Another post about rings!  Sorry folks but I am obsessed and this certainly won’t be the last time I’ll write about them.  I particularly love silver biker style jewellery and skull rings are a favourite.  I have always admired Keith Richards’ skull ring designed by Courts and Hackett.

(Keith’s gnarled hands replete with Courts and Hackett ring)

I have also fallen deeply in love with the skull rings on T.S. Wittelsbach’s online shop particularly this Sugar Skull ring.

And of course McQueen, who uses the skull as a motif in his scarves and bags, has designed a very covetable series of skull rings, my favourite of which is this (seems to be sold out everywhere though):

I was in The Great Frog, a landmark jewellery store just off Carnaby Street in London, last year.  It’s well worth a visit if you like this kind of jewellery, as their pieces are amazing, the staff couldn’t be nicer and the space is gothically supercool.  Unfortunately I was beyond broke at the time I was there and couldn’t afford to buy a ring but I tried on this encrusted skull ring and LOVED it.

So where is all this leading?  I think a skull ring will have to be on my list for 2010.  After all, every self respecting ring collector should have one!

I have a love/hate relationship with jewellery… basically, I love jewellery and hate the fact I can’t afford the jewellery I love. Whilst I don’t care for expensive fine jewellery (diamonds are most certainly not my best friends), I do still have a preference for good quality fashion pieces. Hence my personal collection is rather sparse and sorry with a few throwaway bits handmade by me or from vintage/high street shops here and there.

So you can understand why much of my internet meanderings centers around looking at jewellery online – virtually pressing my nose up against the shop window without having to pretend I’m seriously looking to purchase something (or even seriously able to purchase something should I wish). My current obsession centers around pieces with an animal theme, preferably with a macabre edge.

All of the above are on my current Wish List… I especially desire the Unicorn ring from Fleather, which looks amazing when worn three-in-a-row knuckle duster style. The Wolf and the Wild West animal skull rings are both from Alkemie, whose collection (made entirely from reclaimed metals thus bypassing the social and environmental issues surrounding the mining of commodities including metals) is very menagerie-like featuring foxes, owls and stingrays amongst other creatures.

The Stag ring designed by Digby & Iona is slightly more delicate (rather than dainty!) and is also available with diamond encrusted eyes if you are partial to a bit of sparkle. Pamela Love’s designs all have a strong fantasy/mythical theme without being mystical (there’s a fine line!) and her Bird Skull ring would look great worn with well, anything really. And last but not least there is the Three Skull ring from Delfina Delettrez which is perfect for a winter wardrobe with a gothic twist… it also comes in a single skull and a double skull design, in silver as well as the gunmetal finish shown in the picture. Line them up knuckleduster style on one hand for maximum impact!

I just realised I didn’t do one last month! As I’m sitting here at my mum’s office, suffering from a severe allergy attack I’m lusting after:

Christian Louboutin”LOVE” pumps- HELLO?! Look at the LOVE detail on the vamp!

Christopher Kane cloud print dress- The print is so amazing, I love sunsets…

Day Birger et Mikkelsen lapel- This is just genius, perfect for dressing up a simple t-shirt or blouse.

Alexander McQueen skull ring- A friend sent this to me, at first glance I thought this might be too ‘hardcore’ for me but the little bee totally won me over.

Willow jacket- it’s been ages since I had an Australian designer on my “I want list”, this is such a beautifully simple, strong shouldered jacket, perfect with a floaty dress.

LaPerla purple bikini- I’m a massive fan of  the balconette bikinis, not 100% about the bright colour, but the rouch detail and the slashed cup look is awesome!

YSL frames- I really don’t fancy the semi opaque sunglasses look and I’d probably have to get tinted prescription lenses anyway but I love bright frames (well not really, only white and red, no pastels or fluoros)

How about you? What have you got your eyes on?

XXASAB

So in reply to yesterdays rant there was a little communication and the party line from her side is that there is no deliberate shunning, merely an unfortunate clash of schedules and we ‘must go out together soon!’  Hmmm, we’ll see…

So after a nice lie-in to recover from the late night and hilarities suffered at the hand of fab Aussie comedian Tim Minchin last night the laziness continued in true Sunday style with TV and magazines galore. 

It was while I was flicking through the pages of yet another mind numbing fashion/gossip mag (it pains me to admit I like them!) that I realised sometimes, as much as one might hate to, you have to face reality.  I love nothing better on a day off than to trawl the internet for gorgeous clothes, funky jewelry and to-die-for shoes.  I put them in the online basket of whichever high street chain or cute boutique’s site I’m browsing and spend the next few hours debating whether or not to buy them.  I say I love nothing better, on reflection I’m pretty sure I’d just like to be able to get pretty things straight off without the debate but this takes us to root of my current dilemma.  I cannot possess them all!

One symptom of my guilty love of said celeb based fashion magazines is that I start wishing and then believing that I can have all the things my fashion icons have, even worse that they would look good on me!  As established in the first post of this blog I frequently obsess about losing weight and getting slim and as yet I am a long way off a skinny jeans body. 

My current ‘crush’ is Fearne Cotton, I just think that her sense of style is so fun and sexy while at the same time looking almost effortless.  I love the crazy bright coloured animal print jeans she has, her vintage rock t-shirts, her skull rings and most of all her bags… oh my god the bags she has are ‘just too fabulous!’ *said in my best camp voice*

But I am, sadly, just a normal person with (I suspect) a slightly below normal income with no way of financing a celebrity’s lifestyle.  The clothes would look silly on me, the bags would bankrupt me and the jewelry would probably never get a chance to be worn.

I think all the time how amazing it would be to do something different; to write a novel or a restaurant column for a newspaper, to be discovered for something and have my life changed overnight.  This isn’t about being a celebrity, I have no interest in being a footballers wife or a pop star.  Just the opportunity that those people have to do what I want, without having to worry too much about money and to do a job I love and feel real passion for!

But I bet everyone has dreams like that from time to time.  So why should my ticket ever be the one to match all the numbers?  

Think of Eric Clapton and what do you see? A rock larger than life rockstar whose talent to play a guitar has propelled him into celebrity fame… A man who still is still interesting and relevant… And a who wears a bad boy skull ring!

A skull represents what we become after death, bones. That might be the true symbolism for some, but there are plenty more good reasons to wear a Silver Skull Ring.

Take the following test to test your knowledge of everything skulls.

1. Which superhero invented by Lee Falk had a skull as his trademark and sported skull rings leaving a permanent skullmark on people he punched?
2. In the first level of Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, how many golden skulls are hidden in hiding?
3. 4. 5. Name the infamous guitarist who’s worn a skull ring from the 1970s on the finger of his right hand.

Why does Eric Clapton wear it

Eric might sport his skull ring to represent his overcoming a tough phaze. maybe its his reflection of with his child’s death. Clapton ironically won critical acclaim and six Grammy that year for “Tears in Heaven”, a song written about this srrow over the loss of his son. Perhaps at 64 years old, Clapton is reflecting on his own life and his mortality.

to mark an end to his past life of addictions and his start as a sober artist. Clapton’s has during his life with his addictions. Clapton has changed and wants his old life of drug and alcohol abuse to be as dead as a skull.

Maybe he wears the skull ring because it is a stylish and wiked fashion statment. It is an counter-culture statement.

Answers

The answers to the Skull Trivia are as follows:

1. The Phantom was the super-hero with a skull ring.
2. There are 8 hidden skulls on level one of Tomb Raider; The Last Revelation.
The comic book character is The Punisher.
4. 5.

Skull rings continue to be popular. Celebrities such as Clapton wearing them further validate their wide appeal. Theres many possible reasons why people feel a affection to this biker rings style , there are the meaning behind this choice. Eric Clapton, acclaimed artist, has always led without trying and connects with his fans on an intimate way. His choice of rings is reflective of a tough life that hasn’t been easy, but a path that many musicians can relate to.

Can Bikers benefit from a little “Bling” ?Biker jewelry has become more popular as there are more and more bikers, classic motorcycle, sharing the road with cars, SUVs, trucks, buses and vans. Every segment of our society looks for unique ways to project their personality or identify their interest. It is the same with bikers.

designs include tribal, classic motorcycle, cross, dragons, snakes and hearts.Most biker jewelry as a way to express themselves freely. Freedom in such an integral part, classic motorcycle, of the establishment. Biker men are finding that they enjoy adding a piece or two of jewelry to go with their leather jackets.There is a great hobby. They enjoy wearing biker jewelry. The necklace can have small beads tied in cords. Another popular look is chains and cords tied with pendants. The most basic Biker Jewelry is the heavy thick chains worn by many bikers.

This coupled with the muscular biker body is so sexy.Earrings, classic motorcycle, for the BikerMany men and women have pierced ears. Silver Biker Jewelry offers earrings to motorcycle mamas and papas. There are many reasons for the biker to find exactly the perfect biker jewelry can be bought online or through a jewelry retailer. With so many options, it is easy for the influx of bikers on the ozone layer. They try to reduce their global footprint by riding a motorcycle. The “yuppie” biker ride motorcycles for fun but also as part of the biker philosophy; there is freedom in the world are Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In fact, the annual sales of motorcycles, classic motorcycle, in India are estimated to exceed 10 million by 2010.Emerging “yuppie” bikersIt should be said that the single largest segment to begin motorcycling riding are “yuppies”. They are defined as overachieving young professionals that are college graduates. They live close to a large city and have an affluent lifestyle. With extra discretionary money to spend, they try new things and have found that riding is a great hobby. They enjoy wearing biker jewelry. The major reason that these people trade in their cars and their SUVS, classic motorcycle, is the same with bikers, classic motorcycle, .

Silver biker jewelry can be bought online or through a jewelry retailer, classic motorcycle, . With so many options, it is easy for the BikerBikers, classic motorcycle, are starting to accept the wearing of silver biker jewelry offers an opportunity to be creative and identify themselves as bikers.The Increase of BikersThere are many reasons for the biker to find exactly the perfect biker jewelry can be bought online or through a jewelry retailer. With so many options, it is easy for the BikerBikers are starting to accept the wearing of silver biker jewelry offers an opportunity to be creative and identify themselves as bikers.

É RIQUEZA OU NÃO É?

click 4 mo'

Dear Erin,

Can I get that blender from you? I’d like to try my hand at a homemade margarita while the sun is out and shining! Also, check out this other site, Bitchin Kitchen for awesome recipes like Cranky Creamsicle Cocktail and the Broke-Ass Linguine Aglio-Olio. They even have fun section like “Bitchin’ Babe” where they’ve featured the Montreal-based Bloodshot Bill!

Best,

A

***

Check out these two promo videos of our buds Parlovr! One here for Osheaga and then another right here for Kartel TV. Gawd, they’re so embarrassing. Painfully so.

(Pssst..kidding!)

                      With the advancing Science and Technology, it can aptly be said that, one may carry his intimate data on his finger tips. But the task would be carried out fashionably, is something nobody must have even thought about! Wearing skull rings around your finger may give you a macho like feel, but the “lower jaw” of these skulls when pulled out unfolds a surprise, a USB flash drive of 2 GB capacity.

Yes, the skull rings double up as a USB flash drive OR as a computer geek would say that the USB flash drive doubles up as a cool ring. But both are equally useful, what say you?

Click on the photos to visit the Etsy shoppes!

Sometimes I'm covetous of the J-man's beard. "SUPAYANA shoelace fringe tunic- Medium"

"3 Rattle Snakes Skull Ring 18k nugget memento mori biker wiccan"

I think I'm starting to need fringe on everything. "80s Vintage Dingo Leather Slouch Fringe Boots Black Like New Size 7"

"Giddy Up Vest"

Inspiration for new summer style direction:

Juliette Lewis/Mallory in Natural Born Killers

…aaaaaaaaand Lori Petty in Point Break and Tank Girl (the comics are so much better, BTW):

Also, I wanna buy Erin a ton of pretty vintage house dresses! So cute:

"American History Dress"

The Great Frog has some BAD-ASSSSS shit up their sleeves.  In love? Fuck yeah I am.  Now I just need to find a man that could buy me these things. haa Everything is epic. In the jewelry department, this is what I’ve been looking for, for so fucking long. FINALLLLY. Someone got it right.  There’s so much to look at and everything is bomb shit. It’s like Odyn Vok or The Cast; you can’t seem to pick one favorite thing from them, everything is goood.  Finding this made my day, maybe my month.

All of these are fucking rad. The bracelet of the bones with the skulls to hook through, and then lucifer bracelet, DAMN.  And they got 13 (my lucky/favorite number) on one of their rings. I recommend clicking the images for a better look.  I would get my ears pierced just for those skull & bones earrings. (yeah, my ears aren’t pierced)  So those of you who haven’t gotten me my birthday present yet (3.13), this is always an option…

It takes a special someone to go for two of these puppies on the same hand and Jimmy Carton is that one. On his middle finger is the real deal—a silver pirate’s ring from the 1800’s. Ruby eyes, of course. On the pointer finger, a 24K gold cast of the same ring. The baby blues are star sapphires.

The original was procured by a Czech refugee by the name of Steve who brought it to his home in Negril, Jamaica. Steve had a gold cast made by Canadian jeweler friend, Yan, and gifted the genuine silver skull to his pal and mine, Jimmy. All this went down back in the late 1970’s in a castle on the cliffs of Negril that looks like this:

Years later the gold ring made its way back to the side of the silver original. Does Jimmy choose to wear just one at a time? NO. Does he rock them one to each hand? NO. A finger’s space apart? NOT EVEN. This was meant to be.

whitetrashcharms

Dead Ringer, designer of fine & funky custom made skull rings, dragon rings and Celtica, sent out their e-letter this week announcing a price increase effective Friday, June 13th and the opportunity to score a one-of-a-kind piece while the prices are still at 2005 levels. Skull ring aficionados must visit the website – their skulls are many, varied and awesome, ya hear me? Examples:

Mark and Steve designed a dragon ring for me last year that I still LUV and wear every day. The style I had chosen was too bulky for my ring size so they came up with this:

Notice the beautiful hand-made wooden box the ring came in. The mermaid was free-hand burned into the wood by Steve specially as a happy surprise for me. I was Traveling Mermaid at the time. Click that link to see more pix of the ring and a post about New Zealand, where DR is located.

I’ve been seriously jonesing for their Celtic cross for about a year now. Maybe now’s the time to scratch that itch.