Yesterday, Minty Lewis revealed that she has a terrier-question-mark named Otis (see above!) and that Apple might not have the destiny of a nimboBACHELOR.  Here is Minty’s current obsessions (she loves wombats too!) for your curious wee minds.

1. Koko the Gorilla
2. Wombats
3. Watching “thirtysomething” and then checking out the recaps according to Videogum
4. “Hoarders” on A&E
5. Psychics–reading books about/by them and wishing I could be one
6. Gravy (I recently figured out how to make delicious vegetarian gravy and I put it on everything)
7. Video tutorials at lynda.com (sorry this one’s so dorky, but I have a month of free classes and I am learning a lot)
8. Seeing classic movies at the Paramount Theater in Oakland
9. Looking at real estate I’ll never afford in places I’ll never live

:)

Approximately four weeks ago, I attempted to convince you that Minty Lewis is someone you should know.  She is a wonderful comic artist, and as you probably assumed from reading her comics, she has a great personality.  Minty agreed to answer an attack of my silly questions.  I predict that your future-self (that is, you in the future), will soon learn about Minty’s googly-eyed flowers and her feelings on snakes.   Maybe I should have prefaced that with a “SPOILER ALERT.”  Instead of more effusive Minty praise and spoilers, perhaps it would be best to charge ahead to the interview.  Vale!

1.  Let’s imagine that members of the “Minty Lewis FANS4LYFE” Google group (I am purely being facetious, and have not researched whether similar groups exist.  The existence of such a group would be coincidental.) unite to create a petition.  What type of petition?  A petition to convince you to create a biographic music album, of course.  In the face of such pressure, you cave and agree to take on such an endeavor.  Please list the song titles (remember! they must capture your life!), as well as a sample lyric for each song.  Other song notes (musical instrument requests, musicians you would collaborate with, locations you would record the song, etc.) are encouraged, but not required. Finally, describe what your album booklet would look like, and people you would cite in the liner notes.

I’d like to record this album in a haunted house, so that we might hopefully pick up some authentic ghosts on the audio. I’d have to cite the usual suspects in the liner notes, probably all the same people I thank in my comics: my husband Damien, my family, all my pals and pets… I’m going to say that my album art would probably contain some fruit pals, but this question is really too difficult for me to answer properly without spending several hours sketching. Anyway, here’s my track list (the lyrics vary greatly in their level of relevance to my life):

1. Say Hello by Heart (“I’d like to know when you will say hello”)
2. Baby’s on Fire by Brian Eno (“Baby’s on fire, better throw her in the water”–pretty sure he’s not referring to actual babies, but I like this song)
3. The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks (“We are the Village Green Preservation Society, God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety”–mostly because my preschool was the Village Green Day School)
4. Bicycle Race by Queen (“I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle”)
5. Radio Radio by Elvis Costello (“Radio is a sound salvation, radio is cleaning up the nation”)
6. Dancing Queen by ABBA (“Dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17 – oh yeah!”)
7. Mystery Juice by Sean Lennon (“Every day I watch the TV shows , It’s getting so I know the shows hosts”–I’ve had a lot of “me time” on my hands at various points in my life)
8. Jocko Homo by Devo (“I can walk like an ape, talk like an ape, do what a monkey can do”)
9. Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam Ant (“Down below those dandy clothes, you’re just a shade too white, shade too white”)
10. Young Turks by Rod Stewart (“Young hearts be free tonight, time is on your side. Don’t let them put you down, don’t let them push you around, don’t let them ever change your point of view.”)
11. Goodbye by Mary Hopkin (“Leave your flowers at my door, I’ll leave them for the one who waits behind.”)

2.  A little birdie informed me that you are from MCLEAN, VIRGINIA.  Tell me about McLean.
It’s true, that birdie had her facts straight. McLean is a suburb of Washington, DC and home of the Central Intelligence Agency (it’s more formally in Langley, but that’s part of McLean). In addition to the CIA, McLean boasts McLean Pizza, a Chesapeake Bay Bagel Bakery, Dolley Madison Public Library, USA Today, and Peking Imperial (Evans Farm Inn is now closed). Many people who grew up here are ashamed of McLean’s reputation as a conservative, wealthy, and snobby area. I don’t have much to say in the its defense, but I cannot deny that McLean is where I’ve spent most of my life.

IT IS MY BIRTHDAY TODAY SO PLEASE CLICK ON THE JUMP FOR MORE OF THE INTERVIEW! (more…)

I’m following Tricia’s new series of “People you should know”, and today it’s graphic artist Chris Ware!

You may have come upon Chris Ware’s most famous piece of work, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, a very impressive graphic novel. Most people I know never finished it actually, because it’s very dense, and has almost 400 pages of very neat and tiny text, tiny tiny drawings and a very detailed and complicated back story. To be honest, it took me more than a year to read it in its entirety, with more than 3 unsuccessful attempt.
So, you might ask, why should I know this guy, if he does complicated and headache-inducing comics ? Well, here are some reasons :

1. He is VERY talented :
Let’s be clear : Chris Ware is a genius. A never-goes-out-and-looks-kinda-weird genius, but a genius all the same. To begin with, he almost never uses computer. Yep, that’s right, all this over-detailed artwork is hand-drawn. The typo too. He HAND DRAWS all text in his books. If you think it’s not that difficult, just take a look :

This is all made by hand. I can barely write an address on an envelope without scratching it all and starting over a dozen times.

2. Nobody else can tell a story like he does
Ok, Jimmy Corrigan is weird and to this day, I’m not sure I understood everything right. But you have to admit, Chris Ware has a unique and marvelous way to tell a story. It’s all flow, sequential, flashbacks, fantasy… Here is an example :

See what I mean ? It’s just square boxes, and then it’s so much more. Just try and follow the train of thoughts here. Magical.

3. He’s very prolific
This guy is crazy. He does so many things, I can’t keep count. He is a contributor to the New Yorker, he does lots of jazz-related work, he self-publishes numerous graphic novels… The insides of his brain must look like a very busy factory. But that means YEAH for us Chris Ware lovers, because we can’t run out of stuff to read/see/enjoy.

4. He has created great characters
Jimmy Corrigan, sure, but also Rusty Brown, the nerd collecting action figures that lives in his own world, Quimby the Mouse and his love/enemy Sparky that cat’s head (yes, cat’s head), the Super-Man, a depressed anti-hero, Big Tex the cow-boy, the lonely girl with the fake leg… And much more.

So, I hope by now, if you didn’t already know Chris Ware, you’re eager to see more.

I’m leaving you with a video of Quimby animated by John Kuramoto for This American Life, set to Andrew Bird’s song “Eugene.” Enjoy !

Quimby The Mouse from This American Life on Vimeo.

Technically, I should have titled this “Tricia’s Currently-As-In-The-Past-Two-Months Obsessed.”  But I didn’t.  Uniformity, I guess.

1. Have you ever had a dream about riding tandem with a special friend?  These adorable note cards will remind you that you’re alone and can’t actualize this dream.  I keed. valentine letterpress bike notecard set from Lark Press, $14

2. THE SMELL OF DECAYING LEAVES.  Can this count as a currently obsessed?  Since I make the rules, YES.

3. Seemingly eons ago (actually a year ago), I explored the appeal of bitty things.  These capsule messages are no exception, and I absolutely cannot suppress the “aww”s and shoulder shrugs.  Deftly sneak a love note to the object of your affection, and pray that they don’t swallow out the pill out of curiosity prior to reading your note.  10x better than a message in a bottle.  And you won’t get that Police song stuck in your head while thinking about messages in compartments.  Capsule Letters from Poketo, $3.25

4. If you’re ever in the lower east side of Manhattan (or LA…soon!), go to babycakes.  The Agave/Gluten-Free cupcakes and brownies are delightful, and perhaps you’ll run into Zooey Deschanel or Jason Schwartzman on your visit.  Too far?  I highly recommend that you obtain the babycakes cookbook, an easy-to-follow guide to recreating Erin McKenna’s creations.  Tracking down ingredients might be a slightly challenge (turns out Safeway carries Spelt, NOT Trader Joe’s), but the rewards of your effort exceed the pain of finding stuff like spelt.  BabyCakes: Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked-About Bakery cookbook from Amazon, $12.96

5. Yesterday at work, my boss saw me wearing these rain shoes, she exclaimed that she had not seen them since college, and proceeded to document my feet on her phone.  I asked her if she intended to send this picture to her college friends.  Nope, she wanted to post it on her Facebook.  My Target rain boots from my Ithaca days finally perished, which led to vexing wet sock days.  I got new rain footwear.  The end.  Sporto Aroostic Weatherproof Duck Shoe from DSW, $54.95

6. For some silly reason, I had never been to Quimby’s until about a month ago.  Now it is the recipient of a noticeable portion of my paycheck, and I will publicly declare it (bold) my favorite bookstore in Chicago.  Quimby’s has an incredible collection of literary/music/art zines, graphic novels, trinkets, etc.  On a recent visit, I obtained Little Otsu cards, my own copy of PS Comics (no more borrowing roommate’s!), and Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: The Dirty South (Vegan) Cookbook.  It’s as if someone fished in my head, and created a bookstore JUST FOR ME.  Arharharhar I amuse myself so easily.  If you’re too far from Quimby’s in the real world, Quimby’s has an excellent online bookstore.

7.  This purchase is relatively old now, but I bought this toy as an early birthday present to myself.  Very early.  It’s a portable record player!!!  Oh and for all you scowlers with your noses in the air….it plays wonderfully!  The old record player was broken, and whispered to me that it wanted to be replaced.  And I made it happen.   Since my future residence is cloudy, I wanted something that was non-committal.  Also, my dear friend Angelica has a portable record player, and we took it to the gorge one summer, and it was a fantastic time.  Copying is  form of flattery?  Note: I have the most pathetic arm musculature, and I am holding the record player with one arm.  This should give you a good portrait of how transportable it is.  And hey, Amazon claims it is 9lbs, so we’ll trust them.  That’s lighter than my laptop.

Above is an image of my little player in action.  At the time of the picture, I was listening to Madeline stories.  I’m a winner.  Crosley CR40 Mini-Turntable (Red) from Amazon, $65.32

I’m going to start with a city I know pretty well – I lived in The Netherlands for, like, half my life and visited Amsterdam loads! It is probably my favourite city in all of Europe! It is really, really beautiful and there is a lot more to the city than the infamous coffeeshops (where using and selling cannabis is officially tolerated) and Red Light District.

NOTE: I really suggest visiting Amsterdam during the summer, there’s a lot of stuff to do outdoors and walking when its cold and raining just isn’t as much fun!

1) The first thing that I do whenever I visit Amsterdam is to shop. Dam Square is right in the centre of the city and is surrounded by loads of shops including The Bijenkorf – this huge department store that has a great bakery!

But that is not the best place shop. There are 9 streets (9 straatjes) which is a-less-than-two-minute walk from Dam Square (just look for the sign pictured!) that have the best shopping in the whole city! There are some really cute, kitschy shops, designer boutiques, small art galleries, specialist stores, it is an awesome place to just wander around!

ALSO: While you’re there definitely check out Pancakes! Amsterdam. Dutch pancakes are thinner and bigger (and tastier!) than American ones, they are baked instead of fried and usually come with a load of cool toppings. This particular pancake restaurant or ‘pannenkoekenhuis’ is on Berenstraat (one on the nine streets)…I love the Greek yogurt and strawberry pancake or the creme fraiche, guacamole and smoked salmon version!

Basically there is lots to do around the nine streets!

2) Okay, so this is a slightly touristy thing to do, but if you do ever go to Amsterdam you have to visit the Anne Frank Museum – which is also within the whole ’9 streets area’! It is actually incredible to see the family’s hiding place during the Second World War, and the famous diary itself. This museum gets really, really busy though, so either go really early in the morning or an hour before it closes!

3) When in Amsterdam do as the Dutch do, right? Well the Dutch ride bikes everywhere! And Amsterdam is a tiny city which is very bike-friendly. So the best way to get around is on a bike. You can rent one anywhere, really cheap, there are always to ‘park’ it. Plus, it is just so much fun to admire the gabled houses, canals and houseboats when you are cycling around! Also, it is really hard to find car parking in Amsterdam and, if you do find parking, the streets look so similar – you will lose your car!

4) So Amsterdam has loads of history but also NEMO – The Netherlands’s largest science building! But, as much as I love science, that is not the reason that NEMO is one of my must-visits in Amsterdam. The building is just a beautiful example of modern architecture! It was designed to look like a ships hull, which is very fitting as it sits by the docks. From the amazing rooftop deck you get stunning views of Amsterdam and its harbours! You can bike there, its very close to the Central Station, you you can get a boat tour that goes through Dutch Canals straight past the centre!

ALSO: While you’re there, you have to check out Sea Palace my favourite source of Chinese food in all Amsterdam! The restaurant is awesome – Its built like a pagoda and FLOATS on the water!

5) So Leidseplein is considered the city’s main nightlife spot, there are numerous, bars, cafe’s, theatres, restaurants and street performers and live musicians! It is a really lively place and great on a summers evening. And, its is my favourite place in the whole city because of the ice cream! There are three ice cream shops in a row, Haagen-Dasz, Ben and Jerry’s and a Dutch branch of a Belgian ice cream chain called Australian Homemade – which is ohmygosh so good! They do hot, fresh Belgian Waffles with, smooth, creamy ice cream on top! A visit to Australian ice cream actually makes my day!

6) And the final thing I love about Amsterdam are the 2 metres tall letters in the ‘Museumplein’ that spell ‘I amsterdam!’ The phrase spans like 23m and is like the Hollywood sign of The Netherlands! The square is surrounded by four museums; The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Diamond Museum, which are all the a look, the real fun though, is clambering over the letters and taking pictures!

Amsterdam is just an incredible city and there is so much to see and do, way more than can be summarised in any list! Those were the things that I love to do the most whenever I visit, but the best way to experience the city is just to get a bike and explore!

Ok, I realise the title of this article might seem a bit obscure for those who don’t watch CBS’s great show “The Big Bang Theory”. But, COME ON. Have you been living in a cave for the past couple of years ? And the “I don’t have a TV” line does NOT work on me, because I didn’t have a TV until very recently, and still managed to catch up on this. I mean, they show you whole episodes on their website. FOR FREE. So, in a nutshell, if you don’t know TBBT, it’s a sitcom featuring a 4 nerdy-but-sweet guys (Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj) and their pretty-and-a-bit-dumb neighbourg Penny. The show is packed with geek-references, pop culture gems, and almost every sentence makes you go “Hey, I get it, they’re refering to that thing I saw on youtube/twitter/facebook/my mate’s place/somewhere, that’s funny !”. Makes you feel less of a nerdy loser I guess.
Here they are :

Go watch it. For those who do…

…aren’t you completly crazy about Sheldon ? I mean ok, in real life I would probably end up poking his eyes out after ten minutes of conversation, but this is just such a great character, you can’t help but fall in love. So, here is a little gift list for any sheldon lover out there.

1. Well, quite easy choice, the DVDs. Season 1, and 2 are out, and packed with various bonus stuff.

2. As seen on Season 1, Episode 11 (“The Pancake Batter Anormaly”), a tri-dimensional Star Trek chess set. I’m not sure how you’re supposed to play this, but if you have 329$ to spare, it could be yours ! Although, I guess just sticking a couple of regular chess set on a ladder could work too.

3. You can’t spell geeky without Mario and Luigi ! Alright, that one was a bit far-streched. Especially considering this item doesn’t feature Mario or Luigi. But, still, an original Nintendo 1UP mushroom on your desk, that’s Sheldon-Cooper-Cool, eh ?

4. In the 4th episode of season 1, “The luminous fish effect“, Sheldon finds himself unemployed (join the club !) and this sends him into a downward spiral of weird ideas, such as creating a luminous fish. I couldn’t find one in real life, but this jellyfish night light is pretty close, don’t you think ? And for all you jellies lovers, do not fear, those aren’t real jelly fish, just life-like plastic thingies.

5. Sheldon has actually worn this shirt in various episodes (Season 1, Episode 7 (The Dumpling Paradox) and Season 2, Episodes 7 (The Panty Pinata Polarization) and 16 (The Cushion Saturation)). And now it could be yours ! Only 24$, and remember, computer + retro + KABLAAAM = fashion must have.

6. On season 2, episode 8, “The Lizard-Spock Expansion“, Sheldon comes up with a variation to the old game Rock Paper Scissors. It adds “lizard” and “Spock”, thus making the game more difficult (and geeky). The exact rules are on this button badge, so you have no excuse if you lose !

7. As every TBBT fan knows, the right seat of the couch is Sheldon’s spot. No one is allowed there. N-o-o-n-e.

8. When the guys form a team to compete in a physics bowl (Season 1 Episode 13, the Bat Jar Conjecture), they end up kicking Sheldon out because of… well because it’s Sheldon. In an attempt to soften the blow, Leonard bys him a Batman Cookie Jar. An item both cool and yummy ! Available from Warner Bros store.

9. Ok, I have to admit, I’ve never watched more than 10 minutes of any Star Trek movie, tv or anything actually. And honestly, trekkie stuff usually creeps me out (Remember the 330$ 3D chess set ? I think I made my point clear). But this dress is kinda classy, don’t you think ? Plus, a sure way to score points with Sheldon… !

There’s ton of stuff I could have added to this list, but I’m gonna let you take a look at this funny tumblr dedicated only to Mr. Cooper : http://sheldoncooper.tumblr.com

Sheldon Cooper, For The Win !

Despite a sea of failed series attempts, here is a new attempt: PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW.  I will feed you, the curious creative person, another creative person who you should be aware of.  Perhaps you will find inspiration or a kindred soul.  I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THIS EXPRESSED HOPE COMES INTO FRUITION.

On the topic of FRUIT (applause, applause), this pivotal inaugural edition features Ignatz award-winning MINTY LEWIS. After discussing my recent foray into comic books, my roommate lent me PS Comics.  It’s glorious!  Irrefutably whimsical, PS Comics is a compilation of 14 comics that explore relationships and loneliness…through terriers and fruits.  And sometimes salt shakers.  This cast may seem absurd, but Minty’s characters are excellent vehicles of human emotion.  The stories are enriched with depth and insight (Minty gives dating advice through the story of a Salt and Sugar shaker romance), and encourage you to reflect upon daily interactions with others.

A list of other Minty items is available here.  I highly recommend Papercutter issue ten, which has the lovely Minty back cover below.  NOTE: If you ever visit my apartment, expect to see a framed copy of this image very soon.

Note: Top image background is from PS Comics, comic excerpts from (clockwise) “Yorkig Schoolmates,” “‘Me’ Time,” “Salt & Sugar,” and “Bitter Fruit” (I feel your pain, Pear.), bottom image from Papercutter issue ten.

Hello Stickers & Donuts fans, I am Amber and I am seriously obsessed with the new show Glee! Let us count the ways:

1. The amazing songs! Because the show is about a high school glee club, of course there are many songs to hear and enjoy. What really amps up my enjoyment factor is the outstanding choreography, costumes and lighting they give each number. The photo above is taken from the “Bust Your Windows” scene, where Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones (center) is tearing it up both visually and vocally. Each episode has at least two musical numbers, and the first of several Glee albums, Glee: The Music, Volume 1, was released this week. Will I be buying it immediately? Oh my, yes.

2. It takes place in OHIO, land of opportunities. Also, where I grew up and live right now! Although I have never been to Lima and the (sadly) fictional William McKinley High School, any show with Ohio as its backdrop is likely to stay on my radar. So far we have: many ethnicities, singing & dancing, football & cheerleaders, and no accents. YES! All of these things happen in Ohio*, although the “no accents” part is the most important. Lima is nestled lovingly in the crook of the giant, orange 2. I also cleverly hid where I live with Mr. Schuester’s picture. *Frankly, as I am from eastern Ohio, I actually mean “the Greater Cleveland Area.”

3. Hot/Adorable Teachers! The best part of high school was lucking out and getting a young, hot teacher (or the next best – the young, hot substitute). With Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester and Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury this school is all set on the “super awesome eye candy” front. It’s actually not fair, if you think about it. Bonus points are awarded for the amazing outfits everyone wears – just like a real high school they dress according to their personalities, as is easily seen below:

For ways to dress like the fabulous Miss P, check out this Fashion Me Fabulous post!

4. A large ensemble! My favorite shows (Arrested Development, The Office) usually have a large cast, which is useful for having an A, B, C and sometimes even a D story. A series feels more realistic to me if the characters have a lot going on, and each action they take has consequences both large and small. And this way if you get bored/annoyed with one character there are lots of others to focus on instead! The number of episodes broadcast hasn’t even hit the double digits yet, so the development of the twelve main characters (and many supporting ones) is still underway. But I can tell you right now one person in particular is pulling ahead of the pack, and she is #5:

5. JANE LYNCH! Head cheerleading coach and Glee club nemesis Sue Slyvester is equally terrifying and hilarious, and only the amazing Jane Lynch could play her that way. From her permanent sneer to her quietly muttered jibes, Sue isn’t afraid of anything but losing, and will stop at nothing to destroy the Glee Club in order to restore the status quo (and her dry cleaning budget). As she uses both the Cheerios and her local news spot as a bully pulpit, the only words that can do Sue justice are her own, as evidenced in the following quotes:

“Dear Journal, feeling listless again today. It began at dawn, when I tried to make a smoothie out of beef bones, breaking my juicer. And then, at Cheerios practice, disaster. It was unmistakable. It was like spotting the first spark on the Hindenburg. A quiver! That quiver will lose us nationals, and without a championship, I’d lose my endorsements, and without those endorsements, I won’t be able to buy my hovercraft.”

“You know, there’s a question I get asked a lot. Whether I’m accepting an honorary doctorate or performing a citizen’s arrest, people ask me, “Sue, what’s your secret?” Well, I’ll tell you my secret: western Ohio. Sue Sylvester’s not afraid to shake things up. You know, I’m tired of hearing people complain, “I’m riddled with this disease!” or “I was in that tsunami!” To them, I say “Shake it up a bit! Get out of your box! Even if that box happens to be where you’re living.” I’ll often yell at homeless people. “Hey, how’s that homelessness working out for ya? Give not being homeless a try, huh?” You know something, Ohio? It’s not easy breaking out of your comfort zone. People will tear you down, tell you you shouldn’t have bothered in the first place, but let me tell you something. There’s not much of a difference between a stadium full of cheering fans and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you. They’re both just making a lot of noise. How you take it is up to you. Convince yourself they’re cheering for you. You do that, and someday, they will!”

And that’s the way Sue “C”s it.

Linky Links:

Official Glee Site

Watch Glee Online – Fancast & Hulu

Images – Glee Images

Songs – iTunes

Funtimes – NYMag’s Overnights Glee breakdowns (search this tag), Television Without Pity Recaps (Gleecaps??)

A while back Maria and I posted a plea for assistance.  We wanted  innocent, fresh blood to subject to endless hours of Photoshop (EXAGGERATION ALERT).  Surprised by the overwhelming number of responses, we picked only a few to initiate Stickers and Donuts expansion.  Thus, please welcome the four new writers below.  Be nice.

Amber

Life Story: Between growing up on the west side of Cleveland and going to college in New Orleans, Amber often describes herself as a North-South Coast girl (even though this does not make sense). She can swing between the biting winters of Ohio and the oppressive heat of Louisiana with all of the grace a Master of Architecture degree from Tulane University demands, which she insists is quite a lot. She currently works part-time at a national clothing retailer geared towards fancy, older ladies and part-time trying to find a full-time job. Amber enjoys sleeping, knitting, reading, mucking about on the internet, The Mighty Boosh, wearing a lot of black, playing with puppies, Arrested Development, hoarding office supplies and notebooks, cake, nerdy things, and wearing glasses. Because she is a stress baker Amber is often beloved by roommates. Her wide internet fingerprint can be easily traced through her Twitter, knitting blog, last.fm and personal site.

Amirah

Life Story: Amirah grew up in the Western Europe area, and moved around The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.  She currently lives in London (which is an amazing city)! Her parents are from Burma (Myanmar) and Tanzania, and she basically has family all over the world which gives her a great excuse to travel! Last summer was her first experience of independent travel, she went backpacking around the Eastern Cape of South Africa with a bunch of friends and it was the best month of her life….she has seriously been bitten by the travel bug!  Right now, Amirah is in high school studying for A-Levels (which are the UK national exams that you take at the end of high school). In any free time she has, you will probably find her: eating epic amounts of ice cream, watching FRIENDS reruns, laughing at myself, browsing the web for “really cute stuff!” or exploring (AKA: getting lost in) Central London!

Life Story: Georgy was born in England, grew up in Vancouver and now lives in Brighton, on the UK’s South Coast, home of “Quadrophenia”, Fatboy Slim, the Royal Pavilion and lots of Regency naughtiness. She has been a music journalist, a graphic designer, and a web designer, but gave it all up to be an artist and an avant gardener and a bit of a hippie. She loves biscuits and breakfast cereals and makes a mean vegan chili. She volunteers for a community food growing and teaching programme and is studying horticulture, which doesn’t leave much time for sleep. She’s obsessed with mid-century modern design, quirky graphics, and what she likes to call “Ghetto gardening” – growing herbs and vegetables in an urban setting using recycled junk as germinators and pots. She waffles about the latter on her personal blog and you can email her here.

Life Story: “Ookah” is actually “Pascale,” but she usually goes by the name “Ookah” for everything concerning work (design, photography, illustration). Ookah was born and raised in Paris, city of lights and wonderful patisseries, where she studied graphic design, attended a LOT of small gigs played by local friends (all the while taking pictures, another one of my hobbies), and developed a healthy obsession for everything vintage and 50s/60s related. After she graduated, she started working freelance for a very various range of clients (movie magazine, wine seller, IT company, insurance, …).  Then Ookah moved to London, to pursue a life-long dream of adventure and BACON. She has been in London for almost a year, working freelance and using her free time to draw funny doodles (in french), and study Japanese (another hobby).  Ookah also loves 60s music – she is (not so) secrelty in love with 1967 Steve Winwood (from the Spencer Davis Group), pin-up fashion (stockings, corsets, red lips… hiiiiiii.), books (lots of, everywhere, all the time, READ), and Alice in Wonderland (I currently own 9 different editions, including 2 pop-ups).  She would like you to know that she has a VERY weird relationship with her hair, and has been successively platinum blond, red-head, brunette, with short hair, hippie-long hair, bangs, curly, straight…

My freshman year of college, I received the nickname “Gogo.”  No, not a reference to the perfect-hair chanteuses who brag about having beats.  My model: Gogo Yubari…the Kill Bill schoolgirl with unbridled rage (and a meteor hammer).  I was far from a killer, just an occasional swatter when someone (a victim) would unexpectedly tap my shoulder.  Or hug me.

I am now more conservative with my swats, but violence still innocently reverberates throughout my body.   Harmless karma itchings.  For example, let’s say that you’re on the subway, a stranger throws a laundry basket at you, and they LAUGH.  (True story.)  For me, moments like these demand a little cathartic relief.  Maybe a wee wish that the perpetrator trips.  A little.   As a supporter of such passive aggressive violence (not physical violence! PEACE FLAGS/SIGNS/DOVES), here is list of items that I believe secretly violent people will enjoy.  The following is dedicated to all the males & females that have angered me this past week.

1. Uncanny resemblance to your ex-boyfriend, right?  Best of all, it’s NECESSARY to stab and store your knives.  Leaving them on the counter would be bad knife etiquette.  Ex Voodoo Knife Holder from Perpetual Kid, $70

2. “Yes, you treated me so wretchedly that you deserve to be slammed in between Twilight.”  Dead Mark Bookmark from Perpetual Kid, $12

3. An apotheosis of journals, this is perfect to write about all the vexing characters in your life.  The inside even has quotes to fuel your anger!  (See below) In My Humble Opinion Journal from Knock Knock, $17

4. Pad of voodoo dolls = 60 opportunities to curse.  Paper Voodoo Pad from Knock Knock, $7.50 (Note: Remember when Maria interviewed Jen Bilik, founder and creator of Knock Knock?)

5. “Dear Roommate, please discard your putrid veal from the fridge or you will end up like this poor sticky man. xoxo.” Murder Ink Sticky Note Pad from Pure Modern, $10 (pre-order now!)

6.  Have you ever imagined sneaking into your ex-special friend’s bathroom, replacing his/her bathroom mat with a more sanguineous version, thus provoking him/her to run away from his/her bathroom in terror, dropping his/her towel outside in the deemed “safe haven,” and crying? Revenge, my friend.  Blood Bath Mat from Perpetual Kid, $18

Do you like Knock Knock’s In My Humble Opinion journal as much as Maria and me?  Thanks to Knock Knock, you have a lovely opportunity to win your very own journal!  To win, leave a comment (a brief vent about someone who angered you this week? or a “hi tricia?!”…I HAVE PRESENTED YOU WITH TWO IDEAS) below by Sunday, November 8th!  We will select the winner by a random number generator, and announce the winner on Monday, November 9th!