FFWD Weekly
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by FFWD StaffRetro Revamp: a guide to folk art
Some people have such a unique sense of style that you can’t help but respect and admire it even if you don’t find it appealing.
In Retro Revamp: Funky Projects, from Handbags to Housewares (Chronicle), author Jennifer Knapp exhibits a bizarre taste in accessories and home decor that incorporates everything you’d expect to find at thrift stores, garage sales and junk boutiques – from bottlecaps to salt and pepper shakers to pulp fiction novels to her grandma’s hankies.
In fact, her grandmother was one of her primary influences, as indicated in her revealing acknowledgments: "Thanks to my grandmother Alice for teaching me that every surface should be decorated, to my parents for encouraging that sort of behaviour, to Aaron for putting up with it, and to Astro for wearing embarrassing dog collars with flair."
Retro Vamp is a complete guide to the craft of folk art, which Knapp fears is dying. The book includes step-by-step instructions on how to turn abandoned and seemingly useless objects like an old bicycle basket or used T-shirts into special treasures like flower pots and quilts – and it is filled with colour photos of the results.
It may not be your preferred style, but you have to admit, it’s interesting and inspirational.
Web Watch
At some point in every man’s life he has to put away the cargo pants and sneakers and face a harsh reality: it’s time to strap on a tie.
But if only it was as simple as a ribbon of silk. First there’s the decision about solids or stripes. Then there are choices to be made about a shirts, jackets and pants – and what about shoes and socks! The opportunity to make an ass of oneself seems endless.
For those men who are fashion illiterate, A Man’s Life has a site devoted to dressing you. Written by clothes editor Andy Gilchrist, it provides extensive, no-nonsense explanations – from how to tie a tie to picking a blazer to what (and what not) to wear to a job interview. The site also has dozens of links to other resources, such as shoe care and shopping. www.manslife.com
Free Stuff
We've got two pairs of tickets to Theatre Junction’s production of The Play's The Thing by Ferenc Molnar (playing until April 22). To win, be one of the first two people to phone 244-2235 between 9 a.m. and 9:05 a.m. on Friday – you must reach the receptionist, no voice mail accepted.
Enter to win one of 10 copies of Supergrass's new self-titled CD. You can have a copy in your hands by this Tuesday, but you've got to act fast. See ad for details.
Win a double guest pass to the Calgary premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s new film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, on Wednesday, April 5 at the Plaza Theatre in Kensington. Ghost Dog stars Forest Whitaker in a gangster film with a cross-cultural fusion of Eastern philosophy and hip hop music. See ad for details.
Enter to win one of 10 tickets to the world premiere of KRANKED III: Ride Against the Machine. This film, playing at The Uptown, will take all of you mountain bike enthusiasts on an extreme ride across the world. Send an e-mail to us at ffwd@greatwest.ca before noon on April 3. Winners will be contacted by phone.
We have two pairs of tickets to Go for Baroque, presented by the Foothills Brass, on Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m. at the Rozsa Centre (U of C). To win, be one of the first two people to drop by the office after 10 a.m. on Friday with a food bank donation.
Free stuff can be picked up on Friday unless otherwise noted. There will be one item per person, and only those who have not won in the past four weeks (excluding movie passes) are eligible. Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
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