The art of asking

Amanda Palmer's TED talk was just posted, and I thought some of you might be interested in seeing it (even if you didn't follow the whole Kickstarter thing and/or aren't an AFP fan). Asking for help is such a simple concept, and yet so many negative connotations have been attached to it to the point where it's an uncommon occurrence. Which is a shame, if you think about it. We're all in this together, so why shouldn't we help each other? I think AFP's got it right. I'm also a firm believer in couch-surfing, as a couple of you lovely people know.

Prochaine gare: Home

My fifth trip to NYC brought with it many lessons, particularly as I was not alone this time and acted the part of tour guide (albeit rather poorly). Also, the trip started with a full day of travel to Montreal, four days in Montreal, and a full day of travel between Montreal and Manhattan. Meaning, I was away from my bed (and thus a good night's sleep) for far too long, and someone else had to witness the incoherence/temporary psychosis New York can induce in even the most well-intentioned Canadian. Not to mention that the trip ended during a heat wave that nearly caused me and my man to live the rest of our days in the well air-conditioned Uniqlo on 34th Street (in reality, we should've at least stayed for tea). At any rate, here are 5 of the more important lessons I learned:

1) If your destination is hot and humid, pack only light, breathable, and moisture-wicking clothing. Then, remove and leave half of what you packed and bring travel-sized laundry detergent/Febreeze instead. Also, don't travel to somewhere that's hot and humid in the summer when you live in an Arctic tundra. If you do so, chances are you'll have to immediately leave that art show gig you were looking forward to going to but couldn't physically stay at on account of needing to breathe and staying conscious. It's no wonder Amanda Palmer frequently takes her clothes off if roughly 45 degree Celsius venues like the Momenta Gallery in Bushwick is the sort of place she can be found in. What doesn't make sense is how Neil Gaiman manages to still look so cool (literally and figuratively) in such a place (picture unavailable due to inability to work a camera and/or brain under such conditions). Sigh.

2) If you pack light summer dresses that you know you'll be comfortable in because they're loose and flowy, do not wear those dresses on the days that photos will be taken. The comfort was but momentary, and those photos where I look 15 pounds heavier than I actually am last forever. Ironically, I lost at least 5 pounds/2 inches after sleeping a night in my own bed, so if I wore any of those dresses today and took photos, it would look like some sort of before/after ad.

3) Always opt for the oddest sounding drink, especially when you know it's not available at home. A table in Old Montreal loaded with assorted maple paraphernalia including maple lemonade resulted in a very refreshing rest before entering the hottest circus tent ever. The best beer I've now ever had is Dieu du Ciel's 'Pouliche', described as a half sour noir aged beer. Sounds gross, but I was hoping the sour would result in a sour cherry flavour. Turns out, it tasted like Coke mixed with a borderline stout. Fantastique! Lastly, I finally got a hold of a Dogfish Head Midas Touch, after finding it on a menu here at home and then being told it was no longer available in the country. Made from ingredients found in 2700-year old drinking vessels in a tomb (...of King Midas), it was well worth the wait.

4) I definitely do not like clowns.

5) I should always spend all my money in Montreal before going to New York. I had nearly forgotten that I wanted to visit one of Marie Saint Pierre's boutiques in Montreal until we were looking up addresses for a shopping/brew pub trip into the city. As the Quartier du Musée location was right by a metro station along our predetermined route, I didn't feel too guilty dragging my man and the in-laws to what would likely be another too-cool-for-us shop (i.e. I don't think any of us felt that we fit the bill for Reborn's expected clientele). As it happens, when we got to the door of the boutique, I needed to be buzzed in, so the family hightailed it down la rue and left me to deal with the scornful glares that tend to accompany such retail establishments. And yet, once I was buzzed in and had shyly walked up the steps in front of the till, the next half hour or so was nothing short of a lovely experience. The sole consultant working was so helpful, told me all about the collection and the current sale (great timing!), was interested in knowing how I came to know about the label, and suggested pieces for me to try on within my budget. She even disagreed with me (politely, of course) when I said I was probably a size large. The result was that I happily walked out with a medium (size '2') piece that was the staple I had been missing from my wardrobe (a simple long black skirt), at 50% of its retail price. The space itself was also rather lovely, reminding me of a minimalist cross between the Alexander McQueen boutique in Manhattan and an upscale wedding dress boutique (in fact, the basement is a wedding dress boutique, but I didn't have a reason to take a peek). I could've spent much more time and money there (particularly as I found out afterwards that the leather rope detailing was faux leather), but now I have a new shopping destination and have rediscovered my new favorite label. As such, the photos above are of the upcoming F/W 12 collection, and the photos below are of the current (and on sale) S/S 12 collection which I had somehow failed to post before, and of which my skirt is a part.

Howling for answers no wolf can know*

My day "job" is so boring, last week I yawned so big that for the rest of this week, I'm going to have to drink my meals from a straw.

This weekend we planted a herb garden on our balcony, and today a strawberry died.

I used to read a particular blog all the time, thinking it was the brilliant musings of an ironic and well-aging man. But last week I found out its written by a girl younger than me, and now it seems neither ironic nor something that will age well.

AFP's Kickstarter passed $1 million today, and I watched it happen.

Cilantro grown on your balcony smells better than store-bought.

I'd rather read Don Quixote than a blog any day.

*Title from mewithoutYou's "Fox's Dream of the Log Flume"; dresses from Norwegian Wood, both of which will keep me cool and comfy whether counting down the seconds at work, or watching the trees whip by on the Vermonter.

In My Mind

Before I get to what has been occupying my mind for the last week and a half, let me first say this: chromat now has swimwear in stock and available to order from the chromat online shop! How can I not get a bathing suit with a hood? It's pretty much a match made in heaven (and not just because it's named the 'habit suit'). I'm also loving the back coverage for the top - quite unexpected for a bikini top, and would shield at least the trunk portion of my tattoo (...it's a tree). I'm not ashamed to say that I will likely wear this as a bra as well. Would go well with the TwinSyndrome bathingsuit bottoms I have been known to wear as underwear. Becca - genius!

Anyway, for the last week and a half, I've been aggravating my tennis elbow by constantly hitting refresh on Amanda (F'ing) Palmer's Kickstarter page. If you haven't heard all the hullaballoo on the Internets about AFP's brilliant success in raising enough money to produce and tour her upcoming album from her very own fans, I suggest you start by going to her Kickstarter page, and then perhaps Googling 'Amanda Palmer Kickstarter'. And if you're not familiar with Amanda Palmer, let me start by saying that I wasn't really either. In fact, I didn't bother trying to become familiar with her before, because: a) her eyebrows, or lack thereof, scare me (I've very particular about eyebrows); b) I can't relate to her brazenness (I have trouble being myself at work); and, most importantly, c) I'm jealous she gets to hear Neil Gaiman's voice whenever she wants. I honestly can't even say I had heard any music from her (and/or the Dresden Dolls) until I watched her Kickstarter video. Which was when I realized that she's really quite good at what she does and is to be admired for leaving her label (for very good reasons - Google that too) and for giving her very loyal fans a chance to be (even more) involved with her work. Without waxing noneloquently about the evils of the big music industry, etc., let's just say I backed Amanda's project (when it had reached about 4X what the goal was and only a few thousand backers) because I could get behind the idea of it, and now (when it has reached over 6X what the goal was and over 11,500 backers) I'm very much looking forward to seeing her in Brooklyn and hearing what I expect to be great music. I wonder if she could've predicted gaining a crapload of new fans because she asked for money...

Anyway, this Violitionist session was posted in the deluge of tweets* surrounding Amanda's Kickstarter. I think it's a very darling song, and Neil Gaiman as puppeteer amuses me to no end.

*P.S. An added bonus about said deluge of tweets was that I learned from a tweet/retweet of AFP that Five Iron Frenzy is alive again! Sad I missed that Kickstarter campaign - my wallet opens freely for those who hand me a big heap of nostalgia in exchange!

Graffiti Pockets

Whilst trying to rectify the neglect of my blog-reading duties (I've been rather sidetracked by all the superb new albums coming out soon, AND my man's first trip to NY next month), I happened upon a couple perfect dresses via Style Bubble. These knitted and graffitied beauties are by Brazilian-born and London-based Lucas Nascimento, who, from this day forward, shall be known as The Creator of the Most Perfect Strapless Dress Ever (see Susie Bubble's post for photos showcasing the awesomeness of the first dress). Why don't more/all dresses and skirts have pockets? Would have a whole lot less women walking around with fanny packs, that's for certain...

While we're on the subject of graffiti, have you ever seen Banksy's statues? Apparently this is like six years old, but I only remember seeing the red painted elephant from this show. The statues (via NOTCOT) are heaps more interesting (and, err, more ethical), even for someone with a vested interest in classical and Renaissance art. In any event, I have a very strong urge to go to an art show. Probably because of sudden and unexpected interest in Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter, happening right now. Somehow between Monday and today, I've stopped being scared of her and started being really quite intrigued with her. I'll be staying just a couple blocks away from her backer-only NY art show too...