twenty sixteen

Hey guys, what's up? Since I've been checking in so much this week (ha! Well, comparatively), I thought I'd catch you up on what's been happening round these parts in the beginning of 2016. By all accounts it's been a shitty year so far in world news, and we find the joy we can in the everyday.

At the start of the year we ventured to Kelly Tarlton's aquarium...

We made pals with manta ray, found Nemo and needless to say - had a blast. Before long we went to see the French spectacle Carabosse, Garden of Fire at the Auckland Domain....

This little girl in white cotton dress danced her heart away to these ethereal musicians playing a mix of French techno and Maori taonga

The Auckland Museum made sure she put on a real show that night.

That brings us to around April. Next up - families on both sides visit, Argentinian and English...

The DL..

Hey guys, what's the haps? It's about time I gave anyone who still hangs around the DL with what's been going on in my life. Here's the highlights...

In June we spent a magical long weekend in Melbourne and fell in love..

...we fell in love with Smith Street Alimentari in Collingwood

...we fell in love with the art of expression in Fitzroy

...we fell in love all over again with Marty Scorsese

...Alex fell back in love with Chinotto, and introduced me to this new flavour

...we fell in love with the architecture and character of the city

...and its amazing eateries

....but most of all, the architecture and history. My god, how I've missed history.

We'll be back, Melbourne!

Stranger Things...

Yes, I awoke the beast! Or the blog, however you read it.. basically I needed somewhere to spew these ramblings and since I know no one will be reading by now this feels like the right place :)

My husband's boss is taking him to dinner and I find myself in that rare and special moment of being home alone on a weeknight. I relish this opportunity to discover a new show - can't be something that we watch together, religiously, commenting on the twists and turns each week. I turn on Netflix and see what it has decided that it should Recommended to Me. The first thing on the list? "Stranger Things". I'm drawn to the heavy, serif, Stephen King font. The Spielberg '80s font, front and centre on the cover image. Immediately it screams retro sci-fi.

I almost don't want to watch in case it disappoints, although Netflix rates it 5 stars. The opening music, the slightly blurred celluloid-style credits and backlit kids riding fixies hammer home with a deafening blow a feeling of nostalgia, a heartwarming feeling of comfort in 80s sci-fi, like a dog rolling in an especially delicious, stinky smell. This is my youth.

It is very, very early days for me. Like, barely 10 minutes into the first episode, so I don't dare to predict how this show might rise or fall to my expectations - already I fear it leans more towards the "scary" than the mysterious, and the appearance of Winona Ryder as a mother somewhat diminishes the illusion of '80s naïveté - but for now I just want to curl up and feel like my young self, watching for the first time a new show about... the unknown.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday, Auckland! For 175 years young, you're looking mighty fine. Of course, celebrating your anniversary with a public holiday tomorrow means I didn't forget (and thank you for the generosity!) but I was taken by surprise when I heard the fireworks booming across your city centre from the waterfront. I scampered out into our hallway and along the narrow corridor to the little window overlooking our carpark and an epic view towards your skyline. I managed to catch this image with my iPhone, never the best in low lighting, it doesn't do you justice. Many happy returns.

Crafted Cornershop

This is on another level! Lucy Sparrow has created the Cornershop in London where every item is made of felt. But everything. With the help of Kickstarter campaign, the artist spent eight months hand stitching 4,000 drug store items before opening. Chewing gum, ice lollies, milk cartons, sticks of butter, tampons and cigarette packs were all faithfully recreated in felt. Lucy has since sold out of every item in store, and the cornershop is closed until further notice. 

via Honestly WTF

The Guest

The Guest had a quiet release in September last year. I only heard about it through the fun bad movie review podcast The Flop House (- by the way, well worth a listen if you enjoy three guys shooting the shit and discussing the terrible film they just watched. The fellas are writers for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, so they know a thing or two about comedy and screenwriting.)

Anyway, The Guest was not one of the bad movies reviewed by The Flop House. They recommended it as a good watch and it stuck in my mind. I had no idea it starred Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey (yeah, what?) as a mysterious soldier who works his way into the home of a family whose deceased son he claims to have served with in Afghanistan. It's best described as a schlocky '70s horror vibe, but is more of a thriller. Oscar-worthy viewing this ain't, but if you're looking for a fun time then check it out. 

Warning: I don't know its rating, but this movie contains it's fair share of violence.

Like For Like

Never not loving Miss Moss. South African blogger Diana is always on the mark with her stylish finds and vintage discoveries. Every so often she treats us to an art/fashion mash-up and her latest offering inspired by the new Valentino Pre-Fall 2015 collection is a doozy. 

I don't consider myself a girly girl, but these couture gowns are ridiculous. Stars and galaxies on capes and tulle? Oh my days.

Lev Feliksovic Lagorio, Moonlight Sealandscape

Karl Nordström, Trädgård, Grez (Garden, Grez)

H. Ahtela, Thaw

Anshelm Schultzberg, Vinterdag i Ludvikatrakten (Winter Day Near Ludvika)

Inari Krohn, Winter Night

Gottfrid Kallstenius, Villa D'Este at Sunset

August Strinberg, Storm Landscape

See more Miss Moss colour comparisons here.

#HappyNewYear

Happy 2015 you guys! I'm thinking today is the limit for saying that, really. From tomorrow I'm only looking forward. I hope you all had a relaxed/rad/love-filled holiday (delete as applicable) and are bounding into the new year refreshed, full of vim & vigour. Well we can hope, right?

I spent a chilled out Christmas with my husband and his parents, who visited us from Buenos Aires. We headed out first thing Christmas Day for the ferry to Waiheke island, where we spent the next 3 nights in teepees and exploring the beaches. New Year's Eve was quiet, just how I like it. After a delicious dinner we took Alex's parents to see the fireworks. Auckland city council really needs to get its act together! No? They're like a damp squib next to Sydney's display.

I just wanted to share this great web series I've been blowing through. High Maintenance follows the clients of a weed dealer in New York city, and as episodes are only 5 minutes long they are so addictive! The creator/writer/star Ben Sinclair is very likeable as the dealer and each episode deals with a new cast of characters, so if one doesn't grab you then you can move onto another. See the trailer below, and watch them all here.

Loving, Lately

Here are just a few things I've been enjoying lately. You've most likely heard of some, if not all of them, as I can be a little late to the party but that doesn't stop me lapping them up :)

The online mini-series City Ballet delves into the lives of dancers at the prestigious New York City Ballet, in easy 5 minute segments. There are two series of 12 videos, and I ate them up!

Serial. I know, who hasn't heard of this podcast? But it has blown up for a reason. In case you are yet to experience it, here's the summary from their website:

On January 13, 1999, a girl named Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, disappeared. A month later, her body turned up in a city park. She'd been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnan’s friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae's body. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Hae’s death. Some people believe he’s telling the truth. Many others don’t. 

Sarah Koenig, who hosts Serial, first learned about this case more than a year ago. In the months since, she's been sorting through box after box (after box) of legal documents and investigators' notes, listening to trial testimony and police interrogations, and talking to everyone she can find who remembers what happened between Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee fifteen years ago. What she realized is that the trial covered up a far more complicated story, which neither the jury nor the public got to hear. The high school scene, the shifting statements to police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence - all of it leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a person’s character? How can you tell what they’re capable of? In Season One of Serial, she looks for answers.

This true crime detective story is pretty sensitively examined and presented, but I wonder how it will conclude. Will we find out if Adnan is innocent or not? That's the crux.

Miss Moss consistently smashes it with her beautiful blog. With New Zealand's summer on the way, this post of archive images from the 1920/30s shows those girls knew how to have a good time and look killer doing it.

I love hearing music on the streets of Auckland in the run up to Christmas, even more so when it's totally unexpected. Here's soul funk band The Hipstamatics being awesome in Ponsonby.

Lastly, I'm a sucker for a pretty dessert. I made this pear and almond cake using this recipe, and plan on doing' it again for Christmas. Nom!