One of the things that drive me nuts about interior design blogs/magazines/books is the endless showcasing of beautifully appointed homes where the design is reliant on the high end architectural features of the house ie. style only attainable by those with a huge income. I've chosen these pics because the styling could be in any old room. The transformation a matter of a coat of paint and a good eye for retro. Plus I love a vintage sofa.

Procrastination.

Trying to overcome a few obstacles for the exhibition in November which make preparation slow going - frustrating and not a small bit nerve wracking. Need to use whatever windows present themselves from now on so discipline required  for it's not just illness and other responsibilities holding me back but a paralysing kind of fear. Of failure I presume. Isn't that why everyone procrastinates? Some kind of fear? And in this instance (deadlines and all) it's probably best to regard that as indulgent. Sooooooooo to that end....this show builds on my graduate work which was kind of personal - or rather based on personal experience but projected onto wider philosophical contexts to create a narrative about human experience - the conflict between the corporeal nature of the body and the will to transcend that materiality. The new goal is to take that dilemma and place it in historical and political contexts in order to illuminate the symbolic role the body plays (as a kind of blank slate for inscription) in maintaining social, political and economic status quo - which is kind of exciting. Although I have to say while much of the reading has been happily absorbing some of it has been quite dry and hard going. Usually thats when I decide I must be dyslexic.
Anyway (the fun part) I've also begun collecting and pulling together all the little recycled bits and pieces that will help pull these ideas into their visual form. Again the works will be assemblage mixed with textile. Ebay must love me at the moment...though sadly I'm resorting to selling some of my beloved magazine collection and other household trash treasures to fund the process. So be it. Here's some of my visual/conceptual inspiration. A mere fraction of it.

photography etc

Wrapped up in bed with flu for the fourth day running which kind of sucks but also presents a good opportunity to Pinterest myself to death. I don't know if I've said this before but my Pinterest boards are the best on the site. Why I have only 340 folllowers is BEYOND me. Have a look and see for yourself. Today I am marvelling at my photography board. I've chosen to blog this lot based mostly on colour and composition.

1.Sarah Jones  2. Sarah Moon  3. Ludmilla Foblova  4. Via. 5. via 6.. Source.  

Regrets.

I spent today really unwisely. After taking the last five days in recovery from this months treatment (rough, since I fell asleep without reminding the nurses to keep the rate of infusion slow) I woke up to a gorgeous clear skied, sunny day, a clear head and lots of possibilities (relatively speaking at least). So what did I do with those possibilities? I cleaned the house. I vacuumed and dusted. And as the sun set while I finished cleaning the bathroom I began to feel not just dumb crazy tired but a creeping sense of irritation which has sat with me the rest of this evening. I feel restless, frustrated and craving something more life affirming than house chores, hospital, medication taken on time and illness. Why would I use what precious little energy I have on house cleaning? While sometimes the decision to bring life to order via a messy house is just what I need and actually does make me happy, is actually the best use of my energy - today not so. It's a hard call. In hindsight today I would have liked to have gone to a market. Or this cool vintage shop in Norway. Not that that is actually possible given the time frame were discussing or even in a budgetary sense, but here I am doing it virtually. A cute Norwegian shop called 13.  Scroll down my chosen favourites or visit them  here. All the orange and green and 60s/70s kitsch is hitting the spot.

Source:

Solange: Losing You

Yesterday was month Eight of the Intragram trial (or is Nine? I'm losing count...) and I slept through the whole thing. The way to go, waking up to find it's all over. As for the whole after palava, trying to have a relaxed attitude, clearing the week of commitments and just rugging up in bed with ipod, thankful to family and friends for making that possible. I'm in need though of some new music to keep things interesting. 

This video by Solange for 'Losing You' I've been meaning to get up here for ages. Filmed in Cape Town, and featuring some of the Le Sapeur community (a subculture originating in the Congo) it walks down that fine line that is exploitation but thankfully, I think, comes out on the right side.

Visually I can't resist it.