Savage Salvation

My poor little etsy shop is so empty...I'll have some new goodies to list this weekend! Also, I've moved my medicine bags and other handmade jewelry to my NEW etsy shop, Savage Salvation! I'll be offering all handmade talismanic jewelry, medicine bags, and other accessories! I have some leather wrist cuffs in the works that I'm making from a vintage leather jacket. And tribal punk war bonnets and urban shaman headdresses! I have some great vintage stuff I'll be upcycling to make everything, like: black fox fur, magpie and crow feathers, black monkey fur...all kinds of great stuff! I don't even have a proper banner or avatar up yet...but I have to start somewhere! I listed some things you might have already seen and a couple new things! Check out this necklace I made...I've paired a little brass locket with a spent bullet casing that has been transformed into a pendant that now holds a healing quartz crystal! These were clearly inspired by Unearthen's fabulous line...but I can't afford to spend $300-$500, so I made one for for my sister, myself and a couple for the shop.

Dear God...

I have been a very good girl! I really want a new Volvo but I'll settle for a new Kronan bike, please send me lots of money! Love, Lavona



The Kronan Bicycle was developed (over 60 years ago ) in 1940 for the Swedish army. When leaving the army, soldiers often took two army objects home: the comfortable military underwear and their bicycle on which they spent so much time. Describing himself as a "bicycle missionary," Wahlbäck is president of Kronan Cykel Svenska (KCS), a company that bought the design for the Kronan bicycle from the Swedish army almost four years ago. Since then, KCS has produced more than 70,000 Kronan bikes, and the Kronan's surprising popularity has turned it into something of a cult item. Now available in the United States! www.kronanstoreusa.com

Smells like a Gypsy up in here!

It's time for a new fragrance! I've been rockin' the same scent for too long...so it's time for a change! I've been wearing a bit of Vanilla oil mixed with a dab of Amber or Sandalwood resin. I need something lighter for Spring/Summer I want to try this perfume by Raffy called American Gypsy! "A perfectly harmonized floral oriental made of the finest essences with tropical top notes, a floral heart with a gentle jasmine middle note and a soft and sensual woody vanilla finish." hmm...sounds enticing!



During my early High School years...I drenched myself in Dior's Poison! All that all changed when I walked into a Head Shop for the first time! I discovered Perfume Oils! I quicky converted to a perfume solid called Krishna Musk and experimented with many other "hippie" oils after that. Shortly after high school, my boyfriend at the time bought me a bottle of Calvin Klein's Eternity. I guess that's what he wanted me to smell like...he loved it...so I wore that to death for at least three years. After we broke up, I tried out Amarige by Givenchy...it smelled sooo good on a friend of mine, but didn't seem to mix well with my body's chemistry...so I switched back to perfume oil...this time Egyptian Musk, that one really seemed to get a rise out of people...it's so ghetto fabulous! Sometimes I would just add a few drops of Ylang Ylang to my bath water if I wanted a light scent. Then this Rastafarian guy started coming into the club I worked at selling quality attars, oils, and resins... so I started buying real Sandalwood, Oud, and Amber. All which have been loved and treasured for thousands of years, by mystics and romantics alike. Lovers use it as an aphrodisiac. Oud is proclaimed as a aid to spiritual meditation. I lost contact with him though...and now my supply of Oud is gone! I've tried the Rich Hippie line, which is lovely but fades into an alcohol scent after a few hours, might just be my body chemistry's though. I've also tried various blends from the cult perfumers Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab...which is totally hit or miss, I reccomend ordering samples first! A few years ago I fell in love with another perfume oil line called Sage Perfume...each fragrance corelates a gemstone fragrance with each month, they all smell soooo good! I bought Carnelian (tart tangerine, sparkling pink grapefruit, luscious blood orange, juicy mandarin and tropical mango and papaya) but I want them all! You can purchase the lovely vanity bottle or the carry along, roll-on bottle! I will be ordering again soon!



I'm also coveting this Frankincense/Myrrh/Rose Maroc oil by Regina Harris...I love the bottle! "This is a decadent and resinous perfume oil filled with the scents of rituals both sacred and profane ~ of imagined opium dens and warrior pirate queens, of gilded mosques and ancient religious ceremonies. Rich, thick and dark as an Arabian night, Harris built her creation around the ceremonial incense resins of frankincense and myrrh, while the costly and precious "oil of passion", rose maroc, adds a rose-tinged spice and deep honey accord." Wowza...I want it!



I'm also totally intrigued with this Gypsy Water by Byredo! (This one will have to go on my Wishlist though, because I can't bring myself to throw down $195 for a bottle of perfume!) "Gypsy Water is a homage paid to gypsies, thanks to the artistic director's fascination for Romany culture. It was conceived of as "a fictional glamorization of this lifestyle filled with mystical woods and earthy influences." It features top notes of bergamot, lemon, pepper and juniper berries; middle notes of incense, pine needles and orris; and base notes of amber, vanilla and sandalwood."



Has anyone tried CB I Hate Perfume? I hear good things... What do you wear...please share!

William Lemon

A few years ago I had heard Devendra Banhart was working on a project called Moon and Moon. It was a family affair, in addition to Devendra, the album boasts contributions from members of An Albatross, Lewis & Clarke, Barkus Born, Stephonik Youth with guest appearances by Gibby Haynes, and Bat For Lashes. The project was spearheaded by William Lemon, aka Natasha Kahn's boyfriend. Due to her rising success it should be noted that her Alchemical romance with William must have something to do with it! Not only is he a brilliant musician, he's also an amazing artist! He has his own clothing line and has brought his signature "body printing" to the couture fashion world. Below is the Moon and Moon album cover where you can see his fabulous body painting...and yes whenever you see Natasha all painted up, yep William did it! Moon and Moon is an epic tale of a King lost at sea...it's comprised of 7 Acts. The album is accompanied by a supplemental companion guide, where William has created a woodblock print for each act...you can see/hear it all on La Société Expéditionnaire!



"Reflections of timeless struggle, self-fulfilling prophecy, and age-old triumph, with flashes of modern affectation. A fluid and evolving seven-act performance; an epic tale of angst, hunger, tragedy, failure, and ultimately, hope. The dramatic opening of this musical/avant-theatre piece begins with the young voice of our seven year old narrator. She describes in 2 short lines what we are about to witness: seven perspectives of one king's war with himself. Moon & Moon provides the framework of a journey through an eternal human battle, borrowing from religious heritage and a colourful quilt of belief that draws upon the root myth of our collective humanity. Our story re-creates an archetypal battle that is not only historical fiction, but our own contemporary fact which exemplifies our self-destructive nature. Through the journey of witnessing a different character's perspective in each act, our king comes to the realisation that he is not only the walls which he has built, but the walls that have been destroyed by his own hand and command."

Clothing Line...fabulous...I know where to get my next hoodie!



His woodblock prints and collage works rock but I really dig his illustrations the best!



more body printing goodness...oh yes, sequins and bones!!!

Spring Cleaning Sale!

Final markdowns on all Black Forest Relics! Prices slashed $20-$30 off! Gotta make room for new things! xo Lavona

hmm cozy...

I know hibernation season is over...but it's a cold, rainy Sunday morning here in Chicago...I just want to pull the blankets back over my head and sleep all day! Wish I had one of these sleeping bags to curl up in! **Designed by Eiko Ishizawa, found via feathers and skeletons**

Jennifer Tzar: The Last American Fairytale

I think I have another favorite photographer!!! Jennifer Tzar's online gallery just rocked my world! I've unknowingly admired her editorial work for a while...but I didn't know who was responsible for the camera magic! And did you notice the girl on the very last, bottom left is wearing a Black Forest Relic!?