Match-rimony

Being well dressed doesn't mean a thing unless you can back it up at home.
Although they might pretend otherwise, people do eat, sleep and drink. There's no point in buying the Christian Louboutin 'Rollerball' flats, if you invite someone to your house, and serve them a fine pinot noir out of a Tasmanian devil mug.
I'm nowhere near the dream shoe market yet, but at least I've got my crockery down. This in part is from a discovery i made in the charity division...
Gazing through the dusty shelves of plates, glasses and cups, I clapped on a beautiful, second hand, fine enameled plate bearing a cat's face; a steal at 99p. It was the sort of plate you can buy from the back of readers digest for twelve monthly installments.
The demographic for commemorative plates or ornate crockery are, I imagine, octogenarians. Life can't go on forever, and these gems make their way to the charity shop.
After four or so years of eating off of the Queen's face, I'll never go back. Even if you just want unbranded wear its easy to find full matching sets, but something kept drawing me back to the royal memorabilia. So over the years I've amassed quite a collection, my favorite being the royal weddings. Don't get me wrong...or started on the issue of the monarchy, I don't support it, and wouldn't buy these items new. The key to my collection is that it cost next to nothing.
I wanted to blog about this fantastic resource and looking through the net for a good example of the 'quality' goods you can find for next to nothing, led me to these:



On the subject of the UK, Victimize have a interesting history of unfulfilled promises and suicide. The cover to their second single is one of my favorites, a real find considering there are only a thousand. My copy was lodged down the back of a DJ booth covered in dust. Ok Victimize may not have had the best lyrics or great timing or slick talent, but something about the record has an innocent charm.


High Rising Failure Is my favorite.

Regression

Unfortunately I was born two decades too late to smash one of these around a bar room as part of some cool teen garage band, but boy is it good looking out. If you go into a music store these days you're greeted by flashing lights, LED displays and time machines. 

I'm speaking with conjecture, but where are these simple design ideals today when researchers present material to the big music companies? They must all draw the conclusion that the market buyers are dominated by x-box owning, maxim reading, tech obsessives. 

The main embellishment here is the thin line extending off the word jaguar. It more than works and it's all that is needed. Surely when Vox finished the prototype of this model of the jaguar, they stood back and in unison thought 'alright boys, were getting a bonus'. 

  

South American Reverb

In front of my desk is a window. In front of the window is sagging greeny-yellow leaves. Skirting around the leaves is the first post-summer gray rain we've had.
Although I spent a hot summer pool/beachside in New York sipping ice cold treats, I feel so glad to be back on green grass. Looking past my laptop at the languid rain, sipping tea and listening to cumbia really doesnt make the rain go away but it sure makes you like days like this.

Grupo Samoa - La Chinchilla

If you do have to brave it, make sure you patronise James Smith & Sons on New Oxford St. and pick yourself up one of their beautiful umbrellas.

While your out in the rain you might as well keep a look out for some cumbia records in you local pound bin. Here's one I got in New York for a dollar to give you some ideas.


I love the faded colours and the seemingly 'on the fly' content of the photo. As with most cumbia records the font is beautiful and has that hand done feel.


The record isn't dated but it feels like it's from the eighties. Cheap plastic wrap, re-used seventies images; cut and pasted into something trying to purvey allure.


My favorite detail is the four small adverts for other LP's in the series at the bottom of the back of the sleeve. More bikini girls, not pseudo beauties that adorn northern american records. These girls have a wry smile and a camera pose that could only say 'home made'.

£49 Return Ticket

I've had this record for years now,the sleeve design is beautiful but i still can't speak french.

Listen to this song by Sheila and hope that Bonjour Francoise can help you.

Sheila - Papa t'es plus dan l'coup.