Hot Choc : The survival guide to winter!

The cold gives me cravings...and cravings = hot chocolate!!! Yes almost every night it seems I found myself sitting next to the heater sipping on a cuppa and my pick of the bunch- Caffe L'affare's fair trade drreeeaaam.

Seriously this stuff is mighty good and we five packs up for grabs to get one lucky viewer through the cold! All you need to do is tell us ( via comments) which flavour is YOUR pick , Hot chocolate, Dark hot chocolate or Mocha hot chocolate, and how it is you like to have yours. Best answer wins! Winner Drawn Friday!!!

lovelovelorelei

I think the reason I love Lorelei so much is that the brand reminds me why fashion CAN have so much integrity. Lorene Harris used to own a shop called Dandelion and although she was an able multi tasker - trying to juggle a store, her own clothing line and coming up with new designs, proved a bit much.

'My brand has been around for ten years now' she tells me 'but not having the shop is allowing me soo much time to actually produce more clothing.Making clothes can remain my focus rather than the everyday workings of owning a shop.'

And by god has this free time proved fruitful. Producing more and more pieces, her brand is growing and so too is her reach. However perhaps the most interesting and admirable aspect of Lorelei is the fact that each piece is hand made in only the most favourable of vintage and new fabrics.

'Great fabrics is what drives me' she explains, ''and I'm always keeping an eye out for new and interesting designs.'

'I feel strongly about ethical standards and in a way, making all of my own clothes is about taking a stance against mass marketing. I only ever make a few sizes and I think that retains some of the originality and uniqueness of the garments.' Well Lorene, I do too!
Available at MFP xxx

Tightening of wallets, but what about our belts?

I've often heard it uttered amongst the streets of our fine 'cultural capital', that there aren't enough cheap eats. Cheap being the operative word...sure there are myriad fine dining restaurants, but we're talking loose change here, between 3 to 6 dollars max! Well I've come up with a short, yet comprehensive guide to the paupers dining in Wellington....Take your pick!
Welcome Takeaways...
The great thing about Welcome is that no matter how discerning you think you are, at 3am this is the only place to be (and nobody gives a shit.) The Chick Burger has somewhat of a cult following amongst dedicated party goers and if you can forgive the somewhat 'curious' hygiene practices you can fill yourself up for a measily $3 to $5. Yes admit it, we all recognise this guy!
The Cosy Cake Kitchen...Yes the interior is not flash, but at $3 for a sandwhich why bother!? I was introduced to this joint on a rather poverty stricken Tuesday, and my lord- this place is like the good old Chinese run bakeries of days gone by. Cheap, colourful and with no 'how are you' or 'what can i get you' but a good old fashioned wham-bam-thank-you-mam. Cozy cake, you're great!
Satay Kingdom.... Yes tried and true ( yawn yawn yawn) you still can't beat it on quality and price. Seriously $6 for Roti Chanai? And a burger for $3!!! This place has provided many a meal and vegetable intake during the colder, poorer months. Sometimes a bit bland, but meh. Oh and go for the vegetarian option. Like welcome, I wouldn't vouch for their hygiene practices. The less meat, the safer!
AND
Last but not least is the new SOUP joint just below the tacky beast that is the city bungy. 5 bucks for a large cup of home made soup and a roll, this is a great place to nip by when it's cold.

Note : You may have noticed this paupers guide to Wellington excludes two of the most obvious. Mr bun ( of which I have witnessed somebody finding a tooth in their pie. No jokes!) and Offbeat, which has, despite maintaining quality, just jumped over that $7 bench mark. Now there are NO excuses to starve or live off noodles this winter. Wellington go eat!

SO HOT RIGHT NOW

Boy oh boy...through the power of the Internet this image is verging on 'old news today' (see HERE and HERE.) However all this means is that kiwi's are darn proud of their own kind and especially so when they're young, glamours and talented!
During Sydney Fashion week Twenty Seven Names designer Rachel Easting was snapped sporting a piece from her winter collection 'Crazy Horse' by none other than The Satoralist. During this icy snap a reminder of sea, sun and sand is doing my mental health wonders...

Awww isn't she loverly.

Wellington's most anticipated fancy new band....

It's Monday..and my hangover is just started to cease, but none the less I'm still looking forward to the weekend! This Saturday The Kitchen Sink is hosting an 'Ultimate Reality' Party at Mighty Mighty! Featuring Mr. Hayday, Diana Rozz and Gold Medal Famous...it's going to be sweet exciting!
Why? It's an ULTIMATE REALITY party duuhhh, but ALSO...it's the highly anticipated 'Diana Rozz's' first ever show!

You may recognize these three faces ( all are former Holiday with Friends members) ...and rumour has it this three piece is set to stifle complaints Wellingtown may be lacking in any 'decent bands.' ( You musn't go out enough!) Anyway...I'm excited, it's going to be great...and let's be honest, who doesn't want to see more of these girls??

Oh and DR are set to play at the Fluro Issue Nine Release Party early June. More information leaked soon!!

If you live in Wellytown...

Chances are you already have plans for tonight because there is just sooo much going on!
Tonight at Happy is Dynamo Go, The Sing Songs and Family Cactus...at The Adelaide - The Hairdos, Angeldust, Panda Battle Battle Panda, at San Fran The Phoenix Foundation and at Mighty the line up is Lil Pictures, Tommy Ill and Tourettes!!!
My pic of the bunch....

Tourettes I've never seen and it's his album release party. Also he describes himself as a 'failed rapper and chronic masturbator' which immediately has me intrigued.
I must also give the guy credit for keeping me entertained weekly with his online magazine AucklandFuckingCity.COM
Despite having seen a lot of Tommy play recently I'm keen for more as his sets are strong and his standard is jumping leaps and bounds....
And last but not least, Lil Pics will play too. Due to 'sound issues' at the gig I saw last, I'm really keen to see their music done justice! These two are about to head overseas so I think we all ought to monopolise on their presence and enjoy them as much as.... while they're here!
I know it's freezing, but life's too short to sit inside and moan....
So whatever your plans are for tonight- get gone!

i like

I think there's something rather rad about Smash Proof's new video 'It's Friday.' I can't put my finger on it. The lyrics aren't original and I'm not obsessed with South Auckland Hip Hop.... but it's kind of catchy... the video's well done..and my friend Lucy did the styling which is rather pretty too....



.....or maybe I just like a bit of bump and grind. Whatever the reason, I'm backing it.

Tribal warfare

NEONSLEEPS 3RD bday party was rad last night. For those who came early to enjoy some punch and pick up a Mag- Thanks!!
Anyway, there were castles, warriors, owls, 'intelligent survivors of the recession', inspired tribal futuristic Indians ( thanks Courtney) and gangsta/rocker/hipster rappers.
It was awesome!
But back to the point of this post: Welfe showed me the up and running 'Look' feature of his site. You should check it out...it's rad....
Can't wait to see the rest!

FLURO ISSUE 8 LAUNCH AT MIGHTY

IT'S NEONSLEEPS 3RD BIRTHDAY THIS SAT AT MIGHTY .......and it's a FUTURE TRIBES costume party! Ye-yah!
Between 8 and 10pm we'll be celebrating the launch of the new issue " CREATIVE DESTRUCTION" so pop along and grab some free punch , while it lasts, as well as a copy of the NEW issue.
Oh yea in case you don't know- it's FREE too! Now that's what we all like to hear....

This issue is going to be our best yet, it's a freaking dream.... and what better way to kick of the celebrations with a few drinks!

This Saturday is going to be meaaaannnnnn
WELL DONE TEAM xoxoxooxox

Hey just wondering....

For those of you in Wellington..what are you doing tonight?

OR.....
OR....

NZNTM taken to an all new level...

I'm watching it again tonight. Absolutely. I'll save you from a rant about who i think is great/good/bad and bitchy.
Isaac Likes will do a much better job....
In fact, TONIGHT he is setting the ambitious task of providing a stream of LIVE thoughts, comments and responses to the show...
I'm a woman and this sort of multi tasking is waaaayyy too much for me.
Let the great debate begin

SXSW YOOOOO!!!

One of my bestest buddies ( Andrea) see pic below....is in Austin Texas documenting South by South West.

Read her sweet blog to find out what's going on.....

Well done Miss Price

xxx

Saturated Market?

Nahhhh. I can't get enough of it.
Last week was very exciting for me. It was that time of the month. You know?
When all the new magazines come out!
I don't know about you, but I love the smell, the feel, the aesthetic of print. (Some more than others, obviously)
As issue seven set out to discuss, the future of print is a rather uncertain thing.
The Internet and the instantaneous ( not to mention free) dissemination of new information, has many a media group twitching nervously.
Yet for me at least, I don't see the novelty wearing off.
Unlike print, content on the Internet is often less thought out, less well researched and in any case- a lot shorter for y'all to actually read.

So long story short, I'm getting a tad excited. Issue 8 is at the printers!

I really like the Mint Chicks new video..

THE MINT CHICKS - "I Cant Stop Being Foolish" from Samuel Peacocke on Vimeo.

P.S
Susan you're a babe xxx

Just wondering....

Who's a better rapper?

OR

OR
OR
Or this guy. Who is this guy?

Doves.

Hey. You. Go check out Doves right now.

And get this album while you're at it:

Temporary Sculptures

Check out the photography of Martin Klimas. Its beauty will undoubtedly melt your face off.

"Martin Klimas may carefully control his studio environment, but his pictures are greatly left to chance. With a strobe light and one sheet of film, Klimas captures each individual experience of a porcelain figurine being dropped and obliterated. As the statuettes in his pictures fall to their fragile demise, Klimas is able to capture a new structure that only exists for an instant.

His photographs explore time and material objects—an object that can be intact and so serene one minute can easily be destabilized the next. These figurines display a perpetual sense of motion. The intention of this process is that the process of an action creates a new object. Every picture becomes a sculpture on its own by showing the transformation of an object that no longer exists."

- www.coolhunting.com

Fashion-ation.net

From the people that brought you thecoolhunter.com comes a website dedicated to hunting down the best in fashion editorial. Awesome way of seeing what the international world of stylists have been up to. Heaps of content from mags we don't get over here, so an awesome way of getting hooked on new publications too!

Rad.

Rad photos of rad bands doing rad things.

Rad.

www.benrayner.com

I ffffound something rad...

If you like Design and/or Pornography (lets face it, everybody does) check out the design blog FFFFOUND. It is pretty much a haven of goodness for all things awesome in the design universe.

Warning: this site can be extremely addictive. If you have work or a life outside of the internet (including a girlfriend, wow does she hate it) do not use it.

(Cheers Jay for the discovery.)

FFFFOUND