Well, it looks like Ivyology has resorted to soft porn. I had no idea this was the direction I would go in, but do I have any complaints? Remember, the body is a beautiful thing! And of course, these images hold artistic value, too. I mean, do I have to have a reason for posting these? Besides the fact that they’re hot, sexy hunks of man meat? No, I didn’t think so either.

 

You can find more visual delights in the Men in their undies set in Flickr.

Big love,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 28th, 2008 | File Under Playtime | 5 Comments -

Okay, so I was a little bored today. I created a few Polyvore sets entirely based on famous female villains. And you know what I realised? There isn’t enough of them! Why are evil and cunning characters in movies and television male dominated? Does that reflect the real world? It’s an interesting conundrum! The villains below are some of my favourites, and some who just have a great sense of style.

 

Miranda Preistly from The Devil Wears Prada - You know, I haven’t actually seen this movie yet. Has anyone else seen it? Should I bother? I do like a woman who can rock white hair though. Her tailored outfits in red, white and black screams, ‘I’m the boss and I can fire you’! (Click here for product information.)

 

Miss Hannigan from Annie - God, I love this movie. The original 1982 version, that is. I used to watch it over and over again as a kid, so much so, that the tape’s picture quality would get worse and worse. Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan was hilarious. She would try to dress classy but her bottle of gin and feather boas just didn’t cut it. (Click here for product information.)

 

Ursula from The Little Mermaid - The ’sea witch’ may have taken poor Ariel’s voice away, but check out her threads! And did you know her character was based on the drag queen, Divine? How cool is that?! (Click here for product information.)

 

Cruella De Ville from One Hundred and One Dalmatians - Yes, the bitch wears fur coats and wants a Dalmatian puppy coat, but you have to admit, the lady oozes Hollywood glamour. She’s also inspired me to wear more turquoise and red. (Click here for product information.)

Baby Jane Hudson from What Ever Happened to Baby Jane - If you haven’t seen this classic thriller then hop to it! It’s definitely one of my favourite films in the whole wide world. Bette Davis plays a psychotic former child star who looks after her crippled sister (Joan Crawford). One of the most memorable scene is when Baby Jane serves her sister dinner - a dead rat. (Click here for product information.)

 

 

Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde - The notorious outlaws were famous for robbing gas stations and banks during the Great Depression. Sadly they were both shot dead when they were only in their 20’s. So many movies and plays, and even songs were dedicated to the two, and there’s even a Bonnie and Clyde Festival in Louisiana every year. (Click here for product information.)

So what I’ve learnt from these sets is; if you want to be a bad-ass villain, dye your hair white, wear lots of pearls, red and black, and wear the highest stilettos possible! Who are some other famous female villains?

Big love,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 27th, 2008 | File Under Fashion | 8 Comments -

I’m always looking for new and exciting forms of expressing one’s self. Whether it be in the form of art, speech or movement, it’s becoming easier and easier to find something that accommodates to your lifestyle, body and needs. I stumbled across Chakradance, which is a Western approach to expressing an Eastern philosophy. The focus is to align the chakras of the body through dance and movement, allowing the body to free restricted energy centres, purifying and cleansing the body, and generally making one feel rejuvenated, balanced, full of energy and stress-free.

In 1998, Natalie Southgate, a dancer and psychologist, developed Chakradance with the aim to connect the body with the mind and soul. To fully grasp the concept, it’s best we briefly look into what chakras are. It’s the idea that the body is made up of seven major energy centres; the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root (or base) chakra, which are each linked to organs and glands in the body. (To get a good indication of where each one is located, check this out.) It is believed that when one or more chakras are blocked, the energy is distributed unevenly through the body (or not distributed at all) which can cause serious ailments and stress in all avenues of life. It is also believed that certain pitches and beats in music can harness certain energy centres. Have you ever had the absolute need to stomp your feet to a certain tune? It’s because that music contained a frequency which resonates with your root chakra. As your body responds, moving to the rhythm of each particular chakra’s music, different emotions may surface. If you concentrate enough, you can feel that energy swirling around which leads you to shake your thang! It makes a lot of sense, especially when you think about dancers and performers who say they feel like they’re on a ‘high’ after their routine. It’s because they’re allowing their chakras to open up and distribute the energy throughout their entire body.

Chakradance works in a similar sense. Participants dance from the inside out and the music is the key to harnessing the energy. On one level, participants can use their imaginations, work up a sweat, get fit by working on their physical body, and on a deeper level, they go through a process of healing and balancing their etheric body. It allows one to express long-blocked emotions while opening ourselves to a spiritual dimension which some of us never thought existed. It’s a therapeutic, empowering journey of self-discovery, all occurring by listening to your body.

Meditation, yoga, and a lot of other resources can act as outlets to align your chakras too, but what’s great about Chakradance is that you’re also getting a cardio workout where there are no rules concerning movement. You can do it with your eyes closed in a dark room. You can be any age, fitness level and you don’t need any sort of experience. Some find it as a great stress reliever, an outlet to be themselves after a long day at work and some find it as a new path to spiritual awakening. Either way, there’s a lot to gain and nothing to lose!

You can find Chakradance classes in Australia at this link, or the Chakradance CD is available from all good record stores or online at www.chakradance.com.

Big love,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 26th, 2008 | File Under Advice, Playtime | 3 Comments -

We had the Pretty Pink Picnic on Sunday! I have to say - it was incredible! We had such a lovely time in the Fitzroy Gardens, on the grass, and the gods were shining down on us with streams of sunlight (which is rare for this time of the year!). Everyone made an effort to wear pink and even bring pink coloured foods!

As I was setting up base, laying down some blankets, a few metres away were about 20 Japanese tourists taking photos of Captain Cook’s Cottage. I’m not sure if it was my pink hair or my charmingly good looks (ha!), but one of them approached me for a photo. I’m thinking, ‘oh, weird, but okay, I’ll have a photo with her’. Then another tourist taps my shoulder, and without asking, snaps a photo of him and I. Then another, then another, until I accumulated a large crowd and was having group shots! It was quite funny.

But then as people arrived, we broke the ice with get-to-know-you games (and yummy prizes), drank champagne and wine, ate the most delicious cupcakes from Sugadeaux, laughed over stories about strippers and even chased balloons. By the end of the day we all left rather tipsy and on a sugar high! (A definite sign of a good time.) I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of ladies, they were truly delightful (and well dressed!).

Thank you to everyone who came, it was so pleasant to have made some new chums! And a big big thank you to the spunky Antonia for having the idea in the first place! She even donated $5 per person to breast cancer Pink Ribbon Day! She should definitely be a professional event planner. It was such a success, so much so, we’re already talking about having another one. This time we’re thinking burlesque shows, boat cruises and karaoke! So stay tuned, Melbournites.

Big love & pink balloons,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 25th, 2008 | File Under Mixed Bag | 13 Comments -

I’ve found a few interesting article, sites and general silliness on the net, and so I thought I’d share them with you all. They’re not enough to write whole articles on, but they’re good enough to share! So, here are some funky links for you to browse through over the weekend.

Don’t you love those candy hearts? The ones which usually say ‘I love you’ or ‘be mine’? Well, here’s a Candy Heart generator where you can write all sorts of things for your loved ones. You can also switch from ‘love mode’ to ‘gothic mode’ and make some dark hearts. Here are some of mine in the ‘love mode’:

Ever wondered what ‘IIRC’ or ‘AFK’ or ‘FTW’ means? There’s this cool list of commonly used acronyms that you must check out! They’re everywhere, so you may as well get an understanding of what people are on about. And while we’re talking about languages/vocabulary, check out ClichéSite.com and the Urban Dictionary to brush up on your slang.

Milk Myths looks at the so-called benefits of drinking milk. Is it all what it’s cracked up to be? It’s a fascinating read which may have you questioning your calcium intake.

Have you heard of the ‘one red paperclip’ guy? He turned one paperclip into a double-story house! Check out how he did it here. It’ll probably have you wondering how on earth you can do it too.

My favourite astrologer, Stella Starwoman, offers a free ppersonalised 20-page birth chart (which is normally worth $40!) for everyone who signs up for her newsletter. And don’t worry, she doesn’t send you spam emails! The reports are in depth and quite eerie. Check it, yo.

A while ago, the lovely Cedar of Indulgences (and Girl Wanders!) talked about Tumblr. It’s a site where you can create a collage of inspirational images, videos, websites, songs or quotes that you find while browsing the net. You just click ’share on Tumblr’ whenever you find something you like, and it automatically adds it to your page. Here’s mine to give you an idea of what I’m on about.

Have you ever had a dream to make your own t-shirts, but didn’t know how to print them? Printfection allows you to upload your design which can then be printed on t-shirts, bags, aprons, coasters and even mousepads! You can even open up your own store through the site. Handy for entrepreneurs.

666photography has some amazing pin-up photos! And when I say amazing, I mean amazing! Seriously, their images are perfect, and you can even purchase some prints if they tickle your fancy.

I don’t know about you, but I’m an information nerd. Check out On This Day to find out what happened on this day in history!

There’s oodles and oodles of links to funky text and image generators in The Generator Blog. From putting your mug on a dollar bill, to putting it in an art gallery. It’s a never-ending resource for graphic addicts.

The super-talented Iris of ilovegerado posts video tutorials on how to get authentic vintage hair-dos. Once you start watching her videos, you can’t stop!

Oh! And a reminder! The Pretty Pink Picnic is happening this Sunday! So don’t be shy, bring your butt along and share cupcakes and champagne with us! It’s gonna be ace. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Big love,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 22nd, 2008 | File Under Mixed Bag | 6 Comments -

Ohh, isn’t this such a devious method of woo’ing a man?! I love it. Bring it on, I say! As you may know, the well-worn pick-up line, “what’s your sign?”, has kind of faded away since the 1960’s. Which is a shame, because this essential piece of information can help recognise a person’s goals, values, what qualities they seek in a lover and even how well they perform in the bedroom! Why would anyone not want to know that?! I’ve written this article for females seeking males, but you can, of course, just switch around the “his” with “her” if needed - it’s all relevant! So let’s take a peek at how each star sign shapes up.

 

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

At his best: original, clever, genius, curious, humanitarian, independent.

At his worst: aloof, unreliable, eccentric, hot and cold, detached, unpredictable.

Famous Aquarians: John Travolta, Robbie Williams, John McEnroe, Christian Dior, Alice Cooper.

Sex is: unpredictable, spontaneous, different, cerebral.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be glamourous and intriguing, a good friend and listener, be fun, clever and intelligent. They have an attraction to partners with interesting, unconventional minds and bodies.

DON’T: be materialistic and greedy, be possessive and jealous, be rigid, narrow-minded and uncultured.

 

 

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

At his best: charming, kind, selfless, sympathetic, idealistic, romantic, intuitive.

At his worst: dishonest, passive, naive, unstable, vague, escapist, weak-willed.

Famous Piscians: Dr. Suess, Bruce Willis, Sidney Poitier, George Harrison, Michaelangelo.

Sex is: magical, tender, spiritual, emotional.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: keep him intrigued, be strong when necessary, enjoy romance and games, maintain a secret side. They need to be needed, so make them feel important and loved.

DON’T: be cold and ruthless, be unimaginative, be hard and cynical, be too intellectual.

 

 

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

At his best: energetic, assertive, passionate, adventurous, courageous, quick-witted, dynamic.

At his worst: egocentric, belligerent, naive, selfish, impulsive, quick-tempered and a bit of a daredevil.

Famous Arians: Russell Crow, Hugh Hefner, Spike Lee, MC Hammer, Warren Beaty.

Sex is: fierce, passionate, quick, frequent, enthusiastic, adventurous.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: show your feminine nature and assets (yeah, those assets), be stimulating - physically and intellectually, know how to be an effective flirt - but only for him! Be romantic and passionate and sexy all at once.

DON’T: be too strong or bossy, be slow or boring, come off as frigid or cold, be pessimistic or critical.

 

 

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)

At his best: warmhearted, determined, sensual, affectionate, devoted, placid, solid.

At his worst: possessive, jealous, self-indulgent, resentful, materialistic, greedy.

Famous Taurians: Tony Blair, Billy Joel,Jack Nicholson, Leonardo da Vinci, Stevie Wonder.

Sex is: slow, sensual, down-to-earth, straightforward, physical.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be feminine and sensual, be loyal and devoted, be affectionate and loving, be good with money.

DON’T: be flighty or frivolous, be cold or aloof, be too intellectual or abstract, be unstable or flaky.

 

 

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

At his best: intelligent, curious, adaptable, quick-witted, youthful, lively.

At his worst: frivolous, superficial, cunning, tense, two-faced, insecure.

Famous Geminis: Mike Meyers, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Tom Jones, Johnny Depp.

Sex is: quick, varied, versatile.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: have an email address and a mobile phone (they love communication!), have lots of interests and hobbies, be ready for last minute plans (and adaptable with changing ones), be intellectually stimulating.

DON’T: be possessive and jealous, be boring and slow, too emotional and clingy, be uneducated or unread.

 

 

CANCER (June 22 - July 23)

At his best: imaginative, intuitive, emotional, sensitive, protective, shrewd.

At his worst: moody, clingy, changeable, egocentric, negative, secretive.

Famous Cancerians: Tom Cruise, George Bush (oh, how sexy…), Giorgio Armani, Mike Tyson, Bill Cosby.

Sex is: emotional, tender, nocturnal.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be sincere and true, be strong but caring, be physically affectionate, enjoy home and cooking, be understanding and allow them time for solitude.

DON’T: criticise or nag him, demand logic at all times, be too active and independent, be heartless and cold.

 

 

LEO (July 24 - August 23)

At his best: generous, faithful, dignified, noble, creative, affectionate.

At his worst: egocentric, vain, proud, domineering, intolerant, dogmatic.

Famous Leos: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mick Jagger, Aldous Huxley, Yves St. Laurent, Andy Warhol.

Sex is: passionate, ardent, noble, frequent, fun.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: have a great sense of style, know how to make others admire you, appreciate the arts, have a taste for the finer things and being good with children is a bonus!

DON’T: be petty or small, be frigid or cold, treat him with disrespect, challenge his authority beyond reason or shatter his ego.

 

 

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)

At his best: practical, discriminating, analytical, logical, modest, reliable, diligent.

At his worst: critical, anxious, harsh, fussy, cheap.

Famous Virgos: Richard Gere, Michael Jackson, Prince Harry, River Phoenix, Otis Redding.

Sex is: clean, technical, safe, good, slow.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be clean and hygienic, have self-confidence, have a sparkling personality, set up ambitious (but not foolish) goals, and allow them time to open up.

DON’T: talk or behave in a vulgar way, smoke, drink too much, demand PDAs (public displays of affection), criticise him (that’s his department!).

 

 

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)

At his best: charming, diplomatic, romantic, sociable, peaceful, aesthetic, refined.

At his worst: gullible, flirtatious, superficial, hesitant, indecisive, vain.

Famous Librans: Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Moon Zappa, Sting, Bob Geldolf.

Sex is: fine, romantic, complete (I think I need a Libran lover!).

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be well-groomed, be feminine and classy, be sociable and fun, smile, be a reasonably fair person. They prefer to be pursued, rather then pursue. The more attention they get, the happier they are.

DON’T: be vulgar and rude, be unfit and sloppy (in private or public) have a screechy or whiny voice, be overly emotional or irrational.

 

 

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)

At his best: intense, magnetic, profound, loyal, exciting, powerful.

At his worst: extreme, secretive, jealous, possessive, resentful.

Famous Scorpians: Leonardo DiCaprio, Pablo Picasso, Prince Charles, Bill Gates (what a sexy mofo Bill is), Martin Scorsese (and me! Haha).

Sex is: intense, passionate, dangerous, consuming, tender.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be slightly provocative, be complex and intriguing, be able to hold his unwavered gaze, give him reason to trust you.

DON’T: be frigid and cold, be superficial and boastful, be too direct and frank, be untouchable - emotionally or physically, be aloof, and unnecessarily probe with questions.

 

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)

At his best: adventurous, optimistic, carefree, lucky, honest, jovial.

At his worst: risk-taking, naive, irresponsible, idealistic, tactless.

Famous Sagittarians: Brad Pitt, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Jimi Hendrix (hot), Bruce Lee.

Sex is: fun, lively, enthusiastic, casual.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be challenging and stimulating, have some interesting life experiences, enjoy travel, especially to exotic far-away places, be spontaneous and ready for adventure at any moment.

DON’T: press for commitment, be possessive and clingy, put out his fire with cynical thinking, be narrow-minded or judgemental.

 

 

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)

At his best: patient, ambitious, humourous, mature, hardworking, persevering.

At his worst: pessimistic, slow, inhibited, stiff, narrow-minded.

Famous Capricornians: Mel Gibson, Jude Law, Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, David Bowie.

Sex is: conservative, earthy, slow, good.

FOR A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

DO: be motivated and ambitious, know your etiquette, be affectionate and loving, show him you are hardworking.

DON’T: be overly sentimental, be self-pitying, waste time and money, be irresponsible and careless.

 

And just remember, lovelies, that these tips don’t just stop here. Not everyone falls into one of twelve categories - we’re individuals! I’m always adamant to remind people of someones entire astrological birth chart, especially their moon sign, and even the nature versus nurture factor. So even though these seduction tips do have truth to them, ultimately, it’s all a bit of naughty fun.

So do any of the traits ring any bells? Does your lover share any of the above traits? Or can you relate to any of the traits?

Big love,

Ivy

xx

Photos courtesy of Astrology Weekly!

Ivyology on August 21st, 2008 | File Under Advice, Playtime | 5 Comments -

1. La goutte au nez, 2. SOB NOSSOS PÉS, 3. 215/365 chocoholic, 4. 1030 calories…

Hello, lovelies! Here are this week’s tips to get you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, while also kick starting your noggin!

Choose your chocolate wisely - “When people eat chocolate, they are eating my flesh” - Drissa, a child slave in Côte d’Ivoire. Okay, if that quote didn’t make you concerned, then you have no soul! Just joking. But seriously, do you consider where your chocolate comes from? How does the idea of eating chocolate made by child slaves sound to you? According to Slavery, a BBC program by members of True Vision, thousands of children in Africa are stolen from their parents, being sent to the Ivory Coast and sold to cocoa farmers as slaves. Imagine working for 18 hours a day, unpaid and being beaten if you don’t comply. This is exactly what is happening to them, and even though slavery is illegal in all countries, they have no way of escaping.
So what can you do about it? Well, choosing your chocolate wisely is the best move. Fair Trade always guarantee you A-grade, 100% ethical chocolate. You should also visit Slave-Free Chocolate and scroll down to have a look at the chart which compares brands. You’ll be surprised at the results and I’m sure you’ll look at your next chocolate bar with your head and not your stomach!

Avoid electrical appliances - I don’t know about you, but my kitchen is stocked with handheld appliances. There’s something gratifying in manually beating eggs or cream, not only because I find the 50’s fun to re-live (or that I develop a strong right arm!), but because I’m saving energy and money. There are so many unnecessary appliances out there, like sandwich makers, popcorn makers or electric can openers, and they cost your country millions of dollars in wasted electricity. Just something to consider the next time you whip up a storm!

Customise your own commandments - To get an idea of what’s important to you and what you think is vital and needed for our planet, try and come up with your own set of commandments. It’ll be a list to keep you in check and remind yourself of your own beliefs and morals. Here’s a few contemporary commandments to get you started:

1. Preserve your health for old age.
2. Choose work that is life-enhancing.
3. Resolve disputes without resorted to violence and name-calling.
4. Refrain from acts that seriously impinge on the well-being of others.
5. Preserve the beauty and diversity of our planet for future generations.
6. Thou shalt not wear flip-flops and socks - just kiddin’!

What would be one of your personal commandments?

Big love & squishy hugs,

Ivy

xx

Ivyology on August 19th, 2008 | File Under Save The World | 5 Comments -