Hobo by Choice

09.06.11

2011-06-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Finally found my camera. Not sure where it went. The last time I remember using it was in my room and then I couldn't find it for two weeks, and then it appeared today in my room? I'm so confused. I think maybe it fell somewhere strange and the cleaner found it. Whatever, I have my camera back, I'm happy.

I took some terrible outfit photos today, but oh well, here they are for you all the same. And a rather nice picture of Oxford.

During the day:

Wearing: Chucks, Warehouse Jeans, Dorothy Perkins checked blouse

At night:

Wearing: Second hand heels, River Island dress

I went to a formal hall at Jesus tonight, which basically means you get really dressed up and then they serve you four courses and lots of wine. It's really lovely and it's usually pretty cheap, though this one was quite expensive. I had a really good time.

Opps almost forgot the picture of Oxford. This is Broad Street. One of the main streets in the centre of Oxford.

There's some great pubs on Broad Street. Just to the right there is a pub called "The White Horse". I'm pretty sure it's a chain but it's exactly what you dream of when you think of an English pub. Pokey, warmly lit on the inside, with really, really close ceilings. I had the best meal I've had so far there, Scottish mussels in heaps on garlic butter and garlic bread. But when I went back the other day, they didn't have any left. It was one of the most disappointing meals of my life. I could taste mussels instead the whole time.

11.05.11

2011-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Had the most amazing time in London yesterday. People have just been opening their arms to us over here and we have been able to go to the most amazing events night after night. Yesterday we were invited to the New Zealand House in London for a Canterbury Alumni event. They gave us free drinks, food and the most amazing view over London I will probably ever see (we were in the pent house). They also gave us free University of Canterbury pins which is an added bonus.

The view was amazing. Felt like I was being swept off the roof. We weren't allowed to bring glasses out there, it was that high. If we dropped them, it wouldn't bode well on the people below. I wore a dress I bought from River Island two weeks ago and vintage gold shoes.

Earlier on in the day, I toured around London. It was so much fun, such a great city. Here I am pictured with my never fail acid wash shorts and the Queen Elizabeth gate. It is so beautiful.

3.05.11

2011-05-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

Went for a walk around the Magdalen College grounds yesterday. They were so beautiful in the spring, I took heaps and heaps of photos, though they don't really do it justice, and they are a little boring without people in them. I managed to take some photos of myself by propping my camera up on fences and bridges, but not all that many came out.

I got my first assignment today, "Why is the Wind in the Willows a children's book?". I'm not sure if it is. I better get out the Wind in the Willows. Luckily I have read it before, otherwise it might have been a more desperate scramble. I'm actually really looking forward to getting my teeth into some work, though everyone else will hate me for saying it. I was getting a bit bored and lonely as everyone else has heaps to do. It's also really exciting to have a library again and not just any library at that. I have 4 million books to choose from!!! 40 libraries and the Bodleian library (the oldest library in the english speaking world). They have the rights to ask for a copy of any book published in the UK. It's a reference library, so you're not allowed to get anything out. They do that to make sure everything is available to people at all times.

I am wearing: Dress: homemade, Tights: mum bought for me, Jacket: Jeans West, Bag: another gift from my mum.

29.04.10

2011-04-29T06:56:00.001-07:00

Gosh it's been so long since I have written on this blog that I have been up to Wellington again and now I am in England! I won a scholarship because of the earthquake which has ruined my city and made studying at my university almost impossible (we have not had a library since September and most people are studying in the carparks in tents). I have been accepted into Oxford University for 2 months where I will be studying at Magdalen College. It is unreal.

Oxford is absolutely amazingly beautiful. There are amazing buildings everywhere you turn, to the point where you just stop and gape every now and then. I visited Christ Church yesterday which's Cathedral apparently has the first ever spire in England (or Europem, I can't remember). C S Lewis and Oscar Wilde stayed and studied at my college and I have to say, I can see much of Lewis's inspiration here. There are beautiful lamp posts all through the city which look just like the one he described in his book.

There are 40 libraries here for me to choose from, which makes me so happy I want to dance.

Wellington

2011-01-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Spent the last few days in Wellington with my lovely mum and aunties. The weather has been pretty disappointing but omg I have done so much shopping and found some really cool thing. Shopping in Wellington is so different from Christchurch and given more time I think I could find a whole new wardrobe here (not that I need one). One shop on Cuba street coughed up about 5 amazing dresses for me to try on in 10 minutes of searching but they all ended up being the wrong size or the wrong price. But I think if I went their regularly I'd be a very happy chicken. People just aren't as stylish in Christchurch (sorry Cantabrians). I've noticed a massive difference in male style especially. Guys here actually give a f&%#.

I found some great fabric too which I am going to rip off Kate Sylvester with. I'd buy your clothes Kate but they are just too expensive for me. I'll make up for it one day. There was this great fabric place where everything was really cheap, then they'd tally it all up at the tills and divide the total by half. Can't argue with that kind of bargain.

Wearing: Homemade dress, Farmers smoke tights, Red Patent Sandals from store I can't remember, Beige Dotti Socks, Prada bag and BodyShop Lipstick

So Wellington= more choice, but I think it's easy to say that when you have lived in Christchurch for so many years and pretty much exhausted its second hand opportunities. I suppose I would catch up on Wellington eventually anyway.

Wearing: Homemade dress, Black Lipstick from Value Store, Black Chucks, Smoke Tights from Farmers, Secondhand Jersey, Prada Bag

11.01.11

2011-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

I feel like this post should be way more exciting since I've left it for so long, but realistically, what is the point of a blog about style if you don't post your everyday outfits? So this is what I literally threw on to go see Narnia with my mum (massive disappointment). I've been enjoying wearing fairly boring, plain jumpers at the moment. I just bought this black one and I wear my comfy beige one constantly of course.

It's fun to be able to swish my ponytail backwards and forwards. I sometimes wack my boyfriend in the face by accident.

Wearing: Savemart dress (pleating self alteration), Savemart black Jersey, Cuff from Lovisa, Dotti socks and Red Velvet Doc Martens.

Long Hair

2011-01-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

My hair is finally long and I love it. Can't get enough of the feeling of it on my back.

Posing in front of my toilet!!! Probably not the most stylish place to take a picture

Blatant self promotion

2010-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

I'm selling some clothes on trademe, to try and clear out my closet. Some tops, and skirts and some really great beaded cardigans. If anybody's interested, check out my trademe listings: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=2239656

29.11.10

2010-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hang out with my friend Simon today. It's so sunny now and lovely, I'm really enjoying wearing barely there clothes and of course my Doc Martens. Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been working at the Warehouse Stationery for the past 2 weeks and consequently not wearing anything particularly interesting.

We just walked around town and got icies in the park and ate noodles. We saw Jack Johnson! Well we think it was him because he is in Christchurch at the moment for a concert and it looked like him and he had an American accent and wanted to go look at a music store. So we stalked him for a bit (it was very good stalking we were actually walking infront of him for a good deal of it) and then eventually lost him and gave up. It's not like I'm even a fan, but Christchurch doesn't get many celebrities haha.

Above is the picture of my new necklace from Starfish. I don't go in that store very often but when I saw it in the window I fell in love and just had to have it. Luckily it was my birthday recently and I was given some money :D. I also got a beautiful Karen Walker ring from my Auntie which I will put a photo up of soon.

I am wearing: red velvet Doc Martens, a Glassons dress and necklace from Starfish.

8.11.2010

2010-11-07T23:51:00.000-08:00

I know it's old news but I am so sad Luella went bust. It was by far my favourite label, she is a genius and her collections were copied in the stores all the way down here in little ol' New Zealand. I feel kind of sad for her because if this was impossible, she probably would have made a whole lot of money. But I guess you can't really stop those things and the key is to always be one step ahead.

I hope one day somebody will throw some money at her and we will be able to see her awesome creations again. Maybe if I win lotto.

Mondo Rules

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

I bought this jacket for $6 at Sallies the other day because it reminded me of Mondo from project runway season 8. I can't say much because my mum hasn't seen the finale but Mondo, if you are reading this, you are my favourite contestant ever and I was rooting for you from the beginning.

I am project runway obsessed. It's the best reality tv show in my opinion because it showcases real talent and is less about the drama, though I've felt that's gone downhill since lifetime took it over.

100th Post!

2010-11-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

This is my hundredth post and I would have never thought I would get this far. I haven't been very good at sticking to one blog or one theme for a long time, but I think I've finally found the place I want to be and I doubt this will be changing any time soon. I seem to be making some headway on the regular posts as well, so this post is an all around achievement. So for this post I am just going to reshow some of my favourite photos and outfits so far on this blog.

It's interesting to see how my hair has grown through these pictures. It makes me miss how short it used to be but really these are the best photos of an otherwise wild and hard to manage hair style.

Dress

2010-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the dress I made, I'm really happy with it. It isn't quite ready yet because I need to get grey thread to sew the zip in the back .

I'm not sure if the hem is straight, it looks like it's a bit longer on the left but I don't think it'll be obvious when I wear it.

Had a pretty boring day today, hoping it picks up tomorrow.

27.10.10

2010-10-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Wearing: Sheer dress from Savemart, Unicorn Tshirt from the Warehouse and tights from Farmers.

Haven't worn this sheer dress for ages and I forgot how much I love it. It's actually quite restricting around the legs so it's not the easiest thing to wear and I probably won't bother with it tomorrow, but I love the rouching up the side and the peek of leg.

I'm sewing a dress at the moment but I'm determined for it to look PERFECT so it won't be done for a few days yet. Moved furniture around in my flat today and people were NOT happy. Get over it.

Letterman's Jacket

2010-10-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

Pictures: Top- Alexander Wang Spring 2010 Rtw Bottom-Letterman Jacket found on Google Images

I've wanted a letterman's jacket for ages and ages, and have sort of looked out at op shops for them. It only just occurred to me this evening is that I could make one and that I actually have the perfect pattern for it sitting in my sewing box. Awesome, I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

I love the idea of making one for my University and wearing it like it's the real deal. Alexander Wang's version with the leather trimmings looks awesome but I think I'll stick to the basic design (pictured above). Not sure what the colours of my University are but I think I will stick to navy and white. Can't wait to make it, but I have no spare time at the moment. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

21.10.10

2010-10-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today Wearing: Red Velvet Doc Martens, Top from Glassons, Boyfriend's suspenders from Ballantynes, tights from Farmers, Altered boys jeans from Toffs.

Been talking about the benefits of blogging with some of my friends lately. Turns out more people than I knew have blogs and of late I've felt less embarrassed about my own. I guess dancing around taking pictures of yourself seems pretty vain, but I do it for multiple reasons. One because there are some people in my life like my mum who don't really get to see what I wear in my life and secondly because I am absolutely obsessed with clothes. I could quite happily just sit in my room for an hour and think about them, it's a great tool for falling asleep.

But I also like how, many years from now, I will be able to look back and see what I used to be like, look like and the kinds of things I used to wear. There's not a lot of time in your life when you can just wear what ever the hell you want and I think being a 21 year old at University pretty much guarantees a lot of freedom, so long as you're confident in yourself.

Lastly, taking photos for my blog is a really good way to practice modelling, which is something that I could possibly make some money in (according to the people at NZ next model). I've been trying to improve my pictures and take ones I'm a little more proud of, or just do justice to my face. I'm always frowning! It's really great when my flatmates catch me out taking photos because I always smile in embarrassment and those are often my best snaps. But it's hard to take good photos when you just shove a camera on a ledge and let it snap away while you move. I usually pick the best three out of 30 or so.

I can feel myself coming down with a cold and ARGH I'd just like to complain for a second because it couldn't be the worst timing. It's crunch time at University, this week is our last lectures and I have three assignments to do next week. Still, that's what it's all about isn't it? And I will have a degree very very soon. Wow. I wish they'd told us to apply for graduation though, because I have missed the December application and now am forced to graduate in April. I will be a graduand all summer.

Necklaces

2010-10-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

New addition to my many many silver necklaces. A gorgeous skull charm my two friends Anna and Kelly gave me for my 21st birthday. I love it, it fulfills my inner punk's need for skulls around my neck.

Photographed here next to my all time favourite (or at least one of my all time favourites) Karen Walker rocket ship necklace.

Kenzo Spring rtw 2011

2010-10-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Beautiful! They blow me away yet again

Beige

2010-10-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

Wearing: Dress: homemade, Shoes: Doc Marten avery in cherry velvet, necklaces: Karen Walker and Trifted Stars, Socks: Dotti

I love tones of beige. Seriously, I don't know when I started wearing it so much but it's very much a basic of my wardrobe now. I wear this jersey at least three times a week and always around home because it is so cozy. The only reason I bought it was because I went out without a jersey and the weather changed, so when I went to save mart I picked out a jersey which went with this dress that I'm wearing in the picture and just happened to be wearing that day. I put it straight on and got them to charge me while wearing it at the counter. Pretty shifty! I guess colours like this are pretty in at the moment.

How do you like my haircut? I got it cut so it's shorter at the front and frames my face better. I really wanted it to look just like it looks in the first photo, with bits out the front and the rest tied up.

It's my birthday tomorrow! So excited. Gonna be 21.

New Docs

2010-09-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ok I know I said I would stop at the gold doc martens, but who am I kidding, I am a doc lover. I wear them absolutely every day, rain or shine. They are my go to shoe. I wear them with everything, cocktail dresses, jeans, shorts and ball dresses. I have other pairs of shoes, and they get to see the light of the day maybe once every fortnight or so. So four pairs isn't that unreasonable is it? Realistically, I will probabl
y have a huge collection of doc martens by the time I am 80 and too old and wrinkly to do up my own laces. I'll still be wearing them then though.

It's been really sunny lately and I'm really happy. Loving being able to wear bare legs, but as you see from these photos they are so pale! When I was looking in the mirror I thought for a few seconds that I was wearing white stockings and then remembered that they were my own legs! Now that's sad.

Hope everybody has a good weekend.

P.s Thanks for the shoes mum!

Red

2010-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Found this beautiful vintage red dress at tofffs a few weeks ago for only $19. I had to shorten it as it was floor length and a little impractical, though very romantic.

It's been quite hard for me to take pictures for the blog lately as I am sharing a room with my boyfriend and we are so cramped that even getting to my closet is a big hassle. I really do love clothes and love blogging and put a lot of effort into what I wear each day (and individuality I like to think) so I shouldn't neglect this space so whole-heartedly.

Notice how in the first picture I used the recycling bin as a tripod

? Opps I am much too lazy. I did try and crop it out but it kept loading with the bin still in it so I gave up. My pictures have never exactly been editorial anyway.

Aftershocks still coming four times a day. One woke me up at 3 O'clock in the morning the other night, jiggling around in my bed. And we had one in the cinema while I watched Tomorrow when the War Began. Unfortunately not when the action was happening because that would have been totally awesome. Earthquake enhanced viewing anyone? People were whooping in the cinema. It was a good movie. If you're a fan of the books, feel free to go with a little skepticism but I was delightfully surprised and impressed with the adaption, definitely something I would buy on DVD in future.

All this outfit needs are my cherry red velvet doc martens which my mum has bought me for my 21st birthday and are coming to me very soon in the mail!

Avery Cherry Red Doc Martens Velvet 10 hole: Currently selling in the doc marten online store

Karen Walker

2010-09-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

I love the colours of Karen Walker's Spring collection. Bright yellow and orange never looked so good! And yes, orange does look good on redheads.

Love hearts and cowboys

2010-09-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Wearing thrifted stripey top, doc martens and valley girl luella rip off.

I love it when Luella finally trickles down to New Zealand stores. I like that they put the heart at the back of this instead of the front, it seems a bit more wearable.

Her print was cooler though.

Luella Bartley Spring 2010

My flatmate Karl has taken to dressing up like a cowboy. I think he wanted his photo taken.

Aftershocks have been hitting us all day. They're pretty small but still not very nice. My screen is shaking two and fro.

Eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarthquake

2010-09-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Had one of the most terrifying experiences in my life this morning at 4.25am when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch. I woke up to my entire room shaking about a metre left to right, still groggy with sleep. I have never experienced something so frightening, all I could hear were things falling down around me before my boyfriend shook me back to life and we ran outside, in our underwear. It was 2 degrees outside and everything was still shaking. I have never felt so vulnerable or been so close to fearing for my life.

Surprisingly, our house is fine, the only sign that anything went wrong is a burst water tank. In fact, even the books on our bookshelf didn't fall down. As you can see by these photos, the rest of Christchurch didn't fear too well.

There have been aftershocks all day, in fact I can feel one now as I write and apparently there may be another big one tonight. I am so thankful that nobody I know has been hurt and it seems only two people in all of Christchurch have been severally injured and nobody killed (although there is news that perhaps there was a heart attack caused by the event). We have lost power and water for the day but it all seems to be coming right. I am just glad it wasn't worse.

Skating

2010-07-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

I went skating on Lake Ida a couple of weeks ago. Finally got the photos off my dad so I thought I'd show you guys some.

It was amazing, the ice was at least 15cms thick and there was nobody around so we could skate wherever we liked. It was a beautiful day. Just before we got to Ida, we actually skated on another lake called Evelyn. The sun was melting the ice as we skated on it and so it was cracking and shifting under us. Not right through the ice, so it was safe enough to skate on, but it was still really scary. At one point, my dad got such a fright he literally clawed at my arm. I had a bruise to prove it.

I can't be tamed

2010-07-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with feathers
Kinda unwearable but sometimes it's nice to feel like a bird

Numb

2010-07-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

Aveline gritted her teeth and pushed her small raft into the water. It was ice cold and bit into her skin, she knew she wouldn't grow accustommed to it. People said that so many times, "it's not so bad when you're in" but no, it always was so bad. It was some kind of human denial system, there were so many of those she thought. Like warm milk made you sleepy. If only the water was warm milk. It had started to reach deep into her limbs with a vengeance. She took a deep breath and shoved herself out from the bank.

It was the dead of the night and quiet like death. No birds made a sound and there was nothing moving among the reeds. It was even misty, just on the surface like life imitating a cliche. She could see quite clearly by the moon. Its light was thick like treacle, its rays not as stilted as usual. She had been right to leave tonight. It was the night to do it and there was a peace about it as if it was waiting for her. She didn't really believe in things like that, but if she did she would have been heartened. She hugged herself with long willowy arms and let herself drift for a while.

She wished she had worn more clothes. Without realising it earlier, she had actually chosen white drapey bedclothes because it seemed more romantic. She had pictured herself, a beautiful ghost like figure streaking through the night. Freezing now, she would have given anything for the lumpy brown coat she had rejected for the lace. If she hadn't been so romantically minded she wouldn't have got herself in this situation in the first place. She was determined, in fact this was her first move, to work on that and yet she had already sunk into old habits. She cursed herself silently, shivering in the thin dress.

Aveline tried to move the raft onwards but the stick she was using was heavy and thick and it was lready pressing deep into her skin. She was beginning to become very frustrated and cold and she was only a hundred feet from the bank. The bottom of her dress was already growing heavy with water and she'd grown numb with cold. Maybe people could become accustomed to this numb feeling. But she didn't want to. It wasn't right and if she could only push herself to the other side of the river then maybe she would never have to feel this way again. The further out she went, the stronger she felt, though her legs were paralyzed with cold. Her heart was pumping, and she was excited! Excited for once, it had been so long. The last time she felt like this was with him...but she didn't want to think about that right now.

She didn't want to think about it, not because it was painful, but because of the anticipation it was already beginning to create in her small breast. She had told him to meet her, by the felled trees on the other side of the lake. But Aveline hadn't heard from him. Not for days, not for a whole week. It didn't really matter, she thought, she would go either way. She knew, she knew deep down he would be there. Because he loved her. He loved her like she loved him, without that horrible numb feeling. When he had taken her in his arms and kissed her, it had been...well she was losing her breath and she needed that. Not now she thought, you must not think about this now. She pushed the stick deep into the water and moved onwards. There was no time to think about it and she needed all the energy she had. The cold was seeping into her arms and she was only a little way across the lake. She figured that once she got the the middle she would just drift to the shore. She hoped she was right.

"Row, Row, Row your boat gently down the stream" she began to sing to herself. It felt better than nothing and she pushed her stick in time to the words. Her voice sounded swallowed in the lake air. The sound moved slightly beyond her mouth and then it was if it was sucked back in. She had moved so far out she could no longer see the bank and she was starting to feel a little scared. There was no turning back now, she reckoned she was almost in the middle of the lake. It was rippling under her noisily and bitterly as if gossiping to itself about her indiscrepancies. Her soft bed, she had left it for this. She could no longer even feel the water lap against her sides though she knew it was there. Maybe that's what it felt like to drown. Just nothing and then nothing forever. Her reflection in the river was barely recognisable. A washed out face with no features, her gown stuck to her like a corpse in the water. She looked faded by the moons icy light. She had reached the middle, she knew it and she collapsed onto the boards in exhaustion. "If you are merciful lake," she gasped, "take me to the shore and make it swift"

She was feeling almost drunk, the raft was lulling her to sleep but she held on and tried to stay awake. Above her the stars were stronger and clearer than she had ever seen. But then, she had never seen them from the middle of the lake. How funny it is, she thought, that people spent so much of their time under artificial rooves. The air felt so nice, though it was cold and harsh. It felt real. This far away from her house, she had almost forgotten about that awful man. The one her father had brought home and his itchy moustache that tickled her lip. He had told her that she had to marry him, that it was the right thing to do. Why did people measure their lives up to a right and wrong that had been made by people with just as much knowledge of the world as them, of meaning and importance. Suddenly the raft began to bang up against things and she felt resistance underneath. She was coming up against the shore.

The water was getting shallow and she dipped her frozen feet back in. There wasn't much of a difference in temperature. Soon she was able to put her whole leg in and stand up. She could barely move from cold and she pushed the raft into the shore slowly and stiffly. Water fell off her clothes in great streams and they wrapped around her as if clinging to the last warmth they could find. She stumbled onto soil, how good it felt under her feet! She almost fell over from the shock of it, but it was no warmer than the water. She sat down on a felled tree and waited. He wasn't there. He wasn't there. Where was he? Surely he was coming. Yes, he had to be coming. She knew it. But she was crying anyway. It wasn't because he wasn't coming. He was, but oh she was so tired and cold.

She knew he would come. It was just taking him...he had just got stuck or something. He would be there, he loved her. She knew. She could no longer feel her breathing or her heart beating or her heart aching because it was. It was aching for him and she wished he would get there. She lay down. Just for a second she thought. She would just close her eyes for a second and he would be there to take her away. And she felt warm. Warm for the first time since she left the first shore. And it wasn't just because sleep felt so good, but because she knew he loved her. She knew. It felt so good to finally sleep. She shut her eyes. She felt the numbness coming over her. Just go to sleep she thought, go to sleep.

3.07.10

2010-07-02T21:52:00.001-07:00

Four of my favourite things at the moment: My new tutu skirt, wearing tops a size too big, my gold doc martens and wearing no makeup.

29.04.10

2010-04-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

I like my outfit today. Well I love tartan and floral together and I love shades of red and lace. Oh and also pleats. So this is just basically awesome.

I'm running late, got to do some study so I won't say much more. Hope everyone is having a swell day.

Wearing: World Skirt, Thrifted Shoes, Thrifted Tartan Tshirt, Thrifter slip, Velvet Glassons Leggings

2010-04-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

Seems I'm doomed to never keep this blog updated regularly. Not that it matters really since I'm doing it for myself and for my Auntie and mum (who I'm sure won't hold it against me). But I do wish I would make a post at least every second day because I generally enjoy it. I love clothes!

This is a dress I made last week. It's the first thing I've made on my sewing machine and I'm pretty proud of it. The fabric is soooo pretty. Tim's mum gave it to me and there was like 5 yards or something so I still have heaps left. My friend Maddy loved it so much. I would love to sew her the same dress haha. I wonder if she would let me.

I'm also making a really cool reversible dress that is going to be sort of like an apron. I'm going to be all dressed out after this.

What I love about this one is it so encapsulates autumn to me. The colours especially but also the style and length. It's a bit loose so I can wear lots of layers underneath and then it's short so it shows off thick tights (so important in colder months when one is forced to wear a coat all the time, and lets be honest, coats aren't the most feminine garments by definition).

Today I sat through the most horrific documentary on the Rwanda genocide. It was heartbreaking. I to this day don't think I realised just how disgusting it was 16 years later! My lecturer was talking about how she was 25 at the time, studying international history and still unaware of it taking place. And despite hearing about it over and over throughout my coms courses (studying media's role or lack of in the genocide) and still never payed much attention to it. Just goes to show how little notice we take of the world when it's beyond our recognition or understanding of our own lives.

On that note, who the hell is Justin Bieber??? Where the hell did this kid come from and WHY is he so popular?

Don't Call Me Baby

2010-04-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the short disappearance. I have been in Nelson for the last few days camping. Here's a picture of me in the centre of New Zealand. Will be posting properly again shortly

8.04.10

2010-04-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dress: Tempt

Velvet Leggings: Glassons

Parker: The Warehouse

Shoes: Doc Martens

Pearls: Mum made them

Wearing all new things, that's terrible! Trusty boots though. I seriously wear these everyday, ran or shine. They are so much softer than they were when I first bought them. Just the most comfortable things ever and even though I've worn them probably more than 300 times, they still have all their tread.

Velvet leggings are seriously the best. I've had a bit of an obsession with velvet on my legs for years as it reminds me of my childhood. I used to have these blue velvet pants kind of like jeans and I wore them until all the velvet came off the knees (which is surprisingly hard to do) and they were too small for me. So now every time I find velvet leggings/pants I go a little crazy and have to buy them. They are so warm as well. Much better than denim or cotton as they technically have twice the thickness really. Warning, don't scratch your leg in them (I have notoriously irritable skin) because you will get carpet burn. I have a batman band-aid on right now because of that (only ones we have in my flat for some reason).

My mum bought this Parker for me. It's amazing but not that practical as I seriously doubt it will keep any rain out. I always stop and think whenever I buy floral these days because it just seems like such the done thing. Every girl has a high waisted floral skirt at University. But the thing is, I love floral. I always have and always will, so it's stupid not to buy it just because everyone else is suddenly wearing it. Truth be told, I will still be wearing these things when it goes out of fashion anyway.

So I've been shopping too much lately and need to watch my spending. But isn't that always the way? My boyfriend bought some pretty cool things as well and is contemplating a $400 leather jacket from Levis which was AMAZING and I could totally steal. It's fun shopping with him because he suits absolutely everything. We got him some plain black suspenders and I bought a bow tie. He was wearing them together the other day and he looked so adorable. I really should get a photo and put it up here. He also got an Ash Katchum hat in the mail. I gotta love him. If he ever proposes to me, he's going to do it with a poke-ball and say "Lucy-Jane, I chose you". I made him promise. But of course not for at least five years people! You'll only get this if you're into pokemon as much as me.

Peace Out

Lonely Hearts Club

2010-03-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

I love Lonely Hearts club. These clothes are so me, especially the second picture. I mean that's pretty similar to how I walk out of the house most days, except my top half is usually grey marl and my boots beige. I'm seriously rethinking black now, though.

I love sheer black with frills. I found this great petticoat ages ago with frills basically exactly the same as in that bottom picture except a top and all these ruffles on the breast. I bought it immediately and wore it to death, but felt that it was a little too short. And then, what do you know, I find the exact same one but a dress rather than a top. It was meant to be.

Time

2010-03-29T02:42:00.001-07:00

Been so stressed today. Just have too much to do and it's all building up.

Watched A Clockwork Orange in class. I have to say I liked it a lot more this time. I think once you get over the shock factor, you can appreciate it for its actual filmistic merits. If that's even a word!

I was reading through my old English essays today. So frustrating! So many of them had so much potential to be fantastic and just fell flat on one thing or another, that in hindsight could be so easily fixed. I guess when I write them, there is only so much time to spend reworking them and rereading them. A fresh mind takes time and perspective.

That's probably one of the most important and hard to find commodities in writing: time.

Here is a poem I have written and rewritten over time:

Am I just a magpie?
Caught by the twinkling in your eye
My thoughts degenerated into an inky blackness
Feathers for brains

I'll claw at you
let go to animal impulses
peck at your brain
to dislodge that thing
called hindsight
and find that you were just
a shimmering thing
no clockwork at all
behind the face

and so I perch here
my chicks unfed
my nest full of glittering things
instead

Sweeet

2010-03-27T01:04:00.001-07:00

My mum found these sweet docs on trademe. I have to say, the more I look at them, the more they are growing on me. I can imagine wearing them with thick black socks. Also, I think they would look great as they faded and wore out a bit. We are going to go try some on in the weekend to see whether they would work for her.

In other news, I went to Armageddon today and it was terrible! I think it's something that could be quite good if it was overseas, and there was a whole lot more to do but it was just too small here.

Currently watching The Parent Trap, oh Lindsay, where did it all go wrong?

Tapestry jacket

2010-03-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my jacket. The picture was rather sombre so I painted a big smile on my face!

I'm off to Armageddon today

The Bus Driver

2010-03-26T02:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Mum and Toni

I am terrible at keeping this blog (it's funny that blogger spell check doesn't accept blog as a legitimate word...or blogger), but I think now that I am living away from home I might use it more to keep in touch with people. Maybe a diary kind of thing and less emphasis on what I'm wearing, as often I have very boring things on, and I find it so hard to take nice photos with my poor poor camera skills.

Every time I ask Tim to take pictures of me he always stands behind the camera with a dumb look on his face, trying to get me to smile. But the smiles always look so fake and I definitely think that photos are so much better when the smile is a spur of the moment thing. Perhaps I should try and work on my smiling abilities! Am I really such a grinch? I got mad at him for it before so probably. He was just trying to help.

He is playing video games right now "pew pew BANG BANG". These are the soothing sounds off my work place on a day to day basis. Still, I shouldn't complain that the only sounds of gunfire I hear in my life are from a simulation.

I also might showcase some of my writing on here because I am TERRIBLY unmotivated. I keep buying big books to write in and never filling them with anything. I started a short story about an ************* (censored so as not to spoiler it) so I might type that in here. To be fair I do write for Canta as well as cook dinner every day and study full time so I don't have much time left for writing. I've been really lazy with English at the moment because we are studying "A Clockwork Orange" and I have read it before, though that was at least three years ago. It's not my favourite book, I have to say, the nadsat is really hard to get used to (possibly the point).

So here is the beginning of my story:

The women was there again. Frank could see her in the rear view mirror; the blunt black hair and the angry face. She couldn't have been there for long or he would have noticed her. She must have boarded while he was busy clipping tickets, there had been a hoard of people moments ago. Frank always felt ill at ease when she was on his bus.

He shoved the bus into gear and took off without checking if all were seated. What was it about her that he found so unseemly? Was it her eyes? Certainly they were always on petrol. He was never able to consider her for more than a fleeting instance before she locked onto him like a predator to its prey. They filled him with a chill, a kind of uncanny fear, as if the mere exchange of a glance between them could mark him for life.

Henry could not understand this. What harm could he possibly do to her? He was merely a simple bus driver.

He cranked the bus into fifth and speed along the pot marked road.

But no, her eyes weren't the weirdest thing about her. What disconcerted Frank the most was the sheer amount of jobs she seemed to work her way through. Frank was a loyal man and had been with his bus company for almost 20 years. He saw it as a outward threat to his way of life that this women could shirk her civil responsibilities so flippantly.

Whoops, almost missed the turn off, he cranked the wheel hard to the right.

Yet, every time he saw her, she was clearly in a new profession, a new uniform for every day. Builder, Secretary, Fire-women; one day she turned up in a clean suit, a briefcase and slicked back hair as if she had somehow got into business or law without any training. The nerve he thought, slamming on the breaks.

Today she was wearing overalls and carrying a wrench. Always the stereotype, he thought. It was as if she was playing a game.

And that's as far as I have got. What do you think?

Lulu

ps. I bought a tapestry jacket today for $5. It's great but HUGE. It fits in the shoulders though and it looks home made, so I don't think it will be too hard to take in (no lining!). Might show you a picture tomorrow.

Girly Grunge

2010-01-19T00:09:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats a bit of a tutu sewn onto a grungy T-shirt.

This T-shirt is the best. Every year, designers in New Zealand get together to design T-shirts for Glassons (big chain store kind of like H&M). They are pretty much my summer staple, as they are always the most amazing designs, and $20 from every T-shirt goes to research breast cancer. Can't really feel bad about that, can you?

Wearing: Zambesi Breast Cancer T-shirt with pink tutu sewn on, Cherry Cotton Candy Jeans and Warehouse Slippers.

Gotta love the Alexander Wang side Braid!

8.01.10

2010-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Max dress, Number one shoe warehouse shoes, Boh Runga NZ mint necklace

Right now photobucket won't lot me log on, which is a little frustrating as blogger makes my photos sooo small.

This is the first time I have posted all year! Isn't that terrible? Just goes to show how bad I am at updating this thing and why I have so little readers haha. Problem is, I quite often only post when something new and exciting turns up and I feel it needs more attention that to just be worn out. Maybe one of my new years resolutions should be to post more often, but in some ways a blog is meant to be about me and what I want, so sorry mum :D.

I just started my summer course in creative writing. I'd love to be a writer and I love to write. I think that I am generally very good at it, but so very very unmotivated. It's just when I sit down in front of paper I feel as if I can't write anything bad. And if you can't write anything bad, well of course you can't write anything at all. Even when I write for our school magazine I feel slightly ashamed of what I hand in, while in reality it's quite good. It's well researched at least.

Merry Merry Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd put a picture up of all the presents under our tree. Doing just a quick count of what I could see, there are 42 presents! I don't really want to unwrap them. Just having them there is so much more exciting. Hope everyone was as lucky as me, as happy as me, and have a great Christmas!

Girly

2009-12-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

I've been dressing so girly lately. It's not like me at all. I'm usually in shorts and Doc Martens at this time of the year, but it's sooooo good to have warm weather. I'm loving just sitting around in this great new dress I found at an op shop. It makes me want to play tennis!

Maybe it's more fashionable to be girly this year. I've noticed lots of polka dots everywhere and of course florals are still going strong.

Only 6 days till Christmas. I cannot wait. Having 3 days off work makes a difference and I have lots of sun dresses and sandals calling.

I got sequins on my pants

2009-12-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

I made these shorts more than a week ago and they are starting to stretch already :(. They used to be skin tight. Also apparently sequins fall off butt pockets but oh well. I love them. The only thing missing from this is roller skates!

I got my hair cut yesterday :D. They always straighten it like crazy for no apparent reason. I thought they were going to cut it a little more once it was straight, but they did nothing. It was really strange. But I guess otherwise, my hair was a big red afro from all the hair drying. I personally thought it looked better though haha.

Cup Day

2009-11-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

I went to cup day with my dad today. I tell yah, I can't understand how the likes of Rumi and Lulu go around in heels all day. My feet are killing me and that's just from one outing. Still it was a long day and I barely got to sit down.

I decided to enter fashion in the field after I got flagged down as soon as I came through the gate. But their taste is so shocking! The shinier the better, and everything has to be so matching it sets your teeth grinding at the cheesiness of it. Also, they told us to get there at 12:30 and my event wasn't till about 3 let alone my heat. There was no where to sit back stages and everything was so disorganised so I wasn't even sure if I was in the right place. It's safe to say I won't enter next year.

Wearing: Home made dress with exposed zip, Bag from ?, Borrowed Shoes, Self made headband, Cream rose ring from Diva.

Iekeliene

2009-11-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

I love Iekeliene Stange. She always achieves the perfect amount of dishevelled pattern mixing. I dream to be as cool as her

Photo: Altamira: Models off Duty

Shinyness

2009-11-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

It's been ages since I've posted anything. It's so warm at the moment, it's nice to crack out the shorts and Tshirts.

Holidays are officially upon me!! But now I'm not so sure how to fill them up. I have a whole four months of glorious freedom.

Wearing: Supre Stallion Tshirt, Jay Jays red acid wash shorts, Gold Koram Flash Doc Martens, Sequinned Tuxedo Vest from Max, Boh Runga Feather Necklace, Karen Walker Rocket Ship Pendant, Nylon Socks from Farmers

Zac Posen RTW 2010

2009-09-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

I am so amazingly loving these three looks in Zac Posen's collection. Everything else is so flowy and sparkly and two-toned/woven and then these plastic monstrosities pop out. I don't really know how he thought they would flow, but who cares? They are plastic fantastic.

Photos from http://nymag.com

Joining the Circus.

2009-08-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Fish nets, gold shoes, jewel colours, frilled collars. I probably should really, join the circus that is. I would fit right in. Well I could dress the part, I actually suck at any kind of gymnastics or crazy flexibility. I can't even touch my toes.
Here are my shoes!! Are they not amazing?
It's been so hot the last couple of days. These two tops have been great. Found them both at an op-shop, exactly the same except that they green one is made of a slightly lighter fabric. There was also a beautiful cream lace one, but I thought buying all three would be a bit much.
Don't know what I'm doing with my hand in the first picture, but it showed my shoes.

Deadly Ponies

2009-08-24T01:35:00.000-07:00

So my clothes appreciation week didn't go too well. It rained all week, so most of the clothes were too cold. And then my camera ran out of batteries, so when I did wear them I couldn't take any photos.
Still, I may be able to recreate some of them for you.
My gold shoes arrived in the mail!! They are amazing. I will post a picture of them tomorrow, as I don't think a flash will really do them justice.

I found this great jewellery brand called Deadly Ponies. I'm in love with so many of their things, and their bags. But alas, I cannot afford them.
Here are some of my favourites.Deadly Ponies Carnation Bud Necklace. Bone on sterling silver

Mr Neck Arm Necklace in Brass
Mr. Flower B Necklace. Bone and Gold
Mr. Bow Tie Skull Necklace. Leather and Metal.

Clothes appreciation week

2009-08-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

Looking through my closet, there are so many beautiful garments that I never wear. It's crazy. So I have decided that next week is to be my beautiful clothes appreciation week. This is a week for the things in my closet which rarely see the sun, and yet are very, very beautiful. I have chosen four items (since sunday is spent at work wearing uniform and it gives me a chance to wear some of them more than once). These must be worn at least once next week, but preferably even more.

First of all, 2 dresses. Both handmade and designed.Two print Luella inspired dress, Butterfly dress with ribbon

Secondly, two jackets (you may be sensing I wasn't lying when I admitted my weakness for shiney things earlier).Gold World Jacket, Green Brocade Bomber Jacket (handmade)

Lastly, I also have a beautiful, beautiful watch that hasn't seen the light of day for atleast a year. Granted it has run out of battery, but that's no excuse. I am terrible and repairing things and putting it on my wrist will only serve as a reminder.

Hands Christian Anderson Swatch (if you look closely there is actually the Snow Queen on the left, and the other strap has the little match stick girl)

So clothes apprecation week. yay! Can't wait, and I'll deffinitly post pictures. I'd love to see the beautiful things in other people's closets that go unnoticed. Perhaps we should make it a legitimate holiday....right boss???? ;)

Inside out Chanel

2009-07-29T02:07:00.000-07:00

New vest. Well actually, it's a jacket I cut the arms off. It really didn't feel right till now, but I loved the fabric. Sort of a inside out Chanel. You know, the collection with the Americana striped and stars. I can imagine wearing this with red and white striped for a similar feel.

I have been wearing a lot of vests lately. Well another vest, I guess. My furry one. Embarrassing story, I left it in my lecture, the soul guy in the course (it's heroins in History) found it and asked the whole class whose it was. So basically, I had to claim this furry gorilla vest in front of my whole class. I wear it though, so I don't know why that's embarrassing. I guess not worn, out of context, a hairy vest is a pretty strange thing to own.

42

2009-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ok call me a magpie. I am a little gold obsessed. And perhaps a little Doc Marten obsessed too.
I'll go to therapy soon after, I promise. But I must have these shoes!!!
As I said to my friend Kelly (hello Kelly!), I believe I was born for a purpose, and that purpose was to own these shoes. Once I do, my life will be complete. The answer to the universe is not 42, it's Gold Korum Flash.

Gold Korum Flash Doc Martens.

18.07.09

2009-07-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Making use of the slightly warmer weather to wear something more stylish. Usually I'm just a big ball of wool, and since I am so colour mad, all my coats, scarves, hats and gloves are colourful. In winter I am a packet of skittles.Bought this clever zip necklace for $14 at Dotti the other day. What a great idea! It's just a zip, with the fabric cut away and the ends clamped together. I usually make a resolution never to buy anything I could easily make myself, but I figured that a zip would probably only cost a little less anyway. My mum disagrees, however, and is going to attempt her own DIY if anyone's interested.

Wearing: Black Leggings, Second hand boots, Second Hand Beanie, Self altered second hand dress, Supre tshirt, Dotti Necklace.

Progress

2009-07-16T03:14:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some painting lately. I'm not a huge painter, but I loved it when I was a child. In fact, according to an old scrapbook I used to fill when I was younger, I dreamed of being an artist, a writer or a doctor. I guess the writing held it's ground. But I think I was disheartened by year 11 art, where we were forced to conform to a style of painting. Mine is usually very thick, very bright, and very imaginative. So much more fun that way.

22.06.09

2009-06-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

Talking about high-tops in my earlier post reminded me of a job I've been meaning to do with my old chucks. I used to love wearing high-tops but mine eventually wore out and I am too broke to buy another pair. However, a while ago I realised that the important part of the chuck (the upper section) looks as good as new. Why waste perfectly good material? So I cut it off and bound the edges. Added the studs today as an after thought.I'm pretty desperate to get the other one done so I can wear them.

21.06.09

2009-06-21T01:19:00.000-07:00

Found this on Karla's blog. What a thief. This editor has totally stolen my image
Ok, well I am being self deluded, but the red hair, the high top chucks (I actually haven't worn mine for a while because they ripped apart), even the gold jacket.
This is just killing me, I need my hair to be this long. Though my hair line is not as nice as hers so I probably couldn't manage that awesome ponytail.

14.06.09

2009-06-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

luluella: what do you think would be more warm, blankets or ponchos?
Knee: Mexicans wear ponchos
Knee: in Mexico

Can't beat that logic.

Does anyone ever feel the need to girly up hammer pants? It's strange because I usually like to grunge up girly outfits. I'm just not that girly at all genuinely, but lately it's like I ingested sugar coated rainbow fairy dust, or something. I mean, I bought a black satin bow for my hair. I am NOT a bow person. I have always shied, no reeled, away from headbandbowpigtail sort of hair.
Anyway, case in point, I am girly now. Here's my girly hammer look:
Went kinda crazy on the photos today, but common, it's like I'm dancing!
It was so warm today and now it's back to bitterly cold (hence the thick cardigan). These pants are actually way too think for winter. I am thinking of trying to make some with grey jersey knit after seeing some Deborah Sweeney ones of trademe. I have a feeling that I'd never wear anything else.

Tried to get a closer picture of my tights, which I made by pulling apart some old ones and cutting around them. This is a major fail, but I thought it was a cool picture anyway.

top: Just Jeans
Jersey: Vintage
Hammer Pants: Glassons (of all places)
Heels: Number 1 Shoe Warehouse
Tights: Homemade.

11.06.08

2009-06-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

Ok so another onslaught of terrible photographs. I probably shouldn't even bother because you can hardly see the detail anyway.
I got this fabulous Sera Lily top from Trade Me. I am so happy with it, I can for see it becoming one of my favourite items of clothing. She seems to really design for red heads, the colours are
sooo perfect.

I tried to find some images for you, but it seems that runwayreporter.co.nz has shut down. This makes me so sad! There is not much coverage of New Zealand fashion and it was always a great go-to website. It makes me really sad because there is so much talent out there, and with C4 no longer covering NZ Fashion week, and Runway Reporter shutting down, what is there left?? We have NZ Music Month, which is a whole lot of baloney in my opinion. Bring on Fashion month, properly I say! They obviously need more coverage.

9.06.09

2009-06-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I think this is one of the longest breaks I've had from a post. It wasn't even intentional, and I can't even remember the reasons behind it as I sit here in front of my laptop. Well, for one, I know that I had three exams last week and and essay due. HRWKNfln!!!! Are they even allowed to do that? Well yes, but that's not the point. I was a ball of stress. Now I am dying to post up the many things I have accumulated in the mean time.

It has been freezing here. 10 degrees if we are luckily, but often below zero in the morning. I have always wanted to say this, and now I can; I have been living in my Doc Martens. Yeah, I'm lame, I idolise punks. So what? Got a problem with it punk?! Ahhhhhhh......

I took these pictures at night, so that's why they are all over the place and why the lighting changes. I was trying really hard to get a good picture, but oh well, you get the picture (no pun intended...oh god I need sleep).Look I get gradually closer :D.

Top- Cue
Negligee: Vintage
Jersey: Vintage
Vest: Jay Jays
Shorts: Customised
Tights: Farmers
Shoes: Doc Martens

Sewing

2009-04-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to doing some of the DIY projects I have been putting off for god knows how long. It is insane how much fabric I have piled up into my wardrobe, and every two months or so I decide on something different I want to do with it I swear, this velvet fabric I have has gone through at least 20 transformations.
On top of that I often buy things at op shops that are too big or not quite right, and they sit in my closet waiting to be revamped.

So this dress was lucky, it was only in there a week. I wasn't sure what I had in mind for it, but all of a sudden, it turned into this:
Before this it was two sizes too big and down to my ankles. Now I'm not one to raise my nose at long skirts but it made me look like a bean pole.

Ever since i watched the BBC version of Ballet Shoes, I have been a little obsessed with the idea of the 1920s. Pretty fabrics like this have caught my eye. And I am in love with how this turned out, though I think I might undo the last pleat in the middle because it looks a little like I have it stuck in my underwear haha. But otherwise, I couldn't have imagined a better end result. I want to wear it everyday this week.

Second up, I made a cute shift dress out of some beautiful gold fabric I've been saving up for a while.
I didn't want to put this dress up, as it totally trumps mine, but I thought I shouldn't pretend I wasn't inspired by it.

Rumi from fasiontoast

I'll put a better picture up when I work out how to wear it. Unfortunately it's not that possible to go bra less, because one gets the Balmian effect:

From NYmagazine onine

....if you get what I'm saying.

Anyway, that's what I accomplished today. Hopefully there will be a few more thing popping up. I have at least two dresses on the go at the moment and I still need to buy some ribbon to lace one of my Doc Martens (turns out 3 metres was only enough for one...holy cow).
Hope you all had good weekend.

Hobo Sapian

2009-04-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

In my earlier days I'd been to sea with a tall rawboned fellow from Louisiana called Big Slim Hazard, who was a hobo by choice. As a little boy he'd seen a hobo come up to ask his mother for a piece of pie, and she had given it to him and when the hobo went off down the road the little boy had said, "Ma, what is that fellow?" "Why, that's a ho-bo." "Ma, I want to be a ho-bo someday." "Shet your mouth, that's not for the like of the Hazards." But he never forgot that day, and when he grew up, after a short spell playing football at LSU, he did become a hobo."
Jack Kerouac, On the Road.

I keep meaning to do a shoot like this. Searching homeless on google is really sad, but sometimes you come across pictures like this. Is it not a way of life? She has all her bags of things which she carries a round, it looks like she has been collecting things for years. Would she even feel herself indoors?
I feel a bit intrusive looking into this life with intrigue. It is cold, sad and harsh, not something to be admired. And yet there is some kind of beauty in it. I think Kerouac agrees. Supposing somebody did choose this life, would it not have its own fulfillment?

Your gaping wordless proof of luna distances traveled beyond love.

2009-04-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Took this a couple of nights ago when I was playing around with lights with my camera. Does it not look like a little man singing into the sky? It was almost a little shocking when i realised.

5.04.09

2009-04-05T01:15:00.000-07:00

I bought this Poncho yesterday. I can explicitly remember a time when I said the exact words "I will never wear a Poncho" but this one sparked my interest while op-shopping with a friend. I think it has a lot to do with reading Gala's blog, and getting a feel for that Spanish vibe.
I mean, really, it's like wearing a big blanket. Who would say no to that?I also realised that buckling belts around your shoes is a instant way to make them cooler. I am also thinking that really really long ribbons all wrapped around my Doc Martens, may be a good look for Winter.

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-04-03T01:32:00.000-07:00

This brings out really overpowering childhood longings in me. I hope it's good.

Liquid Gold

2009-04-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

The coolest thing about getting something new is deciding how to wear it. Playing with costumes is no secret in the blogging society. We are all sneaky suspects of it. And who could rob me the chance to do so with a LIQUID GOLD brand new jacket.
So this is me just playing around at home. I haven't worn any of these looks outside, but I certainly would in future. Introducing, my new gold jacket (and gold really is an understatement).

Oodles of grey, a hint of gold, some beige. I never can refrain from wearing blends of colour from head to toe. Elegant outfit.
Blue jeans, soft docs, a touch of leopard and a hood. Rainstorm? Palease...nothing could phase me. Casual outfit. Acid wash, fishnet tights, a grey loose t, and those 14 hole Doc Martens. Cross me and I'll kick your arse. The hard edge look.

And just to show you just how gold it really is....
I think I am in love.

28.03.09

2009-03-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Another gold shiney thing.
I just purchased this jacket online and am awaiting its arrival in glee.
So gold, so shiney

Meanwhile I have another 400 words to write on my essay.
I managed to spend 3 hours on it today without the word count increasing.
How is that fair?

Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars

2009-03-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've never been a big fan of Jeremy Scott. The man looks like a plonker, he's friends with Cory Kennedy and his collections aren't exactly ingenious. BUT holy mother I need these shoes. I was literally considering painting my sneakers gold the other day, and then I came across these. Why not create some lace attached wings too? Yeah that's a good idea...wonder where I got that from?

Democracy

2009-03-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

Would you read a blog if you didn't like somebody's style? If it was different from your own? If they had different political views from your own? If they wore fur? If they were too opinionated?

Why are all the most popular bloggers skinny?

Blog are meant to make our voices heard. But is anybody listening? Do they not (at least somewhat) reflect the dominant ideologies of our society anyway? Do we not tune out when the voice is dissimilar to our own? Send messages of hatred when people try something different?

Or is it that we just conform to an image?
Why do we all look the same? Stud everything we can see, shred t-shirts, bleach jeans.
Why do I not do all these things on purpose? Is that not worse?

Are blogs really platforms for discussion or just unanswered monologues?

I feel isolated in this medium. I don't know who I'm talking to. I'm like a stalker, I often don't comment.

So why do we do it? What does it accomplish? Why don't we scream our opinions? Why are we always treading on thin ice? This is our space, our place. People should hear our say.

18.03.09

2009-03-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am a terrible blogger. But actually I have felt kind of bored by my wardrobe at the moment. Just one of those dry spells. I've been wearing a lot of tartan, injecting some punk into my lifestyle.

Did everyone have a good St. Patrick's day? I had two pints of Guinness (I swear Irish is deep in my blood, I practically feel my spirit soaring to Irish music and that Guinness is as good as chocolate to my taste buds). And I tell ya, the one time of the year you get a lot of attention for being a redhead is St. Patrick's. A 40 year old man tried to full on kiss me (I managed to subvert it into a peck on the cheek, but still!!!).

The lack of shoes in these photos is a bit poor. I was just sitting around home when I took them

25.02.09

2009-02-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

I feel very gossip girls today.
I actually started the day by taking in this great floral vest I found at a thrift shop. Even though it's finished and it now fits me really well, I opted for another look. I can't quite work out how to wear it yet because it pinches in things that are a bit baggy funnily and it doesn't really look right with more streamlined items.
I'm sure it will come to me in a wave of inspiration as things often seem to.

Grunge

2009-02-22T00:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late at night photos, but I just realised I could totally wear my giant grey tshirt as a dress. I look so grunge right now. Not sure if that's in a good way.
This is what two days of rain and no maintenance does to my hair. Whoot!

15.02.09

2009-02-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

Playing with my boyfriend in my garden. It's such a sunny aftermath to valentines day, we will probably end up running through the sprinkler soon.
I was going for a sort of nerd look here, with a buttoned up shirt. Skirt's probably a bit short though.

<3

2009-02-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

I had the longest day at work today. This photo is actually from yesterday, but I stayed over at my friend's house last night.
I forgot to bring almost everything (as you do) and so i had to wear this brazier under my clothes all day. NOT the most comfortable thing.
So good to come home and have a shower.
What's everyone up to for valentines day?

12.2.08

2009-02-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

Tartan floral and lace
I am a disgrace
a blight apon the human race

Ron

2009-02-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

If I were a boy, I'd like to think this is how I would look.

10/02/08

2009-02-09T15:43:00.000-08:00

After all that wishing, I did manage to get the rocket ship necklace I talked about in this post. Not for Christmas unfortunately, this baby came right out of my bank account. It was a really good buy though and I love it with my other Karen Walker pendant, my little runway girl (her name is Pippie Trashcan...shhhh).

So hot!

2009-02-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how people all over the world can simultaneously be experiencing such different weather. It's upwards of 32 degrees today and the sun is unbearable. In Victoria, Australia there are raging fire storms and there are even worried that similar things could happen here. It's been so hot and dry this summer with record temperatures of 42 degrees. The hills are a rusty, golden yellow that just goes on and on. I should try and go up there and take some photos just so you can experience the beauty that surrounds my city.
Top: Glassons breast cancer tshirt by Stolen Girlfriend's Club
Skirt: Thrifted and cut short
Hat: Farmers

Even though I have lived here all my life and barely even left this country, I always think that it is the south that is out of wack from the north. I guess because we get a lot of our media and cultural images from the north. But yay! I like it this way around...all winter I watched other bloggers bathing in the warmth. The breeze through my window is like a hot, soft silk right now.
I feel like going to sleep.

My apologies for the photo quality, I don't think my camera likes all this light.

25.01.09

2009-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

I was meant to hear about the modelling today, but nothing has come through and it is now officially tomorrow. I am not too displeased, I had a lot of fun the day before pretending to be a part of it and taking lots of crazy "broken doll" pictures which Tyra likes so much.
Here's a couple of more normal ones.

Too Long

2009-01-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have been absent for WAY too long. I have been reading others blogs, but rather sporadically and I'm really missing this whole thing.
I am feeling way happier at the moment because I only have one week left of work and then it's holidays! Also, I sat down and chose all my courses for next year and I am really excited about starting to learn again. My weeks seem ridiculously cruisey though, so I am hoping that there is a lot of work to do out of class (possibly shooting myself in the foot here). Every week I have Mondays and Wednesdays off!! Now that's an arts degree for you.

I thought I would share with you my amazing find from last weekend. I found it at this huge second hand clothing store that we have here called Save Mart for only $15. It's actually a size too big and pinned in these photos but I just couldn't resist it.

It's so breakfast at Tiffany's it's not even funny. It even clips at the back (it is very lovely at the back too but it's safety pinned at the moment so i can't show you). It's giving me major hankerings to watch that movie again and to actually have an occasion to wear it.

So anyway, I hope everyone is having a fabulously stylish New Year and expect to see more of me from now on (pinky promise).

PS. I should find out about New Zealand's Next Top Model in the two weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

31.12.08

2008-12-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

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.

27.12.08

2008-12-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

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!

21.12.08

2008-12-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

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.

Stunned

2008-12-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

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!

Christmas Wishlist

2008-12-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-16T00:36:00.000-08:00

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

Ramblings

2008-12-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

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.

$$$$

2008-11-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

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.

24.11.08

2008-11-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

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.

20.11.08

2008-11-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

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!

18.11.08

2008-11-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Haha

2008-11-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

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?"

11.11.08

2008-11-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

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

5.11.08

2008-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

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

Black

2008-11-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

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/

Deadlocks

2008-10-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Boiling

2008-10-26T23:55:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-26T01:41:00.001-07:00

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)

Doc Martens

2008-10-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

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:

23.10.08

2008-10-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

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*

NZ Fashion 101

2008-10-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

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