Competition slut.

'Recce Patrol’ By Staff Sergeant Paul Brownbridge

I've decided to become one of those people who enters competitions. If there's a competition, i'm going to be in it. If they say jump, i'll ask how high. I'm ready to take some suckers out (and i really like the idea of scoring some free stuff).

Today i entered this competition, and have decided Alex Perry is going to take me shopping with this competition.

If you know of a cool competition let me know, and i might just keep you in the loop too...



One Way Or Another- Blondie

Frightened sailors.

Sometimes the world can knock the wind out of your sails.

Sometimes these songs make me feel a little better, maybe they'll make you feel better too.

The Rip- Portishead

Dirty Dishes- Deer Tick

Damage- Yo La Tengo

Fistful of Love- Antony and the Johnsons

He Woke Me Up Again- Sufjan Stevens

I've Got You and You've Got Me- New Buffalo

Mark Wahlberg doesn't even like unicorns

Before I start this post, let me make a confession. I have never really liked Alannah Hill designs that much. Shocking and sacreligious to girls everywhere, as almost every girl I know loves Alannah Hill. I have always found her designs a bit too girly, a bit too fluffy and frilly, a bit too much overall. Too frou frou, for want of a better phrase. I'll admit that I have always liked the odd bit of Alannah Hill, but it has never been a brand I coveted. That is, until now. Her Summer 2008 lookbook arrived as an insert in my Vogue today and the first thing that caught my eye was a unicorn on the cover. Ooooh, unicorn! (is what I said/squealed) I have a bit of an obsessive love of all things unicorn at the moment after writing an essay on the Unicorn Tapestry's.* As a flicked through the lookbook, fulling intending to not be that impressed, I found myself "oooing" and even "ahhing" at everything. One thing I loved about the looks was that the stylised backgrounds perfectly completmented the frou frou of the clothes and I was totally loving the frou frou in all these looks. This new love of Alannah Hill may also be due to my current floral obsession, my socks with shoes obsession (that always, without fail gets a dirty and disapproving look from my mother and my sister), or my head decoration obsession. I suspect it is the combination of all these elements that left me swooning for some Alannah Hill. Take a look yourself and see if you don't swoon a little.

Click to enlarge and get the full effect

*Unicorn aside: I don't know if anyone else has seen that episode of 30 Rock in which Jack has lost his job to his boss's daughter, who has a combined unicorn and Mark Wahlberg obssession? (it was on the box last night) At one point Jack shouts, Mark Walhberg doesn't even like unicorns! While holding a framed photo of Mark Wahlberg. So funny.

High Places

So I've got the internet now, and I'm itching to get back into the loop. Love it and hate it, that loop.

Anyhow, I'm loving the new High Places self titled album. Simply loving it. I think this, along with edamame, might just get me through this final month of thesis, before I enter the uncertainty and excitement of THE REST OF MY LIFE. A life which has, recently, become even more uncertain (and hopefully, hopefully exciting)... but more on that later.

So, the band: wistful, dreamscapey, lush but surprising. Amazing beats, ethereal vocals, sounds akin to hummingbirds' wings batting in slow motion, twitters and twangs, scratches and squeaks, rattles and pops, and fantastical, dreamy lyrics. Utterly gorgeous.

High Places - Golden

High Places - From Stardust to Sentience

High Places - The Storm

High Places - Shared Islands (From the High Places EP)

Just this...

From the Once Was series by Mark Rubenstein, via the always wonderful Ruby Mag.

'I love him, but he'd make a terrible boyfriend'.

I, like my partner in crime Vanessa, find fashion 'bloggerey' an never ending source of entertainment and fascination. Though unfortunately working with underprivileged, somewhat closed minded teens, limits what i can wear on a daily basis. Think a mix between Step Up, 8 Mile and some other ghetto film where a whole bunch of white kids try to be black, bro.

So in homage to my very clever friend, and because it's outright fun, here are some amazingly well dressed boys and why, 'I love him, but he'd make a terrible boy friend'*.

Facehunter

I love this young man from his wispy young Dumbledore-esk hair, to his flower brooches and vintage belt, right the way down to his innocent androgyny. If only his eyebrows weren't impeccably groomed, i could never date a man with better facial hair than me...

The Sartorialist

This bundle of adorable makes me swoon from the neutral shades of his perfectly tailored torso, right down to his outrageous matching pinks. What a pity he's asexual...

The Style Scout

Oh gosh... I can feel heat rising from all sorts of places it shouldn't be. Maybe it's the hair and glasses combo, maybe it's his amazing shoes, maybe it's his satchel, maybe it's because i never really got over my black skinny leg jean fetish. Either way, i'm vibing rugged geek, my favourite cup of tea. Shame he suffers from uncontrollable bowel movements...

So Black Tie

This guy is too hot to handle. From his blazer to his windswept hair, his lace ups to his amazing satchel; he is gorgeous and i must have him. Oh?!? I see you have an old school motor cycle helmet and ridding glasses?! Ahem, ladies, please, the boy is mine. Shame he can't keep it in his pants and therefore has created many mini stylish biker roughs across the country. I'm not willing to do step-mum quite yet...

Kids on the street

Phowa! Bow, jacket, tailored boots, constructed messy hair, white skinny leg jeans! Shame his rear end is pleasure central...

Kids on the Street

Oh mountain hipster, how i love to look at you! You combine the best aspects of city chic with all the qualities i look for in a magical prince (mainly a billowy white shirt). Shame he's locked up for the next 10 years on drug trafficking charges. I refuse to do jail wench.

*'I love him but he'd make a terrible boyfriend', was a comment i found hilarious that some genius posted about the first photo on Face Hunter.

Prairie Goth

There are two things that I love, dressing up and reading fashion blogs. Obviously, these aren't the only two things I love, but they are rather high on the list. What I love about fashion blogs in particular is seeing how wonderfully creative people can be with what they wear and it constantly inspires me to more creative and confident with how I dress as well. In an effort to give back a little and pay it forward (as Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment so succinctly put it) I'm adding my own little fashion experiment into the Millionaire mix.

Two of the most dominant trends in fashion at the moment are floral and gothic. The Laura Ashley in me can't help but swoon over anything and everything floral, so that sometimes I end up looking like a country house chintz living room threw up on me. Gothic is a loose terminology, it seems, for looks that are dark, dramatic and powerful. None of which I think I've captured in my attempt to combine two very different looks, since the most 'gothic' item I own are spider web tights. I'm so dark.

Basically this was all an excuse to play around with two very different styles and combine them into one outfit and see what would happen. It was also an excuse to wear two new purchases, the floral shirt and dress (see what I mean about me and floral?!), which are from Canberra's very own itrip iskip.

'Prairie Goth, a film starring Charlie Chaplin'


'Mum, I don't wanna go to the prom!'

Stu Loxely

I've always been easily swooned by gorgeous, meticulous pencil work, and Stu Loxely has got to be one of my recent faves. Lovely, lovely stuff, courtesy of It's Nice That.

From Tree
{Click for a larger image}

From Manifesto

From Scouting

From Energy

She: slender as glass

I'm afraid, companions, I have little to offer you on this luscious early spring afternoon.

I still don't have the internet (so am writing this covertly in my office at work), I do have a ridiculously huge fridge (but have yet to produce any new recipes of note), and come Friday will have a fabulous collection of thrifted seventies furniture to wow you with. Oh, and my new herb garden, planted lovingly in funky vintage crates.

Living with friends without a television or the internet has thusly proven fruitful. On Monday night we played a mean game of Scrabble, and last night I cooked potato and onion hash with fried eggs while the boys wrote a very TV on the Radio-esque song on Garage Band, using lyrics from a magnetic poem I'd written on the fridge (it went along the lines of she slender as glass/ he immense as a bomb. Deep much?). It all feels awfully wholesome. I think I might even bake bread, and if it proves successful, share with thee the recipee.

In the mean time, here are some of my recent Etsy purchases, which I hope will bring some cosy homelyness to the currently rather empty spaces of our new house. Please peruse, buy, feed a starving artist. Seriously, it's addictive. Plus, the sellers always send the cutest little thank you cards with their products, which I, for one, find fills me with the most satisfying feelings of warmth.

The Royal Couple set of prints, $20 (US) from Almost Famous.

Alpenglow and Growth Patterns from groundwork, $20 (US) each.

Screen printed linen pillowcases, from maramiki.

A rather apathetic film review

I took this pic from another blog, felt less lame then having a still from the film

Do you ever have things that for some reason are just totally off your radar, yet on it, but you completely ignore them? Well, Hellboy was like that for me. Emphasis on was, as I just watched it on TV last night. And I rather enjoyed it. I really don’t know why I hadn’t seen it before considering it is directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who rocks and stars Selma Blair who also rocks (mainly because, seriously, wouldn’t being Marc Jacobs' muse be the shit?). Plus it was referenced a lot in the OC, which back in the day (high school…yesterday) was a favourite show of mine and if Seth Cohen loved it so did I. Recently of course, with the release of Hellboy 2, the film has been back on my radar and I was planning on watching it soon. Though to be totally honest I probably wouldn’t have. I’m kind of lazy like that. Anyway, it was all okay in the end, because like always television came through for me. It’s so reliable like that. In fact, it came through big time last night. Freaky Friday, followed by Pretty Woman and then Hellboy. So good when you’re kind of hung over and getting off the couch seems like the WORST POSSIBLE THING EVER. I watched it with my Dad who enjoyed it as well methinks, as he stayed up way past his usual bedtime. Bit of Dad & daughter time, trying to make up for the fact that I didn’t get him a present for Father’s Day…so apart from being a reason to post, Hellboy is a pretty good film kids. Watch it, or don’t. With a recommendation like "pretty good film", how could you risk not seeing it?

{Plus Rasputin features in the film and I believe I have expressed my love of things Rasputin related before.}

Nudity, politics and party rabbits.

Oh kiddiliwinkles, i am crazy excited about the upcoming Meredith Music Festival.

If you are so far unsuccessful in securing tickets, don't abandon hope dear ones. Do what you can to find one. Maybe you're the type that should camp for tickets, or maybe baking some muffins for that smack addicted window washer guarding the traffic lights into Dickson will wack your karma back in shape and the universe will deliver you a ticket, DO WHAT EVER YOU CAN TO GET YOUR HOT LITTLE ARSE'S THERE!

Listen to this new Final Fantasy song and tell me you didn't just soil your pants at the idea of seeing him live...

The Butcher- Final Fantasy

Persepolis is the most gorgeous film i've seen for a very long time. Scrape together some money and see it. It's French, it's animated, it's clever and it rekindled my life goal of saving the world.

I know these guys have been getting a lot of hype by a band i'd rather not be associated with on this here blog, but my god, i can't get enough of them...

Frightened Rabbit remind me of a better version of the Frames and a less lame version of Snow Patrol. They're from one of my favourite musical countries (Scotland, though i swear they sound Irish), and their music gets stuck in my head easier than Bruce Willis' face (so i have a crush on Bruce Willis, what can you do?). Being signed to one of my favourite labels Fat Cat only helps their cause. I know they're hyped, but just try them out, see if they fit.

• Old Old Fashioned- Frightened Rabbit

• The Twist- Frightened Rabbit

What?....

No!

No, really?

HOLY SHIT!

All Tomorrow's Parties to Australia? You've got to be joking.... You're not? That's the most fucking awesome thing i've heard all day.

Pussy Meow Meow.

Serious posts blow.

Rrrrraaaahhh???

xoxo

(i think work is making me a little loopy)

What has this enviably gourmet blogger been eating since moving out?

Take one packet of Nissin Instant Ramen (I have an almost insatiable affection for the soy flavor), and prepare according to the packet instructions. A moment before you think the noodles are of a desirable texture (yielding, somewhat, to the tooth, but still firm {the Italian's call this al dente), chuck in one head of bok choy, cut in half length ways. Boil for just a moment, until the bok choy turns a rather pleasing vibrant green and wilts slightly. Pour mixture into a deep noodle bowl, stir through contents of sauce sachet and seasoning sachet, and garnish with the provided sliced seaweed (pretty much my favorite instant noodle inclusion, ever). If you are feeling even more adventurous (or want to regain a fraction of the credibility you lost upon preparing instant noodles), you may also want to add some dried, sliced shitake mushrooms, which you should boil for at least a minute in the pot before chucking in your noodles. MSG-a-licious!

Shin Ramyun (hot and spicy) is also quite fantastic prepared in a similar manner (although the instructions require you to add all flavorings before cooking). I warn you, however, eating this particular variety is something of an endurance sport, involving panting, sweating, and loosing almost all fluids from eyes and nose. It is also the reason why I'm not a member of any gym.

{Needless to say, we don't yet have a fridge. But when we do, I promise to be back with lots of delicious, budget friendly and slightly more nutritious recipes, utilising herbs from our freshly planted quaint herb box, and making the most of the ridiculously hugemongous fridge we'll be picking up on Friday.}