Just look at these beauties: one + two. If I had four feet I'd wear both pairs at the same time!

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

This is so hard for me because I have SO many music crushes. Hmmm...I don't think I can narrow it down to all-time, so I'm going to say that my current music crush is Uh Huh Her. Their sound totally rocks my world!

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

I should probably say something really amazing...but the truth is I couldn't live without my black flip-flops. I wear them constantly and always stock up when they're on sale.

What's your spirit animal?

I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually know this because I've taken the quiz before to find out: I'm a swan. Apparently this means that I'm idealistic, open-minded, and passionate.

(L to R: Uh Huh Her; passionate swans.)

Tags: bloggers we love, flip-flops, fuchsia + grey, interviews, Leisha Hailey, quadruped envy, swans

Tuesday , December 9, 2008

Love Yr Blog: Kristina of dreamecho

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Kristina of dreamecho, probably one of the most thoughtful, reflective and articulate personal fashion bloggers out there now.

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

I adore hand creams and body butters, the richer the better. Right now I'm totally hooked on Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme -- it's like slathering on a mellow banana creme pie every night before bed. Best of all, it has no petrochemicals or parabens, so I can snooze easy.

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

It's a tie between Kate Bush and Madonna. What I admire about both women is that they are strong, sensual and not afraid to show vulnerability.

What three albums do you want accompanying you on a hypothetical lifelong desert island exile?

I'm not really good at this kind of question, if for no other reason that I rarely get to listen to albums in full. You could say I'm still researching various artists. For now, though, my "tentative" selection: My first pick is In Sadness, Silence and Solitude by raison d'etre. Ambient darkness equals yum. Then, if I may, I'll go with Madonna's The Immaculate Collection. Honestly, how does one pick between all of her actual albums?! The only bummer is that the compilation's version of "Like a Prayer" is this cheesy, disco-tech stuff that totally does not float my boat. Not that I'd have a boat while on a hypothetical lifelong desert exile. (Or would I?) Finally, if push came to shove and I had to decide now, I'd say Kate Bush's The Sensual World.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

I can live without it all, but for the sake of the question, I'd be greatly saddened by the loss of my Michele Lau ruffle top. On a day-to-day basis, I need baggy grandpa cardigans in greys and tans for throwing over everything.

What's your spirit animal?

A few years ago, I went snorkeling on the North Shore of Oahu. I swam out past the reef, past all the tots and tourists, and then dived down a little. There, in the underwater darkness, not 10 feet away, was a sea turtle. I stopped, captivated by the majestic stillness of the moment, of the present. The sea turtle, I now know, was a messenger guide -- a transient reminder of the quiet and serenity in life that exists between, beneath and beyond all this chaos.

Tags: Burt's Bees, dreamecho, Kate Bush, Love Yr Blog, Madonna, sea turtles

Saturday , November 15, 2008

LOVE YR BLOG: Hollister H. Hovey of Hollister Hovey

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: the Zelda Fitzgerald of fashion bloggers- HHH of hollisterhovey.blogspot.com)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet. He was this French millionaire who in the 1910s-1930s sent photographers around the world to document the earth in COLOR. All the images look like paintings because our eyes have never seen this era's people or costumes or shelters in anything but black and white or oil paint. It's like a rebirth for the eyes and senses.

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

I had a disturbing/visceral attraction to Whiskeytown/Heartbreakers-era Ryan Adams in my earlier 20s, but overall, John Fogerty probably wins out. I loved him and all his songs as a little girl and I love them still (if you haven't heard the early Golliwogs stuff, you must!). And he's one of the few (besides George Harrison and Eric Clapton) who managed to age pretty well. (I've recently been cheating on the boys with a couple ladies: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Caroline Herring).

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

My clothes I could do without (well, not full stop, but the ones I have are most definitely replaceable); my heart lies with my accessories, namely my giant tortoiseshell glasses- for seeing, not sun.

What three albums do you want accompanying you on a hypothetical lifelong desert island exile?

The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street (good for all kinds of exiles)
The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Paul Simon, Graceland (the first album, er, tape I memorized beginning to end as a kid)

What's your spirit animal?

A Siberian tiger.

l to r: weird John Fogerty Internet art; Sweetheart of the Rodeo (note to anyone working with this album cover in Photoshop: you WILL think those blue lines on either side of the image are new guides); a Yugoslavian lemonade vendor circa 1913, Archives of the Planet

LAURA JANE'S POST-INTERVIEW WRAP-UP:

If you haven't devoted a two-hour Internet binge minimum to scouring the archives of Hollister's blog, you're only cheating yourself. The existence of this site really rams home the mad marvelous-ness of this wild wide web we call the Internet; Hollister: You make me proud to be a blogger! A tastemaker to the nth degree, HH is compelling to me because of how whole-heartedly she imbues her blog with a tightly-honed aesthetic and perspective. The Internet ain't just for slutty fourteen-year-olds anymore! Besides: anybody who includes an Airedale terrier (ASTA!) in their holiday gift guide is beyond okay by me.

Tags: Archives of the Planet, Asta, Exile on Main Street, Hollister Hovey, Love Yr Blog, Paul Simon, seeing not sun, The Golliwogs

Wednesday , November 12, 2008

LOVE YR BLOG: Susan of ModLife and ModCloth.com

(In which our most beloved bloggers expound upon undying crushes, spirit animals, and les objets du awesome you need to know about right now. In this edition: Susan of ModLife blog and ModCloth.com.)

Tell us one thing you're really into at the moment that you want the whole world to know about.

I know I should probably take this opportunity to make myself sound smart and hip by talking about some totally obscure author or band or something, but I'm not going to lie. I'm currently obsessed with I Can Has Cheezburger?, a blog chock-full of LOLCat pictures that I look at on a daily basis. I mostly use it to console myself because I can't actually own a cat due to severe allergies (thanks, Dad!).

Who is your all-time number-one music crush?

Tori Amos. I've been super into her since high school, and even though her current albums aren't quite up to par, I still love her anyway.

What's one item in your closet that you couldn't live without?

A leopard print coat from Saks Fifth Avenue in the '60s. It was my grandmother's favorite, and she gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago. I used to play dress up with it in her basement when I was a little girl - it's my first fashion memory.

What's your spirit animal?

The pug. If I had it my way, I would just lay around and sleep all day. Despite my laziness, people would love me anyway and feed me scraps of cheese.