Archive for Covet

During University one of my many part time jobs to see me through school was as a Barista. I loved working the beautiful old espresso machine and took delight and care in making delicious lattes and drinks. It’s here that I really discovered a love for coffee after years of subsiding on substandard instant grinds, which was all there was to hand in the Financial office I worked in at the time. I was young, I didn’t know any better and had been raised a tea drinker anyway. I’m thankful though to have learned otherwise.

Coffee culture is fascinating, and I love the idea of staying up all night in a cafe just drinking coffee, reading, writing and watching the world go by. I’m lucky to live in a city that has a thriving coffee scene.

It’s Monday, and cold and blustery out today. I would love to be in a coffee shop right now, but will have to be happy with a large cup of coffee at my desk instead. This edition of Covet is brought to you care of my caffeine vice.

First Row

1. Salvador Dali Skull Travel Mug $33.00 USD from PattyMara’s Sacred Heart Cafe
2. Caffeine Molecule Necklace $84.00 from Think Geek
3. Sugar Scrub Coffee Body Polish from Babylon Soap Co $10.50 USD

Second Row

4. Bittermens New Orleans Coffee Bitters $23.00 CDN from BYOB Toronto
5. 5lb Bag of David Lynch Signature Organic Coffee from Java Distribution $54.50 USD
6. Bodum Stove Top Espresso Maker from Green Beanery $29.95 CDN

Third Row

7. Pitch Leather Biker Jacket from JS Reclaimed Wood $248.00 CDN
8. Coffee Cup Reusable Sleeve $8.00 USD from Kup Kozy
9. Repurposed Wood Coffee Knock Box $45.00 USD from Log & Iron

My LBDD challenge for February is now over and it was an interesting 28 days in the same dress. I discovered during the past month just how important it is to have classic staple pieces in your wardrobe, which I’m actually sorely lacking. I have a lot of one off statement pieces to be worn alone, and unsurprisingly these don’t see much of a rotation through my closet.

The challenge now will be to really pare back my wardrobe even further and start properly investing in clothing which will last and can be remixed easily.

Here are a few items I would have loved to have worn this past month with my LBDD. A few are priced higher than what I’m used to paying for in the past but I think in the long run you really get what you pay for – especially if it’s from a small business and craftsperson. You’re much better saving up for something you truly love then spending money on a bunch of clothes you’re kind of ‘meh’ about, that also have dubious origins.

First Row

1. Miche Dulche Tulip Hat £195.00 from Shop 172
2. Galaxy Flex Cardigan $205.00 from All Saints
3. Elastic Harness from Norwegian Wood $49.00 USD

Second Row

4. Mechanical Leggings $75.00 AUD from Black Milk
5. Large Planchette Oracle Necklace from Blood Milk $200.00 USD
6. Long Orkney Angora Leg Warmers from Sock Dreams $60.00 USD

Third Row

7. Rune Rings $320.00 from Ovate
8. Pitch Leather Biker Jacket from All Saints $668.00 USD
9. Truths Genevieve Boots $419.00 from Fluevog

This Family Day weekend I’ve spent a lot of time curled up watching Oddities on Netflix.

What’s Family Day you ask? It’s a public holiday in some provinces in Canada that falls on a Monday in mid February. I luckily reside in one of the provinces where the holiday is in effect so am spending it with my furbaby and the lad.

I hadn’t seen Oddities before, a reality television show about the iconic Obscura Antiques & Oddities shop located in NYC’s East Village. I’ve actually visited the shop several times when in New York with friends before ever seeing the show, and the owners – Mike & Evan, are absolutely delightful and lovely to speak with.

I’m pretty hooked now after a marathon weekend of watching. It’s also made me really want to redecorate our apartment. We currently don’t have much space to home a Chaise Lounge or an industrial bookcase let alone a chandelier made from found Antlers but one can dream.

I love the aesthique of some of the antiques featured in Oddites, the below is a collection of some slightly less macabre pieces for the home, as inspired from my Oddites viewing.

First Row

1. Vintage Wool Army Blanket $42.00 from Spunk Vintage
2. Rustic Iron and Wood Wine Glass Cabinet $225.00 from Retro Works Studio
3. Edie Velvet Chaise – Dark Green $649.00 USD from Urban Outfitters

Second Row

4. Spirit Board Tray $199.95 CAD from Teatro Verde
5. 10 Light Double Antler Chandelier* $799.00 USD from Legend Antlers
6. Anatomy of the Heart Poster $22.00 CAD from Kid Icarus

Third Row

7. Industrial Armoire $1000.00 USD from The Beautiful Room
8. 1950s Dutch Shipyard Shelving $2795 – $4495 USD from Restoration Hardware
9. Terrariums $35-$75 depending on size from Take to the Sea

*Antlers used are shed antlers.

10 days till V-Day! And no I don’t mean V for Vendetta, though from some people’s dislike of February 14th you could argue the case.

So, yes some consider it a Hallmark holiday, regardless I always like to do something in honour of Valentine’s Day whether I’m flying solo or in blissful coupledom.

For this installment of “Covet“, Valentine’s Day gifts to melt the music lovers heart.

First Row

1. Ty Segall Doublenaut Silkscreen Poster $20.00 from Telegramme
2. Motorhead Overear Iron Fist Headphones $119.00 from Motorheadphones
3. Tom Waits Coffee & Cigarettes Poster from Mike Oncley $20.00 USD

Second Row

4. Heart Shaped Altoids Mint Tin Guitar Am, MP3 Amp with Speaker, Volume Control, & 10x Gain $39.99 from Hesslerk
5. The Bryan Ferry Orchestra Vinyl 2xLP “Jazz Age” from Insound $19.99 USD
6. Retro Music Moleskin Set from Blackbird & Peacock $25.00 USD

Third Row

7. Beatles Inspired 5×7 Silhouette Prints $12.00 from Benton Park Prints
8. Exploded Turntable Tshirt from Hello Daylight $20.00 USD
9. Copper Hand Stamped Guitar Pick $14.00 from Grace Graffiti

The Holidays are approaching at breakneck speed, and I’ve yet to consume enough Egg-Noggy goodness for the rest of the year (Obligatory Geek Quote: ‘Tis the season, Marge! We only get thirty sweet noggy days. Then the government takes it away again.), so without further hesitation, for this installment of “Covet“, I bring you a few lovely gifts for the Silent Film lover.

First Row

1. Set of 8 Vintage Glasses $50.00 from Eco-Friendly Freckles
2. Wings Handmade Journal $22.00 from Gablehatch
3. The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon DVD £19.99 from The BFI Film Shop

Second Row

4. Metropolis Sterling Silver Mens Ring $85.00 from K.A 4 Designs
5. Steven Severin “Vampyr” Soundtrack by Steven Severin £8 Digital Album (CD available direct through StevenSeverin.com)
6. Buster Keaton Original 8×10 Black & White Screenprint $18.00 from AwApplesauce

Third Row

7. The Devil’s Needle & Other Tales of Vice and Redemption BLU-Ray $27.97 from Kino Lorber
8. Printed Intertitle Greeting Cards, Set of 3 $10 from Lucky Duck Press
9. Clara Bow: Runnin’ Wild [Paperback] by
David Stenn $16.47 from Amazon

Wandering around Sonic Boom the other day, I stumbled upon a silent film adaptation of The Call of Cthulhu which stopped me dead in my tracks.

Unfortunately it’s not a vintage silent film of HP Lovecraft’s classic story, but in the style of, having been released in 2005. Regardless of it not being from the actual era when the silents reigned supreme, it is none the less a silent film version of Call of Cthulhu. Be still my geeky-anachronistic heart!

I have yet to sit down and fully watch the film, and am looking forward to properly geeking out over it soon.

In the interim, (and given the particularly dark and foreboding weather we’ve been having lately!) here’s a Call of Cthulhu inspired “Covet”

First Row

1. Tentacle Earrings by Octopus Me $88.00

2. Miskatonic University Soap by The BPAL Trading Post $8.50

3. H.P Lovecraft Necklace by Fable & Fury $32.00

 Second Row

4. Tentacle Silk Screened Tie by Cyberoptix $40.00

5. Love Cthulhu Tee by Jimiyo originally on TeeFury.com for $10 (limited edition 1 day only price), now available through RedBubble.com for $24.54

6. Call of Cthulhu Silent Film $22.49 from Amazon.ca

 Third Row 

7. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories – Penguin Classics Edition $14.44 from Amazon.ca

8. A Picnic in Arkham – Scents inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab $17.50 each

9. Octopus Teacup by Creature Cups $14.99 each