It’s a Book
Mari and I went shopping. And we found the awesomest book by Lane Smith, a children’s book of few words and lovely drawings, with a good point to boot! The book? “It’s a Book” (2010). The book is about a monkey who likes to read, and a curious donkey who doesn’t quite get what a book is for. Luckily, youtube has a trailer for the book, however, all is not included, so you’ll just have to get up off the couch and find the book yourself.
Love, Hanna
Vili Flik Design
I am currently working on a collection inspired by the Alice computer games. And this is the first item in the bunch: A skirt that can be worn on both sides (please excuse Judy’s nudity, she’s a bit of a free spirit).
I am quite pleased with this.
Love, Elin
Vili Flik Design
Last weekend I made a couple of new dresses, one still is in need of some tiny adjustments, but the other, world, I am ready to share with you:
I was inspired from a 1963 Burda pattern, but of course, having no patience with patterns, I didn’t use it. The belt can be removed, but I think it adds some umph to the dress.
Dress: Read! by Hanna Volle. Like?
Love, Hanna
Vincent
To celebrate the Norwegian release of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie (2012), I thought it would be nice to take a look at one of my favourite Tim Burton films: the animated short Vincent from 1982. It’s oh so charming, funny and sweet, and the best part is I can link to the whole film here!
Enjoy!
Don’t you just love it?
Love, Mari
Even Silence Has an End
He died while I was still chained to a tree in the middle of the jungle.”
A couple of weeks ago I got new hero. Or, to be more accurate, heroine. I was reading Even Silence Has an End (2010) by French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt (1961).
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Ingrid Betancourt, running for president in Colombia in 2002, was kidnapped basically on the campaign trail, by the FARC (Colombian Armed Revolutionary Forces), a gerilla group with a lot of power in some parts of the country. For six years she was held captive in the jungle, and her book is basically a memoir over those years. While at times being one of those books you read while covering your eyes because you really can not take any more cruelty, it was aslo a book that impressed me with its wisdom and caring and humans ability to forgive, as well as portraying human cruelty and desperation. Ingrid Betancourt writes about young girls joining the FARC, because it is even that or prostitution, and she has an astounding ability to try to understand her enemies, and to see their point of view.
I won’t lie to you, this is a sometimes awful book, not because of how it is written, but because of some of the content. However, it’s a book that will teach you stuff you may need but may not want to know about the world. And it will stay with you for a long time, I’m sure of it.
PS: Ingrid Betancourt for president!
Love, Hanna
Vili Flik Design
This is a dress I made just before Christmas.
I spent quite a long time on it and some parts were a bit fidgety, but I am very happy with the result.
Love, Elin
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Hello dear readers and a very belated Happy New Year!
I thought we should start this year off with a nice anime movie called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006).
The story is about Makoto, a young girl who, after a mysterious incident in the science lab, discovers that she can move backwards in time. Well, more specifically (and as the title suggests), she can leap back in time. At first Makoto is having a blast with her newfound powers, but quickly enough she learns that changing the past can have dire consequences for the future. Will she be able to undo her mistakes and create a happy future for herself and her friends?
This is a very sweet movie about friendship, love and learning to understand and deal with the consequences of one’s actions (however it gives a falls impression of the practicality of seriously short school uniforms. That skirt is not ok for leaping in public!). It has won several awards, including the Fantasty Filmfest Official Selection 2007 and the Japan Academy Price of Animation of the Year 2007. It is absolutely a film worth watching!
Love, Elin
A Short Disclaimer
Do not despair, dear readers! We have not quit you again! It’s just that we’re currently spending Christmas with our families, which leaves precious little time for blogging. Rest assured, we will keep on blogging in the new year. You are not abandoned!
Happy Christmas, everybody!
Love, Vili Flik.
Darkness at Noon
“Nobody can rule guiltlessly” Saint-Just
Ok, so I’ll be the first to admit that Darkness at Noon (1940) by Arthur Koestler is perhaps not the most cosy, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas read. However, the book is brilliant and should be a must read for everyone everywhere.
It is set in Russia in 1938, and starts with the main character, Rubashov, being arrested in the middle of the night. This short book (at least according to Wikipedia) “express the author’s disillusionment with the Soviet Union’s practice of Communism.”
We follow Rubashov into imprisonment, through interrogation, corruption, and torture. The book is so well written that when I was reading it this summer, in a room full of people, I had to force myself to look up every now and then just to remind myself that I was not in an interrogation room headed for a show trial, and that I was, in fact perfectly safe. It’s a book and a story that gets under your skin. And it should, seeing that it actually tells a story that many were forced to experience in the 1930s.
Sewing Rooms
So, this is my brand new sewing room. Or rather, “the room formerly known as the kitchen”.
(The opposite side of the room looks like this:)
It is not nearly as cozy as I would like it to be (though slightly cozier than this picture makes it out to be), but it is spacious, and as I am not planning to stay in my current apartment for longer than absolutely necessary, I can’t be bothered decorating too much.
So in the meantime I wait and I dream about my future sewing room, the ultimate sewing room, the one I will have next to the library (yes, I will have a library! Come to think of it, maybe I will have the walk in-closet in between so the sewing machine doesn’t disturb the tranquility of the reading room). It will have a window overlooking something nice, and my cats will sit in the windowsill looking at birds (one of my life goals is to become a crazy catlady (not to be confused with a crazy catwoman) and I pretty much have the crazy part down, just need a kitty or ten), and there will be lots and lots and lots of fabric, in every color and pattern! It will be good and fine and fentestically fentestic!
Here are some wonderful and inspiring sewing rooms that I kinda wish I had:
Aren’t they nice and inspiring?
By the way, for those of you who desperately wondered how my shawl turned out, here it is:
And in action:
Love, Elin
Momo
When I was a kid (around 7 or 8), I read German author Michael Ende’s book The Neverending Story (1983) ten times in a row. I’m not exaggerating – I think I had it checked out of the library for a whole year, probably hoping for it not to be a fantasy and to open up and take me to its world like it does main character Bastian. When I got a bit older, I discovered some of his other books, mainly the fantastic and amazing novel Momo (1973).
Momo (or Momo oder Die seltsame Geschichte von den Zeit-Dieben und von dem Kind, das den Menschen die gestohlene Zeit zurückbrachte which Wikipedia informs me translates to Momo, or the strange story of the time-thieves and the child who brought the stolen time back to the people) is about a young, poor girl whose “superpower” is her amazing ability as a listener. Her listening skills help the other children (and adults) stretch their imaginations and solve their problems, basically making her their muse. She lives in the ruins of a theatre in relative happiness and harmony. Until the Men in Grey appear. They are thieves of time, convincing the adult population to “save” time by placing it in the Timesavings Bank for later use. However, after agreeing to do so, they forget all about the men – all that lingers is the idea that they should save time. The only person immune to their power is Momo, and she must save the city and her friends from the evil men.
Years later, this is still one of my favourite books, and one I strongly urge you all to read if you haven’t already. No matter what age you are.
Love, Mari
Ponyo on the Cliff
Yes, I love Gibli! I mean, who doesn’t? They’re the best!
And their 2008 animated film Ponyo on the Cliff, is no exception.
It is kind of a twisted take on The Little Mermaid: Brunhilde is the fishy daughter of a wizard and the goddess of the ocean. Her father is working on a concoction that will bring the ocean back to its glory days, when dinosaurs walked the earth and swam the sea. His reason for doing this is that the humans are a selfish, polluting lot of idiots (so there is a nice moral there), and well, who can argue? However, Brunhilde is the adventures type and she soon escapes and travels to the surface where she meets a boy, Sosuke.
Sosuke saves Brunhilde from a glass jar she is stuck in and keeps her in a bucket (believing she is a normal gold fish) ,and names her Ponyo (which, honestly, is a much better name than Brunhilde). Ponyo is soon brought back to the ocean by her father, but she is determined to become a human and live together with Sosuke. In a daring escape, she spills all of the magical concoction into the ocean, thus disrupting the balance of the universe and dooming all humans to extinction.
But who cares when you can have legs and eat ham with your new best friend?
A storm approaches. Will the world be saved? And will Sosuke pass the final test?
This is one of those Gibli films where you feel like you just enter in the middle of a story and get to tag along for a bit. Many questions are left unanswered (most of them regarding the wizard), but what the film lacks in story-building, it more than makes up for in charm. Ponyo is the cutest little freak to ever have come out of the ocean!
So yes, I highly recommend this film. And all other Gibli films.
Love, Elin
Splash of Greatness
For my birthday last year, the o so highly exaulted Elin gave me an awesome orange and green fabric. That fabric has now finally become a skirt (and a dress, but let’s focus on the skirt for now).
Check it out:
Skirt: Read! by Hanna Volle
Lola Ramona
I would like to present to you one of my favourite shoe designers, Lola Ramona. Her shoes have that perfect blend of style, fun, classic and quirky design, and wearableness (is that a word..?) which make them perfect for any occasion. I currently own two pairs, with a third on its way recently ordered online. Now, living in the middle of nowhere (more or less), the only shop that sold these in my area has just gone out of business. No wonder, considering the lack of style on display in town every day… Fortunately, we live in an age of online shopping, so I can still get my Lola Ramona fix – and as they are not too expensive, I will definitely continue to buy them! Why, you ask? Well, take a look at these goodies:
I own these…
…and these…
…with these ordered and hopefully arriving any day now.
Polka dots, bows, and stripes are signature features, which is perfect for us gals here at Vili Flik! (In case you haven’t noticed, these features do tend to pop up in our own designs…) She also prefers a round toe as opposed to those less flattering pointy ones, and the heels are sturdy enough to walk in without dying. The colours are usually black and white, primary colours and rockabilly pink. Get out there and get a pair of Lola Ramonas! You will be stylish in no time!
Love, Mari
One of our many theme songs
Enjoy 🙂
House of Leaves
By Mark Z. Danielewski.
How to explain this book?
I guess it is a half-finished document investigating something called the Navidson tapes.
This document is filled with footnotes from the person writing it, the person who found it (our main character, or at least one of them, depending on your definition) and the editors of House of Leaves. The Navidson tapes are a collection of short films exploring the house of Mr. Navidson, a photographer who discovers that his house is bigger on the inside than on the outside (and not in a cute Harry Potter-fancy tents-way).
One thing is for certain: You must, must, must read this book! (Don’t let the size put you off, you will read this in a heartbeat!)
This is one of the most impressive books I have read in years! It is really more a work of art than a novel. This is a ghost story, a love story, a psychological investigation, an allegory, a story about madness, loneliness, mystery, fear, as well as a mockery of western civilization’s attempt to rationalize everything, even the unexplainable (and as such it is filled with quotes, statements and analysis worthy of a text book). It is brilliant! Read it!
Just beware that if you are easily scared, don’t be home alone, this book really sneaks up on you.
Love, Elin
Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom (2012), written and directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, is one of the best movies of the year, if you ask me. And you should ask me. Cause I’m kind of a genius. Self-declared, but nonetheless.
It’s a cute, weird and funny story about a 12ish year old girl who runs away from with a 12 year old boy who has escaped some sort of boy scout camp. (And can you blame him? You lost me at beige uniforms).
Of course the entire community, plus the boy scouts, go out searching for them. Awesomeness ensues.
Among the cast are the brilliant young actors Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman, you also meet Vili Flik hotties such as Tilda Swinton and Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and Bruce Willis.
This is most def a must see movie.
When I first saw it I wanted to run away from home. Then I realized I was a grown up and lived alone, so the entire point of running away from home would be, well, pointless. Growing up sucks in so many ways.
Oh, and did I mention it is set in the 1960s? Gorgeous clothes and furniture and stuff. Two words: Orange piano. Best idea ever.
Still not convinced? Check out the trailer and be amazed.
Love, Hanna
Cabin in the Woods
It’s autumn and thus time for horror! I know Halloween was a while ago, but in my opinion, you can watch horror films all year round. Although they are naturally more effective during the dark months of autumn. And what better film to watch than Cabin in the Woods (2011).
Written by the legendary Joss Whedon (yes, I am a Buffy-fan) and Drew Goddard, and directed by the latter, Cabin in the Woods is one of the most interesting, surprising and intriguing horror films in the past few years. I cannot actually tell you much about it without spoiling it, but suffice to say, it takes all the American horror film clichés and plays with them in a very interesting way. With great writers and a great director, this works very well for the film, and made it an instant favourite for me. Scary, hilarious and extremely good entertainment!
Enjoy!
Love, Mari
Crochet
So, in August I went home for a short visit with my parents, and on impulse I asked my mum if she could teach me how to crochet. You see, I needed something to do while watching TV (because I am an old lady), but I just can’t knit. I’ve tried several times, it just isn’t happening, so my hope was that crochet, which only includes one needle, would be the right thing for me. And it turned out that it was! After one (long) evening if trial and error and many, many swear words, I had gotten the hang of it.
A granny square
So when I arrived back home I boldly went and bought some lovely yarn and set out to make a shawl. I decided on granny squares thinking I could just crochet them together when they were all done. I was full of hope and glorious visions of my beautiful shawl.
Then two things happened:
1) I realized that my winter coat is bright green (poison green, really) and that it would completely clash with the colors of my shawl, which will be dark blue, bright purple-pink and turquoise. Damn. Oh well, I thought, fuck it, I’ll make it a thing, mismatching is the new black, right? Besides, I could always by a new coat.
So I finished my granny squares, used all the yarn, and then realized
2) I probably should have saved some of that yarn for the crocheting together… Damn. Oh well, off I went to the yarn shop and found almost the right color, problem solved-ish. I sat down eager to put my shawl together. I looked at my granny squares, I looked at my ball of yarn. I looked at my crochet needle. And I realized that I have no clue as to how to put them together. I have tried to be logical about it, but it is just not working.
So for two months now I have had a bag full of beautiful granny squares, waiting for my aunt to visit and show me how to crochet them together. She arrives this week, so hopefully I will have a shawl ready before Christmas. That, kids, is what happens when you attempt to do stuff you don’t know whilst living in a different country from anyone who could have shown you how to do it.
Still, crochet is quite fun and easy (I mean, I figured it out), and a good option for us knitting-retards. Here are my beautiful granny squares, fingers crossed that it will be a finished shawl soon:
A work in progress
Love, Elin
My Invented Country
“Let’s begin at the beginning, with Chile, that remote land that few people can locate on the map because it’s as far as you can go without falling off the planet.”
My Invented Country (2003) is a memoir by Isabel Allende. Allende, who is originally from Chile, moved around a lot as a child, and later on, when Agosto Pinochet took the power in the 70s, she emigrated for good. Anyhow, Chile remains her country, and in this memoir she looks back at her life there, and how the Chilean culture have and continues to influence her.
It’s beautifully written, like all books I’ve read by Allende, and is full of funny and sarcastic little quotes which lightens up the reading, even if we are in the middle of a bloody coup d’etat. I had to read this book with a pen, underlining sentences, drawing hearts and writing notes in the margins. (Yeah, I do that). The book teaches you a lot of history, (who knew there was a civil war in Lebanon in 1958? I sure didn’t.I It also makes you want to read more Allende, and to visit Chile.
So go find yourself this little book and enjoy! See you in Santiago?
Love, Hanna
Resurrection
Hello dear internet!
We apologise profusely for the lack of updates the past year. We’ve been busy doing actual paid work, moving (some of us abroad), and generally being fabulous! But we feel bad, and we miss you guys and doing this, so we have decided to try to resurrect the blog. Yay!
So from this week on, we will try to update regularly again. Now, we are not promising to update as often as we used to (5-7 times a week), because we have lives and jobs and are responsible, important adults now, but we are aiming for at least three updates a week.
So enjoy, good people of the vast internet. We have missed you, and we hope you’ll keep checking for updates (even though we’ve let you down for some time now). We love you all!
Love,
Elin, Hanna and Mari
The Artist
If you are only watching one movie this year, then The Artist (2011) should probably be it.
The story is about silent movie star George Valentin who fails to make the transition from “silents” to “talkies”, and falls into oblivion and despair. However, Peppy Miller, a young starlet, is willing to do whatever it takes to save him. Will she succeed?
The Artist is a black and white silent movie about the film industry in the 1920s. It stars Jean Dujardin as a very convincing Valentin, and Bérénice Bejo as the peppy Peppy (see what they did there?). It is extremely skillfully made and actually won five Oscars, all of them truly deserved. And I know what you’re thinking: Black and white? Silent movie? How dull! But believe me, it is anything but!
So go and see it!
Love, Elin
A Room of One’s Own
In 1928 Virginia Woolf held a series of lectures on women and fiction. These lectures were published as an essay collection in 1929, entitled A Room of One’s Own. In it Woolf discusses what is meant by women and literature. Is it female characters in books? Is it women writers? Is it books about women? She explores, through various fictional female characters, the advantages and (mainly) disadvantages women have had when it comes to literature, with regard to lack of education, lack of status, lack of right to participate in public life, politics and to travel, but perhaps most importantly: The lack of a room of their own, somewhere to withdraw from daily chores and quietly contemplate their writing.
The essays are beautifully written, clever, interesting and still current today many places in the world.
I truly recommend this to everyone who has an interest in literature and history, or really anyone who simply enjoys reading. Because, let’s face it: Virginia Woolf was effing awesome!
Vili Flik 