Post Secret

I don't know what to do with these feelings...

http://postsecret.com Check it every Sunday. One of my secrets is always hidden amongst the litter.

Loot lovin'

A little retail therapy has been in need lately, and here I am to show off some of my loot!

I'm sick of carrying around a huge handbag, so lately I've been opting for this gorgeous little pink sparkly thing :) It perfectly fits a phone, a coin purse and lip balm; which is all you really need in summer.

A lovely lady always needs some lovely new frocks for summer as well, so here are two newies. The gorgeous brown with jade green blossoms is a wonderful cut that reminds me of the most stunning Elizabeth Taylor in her hay-day. If I can look half as good as her in that dress, I'll be more than happy!

The lighter of the two dresses has been selected for me to wear to the upcoming cocktail party. The fabric is beautiful and screams Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette' at me, which I adore. Furthermore, in the changing rooms as I was trying it on my sister commented that I looked like a Barbie in the dress. I was instantly sold! I'll dress it up with some lovely pale pink heels and a flowery headband on the night :)

Fairy floss

Will Cotton, "Cotton Candy Sky" 2006

So I'm sitting here, treating myself to some delicious fairy floss. And as it sparkles on my tongue I'm left wondering..

a) Why is there no fairy floss flavoured ice cream? and
b) Why is there no fairy floss cocktail?

Why children? WHY?

Fairies

Clarissa, my fairy godmother :)

I love fairies. They can be magical, cheeky, seductive, sweet, mischeavous, kindly... They always have thier own unique personalities and abilities. While usually mermaids top my favourite mystical creatures, fairies come in a very close second. So it is not surprising that I have fairies littered across my room and house. Let me introduce you to some of them :)

More of an elf than a fairy due to his size, Charlie is a cheeky and fun-loving kinda guy :)

Isabella, a decadent dark fairy with a heart that shines like the moon :)

A fairy with a love of fairy floss, pink champagne and a bit of lovin' is Tipsy :)

Each of these fairies has been lovingly created by Conny Deylen who is a lovely lady and a regular at the markets I go to. Each fairy is unique and absolutely gorgeous. You can check out some of her creatures here.

Team Jacob

I avoided it like the plague when the first movie came out. I haven't read the books (yet), but I've since seen the movies. And let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, I am all over Team Jacob.

Why?
1. Edward Cullen/Robert Patterson just isn't attractive.
2. Edward Cullen wears more red lipstick than Bella.
3. Edward Cullen thinks ditching Bella is 'protecting' her from Victoria, the vampire that is out to eat Bella. Say wah??
4. Edward Cullen thinks it's okay to break girls hearts.
5. Jacob is spunky, with and without long hair. With and without the muscles.
6. Jacob is kind, he cares, he is sweet and isn't rude to Bella. He doesn't storm away from her like Edward did in the first movie for no reason. He tries to push her away, yes, but he does it in a much kinder manner than Edward.
7. He gives her a dream catcher, which is sweet :) Everybody knows when someone says they don't want presents for their birthday that they really do want presents. Edward is 109 years old, he should know that by now.
8. Jacob walks around half-naked all the time. What's not to like about that?
9. Which would you prefer? To be possibly eaten, or maybe a little scratched? Hrmm?? *raises eyebrow*
10. Edward thinks he is a monster because he sparkles. He is hatin' on sparkles. Anyone that hates on sparkles just... well they should be a vampire.
11. Edward is constantly cold. Jacob is constantly hot. Which would you prefer to snuggle up to at night? Ahuh. I thought so ;)

Plus, Bella even admitted that Jacob makes her feel more alive. She always looks passionately miserable with Edward.

The Tudors

I have quickly become addicted to this show. Never before have I become so addicted to a television show that I have gone out and purchased the DVDs. Normally, for me, watching the one episode once is enough for me. Otherwise my sister borrows the DVDs from her friends and we watch them together (The Hills, Gossip Girl) or I borrow them off my friends (Gilmore Girls <3). Generally speaking, I'm a movie kinda girl. My sister on the other hand is addicted to tv shows and rarely wants to watch a movie and prefers to watch zillions of episodes in a row.

Anyway, so out of the kindness of my heart I've lent my copy of Season 1 to a lovely friend. Problem is, I've been having withdrawal issues. I pretty much sucked the juice dry out of Season 1. I would watch every episode twice before moving onto the next one. I would try to ration out my viewing. I watched the season over and over and over. I love the dialogue, the historical accuracy and hints and allusions to well-known facts at the time (for instance, in one episode Henry asks Boleyn's father if the King of France has nice thighs like Henry because back in the day, thighs were the sexiest part of a man's body and a good way to determine how masculine he was, and naturally King Henry VIII was well-known for his beautiful thighs), I love all the actresses and actors, I even love the historical inaccuracies. The costumes, the sets, the music, I love it all!



Natalie Dormer is a fantastic intelligent, sexy and manipulative Anne Boleyn. I like that they have a spunky actor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) playing King Henry, rather than someone dressed up in a fat suit. Instead of being focused on how disgusting Henry is/was, we're allowed to be attached, and feel for him and understand where he is coming from. He is no longer a hideous monster of fat and diseased wounds. Maria Doyle Kennedy is fantastic as Catherine of Aragon, a strong and beautiful woman dedicated to her faith.

And Charles Brandon? *drools* Hello Henry Cavill!


So now I'm off to watch, absorb and love Season 2!

The Good News

I heard this song last week, and absolutely loved not only the fun video clip, but also the song that goes with it. It's impossible to listen to this song and not bop along to it!


'The Good News' - Philadelphia Grand Jury

Enjoy!

I've had a wonderfully productive day today :) I have booked in a driving lesson, I've volunteered at the local Salvos and found myself a beautiful new bedspread for a relatively cheap price. Perfect :)

I feel I should begin with a 'Welcome' entry, but that's a little odd, isn't it? It just makes everything awkward. Well, for me at least!

A very happy 'Hello!' to you however :)


Now, let's get to it!

I'm transferring some of my posts over from my old blog to make things a bit more comfortable for me and a little less bare :) Enjoy!

Oh I am soooo looking forward to tomorrow! The end of my Arts degree, the end of stress, assignments and exams. Bring on the celebratory champagne people!!

Today the summer temperatures started, and soon my summer holidays will start :D

Now, what to wear tomorrow... I'm tossing up between a dress, or something with my new cardi from the post below, or good ol' shorts and a t-shirt coz it'll be bloody hot and I'll be doing an exam. Hrrmm... Decision decisions! I suppose one must wear a dress when one knows she is going to be sipping champagne...

Markets and pubs, a perfect mix!

I have had such a lovely day today. One that has just been overflowing with happiness, love, pink thing (and no, not the rude kind!) and delight.

Today the traditional three generation group (Gran, my aunt, mum and I) headed off to the market. A different one this time, and one I haven't been to in years and years! By golly - it has grown so much! And all the flowers that kept jumping out at me! If I had my way, my house would look like a florist's store right about now! I did allow myself a dainty little bunch of white peonies though :)

I also purchased two lovely tops. One is a dusty pale pink vest that flows out at the bottom and the other being a quaint little white jacket with lovely floral detail around the edges. If I had a camera that loved me as much as I loved it, I would take some pictures, but in the mean time these will have to do:



Detail:



After exploring the market and nearly dying in the hot summer sun, we headed off to the pub for refreshments. Nothing like a delicious vodka sunrise to rejuvinate you on a hot day! hehehe I must learn to like lemon, lime and bitters because apparently this pub had the best my mother has ever tasted. You should have seen my gran skull hers down! hahaha

Following that we wandered about the local shops. There were so many beautiful (and expensive) things that are going on my Christmas Wishlist! It was a lovely antique shop that was filled with all sorts of treasures that stole my heart today. They even had Pride & Prejudice dresses!! And I loved the octogon shaped teapot that had King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Katherine of Aragon etc on each of the sides. There was another with Queen Elizabeth, but I found the Henry one much more exciting. I'm kicking myself for not buying it now. What fun it was!

What I did walk out of that shop with though was a lovely pendant with a little painting of two lovers sharing a moment together. It's gorgeous! It's not exactly antique, but I love the style and everything about it. My new favourite necklace! The picture is so tiny that this crummy camera of mine will never do it justice, but I love this necklace so much I must show it off!



Evil camera. A proper camera is on my Christmas Wishlist, never fear!


After that we finally went home, rested, did some study, drank champagne and had a salad dinner.

I do love my life :)

Cocktails

I believe I recently mentioned something about my cocktail night coming up? Well I've been searching online for some dresses all the while persuading myself I'll study soon. I have plenty of dresses I could wear, but as we all know, it's always betetr to buy a new one for a special night :) Here's some inspiration so far:


A seagreen one shoulder dress:
http://www.bluefly.com/Badgley-Mischka-Platinum-Label-sea-green-silk-chiffon-Christine-one-shoulder-dress/cat60019/304516301/detail.fly

A gorgeous pale rose pink maxi dress:
http://www.bluefly.com/Notte-by-Marchesa-hyacinth-silk-georgette-floral-applique-dress/cat60019/304779202/detail.fly
It's probably too long for a cocktail night in Decemeber, but it is so beautiful :) It's on my Christmas list haha

A classy, business style grey dress:
http://www.bluefly.com/Black-Halo-coal-twill-flutter-sleeve-sheath-dress/cat60019/303051902/detail.fly
I'd love to have this to wear to work :)

A stunning Vera Wang dress that is too beautiful not to include:
http://www.bluefly.com/Vera-Wang-Lavender-Label-navy-charmeuse-v-neck-flare-hem-dress/cat60019/303051201/detail.fly
It reminds me of Yvaine's "star dress" in Stardust. Too swish for this cocktail night, but perhaps I could make a suitable occassion for such a gorgeous dress :)

A lovely floaty sweet dress also has potential:
http://www.bluefly.com/BCBGMAXAZRIA-sea-mist-beaded-tulle-strapless-dress/cat60019/301183901/detail.fly

Too cute! A cheeky blue party dress:
http://www.bluefly.com/Betsey-Johnson-sky-silk-eyelet-tiered-party-dress/cat60019/303539401/detail.fly



I've been on the lookout for a nice floral print cocktail dress, but either the print is awful or the style of the dress is awful! I'll soon put up my favourite picks from the spring racing cup - some gorgeous girls out there :) I've been looking through them for some inspiration but nothing's really hit yet. At least I still have a month to find something :)

Flash Dance

Ah, the wonders of the internet!

So I've seen all the Flash-Freeze-Mobs all over the internet, but until tonight I'd never seen the dancing ones. And let me tell you, they are soooo much better!

Personal favourite so far, mainly because of the variety of dance moves and music used.




I love this one for all the nut-huggers involved, all the young and old dancing joining in and just the wonderful happy and brave carefree attitude it holds.




I can just imagine Sound of Music going down well at a train station in Australia. I love the looks on everyone's faces, particularly the older ladies with their mouths just hanging open :)




How awesome are they?!? And you can't say that they don't make you smile :D
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Steampunk

Thanks to the joys of Facebook, I just came across what has to be one of the most awesome ideas for a birthday party dress up theme:

Steampunk.

I'd dress up the house a bit more awesome than these friends did, and go to more effort with my costume (naturally), but what an awesome idea! So I had to Google some ideas for how I'd dress for such a themed birthday party.

Firstly, who wouldn't want these shoes??

A wonderful SL creation, true. But my god- get me them in real life and I will love you forever!

And just how awesome do these people look? This isn't the party that popped up on Facebook, but this is how awesome a steampunk themed birthday party could have been:

They all look magnificent!! <3




*sigh* And all I have to look forward to is a cocktail party coming up...

A few of my favourite things...

Today's been bit of a whirlwind, up, down, here, there and everywhere kind of day. So let's just finish it off with a few of my favourite things to take me away to sweet dreams :)



Ranunculus
They are such happy, bubbly, cheerful flowers. Just looking at them is an instant pick-me-up :D My garden will be full of these :)



I can't wait to have my own garden :D



Lori Earley




Stumbled across her in an oddball magazine at an oddball shop (aren't they the best kind?). I love all the emotion she captures in her images, with the hint of quirky-ness and for some reason slightly reminds me of some of those great portraits of ye ole times.
All with a dash of Vogue. Loves it :)
Website: http://www.loriearley.com/



Darrell Lea Hazelnut Chocolate

Hazelnuts in chocolate has to be one of the best inventions ever made. They are like icing on cupcakes, spring time with butterflies, fairies with mermaids. It was meant to be.

I have searched, and tasted, far and wide all kinds of chocolate. So far, the chocolate that wins my hazelnut chocolate heart is Darrell Lea's Chunky Hazelnut Chocolate. It is soooooooo good and the chocolate so perfectly smooth that they only make it in winter because it cannot handle the heat. Yes, summer is going to be long and cruel, but knowing that my hazelnut chocolate is just around the corner couldn't make me any happier :D



Courtney Brims
(aka, I love my new t-shirt)




I was forced into a surfy shop the other day and surprisingly found something I liked! So with a two-for-$40 deal (when one shirt is usually $40 anyway), I couldn't resist. Besides, I'd already fallen in love with the white singlet shirt with this image on it:


Apparently all Courtney Grim's artwork is done in pencil and inspired by a mix of Grimm Brother's fairytales, Victorian Illustration and Tim Burton. Perfect mix, wouldn't you say? :D Check out her website for more beautiful works: http://www.courtneybrims.com/



A Good Bookshop

You know what I'm talking about. There's a beauty in those perfect bookshops which don't have all the Top 100 Books or don't stock the Penguin Classics with that ghastly orange, cream and black text covers. Instead, these bookshops have interesting, off-the-beaten-track books that would get lost in a bookstore like Borders and ignored by a store like Collins. Found two such bookshops today in the city. I can't wait to go back. As soon as you walk in the door and start browsing the titles you can't help but feel a calmness wash over you.



My future library. Once I move into Beauty & the Beasts' castle.
Who wouldn't die for that library??

Marie

How I'd love to adapt a bit of Marie Antoinette flair into my own wardrobe! Who wouldn't love such expensive luxurious tastes and delicacies.



Feathers, flowers, lace, pastels (the pastels inspired by Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette (2006)). These shall be my tributes to the French Queen of Fashion. And if only I could get the hair....


Until then.... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/beauty/3357315/The-body-beautiful-be-a-modern-Marie-Antoinette.html

Pride and Prejudice vs. Pride and Prejudice

I finally gave in and watched Keira Knightley's Pride and Prejudice after being a long and dedicated fan of the BBC series.



I mean, truly, who could ever play a better Mr. Darcy than Colin Firth?? And I love Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett - she is simply gorgeous! Plus the gorgeous costumes they have, and how I love Mr. Bennett! Keira Knightley on the other hand, for me at least, isn't the most expressive actress (despite my love for The Duchess, in which I think she is great in). She always comes across as bit of a cardboard cut out for me, which is a shame because she is gorgeous. So I was very doubtful about this movie version. I thought perhaps watching it would ruin Pride and Prejudice for me, and so I just kept delaying it for as long as possible, until I finally heard a good review of it and gave in.




The locations they film at a beautiful and absolutely stunning. I preferred the new Jane (Rosamund Pike)and Mr. Wickham (Rupert Friend) and enjoyed the new Caroline Bingley (Kelly Reilly). The US and British endings were equally as terrible as each other and most of it failed to compare with the BBC version. The locations truly were one of the only reasons I stayed tuned in. I adored the 'Temple of Apollo' where Mr. Darcy admitted his love for Elizabeth, but it wasn't the right place for that moment.




The one thing and only thing in this movie version that I love more than in the BBC version is Lady Catherine de Bourg. Judi Dench was absolutely perfectly spot on. She was the highlight of the whole show.




Veredict: The BBC, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle will always win.

Let them eat cake...

I have become obsessed with films about royalty of late. The Other Boleyn Girl, The Duchess, Marie Antoinette, the two Cate Blanchett Elizabeth films, the television series The Tudors. I cannot wait to see The Young Victoria with my grandma soon.


Not only are these stories full of drama, sex, intrigue but it's the marvelous costumes and sets that I love so much. If only I could have their wardrobes! And the jewelery... And their shoes! And their castles and mansions!




And the cakes!