Bryter Layter

 

Nightswimming

My Fishy Friend by Ohayo Studios

[ So much for an early night...]

     

Get Me To The Church On Time

Anti-Monarchy tendencies notwithstanding, 'one' can't help but be impressed by the scale and scope of Royal Wedding accoutrements. Noteworthy mentions include a cross stitch pattern, a range of condoms and a grotesque looking Papa John's Pizza, as well as the following 'must-have' gimmicks:

 Royal Wedding Lip Gloss & Hand Sanitiser

 Royal Wedding Pez Dispensers

  

Will & Kate in perspex

from the brilliantly barmy Tatty Devine

     

Under the Red Sky

Fantasy has always been my preferred cinematic genre, and so I felt a bit spoiled this past month, with not one, but two fantastical new releases.

Red Riding Hood sounded like a good idea in theory, having inspired some cool pre-release fan art. Amanda Seyfried's puddle-eyed good looks were also well matched to the fairy tale idiom. Alas, none of this was enough to save the movie from complete stinkerdom.

More rewarding viewing came in the form of the very enjoyable Thor, if for no better reason than the brawny charm of Chris Hemsworth (of Home & Away fame - !), as axe-wielding protagonist from the Asgard realm.

 

All I Need

All I Need to Know About Life 

I Learned From the Easter Bunny

 

---

 

• Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
• Walk softly and carry a basket of chocolate goods.
• Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
• Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
• There's no such thing as too much candy.
• All work and no play makes you a basket case.
• A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.
• Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
• Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.
• To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.
• The best things in life are sweet and gooey and come in assorted colours. 

 

Still clinging onto the Easter Season it seems.
Link Sourced here.
  

Give A Little Love

Also spotted during said outing:

As well as appealing to my inner idealist, 

it reminded me of this gooeyness inducing track:

What you share with the world

Is what it keeps of you

   

Pagan Poetry

It's usually midweek by the time I've managed a decent rifle through the Sunday papers, and so the acquisition of trivia is founded on a 'better late than never' philosophy. Hence, I am belatedly informed of the origins of present day Easter celebrations, reportedly based on the ancient festival of Eostre. (Does it vex the Christian Church that its most crucial celebrations derive from paganism?)

Folklore suggests that Eostre was a fertility goddess, (oestrogen being a derivative of her name), with eggs and hares comprising symbols of her annual feast day. The latter would go on to be usurped by the cute n' cuddly bunny rabbit, owing to 'unsurpassable demonstrations of seasonal randiness'.

Here's my own collection of Easter symbology - minus said demonstrations - as garnered during last Sunday's parkside trek:

   

White Rabbit

As a smallie, I was the recipient of a great, great many Easter eggs, these being something of a default gift, given that I was born on Easter Sunday, with my birthday usually falling on or around this day.

The annual tradition of egg abundance has since ceased.
More's the pity. 

Picture sourced here

Hoppy Easter, One & All

Have an Egg-cellent Day!

      

Bee My Baby

Ever the magpie when it comes to bejewelled baubles, I've recently 'taken a shine' to Rachel Pfeffer's quirky designs. 

Her online collection features an appealing mix of metals and semi-precious stones, with highlights including the following:

Sterling Silver Honey Knuckles Ring

 

Your Beard Is Good Keychain

Fashioned from 'a squished 40's silver quarter'

Le Petit Bike Oxidized Silver & Brass Pendant

For those who fancy a bit o' online fame, forwarded pictures featuring Rachel's jewellery will be posted here.  

   

Feelin' Good

A countdown of the top ten factors 

determining happiness.

(..the only notable omission being 'Sunshine'?)
 

   

10: A short memory

The ability to forgive & forget, & to go with the flow, is frequently cited by researchers of centenarians as being a key factor in their ability to live to their 100th birthday.

9: Exacting fairness

People derive more happiness from scenarios that result in a perceived fairness for everyone involved, even when this fairness goes against self-interest or comes at some personal cost. Apparantly, the reward centers in the brain light up in situations where people are treated equally.

8: Friendships

Extroverts are supposedly happier than introverts, also living longer. Having a wide social circle is a major factor when considering levels of happiness, & is an often-cited explanation as to how certain people live to a substantial age.

Burning Of The Midnight Lamp

British artist Ed Chapman recently created 

a Jimi Hendrix mosaic from 5,000 plectrums.

  

 
Auctioned last month during Cancer Research UK’s 

Sound & Vision event at the famed Abbey Road Studios,

it sold for 23,000 pounds sterling.

    

Trying Your Luck

In a welcome surprise, of a Wednesday afternoon, I won this lovely, floral outfit by Irish clothing range, Farrell & Brown in their online competition. 

'I'd rather have roses on my (skirt) 

than diamonds 'round my neck'
- Emma Goldman

It seems I've inherited my Mum's lucky streak. No doubt my future will be similarly littered with juicers, hairdryers and mountain bikes.

    

Blonde Ambition

Earlier this evening, we feasted our eyes on the classic 1958 movie version of Anita Loo's original novel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Quaint ideals and shameless money grubbing aside, it's visually gorgeous...not least because of the iconic Marilyn, starring as upwardly mobile and impeccably turned out Lorelei Lee.
 
Perhaps more progressive values have come at the expense of such enviable grooming as this?

  

 

Below is a still of the pink, strapless 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend ' dress, later emulated by Madonna in the 1985 video for Material Girl.

 

  

Blame It On The Sun

Poppy & I were serenaded by a rendition of Three Blind Mice on the Shandon Bells during yesterday afternoon's stroll in the sunshine.
 

I've since been informed that Shandon is the only church in Europe where a fiver entitles you to some free-form bell playing.

The tiny Pop also experienced dandelion fluff for the first time this past week.
 

Long may these blue skies persist...

       

Harpies' Bizarre

Who knew that Tom Hanks is a master of metamorphosis?

This site tracks his progress as - amongst other creatures - 

a kitten, a beaver & a 'Hanksy'.

 

I've been trying to discern his particular species 

in the above. Best guess: dragon.

  

Mockingbird

Setting my heart aflutter with materialism, of late:

Peacock themed vintage book art from Etsy

  

Leader Of The Pack

Further confirmation of canine cunning: The ever resourceful E. recently alerted me as to the story of Sergeant Stubby (1916 - 1926), the most decorated war dog of World War I & the only such animal to be promoted to sergeant through combat.

Adopted by Private J. Robert Conroy in 1917, Stubby became the mascot of the 26th Yankee Division. He learned bugle calls, drills & even a modified dog salute, putting his right paw on his eyebrow when duty called. Stubby had a positive effect on morale & was allowed to remain in the camp, even though animals were forbidden. When the division shipped out for France, Conroy smuggled him aboard. Hidden in the coal bin until the ship was at sea, Stubby was brought on deck, where comrades were won over by the canine soldier.

He was given special orders to accompany the division to the front lines, soon becoming accustomed to loud rifles & heavy artillery fire. An injury left him sensitive to the tiniest trace of gas &, during one early morning gas launch, Stubby ran through the trench barking at the soldiers, rousing them to sound the alarm & saving many from injury. He also had a talent for locating wounded men & would lead lost soldiers back to the safety of the trenches. He even caught a German soldier mapping out the layout of the Allied trenches, for which he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. By the end of the war, Stubby had served in 17 battles. He went on to visit the White House & was awarded many medals for his heroism, as well as a brick in the Walk of Honour at the United States World War I monument in Kansas City. Stubby died in Conroy's arms in 1926. His remains are featured in The Price of Freedom exhibit at the Smithsonian.

From wikipedia.org

Higher Ground

And who better than Stevie to provide 

a song in 'the key of life'?

Taken from his 1982 

Original Musiquarium Compilation.

     

Sweet Thing

I spotted this pretty little jam making kit 

during an afternoon's ambling:

 

...Would that I were more of a domestic goddess.

   

Song For Sunshine

  

Hammock, From Million Young's  

Sunndreamm EP

   

The Unstable Table & The Infamous Fable

Incidentally, it appears as though Dr. Freud 

(complete with tobacco & lederhosen) 

has made for quite the inspirational interweb muse.

   

Can't Keep It In

Having strayed somewhat from my original field of academic study, I am heartened to find that remnants of knowledge can still be accessed via online pottering.

Case in point: Another wholly legitimate offering
from uncyclopedia, this one pertaining to the infamous
Freudian Slip.

History

A Freudian slip is a thin undergarment used by men who suffer from an odd feel at social occasions. It is essential that the slip is worn under a shirt, next to the skin & secured tightly in the trouser department. Most slips are made from simple white cotton, though some are festooned with pricks. 

The slip is believed to endow its wearer with a sense of purpose & authority, so they can deal with complex business tackle & suck on a cheroot without feeling like a spare cog on a loose tool. The main drawback of the slip is a tendency to poke out at delicate moments, causing indiscretion & terror among any companions who are not securely tied down & hammered. Slip wearers therefore tend to be vulnerable without protection in the heat of the moment. This root error can be come over by perverting the mind with absorbing athletic activity.
The Freudian slip is named after the Viennese mental doctor, Sigmund Freud. He had a eureka moment during an entanglement with a patient one lunch time. Freud wrote:
 

I began zee the session, as I do with all my victims, by asking Mr. X to remove his trousers & tell me his dreams. Mr. X did so, but was shy & tried to hide behind one of my large Buddhas. After some probing in a dark area, I discovered that a woman's undergarment was tucked neatly inside Mr. X's johdpurs. I found zee his slip to be somewhat revealing of his intentions. Mr. X immediately grabbed hold of a sturdy rain rod & ran out of the building. I remember, oddly enough, that it wasn't raining at the time.

 

Demographic

Freudian slips are most popular in the well developed world & have been since the 1960's, when President Kennedy wore one to Berlin for his famous announcement about being a donut. Slip parties were soon all the rage on the once proud continent. Bearded men & women would congregate together wearing nothing but their Freudian slips & a smile. These conjugations were most popular in Holland, which had always been famous for its liberal attitude to clothing, facial hair and personal hygiene.

Causes

Scientists all over the world are working around the cock to discover the reason why so many chapped fellows would want to discomport themselves in women's under carriages.

This fellow has got it all wrong 

and his sensibly coiffured ladyfriend 

is secretly laughing at him.

   

Don't Stop Me Now...

   
Though I've been an uncharacteristically avid penny saver 

of late, a couple of vintage-inspired pieces have managed 

to slip through the net ( ...via the net).

  

  

From Elsa & Gogo:

An interchangeable stud bracelet 

similar to that pictured

 

       

 From Violet Vintage:

Siver & gold enamel leopard brooch

sourced following this post

     

     

Sights have recently been set on this 

9ct, blush toned cameo from Hayworth Vintage. 

I'm biding my time for now, as it's somewhat pricey.

                

Don't Worry, Be Happy

 
For every happy thought shared here, 

O2's Think Big Campaign will donate €1 

to support Young People's Mental Health, 

in partnership with Headstrong.

Already nearing the €10.000 mark as I type this.
 

 

..I'm not one to argue with a transcendentalist.

       

Where Do You Go To, My Lovely?

 

 

Camera Obscura

Lomography is a form of photography featuring the use of a Russian-made Lomo camera, known for its poor lens quality, inconsistent exposures, and occasional light leaks. Based on a spontaneous approach, it makes the quotidian stuff and 'happy accidents' its modus operandi.
   

The Daily Lomo is a blog premised on this very approach, with the intention of capturing life's 'little lomoments'. Created by Dublin based illustrator and advertising creative, James Cooper, it is intended to illustrate that there is 'an artist, a creator in all of us'.

'Life’s art is in framing your everyday experience.'

Threesome Heart

Them Spring Apples

Mary (With Eyebrows)

Seductive Typography