DIY, Dammit!

DIY, Dammit!

Sometimes in the life of surfing the internet, you come across really cool DIY (Do It Yourself) ideas for your home, your children’s toys, or to give away as presents. What these perfectly presented pictures with captions such as “super easy in three steps!” don’t tell you, is that when you try this at home, it will probably look really, really shitty. Somehow these creative crafty concoctions just don’t come out right – not even close. Super easy in three steps: a failed DIY project, a seriously dinted self-esteem and a rapidly dropping regard for yourself as a human being capable of simply anything. Does this sound like fun? No.

Comedian Joselyn Hughes didn’t think so either and started a videoblog called ‘DIY, Dammit!‘. In these instruction videos, Joselyn (with the help from her friends and her dog) shows you all the steps of different DIY projects – including her own crumbling hope that it will succeed, and with honest cluelessness from time to time (let this paint dry for… an hour? Two hours? Maybe a day? I’m just gonna slowly walk away…). Apart from taking the ‘plastic America’ out of DIY and ‘keeping it real’, there are some really cool, out of the ordinary ideas and she convinces us that we too, can do this at home.

If you’re into DIY and always wanted to try that one thing, you can also email her on her website and request her to show you how it’s done. Follow ‘DIY, Dammit!’ on Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, or check out her personal website.

Goldieblox – engineering toys for girls

GoldieBlo

One of the most talked about topics of last week was the law suit that the Beastie Boys started against GoldieBlox, for using a parody of their song “Girls” in an ad for their toys. The Beastie Boys have made clear that they don’t have a problem against the company or the product, but says they made a deal to never use their music for advertisement. The original video, which was viewed 8 million times, as now been replaced by one with an instrumental guide track, but the message of the ad is still the same. This is something we should not overlook.

In a time where the lines are blurred between the labels ‘men’ and ‘women’ – women are becoming more sexually liberal, androgyny is hot, and careers for everyone are highly expected – there is still evidence to find that we are, in fact, not the same, and we are not “there yet” when it comes to being equal. Fewer than 3 in 10 graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are women. And barely 1 in 10 actual engineers are women.

One of the great things about the feminist movement and what it has brought us over the last few decades is that women have a choice in what they want to do and become in life. To give the new generation a little hand in understanding the possibilities, the feminist movement has now taken a step into the creation of innovative toys, especially made for girls, to explore and discover their technical side in a playful manner.

Watch the (awesome!) video ad for GoldieBlox below.

The unsuspected sides of Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston as ‘Loki’ in Thor

Tom Hiddleston

When we first get introduced to actors in a role they play very convincingly, it’s hard to picture them in a different way than the character itself.

How surprised was I, when I saw this video of Tom Hiddleston, the evil, conflicted Loki, brother of Thor, singing Stand by Me in a car in Germany after being on the German lifestyle magazine ‘Taff’. The Taff reporter drives the Hollywood star – who was by the way also nominated for “Sexiest Man Alive” by People Magazine, but lost to great dissatisfaction of ‘the Internet’ to Adam Levine – around Berlin and convinces him to do a little karaoke.

Who knew that ‘Loki’ could look so good, be so charming, and sing so casually even though he doesn’t have the voice of an angel? After briefly surfing around after seeing this video, it turns out Hiddleston is also quite the juggler, dancer, gentleman, and comedian.
 
Watch and enjoy.

 

Movember

Sean Connery

If at any point this upcoming autumn month you wonder what the f*** is up with all these moustaches, find yourself prepared right here. My second favourite month after October, is November, or, slowly starting to be known as ‘Movember’: the month where thousands of men shave off their facial hair in order to let it grow back in the upper lip area – sometimes wildly and unkempt – for an entire month, to raise money and awareness to combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges.

Starting as a small movement in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 Movember has turned into a cult event, inspiring more than 3 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate across 21 countries. The programs, directed by the Movember Foundation, are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, staying mentally healthy, living with and beyond mental illness and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.

The rules are simple:

1. Once registered at movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of November with a clean shaven face.

2. For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache.

3. There is to be no joining of the Mo to your side burns. That’s considered a beard.

4. There is to be no joining of the handlebars to your chin. That’s considered a goatee.

5. A Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.

Want to participate, donate or just check out this awesome cause? Check the website http://www.movember.com

Not sure if it would suit your baby faced features? Check out these fabulous celebrities who have totally pulled off a moustache at one point or another in their career.

Tom Selleck

Kevin Costner

Johnny Depp

Robert Downey Jr

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Here’s the Thing’

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Here’s the Thing’

As I’m sitting in my Hotel room in Chicago, the flatscreen on the wall at the end of the bed is winking at me invitingly. “Come on, switch me on,” it’s trying to say, “I’ll distract you with fun things to watch while you’re trying to work”. Luckily, I’ve been without a tv for many years so the temptation is not that great. But it makes me wonder whatever happened to the good old days of plugging in my headphones into my indestructible portable radio, after secretly curling up into my father’s big brown leather ‘smoke chair’, and listening to radio or mixed tapes. I’ve always loved radio, there’s something soothing about listening to good voices, and something challenging in closing your eyes and imagining the accompanying pictures to the story that’s being told, the conversation that’s being held, or the background information about artists and songs that’s given. I’ve recently found great joy in listening to audio books while knitting – damn, that sounds grannylike/nerdy but not cool enough to be hipster – and podcasts/talk radio.

Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin may be most famous for his role as ‘Jack Donaghy’ in the successful comedy show ’30 Rock’, but this attractive gentleman has many more talents. Just a few weeks ago his newest addition of skills premiered in the form of a weekly Late Night talk show on MSNBS called ‘Up Late with Alec Baldwin’. A much lesser known skill that Alec Baldwin has, is interviewing. For a while now, he has been hosting his very own hour-long podcasts on WNYC where he interviews different famous people about different topics.

Because Baldwin is a known person in showbizz, and just generally a very friendly and charismatic man, many people have opened their homes, offices, and dressing rooms to him and his recording equipment, giving the listener the feeling that you’re a fly on the wall, hearing two established people having a personal discussion. From Jerry Seinfeld, to Rosie O’Donnell, via Michael Douglas to Kris Kardashian Jenner, Baldwin shares ideas, opinions and let’s his guests open up in a calm and interesting manner. His deep inviting voice will keep your ears warm for an hour without you wanting to stop listening. Perfect entertainment for when your tv/laptop screen is giving you ‘square eyes’ and you just want to be entertained while you sip on a warm cup of tea while the weather outside rages.

And yes, Alec Baldwin is just awesome because he has the most natural ‘duck face’ of anybody in showbiz and can totally get away with it.

Find ‘Here’s the Thing’ on Facebook here and listen to the podcasts on the website.

 

Mythbusters interactive Twitter experiment

Mythbusters interactive Twitter experiment

I live in a shared apartment on the top floor of an amazing place in Neukölln, Berlin. One of my previous flatmates was very much into plants and our house soon turned into an indoor jungle affair. I didn’t mind, I never mind green in the house – unless I have to take care of it that is. I used to get mini cactuses for my room because I simply forget to water them. Name my plants and talk to them? Yes, of course! Water them? I simply forget…

The girl who was taking care of our home grown forest really talked to our plants, and dusted them off with precision and care. It is said, that talking to plants and giving them love will help them grow. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is putting that popular idea to the test with a 21st-century experiment.

 

As part of ‘Mythbusters: The Explosive Exhibition‘, the museum created an interactive experiment which boils down to the simple idea: anyone can tweet to a plant in the museum, the message gets turned into robotic speech which the plant will hear through a speaker. To complete the experiment, another plant will sit in silence.

On the website you can keep track of the process of the experiment. The museum compares size, leaf colour, height, and how many words the loved plant has heard.

 

So confess your deepest darkest secret, declare your love, or simply scold the plant if you like (it’s not picky about what it will hear) in 140 characters to contribute to this awesome experiment. Go to the website http://www.talktoaplant.com/ to send you own message to participate!

Contribute to the Mythbusters’ experiment #talktoaplant

Shpock – flea market app

When I first bought an iPhone last December I was SO stoked. Finally a real smartphone, not only pretty but an extension of my Apple collection (I’m hooked since my MacBook), and well regarded in the smartphone world. It did however take me forever to get used to the sheer comprehension of possibilities. Of course, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were no-brainers, but I’ve only added a handful of other Apps since then. Super-useful-can’t-live-without-them-Apps (Evernote <3) for sure, but only a few.

Exactly three weeks ago I was scrolling through Facebook, as you do, when a promoted post caught my eye. I generally really hate promoted posts and try my best to train my eye/brain coordination to skip and ignore, but this one somehow popped out. I clicked on it, downloaded it, and fell in love.

The app is called Shpock (as in Shop in your pocket) and is described as a ‘flea market app’. The app finds your location, you can choose a category (or not) and it shows you what people are selling within one kilometer from your house, the further your scroll down, the bigger the range. You can then see pictures of the offered products and offer a price. The seller sets a price, but it is always negotiable. The seller can then counter offer, or, if you’re lucky, immediately accept. After the acceptance of your offer, you enter a private chat screen to make arrangements for the exchange.

The beauty of this app is that it actually feels like a flea market minus the dodgy people and awful smells. Yes, you scroll through a lot of crap but the hunt for good/interesting cheap stuff and bargains gets you hooked in no time.

In the three weeks I’ve been a member, I have sold a dress and a pair of shoes, snatched an awesome coat for just €10,- (talked my way down from €12,-, see below), and will exchange another dress of mine for a blouse and a gilet tonight, only having to pay €9,50 at the exchange. Cleaning out your closet while making a few bucks, then using those freshly made coins for buying something from someone else who is not wearing it anymore but feels like a new addition to your own wardrobe, and the simple act of negotiating and coming out (as seller or buyer) on top and satisfied is a definite new, addictive hobby.

I’ve only used it for the category ‘fashion and accessories’ so far, but you can also find furniture, electronic devices, books/music, etc.

Second hand coat for €10,- on Shpock

What your account looks like on Shpock

Mr. Whippy’s Frozen Yoghurt Truck

Mr. Whippy | http://www.mrwhippy.de

Mr. Whippy | http://www.mrwhippy.de

I hate foodstagram. The sport of taking pictures of something you cooked and are about to put in your mouth and digest, simply to stay alive – I just don’t get it. You don’t see people tweeting ‘I just took a breath!’, get over it.
It might make you wonder why it would be okay to blog about food instead. Well, this case is different ( 😉 !). Mr. Whippy is not about food, it’s about treating yourself to pleasure and supporting a local business.
Because mr. Whippy does not just saturate your hunger, it prickles your brain in the little game of trying to find the perfect combination of toppings (what a stretch in my brain to pick two toppings from my favorites coconut, krokant, strawberries, and chunks of Oreo cookies) and it literally makes me and my friends happy; whenever we find out that mr. Whippy is near – once in a while he parks (on request) on our media spree and me and my colleagues go undercover on Coca Cola property to get a piece of the good stuff – it sincerely brightens up our day.
I’ve tried other Frozen Yoghurts in Berlin but they’re just not the same.

Me and my colleague enjoying Frozen Yoghurt at work

So get it while it’s hot (cold), discover your favorite topping-mix and help spread the love!

http://www.mrwhippy.de

Mr. Whippy on Facebook

Imperial Tattoo Toronto

Last month I was in Canada to visit friends and help them build their house in the woods by a lake for a month. Apart from helping with the build, seeing them and enjoying a long holiday without internet, I had an alterier motive; I wanted to finish my novel.
To celebrate this milestone (this is my first novel) I wanted to get a tattoo, and since I was ending this amazing experience in Canada, why not get the tattoo in Canada?

Luckily, my friend Ali had lived in Toronto for years and knew the owner of an amazing tattoo shop she immediately recommended to me, Imperial Tattoo. I managed to get an appointment with Arthur Mills and as I was nervously describing to him what kind of tattoo I wanted during our intake, he seemed to immediately grasp what I meant and I was out the door with a tattoo-appointment and a tremendous amount of butterflies of excitement just ten minutes later.

Preparing for my tattoo with Arthur Mills at Imperial Tattoo Toronto

Saturday morning, the day of my appointment, I wake up drenched in sweat. I gasp and quickly check my arm and release my gasp in a sigh of relief when I realize my dream was not real: I dreamed that Arthur wanted to tattoo a peacock’s tail all along my forearm and part of my hand and even after screaming at him I didn’t want that he wouldn’t understand what the fuss was about. I realized this was fear because, for the first time, I hadn’t seen the actual drawing I was getting tattooed in advance.

When I arrived for my appointment, my heart thumping and my brow etched in a crease after my horrible dream, Arthur showed me an A4 paper with a few outlines of my feather with different kind of ‘flows’ and I got to choose what kind of movement I wanted. After I picked he said he had to draw up the sketch and he’d be back in 5 minutes. My nerves were lessened when I saw the back piece that Ronan Gibney, Ali’s friend and the owner of the shop, was working on (AMAZING!) but resurfaced when I realized I still hadn’t seen my drawing and Arthur was ‘just quickly drawing it up’. Keep. Breathing.

When Arthur came to pick me up from Ronan’s working space to prepare me for my own much, much smaller little tattoo he showed me the drawing and all my worries flew out the window like a released caged bird. Without me knowing exactly what I wanted, he had drawn it for me with so much precision and detail I wanted to throw myself at him for a hug.

Arthur Mills tattooing me at Imperial Tattoo Toronto

Arthur Mills tattooing me at Imperial Tattoo Toronto

Half an hour later he was done, it hardly hurt in comparison to my other tattoos and I was a happy little camper.

I want to take this opportunity to recommend Imperial Tattoo; not just because the artists are top notch amazing and you don’t have to wait 6 months for an appointment, also because the shop feels comfortable, professional, clean and welcoming in their industrial loft space. The privacy of the work spaces for the artists makes you feel very comfortable. All the tattoo-artists are really, really nice and down-to-earth and you can see and feel they know what they’re talking about and they seem to get excited about your ideas and tattoos as well, even if you’re just getting a tiny little feather on your forearm and nothing challenging for them. They realize the tattoo-business is not just for bikers and gangs anymore and that for the regular people who want to get a tattoo, it’s a big deal. And if you ever want to get a portrait done, Ronan is definitely your guy!!!

Imperial Tattoo on Facebook and on Twitter & Ronan on Instagram

The endresult after healing

Miley Cyrus photo shoot Terry Richardson

One of the pictures of Miley Cyrus’ photo shoot with Terry Richardson, August 15 2013

There are actors and musicians in this world that will never be able to shake off the role they played when they were young and will be forever known for it, or, they never move past it because they’re not given the chance. I mean, where did Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement go? Luckily for Ryan Gosling, he was given the chance. However, I still see the nervous, skinny, non-sporty little dude with the early-Nick-Carter-days-haircut in the high school tv-series ‘Breaker High‘ – I just can’t get past it. But that’s a different story.

With all the former kid-stars being in the news lately in a negative way (think Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes), it’s good to see a once-kid-star actually make it happen for herself as an (almost) adult. Miley Cyrus. She’s cheeky, doesn’t give a fuck, and knows what she’s got. She’s not a molded celebrity who lost touch with reality and will do anything to stay famous. It appears Miley Cyrus is much more down to earth, knows her sexuality but doesn’t necessarily exploit it and really just does what she wants, and gets respected for it.

How else would you get Will.I.Am and Pharrell excited to work on your album with you?

Just last week, she did a photo shoot with famous photographer Terry Richardson, a unique character of his own, and the pictures were posted on his online blog. It’s funny, weird, raw, sexual, and she’s not afraid to get ugly. Hannah who?

Go to Terry Richardson’s blog to see all photo’s.

One of the pictures of Miley Cyrus’ photo shoot with Terry Richardson, August 15 2013

Miley Cyrus’ new album ‘Bangerz’ will be released on October 8.