Monday, March 14, 2016

Speaking Into Your Existence

Apparently it really works.

A short time ago I mentioned how a guy I know on social media posts that he is speaking into his existence, the net effect being that he will maintain a positive attitude and have a week of good things. Having a bad run at thrifting myself, I tried to speak into my existence for, among other things, some of Ulla Procope's Ruska dinnerware for Arabia but it didn't work.

Yes, well ...

Arabia Ruska Demitasse/Espresso Cups

Arabia Ruska After Dinner Coffee Cup

Less than two weeks later, a set of Ruska demitasse cups, at a generally lackluster thrift. Not even an odd number of cups, or partially damaged. Maybe not the motherlode, but thanks for getting back to me, Existence.

By the way, this lovely set is now in the shop and you should pick it up.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

And Now Ladies & Gentlemen, Here's Grace

Grace Jones was having a rather good year in 1985. She was in a James Bond film, back when that mattered. And she released the concept album Slave to the Rhythm, one of her most successful commercial releases. And shortly before that, in the July issue of Playboy, she appeared with her lover at the time Dolph Lundgren in a series of photographs by Helmut Newton.

Grace Jones Playboy 1985 by Helmut Newton

Grace Jones Playboy 1985 by Helmut Newton

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Deliver Me

This time of year is such a bummer, winter just won't let get go. This morning this song was in my head, "Deliver Me" by The Beloved.


Back in the early Aughts this song was on one of the Hed Kandi "Winter Chill" compilation cds we used to sell at my old store Mezzanine, so it brings back some good memories of that. I didn't discover the video until later, but now I love its 1996 moment. The Damien Hirst-style gallery exhibit, the early Wallpaper* magazine look of all the actors, that green that was all over The Matrix only two years later.

Given how quickly we churn through cultural references it seems like people would be looking back to the 90s a little bit more than they do ("Seinfeld" on Hulu doesn't count). Anyway, it's a enjoyable little fin-de-siècle moment on a cold March morning.