Pokerface

I've realised that our older dog, Gus, doesn't like having his picture taken. Whenever I try to take his photo, he usually looks down and to the side ("You're stealing my soul!"), and it takes a bit of effort to pursuade him to look directly at the camera. If he does look at the camera his demeanor becomes very sombre, a far cry from his general attitude of puppy-like loopiness.
Bracken, on the other hand, is always thrilled to have attention directed at him, and the trick is to stop him from bouncing right up to the camera.

Ah, but when there's a ball involved Gus cheers right up, although he then has no interest in staying still for a photo - there's so much running and chasing to be done!
(note here the sandy nose from too many crashes ...)

Silly ol' pups!

Documenting doppelgängers

Canadian photographer Francois Brunelle is compiling a collection of photos of people from around the world who bear a striking resemblance to each other even though they're not related ... a fascinating project!

Honk if you love vintage!

Denise Brain has a lovely selection of dresses, bags and coats in her online stores at the moment ...
I think these items are particularly sweet, even if they're not completely my style:

                                  *those shoes!*

 

Théâtre de la Mode

Via Retronaut:

  

‘After the liberation of 1944, French couture was at a standstill. With limited access to materials, the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne conceived of a small exhibition, Théâtre de la Mode. The organizers commissioned two-feet tall dolls and invited the major fashion designers of the day to create exquisite miniature dresses. The show was an instant sensation.’

Maïa Vidal (your kid sister)

Maïa Vidal is a multi-lingual artist of considerable talent. She sings of her fears in this sweet live recording:


Maïa Vidal (Alphabet of my Phobias) from The Furious Sessions on Vimeo.


I also like her covers of Rancid songs and this performance of Je me suis fait tout petit.

A Norwegian approach

We can all learn from the response of Norwegian officials to the country's recent tragedy.
From a news article reporting on the flower vigil held in Oslo on Monday:

The mayor of Oslo, Fabian Stang, said: 

"We will punish the guilty. The punishment will be more generosity, more tolerance, more democracy."

This, my friends, is what the world needs today.

Bright young things

As a 'plus-size' Australian woman in my late 30s, it might seem a little weird to have a bit of a style crush on a twenty-something from Sweden ....
Am I too old to be inspired by this kind of look?? I don't know. Probably. But when I get past the cutesy posing, Elsa's blog makes me smile.

I usually don't like blogs filled with 'what I wore today' shots, in which young women point their toes inward, trying to look wide-eyed and wistful and moody. They often seem to drip with narcissism and suggest to me a vacuous, self-centred existence. Elsa is also clearly aware that she's pretty and photogenic, but there's something about her blog that conveys an endearing exuberance and confidence, which makes it less irritating to read. Her outfits are unconventional and I love the photos she takes of her neighbourhood, friends and culinary adventures ..... oh, that Northern European light!