annual start-of-summer/resuming-blogging-again post

listening to: 'rien de rien' - edith piaf

hello hello! i am super aware of how slack my posting has been, and how neglectful i am as a blogger, but i had a rather busy second semester and just couldn't be bothered doing anything except study, drink and sleep haha. thankfully the study paid off, and i passed all my exams! only one more year of uni to go... exciting but scary at the same time. i've been back home for summer for just over a month now, but we only just got the internet hooked up so that further delayed getting my a into g and giving the blog a wee bit of attention.

anywho, summer has finally arrived, and yesterday i got the sunburn to prove it! silly silly alana... i plastered on the sunblock but then i kind of got engrossed in my book (the deep end of the ocean, by jacquelyn mitchard) and didn't realise how long had passed without another application. i also didn't turn over, so i look pretty freakin silly right now, as the redness is all on my front lol.

i don't have much to say right now, except that hopefully after christmas i get to do a bit more op shopping! i just wanted to swing by and say merry christmas, happy new year, and i promise i haven't forgotten anybody out there who still cares!

fuelling addicts everywhere

listening to: 'do you feel' me - anthony hamilton

before i get started, i just want to emphasise how much i ADORE this song right now. in my book, nothing beats some smooth soul music; and after watching american gangster [yes, i know i took my time getting round to it. i'm not much of a dvd-renter] i was desperate to find some of the music from the soundtrack - specifically this song! i thought it was like an old song, seeing as the film is set during the vietnam war, but realised it's not. ANYWAY that wasn't an overally exciting story... just go listen to this song, its magic.

today i was procrastinating from study - again - and decided to pop onto bag, borrow or steal for a look.

OH EM GEE.

i could spend frikkin hours on this site!! favourites so far are the chloe heloise bag [which i spotted months ago, and which has periodically infiltrated my dreams ever since], the prada multi striped pochette in purple and the fendi b in the most delicious shade of electric blue my eyes have ever encountered... and i'm only up to page 5!

finally!

listening to: 'peace sign index down' - gym class heroes feat busta rhymes

hey friends! this is just gonna be a quick post cos i have to start getting ready for work, like, now.. but i was away all weekend [and we still dont have the net at home, grr! but thats a whole diff story] and didnt get a chance to update my blog before i left. it's not THAT exciting anyway haha...

so, friday morning, my flatmate miranda and i moseyed into town to shop round for 21st presents. after we got them, we headed into glassons - i was desperate for a waist belt. i found a really cute one... its brown, stretchy, and i cant wait to wear it! there was a mad sale going on: miranda ended up buying a heap of stuff! i also picked up this really cute grey highwaisted skirt, which im super excited about!! it seems really good quality [for glassons at least] and ill be able to team it with lots of different things... so i finally found a highwaisted look that doesn't make me look super short and blobby! hurrah.

love ya biatches :)

oh! and..

i am also in love with this girl, whoever she may be! she reminds me of mia farrow in the great gatsby... as seen on the facehunter.

a post as eclectic as my musical taste!

listening to: 'where the city meets the sea' - the getaway plan [download!! it rules!!]

hello all! at the moment im procrastinating from a)study for my COMS201 concept test tomorrow and b)completing my annotated bibliography on an article by elihu katz for the same paper, which is also due tomorrow. i was just browsing the net, checking out the usual sites on my hit list and also stumbling across a couple new ones, when i found a couple note-worthy things that made me remember my poor forgotten little blog. so voila, here i be.

1. it is absolutely FREEZING here in dunedin right now! though i can't complain; this has been an uncharacteristically mild winter for invercargill/dunedin... therefore i am spending a lot of my time rugged up in not-hot jerseys and canterbury pant combos. thankfully, i received an email today from the person selling me this woolen shrug to say it was now on it's way! i'm making a pilgrimage tomorrow to george street [present time! got two 21st parties to attend this weekend] so will hit up a few shops looking for a nice, vintage-esque brown waist belt.

2. speaking of these 21st parties, i am dying for some new party dresses... alas, the majority of the dough currently sitting in my bank balance is headed my younger sister's way... she lent me some money last week when my cruddy cellphone crapped out! but that's a whole 'nother story. anywho, my daydreaming about waltzing into these parties in super cute new ensembles led me online, where i found these:

the top dress is from asos [apparently, in the style of charlize theron]. i think it's really flirty, wispy and fun... im not usually such a fan of lacy kinda things, but this one immediately caught my eye. oh, and as a sidenote: while i applaud asos for embracing the whole one-shouldered, 80s prom vibe, i think they should review the construction of their single shoulders. is it just me or is there something just slightly off about them??

the middle dress is by life with bird, which i found on mycatwalk. everybody heard over there tout de suite, because the rear view is to die for... im a complete sucker for a good racerback. for some reason it wouldnt let me frigging copy and paste that view though!! grr. too bad i dont have either $582 to spare, or a body little enough to squeeze into it haha.

and finally, the bottom picture is cameron diaz [duh] at some shrek premiere. i remember seeing this picture in one of my mum's magazines, and wishing my legs looked like that! i think that dress would be frigging perfect for some rowdy 21st times... i can just picture my ideal self carving up a storm on the dancefloor at the frog this saturday night!! though i'd pair them with my faaaaaavourite pair of shoes ever, my ever-present [and starting to get pretty well-worn] yellow shoes!! cos thats how i roll. oh, and some big hair.

3.like the legendary susie bubble, i frothed at the mouth a bit when i first saw these miu miu heels. i actually let out a little groan - no jokes. the pink pair for me, thanks.

4.truly my favourite quote of the week: natalie wood, australian designer hailing from sydney (sample, insight, something, and something else), whose work philosophy is "we're not out for mass domination of the fashion scene, we just want to make cool shit". Find the quote, and the rest of the article, here at refinery29. Judging from a subsequent google search, she's doing a pretty darn good job of it - but its not for the timid. There's a decent [albeit brief] interview with her at nylon's website too.

5. i have a big fat girl crush on erin wasson right now. sure, she's not exactly the newest face on the block - i think i first saw her round 2003? i'd gone through a dry spell of vogues etc, but 2003 was when i got my first job! so i would have had money to burn haha - but i'm really into that whole sultry-eyed, leggy vibe she embodies! jealous much? her look is kinda mk olsen, without the bordering on homelessness looking thing... she looks a bit healthier!

6. i want some ladyhawke-like eyeliner. search out 'paris is burning' on youtube and you'll see what i mean. i'm gonna team it with my duffy-inspired hair this weekend - how musical/brigitte bardot of me! i think she's my all time number one fash icon. for now anyway... we aquarians change our minds incessantly.

told ya it was a mish mash. over and out :)

whoa.

listening to: 'hero' - nas feat. keri hilson

my last post was on april 18?! that is a super long hiatus, even for me! apologies to anyone who commented on earlier posts and found me lacking the response department - forgive me!

as always i don't really have anything of interest to report; my life has been uni work sleep eat drink. and again as always some of those things were of a higher priority than others. passed all my exams though, which was super. even managed to get myself an a- on my 200 level pols paper, which despite the AWFUL lecturer was my favourite of last semester's papers. it was political communication, so very media/politics focused which was right up my alley.

last semester was really tough for me. it was the first semester where i have worked and studied, and it seems so lazy and spoiled to say so but i found it really hard. maybe if i didnt loathe my job so much it would be better, but i do so its not a barrel of laughs. i wasn't really enjoying my living situation either: it was weird, because i like the people i live with, but i've been feeling really distant and isolated. one of the hardest things to deal with after losing mum was the feeling that there was nobody who would listen, understand, care unconditionally. so i've been keeping a lot to myself, and it definitely eats away at me. maybe this semester i'll turn here more, so don't be surprised if a lot of my posts are random thought posts rather than anything trendy. knowing that other peoples lives move forward while mine is simultaneously so stuck is hard to deal with, and makes me really jealous and titchy. it just seems unfair; but the situation itself is a big pile of unfairness. if that makes sense.

my dad, younger sister and i went on holiday at the end of the semester. a week in vanuatu; the thought was the only thing that kept me anywhere near 'sanity' during the semester. while it wasn't always bliss, it was fantastic to get away and relax. we all needed it! the weather wasn't that flash, and i cut my foot on this massive rock on the beach and couldnt walk for two days! but other than that it was rad haha. the people were lovely and friendly, it was nice and warm, the scenery was so beautiful, and all the fresh fruit and fish was delish!

and now im back here in dunedin. last week was the first week of classes, and last night was possibly the last ever all blacks game at carisbrook! i was so happy i got a ticket... it was my first all blacks game! we were playing south africa, and we blimming lost! 30-28. i was gutted... but then we went and got drunk and hit town. had a great time... it was cranking! i stayed out until about 4:30 i think. i came home with a guy from back in invercargill... we have a bit of a history. actually, understatement. i've been sleeping with him sporadically since 7th form. kind of different now, considering he has a girlfriend. i feel really sleazy and guilty, as i should. but at the same time, he is the only guy i've ever been with who hasn't hurt me. it's so selfish and horrible of me, and i'm sure karma will keep kicking my ass because of it. a couple of my flatmates have let me know they aren't impressed at all, and i'm sure there are people reading this whose opinion of me just took a massive nosedive. but the need to have a guy, just for one night, who sleeps next to you and is there in the morning and who holds your hand as you cross a street is something that has been eating away at me for so long. i've been lonely for so long! and i know how bad it is of me to fill that need with a some other girl's boyfriend. but even though i feel guilty, i don't feel as guilty as i should. their relationship obviously doesn't mean that much to her either, as she has cheated before, but i don't like the fact that i'm that girl. it makes me feel super sleazy... but i know deep down that i'd do it again.

no other news. will be back again, as soon as i have something post worthy.

i heart heidi klum!

listening to: 'love story'- mariah carey

so it's been ages, but i'm back. sorry, i've been so exhausted from work etc and i just couldn't really form a cohesive, comprehensible sentence let alone a post.

tonight the first episode of project runway (season 5) has just aired here in new zealand. even though i already know who wins - grr e! channel and perez hilton!!!!! - i still find it so frikkin fascinating to watch. it was apparent that this season is going to the the strongest yet: the general standard set even in episode one was crazy high. my favourite from the show? probably victoria hong's lbd, with the big metallic flower. i thought it was super cute and something i would love to wear myself. that gladiator-inspired, flowy charcoal dress was also really gorgeous: i'm a draping addict, i guess! but at least i can admit it, right?

BUT. i can't stress enough how weird i found it that simone was voted off over that crazy hippy dippy chick (aka rain goddess, as someone - maybe christian? - dubbed her). i thought her dress, while poorly executed and not up to standard finishing-wise, was really pretty (that colour combo basically made me swoon and also made me overlook how wrong wrong wrong the jacket was) and showed more potential than that hideous blue thing with the mental train at the back. seriously, what the hell was that?! spew.

can't wait to see the rest!

my big decision

listening to: 'bye bye' - mariah carey

mariah's new album was leaked onto the net! i've been listening to it nonstop since yesterday.

anyway, the big decision i decided to share was that i've decided to volunteer for critic, the student magazine. at this stage i'm only going to put my name forward to do like book reviews and shizz, but it's a big step. i find it really hard to have people read my writing... the only reason i keep this blog is because i really really love to write, and the anonymity of the internet lets me hide a bit easier than writing full blown print articles in the student mag does.

so yeah. just thought i would share. wish me luck!

ps...

i had a dream about those yellow shorts. and then i woke up. sadddd

cold snap = alana's increasing desire for cardigans

listening to: 'wreck of the day' - anna nalick

well friends daylight saving has brought about the official beginning of the southern hemisphere's autumn. which doesn't bother me too much, as i grew up in a little bitty town with a reputation for being a bit on the nippy side. although i still adamantly maintain that dunedin is in fact colder than invercargill.

cold weather means i get to bust out my cold weather clothes. yay! this autumn/winter my focus is going to be on an androgynous tailored layering vibe. i've started scouring online for oversized men's cardigans (so far i have found at least 4 that i am DESPERATE to have. and considering they range in price from $4 to $15 i think i will be able to purchase at least a couple. i think my favourites would have to be a vintage pierre cardin one (i can't tell if it is grey or soft blue, with white vertical stripes) and a basic olive marle one. there is also an alpaca wool women's longline cardi that i am dying for but reserve is already $27 so i will possibly miss out on that. i've also had a quick look at mens blazers, but as yet haven't found anything that i couldn't live without. i know layering oversized men's pieces isn't exactly original, but i need to invest in some more basics. hopefully i will come up with ways of jazzing things up a bit. my first paycheck from work comes next wednesday (sadly i handed in my paperwork too late to get it this week) and i am soo excited! it will be nice to be able to buy a few bits and bobs. however, as i also have to purchase a new outfit for a wedding on the 26th i somehow think my shopping will be limited for a few weeks more yet. i am really digging a super sharp silhouette, with more structure than a skyscraper. usually i would define myself (and others would do the same) as a very girly, feminine person; but i guess this is just another eg of my super eclectic personality emerging. since it's getting colder now i will probably be stuck in a jeans/boots combo (yaaaaawn) but it would be nice to keep things interesting up top.

on a completely opposite note, dad has finally booked our holiday to vanuatu this winter! we leave on june 25th and stay 7 nights at the iririki resort and spa, which is a 69-acre little island directly across from port vila. it looks absolutely amazing, and i can't wait to just go and relax on a white sandy beach. heaven! i definitely think the 3 of us need it. anyway, as a result i've decided i need to buy a new bathing suit, so i've been spending literally hours online having a looksee. moontide's 'stardust' is my pick right now, but i guess it'll depend on how much i can afford to spend! i am so super excited though. if anybody has been there i'd love to hear anything and everything about it.

so my updated wishlist right now includes:
1. super long cardigans
2. oversized tailored blazers. single breasted only. i'd like them to be quite low cut too
3. a new pair of slim cut jeans. i only have a pair in black, which i left at home, and i don't really like the bogan vibe they throw off
4. some crisp white shirts with big collars i can turn up and have poking out of cardis and blazers
5. a checkered scarf, still
6. an interesting hat of some description
7. swimsuit!!
8. bright red suspenders. or yellow. or maybe electric blue. ok so anything in a primary colour

nothing fits

Little do men perceive what solitude is, and how far it extendeth.

For a crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures

and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.

- Francis Bacon

a title that conjures up celebratory revelry!!

listening to: 'the dumbing down of love' - frou frou

wow! big time wow! not only did i yesterday FINALLY manage to nab myself a job - at a supermarket, blech - but i was also commented by none other than coco from coco's tea party!!

it kinda makes me feel a bit better, after i made a complete fool of myself last night... too much cheap chcask wine turns alana into a bit of a mess. but i scored a veeeery hot swedish guy, so it wasn't all bad - ha!

the wind beneath my wings

listening to: 'tangerine' - led zeppelin

it is 3:11 pm (friday) and i haven't sleep since around 9am thursday so please excuse the less than enthralling title. and probably also the following post.

all i seem to think about these days are the pieces i want to add to my wardrobe - the pieces i know i will probably never purchase (it's hard being a student, especially one who still has not found a job) but will lust over anyway. while it's definitely not as fulfilling as actually owning things, it's fun anyway and much cheaper.

what am i fantasising over right now? well lets see... firstly, a pair of bright yellow, high-waisted short shorts from topshop a la the flying saucer. if you haven't heard of her, check out my blogroll to the right... and if you have heard of her, click on her link anyway and head on over to check these shorts out for yourself. while it is now officially autumn here in the land of the long white cloud, we are still enjoying the longest summer weather in over a decade. although to be frank i'd prefer colder temperatures to global warming. i just want to pad around in short shorts and singlet tops but i don't want to scare people, not only with my completely inappropriate figure but also my pasty white legs. even in summers as glorious as this, my legs remain completely uncoloured while the rest of me turns lobster red. it is not attractive.

two words: rick owens.

and yes, i am jumping on the gladiator sandal bandwagon. i envy girls with legs long and lean enough to wear them. i'd love a pair in bronze...

i am a fan of the baggy, nonchalant 'i just threw this together' look, and a key staple of this look is the mansized loose button-down shirt. i want them in a variety of colours, specifically a nice light blue and also a white-based floral version. i'd wear them open over top of those delish yellow shorts and a white tank top, or otherwise i'd pair them with something more structured. like maybe a high waisted pencil skirt, with some of those radical nerd glasses to accessorise.

a huge checkered scarf, preferably in black and white, complete with fringe.

a quilted purse like the infamous chanel ones, except obviously not chanel. i lust after one in a sexy metallic purple colour, with a gold chain and clasp.

i know they are soo two seasons ago - or more? who knows who cares - but i saw a picture on the sartorialist of a woman wearing the most amazing high-waisted wide leg jeans. i have been on a real led zep kick lately and i'd just wanna lounge round in them, pretending i was robert plant's chick.

suspenders. i want a pair of bright red ones, maybe customised to have little rainbow coloured clasps. yummers.

i have also recently taken to wearing long tunics over leggings when i go out on the town. i have this really cool grey one with veeeeery subtle flecks of silver through it: it's got a beautiful scoop neck and pleats down the front, and sits really nicely. however today, while a friend and i were visiting the city council to get a new recycling bin for the flat we spotted market stalls over the road in the octagon. then i spotted a clothing stall and against my better judgement went and had a browse. i walked away with two more tunics: one is a very drapey kind of olivey/khaki colour with a keyhole cutout in the front and a wee button, and the other is very trendy... i'm talking block colours (black and bright blue, which i personally love against the colour of my hair).

that's about it. make love not war friends, and stay rad.

**UPDATE: oh, and a really loud, obnoxious, cheesy tourist t-shirt from like australia zoo or something. i'd wear those suspenders over top.

my continuing love for all things 'ye olde...'

listening to: 'hanging on too long' - duffy.

more & more i seem to be wanting to teleport myself back in time. i think it's stemmed from my growing adoration of music throwing off a vintage vibe. it all started with amy winehouse... and the list has grown to include (but is not restricted to) the puppini sisters, adele, and my newest favourite duffy. i strongly suggest you check out some of her music - she's quickly becoming my favourite. i've always been fascinated by history, especially the 1920s, 1940s, and 1970s. but if my heart could only be divvied up into two sections, the 1940s and 70s would take their rightful place in there. at the mo i am super into the 1940s - not a suprise given that so much of fashion and music right now, two of my most favourite things in the world, seem to be so centered on that era.

so i decided to share my love of these three epochs with you, faithful reader. if you exist, that is. i haven't had any comments in awhile, which is kinda depressing but not altogether unexpected as my most recent posts have admittedly lacked finesse, among other things. even i get bored with reading my blog, but then again everybody is always most critical when they reflect upon themselves.

when i think of the 1920s, i immediately think of f scott fitzgerald's masterpiece, the great gatsby. hardly original, i know, but after reading it (and watching the robert redford/mia farrow adaptation) i just HAD to satiate my appetite with anything else flapper-related i could get my hands on. especially his other works; although, incredibly frustratingly, every single time i go to the library to lend tender is the night it is always already taken; however over the summer holidays i did finally manage to procure the beautiful and damned. however, as i've already blathered on about my love for flapper-esque headbands, i'll skip right along to the 1940s.

pussy-bow blouses, waistcoats in tweed, sillohuette-hugging definition. when i think of taking the 1940s new look thing into the present day, i picture a pair of wide-legged jeans (with plenty of buttons) teamed with a body-con singlet tucked in, plenty of bracelets, and a jewel-hued capelet thrown nonchantly over the shoulders. or a pencil skirt and waistcoat combo, topped off with a tweed hat - not a fedora, that's too obvious, but a jaunty little baker boy cap. and a pair of gold-rimmed classic aviators, an ode to the stereotypical Pearl Harbour soldier.

From the stories i've heard, my parents were mega hippies back in the day. growing up i listened to a mixture of led zeppelin, hendrix, the who, pink floyd, the eagles, meatloaf, david bowie, marianne faithfull... all the good stuff. when i was little i wasn't a fan; but now i dig! i'm truly not just jumping on the floral bandwagon... not only am i a fan of the whole floathy, etheral - i'm loathe to say it - hippie buzz, but i am a bit of a girly girl. so florals really are right up my alley. you could take the same pair of jeans from your 40s ensemble and mix it with some long, lean crochet and an oversized floral shirt with rolled up sleeves. the messy hair/thin headband look a la susie bubble would look mega cute.

well it's late and i have an assignment due friday that i havent even begun - political campaigning in nz, and how it has changed since the introduction of the mmp system - and even though i probably won't do any tonight, i don't want to go to bed tooooo late otherwise i won't get up till midday tomorrow.

but before i go, i'd love to hear what eras other people have love affairs with. stay cool friends!

i wish i was a seamstress!

listening to: 'faces going places' - jose vanders

today, courtesy of somewhere out there in the blogosphere, i discovered this story.

burdastyle.com is the brainchild of a brooklyn-born duo, nora abousteit & benedikta von karaisl. and i think it's going to be my new addiction, even if i never actually get around to making anything. where

they could have profited from selling their AMAZING clothing patterns online, they created a community. and now it's thriving: not only do they provide patterns, but registered users can also upload patterns of their own. it really is craft heaven... and makes me wish even more i had gotten mum to teach me how to sew before it was too late.

i haven't even made a substantial dent in the pages filled with patterns yet, and already i'm dreaming of whipping up a number of the ones i have seen. and the best thing is, if i ever gather up enough courage to attempt anything, there is a section of 'how to's' PLUS 'sewpedia' for any tricky definitions required...

everybody make sure you go check it out - creativity, especially shared creativity, like this deserves to be supported.

happy st patty's!

listening to: 'emotional champ' - new buffalo

hey friends! hope you all have a sweet st patricks day planned... sadly, i am COMPLETELY broke. we have 2 bills to pay this week. so alana is not in the best mood today! although with hair like mine it's practically st patricks every day of my life.

to cheer me up, i decided to jump onto polyvore yet again. at first i was going to make a single st patrick's-inspired outfit, then i decided to make two: one for day, one for night.

but then i searched 'green' (haha original, right!).

there were just so many things catching my eyes.
i couldn't really single things out to the point where i would be able to create only two outfits.

so here is my pick of the finest green offerings available. if you could pick only one item, which would it be? i think mine would have to be the marni slouchy tote... yum. hmm. or maybe the bookworm boots from anthropologie. and the shoes from emma pink are delicious too. as is the chloe top. ok, so i can't decide. man, imagine what havoc i could wreak with a credit card. i think the world would blow up.

enjoy! and have an extra guinness for me!

back to school, yo.

listening to: 'american boys' - estelle feat. kanye west

yes, i know, i've been mega slack on the blogging lately. but i blame stupid uni!! i have been flat tack trying to keep up with the crazy amounts of reading i've had to do. i'm doing a mere 3 papers this semester, and i'm incredibly glad i didn't sign up for more than that! i am still really liking my papers, inneresting blah blah, but the amount of work?! not so much.

here in dunedin - studentville, basically - there are 3 groups of dressers.

1. average joes: nothing special. i, sadly, fit into this category; although since my job prospects are looking up i'll actually be able to afford new threads! woot.

2. clones: girls with matching EVERYTHING. matching fake tan, matching black puffa jackets, matching skinny jeans (light blue this year, i see), matching black leather boots.

3. indie kids: those who actually make an effort to dress creatively. sadly, clones are starting to infiltrate that group too...

anyway, back to the main reason for this (well overdue) post. i always pay particular attention to the "alternative" dressers. the real ones, not the ones who are wearing their scarves that way because it's been deemed cool. i love seeing how they put themselves together. it's so nice to see people steering clear of glassons.

i decided to put together a couple of outfits which i could picture someone wearing around campus. if i keep following my diet and exercise plan (GO ME!) and combine that with a bit of extra moolah i may be that girl! to all those in dunedin, keep your eyes peeled over the coming months.

as you all should know by now, i'm a sucker for baggy cardis. i am also kinda digging a roman/greek vibe, and even though the metallic cuff doesn't automatically conjure images of ancient times, i think it's a pretty modern take on that look. maybe it'd be more obvious if it was in bronze?

being a nerd is in man! i love that brogues are trendy with the hipsters these days - and i think this colour really funks them up. still digging the knee highs... is everybody else over them yet? oh and ps, polyvore has made me fall in love with rick owens. duh i'd heard of him and everything but here he isn't exactly a household name. but i love the slouchiness of his stuff... way cool.

i really like this, though i think i would have to partake in a little dutch courage before venturing outside in this. i forgot to put in like a tanktop for under the cardigan... oops. the first item i spotted was that amazing prada clutch - and yes, i basically built the entire outfit around that. it reminds me of the tarantino movie, true romance. i think this is something alabama would definitely wear, but i'm betting she'd pair it with a push up bra. and the jacket wouldn't stay on long.

i am so so in love with crisp white shirt dresses these days. this one is a bit too long for the look i was going for, but the detailing on the front was exactly what i was picturing in my minds eye. it'd look great with a tan no doubt! i was looking for some kind of roman gladiator style sandals - i'm pretty sure they were deemed 'out' again years ago, but this is my blog and that's how i roll!! - but after spotting these divine lanvin ones i couldn't stop fantasising over them

check out my polyvore (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?id=140021) for details on any of the pieces. oh and if you're super dedicated, you should search for claire de lune... i wish i could style the way she can!

for the first time in a long time

listening to: 'grace is gone' - dave matthews band

sorry i haven't been keeping up with the posts in awhile. i have had so much work to do for uni that i've barely had time to browse blogs myself, let alone actually write one. although to be honest part of my lack of writing is because i am still on a bit of a downbuzz, and didn't really want to bore you further.

i don't have too much to write about, except i wanted to post some pictures of my new guess clutch! a dear dear friend of my mum's was here in dunedin last weekend for her son's basketball tournament, and she took me out to lunch. it was lovely to see her - it was nice to be able to talk to somebody about mum. i'm missing her so much. all i want is to be able to just ring her and tell her how shitty my days have been lately. i feel so alone up here. i've basically been sitting alone in my room at random intervals listening to a playlist i made on my ipod, crying and staring at the last birthday card mum ever gave me.

but back to my story. rosey and i had lunch at a wee cafe and then had a bit of a browse in some shops. we were in andrea biani, and she was choosing a new handbag to buy for herself - just to interrupt: lipstick red, beautiful hand-tooled embossed leather. it's soo soft, and basically i was drooling - when i happened to mention how pretty i thought this silver clutch was. i was browsing through the shoes while rosey was paying for her bag, and when she turned around she had bought me the purse! i didn't know what to say... on one hand i feel super awful, because it was $65! but on the other, i wasn't going to turn down a guess clutch lol.

so here's a snap... hope you love it as much as i do!! sorry my photography skillz are below par; way below par. it's next to my balenciaga motorcycle bag, which i got online. therefore i'm not sure of it's authenticity... but i loved it anyway! i broke the zip tho :(

mentally moving on?

listening to: 'walking on broken glass' - annie lennox

i love them all, and appreciate everything that they have offered me.
but i can picture myself moving on, away from, some people i hang out with these days.

is that a really snotty thing to say? i don't know. i just feel like i'm kind of expanding, or trying to expand anyway (haha although not literally, actually my diet and exercise regime has been much much stricter the past week or so, go me!!). i'm not saying i like hate my friends and want or need to get away from them or anything!! but i just feel like i'm not the REAL me around some of them. a lot of the time anyway. there are elements of the real me that shine through, but it's not the full picture. i think everybody sees me as a one-dimensional person, and i don't see myself that way at all.

i have so many interests and ideas, and while they are generally centred around the same basic idea or principle they are varied and eclectic. even my music taste shows how random and broad my likes are. i can listen to basically anything and find something beautiful in it; even if i don't like it, i generally appreciate it. or parts of it. and i'd like to find some friends like that. i like to have different kinds of friends, so i can be challenged/entertained/whatever in different ways.

and i'd like some friends who appreciated the whole me - even if they didn't like the same things as me, or agree with me all the time. i don't want a circle of monochromatic friends who think and behave in the exact same way as i do. i want to be able to talk about fashion, politics, music, ideology. i want to be able to talk about books, and movies that don't revolve around toilet humour. some of my friends know about my blog; and sometimes i feel like an outsider simply for having one. trust me, not everything is as trivial as that. just idle comments and ignorance has really been wearing me down lately. it's ridiculous that i can't feel like myself around the people who are supposedly closest to me.

my life at the moment is just same shit different day. although it's not so bad now: my classes are super intriguing, and i'm enjoying them alot. i like living with the people i live with, but other than that i'm just not sure i share anything in common with many of friends other than our usual weekend debauchery. it's not particularly multi-faceted.

humph. maybe it's just tuesday-itis. is this just a slump, or a fully fledged rut? i am undecided.

id fashion week

listening to: 'kashmir' - led zeppelin

so last week was id fashion week - unless you're from new zealand, you probably haven't even heard of it. it's held right here in dunedin (unfortunately i have never been able to go - tickets are a little out of my student price range haha). airnz new zealand fashion week is held in october, for the last 9 years id has followed on from the official new zealand fashion week.

dunedin is known for being a bit artsy, and it has a pretty solid reputation here in new zealand for having pretty sweet bands and other creative shiz. like some very very talented designers: tanya carlson, for one, is from dunedin and has consistently shown a collection. sadly though this was her final year... before moving north to auckland (gag). other designers who hit the runway - thought to be the longest in the world - this year include cherry cotton candy, nom*d, and keucke. plus a ton more, including capsule collections and also some students from otago polytech's fashion design degree. AND the guest designer this year was none other than adrian hailwood, whose label hailwood has branched out from his signature, adored t-shirts to full on womenswear (and menswear too!). the fact that the place-getters in the emerging designers award were from australia, new zealand and the netherlands of all places should show you how reputable this week is slowly becoming.

i'm super annoyed that the official website didn't have photos of the entire collections; only a review with one or two photos attached. POOR EFFORT. from what i've read and seen, online and in reviews in the otago daily times, the trends set at fashion week follow on from what is currently being shown worldwide. some key trends were:

40s-era silhouettes

inky indigo blue/purple hues including aubergine &violet

capes!

fusion between masculinity/femininity

equestrian-chic

plaid

grey, rather than the previously eponymous black (staple part of the dunedin palette)

fur stoles

although still retaining a tie to an avant-garde vibe so often associated with id - for example, sharn blackwell's 'freaks', which saw unexpected 3d silhouettes traipsing down the runway - the majority of it all was very wearable. this year the focus was on the tailoring, which was superb and illustrated how world-class our national fashion scene is becoming. my only criticism would be that now we need to start leading the trends, rather than following them. designers here have well and truly mastered their craft; but i think it's time to inject some innovation into the collections: new zealanders are always proud of the 'kiwi ingenuity' that runs through our veins, so it would be nice to see that reflected in our clothing. i'm not saying that kiwi designers follow trends to the letter: that is far from the truth. as shown at id, they use worldwide trends as a base and reinvent them according to their personal design asthetics. but it's time to up the ante in the innovation stakes.

to have a wee browse of what was on offer, go here. and let me know what you think of the new zealand fashion scene!!

awards season... for milan aw09

listening to: 'nine in the afternoon' - panic! at the disco

sombre. austere. sober. LIES.

in my opinion - and i'm pretty much an expert, so respec' - the adjectives being bandied around re: milan fashion week are so off base. yes, the sepia-toned hues being sent down the runways aren't as electric as colours seen in previous fashion weeks; but i think some people are missing the point. the return to tailoring, to classy autumnal dressing, is just a backlash to the stupid nu-rave that at one point seemed to take over the globe. trust me, if kids in new zealand are dressing like that, then it's a global phenomenon... we seem to pick up on trends long after everybody else.

there seems to be a real return to old school glamour, and it's definitely in response to things like 80s revival, where bold colours ruled the roost. in milan it's all about bright red lipstick and a structured sillohuette. and fur stoles galore... love it, but vintage or synthetic, people!! even shows such as blumarine and pucci, which didn't stray too far from their "signature" palettes, adopted more watercolour-like, washed out tones. i'd never heard of luisa beccaria - should i be embarassed to admit that? i'm not sure - but i loved the icy blue tones that also cropped up in her show.

everybody has been raving about miuccia prada's collection, and i'm going to jump on the bandwagon. AMAZING. the detailing is absolutely stunning, and a true example of just how beautiful fashion can be. i love the black lace paired with sprinklings of both ice blue and beige. despite being so detailed and potentially fussy, the look works because of the wearability of it all. those palettes are just so beautiful yet at the same time interesting - each would lighten up an otherwise uniteresting outfit. winter can just be such a drag - outfits have a tendancy to be bland. even if you absolutely adore fashion, sometimes when you're freezing cold and cranky it's just easier to put on an outfit as dull as the weather around you.

the detailing award: no surprise here... prada wins hands down. i'm not sure if that lace is handmade or machine made - either way, it's sheer intricacy can't be beat.

favourite print award: just cavalli's mini shift dress. the flamingo print wasn't only on the dress, but also extended to the sheer tights! i can see swarms of stylish girls pairing those tights with anything and everything.

colour palette award: missoni. oooh, i bet you all thought i was going to pick prada. sorry guys; missoni's mixes of mustard, beige, teal, grey, white, black, sage and charcoal are making me drool right now.

coat of the week award: the most amazing coat i have ever seen would have to be one from missoni. featuring the print that was reoccurent in their entire collection, it reminds me of one of those faux kimono's really tacky chainsmoking housewives with bleached blonde hair would have worn in the 70s. (runners up include a navy coat from alberta feretti and a large-collared soft grey one from pucci)

best layering award: it's a tie between alberta ferreti's rouched bronze & navy dress, paired with tights; and a chunky coat over a drapey dress, worn with tights and a scarf knotted just so at burberry prosum.

best fur award: fendi, for the cutest 3/4 length sleeved jacket, cinched at the waist of course.

daytime outfit award: another tie - an ice blue, cream, grey and white concotion by luisa beccaria; and a very innocent schoolgirl outfit consisting of cardigan, white shirt, skinny belt, and beige skirt from blumarine.

nightime outfit award: the slinkiest navy knee-length dress i've ever seen, by maurizio pecaroro.

favourite sillohuette: a a black top paired with a gorgeous olive tulip skirt by max mara.

overall collection award: missoni! i just loved it... top notch!!

the most mixed bag of mixed bags

listening to: 'home again' - shihad

i am in such a crud mood tonight (but i'm not getting into all that), so i thought blogging might cheer me up a bit. apologies for the lack of posts recently - we have had serious issues with our wireless here in the flat! big-time grr.

so first of all, this song is awesome. quintessential kiwi rock, what's better? get thee to itunes if you don't know this song and see what i'm raving about. shihad are basically the most famous kiwi band of my generation, and it's for good reason. i saw them live in 7th form - we roadtripped up from invercargill to dunedin, it was awesome - and they were frikkin rad. i hadn't been that into them before that trip, but i was definitely converted. i have been on such a kiwi music buzz lately... i just seriously can't stop listening to shapies!

still on the kiwi vibe, i've been meaning to mention my favouritest magazine ever in the whole entire world. yes yes i know mags like nylon, paper, zink & stuff are pretty damn sweet, but it's so different - in an incredibly nice way!! - to have such a polished fashion/streetstyle/beauty/lifestyle magazine targeted towards a new zealand market, as until the happy day i stumbled across it in whitcoulls i had raised myself on a steady diet of australian vogue (where everything was beyond my means, and aimed at an older audience) and the odd harpers bazaar, as well as fashion quarterly (new zealand based, but again for the older reader). my magazine purchases were devoid of anything really relevant to ME. oh, except for one aussie nylon i managed to procure: it was super hard to find. so thank you karen magazine!! the editorials are amazing, the content is brill, and it's basically everything i could ever want.. sadly 'tis only published biannually. while it's not quite as street-style-ish as, for example, russh, it's the closest magazine to focus on my demographic that actually satisfies my desires and requirements for what i could class as a great magazine. hopefully it gradually incorporates more and more street style, as there is definitely a niche market out there that would lap up a magazine that fuses high fashion and fashion reality.

so what else should i yarn about? i tried to create some ombre tights before i came up to dunedin but they really didn't work, so i gave up. i figure by the time i get it right they will no longer be uber cool. i attempted creating them in both violet and navy, and was so sad that they didn't turn out successfully. i have a real thing for each of those colours right now. the weather is getting cooler already, and i can envisage a winter where i'm pairing my standard blacks and greys with suitably soft, slightly washed out hues of purple and blue.. grey, mauve and a splice of electric blue to jazz things up a bit is a colour combo haunting my many daydreams lately. a mauve leotard under a pair of highwaisted grey wool pants... delicious!! pairing it with a peacoat would be like an ensemble chrysallis... the changing shape & layers would be pretty cool. would the chrysallis analogy or an anology comparing it to those russian dolls that have the little dolls inside them be more striking? what are those dolls even called anyway?

a developing interest for me is a kind of touristy, postcard-like aesthetic. while i was browsing fashion156.com i was taken by a shot from the central st martin's show at lfw. it wasn't specifically an example of that tourist-kitsch idea but the colour combo is a snapshot of what i've been picturing in my mind: teal, a slightly darker blue (but not quite navy), yellow, white & a wee hint of beige. try and spot it here: top row. if i was a creative whizz i'd quite fancy whipping up a lipstick red tulip skirt with a cinched waist and a built-in apron thingee overtop (i've been lusting over aprons for some time now) in a printed fabric of like an old village on the mediterranean or something. my vision includes whitewashed buildings, terracotta rooves, sparkling pop of colour via beautiful blue seas.. by the way, i don't mean kind of a faux-apron either; i mean one with like actual little pockets reminiscent of a stepford wife.

do you know what my favourite thing is since becoming a bit more involved (or compulsive, you choose) with fashion? it's the amount of "rules" i have seen broken. i went to an all-girls school for awhile, i'm from a relatively well-to-do family (at least by nz standards, we're absolutely not even close when it comes to international standards), i've always had impeccable manners - aside from the occassional lapse. therefore, my modus operandi was always that i knew what was acceptable or "right". if i had heard about people wearing tights with open toed shoes, i would have been HORRIFIED. like, literally horrified. or mixing prints - GASP O RAMA!! but now i've seen it, visually experienced it, and amazingly i actually appreciate it. every site i click onto has at least one girl wearing a pair of grey tights with chunky beige platform sandals - open toed sandals. and someone - male or female - mixing either two different plaids, or stripes and a bold abstract print. i think i mentioned previously a girl i saw when i came back to dunedin? wearing polka dots and abstract? it was when we were waiting at the lights, and i was super relieved i was wearing my sunglasses cos i just couldn't look away! i had to take her outfit in, it was that good. if i wasn't so self-conscious i would absolutely love to do what the people behind the likes of the sartorialist do: take photos of people whose outfits catch their eye, inspire them, make them swoon. dunedin is really different from my hometown of invercargill in the sense that, being an academic hub, there are quite a few really arty, creative people; the array of outfits is sometimes quite striking. also, being a bigger town it isn't as close minded. back home, all the girls - myself included - wear basically the same thing, minus a couple variations. it's just the way things are. sure there are clones here too. i think i've mentioned that before. the girls who dress the same here are more noticeable than home - here, they really wear the SAME standard outfit of grey skinnies, black puffer, knee high boots - but it's diluted by all the randoms who rock different looks. i really need to find a job, as i'm running out of money fast and i need to be able to feed my growing love for vintage and my yearning to create all the ideas floating around inside this crazy little head of mine... yes that's right, i'm so broke i can't even op-shop! right now i'm a fashion afficianado with nothing to wear.

headbands. been a pretty major fad for at least a couple of seasons now, and one that i was definitely a fan of. but right now, rather than the preppy school-girl styles that i had previously been all over like a rash i'm really digging the flapper-style ones popping up on street style websites and online chain stores alike. i like the skinny ones as seen on the queen of cool kids (in my book at least) susie bubble - mixed with a slightly messy, exaggerated-volume 'do. but my real love is for the ones with ornate detailing: feathers, sequins, feathers AND sequins. even just a massive bow attached to a headband makes me all shivery - but they have to be worn just so. the great gatsby is a permanant fixture on my all-time-greats mental list of books (and later, movies), both for the story and the costumes alike. and the roaring 20's is one of my favourite eras, for a number of misc reasons, not least of all the clothes. i went to a halloween party when i was 12 - halloween isn't big here so it was kind of a memorable event - and i remember i hired this amazing dusky pink flapper dress with a lace overlay (prada aw09 style) and feathers down the bottom from the repatory society. surprise surprise, i topped it off with a silk headband with yet another feather. check out my selection/variations...

well my friends, i'm done. that's all folks! i'm off to sleep, gotta be fresh for the part-ay we're hosting tomorrow night. bring on saturday!

ps i want a shirt dress so bad. stark white.

bored, and hanging at the flat by myself

listening to: 'sandstorm' - darude

so insanely bored, lonely and cranky right now.

that is all.

i'll tell you what i want, what i really really want

listening to: 'electric dream' - shapeshifter

so, i had my first night back in dunedin. and last night was my first night of o-week '08 back in dunedin. i had the most amazing time; it was fantastic. town was crazy packed but i was so munted i didn't even care. usually i hate when it's that cramped but i was just having such a good time jamming on the dancefloor (especially to this song! ahh) that i didn't even care. until my feet literally started to bleed and i had to go home haha. oh and that reminds me, sadly my favourite going out shoes - i posted pics of them, they are black satin kitten heels with wee diamante thingees - broke!! i was so sad. and i was walking around the monkey bar with my shoe flapping on the floor. i must have looked a right mess. but ANYWAY.

what i wanted to actually write about was my incredible urge right now for a shrunken navy blazer. with gold buttons. i'm going to have to go check out some op shops for one, but i am going to be picky about it because i don't want one that isn't perfect.

anyway i have to go now because my friend tim & i are going to watch the godfather 2 on dvd now... and he is reading this and rolling his eyes! so i'll stop my little ramble there.

ps tim wants me to say he's hot. but really he's ok... may post pics, but only if they are suitably embarassing and drunken.

au revoir!!

alphabeat

listening to: 'fascination' - alphabeat

yet another example of how far behind new zealand is, huh? i had no idea these guys even existed until 10 minutes ago... but i fell in love instantly while watching their video on c4 (a music channel here).

so, i looked them up (thanks wikipedia!!) and was soo not suprised that they are a band from denmark. seriously, what is it in the water that makes scandinavians so inherently cool? apparently it makes everybody over there naturally, amazingly cool. definitely setting the standard, street wise at least.

i just wanted to note how cool i think they are: from their music to their amazing style. i'll definitely be grooving to them on my ipod a lot over the weekend.

a late new years resolution

listening to: "future baby mama" - prince

firstly yay for amy winehouse! not only is she looking a heck of a lot better than in past weeks, she also deservingly took out both album & record of the year at the grammys! she is one of my absolute favourite artists; its slightly embarassing to admit it but i am a HUUUGE mariah fan (ever since i was 6. i can't just let her go, whether you disapprove or not) and will probably never rate anybody over her. but amy winehouse comes close, very close. i've yet to watch her satellite performance on youtube, but no doubt it will be stunning. hopefully one of her resolutions this year was to keep off the crack: sure she lapsed, but we've got a bit of progress people!

speaking of resolutions, i've never really made them. i know in my head what i want to achieve each year, though i rarely do. not the biggies anyway. but tonight i was inspired whilst browsing i want big hair, a blog i stumbled upon earlier this evening. this girl is only 15 and yet she looks pretty handy with her singer!! my mum was an amazing seamstress - she made my ball gown in 7th form - and we still have ALL of her sewing gear: instead of just (somehow) getting rid of it, i've decided i want to inherit it, and hopefully eventually i also inherit her craftiness. i can never REALLY find clothes that i am absolutely in love with, so now this way maybe i can make them!

hopefully this isn't a completely ridiculous idea. you don't know this, but i am really not good at stuff like sewing. i always have grandiose visions, and then when it comes time to actually produce something it all gets shot to pieces, be it a painting or whatever. when i was third form we had to do a woodworking module for a whole dreary term, and the teacher told me that the jigsaw puzzle i attempted to make was the worst he had ever seen. and he had been teaching for quite some time.

i think the first thing i would attempt would be a skirt. it LOOKS simple enough... right? i had a friend who once made a skirt entirely of ties, and it wasn't bad. hey or maybe i could make a scarf!! all i'd have to get is a bit of fabric! a PREEEEEEETTY bit of fabric. i could make many scarves. i could be a scarf-making queen. gee whiz this is going to be grand. or is it just fuelling my ever-growing, bordering-on-the-unhealthy obsession?

dammit, i'm still stuck at work and i can hear the sex and the city theme song coming on... since i work at a newspaper, the tv in the newsroom is always tuned to the late night news broadcast when i'm at work. and satc reruns are on after that on monday nights. GRRRRRR. i don't usually work mondays, thankfully, but i jumped at the chance for extra hours since this is my last week of work. have i mentioned that? i head back to dunedin for university on friday morning. i have course approval the following monday, then it's crazy orientation ("o-week") week and then back to class. looking forward to being with my friends. looking forward to moving into my new flat. but not looking forward to actually living in dunedin again. i'm going to miss dad & renee like crazy, and i'm gonna be sick with worry over them. but i guess it will all work out in the end.

anyway, wish me luck - for both of my endeavours!!

alana discovers the joys of polyvore... and plugs some stuff she likes

listening to: "disco" - autozamm

hey beautiful friends! so, today i am planning to plug a couple of wee things (but for good reason i swear - i'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, and my genuine appreciation!) but only because this a blog where i can write about things currently tickling my fancy, and everything that will appear in today's post is indeed doing that!

first things first. myspace has become a hub of music: artists and fans - and soon-to-be-fans - alike flock there to check out the latest and greatest, blah blah blah. and no, i am not so far behind trends that i have only just discovered myspace. give me some credit! but i do suggest you all head on over to myspace and check out disco by autozamm, the brand new song from the auckland quintet. i've only heard it on the radio a couple of times so far, but i'm absolutely loving it, and was inspired to share! sadly, it's not on itunes (yet). oh and ps, their other song (killer shoes) is also well worth the listen: i think i'll adopt it as my official getting ready to hit the town song.

so that was plug number 1. here is plug number 2. the girls over at our wishful wardrobe (yes, i do appear on their blogroll. please, no pictures.) have introduced me not only to paddington bear, style icon, but also to polyvore. let me just say THIS IS MY KINDA WEBSITE. you know how yesterday i mentioned my intense jealousy of cher's amazing computer program that picked out her outfits each day? voila, the 21st century version does not disappoint. so far i have spent approximately an hour ALREADY "just browsing". aka, pretending i can afford & also fit into these beautiful beautiful clothes.

actually, i just realised that was 3 plugs. i'm practically a slave to the man now. oh well, they are all definitely worthy of your time - if you waste time reading this, you have a fair bit of it on your hands, thus could definitely do with another website to aid your procrastination. the challenge i set myself - the dedication!! - was to create completely different outfits (one for day, one for night) using the same dress. i picked a relatively simple Development Wool twill dress (available on net-a-porter) as my base. here are the outfits i concocted:

day

1. dress

2. all saints contrast heel (lace-up oxford)

3. louis vuitton monogram pendant

4. fendi convertible bracelet (the set would look cool, rather than just the one)

5. flirt for asos over the knee socks

6. oli cropped jacket

7. 'marvelous' vintage wayfarers

night

1. dress

2. shimmer clutch (hopefully it's oversized!! mmm.) from fcuk

3. headband from target

4. cocktail ring, as featured at blog.stylehive.com

5. catwoman t-bar loubs

sorry the quality of the picture is so bad! i can tell i'm going to spend A LOT of time on that site... it's like the grownup version of barbie dolls! and i was a big barbie fan. speaking of barbie, check out gwyneth's dress. seen here at madonna's gucci/unicef party recently (relatively recently anyway) she looks more like a life-sized version of everybody's favourite disproportionate doll than style icon. give her a boob job and you're set! i love a big bow, but something about this just doesn't work. and don't even get me started on the shoes.

so, in summary, i like good honest kiwi music; i like other blogs, especially ones where i learn even more about the joys of the internet; i love playing dressups without having the hassle of having to actually BUY the clothes; and i am not a fan of gwyneth's stylist.

fini!