deux oiseaux

blistering barnacles! a tintin halloween

2009-10-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

thundering typhoons! les deux oiseaux & their beloved homie isaac have turned into captain haddock and thomson & thompson! what marvelous costumes! happy halloween you bashi-bazouks!

photos by isaac strang.

i heart phoenix

2009-10-29T14:10:00.001-07:00

my favourite band phoenix came to london last night and their show was AMAZING. check out their blog here. they'll be on tour 'til december so you can still get in on the fun. highly recommended!

looking out, looking in

2009-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

puget sound from olympic sculpture park, seattle

like layli, i miss the waters of my hometown

remixed

2009-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

we watched an oldie the other night at ica and it was just as adorable as the remixed version:

the world is my oyster... and chicken?

2009-08-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

i went to marylebone farmers market this morning to visit the mushroom man (no, not those mushrooms, these mushrooms!) in addition to regular oyster mushrooms, today he also had pink oyster mushrooms. they looked very pretty. so i bought some. and in addition to those he had this massive mushroom called chicken of the woods. i was like, word? why are they called that good sir? well curious young lady with hungry eyes, because their texture is like that of chicken breast! so i bought some. see the chunk on the plate, and below is how they look in the wild:

my grandfather in-law was a mushroom farmer. i never knew him but i wish he was around to share these 'shrooms with. i bet he would've schooled me on their medicinal benefits but google will have to do. apparently, this bunch is good for muscle aches & the immune system. tasty & healthy? what a rare combo for me. bon appetit!

somewhereshire

2009-08-26T10:55:00.001-07:00

we went to the country to get some fresh air and shoot at things (milk carton) & joust (with homemade lances). our country cousins are the best!

sasson & james (thanks iphone for the dark image. click to view larger.)

me & co (hard to keep steady on a trampoline!)

hello stranger

2009-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

last week i opened up TimeOut london for a quick view of what's happening round town and one of the recommended events was a birthday party for philosopher, historian and author Theodore Zeldin in Regents Park. i was just re-reading his book 'Conversation' so this was exciting news.

this wasn't your normal birthday bash. while most of us celebrate with our homies & fam, zeldin likes to celebrate with complete strangers. together with social enterprise limina, he invited anyone and everyone in the world to join 'the feast of strangers'. instead of a menu of food, there was to be a menu of topics for conversation. (all were invited to bring real food & share.)

i had a nervous feeling the shindig was going to be very philosophical, intimidating and completely over my head. but as i approached the location the butterflies in my tummy went away because it looked like an Evergreen party. hippies all over dotted with a few london 'suits' free arty activities, guitar sounds in the background and fresh treehouses courtesy The Treehouse Gallery.

a friendly boy who smelled very much like Evergreen introduced me to 'my stranger'--a bright, bubbly woman who also found the event via TimeOut. what a coinky-dink, we said. we looked over the 'menu' and found the questions to be very difficult, deep and personal. we both gravitated to the same question: 'what have you learned about yourself through traveling?' and so we conversed amidst a hundred other strangers under the warm afternoon sun.

then we shook hands and went our separate ways. it was fun.

oh, and i got to talk to zeldin who is a very nice and thought-provoking gentleman with an amazing hair style.

on the up & up

2009-08-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

we went to bristol via picturesque train ride to visit the fam & see these sweet hot air balloons take off for the annual festival. aren't they cute? they were worth waking up at 6am to watch, mos def. there were even some wacky shaped ones like a turtle, a box, a spaceship looking thing, and a chicken. they also dropped down quite low, almost touching my aunt's rooftop!

first pic from my darling diana lomo, second from the iphone. which one do you think looks better? long live film!

fuego

2009-07-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

we went on holiday to the southeast coast of spain.

never in my life have i had such an adventure. one minute we were swimming in the mediterranean and drinking jasmine orange juice, the next minute we were escaping a huge fire in the hills of the town of mojacar where we were staying.

tons of holiday makers were evacuated to the next town. we ran away even further to a city called almeria. after a good night's rest, we went to 'la alcazaba', a beautiful islamic/christian fortress overlooking the city. then we went back to mojacar as the fire was put out. we ended the holiday with a swim in the sea and a healthy dose of sunbathing.

there was lots more drama in between but i'll spare you the details. the husband took these pictures from the iphone. i'll post some lomo pictures later if my film wasn't destroyed in the over 100 degree weather.

mojacar, spain on fire. we smelled like b-b-q all day.

the aftermath.

les deux oiseaux celebrate anniversaire de mariage

2009-07-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

three years ago. dana passage olympia, washington.

having a bad day? have it in style!

2009-06-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

these accessories from the french factory are so f*ckin' cute! i wish i was wearing this sh*t yesterday when i was yelling at my doctor. boo to the nhs! (that's the national health system for you yanks. socialised health ain't that great y'all.)

au revoir summer

2009-06-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

summer has come and gone in london--it lasted about two weeks. now it's back to gray and blah. but i'm in good spirits because a) i'm listening to fun tunes, i.e. wolgang amadeus--the new album by phoenix and b) i'm reading rutu modan's graphic novel jamilti & other stories.

Another Top, 4 only

2009-05-16T09:52:00.001-07:00

Minus one because blogspot keeps messing up my formatting. I'm seriously thinking of moving to wordpress.

1. Les deux oiseaux have different taste in musique, but they both agree that Stereo Total are fantastique!

2. My only form of exercise: swimming. Now that I'm over my fear of

deep water I actually enjoy swimming. I'd prefer the Mediterranean

over the pool though...

3. Muji. I don't know what it is about this chain store that makes me feel at ease about shopping. Maybe it's the colour scheme, the tidy displays, or the simplicity of all the designs. Whatever it is, shopping at Muji is a dream compared to say, Walmart--ugh!--or even Ikea, double ugh!

4. Flower Garden at Kenwood House. Check out these massive rhododendrons! The best thing is, they're just a five minute bus ride away from our pad.

Top 5

2009-05-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try a Top 5 list because I want to & I can't think of anything else to blog about that wouldn't end up a long rant--babies, yuck!--or a sappy love letter--my husband is so dreamy!

Kissley's Top 5 list of good things (better title laterz, maybe):

Movie:
Wendy & Lucy
Short & sweet & filmed in Oregon. I heart the west coast, Honda Accords & cute doggies,
(I miss you, Maggie).
Book:
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For
by Allison Bechdel
THE BEST compilation ever! And a good lesson in radical lesbian politics. Plus, it's laugh out loud hilarious--my stomach is still recovering.

Muzak:

spotify.com
It's free! I'm listening to a bit of old school Nas at the moment.
(Thanks for the recommendation Isaac!)

Shop:
Daunt Books, Marylebone High Street
I bought the next Punk Rock Book Club book here. This is the kind of shop where the workers talk to you intelligently about books. Borders really sucks compared to Daunt.

Other:
3-day weekends.
This year we have 2 bank holidays in May and this first one was bliss!

from the desk of

2009-04-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love when newspapers and magazines spotlight a writer's desk. Here are a few pictures of our desk where not a lot of writing goes on. It's mostly a table to put stuff on. I do however use it on Sundays to write snail mail letters to my friends & family. That has to count for something, right Dostoevsky?

Whose desk would you like to see? Me? Zadie Smith & her husband Nick Laird, Dave Eggers & his wife Vendela Vida, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, the late Charles Schulz, Dorothy Parker, and many more.

a close-up of the amaryllis on my desk. i managed to keep it alive through the winter and it died just as spring arrived.

Holidaying with the fam

2009-04-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

my brother & me before and after eating chicago deep dish pizza.

our cousin henry. he's so cool, he lives in park slope.

my mister & our cousin hannah. she's so cool she lives in the upper west side.

by brother benjamin & our cousin sam playing nice.

our long lost cousin polly pocket in brooklyn.

Chi-town

2009-04-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

This be me and my man and my brotha in Chicago. We ate deep dish pizza and the best Chinese food.

If for some silly reason you want a closer look at our monkey faces, just click on the picture.

I heart NY food

2009-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Les deux oiseaux are in New York for Passover & Easter! But before they sit down for a feast of chicken soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver and eggs they had to hit Crif Dogs in the Lower East Side for some serious hot dogs. Check out that sexy mural! Who wouldn't want to look at that while eating...? Then it was off to Zabars for some bagels & lox. Dee-licious--New York style!

Two-wheelin'

2009-04-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend I conquered one of my biggest fears: bicycling in London. While the Mister is an avid cyclist--navigating London's complex streets with ease in all types of weather--I prefer to cycle only during holidays in the country where the only traffic are cows crossing. But this weekend the weather was so nice and as we're flat sitting on Warren Street again with a spare bike, I thought I'd brave the lanes and see just how far my good luck would take me. I suited up with a helmet and a bright pink shirt under a neon printed H&M dress. Surely, drivers would see my bright a$$ and steer clear!

Through Fitzrovia we sped and over to Hyde Park where we indulged in some ice cream and a bit of sun bathing. And here I am alive, all in one piece and happy, much like the characters in Jean-Jacque Sempe's cartoons.

'A Question of Balance' is a box-set of postcards featuring Sempe's illustrations of cyclists in all types of adorable situations. It would make a great gift for a loved one. We have a set dangling on a mobile in our room.

Death and the King's Horseman

2009-04-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

We saw this play last night at the National Theatre. If you like Nigerian music (deeply soulful), African attire (colourful textiles), ritual suicide (no blood!), British colonialism (laughable) and proverbs (lots and lots of it!) then this is the play for you!

Muzak - for my brother!

2009-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

My brother reminded me that I haven't been bloggin' lately. I've been away stressin' at work and nursing a broken leg. I'm feeling a bit better now-- and what better way to celebrate turning a new leaf by listening to some good tunes. Check out my Evergreen homies DJ Diversify & DJ Cyclyst and their crew at grownkidsradio.com for the latest and greatest in hip-hop and all kinds of dope ish.

And check out Delta Maid, an incredible acoustic blues singer from Liverpool. I heard her at Book Slam in Notting Hill last week and her voice is so adorable and soulful.

It gets better y'all. Check out the fun tunes these music junkies are podcasting at e & r - a mixtape for you.

Where can I get fresh muzak in London you ask? Well, there are lots of good record shops in Soho. I really like Sister Ray on Berwick Street where I got Acid Tongue by Jenny Lewis. The coolest kids go to Rough Trade off Brick Lane.

Design*Sponge does London & Seattle

2009-03-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

Super fresh blog Design*Sponge has just posted a London Design Guide. Check it out here. They've highlighted lots of my favorite shops and restaurants. They've also done one on my true home, Seattle.

Oh deer!

2009-03-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Check out these lovely deer-- they live at the park down the street from our crib. It's so great to see this kind of 'natural' life minutes from the urban mayhem.

Textiles @ The Victoria & Albert Museum

2009-03-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

This bird is dippin' into more crafty things:

Here is my first attempt at designing a textile via a course at the V&A. Those flowers are actually part of the museum's iron collection. Thank you Lucy Williams for your excellent teaching and patience!

British artist William Morris made some amazing textiles in his day. I can only dream of being ask skilled as he.

Strawberry Theif chintz, 1883.

I also love Finnish design company Marimekko:

and Missoni:

Pillowtalk?

2009-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

I recently took a workshop to learn how to sew a pillowcase at The Make Lounge - a cool craft centre for busy urbanites near Highbury & Islington. I really struggled because I had never used a sewing machine. You mean there's more to it then pressing a pedal? Hotdamn! My pillowcase turned out alright though-- it's square.

The Make Lounge offers other fun workshops on e.g. how to sew handbags, make necklaces, soaps and books and loads more. I highly recommend them for a creative weekend or evening away from the stresses of the workplace and home. They provide tools and materials and the other essentials: tea and biscuits. The instructors are very knowledgeable and you get to meet other enthusiastic crafty folk.

After my workshop I phoned my friend and fellow blogger Allison of LivingSmall because she's very crafty and of all my friends I knew she'd be the only one who would respond to this minuscule news with a genuine and enthusiastic 'cool!' Thanks Alison! Check out her blog y'all -- it's tops!

Favorites: Comics & Adrian Tomine

2009-02-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

At Evergreen my classmates introduced me to some amazing comic artists (David B., Daniel Clowes, Craig Thompson, etc.) and since then I've been really into comics & graphic novels. Adrian Tomine is one of my favorite comics artist. I dig his clean pen style and poignant stories. I met him the other day at my favorite comic book shop in London, Gosh! Comics. I'm just full of favorites, huh? Well, one day I'll list all the things that aren't my favorite--like cabbage and stretching. Anyway, we had a nice chat while he signed my copy of Summer Blonde. It was really neat seeing him draw. I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler.

Like a groupie, I went to see him again later that evening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). He was interviewed by author Toby Litt whom I didn't know before but who I will definitely read and see again because he was damn funny and really clever. I've been to a lot of author Q & As and the audience always ask very personal questions or questions about voice and style which are impossible topics to discuss or they ask 'so how do you write? do ideas just come to you?' I mean, really folks! This event was no exception and I was almost embarrassed for some of the people because Toby kind of made fun of them. I wanted to ask them both what they had for breakfast but that's just stupid, innit? Some things you should just keep to yourself. But if you must know, I had a banana and a latte this morning.

Snowy London

2009-02-02T09:32:00.001-08:00

It's snowing in London and -- just like in Seattle -- the city has ground to a halt. The Guardian reported one in five people did not make it to work. Hardly any buses or overland trains are running and the tube is a mess. It's supposed to go on all week and maybe we'll even experience some exciting blizzards. As if the British don't talk about weather enough... Friends and family who've lived here for a while have said they haven't seen snow like this in decades. We made a snowman in our back garden, but I can't find the cord to upload my digitals so I took these photos off the Guardian website so you can see that I'm forreals!

Favorites: Borough Market

2009-01-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Borough Market is my favorite public outdoor market in London, (second place goes to Marylebone). I am a girl of habit and when I find foods that satisfy my taste, I rarely try anything new. So when I go to Borough Market, I always get the same goods: coffee from Monmouth Coffee, a big hunk of comte cheese, mushroom pate, fresh bread - with rosemary and figs or olives, and a bunch of fruits & veg. People, including moi, queue for miles for tasty Spanish chorizo rolls with peppers and rocket. There's a pretty cathedral nearby where I sit and relax and eat with hundreds of others.

Some days after the market I walk along the River Thames and visit Tate Modern. I'm not a huge fan of modern art (it took me a long time to understand and then come to like Mark Rothko) but I enjoy a lot of the work at Tate. I often take visitors there to see the great view of the city from the cafe.

Favorites: Prints

2009-01-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

I sure do love prints and so does my monsieur, so I bought him this one above called L'Atomium et Mr. Hulot by Vittorio Giardino from the Belgium website Champaka. Isn't it just the coolest thing? This is how I picture my mister in his later years, happily riding his bike through town with an old pipe dangling from his mouth (trying to decide which bakery he should stop at to pick up a croissant for his wife!) The colors are even more vibrant in real life. Now the trouble is finding the perfect frame and a good spot on our wall.

Here are some of my other favorites from Champaka:

Artists: Vittorio Giardino, Jean-Claude Floc'h, Francois Avril

Animals

2009-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year peeps!

Animals

by Frank O'Hara, 1950

Have you forgotten what we were like then

when we were still first rate

and the day came fat with an apple in its mouth

it's no use worrying about Time

but we did have a few tricks up our sleeves

and turned some sharp corners

the whole pasture looked like our meal

we didn't need speedometers

we could manage cocktails out of ice and water

I wouldn't want to be faster

or greener than now if you were with me O you

were the best of all my days.

www.frankohara.org

Microwaveable Christmas

2008-12-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Poetry wins! Susan Rich is #1 in the TLS!

2008-12-20T00:49:00.000-08:00

In October I posted a blog about friend and poet Susan Rich. She entered her poem 'Different Places to Pray' in the Times Literary Supplement Poetry Competition and she won! You can read the article here. Congratulations Susan, I am so happy for you! What a great Chrismukkah present!

You know what else would make a good Chrismukkah present? Susan's book Cures Include Travel. Pick it up at your local bookshop and start planning your trip around the world!

Charlie Brownest

2008-12-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

I think there must be something wrong with me Linus. Christmas is coming but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel. I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right, of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Brownest!

Bling

2008-11-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today I took a short course about jewellery at my favourite museum in London, the Victoria & Albert Museum. Talk about bling - I got to handle some gems that would make any gansta rapper say 'daayaam!'

I learned a few practical tips for caring for your own sparklies:

a. most metals can be cleaned simply with mild soap and water, away from a drainhole of course, and even a bit of saliva will do!

b. do not store your metals and gems in oak or beech boxes - the gases from the woods will ruin them eventually. Instead store them in something polyester or in special bags you can purchase at jewellery shops.

Did you know:

That even real gold tarnishes?

That pearls do not get shinier with more wear?

That most rubies are naturally a purplish colour but are heated to give it the pink/red shine we normally see in the shops?

Don't quote me on these since I can barely decipher my handwriting from the notes I took and I have an awful memory. Check the V&A jewellery website for more info.

If you are ever in London and want to see some of the most beautiful jewellery ever made, then come to the V&A. The William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery is absolutely stunning. Below are a few of my favourite pieces. They aren't really my style, meaning I wouldn't seriously wear any of them, but I appreciate their history and they sure are fun to look at.

Brooch Gold and enamel brooch in the shape of a flower and hornet / Designed by Charles Desrosiers / Made by Georges Fouquet Paris, France1901

Pendant with ship / Aachen, about 1860 / Made by Reinhold Vasters (1827-1919) and Alfred André (1839-1919) Gold with enamel and pearls

Bodice ornament / Probably England, about 1850 / Brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds set in gold

Top of entry / Breast ornament / Probably France, about 1620-30 / Gold with enamel and table-cut and faceted point-cut diamonds

Marylebone Farmers Market

2008-11-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Doing the local thing again this Sunday at the Marylebone Farmers Market on Cramer Street. For my American readers, Marylebone is apparently pronounced mah-ruh-lee-bone, said quickly. I'll try to spell out the other nonsensical English names in later posts. We happily walked in the cold and rain to this local gem to buy fresh produce like kale, tomatoes, oyster mushrooms and pink fur apple potatoes (no, they're not really furry). We also got some fresh crab from Cromer (pronounced crew-mer, north coast of the U.K.) and hake fish.

And then we cooked all this stuff and ate it.

Fitzrovia, Fitzrovia

2008-11-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

2nd weekend flat-sitting on Warren Street in an area known as Fitzrovia. The Husband and I spent the day doing things around the neighborhood, giddy with the thought that we were true (but temporary) locals.

1. An autumnal stroll through Regents Park. There were still a few resilient flowers at Queen Mary's Gardens and quite a lot of fragrant roses - beds and beds of roses with names like 'Belle Epoque', 'Renaissance' and 'Thinking of You.' What would you name a rose? I like the sound of something like 'Shaniqua.'

2. Oohed and aahhed at colourful fish at the aquarium shop. My favourites: the lazy looking purple tang and the venomous lion fish. Bubble, bubble. Roar.

3. Mexican Wedding cookies at a bakery/resto called Villandry on Great Portland Street. Dee-licious! I'm going to consult Nigella Lawson about a good recipe.

4. A bit of childish fun at Pollock's Toy Museum. This charming, old toy shop goes way back - before WWII I believe. I don't really dig kids but I sure dig toys made for kids and fun for adults too - i.e. kaleidoscopes, music boxes, and Pollock's specialty: paper theatres.

5. To end the day we cooked a humble dinner at the flat, played with the moggy Ed and commiserated about the rising costs of real estate. If you think it's bad in America, a 272 square ft. studio flat in this neighborhood and in many parts of London, can set you back, waaay back, $455,000. Help us, Obama.

waltz with bashir

2008-11-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched the animated film Waltz with Bashir. It's about Israeli participation in the Lebanon war and the perils of memory. I really dug the graphic design - fresh and vivid, like Persepolis. A Q&A with the artistic director followed the film. The audience was a bit uneasy and emotional but they all had a lot to say. I don't have many strong convictions, but I think war is bad bad bad.

warren street

2008-11-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

For the next three weeks I'll be flat/cat-sitting on Warren Street for my friend Vic. I normally live in a suburb in North London 20 minutes from the city centre, but now I'm living seconds from the urban madness. I can walk to work in twelve minutes. The relief of not having to take public transportation during the busiest hours is this city girl's dream come true. I can breathe! Except for when I have cat hair stuck down my throat. Yuck.

two to the six

2008-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today I turned twenty-six. I've decided to take a mug shot every birthday from now on. If I get really old, it'll be hilarious to look back on it all...

Pic to be posted soon.

Seattle <--> London

2008-11-03T02:17:00.000-08:00

At the last PRBC (punk rock book club) gathering someone asked me what it's like living in London as an American. Well, these days i don't have many answers, but I can answer this one:

London is a big ass city with tons of people from all over the world. Being a foreigner is common here. When I walk around I don't think 'by golly shucks where can I get a slurpee?' I eat kebabs and run after buses just like everyone else. The only thing that identifies me as an American is my accent, which some people have mistaken for Canadian anyway, and sometimes my 'friendly' and 'open' manner, which has offended the 'conservative' English.

Should this blog be about my life as an expat? Since I'm from Seattle should this blog be a friendly battle of Seattle v. London? What do you think readers?

This Seattle print is by artist Nate Duval. It fills me with nostalgia. I think his stuff is fantastique! He also makes tee-shirts and posters. Check out his blog and website.

The London Town print up top is by the ladies behind 'Delicate Mayhem'. I know it's a bit hard to see, so you have to come to London and see it for reals. They definitely know how to capture the craziness of urban living. Check out more of their cool work here.

poetry & friends

2008-10-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Literati

Now that autumn has arrived in London, what better way to spend the chilly weekends than at home under the duvet reading poetry? I say, it beats Christmas shopping on Oxford Street - what a dump, fo' reals.

My former writing professor, friend, and award-winning poet Susan Rich has been shortlisted for the Times Literary Supplement Poetry Competition. Vote for her poem Different Places to Pray (selection E) by clicking here. There are eleven other entrants but Susan's is the best. Now, now, don't feel pressured, you can vote for two poems!

Here she is below, with her lovely smile, reading at my favourite bookshop in Seattle, The Elliot Bay Book Company.

Art by Peter Ursem

2008-10-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

The Mister and I recently went to Candid Galleries in Angel where we purchased a lovely lino print by Peter Ursem, an artist from Dorset.

His prints include beautifully crafted landscapes of the country. They almost make me want to leave the city, but I've become attached to the urban mayhem.

We didn't get the one pictured here (ahem*christmaspresent*ahem) but we did get one of a man and woman with the caption 'He always found the right thing to say about her new dress.'

Check out his website.

Introducing the deux oiseaux

2008-10-15T12:07:00.000-07:00