Tuesday, December 30, 2008

31.12.08

Last day of the year!
This year has been pretty good, if not a bit slow at the end. I am really looking forward to turning a new leaf.
In true blogging spirit, my boyfriend took a few photos of me recently. This was the only one that turned out well as mostly the lighting was pretty bad. THIS T-SHIRT IS HUGE.

Hope you all party tonight and have the greatest time! I have to work tomorrow so I will probably tone it down a bit. It really sucks working Christmas eve, Boxing day and new years day.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

27.12.08

Kind of a late Merry Christmas to everyone!
My Christmas didn't run as smoothly as I would have liked, but it was great none the less. I got some really cool things from my mum which I will show you guys once they come off the line (somehow I managed to get them all dirty in a matter of days).
Wish Santa had been more like this, this year:Unfortunately, the weather was actually quite dismal.
But anyway, Merry Christmas from the south!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

21.12.08

I went Christmas shopping today, and instead of buying things for other people, I just ended up buying stuff for myself! I am such a narcissist.
Well, that's not strictly true, I did buy a few presents. But it is so difficult, when you know exactly what YOU want, but not the ones you love.
Must work on that!

I got the most fantastic singlet/dress from supre of all places. I have a bit of a thing for layers of floral so this tickled my fancy.
I find the sizes at supre really sick. I picked an XL in this dress because it looked like the better size. AN XL!!!! It does gape a little around the sleeve, but considering its intended size, a little gaping isn't really the serious issue. I think, naturally this dress is meant to be skin tight with boobs sticking out the top...which isn't really my style.
But what kind of a message is that sending to girls here? I mean, I have no issues with picking an XL as I am so clearly not that large, but what about those who are a 12 or 14. Now there is nothing large or fat about being that size. Lots of very thin, attractive girls are 12, 14 and even 16 naturally and are beautiful....but when they don't even fit an XL, how are they meant to feel?
I was actually pondering this on the way home, wondering how the designers can actually take themselves seriously, creating clothes like that.
Having said all this, I don't know whether people really take supre seriously. I know none of my friends do, we all treat it like a joke and only ever buy from there slightly embarrassingly.
Sometimes I really don't understand why retailers don't have standard sizes.

And then, quite confusingly, I found the most massive t-shirt you've ever seen. Again, I don't understand what their designers were thinking, with all those neon, tight singlets, throwing in this big baggy t...but it makes me happy. I used to have this baggy grey tshirt from supre which was the most perfect basic I've ever had. I wore it with everything and then left it at my friend's house and never got it back. I hate when that happens.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Stunned
























The boring printed out certificate says "New Zealand's Next Top Model, Christchurch finalist 13, my name." And that's because, that is what I am!!!
It's actually quite funny because it seems very counterfeit, and my name is even written in my own handwriting, but that is what I had to do once I excited the audition room.

I can't believe it, I only really auditioned for fun and to see what would happen. I'm seriously stoked!

The whole experience was pretty cool. I thought the place would be packed, but it was actually fairly casual and slow moving. There was a long line of girls when I got there, all in flashy clothes with really straight hair. I felt so embarrassed, because my hair was a frizzy mess from the rain and all squashed at the top from hat hair. I also had on my pair of doc martens and a tshirt over a dress and some leggings. I was like, "oh god this is all wrong".
Worst was, I had to walk down the line of them to apply and they all stared me down soooo bad. They then took our height. The minimum requirements are 170cm. I was 171 which was fine. If you were one centimetre of it, bam you're out. Some girls came in with HUGE heels, hoping to at least get the audition and worry about the height later. This one girl came in with massive sunglasses and the biggest heals you have ever seen. She strutted all the way down the line, only to be told she had to go home. Well I can't say we didn't all gloat a bit about that one.
So I had to sit there and wait for my turn. It took about 2 hours and all the time I was trying to remain calm. In actual fact, I was fine for most of it and actually had a really good time talking to the girl in front of me in the line. She was gorgeous, with this big blond Afro. Really interesting looking.
For the entire 2 hours, no girls got in. They'd all come out with this blue card which meant no and then tell us good luck and walk out. Finally, the girl in front of me went in and got through! I knew she would, but then it was my turn.

The judges were really nice and immediately gave me such a good vibe and so many compliments. They really liked my hair cut and my sense of style, and I actually love performing so it was quite fun to talk to them. Then they started to say that I didn't need to be nervous and that when I moved onto the next round i should just show my stuff and tell the camera how great I am, and I was thinking, "did I just hear that? Am I seriously going on?". I couldn't believe it. It was the most awesome feeling leaving that room with the green card for everyone to see.
Then I got to go to this back room where they took pictures of me and interviewed me on video. They didn't actually have cameras anywhere else in the whole audition period. I think they are trying to go for a more professional feel, which does make sense. The tape was only for their use and won't make it onto the television.
The interview was really fun and the guys were really relaxed and we just chatted away. They actually got so interested in what i was saying that they kept forgetting the question, though I think it was much like that for the girl before me too.
They asked me questions about what i am like as a person, and why I would like to be a model and what music I liked listening to.
When the girl before me left the room, she was so excited to see me there, she gave me a big hug. Basically it was a really awesome experience and I can't believe I have even got this far.
What happens now basically involves waiting. They still have to audition the rest of New Zealand and then they choose 33 girls out of the tapes to send to Queenstown. There they start shooting for the TV show and I believe we/they spend the weekend. After that, 20 girls are eliminated and the remaining 13 head off to Auckland to compete.
I don't want to think too far into the future, so I'm just really rooting for Queenstown. If I can at least get there, I can show them what I've got and whether I am good enough to be the next new face. It would just be so amazing and so much fun!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas Wishlist

I am being an idealist today. This is my-I won a lot of money-Christmas list. Maybe one day at least one of these pieces will be mine.

That Nom*D dress. Seriously hard to get good pictures of New Zealand fashion on the Internet. This dress is spectacularly cool. It's called a half dress because the back actually doesn't exist. It's more of an apron, with all these loose ties at the back to tie. It's also reversible with this shiny black paisley print on the inside. Seriously, I would never wear anything else.

When I first saw these docs they seemed a little to tween/emo and eccentric for me and just thought yuck. But recently I actually had a dream where I bought them and drew black vivid all over them. When I tried to wash it off, all the pink faded to this dull washed out colour and I was really upset. Since then I have sort of seen them in a different light. I feel I could stick those colourful stickers you buy at stationery stores on them (a la left boot) and they would look amazing!!! There is just something about their gummy pinkness. I wouldn't mind some plain black ones too.

Dyberg Kern locket. Ages ago, they had these in a big heart shape and gold rather than silver. I have wanted a big heart shaped locket for at least three years now. They don't seem to be selling those anywhere anymore so I may just settle for this, still very lovely, oval shape (again in gold rather than silver). These are actually not that expensive.


Karen Walker rocket ship pendant. So, so, so, so, so, so cute. It also comes in mini size, but I already have a little one of hers. I'd prefer one of her more solid pieces.

Sewing Machine!!!!!
Not this one in particular, just one that works and does all the basic things. I thought, oh hello kitty sewing machine!!! Who knew it would be so creepy??

Ok...I actually found this really hard. Perhaps I don't dream of expensive things quite as much as I thought. Don't know whether that is good or bad.

16.12.08


How beautiful she is.
I wish my hair would grow long already

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Ramblings



Sorry to those who do read this, for being so absent lately. My new job has pretty much consumed me for the last two weeks and I have been almost too scared to just lie down and chill. The projects have just been mounting though and eventually I had to cave. I have two dresses half sewn, a story half written and have been meaning to attempt a painting for atleast a month.

I can't help but wish away my life at the moment. I feel like it is a pretty bad thing to do, but I have 8 weeks of full time work stretching in front of me. The last two weeks went exceptionally slow. Thinking that far ahead is really bad for you, especially at my age where you really have no idea where you will be in the next...two years even. I really do feel like I think about things far too much. No detail of my life escapes my notice.
But anyway, that's just a little view into my headspace, which is very muddled at the moment. I'm hoping to get it all sorted out before university next year.

I never know how much to say on this thing. Whether I want this to be my diary or just a documentation of my outfits day by day. But, no outfit has NO context. They all come from somewhere. And I guess, right now, clothes seem to have slipped off the agenda (hence my blog falling apart). I just feel so unmotivated.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

$$$$



Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. I finally got a new job. It was really awesome, I definitely made the right choice in leaving my old one. I am actually being hired by the same company, but it is at a different store. They were actually scrambling to have me and offered me a competitive wage (a whole $1.50 more than my last) and a better position and environment. Now I can finally spend again!!!
To celebrate, I bought two pairs of shoes and put these sandals on as soon as I got home.
The second pair are from Top shop!!! I bought them at the shoe warehouse we have over here. We don't have top shop here so it's sort of weird that they stock them.

Curly Hair



It's hard to be a redhead in this day and age. Selina spoke out against this once and I feel like it's a post that every redhead needs to do at some stage.

I have by no means had as much trouble as she had. It wasn't until I was about 12 or 13 that people bullied me specifically because of my hair colour, but I was always thought of as different or strange before that. It didn't help that I was a very strong child and determined not to bend or to conform.

But specifically in the first years of high school I was taunted and shouted at. "Ginger" is a very common insult here and now even when people use it very casually I can't really stand it. It's really stupid how it works. They shout at you "Ginger" as you walk past, as if you don't realise your own colour of your hair, as if it's some kind of insult to the human race that you don't try and cover it with hair dye or just scurry into a hole and pretend you don't exist.

It is no better than racism in my opinion, and it lead me to feel uncomfortable about myself. I did not feel that I was ugly, I always knew that they were stupid and infantile and immature, but all bullying leaves its mark. I will never feel normal. I will always be different, independent, separate. However, it's almost nicer that way. I knew that they boy I would find would be perfect. He would love me for what I was and appreciate me, whilst the rest of my peer group kissed frog after frog and were left with nothing. It has also lead me down the track away from vanity in a lot of respects. I would not have excelled so much academically otherwise, perhaps.

Of course it was not as bad for me and it is for Selina. The prejudice against redheads only really exists in a certain age group, those that are beginning high school and incredibly insecure in themselves. Now, if I ever hear it, I actually laugh at the little dweebs. Despite what they may think, from everyone elses' point of view, they are so very not cool.

Really what got me thinking about this is how my hair is curly, and how for so many years I have straightened it obsessively because it really does look more sleek and more fashionable. The 2000s really, really do not appreciate natural curls.

However, recently, I have come to really enjoy letting my hair run wild. Sometimes I even leave my fringe alone (even in these pictures my fringe is strengthened, it's usually just tiny ringlets above my forehead). I sort of feel like it's beautiful in my own way and I really like that, because it means that I have truly accepted the true red head that I am.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

24.11.08


I tried my sheer dress over these shorts today but it didn't really work that well. I think I need a different top or more layers. Perhaps i need to wait till it gets a bit colder. These Doc Martens would probably also look better with some coloured socks that bring out the colours a bit better. Sorry about the frowns.
Here is a pretty picture of Lake Daniels in the south island of New Zealand. This is where I did my tramp, and I may try and paint this.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

20.11.08


Took these late at night as I have been working all day. Last day of work ever at that infernal place ever! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.
I am going tramping tomorrow for three days so blog will be stagnant..

One thing I have been channeling a lot the last few months is a sort of sexy librarian look. I guess it is because I found this lovely shirt which I have fallen in love with. It is very silky and has a floral pattern on pink, outlined by a soft grey. I found this quilt last weekend and even though the colours don't really match that well, they have been begging me to introduce them to each other. Young love *sigh*. It didn't quite work, but when I added this chemise the colours blend together much better.

Another thing I have notices is that I keep recreating Luella spring/summer 2008 (I think it is...you know the one with all the frilly floral and bat man prints?). I guess it is because New Zealand is a little slow and it is finally coating our stores.
But it is such an easy outfit to do. Who doesn't like frills and floral? Well maybe some people don't, but it pretty much has me all over it. And then with the geek glasses and the lace up boots (in my case floral doc martens)! Sometimes I feel I will never grow tired of it, yet at the same time it's almost embarrassing to admit I still wear it. Why is that? Is it because there are thousands of copycats out there who don't even realise where it's from? I guess that's it. It seems stupid to let a bunch of fashion sheep ruin it for us, but we do it time and time again. Oh to be truly autonomous!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

18.11.08

Our new sewing machine arrived! It's excellent, never realised how hard it has to sew on our last one, until we got this beauty. It even threads the needle itself.
I am sewing a really pretty dress in, which I might add some red tulle to.
Almost in ceremony, I dragged out a dress I made about this time last year. I love it and it took me forever. I don't really wear it enough, considering.

I can't wait till my hair grows. It is so thick and stiff at the moment. I want it to be long again.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Haha

I found this on CollegeHumour

While my mother was looking over my shoulder an an AIM conversation:
Mom: "What does LMAO mean?"
Me: "It's an abbreviation"
Mom: "Let's Make An Omelette?"

Monday, November 10, 2008

11.11.08

Gosh, how did it become six days since I posted?
Time does fly fast when you have a blog and are as inconsiderately lazy as I am.
I could lie and say that I have been working excessively hard on the novel and haven't had time to work on my style, but style is effortless, non?
Well it's not really that effortless when you don't get out of bed till 11 and just hang around the house most of the day, chewing on bits of burnt toast and watching daytime TV like Tyra (hey, don't look at me like that, it makes me feel better about my life).
Also I am about 4,000 words behind...but yay I hit the 14,000 mark!

I did wear an alright outfit today, but sadly the batteries on my camera have died :(. Yes, I know, I told you this weeks ago and I still haven't fixed the problem. I also spent all my money on secondhand clothes and couldn't afford them. *Cried pitifully*. OK I bought McDonald's too. I am not just lazy, I am a consumer whore too.

Well, as ostentatious as I am, I will fill up this post, not with photos but (shock horror) writing. One of my passions is for fashions (mmm gotta love that rhyming), but another is writing. Here is the first page/section of my novel:

This story begins in the town of Hampton, the southern most town in all the world. At the bottom of New Zealand the wild Antarctic breeze blew through the streets a feeling of brooding possibility. I came to Hampton as a small boy, stocky and timid in form and personality, sent by my parents further south for the benefit of my health in a colder climate. I stayed with my Auntie and Uncle in a small, ugly but modern house on the shores of the sea. Out my window was a view of gaping solitude, as the freezing New Zealand waters broke quickly onto the golden sands. Hampton, compared to my former experience, was a stuffy and slow town.The families that lived there had lived many generations in seclusion from the modern world, and had slowly built on their caricatures without the binds of public scrutiny. This was mainly to do with the isolation that prevailed the town. They were further south than anybody cared to go, and lack of need or want meant their roads had never been sealed. My relative’s house was an elderly person’s house. It smelled of anesthetic and cream corn. I spent most of my days reading the long boring books they kept in her bookcases and counting the pattern on the wallpaper. At first, the town served as no entertainment to my young and inquisitive mind, that was until I found the Walkers.

Every town has their odd balls, those that are not different, but perhaps more extreme than the rest. Hampton had the Walkers.

Their property sat high above the rest of Hampton on a low hill that stopped before the centre of the town. The other houses still carried a hint of the world around Hampton, whether it was in the standards of their keep or the materials used in construction. Aluminum windows glittered in the harsh light and grasses lay clipped and watered like a welcome mat at the front of each door. The Walker’s house stood out like a sore thumb. It looked thrown together, as if somebody had added each room as an after thought and then given up on the place entirely. As a result, it sunk into the earth, and became an extension to the life forms around it. On the slope behind the house, perhaps the oddest of it all, lay five bold letters, defined by the growth of large, thick hedges. C.H.A.S.E.

Many speculated at the meaning of the word that hovered above the town and the lives of Hampton.

“Chase what? Rabbits?” my Aunt joked satirically, but the house and the word became a point of fascination for me. I became determined to investigate.

I’m am embarrassed to admit that this soon took the form of spying on the Walker children. They were of my age and like nothing I had ever seen. My lack of courage and character disenabled me to be proper, and at any rate, I never thought it would transpire that we were to become friends. There were three older brothers, Dean, Phillip and Cameron. Though they all looked amazingly alike, their personalities were so distinct that I soon became familiar with each of them.


Yours

LJ

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

5.11.08



I found red lipstick that suits me! Still haven't found an occasion to wear it. It's a little more brown/orangy than your ordinary red lipstick, but whenever I put ordinary red lipstick on it looks pink, or bluish. I guess it's about finding the one that looks red next to your skin tone.

I went op shopping yesterday and found this fabulous sequined bag and lace skirt (which I am wearing over my sparkly floral skirt in this picture. It's too cold and wet to take photos outside so sorry if they are a bit dark. I also got this fabulous, white, studded belt which wraps around me twice. I'm not really into white belts, but this one works.Jacket: Workshop Denim
Tshirt: Warehouse
Underskirt: Homemade
Overskirt: thrifted
Boots: Doc Martens

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Black

One of my friends and I had this conversation a few weeks ago about how we could never wear black skillfully because we do not have any amazing black clothes. That is until I got this skirt:
It is so fantastic. I realise it has actually been ages since I have had a working mini. It makes me think back to a few years ago when i had the most fantastic little green tartan skirt, not a lot unlike this. I never realised, but I often repeat the same outfits and shapes just with different finds. Back then, I used to wear it with a denim jacket, a green soft jersey and my black, 14 hole doc martens. This is not unlike that. I guess we get to know what shapes suit us.

P.s I am writing a novel! It is so exciting and fun. I am already 5 pages into it. First day. I am doing the national book writing month. You write a book in a month and it is meant to encourage you not to self edit too much. Check out this site for more information: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Deadlocks


I miss Gemma!!!
I have always wanted dreads, but have always been to scared to just go for it. When I was younger I always thought I'd get them when I started university, but now I am here everyone is less free spirited and boring than I expected. Still maybe it is the right time in my life. I have an awesome pair of doc martens to go with it haha. At any rate, I have decided to grow my hair again. It used to look like this:

Oh to be a model and to change your look every few minutes.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Boiling

It was so hot today! Crazily hot and really windy. I'd say about 30 degrees (Celsius). We haven't had weather like that in sooo long. Still I was determined to wear my docs. They don't really suit my skin too much as I am so pale at the moment (just came out of winter). Ideally I'd rather be wearing black tights.
I did so much study today, I am exhausted. Wish me luck for my exam tomorrow!!




Top: Cherry Cotton Candy
Shorts: Jeans West
Shoes: Doc Martens

26.10.08

Not much of a post today, as I didn't actually get out of my pajamas until about 1, and then went on the most mammoth bike ride ever. It was dark before I got home and after 9. I'm not exactly one for exercise either, this isn't an ordinary occurrence. I am shattered. I could crawl into a hole and die.
Here are some old outfits instead, it's a bit of a mix, but all good ones.














































From left:

Dress: thrifted
Broach: Grandma's
Socks and Stockings: Warehouse
Shoes: Number 1 Shoe Warehouse
Belt: Mother's

Jacket: Workshop Denim
Scarf: Just Jeans
Top: Nom*D
Skirt: Minkpink
Tights: Glassons
Shoes: The Warehouse

Dress: Homemade
Top: Ezibuy
Tights: Glassons
Socks: Warehouse
Shoes: Thrifted

Top: Ezibuy
Dress: Dotti
Jeans: Tripp
Shoes: Number 1 Shoe Warehouse
Socks: Father's closet (lol)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Doc Martens


My new shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was love at first sight, and my mum and I were looking for my birthday present (my birthday was a couple of weeks ago but my parents were away so mum left an IOU note). I can tell I am going to be a collector when I am older. I just love docs so much and they are the most comfortable shoes you will ever have (if you take the time to wear them in). I am already the owner of these bad boys:

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

23.10.08

Went opshopping today. Got this fantastic black, sheer dress and gold top.
I really love black sheer things, and this has rooshing down the side, which looks very 1920s if done properly.

I am so sick of studying and being at home. But I'm also so listless. I don't feel like doing anything. *sigh*

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

NZ Fashion 101

























Since I have just been in pajamas all day (it is what study leave does to you), I thought I would show you some more New Zealand fashion. This is Nom*D, probably my favourite designers of all time. All their collections have a sort of dark, grungy student vibe which I love. But if you look at their clothes carefully, they are amazingly constructed, detailed and tailored. Kind of like classily slopped on?

Nom*D Autumn/Winter 2009
All photos from runwayreporter