this charming girl...episode 11

happy campers ☺

this beautiful & somehow nostalgic 'road trip'  treasury

created a while ago by the brilliant & hugely talented artist Meghann from the Botanical Theatre

reignited a certain spark forever in my soul - the desire to travel as a free spirit.

 visit Meghann's Etsy shop to discover her stunning pieces, all inspired by the subtleties of the natural world. Her images allow people to wander and explore what is not quite there, to see the beauty in the overlooked.

...and while that spark will have to patiently remain as a glowing ember for now, it has also brought my thoughts back to some treasured memories of Vintage Wheels... 

11. ~ a vw badge

i'm not sure what it is, but i have a cheerful soft spot for VW vehicles, like the Very Wonderful Beetle cars & the Vibrantly Whimsical camper vans! 

maybe it's happy childhood memories of camping in the countryside & trips to the seaside...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suttonhoo22/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

...that irresistibly cheeky love bug, Herbie...

...or slightly ahem, hazier memories of magical mystery tours of the UK following punk rock bands with my dear friends Ju & Rich in their (mostly) faithful & (always) old cheery orange camper van...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slimjim/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

...or even,  far more recent & responsible reunions supporting worthwhile causes like Oxfam, at wonderful summer music festivals.

whatever the attraction of these automobiles with a sunny disposition , this love story will continue it's journey, i'm sure. ♥

have a great trip! ☺

this charming girl...episode 8

ziggy played guitar...

8. ~ a guitar.

hey, Joe - release your inner Hendrix, coz April is the international month of the guitar!

...and you don't even need an air guitar to celebrate - check out

the totally awesome Benny & the Jet  etsy store...

"handmade guitar string jewellery... recycled, upcycled, eco-friendly funky fashion so you can wear your music!

custom painted vinyl records...

one-of-a-kind art for your jam space."

i'm lovin' this deep purple haze, tangerine dream piece of art

called 'purple tiger' 

they truly rock ♥

music has always been a huge part of my life.

growing up near London, England in the 70s & 80s, with 7 older siblings meant i was constantly exposed to an exciting & eclectic soundtrack of rock through the ages - from glam to indie via funk, house, prog rock, hip hop, metal, ambient, ska & punk !

...my teenage years (& every bit of cash i could lay my hands on) were spent on records & going to gigs.

i followed the bands i loved around the country, sometimes around europe too ~ some of the people i met & the adventures had, would make your hair stand on end (which is kinda what mine did back then, lol!) 

but they're saved for another post, another charm...

the day came i had to get a regular job - so i headed straight down to my local record store.

i stayed working in music retail for over 15 years... sweet!

anyhow, back to the guitar & a few of my heroes
from fave bands The Cult, Kasabian & Killing Joke

pics courtesey of ...totallylikeduh! , adventuresofsas & francoise massacre
under creative commons license - thanks guys!


i still have a big soft spot for The Cult & the legendary Killing Joke, both were bands that i followed religiously in my mis-spent youth (bought the T-shirt, hung out with, lucky enough to sell their Tshirts on the merchandise stall on tour).

duffy now pic courtesy of zioWoody, b&w then pics Louise Raygun

then pics courtesy of Affendaddy,  now Geordie by francoise massacre , Jaz & Youth by alterna2

both are still rocking out & touring this coming year ☺

Kasabian are a more recent music crush - more on them another day...

so now's the month to start a garage band, blag a hot ticket, get 'down the front' (english slang for the mosh pit) or just blow the high scores away on Rock Band!

whatever your gig - strike a chord.

...here's some awesome bands i've seen in Toronto since i moved here - thank you for the music, guys!

arctic monkeys

kaiser chiefs

the kooks

mew

oasis

..and last but by no means least - the pigeon detectives
from leeds, leeds, leeds!

...jammin' good with Weird & Gilly and The Spiders From Mars.

 Bowie reportedly said that Bauhaus played the song "the way [he] should"