Enduring Demure

One of the things that can really annoy me living in Tasmania is the lack of aesthetically pleasing people. I don't mean that everyone should be cookie cutter perfecty the same, or have the right jawline etc etc, and I appreciate that some people want to be comfortable- but people can have their own style and be comfortable while still looking presentable, nice and well....clean (that is only directed a few people). Today, however I saw someone that made me smile. A little elderly lady walking down the mall hand in hand with her (I assume) husband. I think it's always so cute to see older couples still holding hands, but what I loved the most was her outfit and the way she was put together. She had perfectly kept blonde-grey curls, simple and neat makeup with a hint of red lipstick, a gorgeous white dress with red roses on that puffed out at the bottom (the sort which one wears in the kitchen making cookies for her friends and family), a white cardigan and white strapy wedges. It really suited her and she looked fabulous, I can only hope to still look as good as her when I'm older! <3

Washington- Clementine

Chuck's Life Less Serious Champion Challenge

Recently I was contacted to see if I wanted take part in a blogger competition for Chupa Chups lollypops. I love Chupa Chups, and it sounded like fun so I agreed to enter. A few days later I got a little parcel in the mail filled with lollypops, a Chuck doll and t-shirt- definitely cheered up my day! I started thinking about all the possibilities, but as it is exam time I couldn't get started straight away. It was suggested that I should enter the fashion category, so I decided to assign and style and persona to each flavour. First, check out this ad featuring cutie Chuck:

http://www.lifelessserious.com.au/

Which Chupa Chup are you?

Feminine and fun, Strawberries are girly girls who love pink and sparkly things. They love pop music and have a crush on Zac Efron, and can sometimes be mistaken as naive and ditzy- though they are mostly just positive and bubbly. Strawberries don’t have a favourite designer or label- they just love anything cute!

Classic and elegant, Colas are effortlessly stylish. The little black dress is their religion, and they live for Chanel and Armani.

Relaxed and laidback, Mangos love sunny days and relaxing at outdoor music festivals with friends. Their favourite bands include The Kooks, Kings of Leon and Ben Harper.

Busy socialites who are never seen without their phone, statement bag and favourite flavour lollypop. Choco-vanillas are always fashionable and expertly mix new trends with classic pieces. They love a range of designer labels including Burberry, Dion Lee, Balmain and Stella McCartney.

Fresh, fun, colourful and the life of the party. Watermelons love to have a good time and can make even the sourest of people smile. Their budget is constantly blown on party dresses and interestingly named cocktails. They love Gucci, Marni, Marc Jacobs and Versace.

Homebodies and domestic goddesses, Strawberries and Creams are quite comfortable pottering around the house and enjoy quiet nights in. They also love baking, and tempting smells are always coming from their kitchen.

Perfectionists and always incredibly well groomed, Berry-Yoghurts can sometimes come across as snobs. They don’t believe in dressing down, and live in Yves Saint Laurent and Louboutins.

Dark and mysterious, blackberries love going to gigs and bands like Nine Inch Nails and Atreyu. A new breed of polished goth, they adore designers like Gareth Pugh and Alexander McQueen.

J'ai une chat

Happy Halloween!

Man of the Day: Jack Johnson

I was watching the movie Curious George in the background while studying yesterday, and it reminded me how good Jack Johnson's music is...Perfect summer music for going to the beach and lounging around!

Inspiration: Beth Ditto

Fashion Spotlight:Gareth Pugh

The good thing about not knowing it all is coming across new discoveries. My newest find, and fashion crush, is Gareth Pugh. Whether you like this style or not, you have to admit he is incredibly talented, and his work certainly not boring!

photos from style.com

Current Obsession: Strawberries!

My current food obsession is alot healthier than my last (nutella...mylo cereal...), although as you can see, I still can't resit sprinkling them with sugar. I was thinking this morning how when I was younger, I thought that when I was older and not living with my parents I would do things like eat icecream for breakfast and chocolate for tea....while I've never actually done this, I still like being able to get away with that extra spoonful....I love fresh food, so I think I might start growing my own soon, though I don't really know if it's the right season. So look out for gardening novice entries soon! Oh, and do you like my little apple spoon?! I do!

I Want...

A black skull necklace like this candle here, but obviously not a candle. Like the Alexander McQueen one (below) but bigger and cheaper. And maybe in a similar style for a ring too. Possibly earrings as well. Can anyone help me??

Spring Shoes

First of all. Clogs at Chanel?! I adore Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld but really...clogs?! An abuse of fashion power! If this becomes fashionable I shall politely decline...

Next, Louis Vuitton. I didn't really like the shoes from last years collection...too many bits and bobs (tacky), so I bet you can imagine my expression when I saw the new ones. Hairy shoes?Clog platforms? Sports shoe hyrbids? Mon dieu! Too much! I know there has been a slight nerdy chic trend, but I don't think there is much of a market for ugly-weird-hairy-chic.

The future booties from Alexander McQueen you have probably already seen, but these I don't actually mind. Of course they are not practical in any sense and I can't see any cheaper rip-offs happening, or Launceston folk strolling down our local mall in them....BUT they are interesting and a beautiful art from.

Finally, for the moment, Miu Miu. Clunky and retro, but not in a good way. If I was after these sorts of shoes I would go to my local op-shop and pick out the pair I laughed at. I do, however, have a weakness for sparrow patterns, but the daisy pattern just makes me think of 90's fashion and makes me shudder. (Hmmm I perhaps shouldn't have just offended so many huge designers....)

Excitement: Tomorrow, When the War Began

I used to love the series Tomorrow, When the War Began, by John Marsden, when I was younger...so I was super excited when I heard that it is being made into a movie. I dont think I ever finished reading the full series, so I decided now is a good time to start reading them again. I've just finished the first book, and I half expected it to be not as exciting- unfortuntately most things seemed a lot bigger and better as a child. However, it was just as gripping, if not even more so, than I remember it, and it had me very much on the airport, when I was reading it there, and at one point about to attack some guys sitting near me for being noisy during a tense moment (though one had a mullet so he was just asking for trouble really...). So my adivce: buy yourself a copy, don't read at night if you actually want to go to sleep and keep your eyes out for the film- due for release in 2010.

Fashion Staple: Stripes

photos from www.style.com

Its funny how fashion articles claim trends and styles are 'in' when, really, they've never been out. Stripes are a good example of this. Now, I know things often get reinvented each season, and trends do circulate around, but the classic black and white stripe is one enduring pattern. It also doesn't discriminate against sexes and is long lasting for both men and women. For Parklife on the weekend, we hadn't arranged to wear matching outfits (though at music festivals I quite like doing this) but a couple of us already pretty much had the same outfits, with black and white stripes, and everyone else could easily join in with what they already had brought, or a simple addition. So, for an easy to wear, long lasting wardrobe staple, choose a black and white stripey top.

Red-y to wear

This morning I was packing for Melbourne and Parklife this weekend (yippee!) and while I don't normally wear red lipstick I decided it would go with one of my outfits, so I tried it out. Anyway I liked the result and was about to go into town (and trust me, red lipstick does not want to go away) so I just decided to keep it on. Now as I lived in Tasmania I expected a few stares (you need to give some people here a bit of time to get used to even something a little bit different...), but I was pleasantly surprised when I was stopped in the street and complemented! I'm not quite daring enough to try out blacks, but I might be wearing red a bit more often.

I wore Clinique High Impact Lip Colour in Red-y-to wear, Clinique Defining Liner for lips in Red-y or Not, then put a dab of clear Lancome Juicy Tubes gloss. I was going to put up a picture but I looked a bit special and I'm sure you all know what red lips look like.

Music News: Big Day Out 2010

Yesterday was full of hype and speculation over who will be playing next year's huge Big Day Out festivals, including a rumour of David Bowie- who will not be going. The proper line up annouced today is amazing, and so far features: Muse, Lily Allen, Rise Against, Powderfinger, Eskimo Joe, Groove Armada, Grinspoon, Ladyhawke, Dizzee Rascal, Karnivool, Peaches, The Temper Trap, Kasabian, Magic Dirt, Midnight Juggernauts, Calvin Harris, Girl Talk, Mastodon, The Horrors, Kisschasy, Blue Juice, Tame Impala, Lisa Mitchell and The Decemberists- and that's only the first announcement! The festivals are to be held in January in Auckland on Friday 15, the Gold Coast on Sunday 17, Sydney on Friday 22, Melbourne on Tuesday 26 (Australia Day), Adelaide on Friday 29 and Perth on Sunday 31. Tickets go on sale on the 7th of October for Sydney, the 8th for the Gold Coast and the 9th for the rest, for $140 (+ booking fee) for the Australian tickets and NZ$132 for Auckland. Exciting!

Sunday morning inspiration

Sometimes I get annoyed when a love of fashion and beauty is seen by many to be a superficial trait. I understand that there are people who are only interested in looks, for the wrong reasons, but there are always two sides to an arguement. To me, aesthetics and beauty is very important. I am fascinated and inspired by beauty in the world around us, including things as simple as rain drops glistening on a tree branch in winter. To those who say beauty is not important, would you really want to live in a grey, drab and ordinary world? That said, here are some gorgeous photos, from his older black and white collections, of one of my favourite fashion photographers, Gatean Caputo.

Christopher Kane for Topshop

It seems that designer chain store collaborations are all the rage these days (Kate Moss + Topshop, Stella McCartney + Target, Anna Sui + Target, Camilla & Mark + Portmans...) and Christoper Kane, recently well known for his graphic gorilla print dress/shirts worn by the likes of Rihanna, has just released his new collection for Topshop. Because I needed more reasons to wish that we had a Topshop store over here (although one will be coming soon- yay!) The collection features a new take on the gorilla print, this time featuring a fierce crocodile, and mesh in all of the right places. To be honest, I didn't really like either of the prints to start with, but now I have been won over. Thank goodness for international shipping.

Match made in Indie Heaven

I was just googling one of my favourite bands, Death Cab for Cutie, and I discovered that lead singer Ben Gibbard recently married actress Zooey Deschanel (who I also love) earlier this week on September 21. What a perfect match! Hopefully we will be hearing Zooey's amazing voice on some Death Cab tracks!! ♥

Man of the Day: Alexander Skarsgard

Who else loves True Blood?! I’ve been watching season two lately and, despite the amount of study that I need to get done, it’s addictive plot is no match for my weak will. More action packed and interesting than the first season, and also even better as Alexander/Eric has had a haircut (thank goodness Eric got all that redneck blood in his hair and needed to cut it!). Definitely worth watching- Swedish vampires?! Yes please! (Come to think of it, one of the phrases my Swedish friend taught me to say, “you are my idol, will you have my children?”, may come in handy.... “you have big feet” and “I don’t like your mother” maybe not so much....)

Spring 2010: Jaeger London

Black and white, neutral tones, gold and pops of bright orange, blue and mint green. This may sound like the making of a messy and uncorrelated collection, but Jaeger London's Spring 2010 collection is absolutely gorgeous, and comes together beautifully. It features pieces that are practical and easily wearable, while still fashion forward and interesting- which I always love. For local readers, Jaeger London is available at Justin Paul, Launceston.

photos from www.style.com

Man of the day: Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 frontman may have a reputation for being a bit of a womaniser, but he has an amazing voice, is hot and....well, the section isn't called morally ethical man of the day.

Luxe to much, much less

I'm always on the hunt for bargains and new online shopping stores, and my housemate today told me about an American website, Forever 21 . I should be saving money and I also should've been studying (there is so much on there, including some...interesting... pieces to sift through) but the exchange rate is pretty good at the moment and the pieces on there are already so cheap!

A while ago I posted some pictures from the Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 RTW show (amazing!) and I then wondered how it would translate into real, everyday fashion. Granted, houndstooth has been around for a long time, but last night I was looking (teasing myself) at the Alexander McQueen pieces on net-a-porter and that definitely influenced one of my purchases today (it may not be as fancy, but it's also over 100 times cheaper). While I'm still not sold on the umbrella hat look and I'm going to steer clear of the double houndstooth jacket-skirt Cruella De-Ville style combo, I might pair it with some black and hot pink.

Alexander McQueen houndstooth folded jacket approx $3,777.86

Forever21 houndstooth pleated jacket approx $34.25

White Out

1. Country Road frame $59.95

2. Poketo white slim wide angle camera $US35

3. Ugly Doll Ice Lodge Wedgehead $55

4. Ikea Bladet plant pots $4.99

5. Echelon wine rack from Macleay on Manning

6. Country Road Patina vases large $149, small $59.95

7. Ikea Karlstad armchair $339

8. Beacon Lighting Camille chandelier $169

9. French Living Savoy lounge $3,995

10. Country Road fig clear wick scented candle $49.95

11. Amolavida ceramic eiffel tower $59.95

12. Country Road Adelina pillowcases $49.95 (pair), Ankara pillowcases $39.95 (pair), Mali blanket $179, Rivera blankets $129 each

13. Country Road Ligne mug $7.95, cereal bowl $9.95, pasta bowl $9.95, bread plate $7.95, dinner plate $12.95

14. Modcloth Tabby Cat Pet lamp $US59.99

Music News: Soundscape Festival

I've never been to the Soundscape festival in Hobart, Tasmania, before but the lineup seems pretty good. So far Empire of the Sun (pictured), The Grates, Ugly Duckling, Ash Grunwald, Children Collide, Grafton Primary- not bad for a Tassie festival! Tickets go on sale on the 16th of September and the festival is to be held on Saturday the 9th of January, 2010, at the Domain Regatta Grounds.

Spring Picks

I know I have previously expressed my disdain for harem pants, a view which I still partially hold, but they are going to be a big part of spring fashion. One of the main reasons I don’t like them is that people seem to just be wearing them wrong. Instead of being worn as track pants, they should be worn chicly with blazer, shirts and heels (and preferably on tall, slender figures...which is also why I’m counting myself out of this one!). Normally I would be one for suggesting black as a great staple colour (a problem which has resulted in my mostly black wardrobe...which I am trying to overcome), but they look great in neutral light browns and creams. They probably aren’t going to be around for many seasons so don’t worry too much about investing in long lasting pieces (if you have a small bank balance that is!).

When it comes to jackets and tops, structured shoulders are optimal, but go for more classic tailoring if it’s an investment piece you’re after. Long, relaxed shapes are key for this season, and roll the sleeves up for a fresh look. Pair them with jeans for a casual dress for a smart day look, or a cute party dress at night.

Gold featured on both the Australian and International runway collections, and it’s a great way to add a statement piece. Look out for bright gold, with sparkles, so be careful to keep the rest of the outfit neutral to avoid looking like a Christmas decoration.

Look for prints that are flowing, feminine and in bright pastel colours. As always, floral prints are also big for spring.

Denim shorts have been a warm weather staple for years, but this time try going with a dressier look. Wear them with shirts and jackets, and preferably with a safari style twist. Save the t-shirt and short look for the beach.

1. Sportsgirl floral bandeau Dress $129.95
2. Wittner london flats $149.95
3. Chanel flamme rose nailpolish $39
4. Sportsgirl leaf plate necklace $29.95
5. Supre one button blazer $45
6. Witchery strip high waist belt $99.95
7. Sussan crop satin pant $79.95
8. Sportsgirl wanda watercolour skirt $79.95
9. Witchery gina bag $249.95
10. Chanel jade nailpolish $39 (now sold out in Aus- 16/09/09)
11. Siren Shoes curio heels $109.95
12. Witchery melrose drop arm sunglasses $69.95
13. Witchery strapless metallic print dress $189.95
14. Elke Kramer tough love bracelets $200 each
15. Witchery caesar glad sandal $169.95
16. Witchery loop snake belt $89.95
17. Sportsgirl boyfriend jacket $169.95
18. House of Harlow deco earrings $59
19. Shakuhachi twisted sister jersey skirt $180
20. Witchery scallop edge ballet flats $139.95
21. Sportsgirl fairytale butterfly scarf $29.95
22. Witchery simple dot earrings $29.95
23. Sportsgirl kiki chain bag $59.95
24. Deadly Ponnies mr knitted poppet storm bag $381
25. Witchery wrap border skirt $149.95
26. Zimmermann nightshade drape dress $549
27. CC Skye carson cuff $239
28. Witchery sammy peep toe cut out high heel $169.95
29. Brown Sugar suede waist belt $9.95
30. Camilla and Marc elodie frock $550
31. Disney couture emerald tree necklace $90
32. Forever New silk geometric column dress $199.95
33. Witchery glady high heel $189.95
34. AM Eyewear jayanthi sunglasses $249

La Roux: Definitely Bulletproof

When it comes to electro dressing, some people get it right, and some people don't (I don't want to name anyone here...but I'm sure a few people can think of who I mean...). La Roux, Elly Jackson, definitely gets it right fashionwise (and musically) in her new clip Bulletproof, looking fabulous in House of Holland. Make sure you check out the clip as the song is also amazing!

Music News: The Falls Festival

The first lineup for the annual Falls Festival held in Marion Bay, Tasmania, and Lorne, Victoria (which is now an 18+ event), was annouced recently, and email ticket ballots have already sold out- but don't worry- tickets go on sale Wednesday September 9th for the general public. The lineup includes so far the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (pictured), Moby, Hilltop Hoods, Grizzly Bear, The Temper Trap, Emiliana Torrini, The Midnight Juggernauts, Jves Klein Blue, Litty Birdy, Philadelphia Grand Jury, White Rabbits, The Editors, Art vs Science, Sarah Blasko, Lisa Mitchell and more. Tickets are $167 for Marion Bay, for the two nights including camping, and $329 for a full ticket, including a third night, for Lorne.

Win it: Lancome Indigo BearBrick

How cool is this limited edition Lancome Indigo Bearbrick (named after their new fall collection, Declaring Indigo)?! They are giving 20 away at a fashion event in NYC on the 10th of September, and for those that can't be there they are offering a chance to win one through their blog! Make sure you check it out!

Art spotlight: Jeff Koons

I always like discovering new artists, and I’m a bit annoyed at myself for not knowing who Jeff Koons was before. I recognised some of his work, like the huge balloon dog, and it’s interesting because some of it I love, and then I really don’t like. Here are some of the ones I love, and it’s worth checking out the rest of his pieces as, even if you don’t like some of them either, they are quite interesting.

Man of the Day: Gerard Butler

I haven't had a man of the day for a long time, but Gerard Butler is definitely deserving of being one, so I must include him! He stars in some of my favourite movies, 300 and P.S I Love You, and I loved him recently in the new movie, The Ugly Truth (still showing and worth checking out).