street style: maria

If you're wondering why this young lady is wearing a jacket and tights in summer, it's because I took these photos a shamefully long time ago (October?) and I'm very sorry. This is the adorable Maria, who insisted on hiding her face. She was at Cafe Myriade, an awesome board game cafe in Northbridge, Perth. I was very taken with her colour combination of bright pink tights, orange quilted jacket, pink and yellow shorts and bright blue Real Monsters t-shirt. My favourite style note at the moment is bright colours, preferably a little bit clashing, and she made my eyes happy.

 

Oh, and did I mention Yo Gabba Gabba sneakers?!? What an awesome lady!

i'm back!

Looking at the date of my last post I see that I have been neglecting this blog for over two weeks! I am so sorry. I have been in HELL, also known as trying to move house in two weeks. I looked on Google image search for pictures to use for this post and tried 'despair,' 'pain' and 'tearing out hair,' but it was all pretty depressing so I decided to use pictures of the famousest cat on the Internet, Maru. For the last few weeks I have been as obsessed with boxes as Maru, so it seemed fitting.

The process was really overwhelming. I am a bit of a collector/packrat/hoarder, and in the end we gave away nearly a bookcase's worth of books to the Save the Children book sale, 2 carloads of various things to the op shop, a few more boxes to family and friends, and also rented a skip bin for the rubbish that had managed to accumulate in the house. Moving is good for making you brutal; when you look at something and think, can I be bothered packing, moving and unpacking this? you find it a lot easier to get rid of it.

Today I read a great comic about moving and things and attachment which really spoke to me. Stuff No-one Told Me is a really great comic by Alex Noriega (whose girlfriend Iris Yan has her own, equally awesome comic, Pigs in Maputo).

I want to try to hold on to this feeling and not keep blindly accumulating things I don't need.

the book was better podcast: episode 6!

What could be better than a podcast about the book of the movie? How about a podcast about the book of the movie of the TV cartoon of the comic?! The story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has gone through so many permutations that it has emerged purified, stripped down to its very essence. Join  me and Luke Milton as we discuss the finer points of pizza distribution, realistic human disguises and sports equipment fetishes. Special thanks to Radical Dude Campbell Whyte, owner of this fine piece of cinematic and literary history!

nail inspiration

I've seen some amazing nails lately, and some of them even look do-able for a shaky-handed doofus like myself!

Emily Denise at Very Emily regularly posts mind-blowing nail photos, but this is a style that looks fantastic but would be pretty easy (albeit time-consuming) to achieve. There's a tutorial at Unicorn Parade-- a good trashy TV watching project!

 

Here's another great look from Emily Denise:  glitter over dark polish, but done in a really great way.

  

I am a big fan of Bronny's blog Fat Aus, and I've been lurking and reading her archives. I love these nails! There's a tutorial at The Dainty Squid. I'm really into triangles right now, and I really love the way this looks!

And back to the impossible: Emily Denise's butterfly nails. So beautiful!

commonwealth festival

Two weeks ago the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Perth. (I never got sick of hearing that acronym. Choggem! Choggem! Choggem!) Perth hoisted up its stockings and tarted itself up for the international visitors, including a Commonwealth Festival which took place in the Cultural Centre. I was drawn there by the international food stalls (OMG best takoyaki ever!) but there was a lot of nice stuff going on, and I took some pretty photos.

antm s17 e08

Time to stuff some jellybeans in your ears, Top Model is getting MUSICAL!

project runway season 9 episode 14: finale!

 

Oh my lord, the finale of Project Runway Season 9 was last week and I'm only just getting around to this. I am a terrible person! But not as terrible as everyone involved in Project Runway (except St Tim Gunn). Let's recap this shit!

street style: evie

 

Evie caught my eye with her adorable bright pink dress, awesome white tights/white shoes combination, cardigan (surely vintage?) and overall cuteness. She was very sweet and emailed me later to say she'd looked up my blog and realised she had read my comics before! It makes me feel great to know that my comics are out there being read by people I've never met. Thanks Evie!

antm s17 e07

 

Oh my lord, there is so much to talk about! Very little of it to do with modelling! Let's get this bath-party started!

street style: jess

Jess was another stylish young lady I found in Brunswick, Melbourne. Please excuse the awful photography and blurry head; I had a much cuter head-shot, but this is the best look at the dress. And what a dress! Take it from me, the Panda Dress is going to be the next big thing. As soon as I can start manufacturing and selling them. I love that this dress is so simple (it would be dead easy to sew, with no sleeves) and just lets the beautiful print stand out. Adorable!

project runway season 9 episode 13

 

OMG you guys, Fashion Week is almost here and I have nothing to wear!!! Our old pals Anya, Viktor, Kimberley and Josh are working hard, though. They each have $9,000 and 5 weeks to create 10 looks. Let's check up on them, SHALL WE?

the book was better episode 5: species

Yes, for our Halloween episode Luke and I read the novelisation of Species. And it was every bit as bad as you'd think. Listen to us bitch about it! We're hilarious!

You can also subscribe on iTunes and get episodes delivered piping hot and fresh to your hard drive every fortnight. Get to it!

street style: will, hannah & angie

I thought I would take a billion street style photos in Melbourne, but I only got a few. The first girl I asked said she was a fashion blogger herself and wanted to stay on that side of the camera! Overall I think I just felt a bit shy and unsure of myself, being off my own turf. I did however catch these cute kids in Brunswick!

Hannah not only wore a sailor suit, she was carrying a Kate Beaton tote! What a champ.

Her friends were just as stylish! The dude (Will) told me that I was the third fashion blogger to ask for their photo that day. That is NOT something that happens to me in Perth!

antm s17 e06

Hullo everybody! I have been on holiday in Melbourne and have been cut off from the world (of TV) for a week. I took lots of photos and I'll show them to you later, because nothing is more interesting than photos of someone else's holidays. But first, the important stuff: OMG MODDLES!!!

project runway season 9 episode 12

 

OMG you guys the final challenge!!! Who is going to Fashion Week?!? Who is going to cry on the runway?!? It is possible for Josh's shirts to get any more unbuttoned?!? Find out below the cut!

antm s17 e05

Welcome to the Blackface Edition of America's Next Top Model: All Stars! Spoilers under the cut.

street style: alicia

 

Alicia was running out on an errand in her paint-stained work clothes when I hassled her for her photo. I couldn't help it, though-- how great is this outfit? Peter Pan collar, adorable gumboots, lovely muted colour combination. She apologised for not wearing make-up but as you can see she is naturally gorgeous! This does nothing to slow my collar obsession/addiction...

the book was better episode 4: high school musical

 

Did you know that I have a podcast, and it's really funny? All my friends think so, anyway. At least, that's what they tell me. Oh man, what if they're just trying not to hurt my feelings? WHAT IF MY PODCAST IS AWFUL?

That's it, you have to listen to it and tell me what you think! In this episode we talk about the novelisation of the High School Musical movie. It's as terrible as it sounds! Also we get really dirty for some reason. You'll love it!

70s crafts

 US National Archives, 1972

Lately I've been really digging 1970s crafts. The 70s look is very present in fashion at the moment but I've always loved 70s style. I've noticed some awesome and fun retro craft projects online, so here are some of my favourites!

nails: disco ball

 

I was so excited when I saw that my beloved Rimmel had brought out a glitter polish, Disco Ball! I have wanted to try one for a while but Rimmel is my go-to trusted brand so I snatched it up.

project runway episode 11

 

This week's episode was a return to "high fashion" and you know what that means: ridiculous outfits. Thank goodness! There was a nutty theme, lots of pressure, stressful surprises and one meltdown in the bathroom. Yay!

inspiration: kenzo finale

 

 Image source unknown.

 The Kenzo Spring/Summer 2011 show ended with a grand finale which paid homage to the label's past 40 years by layering pieces from past seasons in imaginative and playful ways. These images make me feel so happy; they remind me of dolls in national costume.

antm s17 e04

 

The march towards total cultural collapse continues this week on America's Next Top Model: All Stars. This week the models have to do something all models need to be good at. No, not marrying rock stars, acting!

street style: perrie

Today I took my first proper street style photo, ie someone who isn't one of my mates! Turns out that well-dressed people are actually very intimidating to approach, and asking complete strangers if you can take their photo is really hard. But when I saw this girl's outfit I took the chance!

 

And guess what: she turned out to be a total sweetie!

I love everything about Perrie's look: the rad white lightning dress, the cute white handbag, the single red earring. She even had beautiful bakelite-style bracelets!

To me, this is the best side of style and clothing: having fun putting together an outfit, and wearing it with confidence and panache. Bravo!

pilot recap: hart of dixie

Hart of Dixie is a show about puns! A cute HEART surgeon named HART has to go live in Alabama which is called DIXIE because of something something slavery. It's adorable!

Oh wait, it's totally puke-worthy. My mistake!

asos curve

I've bought a couple of pairs of pants and a skirt from Asos Curve and I've been really happy with them. Now I'm looking at summer clothes and since I can't afford everything I want I thought I'd post about them. Blogging therapy instead of retail therapy!

Printed Dress with Pussybow, $90.89

I have to say I am not a huge fan of the term 'pussybow', but I do love the way they look! This is the style of dress that suits me best, an empire line. This looks like a cute work dress and comfy for summer.

Colourblock Dress $74.36

This would do nothing for my figure but I love it anyway! I don't think I'm brave enough to buy it without trying it on, though.

Heart Print Trousers, $41.31

What is wrong with me? I hate high-waisted trousers, I hate printed pants... but these are calling to me. I can't pull this off! Leave me alone, printed pants! 

Bow Dress with Empire Line, $66.10

This also comes in a dark purple but I am crazy for orange right now! This is super-cute but I don't know how it would look with my fat tummy. On the other hand who cares.

Tea Dress with Scallop Detail Collar, $49.58

This looks super-cute on the model but I'm not sure where the waist would hit me because I am a shortass. The midi-skirt I bought is almost ankle length on me!

Mustard Skinny Jean, $57.84

I have never bought or even tried on skinny jeans, but these are MUSTARD! Please talk me out of buying them. I think I really want mustard yellow leggings but I am pretty sure there is a gulf of comfort between leggings and skinny jeans.

project runway episode 10

 

Things are getting a little Lord of the Flies on Project Runway. People are getting very suspicious and weird! Or maybe that's just the editing and music. But it sure does feel dramatic!

recent things on the net

Man I have been pretty busy lately, and I have really neglected my blog! Here is what I have done elsewhere:

 

Recapped episode 9 of Project Runway!

Recapped the pilot of Unforgettable!

 

Recapped the pilot of The Secret Circle!

Recapped the pilot of Terra Nova!

Recapped episode 3 of America's Next Top Model!

aaaaaand...

Released episode 3 of my podcast with Luke Milton, The Book Was Better!!!

Whew!

pretty colours

Just some recent photos: books arranged according to colour in the window of the New Edition bookstore on William St; cables on the floor at work; a Sesame Street record; and a meat pie in pea soup. (It's an Australian thing, and no, I didn't eat it, I just made it for my husband.)