Yes, this post is quite nerdy.  Feel free to skip it or read it as you see fit.  We’ll be going back in time again, so if you can’t handle that you may want to move along peacefully.

     Turn off your computer, disconnect the hard drives and floppy drive (if you still have one), remove any bootable USB keys you may have.  Now, turn on your computer again.  What did you get?  Nothing, right?  Maybe a bunch of errors?  But you certainly didn’t get anything even vaguely useful.

     You may as well hook all that stuff back up.  Now, back in the old days the majority of home computers were still useful, even if they didn’t have any devices (except for the TV or, if you were rich, a monitor) attached.  Most home computers had some kind of BASIC programming language built in so turning on the computer brought you to some kind of prompt.  While this may not be quite as useful as being able to check your email or listen to an MP3, it’s a lot better than nothing.

     On every computer I have, I have an Atari 8-bit computer emulator.  Every one of them.  You wonder why I do this, right?  You think, “Geez, the guy has a 64-bit, 2.2GHz processor what the devil does he need an emulator for an 8-bit, 1Mhz, 48K of memory computer for?”

     And the answer is simple: BASIC.  See, sometimes I just need to write a quick program that doesn’t do much.  It may be a one-off thing that I need to do.  Simple, short, ready to go.  Modern computers, for all their speed, complexity, and bullshit lack in this area.  I mean, really lack. 

     If I need a quick program to calculate something, I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a developer kit.  I don’t need it to run in its own window with menus and crap.  I don’t want to have to write headers and compile the stupid thing.  I just want to type it in, type ‘RUN’ and press the Enter key.  But, while my computer can run Oblivion in all it’s 3D hardware accelerated goodness, it can’t do the simple task of running a BASIC program.

     The irony is that there are many computers from the “Golden Age” that have BASIC built in and their BASIC was written by a guy named Bill Gates and is copyrighted to Microsoft (sometimes Micro Soft) in 1982 or earlier. 

     It would be lovely if Microsoft could include a Microsoft BASIC with Windows.  Even if it’s the same version from 1982.  Just something simple that can be quickly typed in and run.  No sheet designers, no labels, just good old line numbers and GOTO’s and GOSUB’s and stuff. 

     Until that advanced day reaches me, I’ll keep my emulators for the sole purpose of having a simple BASIC around in case I need it.

     I guess I’m the only person who feels this way, though.

Idag är det lite annorlunda. Bara Wii konsolen har en hutlöst lång lista med tillbehör och attachments som tillverkarna lurar folk att köpa. Det är ett skamlöst sätt att tjäna mer pengar på och det borde stoppas!
Här är ett par spelkontroller som aldrig borde fått se dagens ljus.

 
6. NES Power Glove

Det var här det började. Året var 1989. Långt före Johnny Mnemonic kom med sina virtual reality handskar eller Nintendos största blunder någonsin; Virtual Boy.

Det som Draco Malfoy visar upp är en NES kontroll med knappar i handflatan och resten av knapparna på armen.

Handsken fick ta mycket skit pga av sin opålitlighet men blev ändå en mindre kommersiell framgång tack vare att Fred "Kevin Arnold" Savage drog på sig handsken i en 90-minuters hutlös reklamfilm för Nintendo:  The Wizard.

 
5. Train Simulator Controller
Folket på RailDriver tyckte inte att det räckte med en joystick och tangentbord när man vill spela Microsofts "Train Simulator" eller "Auran Trainz", så de skapade en tågsimulator kontroll.

Hallå? Hur svårt är det att köra tåg? Du startar tåget. Stoppar tåget. Öppnar dörrar och kanske tutar då och då. Du behöver en spak och två-tre knappar. Vad 17 ska man med alla de där knapparna och spakarna till?

 
4. Chainsawcontroller till Resident Evil 4

Ok, jag erkänner. Den här kontrollen blev jag faktiskt lite sugen på själv.
Den kommer bundlad med höjdarspelet Resident Evil 4 för Game Cube och PlayStation 2, och skulle säkert vara kul i flera minuter. Men sen då?

 
3.  Fingervalsande Dance Dance Revolutions kontroll

Tycker du att det är kul med Dance Dance Revolution men vill inte flytta dig från soffan?

Då kan du köpa handkontrollen med dansmatta! 
Endast användbar för den som ligger i träning inför nästa SMS mästerskap i speed-texting.

 
2. Löpbandkontollen Game Runner

På andra sidan spektumet kanske ni har sett YouTube videorna med folk som kopplat ihop ett löpband med datorn och sprungit sig igenom World of Warcraft?
Kul grej.. ända tills några galningar bestämde sig för att försöka sälja idéen på riktigt.

Like omigod, I totally forgot to bring my brain with me today. I think everything is cool.

 
1. Krimskrams kontroller med inbyggda spel

Alla specialkontroller med inbyggda spel borde förbjudas.

Varför?

1. Tillverkarna klämmer ofta in skitspel som inte ens går att sälja i lågprisbingen på ICA.
2. Utformningen av kontrollen är gjorda av människor som totalt saknar känsla för vad som är användarvänligt eller passar sig.
3. Sätter myror i huvudet på välmenande mor och farföräldrar när de ska handla julklappar.

Om du önskar dig en konsol eller ett speciellt spel i julklapp... hur besviken skulle inte du bli då om du fick en sån här? Totalt meningslöst och pengar kastade i sjön.

 
Bonus:
Folk som får utlopp för sin uppfinningsrikedom och kreativitet genom att modda eller bygga kontroller, bara för att det är kul, tycker jag däremot om. :D

 Bygg för all del en kontroll i Lego om du vill, men ha inte ambitionen att tjäna pengar på det. Det finns så många pinsamma företag som försöker med det redan.

Intrebare: Ce ne face cu adevarat ferici?! Ce scoate din noi tot ce e mai bun?! Nebunia momentului, rasul fara margine, culoarea care irita Bucurestiul?! Eu unul am gasit de un an si jumatate raspunsul. Chiar daca nu este omniprezent fizic in fata mea, de fiecare data cand ma gandesc la formele lui si la jocul acestora zambesc si cred inca o data in magia design-ului atemporal. Pentru multi o extravaganta, pentru mine sursa de buna dispozitie: Fiat 500.

D&G, Armani, Versace, Giulietta, Roma, Piaggio sau 500 sunt nume care te duc cu gandul la un singur lucru: inconfundabilul stil italian.

In urma cu aproape un an va povesteam despre lansarea internationala a micului Fiat 500 care a vut loc in Italia, la Torino. Va vorbeam atunci despre ideile ingenioase de promovare ale Fiat strans legate de industria modei si prevesteam cum a doua generatie de 500 va deveni mult mai mult decat un fashion icon. Un singur lucru am regretat atunci, faptul ca nu am putut petrece mai mult timp in compania celei mai dragute masini pe care o condusesem pana atunci. Ei bine, Fiat 500 s-a lansat si in Romania, iar zilele insorite de mai, primavara si micul Paris au reprezentat cadrul ideal pentru a-mi confirma ca stilul italian este inca la putere. Am inlocuit mess-ul cu Men`s Vogue, Cola cu apa plata, ghiozdanul cu geanta supradimensionata si muzica house din boxe cu…

I wanna be loved by you

Ce poate fi mai frumos decat sa te plimbi seara pe Calea Victoriei cu trapa deschisa si sa asculti in surdina melodia care a facut-o celebra pe Marilyn Monroe.
Design-ul lui 500 reprezinta un conglomerat de elemente retro, jet set ale anilor 60 impreunate cu cele mai noi tendinte ale design-ului auto modern. Parca prin fiecare detaliu 500 iti spune “vreau sa ma iubesti”, chiar daca nu la fel de senzual cum o facea Marilyn. Parca timpul nu ar fi trecut peste micul 500, design-ul “clopotel” a ramas acelasi, geamurile sunt la fel de mici si aripioara cromata care ascunde numarul de inmatriculare este la fel de stralucitoare cum era acum 50 de ani. Stopurile au aceiasi forma trapezoidala, incadratra in crom, insa acum sunt mai mari. Partea frontala este dominata de formele rotunde ale farurilor, caracteristice modelului din 1950. Cele doua nervuri cromate din dreptul siglei atrag sclipiri de lumina in jurul noului badge al companiei. In recrearea mitului tocmai partea din fata a reprezentat o provocare pentru designeri si ingineri. Noul model trebuia sa incoporeze intr-un spatiu redus motorizarea, care la prima generatie era montata in spate, si sa indeplineasca normele de siguranta activa si pasiva in vigoare. Astfel s-a nascut lay out-ul cu faruri dispuse pe trei nivele de inaltime, care arata dupa parerea mea foarte bine, dand o nota dragalasa acestei masini. Un alt detaliu al caroseriei care a pus designerii pe ganduri a fost linia laterala a noului model. Primul 500 a fost “binecuvantat” cu un plafon mult inclinat in dreptul pasagerilor din spate, care in mod deliberat limita spatiul interior si pentru a nu permite noului model sa concureze direct cu modelul 600. In secolul 21 inginerii si-au propus sa realizeze exact opusul. Sa creeze spatiu pentru 4 adulti fara a pierde din forma si fara a periclita raportul proportiilor. In mare parte au reusit. Daca esti mai scund de 1.85 metri atunci vei gasi aceasta masina suficient de confortabila, insa daca inaltimea ta depaseste aceasta valoare iti vei strica freza de plafonul masinii atat pe locul din dreapta, cat si in spate. Sau, ma rog, doar prietenii tai vor infrunta aceasta situatie pentru ca tu beneficiezi de scaun reglabil pe inaltime si esti mult prea egoist ca sa iti pese.
Usile sunt decupate larg ceea ce permite un acces facil inspre si dinspre habitaclu. Manerele portierelor sunt  generoase, iar scobitura din usa este suficient de mare pentru ca o mana care tine un telefon subtire sau o pereche de chei sa poate trage de maner fara probleme. Singura remarca negativa la adresa cromului folosit la finisarea manerelor exterioare se refera la sensibilitatea acestuia la zgarieturi provenite, in timp ce e drept, de la inele, chei, praf, gheata. Oricum, aceste accesorii confera un aspect unic masinii si personal nu m-ar deranja sa le schimb, atata timp cat masina nu-si pierde din sarm.

Diamonds are a girl`s best friend

La interior te intampina o atmosfera protectoare, indusa de folosirea extinsa a cercurilor, sofisticata, datorita imbinarilor similare exteriorului intre elemente noi si vechi, dar si luxoasa, gratie butoanelor de pe consola centrala care sclipesc asemeni unor diamante. Alura generala a bordului este inspirata din vechiul 500. Coloana de directie si ceasurile de bord sunt stranse intr-un singur panou usor de citit si aspectuos. Dispunerea concentrica traseaza elemente usor de citit si perceptabile simultan. Manerul schimbatorului de viteze este asezat pe consola centrala ceea ce il face extrem de usor de accesat. Cu podul palmei sprijinit pe acesta, soferul poate accesa cele trei butoane aflate la mijlocul consolei centrale. Printre acestea se numara si luminile de avarie, ceea ce face mult mai usoara multumirea adresata soferului din spate care ne-a lasat sa iesim dintr-o parcare.
Aerul vintage este sustinut si de scaune. Acestea sunt inspirate din cele ale modelului 500F din 1960 si exploreaza acelasi “split effect”. Sezutul este imbracat intr-un material de culoare inchisa, in timp ce spatarul si tetierele se asorteaza cu paleta cromatica a volanului.
Manerul de deschidere al usii este cromat si foarte usor de manipulat gratie constructiei asemanatoare cu un carlig. Ceea ce este interesant, imaginea soferului se reflecta aproape in totalitate in suprafata cromata a acestui maner, astfel ca narcisitul din noi poate oricand sa verifice daca hainele stau bine si la locul lor.
Vechiul acoperis din panza a fost inlocuit cu unul din sticla, denumit Sky Dome. Acesta poate culisa usor sau se poate rabata pentru a lasa pletele pasagerilor in libertate. Pozitia de condus este similara cu cea a unui SUV. Scaunul nu se scufunda in podea si ii permite soferului sa conduca ergonomic in conditii bune de vizibilitate. Stalpii B si C grosi pot pune probleme de vizibilitate la manevrele de parcare, insa daca esti destul de iscusit in “jocul oglinzilor exterioare” acest inconvenient poate fi in curand depasit.

Santa baby…

Va mai amintiti melodia aceleiasi Marilyn Monroe intitulata generic Santa Baby?! Ei bine, cand iti cumperi un 500 in echiparea Lounge nu mai este nevoie sa-l indupleci pe Mos, pentru ca acest “pocket car” este dotat cu toate cele necesare bunei desfasurari a traficului urban: AC, inchidere centralizata si cheie briceag de culoarea masinii, radio CD cu MP3, geamuri si oglinzi electrice atermice,  ABS si EBD, sapte airbag-uri (incluzand airbag pentru genunchii soferului si windowbag), volan din piele cu 8 comenzi, jante din aliaj, Kit Cromo sau sistem Blue&Me.

Vogue

Melodia Madonnei dedicata celei mai de success reviste de fashion din lume, considerata biblie a modei de catre fashionistele din toata lumea este plina de ritm si senzualitate. Ritmul este un lucru la care si 500 se pricepe. Motorizarea diesel toarce frumos la relanti si se face auzita doar atunci cand infigi piciorul adanc in acceleratie. La alte masini zgomotul m-ar fi deranjat, insa la 500 acordurile motorizarii diesel aduc un plus de vechime. Directia este foarte precisa, iar daca butonul City este apasat directia devine atat de usoara incat volanul poate fi manipulat rapid chiar si cu o singura mana. Cutia este etajata scurt, iar frana actioneaza prompt la solicitari. In conditii normale de condus urban consumul nu sare de pragul 6.7 litri.

My dream is to fly…

Iar pentru ca o discutie despre Italia nu ar fi completa fara zumzaitul unui Piaggio pe fundal, am decis sa combatem aglomeratia din marele oras cu un Piaggio Fly, la fel de practic si nonconformist precum un Fiat 500. Fly se manevreaza cu mare usurinta gratie furcii telescopice si rotilor cu diametru de 12 inci. Carenele late si pozitia de condus garanteaza comoditate si, in plus, pantofii soferului nu vor fi stropiti de alte masini sau de eventualele balti prin care ar trece cu scuterul. Tonul retro este conferit de farul rotunjit plasat pe ghidon, trade mark al gamei retro-moderniste de la Piaggio (Fly, Vespa, Liberty, Beverly). Mai mult decat atat, Piaggio Fly este si un model practic. Carligul de amarare din dreptul picioarelor soferului permite depozitarea unei genti, in timp ce spatiul de depozitare de sub sa este suficient de mare pentru a ascunde casca sau un ghiozdan de dimensiuni medii.
Aceasta mica bijuterile poate fi achizitionata din showroom-ul HNC situat pe Calea Grivitei 51, unde potentialii clienti pot gasi “Cea mai mare gama de scutere din Romania”.

Foto: Adrian Cobzasu.

Locatia: Parcul Herastrau, Bucuresti

In imagini:

Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet 75CP Lounge 13.800 euro cu TVA prin AutoItalia

Piaggio Fly 50 cmc 5,6 CP 1.850 euro cu TVA prin HNC

Hailing from some beautiful place in Vancouver, Daughters of Dawn vintage manages to consistently offer stylish vintage clothing with unusual patterns, color combinations, and details. They also have great leather boots and handbags. And it doesn't hurt that their auction photos are magazine worthy- so at the very least, check them out and enjoy browsing!

Been doing some work for Momentum youth at Cornerstone...it's for the snack shack, but it's still way cool working on it...

It was the Sega Megadrive in the early 90's that took the company to its highest point in video game history. I remember the days playing Golden Axe and Streets of Rage at my cousins place, we seemed to sit there all day and be absolutely glued to the TV.

Back then it was the best system around for graphics, which had an edge over the Super Nintendo and a game catalogue that was highly regarded in the gamers collection. This was the System that had Nintendo working over time trying to get back its market share. The competition between the Super Nintendo and Megadrive is highly documented as one of the most heated console wars of all time. This highly competitive time saw the developers push their systems to the extreme, in effect the industry seeing some of the most well developed games of that era.

Keep on reading for a countdown to the best games on the Sega Megadrive!

As with the SNES Top 10, it's no easy task to choose just 10 of the best games from such a large catalogue, however hopefully this countdown inspires some comments about the system, its games and the memories that came with it.

10. Gunstar Heroes
Release Date: 1993
Genre: Action-Shooter
Synopsis: It was the game that brought absolute chaos to the Megadrive! The pace is fast and furious right from the very beginning, you will have to keep your wits about you. Thankfully there are a nice selection of weapons you can pick up such as a flame-thrower, homing shot, machine gun and a lightning blaster. Gunstar Heroes is quite simply one of the most graphically intense platform shooters available on any 16-bit machine and still looks breathtakingly brilliant even today.

9. Comic Zone
Release Date: 1995
Genre: Fighter
Synopsis: Comix Zone didn't exactly set the world alight in terms of sales but is now rightly regarded as one of the better games for Sega's wonder machine. The game features a unique 'comic book' style screen progression, as your character fights his way from one frame of the comic to another. The game is bursting with little details such as ripping off loose chunks of the page of the comic you are in to make deadly paper airplanes. In addition to this there are some problem solving elements to the game which add to the depth of play.

8. Shinobi Series
Release Date: 1993
Genre: Action
Synopsis: Nasty Neo Zeed is back causing trouble again. It’s up to our hero Joe Musashi to teach them a lesson they won’t forget with his supreme ninja skills. Graphically this is one of the best games on the Mega Drive with detailed backgrounds and beautifully drawn sprites. No ninja game would be complete without ninja magic and Shinobi III does not disappoint. You select between spreading fire across the screen, gaining temporary invincibility, jumping much higher than normal or committing suicide!

7. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Release Date: 1989
Genre: Action
Synopsis: Before Sonic the Hedgehog our friends Sega had Alex Kidd as their mascot. The gameplay is very much the standard platform hopping type of thing. You can jump, kick and punch. Simple huh? To spice things up you can save up and buy a helicopter, motorbike or even a pogo stick to get across the levels quicker. This is a slice of Sega history after all so for that reason alone it's well worth a look!

6. Strider
Release Date: 1990
Genre: Action
Synopsis: Converted from the classic arcade game, Strider lets you run, jump, perform acrobatics and climb walls and overhangs. You wield a plasma sword, called a Cypher, through 5 levels fighting robots and guards. The legendary platform action game from Capcom. Many wanabees followed this but few came close to the greatness set by this wonderous game.

5. Streets of Rage Series
Release Date: 1992
Genre: Action
Synopsis: Simply put this is probably the best scrolling beat-em-up available on any console. Yes it is that good! If you like beat-em-ups then you will love this. For a series which was released in the early 90's this game feels as if it has not aged at all. It is really the definitive two player scrolling beat-em-up and deserves to be in every gamer’s collection.

4. Golden Axe Series
Release Date: 1990
Genre: Fighting
Synopsis: Double Dragon meets Conan is the best way to sum up Golden Axe. Easily one of the better side-scrolling fighers to be found on the Megadrive. The combat is pretty basic when you break it down and doesn't come anywhere near to challenging the likes of Streets of Rage, but it works well regardless. This is classic Sega and is therefore worthy of your time and money.

3. Ecco The Dolphin Series
Release Date: 1994
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: Many will be tempted to write off Ecco 2 without even playing it. I mean how can a game where the main character is a dolphin be any fun? It is hard to put into words but this aquatic action-puzzler does have a lot more going for it than it might appear from a causal glance. You’ll spend your time swimming about the sea using sonar to communicate with your aquatic friends and charging and nose-butting the bad guys. The levels are vast and there is a lot to explore. To cap it all off there are some challenging boss fights to spice things up.

2. Shining Force Series
Release Date: 1993
Genre: Strategy
Synopsis: The young swordsman, Bowie, realizing the grave danger Granseal faces, must lead the Shining Force to find the Holy Sword and the stolen jewels, and protect Granseal against the invading armies of Zeon. Shining Force II basically takes the core elements of the first title and amplifies them to create an even more engaging title. If you consider yourself a fan then this may just be one of the best investments you make for your gaming collection.

and #1 Sega Megadrive Game goes to..

1. Sonic The Hedgehog Series
Release Date: 1992
Genre: Action-Adventure
Synopsis: Any gamer worth his or her salt will remember the days of Sonic, becoming a massive seller for Sega and cemented Sonic's position as one of the most popular videogame mascots ever. Sadly, Sega and Sonic Team would never match the level of brilliance seen here and the blue hedgehog has become a bit of a joke in recent times thanks to a string of lacklustre titles. But forget all that - now is as good a time as any to enjoy what remains Sonic's finest hour!

Honorable Mentions

• Toe Jam & Earl Series
• Altered Beast
• Phantasy Star Series
• Vectorman 
• Kid Chameleon
• Mortal Combat
• Eternal Champions
• Castlevania Bloodlines 
• Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
• Beyond Oasis
• Outrun

Vía: Smashing Magazine

Eh, macam tau tau je aku ni memang minat Green Lantern Corps. Dalam Justice League pun aku lebih sukakan Green Lantern berbanding Superman atau pun Batman.

Takpelah Green Lantern pun asalkan aku bukannya Kaber Zero atau pun Pepaya. Buwekk!

Baik aku layan Shazam atau Captain Power & The Soldiers Of The Future lagi bagus.

Siapa superhero kesukaan korang ye?

Catwalk Thrift: Style on a Budget 1

By Louise Sleigh of Catwalk Threads

(Louise is a regular contributor to Athena. She lives in the U.K. and runs a vintage clothing blog called Catwalk Threads and an online vintage shop called Catwalk Creative.)

With news of the dreaded "credit crunch" hitting our economies everywhere, many of us are watching the pennies (or cents). It certainly looks like things are going to be pretty gloomy, economy wise for the next couple of years. That doesn't mean to say that you have to compromise on style.  No, no, no!  There are many ways to shop for style on a budget---and I don't mean stuffing your shopping cart with the latest "fast-fashion" items from Primark!  It's more about empowering yourself and deciding on the look you want to achieve; going out there and adapting your budget buys to your own individual style.

To give you some inspiration, I've come up with "Catwalk Thrift" which is going to be a regular event involving me, showing you, my most recent budget buy.  Here's my first offering; I purchased this coat yesterday from my local charity shop, Minds Matter.  It's in beautiful condition with no faults or issues.  All it needed was a gentle machine-wash (hand wash cycle) and it's just like new! It's made by JEMNI (Australia). I'm so pleased with this find because it's such a versatile little number; more of a cardigan really but it's the perfect cover-up for autumn/winter.  Layer it with jeans, t-shirts, polo-necks, or leave it open and team it with a mini-skirt, turtle-neck sweater and tights/boots---whatever! This coat is so bang-on trend---perfect for the Luxury Bohemian look that's so hot right now.

Dress the coat up or down to achieve a different look each time. See from the photos how a simple change of scarf, belt or teaming with a selection of different styles of jewellery, will dramatically alter the look of this coat.

For another "bang up-to-date" look, team this coat with bright, opaque tights and boots and a large, shiny "it" bag. Be brave!  Clash patterns and textures for a really individual look!

Made from 100% acrylic, this jacket certainly has the appearance of wool. It's a knitted fabric with a zig-zag, abstract weave in pink, orange, blue and white.   It really is the most eye-catching coat.  It has a reverse collar and fastens with three black buttons down the front. No pockets. Not lined. Hand wash only.

Please contact us to state how much (in pounds sterling £) you think I paid for this coat.  I'll post the answer on the next installment of Catwalk Thrift. Thanks for dropping by!  See you soon. oxoxo

If this doesn't soothe the shit out of you, goodbye forever.

Tenía ocho años y me pasaba todo el año esperando que llegara el mes de mayo para que pusieran el puesto de helados de mi barrio y así poder comprarme uno cuando salía del colegio a las cuatro.

Mi prima Lorena era dos años mayor que yo, solía esperarme a la salida para llevarme a casa y merendar juntos. Cuando llegaba el verano ella era la encargada de administrar las doscientas pesetas que mi madre nos daba y que utilizábamos para comprar un helado después del colegio. Yo me pedía casi todas las tardes un Drácula, me parecía que tenía la combinación perfecta de sabores. Lorena me decía que tomando ese helado me crecerían los colmillos y acabaría convirtiéndome en un auténtico vampiro. Sé que su intención era la de meterme miedo pero consiguió todo lo contrario. Empecé a tomar Dráculas todas las tardes y por las noches me ponía delante del espejo para mirarme los colmillos y comprobar como me iban creciendo. Pero eso nunca ocurrió y un día, después de algunos meses sin faltar a mi cita con el espejo, comprendí que me había tomado el pelo. Y me enfadé muchísimo con ella.

Compré unos colmillos de mentira en una tienda de veinte duros que había enfrente de mi casa. Al día siguiente, después de tomar el helado, fingí que me desmayaba y cuando ella vino a socorrerme, pegué un brinco gritando y enseñándole mis dientes de plástico. Se asustó tanto que hasta se le escapó alguna lágrima. Se lo merecía. Desde esa tarde el que continuó administrando las doscientas pesetas que nos daba mi madre fui yo.

Comment résister dans de telles conditions? J'ai essayé plusieurs modèles de corsets, dont les dernières nouveautés, la collection Raw Silk. La soie sauvage est divinement belle, j'ai un faible pour l'underbust rose bonbon, mais également l'underbust en soie bordeaux. Cependant, je trouvais que ce modèle là ne m'étais pas tout à fait adapté, la coupe du corset avait sur moi un effet un peu trop extrême à mon goût: taille trop réduite, buste trop mis en avant. Heureusement que le modèle Mae me faisait également de l'œil depuis un certain temps. Je l'essaye en satin noir, et voilà que je trouve mon bonheur! Des courbes plus arrondies, et un sablier harmonieux en découle. Je suis ravie, et je le prends finalement en coton noir, facile à associer avec toutes mes tenues, et qui risque moins de s'abîmer. Voilà le corset Mae en satin violet, avec une dentelle fine noire, parfaite à porter en soirée:

Me voilà donc avec un nouveau corset, mais pas que, comme vous pouvez le deviner! Que se trouve-t-il dans mon petit sac?

Une petite carte a été fournie avec le corset, qui explique comment le mettre et l'entretenir. Cela ne vous apprendra pas grand chose, mais je la trouve charmante!

Et voilà le lien indispensable pour aujourd'hui: http://www.whatkatiedid.com/

***

As a few of you might know, I was in London a few days ago... I know that quite a lot of my French friends have been asking me if I was going to do any shopping in London, and which shops I might visit. Of course, whenever I am in the capital, I love browsing through the shops, and luckily enough for me, I already know certain areas of London quite well, so I don't really need to spend too much time shopping in order to find what I am looking for. A short while ago, I mentioned that I was interested in the new What Katie Did collection, however I had never been to their little boutique! So the first stop just had to be along Portobello Road. Tucked away in the Portobello Green shopping mall, I finally found this gorgeous little boudoir. I was thrilled to see feather boas, long satin gloves, a lovely selection of nippies, seamed stockings, girdles, suspender belts; and most importantly, corsets!

How on earth could one resist?! I knew I absolutely had to try on their new Raw Silk corsets... The fabric is just divine, especially the hot pink and blood red silk. However, the Raw Silk corsets unfortunately didn't do much for my figure, and gave a rather too "extreme" look: too small a waist reduction, bust pushed forward too much. I have however had my beady eye on another line of their corsets for quite a while, the Mae underbust. Luck would have it that my size was in stock! I tried the Mae corset on in black satin, and wow! I just knew that the cut had been made for my curves! I am absolutely thrilled, and I end up choosing the Mae underbust, in plain sturdy black cotton, so that I'll be able to wear my new garment frequently. You can see above the Mae corset in purple satin, covered with black lace, which really gives a luxurious finish to the corset.

So if anyone is thinking about paying What Katie Did a visit, I can really recommend this boutique for all of your retro undergarments, and Slinky Sparkles, (for those of you that are familiar with the YouTube adverts!) will really help you find that special piece that you are looking for.

http://www.whatkatiedid.com/

E olha só essa coleção da designer Rachel de Joode, são repetições de fotos que formam os desenhos com cara de antiguinhos. Eu queria um personalizado, com fotos minhas, da minha cachorra...

Fotos: Rachel de Joode
From Design Sponge

Onto the newer Black and White  items in my shop:

1970s Sheer White Secretary's Dress

BUY ME HERE

1960s Black and White Tent Dress

(had the tags but I lost them during photos)

BUY ME HERE

Scribbled Daisies Vintage Top

BUY ME HERE

]]> http://radiondn.wordpress.com/?p=809 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:28:29 +0000 radiondn http://radiondn.da.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/vivian-girls/ The debut album from Brooklyn based band Vivian Girls is short, but sweet, ten tracks in just over 21 minutes. Their sound borrows from 60's girl groups, shoegaze, punk, bands like the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Social Distortion, and with some seriously good musicianship and uncommonly confident vision for a new band, they manage to turn their obvious influences into music that's highly addictive and unpretentious fun. There's almost nothing else to say, except I think that you'll know from the first few moments of the album what you're in for, and whether or not you'll want to stick around for the rest. For my part, this is right down my alley, as it offers up the uncomplicated pleasures of pop and rock and roll, well played. Standout cuts: "All The Time," "Wild Eyes," "Where Do You Run To" and "Damaged."

http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc

Bref, un concert et after géniaux, vraiment dans la bonne humeur et en excellente compagnie!

Pour en savoir davantage sur elle, et surtout trouver un prochain concert - car même si je ne suis pas fan de ses chansons studio, j'admire son énergie, sa présence et son talent sur scène et c'est bien là qu'il faut la découvrir - RDV sur son myspace.

(J'en oublierais la tenue!)

Bas brodés de fleurs Wolford, escarpins Zara, sac vintage, fleurs H&M, robe couturière.

Audio Composer's Description:
Drone starts high then deepens to cyclic resonant tone.

Keywords:
Retro Revival,Theremin,Sound,cyclic,resonant,Monochrome,Synthesizer,Futuristic,Alien,retro