PogoMix

Recently, we've all kind of been obsessing with Pogo Music Productions around here. It all started with Mary Poppins. Freida heard some kids talking about the movie at camp one day, and came home asking to watch Mary Poppins "the funny babysitter". I didn't really have any interest in letting her watch that film yet (she's not really up to feature length films, she's seen maybe two Disney classics and didn't even make it through those without getting bored halfway in), so I thought I'd show her some clips of "the funny babysitter". While searching around a bit online for a good clip, what jumped out at me immediately was this Mary Poppins "remix". It kept coming up, so I realized it must be some kind of new fad or internet phenomenon, and I was totally blown by the creativity! PogoMix is basically some dude who is a downright genius when it comes to capturing and mixing sounds, and we've been moving to his music all month long! We turn them up in the afternoon after Freida comes home from camp, and we all go nuts dancing to the beats and laughing from the "mix" sounds. It was particularly awesome to show Freida how the mixing is done - she's such a little sponge, and her creativity radar is spot-on. She loved the concept of capturing sounds (perhaps this will be her newest career choice - after Tattoo Designer, and Grove Performer :)), and was fascinated by the fact that you can make music using anything! She asked a bajillion questions about it, so I let her watch the video About Pogo. If you and your brood are into music, or you have a son or daughter interested in DJ/mixing/producing definitely introduce them to the sounds of Pogo.

Here's the Mary Poppins mix:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5w6XI5lfdg]

Here's another one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVxe5NIABsI

And here's About Pogo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l99AyQBKH0k

Enjoy!!

Book Report: Z

With the recent release of the movie The Great Gatsby, came a sudden worldwide infatuation with (the author) Scott Fitzgerald and the era of the flapper girls, otherwise known as the 1920's. Personally, the "roaring 20's" is an era that has long piqued my interest. My love of Jazz likely had something to do with it (when I studied for a year abroad in Sydney, I would spend my Sundays holed up next to the live jazz band at Darling Harbour's Pontoon bar with a gin-and-tonic, scribbling away in my Hemingway-esque Moleskin notebook), but I think what really triggered an interest in the 20's for me was when I was a young girl, about 12 or 13, I read the book "Zelda", and something about her struck a chord. Something about her wild southern spirit, and her party-girl attitude clouded by her inner demons, made me - and likely most other teenage girls - feel like I could really understand her...

I had almost completely forgotten about my childhood historical heroine, until a few years ago when I saw the movie Midnight in Paris. I'm a sucker for anything from Woody Allen, never mind a film about a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight! I fell completely in love with Zelda Fitzgerald's character in the movie, and I even almost named Hudi, Zelda - not after Zelda Fitzgerald! - but because I had grown to love the name itself. Anyways! A friend of mine (thanks Chanie!) recently lent me her book Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Ann Fowler, and I was completely smitten by it all weekend long. If you have a "thing" for history, or specifically the 20's, get your hands on Z!

What I loved most about reading the life of Zelda again now years later, is the aspect of the Fitzgerald's romantic relationship. The whole theme of 'the beautiful and the damned' pretty much went right over my head when I was a girl, and now, it, unfortunately, resonated with me in a huge way. It was so fascinating to read about the ins-and-outs of their marriage and madness their love brought to their lives...

The New York Times summed up their appeal:

They were, arguably, the first celebrity couple of the modern age, Jazz-era avatars running wild in a new century. In the 1920s, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald careered through New York City and Great Neck, Paris and the South of France, leaving in their wake a trail of splintered Champagne glasses and glittering bons mots. But theirs was surely one of the most fascinating literary and romantic partnerships.

Reading about their love - it allured me, and made me weep at the same time. It was awesome as it was tragic. So if you're looking for a good read...

P.S. Just for fun, I thought I'd share this photo of Woody Allen sporting aviators in lieu of his ever-present iconic wayfarers. I got a kick out of this!

Visually Fresh

My brother Yossi and his two equally-creative compadres Shloime and Yudi, just launched their pop-up shop selling (mostly YGD) original and inspired art to the masses! Visually Fresh is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, a collection of fresh and modern art to be easily purchased, hung, and looked at. :)

But aside from the great art and simplistic shop, I'm totally enjoying browsing around the site and exploring the different levels of these guy's creativity. For instance, the description blurbs next to each piece are as wonderful as the art itself. Like this one:

When you place yourself in a box, don't expect to reach the top. To create, you must let go of all your inhibitions. You need to release your brain from the clutches of limitation. Let your ideas run wild. You can perfect them later.

And there are adorably creative surprises around every corner, like when I accidentally clicked on my empty cart:

But mostly, it's just a slew of wonderfully modern and uplifting typography art. Like this one by Menachem Krinsky:

Inevitably, I'm really being drawn to this one at the moment...

Also, remember the Think Good poster? You can snag one there too. Happy shopping!!

Hot Frock

Summer uniform, anyone?

Pssst! It's a dress!

Finally Loving Geometry

I've been so smitten by shapes lately. I don't know if it's some sort of raging fad, but I see shapes everywhere. And since I always hated geometry, it's pretty funny how attracted I suddenly am to circles and triangles. I'm particularly loving the work of artist Mareike Boehmer. I first discovered her work when I fell in love with a pillow I spotted on Pinterest, and while I love Pinterest for inspiration, sometimes it's a wild goose chase to find out where something originally came from and who the creative genius behind it is. After some sleuthing I landed on a Society6 site offering up a slew of her beautiful geometric pieces - all available in many different forms. How lovely?

  

So is it just me, or is geometry suddenly everywhere? I even noticed that the two albums I have running on repeat most days have geometric cover art!! (Check out Young the Giant and Wild Belle.)

This is the pillow I originally spotted on Pinterest, I'm wishlisting some to stash next to my kaleidoscope throws.

And I just love the subtle edginess of this - coveting for my new iPhone. :)