whats happened lately.....

message of the day...from the minibar!

Mandy pops over and gets a noseful of my sweatpeas

and a few glasses of wine & giggles

my last day at work so i treat everyone to Krsipy Kremes

and they buy me some pressies and flowers

making strawberry rum ice lollies

manage to spill a fair bit down the counter (of course i licked it!)

ready to take to the outdoor cinema

with Noreen & Michael at Somerset House

me and Judy enjoying drinks and eats...

waiting for the film to begin...

shame the first film was a BIG disappointment ...but the 2nd one of the Chemical Brothers in concert was a great chance to bop...hands in the air, with the crowd

the sun's been out a few times...briefly

Carnival came and went....

i popped to my brother's for a party (and made it home in one piece, slightly worse for wear, on my bike!)

great seeing old friends and making new...Ollie the barman was a big hit!

salted caramel & immaculate conception

after a hot day sitting in the garden on Sunday (at last summer is here...but only for a few days) I decided to cycle over to the Lexi in the evening to watch Rebecca Thomas's Elecktrick Children.  spotted this in the evening sun on the way there....

in the evening sun - on Bramston Road, NW10

and this ratty old thing on the way home.

its a mattress Jim, but not as we know it - on Hardinge Road, NW10

the film itself was a real treat (along with the yummy salted caramel ice cream i had) and a nice little nostalgic  trip back to the late 90s.  it tells the story of a 15 year old Mormon girl (the ethereally beautiful Julia Garner) who believes she became pregnant after listening to a cassette tape of a Blondie song (classic!).  while searching for the "father" of her baby she runs into a bunch of punky kids (always love a Culkin...Rory is excellent as grunge kid Clyde) squating, gigging and skating around Las Vegas.

the soundtrack is great - particularly love the Condtuits track running throughout...very My Bloody Valentine.
 

hunted

rain rain rain....we really are getting fed up with all this wet here in the UK...and those boys at modern toss have it spot on with this cartoon!  however, there were a few breaks in the cloud over the weekend so my mate Jo and I enjoyed an evening at my "bar" sipping summer cocktails - like the awesome "party in a glass" from the best remedy made with coconut milk, white rum, lime and ginger syrup (which i had made earlier and stored in the fridge)...yum.

Party in a glass...and Jo's vampy True Blood nails!

the next day we wandered down to the new(ish) Everyman cinema in Maida Vale to see The Hunter.  this cinema is definitely a strong contender for my favourite in London (next to my local Lexi) - its a real gem with a great bar, lovely food and the screening rooms have SOFAS with footrests - absolute heaven. 

a little bit dark - but Jo wouldn't let me take it with the flash!

the movie was perfect for a sunday afternoon too with Willem Dafoe as his normally chiselled and cool self playing a mercenary paid by a biotech company to find a (believed to be extinct) Tasmanian tiger. 

its a slow paced little number, beautifully shot and very moving - especially in regard to the relationship he builds with a pair of children left to run wild by their doped up mother and the heart-wrenching ending.  when we left the cinema it suddenly poured down with torrential rain and we road the bus home through flooded streets....the start of another week of more rain, rain, rain.  will it never end.  

today there was another break in the clouds...just long enough to check on my sweet peas (they don't like rain!), mow the lawn and then cycle over to the local pool for a dip.  of course there was another downpour as i left the building....

some fellow swimmers....only one was prepared for the weather

then went for a quick fresh OJ at a local caff before pedalling home in the rain, again....spotted a couple of mattresses in the brief sunshine....

Leigh Gardens, NW10

Holland Road, NW10

and got home in time to feed some mackerel to one of the local strays that hang out in my garden - i've decided to name her Piewacket as she always makes me want to hum that tune from Bell Book & Candle - brilliant film with Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemon and the stunning Kim Novak playing a witch in contemporary New York with her cat familiar called Piewacket.

the stray that stays...tho i suspect Piewacket may have fleas!

the gorgeous Kim Novak...and Piewacket

and picked some lovely lavender and a random pansy from the garden...before they all get crushed to death!

twin peaks

so i had this crazy dream the other night - you know, when you wake up wishing you could go right back into it because it was so good / freaky / hilarious.  i dreamt i was being chased into a Belgian dive bar, down some dark stairs, to the ladies loo...where i hid behind shuttered doors while dwarf (or should that be little people - sorry, not sure what is PC anymore) male bearded twins stood outside wielding whizzing silver hand whisks...it was so incredibly loopy that i just wanted to go back and find out what happened!  of course the first thing that came to mind was how much it felt like a scene from Twin Peaks.  

made for television in the early 90s by David Lynch Twin Peaks became a cult hit and we all watched avidly as Agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan) tried to get to the bottom of "Who killed Laura Palmer?" and where to get some 'damn fine cherry pie'.  it was like Dallas and the "Who shot JR?" obsession all over again!  anyway - the brilliantly mad storyline, freaky characters and haunting music score had us all hooked to our telly screens.

"Every day, once a day, give yourself a present" - Agent Cooper

homecoming queen...Laura Palmer

"the owls are not what they seem" - The Giant

The Man from Another Place - in the Red Room at The Black Lodge....

the reason its come to mind again is because the brilliant Design Sponge has just featured Twin Peaks in the latest Living In series. thanks to all the comments below the post i am thinking it would be a great idea to re-watch the show whilst staying at the cabin in the woods during my upcoming trip to the Smokey Mountains - i think a TP themed party could be on the cards.

"my log has something to tell you..." - Log Lady

i definitely HAVE to go as the Log Lady - with all the props available in the surrounding woods, its a must.  she was always a favourite character...but i actually physically shudder at the sight of even a photograph of the evil Bob.  the most terrifying character ever Bob gave me nightmares...and the guy who played him in the show was actually one of the set dressers that David Lynch decided to put into the show on the spur of the moment when he accidentally featured in a shot of Laura's bedroom mirror - one of many improvised parts of the show - it wouldn't be the same without him. 

DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME BOB!

speaking of Bob- i remember being in HMV record shop on Tottenham Court Road with Kate around the time Twin Peaks was being aired and her excitement at spotting a guy who was the absolute spitting image of him - despite high embarassment factor he was approached and a photograph was taken of the pair...i must find out if she still has it, it was classic.  as she is from Brussels...the connection is made back round to my whisk wielding dwarf dream...ha ha...how funny!

Bob and Agent Cooper share a moment......[shudder]

meanwhile...i've come across some great Twin Peaks related merchandise...the ever brilliant Etsy never fails to deliver...

from here

brilliant - from here

this i would definitely wear with pride...

from here

coincidentally, also, there is a David Lynch season at the BFI from the 10th February with the movie prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which depicts the 7 days prior to Laura Palmer's murder, showing on the 11th and 22nd....i think i might have to go (with log, natch).

holy vampiros!

i LOVE this poster for cuban animated film ¡Vampiros en La Habana! from the Sydney home of Maria & Eduardo of villa + villa spotted via the brilliant design files.  HOW have i never heard of this film before - according to the imdb blurb its the tale of a scientist who invents a potion that allows vampires to be able to live in daylight and when all the vampires of the world find out they fly to Cuba to gain control of the potion. what ensues is a battle between american and european vampires.  the main character is a trumpet player (the scientist's nephew) that holds the formula for the elixir and from the clip i found on youtube - he seems to be able to use his trumpet to disrobe large breasted women and get them into bed!! hot stuff.  but anyway - the poster is fab, i'm wondering if i have room for one as they are available via amazon.

Californication - The Lost Boys @ Canary Wharf

2 x Coreys in one fine film....you can't ask for better than that - the Frog Brothers RULE!

last night Canary Wharf became Santa Carla for a screening of  '80s classic The Lost Boys - thanks to future cinema and what an awesome event it was.  they really out did themselves with an amazing set complete with fairground, vampire cave, beach & grandpa's house (with taxidermy) but unfortunately the major downside was the lack of loos (about 9 portaloos for 3,000 people!), bars and food stalls - leading therefore to hour-long queues which meant some people didn't get to enjoy the whole experience.  luckily we got there early enough to secure a good spot for the film, got a drink before it got too manic (but no more the rest of the evening - apart from when i found a secret tequila bar behind the vamp's lair!) and i am used to a bit of "alfresco peeing" so ended up going behind a truck (not very nice for everyone i know, as it got bad later - but the organisers are fully to blame for miscalculating the needs of the high numbers of people - hopefully they've sorted some more toilet facilities before tonight's showing of Top Gun).  all in all though it really was an excellent night - we all had a great time and seeing the film again after so long was fab - we all sang along and there was lots of screaming and roaring....oh and the warm up DJ (think it was Guilty Pleasures) beforehand got everyone totally rockin' - well done guys...just get the Qs sorted next time, eh?!

queueing to get into California Wharf...first of many!

Santa Carla (murder capital of the US) Boardwalk

thank god we have protection from the Frog Brothers!

the Holy Finger (of the hand of God, natch) will smote all vamps with extreme vengeance - look out MOTHERSUCKERS!

my goddaughter Zoe (on the left) with her bezzie mate Demi - so gorgeous!

Zaki looking supercool!

waddya mean its not JAWS?! i was told to dress as a surfer, you can't have surfers without sharks i say!

vamps and bikers and frog brothers everywhere...that is one lucky kid!

Zak has a go on one of the bikes!

uh oh...the natives are throwing shapes....

London...you look beautiful tonight!

we're all ready for it to start....

uh oh...here comes trouble!

and thanks to the Frog Brothers...fighting for truth, justice and the AMERICAN WAY...the residents of Santa Carla can all sleep soundly in our beds tonight!