Kari Langslet: Life of a [former] NOMAD and [permanent] fashionista

SHOP BLITZ!

2011-01-27T18:11:00.001-08:00

Yay! The online shop is up.
Check it out here, or if you're a Truckee local, head into Dressed downtown!!!

AWESOME NEWS!

2011-01-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

I just got back from SoCal, had a meeting with the people at Magic/POOL, and they LOVED MY STUFF!
I'll be showing my collection next month!
So much work to do. I'll keep you posted!

Yikes!

2010-12-22T15:51:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted a blog in so long! I've been pretty busy working on my line Blitz Couture, which takes a huge chunk of time. Definitely learning a lot!

My line was supposed to launch this week, but there have been several major setbacks. Things [finally!] look to be coming together though, so I expect a launch in maybe two weeks. The website will be up soon as well. Get ready for second skin, painted on leggings in a variety of patterns and fabrics, men's flannels with secret pockets, girls flannel hoodies, and a bunch of super hot, super tight bodycon dresses that hide NOTHING.

Haha, maybe lay off the cookies before you wear Blitz?
Unisex tshirts will be on the way as well.

I have also been working in Demos again at Northstar. The season started off with a gnarly 8 feet of snow, followed by heaps of rain and even more snow this past month.

Christmas is around the corner, along with some busy weeks, the Agenda tradeshow, and Magic [which hopefully I can get all my stuff together in time] in February.

yeeeeeeeee

Check it!

2010-11-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Some of the freshest biz-nasty to hit the streets!
JSLV

DO IT

London and Morocco

2010-11-26T07:35:00.001-08:00

It was a short trip, only two weeks, but amazing! I flew into London the day after Halloween, and luckily made it to Monica's before the evening tube strike took place.
On my second night, Monica, her roommate and I headed over to Brixton Academy to see the Black Keys.
All I have to say if that they were absolutely amazing, and even better live than their recordings.
My week in London was filled with TopShop [which, I think there was some sort of bomb threat or something of the like one day],
incredible vintage shopping on Brick Lane, and dinners with old friends.

Lightsaber on the Tube from Kari Langslet on Vimeo.

London is amazing.

I headed down to Morocco for a few days, landing in Marrakech on a bustling Monday evening. I was immediately greeted by swirls of smoke emanating from the hundreds of food stands as well as snake charmers, drummers, and women with henna syringes trying to make a few Dirham. The next two days were spent winding through the souks, discovering hidden treasures. I made some friends at the hostel and invited one of them to accompany me to the mellow Muslim beach town of Essaouira.

Marrakech via my Flip from Kari Langslet on Vimeo.

[bus to Essaouira]

Marrakech is absolutely nuts compared to Essaouira. The beach mentality isn't just a California thing. Essaouira still has the old school medieval charm and markets, but not to such a crazy extent. People seem well fed and happier in general, with only a couple dozen beggars compared to Marrakech's thousands.

One little Berber dude had some funky patchwork parachute pants out front, so we decided to humor him and check out his shop. Most of the shops have the same exact things, but this shop had stuff I've never seen before; amazing jewelry, carpets, and trinkets all handmade by the nomadic people of the Sahara. After drinking traditional mint tea and talking down about $500 worth of silver to $80, he invited us to make traditional tagine [a kind of stew] at his apartment the following night. Slightly apprehensive about leaving the medina to eat in a strange dude's apartment, but equally enticed to be immersed into the local culture, I brought a guy named Tyler from the hostel to Ahmed's shop the next day. After he bought a rug, and Nicole and I bought daggers, Tyler was also invited to traditional tagine at 6 o'clock.

The three of us met Ahmed at his shop before getting ingredients for dinner. Our host didn't seem to understand the concept of a vegetarian.
A:"You can pick whatever meat you like, we put it in."
N:"Oh, no meat for us, we don't eat it."
A:"Oh, okay, we put in chicken then."
N:"No, no chicken."
A:"No chicken? Then fish!"
N:"No, no meat! No animals!"
A:"Oh, so I put it in the middle, and you eat around it."
Us:"It doesn't work that way!"
We all laughed, and he was just confused. Anyways, the four of us threw in twenty dirham each, about two Euro, and walked to Ahmed's apartment for our feast.
Upon arriving at the apartment, we met our host's first roommate who has to be one of the most intelligent and witty people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Fluent in six different languages, with an extremely outgoing and likeable personality, he would be extremely successful in the world. Bill Gates successful. I mentioned this to him, and asked if he would ever want to leave Morocco. To this, he responded,
"My whole family is in my village. I am the only one who has left. But I am happy. Why would I leave if I am happy? I like my life."
This man, once again fluent in six languages [we know this because between the three of us we chatted in a mixture of English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Arabic, plus he speaks his Berber language which would actually make the total seven].
Their third roommate came home just in time for some pre-dinner jokes and conversation.
Then the feast began. This was literally the best tagine I have ever had. The best stew type dish I've ever had made for me. Ahmed brought out the tagine on a giant silver serving dish with a triangular top, and we all broke up bread [no forks] and dipped it in the pot. Dinner was followed by more conversation and several broken pomegranates for dessert.

After that, we thanked them and left.
Truly it was a pleasure.
After trekking back to Essaouira Hostel, I decided to go back to Marrakech the next day. For one, I had left the stuffed animal Knoblauch gave me, Franklin, at my last hostel and furthermore I didn't want to chance getting held up in the road construction and missing my afternoon flight. Before I left, I took Nicole to the port. It was as if we had stepped back in time. I couldn't believe that the boats they had still sailed. It was amazing.

After the port, a few of us walked around the markets and had lunch before I left.

Peeing Confessions in Essaouira from Kari Langslet on Vimeo.

Instead of taking the local bus back to Marrakech, not wanting to deal with four hours of creepy stares, i upgraded and paid 10 Euro for a van ride, which cut more than an hour off the travel time. This van, however, dropped me off really far away from the medina. I decided rather than pay for a cab, I would walk the 7+ kilometers to the hostel.
It was dark. I made it about halfway to the medina, and deciding it would be worth the five dollars to not get robbed, I succumbed to a cab ride. The cabby saw me walking, and when I told him where I was walking to, he said "You were going to WALK there?! You crazy!!!"
Yeah, it was a far walk.
Fifteen minutes later he dropped me on the outside of the medina, and five minutes later I was back at Equity Point. Starving and sweaty after the walk, I made my way back to the smokey food stalls and sat down for a peaceful couscous dinner and a liter of water. A British* guy sat down next to me, and we chatted for awhile before I asked him if he had booked a hostel yet, and took him to the front desk of Equity Point, the best hostel in Marrakech. [*He is British by blood and passport, but raised in Malaysia and lived in Asia the majority of his life].
The next morning, after a cup of the best orange juice in the world, I took the Brit to see where a good local hammam was. Women weren't allowed in until noon, and men were allowed morning and night. I decided to come back to the hammam before my flight, and we ventured off in search of the royal palaces.
The palace we went to was stunning. Yes, in ruins, but stunning. We ventured off the path and I crawled into a subterranean edifice, which turned out to be some tombs. This I know because after crawling into a hole and turning the light of my phone on, I discovered a coffin. The Brit jumped in another hole and found a giant black snake.
After running and jumping around this huge palace for an hour or so, we said goodbye and parted ways.

Off to the hammam.
This was my favorite part from the last time I was in Morocco. This hammam, a dark, no frills bath house not meant for tourists, is a place where the locals with no running water go to bathe. My Arabic and French limited, and their English and Spanish nonexistent, we somehow managed to communicate that I wanted a bath, exfoliation, and a massage.
A tiny Muslim woman with stern yet kind eyes approached me, and ordered me to take off my clothes. She then escorted me into a dark room, with the only light coming from a tiny whole in the domed ceiling.
She scrutinized my piercings and tattoo in wonder, getting up beyond close to examine. She then tsked me on not exfoliating much, asked me in french if I was married and what it was like in California. She laughed at my Arabic, but was grateful that at least I had tried to learn a little. My few Arabic words were more than the English she knew, which makes me want to learn Arabic even more.
After the bath, the little woman accompanied me to another room while I changed. Amazed that I could get into a pair of painted on skinnies so easily, and moreover wondering why on earth I would want to, I demonstrated the amazing properties of spandex by letting her pull on the fabric and doing a series of high kicks and cheerleader jumps. Needless to say, she was impressed by stretch denim.
After this, it was time to go. I met up with a few guys I had met before Essaouira, chatted, and walked with them. Declining a lunch offer, I told a cabby to take me to the airport for 80 dirham. He wanted over 100. I said, "I can just take the bus for 20!" He agreed on 80, and, knowing I had 100, went and got change for me from a gas station. The cabby was nice, but ran into a guy and his lady on a motorbike. A lot of sorries and praise Allah's later, we were on our way. That was literally the third collision I had witnessed that day. People are crazy drivers. He dropped me off, and I wished him a good life and jokingly scolded him on his driving skills. He laughed, and I walked into the airport.
As I remembered, the Menara airport used to be overrun by loads of adorable kittens. This, sadly, is no loner the case. I waited....and waited. Easyjet decided to delay my flight by a couple hours, and I ran into the boys from the hostel again. We sat and chatted, and my plane finally came.
I was happy to leave the airport, but sad to leave Morocco.
I'll go back someday.
I got into London near midnight, with 8 tube lines closed. I ran through the slew of drunks to try and catch the last central line train to Monica's. The tube smelled of liquor and unrealized dreams. The old man yelling about the movie Dirty Dancing and how he was proud to be British reeked of booze and stumbled around trying to serenade his audience.
As aforementioned, I love London.
A couple more days were spent perusing Brick Lane in absolute freezing temperatures; the kind of heavy, freezing cold that penetrates down to your bones and very being. I ate lunch at a vegan Bustaraunt,

packed my things, had dinner with friends, and left at 5 AM.
It was a good two weeks.
:)

Thanksgiving in October!!!

2010-10-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was Annie's annual Thanksgiving in October dinner. And, if I must say, this was the best one yet.
There were high levels of inappropriate behavior, middle school teachers, awesome food, and just plain shenanigans.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Thanksgiving in October from Kari Langslet on Vimeo.

Andy & Cate's last night, plus Suicidal Tendencies

2010-10-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Cate and Andy moved back to Oz [boo!], so a bunch of us went to Blue Coyote to say our farewells.

Conversations with Andy Lewis from Kari Langslet on Vimeo.

....and the next night, Shwickiepoo, Shark, Knobs, and I went to see Suicidal Tendencies.
The crowd sucked, but they played well. It was...different. I ended up having to go upstairs at the Knitting Factory to get away from all the assholes; only to be harassed by more. Oh well. Forty year old bros reliving their glory days pre unhappy marriages and dysfunctional children.

Shnow!

2010-10-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yup!
A little bit at mount rose, a week or two ago. And it's currently snowing right meow!
WINTER IS ON ITS WAYYYYYYY

Making Moves.

2010-10-18T22:39:00.001-07:00

While I plan on keeping my handmade couture line in Truckee, right now I'm shopping around for a US-based factory to produce my ready to wear stuff.
That's right, folks, I want to expand.

I've narrowed it down to a few factories that meet my criteria;
*MUST be located in the US
*Workers must get paid fair wage
*Workers have access to benefits
*Workers are overall content in the workplace

I want everything to be more than fair, even though that ups my production cost considerably. I Also want to contribute to our economy, as well as lowering impact on the environment [Initial shipping wouldn't be so far away].

I also plan on eventually starting a unisex organic cotton hoodie line, so keep your eyes open!

Right now I have to concentrate on sketching and pattern-making, so I have a full deal to present to whichever factory I pick.

Spread the work please! Thanks!

I WANT THESE

2010-10-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Iris van Herpen X united Black shoes
pleaseeee
Thanks.

Vegas, Coley's last night, New York/Jersey, and things

2010-10-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have been MIA on here lately, haven't I?
Well, I'll condense this as much as possible.

Vegas was heaps of fun! Monica flew in from London to celebrate her 25th birthday. Along with Monica, Larissa and Ashley Becker flew in! I hadn't seen Ashley since high school graduation....although I still remember her birthday [Feb 4th!]. A slew of Monica's other girlfriends came as well, which made for a pretty 'poppin'' weekend. The sun was hot, the pool crisp, and the dancing plenty.

I came back from Vegas in time for Coley's last night in Truckee before moving to Denver. It was pretty tame by that crew's standards, but nice to see everyone give her a swell farewell.

A day or two post-Coley Day, I hopped on a redeye to JFK. The guy next to me was beyond offensive. He insisted on taking up half my space, kicking aside my heels and handbag under the seat in front of me to make room for his obnoxious smelling feet. He then proceeded to slap me in the face with his jacket, and practically fall asleep on my shoulder all whilst snoring directly into my ear.
Needless to say, sleep didn't happen.
People, just because I'm tiny doesn't mean you have the right to invade my bubble.
Just sayin.'
Knoblauch picked me up from JFK at ass o'clock in the morning, and stole me back to Jersey [only to return to Manhattan hours later for Mood, the most awesome fabric store ever!]. I spent the week in and out of the city, with a combination of my friends and Knoblauch's friends. Zack, my roommate in Rome, even managed to escape from Maine to come for a visit! We walked all over the city, up in the city via Highline Park, and even found a vegan chocolatier/bakery that had the best damn cupcakes I have ever tasted in my life. And Earl Grey chocolates? What??

I've since been back for almost two weeks, trying to sort out my work station which is as of today finished! I can really start sewing again. Two days ago I made a "floodie," a flannel/hoodie combination, and posted it on Facebook. People seemed to dig it, and I even got texts about it, so yesterday I drove in a hellish storm with zero visibility to pick up 16 yards of flannel and all the accoutrements that go along with it.

And on a completely unrelated note, can I just say that Alexander McQueen's spring collection rocks my socks off?! Amazing! Even Herve Leger, who I already love, stepped it up a bit. Yeeeee!

Besides that, it has been storming up in truckee. There is SNOW in the mountains! Knoblauch and Tim went up to Mt. Rose today. I may go tomorrow and take some photos before making split pea soup with Ms. Zick.

Oh, and I'm going to India in 5 months. Stoked! London in three weeks, Morocco in four...

Some dresses available for purchase!

2010-09-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

I have a lot more coming, but figured I'd put a couple up. Great fall color combos. If color is your thing, don't worry; I'll be making some fun and funky-chic things.

I've been getting requests from boys for boys clothing, ie stretchy skinnies, hoodies, shirts and more. Would you be interested? Let me know!

I'll be sewing non-stop in October, but have to pause a bit for this month with Vegas and NYC coming up.

Testament, Megadeth, and Slayer!

2010-09-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

They KILLED it!
The best tour in years hit Arco Arena Wednesday night. Knoblauch, Swick, Shark, Goose, Glennie, Dilbeck and I drove together in Swick's car 'Henry."

Testament opened with so much energy, I headed straight for the pit and the 'Wall of Death.'

Megadeth was good as expected, and Slayer slaaaaaayed it!

I had been wanting to see a show like this since I was about 14 or 15, so it was a long time waiting.

Definitely worth it.
And I'm definitely covered in bruises and feel as though I've run a marathon and executed about 1,000 pushups.

Unfortunately my iphone had some issues and I may have lost all the photos....if they're recovered I will post them for sure.

EPIC.
Yes.

A few photos...

2010-08-31T15:52:00.001-07:00

of some of my creations! Once I have more I will post them to buy. All my dresses are super stretchy and comfy, with some pizazz here and there.
More to come!

Movies Dress

Strappy Date Dress

Patent leather bubble skirt and cut up vintage top.

Background;
I threw crayons on the poster-board and glued them down.
Shoes; Jeffrey Campbell, Steve Madden, MIA
Thigh highs; Frederick's of Hollywood, Leg Avenue
Sunnies; Sabre
PS! I forgot this style as well;

Going Well!

2010-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

So far, I'm killing it with my pattern making and samples. I thought there would be a little more trial and error, seeing as I haven't designed and sewn anything for awhile.

I'm still in need of a lot of supplies, but for now, pattern drafting is taking place on recycled Christmas wrapping paper.
Haha.

When I have enough sample styles done, and sort out what I like/don't like, I'll post pictures online. So far I have only gotten around to making bodycon dresses, faux leather bubble skirts, and lace trousers, but more will be in the works.

As for summer in Truckee, I've been working a lot and not able to enjoy it as much as I thought. I'm not even tan!
Haha.
I miss Europe and my friends as well.

Life, however, is still awesome and I'm really enjoying sewing again.

Las Vegas and New York to look forward to next month! Yeeee!!!!

Smashin' Fashion!

2010-08-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

The good news and the bad news....

The BAD NEWS:
I don't think I will be able to afford to go to London+mainland Europe in the fall.
This means no Brick Lane vintage, no Top Shop, and no Zara.

The GOOD NEWS:
Since I can't bring the fashion back from Europe, I'm going to make it.

Yes, I have decided to bring it back to my roots, my passion, and start designing and making clothing again. I have a brand spankin' new sewing machine, an xl bolt of muslin, paper, pens, and some free time after my hours get cut in two weeks.

I'm really exciting to be sewing again! Producing, creating!! After the usual trial and error period of making patterns and such, I will put some of my creations on my blog...maybe also in Dressed [downtown Truckee boutique]?

What to expect;
Passion, colors, tricot, cotton spandex, nylon blends, organic cotton, stretch denim and more....inspired by my world travels and deep love for Euro fashion.

PUMPED.

5:11 AM Random thought.

2010-08-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Life is false camera angles.

I don't know what the nuts I was thinking about in my half asleep daze, but I made sure to write this down.
Interesting.

The Knob's Barfday.

2010-08-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Epic!
A torrential downpour started, minuscule rivulets turning into raging rivers, so I got off work early to finish Jeff's ice cream cake [from scratch, vegan, and was a success!).

For dinner we went for Japanese at the Drunken Monkey. Annie came a little later, soaked to the bone. It was lovely.

After dinner we headed to my house for some ice cream cake and air hockey, followed by going to T Club with Shark and Swickiepoo.

It was quite a night.
I still haven't showered.
Here are some candids from Sunday night.

And I'm off to the pool!

Some faces...

2010-08-04T18:33:00.001-07:00

....I kinda like.

.

2010-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Life is temporary.
With that being said, how can anything be "permanent?"
Fluid, ever changing....
Everything else is trivial.
Mid 20's crisis officially OVER.

Pure Passion.

2010-08-03T08:41:00.001-07:00

Underoath KILLED it last night in Reno.
Inspired.

Bikes.

2010-07-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

A good day.
Truckee happenings.

DANE

Whitman.

2010-07-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

'I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars,
And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of the wren,
And the tree-toad is a chef-d'oeurve for the highest,
And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven,
And the narowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery,
And the cow crunching with depressed head surpasses any statue,
And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels...'

Love.

2010-07-31T12:11:00.001-07:00

Friends

2010-07-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ha!

2010-07-24T22:21:00.001-07:00

Ignore my weird face and necklace hanging from my boob....look to the far right!
bwahahahaha

Truckee Summer!

2010-07-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Oh man, have I been busy!

Being here for summer in Truckee, for the first time in at least five years, is simply epic. I've been working quite a bit in a mountain bike shop, even more than winter. I'm considering a night job to not only pay the bills, but fund my next adventure.

When I'm not working, I'm either kayaking Lake Tahoe, floating the Truckee River,

bbq-ing with friends, or enjoying the lovely events that my community puts on.
Tuesdays are Farmers' Market and Beat the Clock.

Wednesdays are 'Music in the Park.'

Thursdays are 'Truckee Thursdays' in which various shops, restaurants, and artists put up booths and throw a street fair.

I actually sell vintage and consignment goods in front of my friend Kait's awesome store, Dressed. Stop by!

Other than that, there's not too much to catch up on. I've just been enjoying the great California weather and hanging out with the people I love. The only place I have gone to was Roseville the other day, to snag a tank top at H&M and visit Miss Zick and Danny.

Anyways, here are a few more photos. I haven't been on the computer much [minus the slow hours at work] because the outdoors=wonderful. So don't fret, if I haven't kept in touch or done more than 'liked' a facebook status, I still love you [probably ;) ].

I'll update more often from now on, before I forget everything I've done!

Ciaoooooooo

Paris...

2010-06-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

[in which Annie joined].
Can't be bothered to write it all....I swear, I'll do a better job blogging this summer!!!

Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Naples

2010-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

...complete with an Illuminati church, and a flight through the Neverending story [minus Bastian].

Praja-a-Mare

2010-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

The Foot of the boot of Italy, in the state of Calabria.
BEAUTIFUL.
Stayed at a really cool hostel/ B&B [Onda Road] by my lonesome, but met some awesome people.
Definitely recommend it!!

25th Annual Torch Run

2010-06-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago, shortly after the birth of a beautiful daughter, my Mom created a run to raise funds for children with cancer. Today the Torch Run has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, and raised $400,000 this year alone.
Because of something my mother created, kids are in remission and able to run; some for the first time.
I'm very proud of my Mom.
Pictures!

Wow, I suck at blogging.

2010-05-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I have neglected my blog...I swear I will post pictures etc soon! I'll post stuff in a couple weeks when I get to LA.
Quick run down-
London was epic as always
It rained for a month
Escaped the rain for an awesome little town in Southern Italy [Praja-a-mare]
Hostels in Rome suck
Annie made it
Florence was mellow and fun
We picked up an Aussie trashbag metalhead named Mikki
We stole Mikki back to Rome
Then to Amalfi
Then to Naples
And we're taking here back to Rome tonight
I got the stomach flu or e. coli or something wretched
I need a shower
in desperate need of a washer
Threw away my white bikini after it got sand inGRAINed in the top
Threw away my sarong
saw a dog wearing black underwear
and a man have his head eaten by a fish...
waiting for Annie to get back from Pompeii so we can catch our train
RAD

Pictures from Deadmau5 [Brixton]

2010-05-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Miss Monica.
Going to add video to this blog when I have time [hopefully]

A Weekend in London...

2010-05-02T09:11:00.001-07:00

Glorious to be back!
However, it seems that everywhere I have gone recently has been attacked by torrential rain and/or hail.
This is definitely a rainy London weekend.
I got to London, and was positively knackered. Stayed up all day into the late night so that I wouldn't be jetlagged.
Friday I went to Covent Garden while Monica was at work, and meandered the flooded streets with a hot cuppa. I ended up buying a pair of jeans from Zara in a US size 2, which made me feel better about myself and the couple of pounds I'm sure I gained whilst in Orange County [oh, the lovely food!]
Friday night I texted a bunch of my friends to meet me at a random bar I found in Shoreditch, called Bar Kick. The bar was pretty cool; beer, foosball, and a good crowd. I'm terrible at foosball, so I lost one game and tied another. Kyle, Simmo and his two friends, Cam and his friend, Merrin and her friend, Larissa, and Monica and her two friends came.
We stayed until the wee hours, until we were kicked out. It was pouring. Walking definitely seemed not to be an option, so we ducked into a trendy student bar for a few more hours until the rain let up a bit. Well, the bar closed anyways. No idea what time we got out of there.

Saturday morning I kept it pretty mellow, because later I knew I'd be out super late. A preparty with some Ios trashbags at a really cool in Brixton [with all hipster babes as bartenders] called "Rest is Noise." I really liked this bar. Apparently they have some really good bands in all the time...Phoenix is playing in a few weeks so I might try to come back since I've missed them in California.
My Ios friends left the bar, so we went around the corner to one of Monica's friend's flats to hang out before hitting up the Deadmau5 show. Pretty tame, but good. We left there at around 11:30 PM, because we knew the lines would be long to get into Brixton Academy.
Soooo, Deadmau5.
Mixed feelings.
I have to say, this was the best damn show I have ever seen a DJ perform in my life. It was epic. Hours of nonstop, sweaty dancing to amazing beats.
HOWEVER, we went to go meet him.
Deadmau5 the man, Joel Zimmerman, sucks at life.
I went up and said that he put on a great show, that we were all pumped, and thanked him. He didn't care. He didn't awknowledge anyone. He just grabbed my ticket and signed it. He wasn't looking anyone in the eye, and seemed to be bored out of his wits and hate his fans.
Definitely was not impressed.
Blah.
So when Monica and Megan went backstage and later to the afterparty with him, I asked for the keys to go home with the rest of the people we came with at 4 AM.
Apparently, his attitude didn't improve the rest of the night. Monica asked him about why he didn't seem to care about any of it, and he said, "I just do it for the money."
Jackass.
He then proceeded to name drop Tommy Lee all night, and invited Monica to watch a movie with him to which she declined and came home.
Even though that was the best show I have ever seen [DJ-wise], I will not buy a ticket to another show. Nor purchase his tracks. That's BS. [It was great fun, though].
[pictures and video coming soon]
Today I walked down to Brick Lane for some curry and vintage shopping. I picked up a couple trinkets for Jeff and Lyndsay, and found myself a vintage Polaroid camera, in mint, working condition with film still in it.

I just got invited for a 'power hour' with some of my friends in West London, and I have decided that all of my friends are alcoholics. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do tonight, but definitely a birthday party tomorrow, maybe the British Museum, and Camden for sure on Tuesday.
I wish I had more time in London.
More later! Ciao!

Take Two...[or six?]

2010-04-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

My last post might have been at the airport....cannot remember, nor can I be bothered to look!
However, good news is that I'm finally flying to London tomorrow, and getting the hell out of Orange County.

Excited.

Even though my new trip is considerably shorter, I've lost a fair bit of change, and my loose itinerary doesn't have any 'new' adventures in it, I'm stoked.

Once again, I fly out of LAX [ick!] into Philly [ick!], and arrive at Heathrow [ick!] at around 10:30 Thursday morning.

Methinks Shoreditch will be a good party time Friday night, so text me [UK number is the same] if you're in town and keen to join.

To catch you up on what I've been doing, there's not a lot. It has been crappy weather in the OC the entire time I have been down here, minus two days. I've been out in HB, met up with old friends, went to the Comune art show [http://www.thecomune.com/blog/], Knoblauch came down....not too much. I'm about to head to Farmers' Market in HB pretty soon here.
Next post will be from LONDON
PS. DIGGLES, YOU'RE ON MY BLOG
Here are some photos from my week and a half, including horrible pictures of people from the art show;

LA Bound

2010-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

No joke.
Rather than wait around for this incessant volcano, I've decided to be proactive and wait out the situation in LA for a week.
If you see me on the beach, please speak to me only in Turkish Arabic so I can cling on to the fantasy that I'm abroad.
Thanks.

Going on Day #4 Stuck in Philly

2010-04-17T02:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sure the city of brotherly love is wonderful, but I do not want to be here any longer.
I'm spending so much money on food and accommodation because this volcano is "an act of God," that it's ridiculous. I can't keep staying at hotels and spending $20 for every meal.
I have yest another flight to Paris this evening, but first a flight to Chicago in the morning. Paris says their airspace closure is going to last until 2 PM Eastern time today, but with every other country extending their closure, I'm assuming France will too and thus I will be stranded in Chicago.
I would just ditch this whole trip but;
1. I have spent a lot of money and time in lines here, and for that to be all in vain...?
2. I have non-refundable airplane tickets, lodging, etc for the next month and a half totaling somewhere in the neighborhood of $600+, and , my one way plane ticket home [can't change it! That's why I get things cheap!] which cost around $330.
3. Annie is supposed to meet me in Europe mid May, and has never 'traveled' traveled before, doesn't speak other languages, and would be totally lost in foreign countries without me. This is probably the main reason that I HAVE to go.

So what do I do? Change my booking on the pretense that my flight tonight will be canceled? If so, do I go to Europe in a day or two and wait it out, or do I fly back to LA for a week or two and hope things clear up for the better?
I have no idea. It's an unpredictable crapshoot.
I hope this isn't like the 1800's where this volcano erupted for two years; I really can't afford to stay in Philly that long....

Stranded in Philly because a volcano erupted in Iceland..?

2010-04-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, really. It's so true that it sounds completely fabricated.
I was on my way to London, on very littlesleep ( with a fever toboot!), and stopped in Philly to change planes.
Lo and behold, a volcano erupted in Iceland and because of all the ash, hundreds upon hundreds of flights were cancelled.
Had we left five minutes earlier, as we were scheduled, I would be in London already.
Alas, my luck was not so.
After an hour on the phone with a customer service agent, I was one of the lucky few who actually got a flight for the next morning. Most of the others in my situation aren't leaving until Tuesday.
So rather than pay a huge sum to sleep for five much needed hours in a hotel, I asked the janitors if they wouldn't mind not kicking me out of the baggage claim while I napped. I tried unsuccessfully to sleep both on the floor in a cozy bed nest I created, complete with sarong blanket, then on the chairs. I slept about twenty minutes in total.
Oh well, I could sleep on the plane, right?
Wrong.
After five lines and two terminals, bleary eyed and most likely smelly, I came to find out that my new flight too, was cancelled. I was dire Ted to yet another terminal to a seemingly irritated ( or grumpy) lady that turned out to be positivy swell.
Why?
I asked her to get me to Europe. Paris, Rome, whatever, i'd figure it out from there.
Things were looking grim.
I was still doing my bes to smile, stay positive, and be polite instead of being angry and yelling like the other hundreds of people. Anger isn't fun, and itreally does no one any good when everyone else is angry.
Cynthulia (rulia?) found me a ticket to Madrid. She sid she had it, but asked me if there was any othe place I could think of to go that wouldn't be booked up.
Just then, one last seat appeared on the 6:20 pm flout to Paris.
Shebooked it.
I had a seat assignment on the absolute last available flight to western Europe for days.
And it was...first class!
You can see why this lady is swell, why I gave her anenthusiastic high five and told her she is a good egg.
Because even if my flint tonight ends up getting cancelled, girl gave me first class for free!
It's nice to be nice.
I am in good spirits, albeit exhausted, shaky, greasy feeling and just plain icky (minus my bum shower/sponge bath with a moist towellee at 3:30 AM). I hope it all works out. A day in Paris, and the eurostar to London...if not, I'm forking over the cash for a hotel room!
Now I'm in Philly with eight more hours until I board this supposed flight.
I'm blogging on my iPhone with blurry vision and an even blurrier brain, so please do excuse any errors on this post.
Hopefully my next post will be from Europe!
Ciaooooooooooo

Adios, Tahoe!

2010-04-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving, on a jet plane...
...at 4:30 in the morning. Jeff is kind enough to give me a ride to Reno before work. :)
I had an awesome day out in the snow yesterday, and a fun last day of work. Good tips, too!
I'm going to hang out with the Wife in Newport for a few days before I go to London. Beach and a tan? Yes, Please!

I don't think I will miss Tahoe too much, but I am going to miss Jeff an unmeasurable amount...Hahhaa, sorry for that last sappy bit.

Packing sucks. I decided after I packed up al my stuff that bringing four cameras is a bit excessive...no Holgas on this trip, sadly. I will be bringing my Canon and a flip though, so pictures and video to come!
<3
Excited!

Welp, a slight change of plans..

2010-04-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how about three different conflicts are going on where I am supposed to be in a week and a half, I have, unfortunately, decided to postpone my adventure to the Middle East. I don't know if I'd even be able to get in.

BUMMED.

New plan; London for a week, Turkey for a couple weeks, and back to Rome to see all my trashbags and to make some skrilla on pubcrawl. I'm also going to take Annie to Paris at some point, and maybe head to Morocco, Norway, and back to London. I'll keep you updated on my travel plans.

It will still be fun...it's just a bummer that something I'd been looking forward to for so long can't happen and it's out of my control.
I started packing today after work. I hate packing! Out of here in a few days.

So, to catch you up on my week;

I was the witness and wedding photographer at my friend's wedding...he decided after three or four days of knowing his lady [whom he officially met via facebook] that he wanted to marry her. I hadn't seen him in about six years.
He said, "This time I'm marrying for love. This is either going to be the trashiest thing, or the cutest, most romantic love story ever."
Unfortunately, a day or two after the wedding, they got in a really bad car accident. My friend is currently in the ICU in Stanford, but he is stable.
I don't think they will be able to afford the medical bills, so if anyone can donate anything, contact me and I will give you their info.

Erik Olson showed up to work super late and wanted to leave early, so we had a rubber band firing line. Pictures to come.

It started snowing. AGAIN.

Elin and her two friends came to stay with me for a couple days. Awesome chicks! They just left for San Francisco.

Other than that I have just been spending a lot of time with Jeff, working, and getting my life together before I leave. I'm off to LA on Thursday or Friday for a few days. Yee!

I almost made a citizen's arrest today....

2010-03-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

My instinct was right again. I think that's three for three in the past week.
Long story short, a lying thief's fate was more or less in my hands today, and I gave him a second chance.
I knew he was sketchy and loopy when he came in, so not only did I keep an eye on him but I asked Charlie to as well. Trying to steal our boots, he threw an expired ID and credit card with no funds at me as if he was paying, and bolted when I told him to wait several times.
I ran his card, knowing it would be declined, and it was. I looked at his new shoes, and decided they were pretty flashy for someone with no money...and noticed that they were a size 11, which he told me his shoe size was 9 [before he tried to grab boots].
I went in the back room to see if his ID was really him at some time or another, and googled "Laird Solsa, Incline."
What I found was that he was indeed Laird, and had also been in a high speed chase a few years ago at age 45 on methamphetamines and weed. He also, at one point, had a $25,000 warrant out for his arrest. I called Public Safety and the police to help me find this guy.
I was livid.
No one bamboozles Kari Langslet!
Anyways, we ended up getting the guy who told the police and me lie after lie after lie. The police officer, a very strong woman, put him in cuffs and was ready to take him to jail. Everyone wanted him to go to jail. He kept looking at me, pleading with his lying eyes. The officer then said that she couldn't arrest him because not only was she not present for the crime, but we had the boots back in our possession and their value did not exceed $400. She wanted to take him to jail, but told me I would have to do a citizen's arrest in order to do so.
I thought about it.
I looked at this sad, creepy, lying, grungy old man...
...and I couldn't do it.
I just couldn't.
I would feel awful.
I was shaken up but took the boots back, $36 from his wallet as if he was paying for a one day boot rental, and told him that he was never allowed in the shop again.
He looked me in the eye, thanked me, and public safety escorted him off the premises.

Everyone should get a second chance. I hope, although I know it's doubtful, that he will realize his errs and fix his life. He is on probation after all, and this could have really screwed him over. I hope he gets his life back on track. I also hope that he will do something good for someone else in return.

I hope.

This also made me wonder; my instinct has been telling me that something bad might happen to me in Israel. The only thing I can't figure out is if it's my actual instinct or just everyone's words floating around my head telling me not to go.
I trust my instinct, but I need to find out if it's my actual instinct.
As of now, my Middle East trip is still on. Should stuff go down, my Plan B is to go stay in the tree-houses in Turkey for a couple weeks and read....meditate.

Have a good day guys!

Debate.

2010-03-25T19:37:00.001-07:00

I knew and know full well what I'm getting into by going to the Middle East. I know that Iran has [or will have by December] nukes and plans on attacking Israel, its capitol and airports, thus prompting the US to attack Muslim holy cities and create a world of total chaos. This chaos according to the Koran, in turn, would cause God to 'fix it all;' similar to the Christian idea of the second coming of Christ minus the chaos. Google the '12th Imam' of the Shiite [sect of] Muslims.

I have a strong sense of foreboding. People keep telling me not to go, but damnit, I want to. I HAVE to. This may be my only chance. Putting my selfish desires aside, I don't want this crazy WWIII business to happen. I don't want millions upon millions of people and historical sights to be destroyed by religious fanaticism, no matter the specific religion. The Iranian president said he expects war to break out in spring or summer...of THIS year. Now, basically. When I will be there, basically.

I hope for the sake of millions of innocent people that this doesn't happen.
I leave in three weeks, and will be watching the news. I will do whatever I can do to get the hell out of there should anything go down.

On a side note, I have met, dined, bathed and been in the company of many Muslim people in my life. I have had nothing but amazing experiences with these people.
Sad.

I'll upload photos of my trip to Carmel when I have a chance!

Officially Getting Old....

2010-03-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, another birthday has come and gone. On St. Paddy's day I turned (ick!) 25.
Shucks.
Tuesday night I went out for a little 'Beat The Clock' action at T-Club, dressed in a Kelly green coat, cherry red lipstick, and matching red hat and shoes just to confuse all the colorblind people in town.
It was a good night.
When we got back from the bar, Jeff gave me the best birthday presents ever! A Diana F+ camera [Holga pinhole camera] and the Playmobil Egyptian ship with a shooting torch! Both I've wanted for days, so sue me if I still enjoy toys made for five year olds...
That flame spear shooter is so accurate that I managed to shoot Mr. Solberg in the forehead twice...ahahahhahaha.
On my actual birthday I went to work and donned a faux mustache, side burns, goatee, and changed my nametag to Jafar. Don't ask.
After I opted for a pajama/slumber party with four of my friends rather than go out. Way cheaper that way, not to mention all the Texans in town for spring break mixed with green beer equals unnecessary fights.
It was good.
Alas, I am a quarter century old.
Shoot.
Today I'm off to my beautiful hometown of Carmel, California. I haven't been home in a couple years, and now is the time!
PS. Yesterday was rollerskate at work day! Yeeee!

Tentative Itinerary...

2010-03-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

...for Israel/Jordan/Egypt.
I have decided not to visit Lebanon, as Annie will be flying into Rome around May 15th, and I am on a time crunch. Instead, I am focusing on Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. I don't really like to plan, but because I have limited time to explore these places, as well as a limited budget, I have to.

Depending on which day Annie flies into Rome, I'll either tack on a few days to Sinai or a couple days for Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. I decided to forgo staying in Haifa and Akko because accommodation in both places is out of my budget. Instead, I'm planning on day trips.

Here is my fifth revision of an itinerary;

4/21: London to Tel Aviv
4/22: Tel Aviv
4/23: TA
4/24: TA
4/25: TA to Nazareth
4/26: Nazareth
4/27: Naz, day trip to Haifa
4/28: Naz, day trip to Akko
4/29: Naz to Tiberias
4/30: Tiberias, or to Jerusalem
5/1: Jerusalem
5/2: Jerusalem, day trip to Bethlehem
5/3: Jerusalem, day trip or overnight stay to the Dead Sea
5/4: Jerusalem, or Dead Sea to Jerusalem [depending on if I spent the night]
5/5: Jerusalem
5/6: Jerusalem to Petra
5/7: Petra to Eilat
5/8: Eilat to Taba to Dahab/Wadi Gnai
5/9: Dahab to ST. Katherine's Monastery and Mt. Sinai
5/10: St. Katherine's to Cairo
5/11: Cairo, day trip to Alexandria
5/12: Cairo, day trip to the pyramids at Giza
5/13 or 5/15: Fly Cairo to Rome

Any tips, recommendations, or anything else would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!