listening to: 'happy' - leona lewis

I am a very naughty girl.
My shopping spree, chronicled in my last post, has continued to the point where I had to force myself to put every last cent (bar money for partying this weekend) into another account and give Dad my eftpos card to hide. I'm planning on going shopping next week - for a new laptop, after the old one packed up - and I'm going to need as much funds as I can muster for that job!
But anyway, that's not important. What is important is that I finally got myself a necklush. I have wanted one for seriously two or three years - I think I did a post about it a eons ago - and I finally took the plunge and just got it. I figured if I had thought about them and wanted one for more than a couple of years, then the $NZ100 was probably a decent investment.
I am super excited!
I got a navy one with silver accents - I thought it'd be great with blacks (which I wear in abundance), browns, greys, whites... I was tempted to get the creamy natural one, but thought the navy would actually be more versatile and a bit more interesting.
It's my first Etsy purchase... I can't believe it has taken me this long. Ever since I heard about Etsy I've checked it religiously, and now my favourite sellers list is so huge I get sick of browsing through it all and just head to my favourites.
I'm super obsessed with babooshka boutique, which also seems to be on the hitlist for the Queens over at Kingdom of Style. Maybe that will be my next stop.

i've been shopping, ooh la la

listening to: empire state of mind - alicia keys/jay z

So, today I brought a new black day dress. It's weird how I have gone this long without owning such a basic ingredient in the wardrobe mix... I have plenty of black dresses, it's just they are all nighttime-only-appropriate. It's quite simple but has got some nice draping action going on - love love love draping - which makes it a bit snappier. I've been spending all afternoon pondering what to pair it with...

I really want a long, grey marle cardigan that I can pull on overtop, and belt with a patent leather black belt. Then I'd spice it up with a really big chunky statement necklace (black too) and some killer heels. Like my black gladiators, a la Carrie Bradshaw... I know they were all the rage a couple of years ago now, but I still ADORE them. I like to think I'm not a slave to the seasons anyway. And in the winter I want some really cute ribbed black leggings (you know the kind I mean - vertical stripes, some sheer, some opaque). Don't think ribbed is the right description there (it makes me think of jersey, but it's not jersey) but meh. and some wee black ankle booties. I don't like how some people are so anti-black. I don't mind black setting the tone for an entire outfit, as long as you break it up with some interesting patterns/textures (ie, the tights) or different shades of blacks (people might think that last sentence is an oxymoron, but it's not. Kohl black is completely different to something more sheer). I think my affinity to black comes not only from being on the chunky side, but also from living in Dunedin for 4 years. That whole city wears black to DEATH.

I also got a really cute blue sequinned quasi-blazer from Jeanswest. It's pretty Balmain on a budget... No, of course it does not compare to the genius of Christopher Decarnin, but with an additional 40% off the sale price (meaning about $100 off the original price) I'm not going to be too fussy. The cut of it is actually pretty good, as is the fabric; here's hoping the quality of the stitching holds up too. I think it'll look really cute with all of the afore-mentioned LBD's for a night on the town, and might even work with the new black dress to party up an otherwise staid office outfit.

All in all, it was a good day to be Alana's wardrobe, but not such a good day to be Alana's bank balance. Oh well... I know which I would rather have more of!! I guess that's a sign I really am a slave to clothing.

2010.

Right. 2010.
I've never really been a big resolutions fan - I'm quite aware of how fickle I can be. I'm literally the definition of an Aquarius - I start something, and rarely finish it. I change my mind constantly. But my love of fashion is something that has been with me basically for as long as I can remember - and so has my love of writing. I think I did a post last summer about my resolutions for 2010, which are basically the same this year. It's all about self improvement: I just want to be myself, and not worry about what other people think or whether I might fail at something or worry about trying to please everybody. 2010 really is a fresh start for me and I want to keep on keepin' on with my 2009 resolution, which while not entirely fulfilled has made a nice little start.

So... since it has been a long, long time since I last wrote I better do an update. Don't you just hate these pointless update posts? Probably nobody reads them but it will save me trying to explain things later. But my old laptop has been packing a sad since about June (and I'm not even exaggerating. It has been a NIGHTMARE) so I haven't spent a lot of time writing anything except rubbishy essays and random facebook status updates. But now, I pledge, I will use my time wisely and update my baby blog.
Here is the major news of my life for the past year.

1. I graduated. Finally! On December 16 it became official; I became part of the University of Otago alumni, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Studies. Very exciting stuff. I celebrated by making my Dad pay for a rather delicious, but rather expensive, celebratory dinner of scampi. Scampi, for those unfortunate souls out there who have never experienced the sheer joy of it, is probably the most delicious thing to come out of the sea. No kidding. It is melt in your mouth, seafood heaven. I have only had it twice in my entire life, because of its rarity and it's price tag. This stuff is the Hermes bag of seafood. I'm getting peckish thinking about it again. On to the next thing.

2. Even though I've graduated, I'm not done with the scholarly thing yet. I got a Fairfax internship/scholarship award - Fairfax, one of the biggest newspaper and magazine publishing companies in Australasia, pay for my journalism course fees for a year and then I am bonded to work for them for two years. Massive opportunity. So I am off to the small seaside town of Timaru at the end of the month, where I'll start my course. Expect a lot of posts for me the first couple weeks, as I do not know a soul up there and will probably be a bit of a recluse until I come out of my shell and make some friends.

3. I've started drifting away from my main group of friends. At first that realisation made me pretty sad, but then I decided to see it as an opportunity. I have always secretly wished I had a group of friends more like myself - I don't think I could have taken much more walking on eggshells, knowing that the people I hung around with were more conservative at their core than I really like. Your friends should make you happy, and feeling left out and isolated wasn't making me happy. I have been spending more time with people who have been only accquantinces in the past, and it has made me realise that I can fit in other places, if only I had the courage to put myself out there. Sad knowing that my group of friends, with whom I have spent so much time, have moved on together with their lives, sans me. But c'est la vie.

4. I am finally one half of a couple. Yes that's right, after all of my moaning about my crappy loveless life, I have finally settled with a boy who was under my nose all along. His name is Mark. We've been friends for a long time, and even flatted together in 08. At the risk of sounding really banal, we really really connect with each other - we both feel we can tell each other anything. We have had a couple bumps (one major one in particular, which is ALL my fault. I'm lucky he managed to forgive my stupidity, because I don't know I would have been strong enough to do so if the shoe was on the other foot) but things are generally really great. We've been together since the end of May, and I am blissfully happy.

5. I have started work at the Southland Times, the provincial newspaper of Southland. My Dad's the news editor, so it's not wholly unfamiliar territory, but the reporters room sure was. It was absolutely daunting: I haven't had any training, but I was being asked to go out and about and interview people and act like I knew what I was doing! It was terrifying but I'm happy how it's turned out. I've been here since November I think, and I've even had a few front pages! People have been very complimentary, giving my ego a much needed boost, apart from one douchebag who left a nasty comment on one of my stories on the Stuff website this morning. But if you've got dirt on your shoulder, you have to brush it off, right Jay-Z? Blech, that should probably be the only hip hop reference I make in this blog EVER.

So, in a nutshell, those were the exciting things that happened to me in 2009. Maybe they don't sound like much to the average reader, but to me they mean a whole lot. Hopefully 2010 keeps me going in the direction I started heading in in 09. And I guess that's where I'll end it for today...
I promise the next post will be something fashion related. Probably a 'I want this-this-and-this' post. Even though I have money, I am trying trying TRYING to be sensible and save as much as I can. I did blow last week's pay on a set of ghd's though, but hair is a different story.. New laptop is required for my course, as is money to live on. But a girl can dream, right?

Peace out kids.

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!