Love Medicine

Today I come to you with a great read: Love Medicine (1984) by wonderful American author Louise Erdrich (1954-). It is a beautiful and amazing novel about members of a (fictional) Chippewa society in North Dakota. The publishing year can be disputed though, as a revised version came out in 1993, and another revision was published in 2009 (I have only read the 1993 version). The main differences between the editions are that chapters have been moved around, added or removed. The fluent nature of the story becomes apparent through these revisions, and it brings into focus the everchanging truths of its characters.

The novel opens with the death of June Morrissey, and we learn details of her life through her niece, Albertine. We then go further back in time and are told of an old love triangle which still affects the people involved and their numerous children; stories are told about the various larger-than-life characters that inhabit, or have inhabited, the reservation and we see how events from the past still determine the lives of those left to deal with the consequences.

Each chapter is told by different narrators, and various members of the tribe have their say. Sometimes, you are presented with several versions of the same events, or the narrators add backstory to, or describe the aftermath of, each other’s tales. Beautifully written, with interesting characters and intriguing storylines, Love Medicine is one of my favourite books. Erdrich has also published other novels revolving around the same community with mostly the same cast of characters (although different characters hold focus in the novels), including Tracks (1988), set prior to the events of Love Medicine, and The Bingo Palace (1994) which mainly revolves around events in the wake of the first two novels. I thouroughly recommend all of them, and everything else you may come across by this wonderful author.

Love, Mari

Bugsy Malone

Welcome, gentle reader, to another Friday and, subsequently, another fabulous film. Today I will introduce you to the amazing and lovely Bugsy Malone (1976), a favourite from my childhood.

This film noir/gangster film tribute/spoof is directed by Alan Parker and stars Jodie Foster and Scott Baio. The entire cast consists of children, and the story centres around a gangster war between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan in 1929. Smart guy Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) gets caught up in the war and eventually it’s up to him to save Fat Sam and his speak-easy, which is also the workplace of his girlfriend Blousey Brown (Florrie Dugger) and the alluring Tallulah (Jodie Foster). It contains every element you’d expect from a gangster movie, while simultaneously featuring some great singing and dancing. Again, I stress that the cast is strictly made up of children. Now, some of you may think that this is a lousy premise for a film, but I beg to differ. However, why take my word it when this film comes with a seal of approval from none other than the great Edgar Wright – who not only paid tribute to it in Spaced, but also often include it in the programme for his film festival, “The Wright Stuff” (see what he did there?). And if you’re suspicious enough not to trust either of us (what the h…!?!? We’re totally trustworthy!), listen to this plea from Jodie Foster herself:

See? Now, doesn’t that look brilliant? This weekend, you could do a lot worse than to check out this old goodie! Charming and funny, with great costumes.

Love, Mari

Virginia Woolf

Yes, it is Easter, and in Norway that only means one thing when it comes to literature: Crime fiction. Norwegians seem obsessed with this genre, which I personally do not find particularly interesting. That is why I choose to have this week’s hottie be a proper intellectual and a fantastic writer: Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

Woolf was one of the founders of the Modernist movement together with, among others, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein. Some of her most famous books are A Room Of One’s Own, To The Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway. In them she explores gender relations, class hierarchy and the consequences of war. She is famous for her use of stream-of-consciousness to emphasize the psychological aspects of her characters.

Woolf’s family was an artistic and literary one. Her father, Sir Lesley Stephen, was a literary critic and the editor of the first edition of the Dictionary of National Biography, his first wife had been the daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray. Woolf’s sister, Vanessa, became a painter, two of her brothers became psychoanalysts, and two of her half-brothers founded Duckworth & Co. publishing. Friends of the family included Thomas Carlyle, Henry James and George Eliot. No wonder Woolf became interested in writing!

All her life, Woolf struggled with the effects of bi-polar disorder which at times led her to long periods of convalescence. However, her sense of humor never left her and she openly referred to herself as “mad”, and told people that she heard voices and had visions.

Woolf was part of the Bloomsbury Group which included many of London’s literary circle, who gathered to discuss art, literature and politics.

In other words: Virginia Woolf was intelligent, social, talented and awesome. If you haven’t read any of her novels yet, I highly recommend that you do so.

Love, Elin

Cars

Today’s vintage is going to be about the practical little thingys we use to move about: Cars.

Now, to be honest, I don’t really know too much about cars – I don’t even have a driver’s licence. But I think of cars as an accessorie (in a perfect world where I’m a billionaire), you should have one to go with basically every outfit. Let’s take a look at some goodies, shall we?

Have you seen Funny Face? You should. Anyway, in this movie, Mrs. Prescott and what’s his name, the guy played by Fred Astaire, has a car something like this one when they’re pretending to be all interested in empathicalism. It’s wonderful.

And of course we’re gonna need a little bit of pattern, too

all nice and flowerpowery

Tartan!

I am of course heartbroken not to have found a vintage polka dotty car, but, I will leave you with this little colorful goodie, to cheer us all up.

Love, Hanna

Dries Van Noten

For our Easter Designer I have chosen to go with a brilliant man who makes comfortable looking, practical clothes (great for the holiday I would imagine, however I have no way of knowing, since both Elin and I are spending all our so-called “free-time” at school). The man of the hour is none other than Dries Van Noten (1958) the first Belgian designer to feature on our blog.

Van Noten was born into a family of tailors, and grew up with fashion (lucky man). As a boy his parents took him to fashion shows in Paris and Milan. (Again, lucky man. Yes, that is my bitterness seeping through.) He studied fashion design in Antwerp, and worked as a freelance designer before starting his own collection, which launched in 1986.

Dries Van Noten can be a bit weird, but that’s part of why I love him: he’s not afraid to mix colors, and patterns and fabrics, and the outcome is often very, very good.

He manages to mix fun and classy and chill. That’s brilliance for you.

Love, Hanna

The Easter Bunny

Another week is upon us and since it is Easter I will dedicate this Monday to the Easter Bunny, a creature I’ve always found a bit…illogical. I mean, why a bunny? And why does it have eggs? It is positively mind-puzzling. So, what is the story behind this carrot-eating cutie?

The tradition of Easter eggs most likely has its origin in Germany and stems from (at least) the time of the Roman Empire. It is part of a celebration of fertility and new life, as befitting springtime, and the fertility part is probably where the bunny came into the picture. The practice of the Easter egg tradition was first recorded in a German publication in the 1500s and the first candy-Easter egg, made from pastry and sugar, was made in Germany in the early 19^th century. Apparently the Germans know how to Easter it up.

According to tradition, children would build brightly colored nests out of caps and bonnets and place them in secluded areas of their homes. If they had been good, the Easter Bunny would lay delicious eggs in them.

Today’s Easter celebration has become more commercialized, and kids more than ever crave the colorful eggs of goodness. There has been a slight change of tradition, though, as it is today more normal to hide eggs around the house and have the kids search for them. The bunny is still there, however, providing chocolate to the world.

Now, let’s have a look at some bunnies:

Love, Elin

Vili Flik Design

Dress: Decadence by Marie Elise Baustad

Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen

Am taking legal advice to ascertain whether strangling an idiot nephew counts as murder. If it doesn’t look out for yourself. – Aunt Dahlia –

Yesterday my third nephew was born (who I’m not planning to strangle, btw), and so while contemplating what this week’s flik should be, I realized that there could only be one answer: Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen (1974) by P. G. Wodehouse. It is a classic Jeeves and Wooster story, and the last one actually, as Wodehouse was 94 when writing it, where a visit to Wooster’s notorious aunt Dahlia  and a not so innocent incident of cat-napping lead to trouble only his trusted butler (who is more like an undercover superhero, if you ask me) Jeeves can get them out of.

The Jeeves and Wooster stories are light reads, funny and ironic, and perfect for weekend (and Easter holiday) reading.

Love, Hanna

Double Idemnity

This Friday’s film is an oldie but goodie: Double Indemnity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder and starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson.

The story goes like this:

Walter Neff (MacMurray), and insurance salesman, falls in love with neglected housewife Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck), and together they conduct a plan to murder her husband and collect his life insurance. Their only real obstacle is Neff’s partner, Barton Keyes (Robinson), an expert in discovering insurance fraud. Will they get away with it?

This film is interesting and exciting, and the dialogue is brilliant. The euphemisms are amazing! Besides, the clothes and hairstyles are lovely (pay special attention to the fact that Phyllis is about as tall as Walter’s trouser’s waistline).

If you want some classy entertainment tonight, Double Indemnity is what you should go for.

Love, Elin.

Gentleman’s Emporium

Today’s topic is strictly speaking not proper vintage, however, it is very much vintage-inspired, lovely and I-need-that-able.

I speak of course of the fabulous web store Gentleman’s Emporium, found here: http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/gentlemans.php

Have no worries, ladies, they do sell women’s clothes as well! Wonderful, wonderful Victorian clothes! They have hoop skirts and corsets and beachwear and accessories and everything your heart can desire.

Unfortunately they do not approve of others spreading there pictures, so I recommend that you pop by there right now!

…Do you want? Me too!

Love, Elin