merry christmas baby

Bye all, see you next year!

Han and I are going to be seeing eachother In Person in less than a week and I will probably be too busy stomping around Melbourne in cloggish heels with her to sit down with the internet.

Have a lovely lovely holiday x x x

ps Here's a song...

since i'm feeling literary

if there are any heavens my mother will (all by herself) have
one. It will not be a pansy heaven nor
a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but
it will be a heaven of blackred roses

my father will be (deep like a rose
tall like a rose)

standing near my

(swaying over her
silent)
with eyes which are really petals and see

nothing with the face of a poet really which
is a flower and not a face with
hands
which whisper
This is my beloved my

(suddenly in sunlight

he will bow,

& the whole garden will bow)


- e. e. cummings

A teacher told me years ago that I would like e.e cummings, and boy was she right.

he kissed me bang smash on the mouth

And when he kissed my neck I bit him long and hard on the cheek, and when we came out of the room, blood was running down his face. His poem, "I did it, I." Such violence, and I can see how women lie down for artists. The one man in the room who was as big as his poems, huge, with hulk and dynamic chunks of words; his poems are strong and blasting like a high wind in steel girders. And I screamed in myself, thinking: oh to give myself crashing, fighting, to you.

Regarding Ted Hughes, From Sylvia Plath's diaries, via thisrecording

1970s / 1900s

Darling Han is coming to visit Melbourne Very Soon and I had the best idea this morning for a fun, slightly random, away from the city but still inexpensive activity today: a Picnic at Hanging Rock!

(That's us obviously)

Tea party at hanging rock! With a man who slightly resembles a grumpy Donald

Our picnic will probably involve less tea and more quencher (pictured here as 'non-descript alcohol'), and boys in jaunty pants if we're lucky

we will take ipods

Picnic at Hanging Rock1 by Lou1 featuring Miss Selfridge

Items in this set:
VINTAGE COLLECTION Peach Crystal Pleated Dress, $185
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN KL06F04 CREAM SILK -, 540 GBP
High Neck Ruffle Top, $38
Petites Cream Crop Blouse, 28 GBP
Leather Combat Boots, 415 GBP

If you didn't already know (gasp!), Picnic at Hanging rock is the name of a book written in the 60s about a group of school girls in 1900 who vanish during a Valentine's Day picnic at the site of an enormous rock formation. The rock formation featured in the story, Hanging Rock, is an actual geological formation located in Victoria, Australia (thanks Wikipedia). The book was made into a great movie in 1970 which is full of floaty lace dresses and straw boater hats...

hanging rock2 by Lou1 featuring Opening Ceremony shoes

Items in this set:
Chloe Draped silk halterneck gown, $2,338
Stella Mccartney Sheer Organza Silk Blouse, 375 GBP
Free People - Downtown Ruffle Mini Skirt (Nude) - Apparel, $58
Opening Ceremony Suede Bow Front Wedges, 295 GBP
MYPETSQUARE boater hat, 39 AUD

I'm sorry, I just had to put this one in here for it's 'This Guy' potential

hanging rock3 by Lou1 featuring Miss Selfridge

Items in this set:
Nude Lace Crop Top, 25 GBP
Jason Wu Silk-chiffon pleat-knot skirt, $1,105
Halter neck ruched swimsuit, 250 GBP
Two tone wedged ankle boot, 490 GBP
picnic blanket

Side note: The clothesey stuff was totally inspired by this post - thanks Almie, and kind of progressed from Edwardian inspired to slightly more realistic attire for the Melbourne Summer/our tastes to Holy Hell I want those Chloe boots baddd, and that sweet crop top...

PS Thank you thank you han for the Fantastic phone call minutes ago (with operatic office caroling in the background - amazing!)

PPS This idea needs to become a reality, anyone in Melbourne with a car who wants to come/take us, let me know!

everyone should go to puhoi

the puhoi pub

the wee church

the littlest library

wenderholm beach

Yesterday was my work party and we had such a ball! We went on a road trip to Puhoi, where we leisurely kayaked down the river, had a quick swim at the beach and then dined and drank el fresco for the rest of the afternoon, opening secret santa presents.

Puhoi is about an hour's drive out of Auckland and is a veritable treasure chest of fun things.
Firstly: there is a cheese factory there - the Puhoi Valley Cheese factory, in fact.
Secondly: you can go to Wenderholm beach, which is lovely, and Thirdly: there are barbeques on the beach for public use
Fourthly: the Puhoi Pub is incredible and full of amazing things to look at and a semi-surly bartender.
Fiftly: there is the most amazing little wooden church there, and a library the size of an office cubicle, dating from the late 19th century. I think if I get married I would like to get married in the Puhoi church.

Photos from: here, here, and here

kindness of strangers

me: good shoes http://www.milkfromathistle.com/products/
2:48 PM Han: THOSE ARE PERFECT SHOES
me: I thought you'd agree
shame they're just part of the lookbook styling
and not credited
moh
2:49 PM Han: yeah just noticed
me: but i'm hanging on to the possibility of them being australian/available in aus
Hannah: yes that would be awesome we could be shoe twins
2:53 PM me: I just emailed to ask



Thank you thank you to the talented and lovely Danielle of Milk from a Thistle for replying to my completely random enquiry with not only a name but a link to the online store. They will be mine!

P.S. Danielle's prints and dresses are rather sweet for Summer don't you think?

next i want to try coachella

This weekend was Incredible.

I drove up to a huge music festival at lunch time on Friday. My friends had arrived early and set up camp in an excellent spot, near the ferris wheel and only moments from the stage and all the fun! I danced and danced. My shoes turned brown. It didn't rain. I wore the same shorts and t shirt for three days, despite having packed plenty of changes. I didn't shower. I drank gin and soda from a water bottle in the afternoon. We made punch. I found everyone I knew who was going without the assistance of cell phones or prior planning...

Highlights:

Friday night: Patrick Wolf - Body glitter, Union Jack overalls, costume changes, feathers, face paint

Saturday morning: Coffee, a brass band marching around the campsite waking people up before getting on stage and playing a cover of Hey Jude.

Saturday afternoon: Kitty, Daisy and Lewis - Gorgeous, multi-talented, teenagers, a harmonica, a banjo, a slide guitar, a double bass, dancing like crazy in the middle of a thousand others doing the twist.

Saturday night: Animal Collective - got lost in the throng and all I could think of was my lovely friends getting engaged to this.

Finding my way to the very front of the crowd just in time for Jarvis Cocker and not moving for four hours.

JARVIS - the man with the moves, trying to think of a way to get over the barrier and throw myself at him.

Trekking to the outdoor cinema for a 2am movie date, and finding that my friends had done the same, despite being sure we would all forget/get lost/not want to leave the music.

Sunday: getting home last night and showering, twice. Putting on an Aesop face mask and hair & scalp mask and watching tv in a big warm sweatshirt.

Other highlights included the incredibly orderly lines for the not-even-disgusting composting toilets, which were consistently full of toilet paper and didn't stink. Pink flamingo cocktails from the bar; when you've been drinking slightly warm beer (or gin, or anything) all day a pink drink with grapefruit juice and crushed ice is exactly what you need. Jerry's Vegie Burgers, they were Amazing. People watching, besides the OTT 'festival outfits' here and there, the odd streaker and occasional bogan, everybody was really, really Good Looking.

The photos are from the Meredith website and their Flickr stream, where they're credited to photographers.

bouncy cat

There is a rambunctious and bouncy shiny black cat that hangs out at our house. We don't own it, by it totally thinks it owns us.

It loves to bust into my room on sunny days and explore. It especially likes to rub itself on clean sheets and leap around my room.

yellow boots

The idea of buying some Timberland boots has been unusually appealing to me for a little while.

They used to conjure up images of J-Lo, probably wearing some kind of silk khaki jumpsuit...but a while ago I saw one of the gals from Anywho wearing some flat ones and, unoriginal copycat that I am, I started keeping my eyes out for some on the internet.

Then today I saw some worn with total panache on Wayne Tippett's blog.

Thoughts? I can probably get some of the high ones off ebay...

Pity that it is summer now so they'd be totally frivolous!
They also make some really cute Karen Walker-esque boat shoes, and you can "build your own" in whatever colours you like. Hmmm.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night was AMAZING!

We went to Animal Collective and danced on couches!

My friend and I were hoisted on our tall friends' shoulders for the encore of My Girls! We held hands!

Our other wonderful friends got engaged during the show!

We drank bubbly after to celebrate!!

Tis was followed by: crisp sund-dried white sheets, first swim of the summer, and the harrowing experience of looking at my "sent" messages from the night before...

I have to say: driving back over the harb

our bridge after an afternoon in the sun made me realise that sometimes there is really no place like New Zealand. No clouds, blue skies, a perfect amount of summer heat, and being able to be at beach within twenty minutes, no matter where you are - its pretty incredible.

HOWEVER: TO THE PERSON WHO STOLE MY FRIEND'S CELLPHONE AND CAMERA AT THE PONSONBY CHRISTMAS TREE: WHAT A DICK. AND AT CHRISTMAS TOO, FOR SHAME. ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THE NIGHT IS GONE.

"he said yes!"

Two of my best friends got engaged last night, congratulations guys!

Despite all the phone calls I'm still not really sure what happened, though Han (maker of said calls) may shed some light when she resurfaces...

Bursting Capsules!!!

lonely hearts a/w '10

I want these also

she's a druzy

I am quite enamoured with the jewelry of Kathryn Bently, particularly the snake rings and rough set stones.

P.S. I found her through The Moldy Doily

elli et jacno

Very repetitive but the moves at 1.42 are super fantastique!
And also, this rules.

These Lindsay Thornburg cloaks are marvellous. I want one even though it is summer.

clip ons!

Aren't these a dream? And only US $46 from Oaknyc.
Perhaps I will treat myself next paycheck...

angela

I'm going to Meredith this weekend.

I'm excited about seeing Jarvis Cocker, Animal Collective, Patrick Wolf, and Kitty, Daisy and Lewis. I may even buy gumboots (despite what Han might try to tell you, it will always come back to shoes).

I also found this video this morning by Sia, which I've never seen before, and I think it's pretty, though it reminds me of that scene in Napoleon Dynamite.

the best thing to brighten a rainy friday

<

Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix on a bus in Paris surprising their co-travellers with some sweet songs <3

books

Believe it or not, Lou and I are not entirely focused on the purchasing of clothing online and talking about how lovely pictures of balloons, shoes and Paul McCartney are. Books are great also, and the covers are often very nice, as are the words inside them.

I have compiled a list of my favourites below. I wasn't an English major at uni, so don't expect in-depth reviews or reasonings. Indeed, I often find it really, truly difficult to justify why I like something articulately. So there'll be none of that.

In no particular order:
Harriet the Spy is dog-earred and water stained from dropping in the bath several times as a younger person. Probably in shock at her adventures! Ballet Shoes. The entire works of Paula Danziger, but mostly: Its an Aardvark Eat Turtle World, because I am a child of divorce; Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice? because I am a middle child; and Remember Me to Harold Square because it is my dream to go on the Serendipities' treasure hunt. A Room with a View, especially when George says his creed, especially because all the loose ends get tied up neatly in the end and especially because the Puccini filled soundtrack always plays in the back of my mind when I read it. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morisson. The Age of Innocence. The Big Sleep, even though I have no idea what actually went on in that book. "I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them long winter evenings. And I don't mind your ritzing me, or drinking your lunch out of a bottle, but don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me." Milan Kundera. We went to the Museum of Communism in Prague (next to a McDonalds and above a casino)and the footage of the Velvet Revolution made me cry. Lots of Orwell, especially the essay Why I Write and the one set in Burma. Various novels by Jackie Collins, especially the sordid ones featuring accidental incest, evil siblings and murderers in Hollywood. I have a long standing crush on Will from The Subtle Knife even though he's twelve (twelve and SEXY.)Margaret Atwood. The Valley of the Dolls, Fear of Flying, The Women's Room. I wind up reading a lot of my Dad's old paperbacks because they have cool covers but they almost invariably wind up being about disaffected 24 year old men who are well-educated-but-in-a-rut and I lose interest. The Poisonwood Bible. I love my old penguin copy of an Iris Murchoch which features a dark babe with a samurai sword on the cover but unfortunately the name escapes me. I have a copy of The Devil Wears Prada under my bed to read when I'm drunk, even though I find it whingy and a bit awful and often wind up throwing it in a corner. I must like it if I keep it under my bed for easy drunk-reading access, though.

There's more but I can't remember them all right now.

i'm going to lady gaga

...and I got my sister a ticket and I'm really excited (shh!)

PAULIE

I'm totally going through a Beatles phase.
Paul is adorable in an almost Pacey-ish way, especially when hanging out with Stevie Wonder. He's more handsome than Pacey, though. I'm a creep. END.

Photos from FUCK YEAH PAUL MCARTNEY