Backyard Camping

The Honey Trees have inspired me. Once the weather gets nicer it would be so nice to camp out in the backyard with friends. Cath Kidston's tents with their retro-inspired patterns are perfect for the occasion. The teepee-style tent would also function well as a little reading haven in the corner of your bedroom.

The Honey Trees

Cath Kidston Cowboys Tent, $120

French Pop

Over the winter break, I did a crash course in sixties French pop--I can't believe it took me this long to discover the music of Francoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, and France Gall! Also am loving 80s singer Etienne Daho.

Francoise Hardy

My Favs:

Francoise Hardy - Comment te dire adieu, Mon amie la rose

Marianne Faithfull - Hier ou demain

France Gall - Les sucettes, Laisse tomber les filles

Brigitte Bardot- Moi je joue

Etienne Daho - Le grand sommeil, Paris le Flore

Jacqueline Taieb - Le printemps à Paris

Sylvie Vartan - Cette lettre là

LP Record album, Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" 1969

I love this sensual album cover to the soundtrack from Zeffirelli's film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet." Lucky me, I found a mint copy of the original LP Record at Goodwill for $3.

In middle school, I was so sick of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." I was the kid at the back of the classroom groaning and sighing with impatience at the girly titter tatter and exuberance that accompanied our month-long discussion of the play in eighth grade English. My thoughts about this brief teenage love story gone wrong?-- overplayed, unrealistic, and sickeningly cheesy. I especially HATED Zeffirelli's film version.

My bitterness and inability to understand such a universal narrative stemmed from my jealousy and longing for my very own teenage love story. Not to mention, who wouldn't be jealous of gorgeous Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey playing literature's ultimate couple? It wasn't until years later that I came to appreciate the story, actually becoming obsessed with the star-cross'd lovers, launching the plot into the digital age for an English project, and yes, just for kicks: (http://digitalromeoandjuliet.piczo.com/?cr=1).

We all want to be seduced by Romeo, and who doesn't fantasize about a whirlwind affair full of passion, irrationality, adventure, family drama, and the scent of death lurking in the back.

Harpsichord Appreciation Day

In appreciation of the beautiful and at times, eerie sounds created by the harpsichord, my favorite musical instrument of all time. This is for all the times that snobby musicians have scoffed at the Baroque instrument, misunderstanding its importance to the world of classical music, and loathed it's sounds, and in the words of one friend reiterating famous musical conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, said that "the sound of a harpsichord" was like "two skeletons copulating on a tin roof in a thunderstorm" --this is for you Harpsichord, y'ole rebel.

Playlist below that will hopefully convert you to the excellence and musical delight of the Harpsichord!

Glenn Gould: A Modern Inspiration

Glenn Gould, 1950s

I can't get over how incredibly modern Canadian pianist Glenn Gould's style was for a young man living in the fifties. It's little news that throughout his career he was known as an eccentric who wore gloves to protect his hands and donned a scarf and overcoat in the middle of summer. Is it any wonder that he became somewhat of a fashion icon in the mid fifties despite or really in answer to how different he was? His extraordinary appearance made him the focus of Vogue, Glamour and Life editorials.