Under-estimate the girl

Kate Nash has set out to channel the riot-grrrl scene (think Hole or Bikini Kill), but kinda ends up sounding like the tantrums my sister used to throw when we were younger.


Verdict's still out on this one. I love that Nash is making more music, I lover her creativity, I'm just not convinced this is for me.  I am fascinated with the half n half blonde / brunette look she's working though.


"So the other night I was stressin out and we’d just finished rehearsing and I was like ARGHGHHGHGH I need to write a song and release something and do something creative instead of breaking all my stuff that i own." 


Kinda shows.  Under-estimate The Girl is a galloping skip and a massive jump from 2007's Foundations.  If you've kept an eye on what Nash has been up to over the last couple of years this won't come as too much of a surprise. 

"Seems like people have gone bat shit crazy over this. It’s pretty interesting to watch. It’s funny, exciting, kind of thrilling, and sometimes a bit sad... 

I believe it is important to push boundaries, to try new things, and not to re-create. Art and humans alike are supposed to grow and change. Jeez if I was still the same person I was when I was 16 that would be fucking shit! And the same goes for everyone. And if I’m the same person I am now in 6 years that will be shit too... 

It’s funny how a woman is slayed for expressing anger. I must be hysteric. PMSING HARDCORE. trying to be punk. How about I’m just sick of crap uninspired chart music, bullies and sexism. I’ve been hurt and I’m angry and playing bass and shouting about it makes me feel better. That’s all it is. And if that freaks people out then good."

Love her.

Britomart Cafes reboot my blog

Remember that time I hit the reboot button on my blog, but neglected it for the best part of three months? Yeah.. whoops.

In the last week, I've picked up my opinionated pen for Menus.co.nz and jotted down some thoughts regarding coffee in Auckland's Britomart district. Have a read:

(Photo by Michael CY Park)

Britomart Cafes

Consider yourself a bona fide coffee-snob? Rejoice! Auckland’s Britomart is set to spoil you for choice. It’s the precinct to be seen in: accountants, fashionistas and lawyers alike but, you need to be seen with a cup of quality “joe” in hand. If proof were needed that Aucklanders take their coffee seriously, then Britomart is it.

Before you head off to explore this bustling area, make sure you do your café homework. We recommend checking out these popular coffee spots -

Quay Street Café 

Whether you’re after a caffeine fix, a midday vino or a freshly squeezed juice – get yourself to Quay Street Café. This spacious, contemporary café caters to all.

Their passion for fresh, seasonal produce is reflected in their modest, but regularly revived menu and the coffee is simply superb.

Fun fact: The massive windows make for great people watching!

 

Shaky Isles

Holding true to its Kingsland cousin, Britomart’s Shaky Isles offers strong coffee and great food set to a background of cheeky cartoon characters.

The enticing menu boasts the legendary Shaky Burger, old-style crumpets and a tasty array of cabinet treats.

Fun fact: There’s even free wi-fi, so you can check-in and entice your friends downtown to join you!

One of the cutesy critters you can find at Shaky Isles.  (Image via their website)

Espresso Workshop

An extension of the popular Epsom café, the Britomart venture continues the brand’s dedication to the art of great coffee.

There’s an extensive stock of specialty coffees for you try, great for the adventurous coffee connoisseurs. And it’d be a crime not to mention the cabinet offerings – do yourself a favour, try the egg roll.

Fun fact: Espresso Workshop is managed by David Huang, two-time Auckland Barista Champion. We dare you to find a cup of coffee.


Precinct Café

The new kid on the Britomart block, Precinct’s stated mission is to deliver the “best paper bag lunch in town”. No complaints here, the café over delivers on that promise.

Bagels bursting with flavour, pressed pides and exotic Tuscan schiachiatta flatbread sandwiches await. There’s even a great line of healthy, lighter food; including sashimi rice noodles and mixed grain quinoa salad.

Naturally, they serve top notch coffee as well. Perfect for lunch on the go! Check out their full menu to see for yourself.

Fun fact: Schiachiatta, literally means “flattened” in Italian, and is pronounced skee-ach-iata.

SO MANY TASTY TREATS! (Photo via L'Assiette)

L’Assiette

Tucked around the corner by Les Mills, sits L’Assiette, showcasing the very best of modern French cooking.

The menu reads like an authentic pastry dictionary – pain au chocolat, croissants, pain au raisin, pomme chausson and the current craze, the beloved macaron. There’s also tapas and classic bistro meals like steak frites, croque monsieur and Salade Nicoise for those with a more savoury palate.

Fun fact: Worried you’ll miss out after the mid-morning rush? Fear not, these tasty treats are baked fresh throughout the day by top French pasty chef Guillaume Nicoli! Sacré bleu!

Where did neat stuFF go?

Nowhere, it's just evolved.

I launched neat stuFF with laura jane in April 2010 on Blogger, sharing snippets of my thoughts, favourite photos, videos and longer "feature" pieces. But by September 2011 I realised I'd become image rich, content poor. I had plenty of "neat stuFF" to share; photos, illustrations etc - I just didn't want to talk about them. So, I converted to Tumblr, the platform I'd long insisted was for the "lazy blogger". The image based publisher allowed me to quickly post pictures, videos and cool snippets I'd come across - it was exactly what I was after.

Six months on and I'm unsettled again. Don't get me wrong, Tumblr's great, it's just not enough. I've lost my blog's voice. I'm no longer the "babbling blogger" my Twitter claims. In an off the cuff conversation with my flatmate, it became pretty clear the neat stuFF required some rebranding.

For one, neat stuFF with blah blah blah was too long for a blog title. My friends, family, boss, boyfriend all struggle to recall what my blog's called. Fail on my part. Call it a rookie mistake. New name required.

I also decided I didn't want to have to move my blog again (and lose all my posts!), I wanted to keep my Tumblr alive, on the side as a place to scrapbook all my cat gifs and such. Hardly a ground-breaking decision, but it will require more work on my part to regularly maintain two blogs.

I'm now posting under the blog name "chalkboard girl", with a new Blogger blog (hello, you're on it) and have renamed my Tumblr to match. There's no .com to brag of yet, but it'll be in the works. And I'll link them up all fancy like too, eventually.

The only thing I'm struggling with now is my Facebook Page. The powers that be at Facebook HQ won't allow you to change your page name if you have over 100 "fans/likes/etc". You win some, you lose some. And I for one don't want to lose the 229 people who have very graciously clicked "LIKE"! So, until Facebook plays catch up with their users needs, I'll be posting my favourite pics, pieces and what not to the page, manually. Joy!

I'm pretty excited, still playing around with this design layout (suggestions welcome), and I even updated my email signature. So, that's me for now. Working on a post about my hesitation towards Lana Del Rey. Haters gon hate.

Until then,

(the blogger formerly known as the girl with neat stuFF)