Edward Mobley Squeak Toys

I’m a bit of an unconventional girl, it seems. For instance, I’d rather receive a vintage Edward Mobley squeak toy (of the animal variety only) for a gift instead of… say… nice jewelry.

I first discovered these treasures on a blog that featured a home tour; someone had a collection of them within an IKEA bookshelf, and I was immediately taken. Something about Mobley’s characters is so haunting and nightmarish, yet at the same time all the more adorable. The eyes remind me of porcelain Chinese dolls, vintage barbies, the Big Boy Burger mascot, and eyes that follow you from beyond a painting – all rolled up into one. They were distributed in the 50′s and 60′s.

Their inset stationary eyes open and close, they have molded and painted hair, they squeak and they’re spray painted in odd pattens. It’s hard for me to call them kitsch when to me they are such fascinating works of art!

Works by Kevin Arrow

Miami Artist Kevin Arrow is all about obsolete media (which is why I’m attracted to his stuff). He’s exhibited at all the cool galleries and spaces down here since the 80′s, and has an outdated-looking website, which I also like. He collects weird items like canned meats, ocean findings and nostalgic toys. He worked at the MOCA and is now on board at a Science Museum.

RAD DAD.

Graphics That Rule From Toilet Paper Magazine

I discovered Toilet Paper when I went to the 8ball Zine Fest in Brooklyn about a year ago. My friend hollered at me and was like, “Jessie, you are going to love this.” Fast forward to one year later and here I am blogging their animated gifs.

TP is an artist’s magazine created by the Italian duo Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari: There are no ads or text inside- only full bleed spreads of color photographs that are often satirical of commercial photography. The result is some of the most beautiful and disgusting images you’ll ever look at, and who doesn’t like a healthy dose of juxtaposition now and again?

Here are some crazy graphics from their website (I give full credit to them and have nothing to do with these.)


Visit Toilet Paper here

New York in April

My Impossible Project instant photos

Enchantments witchcraft store

Phill, Alison and I at my favorite bar, The Richardson, in Brooklyn. I flew into NY this past weekend because I knew Alison and Phill would be in town from St Louis. She is pregnant right now (with a boy!) and I wanted to surprise her because we all used to live together. She had no idea I’d be in town, and I ambushed her and her awesome family; at the one and only Pies N’ Thighs.

Corinne, myself and Marissa at The Richardson

My baby girl Pamela and I giddily indulging in juicy pork buns! Our favorite!

Pamela trying on the cutest romper at 10 Ft Single/Stella Dallas- my most favorite vintage shop! It’s in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Jason, myself and Carolina at Lulu’s karaoke in Williamsburg (I of course sang Jefferson Airplane and serenaded Jason to Madonna’s “Justify My Love”). Carolina did La Bouche’s “Sweet Dreams” for me, as per my request.

Rachel and I after our Portlandiaish brunch at Northeast Kingdom in Bushwick- Ummm biscuits with gravy + ricotta/blueberry pancakes…

The scene at the Brooklyn Zine Fest at Public Assembly. It was too crowded to really navigate all of the publications, but I picked up a couple of gems and entertained my eyes for a little while ;)

The 2 zines on the left are from the Brooklyn Zine Fest and the publication on the right is by Dashwood Books featuring some of Robert Mapplethorpe’s assemblage work; which I’ve wanted to get more familiar with. Also, Dashwood Books is my favorite place and I would like to move in there and never leave. Please support this incredible company that produces and distributes some of the finest works in photography.

A gorgeous drawing I got at the zine fest which I decided represents my abandonment issues

Some of my Fuji Instax Wide shots

This is what happens when I’m affectionate to men, apparently? Just kidding. Cyrus, my love and great friend.

A reunion of sorts- old Bushwick roommates- Joyce, Robert and I having Bubble Tea

One of my best friends Duane and I being general hooligans

Miss Amy longing for Lynch

The “Silencio” show at Le Poisson Rouge was literally a dream come true. Silencio is a band that performs music from all the works of David Lynch. Yeah. Seriously. Not only do they play Angelo Badalamenti’s scores, but they also include renditions of soundtrack features like Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” from Blue Velvet, “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart” by Julee Cruise via Twin peaks, the acapella “Llorando” from Mulholland Drive and “In Heaven” from Eraserhead. They also included original music that represented a similar and sexy style. MIND-BLOWN.

Pastries for breakfast at Fabiane’s in Williamsburg

Historic Clinton Hill, the most beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn (imo). I was there to visit my friend and her two GORGEOUS children, whom I’m totally obsessed with.

No trip to New York would be complete without a new pair of rugged boots. These are from PEMA in Williamsburg, and it was love at first sight.

Friends and Lovers

Hello one, hello all!

Illustrator lovely lady Helena Garcia’s new Momiji doll “Vixen” is now available! Momiji ['mom-ee-jee'] is a brand of collectible, hand-painted dolls inspired by Asian style and contemporary illustration- They are also… message dolls! Turn them upside down and inside every one there’s a tiny folded card for your own secret message!

Lovers, by Danny Brito

Also by Danny Brito, these amazing spiked baby head brooches available from his vintage shop City Song Vintage

One of my favs, Ms. Pamela Reed, just created a new blog called Brooklyn Farm Girl - which is pretty much what is sounds like: Big city life + gardening, home love and recipes. She has an enormous garden on her roof, gets flown around by Home Depot and celebrates her cats birthdays.

Made to order collage/music packages by Guy Blakeslee of The Entrance Band. INCREDIBLE MUSIC. You can see more of his inspiring collage work on his blog Third Eye Memories.

A photo of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, CA (photo by Mark Ryden)

Magazine I just won on ebay. I don’t know, it looked awesome.

Goodbye! Love Always, Mortimer and Kipper

We Go Hard

On Saturday I went to Swampspace in Miami for The A/V Show

The A/V Show effectively conveyed ideals of analog and digital media, it was a concentration on the transformation of technology.

There were projections of old slides, dumpster found video footage of teens auditioning for a Zephyrhills commercial, a curious video of a strange man eating a fudgesicle outside of an American Apparel and more!

Participants included: Cristy Alma, Kevin Arrow, Gina Cunningham, Juan Maristany, Coral Morphologic, David Rohn, Baron Sherer and Carmen Tiffany.

Then I went to to see “The Jewish Mamita” (aka Vanessa Hidary) do a spoken-word performance on behalf of Next@19 at the Temple Israel of Greater Miami.  Guuurl, did she ever blow my mind! Holy shit. (Honestly, it was some holy shit). Vanessa’s work focuses on her reflections of intercultural Jewish identity, experience and community- but probably not in the way you’re imagining it (for example she has a piece called “He Fucked Me Like Brooklyn”). One of the most unapologetic, grounded and commanding performances I’ve seen, period. A little Broadway fire, a little hip-hop-heart- it was the honesty we all lack and she has the courage to cough it up. I had the privilege of spending time with the mamita herself as well as staff members of Next and the temple board after the show, and what a night it was! Partying with the Rabbi’s wife!

Naturally, the poem I connected to most of all was entitled “Wild Women”. Excerpt: “We attract ones who are initially enthralled by our spice but then become suddenly scared of our prickle.”

A pic I took while reading this poem in her book

You can get a copy of her book from which she read “The Last Kaiser Roll in The Bodega” here

Release the Cobblestones

Art by lovely lady friends: self portrait by Carmen Hawk and “Bride” painting by Rachel O’Donnell

These are all the Mara Hoffman dresses that I would love to keep as treasures. They are available at Bona Drag. I would be content if they made up my entire wardrobe.

Rings by Pamela Love, also available from Bona Drag. The antithesis to my Leo Sun ;)

Upcoming Riot Grrl collection- reproduces a sampling of the original zines, posters, and printed matter from the riot grrl scene for the first time since their initial distribution in the 1980s and ’90s, and includes an original essay by Johanna Fateman and an introduction by Lisa Darms. + The Pussy Power book: an essential documenting of these feminist icons and their historical moment. It includes letters from prison, courtroom statements, defense attorney closing arguments, poems, the infamous punk prayer, and tributes by Yoko Ono, Johanna Fateman, Karen Finley, Justin Vivian Bond, Eileen Myles, and JD Samson. Both from The Feminist Press

While acknowledging the outpouring of support, members of Pussy Riot distanced themselves from Western artists, and reiterated their opposition to the capitalist model of art as commodity:
“We’re flattered, of course, that Madonna and Björk have offered to perform with us. But the only performances we’ll participate in are illegal ones. We refuse to perform as part of the capitalist system, at concerts where they sell tickets.”

She paved the way

Pick up The Feral Kid, curated by Caroline Snow from Dashwood Books + the new issue of fine-art magazine Whitewall (A couple portraits I took of Aspen Art Museum’s Heidi Zuckermann-Jacobson are inside!)

Patti Smith: Advice to the young from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

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