LIPSTiCK TrACeZ

Whomever thinks there is no couture in the jungle should know this bit of fashion botany.  This week I planted Ylang Ylang in the garden. Ylang-ylang (ee-lang ee-lang) Cananga odorata, is a small flower of the Cananga tree. It is a fast-growing tree that exceeds 5 meters per year and attains an average height of 12 meters. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. The leaves are long, smooth and glossy. The flower is greenish yellow, and yields a highly fragrant essential oil, from which the scent was used by Coco herself when creating the formula for Chanel No. 5. I would love to share photos of my Ylang Ylang, but I am not quite sure how to continue my lovely photo journal of this trip, as my Leica camera was ever so quietly removed from my casa on Monday.  Yes I was robbed, it is sad, but I believe my lesson this week is to remember that material possesions are only temporary.   After all, when we croak, they can not come along with us... but it would sure be nice to have the 100 photos on the camera.  On the bright side, after an entire day tearing up the house looking for the camera, I decided to go have a surf to blow off some steam.  The Great Spirit above must have gotten the memo that I was having a shit day, so he sent me some of the best waves of my life.  Luke says I had a "level change" that day, I say that level was groovey! The rest of my week went like this...Had a Mexican fiesta with friends, went snorkeling, the foundation of the house got poured, took a bike ride to a cave, saw a tree full of giant zebra grasshoppers, swam out to the middle of the bay to watch the sun set, met a man with a giant hole in his leg where a parasite was living, worked on perspectives in drawing, went 24 hours with out water in the house,  bought an ATV and a trailer to move rock and wood at the property, y yo estudio espanol una houra todos los dias!

There is crazy thunder cracking outside as I sit here typing, I am sure a deluge is on its way.  It may just be a scrabble kind of day.  Adios amigos!

David Byrne never ceases to toot my horn. I stumbled upon this bizarre love rectangle, while meandering though NY last week. "Play the Building" is an installation in downtown Manhattan. It is free, and wonderous. 10 South Street, New York,now through August 24.Open Friday,Saturday, Sunday: Noon - 6PM. CHECK IT!

Jenna Malone has a new pair of shoes. Actually, just one. "The Shoe" is her new music venture, with her piano playing partner in crime, LemJay. It is totally weird and totally bad ass, I absolutely recommend seeing it with your own eyes.

The scene.....As I rolled up to the corner of Ripple and Fletcher in Silverlake one late afternoon, I saw before me a grassy null, which sat beneath two giant billboards, and next door to the beautiful LA river. A small crowd was begining to form. The tireless nymph (Jenna) danced about the grass preparing for her show, ripping the chord on the generator to retrieve power for the shoe. There were gourmet cupcakes and small whiskey bottles individually wrapped in their very own mini-brown paper bags for sale for your pre-show enjoyment.  

The show involves singing, dancing, and tinkering with the multitude of sounds that come from their traveling hi-fi music trunk. I have no idea how you can find a show...as they are impromptu, and usually set up an a street corner, guerilla style. Invitations come in the form of a text or email, and if you get one it will go something like this...

"And while it gets hotter in the day

the night turns the page 

and with a glass of lemonade

we will sing ourselves a new age

you'll see us when we turn our lamp on

bring a chair, a blanket, a dog, a guitar, a loved one, a pillow, a secret in a jar"

-The Shoe

"a children's circus, a tinderbox." - Jenna