Yet More Tokyo Goodies

And the goodies keep on coming ! We have said before how good the Japanese are at merchandising their stores, and these next few photo's show you how they set their products up, so they become more of a lifestyle. They have this ability to mix and mingle, which works to show the products on sale in the best possible light.  

How to make a toothbrush cute !  

Soft Toys become little families :

Gomez : Natural Reaction

Gomez have been a favourite band for years, and how we have not featured them already on here beats me ! Their last two albums - How We Operate and A New Tide were a revelation and a peak in their career. This track is Natural Reaction :

Looks like they have a new CD out called Whatever's On Your Mind, so we will check that out this week. They are a band that surprise you with each new album, always trying out new avenues and directions, which can be a risky path but they have a knack of winning you over each time. Fingers crossed !

More Tokyo Goodies

There are always lots of new toys and gifts in the stores in Tokyo. Life is not all Nintendo and Gameboy in Japan, they love the cute and the quirky, and their attention to detail is second to none. Here are some of the goodies that were on offer in Tokyo when we were there earlier this year :

The friendly staff in the stores think nothing of gift wrapping your purchase, and it's usually done very quickly and neatly. One store we went in even gift wrapped pencils, and they did it in under 10 seconds !  

Asbury Park & The Stone Pony

It was a big thrill to go to Asbury Park, even though a lot of it is shut down now and the main buildings  are not quite derelict, but certainly needing renovation ! In amongst these relics from the past, the Stone Pony survives, and looks like it is thriving with bands playing pretty much every night. This is the place that the East Street Band, and South Side Johnny and the Asbury Dukes made their names. On a rainy May afternoon it was great to be able to step inside the Stone Pony, see all the photo's, the stage and the bar. It's little bit of rock history, and it would have been great to have been there one night when the East Street Band played  :

The Lovely Bones

It seems a lot of the film critics did not like The Lovely Bones, but not having read the book, it's turned out to be a movie we have seen three times now! It is both a disturbing and sad movie, but it is totally enlightened by some amazing photography, and Peter Jackson's direction. There is one point in the movie where Suzie Salmon is in a huge field of corn, and all the others that have been murdered are all coming together under a large tree. At this point the Song to the Siren drifts into the scene, a perfect song for that moment in the film :  

Tim Buckley

This Mortal Coil

Tim Buckley wrote the song, but This Mortal Coil's version was used in the movie. Both versions are amazing but it would be great to hear which one you prefer, and why ! 

Palais Sebban in Magical Marrakech

The Palais Sebban is a Riad Hotel in the Medina part of Marrakech. The meaning of a Riad in Morocco is a family home with an interior garden, and this one must have been owned by a very wealthy family! It actually takes your breath away when you see all the high arches, the open galleries that reach right up to the glass ceiling, and the amazing colours and craftmanship. It is really hard to describe the amazing interior, so we will let the pictures do the talking :

These are just a few photo's, the internet is so unreliable here we will not be posting anymore until we return on the 23rd of June. See you then  !

James ... For The Weekend !

We are in Marrakech at the moment and the internet is not that great, online one minute, offline the next. It's been a while since we posted a track by James, this one is off the Laid CD, it's from a time when women were women, and men wore dresses ! You will have to check out the album cover of Laid to see what we mean :) !

Anthropologie Rockefeller Centre New York

The Anthropologie store at the Rockefeller Centre is totally different from the one on 5th Avenue. It has large modern windows which are perfect for the modern displays on show here. This area has all the top brand name flagship stores nearby, and some very smart restaurants and hotels too. Inside the store is still very Anthropologie, but is has that twist that suits the area perfectly. At the moment there is a big nautical and sealife theme going on :