HTC S743

Finally got a new phone! I love it! The HTC S743...its pretty rad, a smartphone with wi-fi, and all the ammenities. I'm playing with it to set it up the way I like...more of the unboxing and reviews to come!! 

I am off to set up pandora on it right now!!! sweet!  (FAILED ATTEMPT!! Apparently my mobile is too innovative for pandora to support. They have some serious catching up to do!) 

Currently streaming Triple J without fail!!! Amazing, I can take my aussie musical stylings with me everywhere!

goodbye to my thrashed, tired old phone!! hello to a stylee new accessory! 

So much time, so much to do!

Free time leaves me with my mind in a spin; there's so much to do, so many projects to start, so many abandoned projects to finish, or just enjoy the free time with leisure and reading (which unfortunately makes me feel guilty for not actually doing something...) Since I have had so much of free time lately, I have been doing all of the above and much more...

What's really great is that Charlotte, NC is getting pretty big, which means some excellent stores are flying south. For instance, IKEA!!! Occupying a rainy day last weekend, my mum and I tackled the new IKEA located off I-85 near UNCC. It's so overwhelming, you fall in love with

 everything and then walk away with close to nothing, because you couldn't actually make up your mind on anything. I made an exception...I indulged in my guilty pleasure (no, not in the piping-hot, steamy, moist, cinnamon-y, pleasantly overwhelming aromatic, cinnamon buns tempting us as we waited for the torrential downpour to cease), but I indulged in FABRIC!!! IKEA has some really great fabric and I went a bit crazy because they're "cheap as chips, mate" and are splashed with incredible colors and graphic designs!

I made one purse with some of the fabric I purchased and I need to use my free time to make some more. They are for sale! Check out my portfolio link at coroflot.com (www.coroflot.com/avecamourdesigns). I have pictures posted and they are on facebook, as well. 

Worthy Photographers

The world is a pretty amazing place, scattered with great people, cultures, and beauty. Capturing these things into a photograph is pretty difficult, unless you are extremely talented. I happen to have some close friends that have sick skills in doing just that.

John Schreiber- Studying in Perth, Western Australia, I met John and got to road trip through the South Island of New Zealand with him. He was the appointed right-side-of-the-car, left-side-of-the-road driver and the only guy accompanying four girls... we were thankful for his nice camera because he was taking pictures (even while at the wheel). His love for getting the perfect shot would sometimes call for him to lay down in the grass to get breathtaking shots of Mount Cook or pulling over on the side of the road to capture brilliant rays of sun penetrating the dark, hazy clouds to illuminate mountainsides in an unbelievable fashion. John is extremely skilled and is now pursuing his passion for photography by getting his Masters in Photojournalism (http://johnschreiber.wordpress.com).  He's always on the move hitting up cool places and capturing their essence. Keep an eye on John... he takes sick pictures!!

Doug Stratton- Doug's keen eye for detail always leads him in the direction of a gnarly shot! He's stoked on HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, his photos are absolutely amazing! By using the HDR technique, Doug is able to capture and focus in on vibrant colors and details in the entire composition of the photograph... taking photography to an all new level! His love for travel and photography have taken him to beautiful places where he's captured people in their element, coastal landscapes, urban architecture, and anything else that he finds beautiful and inspiring. He's introduced me to a great blog, www.stuckincustoms.com, filled with colorful and intriguing shots its a fun site to look at, get some good inspiration, and wish for a chance to travel to all the sweet spots this guy is lucky enough to experience. 

And last, but not least...

Sean Ruttkay- He's an avid surfer that travels all over the world to not only catch some good

 rides, but also to catch some good shots. He has formed a business around his passions (a key to any good business) called Elemental Digital Art. His business is incredible stuff...he takes his shots and puts them onto a medium that can be displayed outdoors. His finished work is waterproof, sunproof, and weatherproof. Hang it on a tree, display a panorama shot beside a hammock, or keep it in the shower- EDA has no limits. You know what else?! Sean is able to do this with any photography. He can create a weatherproof piece of art with your photography!!! (It looks best with shots from a Digital SLR or camera with high-resolution.) Super-cool idea and great for a present!

Getting to work for him as an intern in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina last year I got to see the whole lot of his impressive work from the photos to the fabrication (and also helped design the retro 80s logo). Sean has spent time in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Barbados, and other places with famous waves; with his underwater camera housing he is able to get some pretty spectacular pictures. Another cool fact...while in Wrightsville Beach, he sponsors a surf team, EDA Surf, which is comprised of local groms and rippers. He's able to get them exposure through his lens and getting them into contests. Sean's a super cool guy, with some great photography!!

I have some cool friends; let them know if you like their work!

One Sweet As Music Video

Mystery Jets- Young Love... what an absolutely amazing music video! It's super-simple, nothing fancy, but incredibly creative with sweet coreography!!! Low-budget music videos just seem to ooze with creativity. It kind of reminds me of the treadmill music video by OK Go- Here It Goes Again. Only...better!

The band lays down on trolleys and they're flawlessly pushed and pulled by incognitos in all-white jumpsuits and face masks to make it look like the band is elevating on screen. Little details here and there add to the cleverness. I'm digging the guy raking the letters off the screen at the beginning of the video, the lyrics that pop up in multi-colored hues, and the shot of the hands on screen snapping and then with painted lips start singing background. The song is pretty catchy, especially after watching the video over and over... If for nothing else, watch the video to see the band member in the green shirt and suspenders; he's a total Edward Scissorhands reincarnate! (what a good movie!)

Found this video thanks to occupying a spot in Triple J's Hottest 100 this year. 

Watch it and enjoy! 

Oh and by the way, the rappers that insist to waste perfectly good, tasty, bubbly, Cristal by spraying the dancers and models need to take lessons on creativity from these guys, Mystery Jets, because let's face it... those videos are somewhat lacking artistic direction. Drink it, don't spray it, that stuff's quality. 

YouTube Playlists

Without music my life would be extremely quiet, to say the least. Housemates have all had their share in asking me to turn my music down. If music is good, I can’t help but to play it LOUD as a declaration of my appreciation and love!  I like to listen to music… at all hours of the day, at home, in my car, on runs…etc.

YouTube has made it very easy for me to listen to (and watch) the songs I’m craving without having to pay!! No matter your taste in music, YouTube probably has the song in their library. I make playlists of soundtracks, songs I like from Sirius XMU, and Triple J (my beloved Australian radio station). I just search for the songs, create a new playlist, and keep adding songs and more songs. I get to hear what I want, when I want!! (YouTube also now has links on some songs that direct you straight to Amazon.com or itunes to purchase songs… if you need the song away from the internet.)

A few playlists I have made:

Stranger Than Fiction Soundtrack (A Taylor Steele Surf Video)

Triple J Hottest 100 2008 (Hottest 100 Songs of 2008, voted on by Triple J listeners)

Triple J Hottest 101-200 2008 (100 songs that didn’t get enough votes to make it into the Hottest, but are still super hot)

Triple J Hottest 100 2007

 

To create lists you need a YouTube account, but that’s free also. You can share links to your playlist with others, make it private to YouTubers, or make it public for everyone to revel in the goodness. You can play songs continually by clicking the “Play All” link and can also mix it up with the “Randomize” link to shuffle your playlist.

Beware: The quality of most “live” songs from YouTube are not keepers… people screaming and singing along, shake-y cameras… keep searching, you’ll probably find one that’s not a video from someone’s digital camera.

I’m wondering if those people with internet on their mobiles can access and listen to YouTube playlists with good quality!? 

Don't Bash the Stache

It's the beginning of April and that means... some would say "showers," but it also means the end of Mustache March! 

"What is Mustache March? I've never heard of it." 

That's exactly what said when I met two guys with some fabulous mustaches in NYC last week. Now, some would think guys with mustaches are a bit creepy or maybe sometimes even suspicious, but depending on the stache and the upper lip on which it grows mustaches can be pretty fantastic! Apparently these two friends were participating in Mustache March as a followup to Facial Hair February. Their staches, entirely different from the other's, took on their own persona. One was the rugged type that likes to chop down trees for fun, with his bare hands. The mustache was thick, unkempt, out of control, and trying to disguise his upperlip like it was on the most wanted list. His friends' was much less overwhelming; perhaps combed, and just the right size with a nice shape.  It added a little pizazz to the upperlip especially with the minor handlebar detail. 

Growing a "mo," as my friends from Australia like to call a mustache, can be a great conversation starter. However, for some reason mustaches aren't always viewed in a positive light these days, but Mustache March hopes to change that. Like Mustaches for Kids (a charity event in Wrightsville Beach, NC), Mustache March is a charity that raises money to support childhood cancer research. Guys grow a stache for the month of March and receive donations for their mo.

 Whether the money is given to them out of pity for the lack of hair or as a reward for a positively, gnarly addition to their face...I think it's a pretty sweet idea! 

Maybe guys with mustaches will be thought of differently!

Check out this restaurant we found in NYC, yummy.