Glee-ful for Emma

For those of you who have caught wind of Glee, you perhaps would have noticed the stylings of Miss Emma Pillsbury, the school guidance councillor. She's a little sweet, a little crazy, and is all over prim- I adore her wears.

Teaming colour matches and blocks, I doubt anyone could just wear what she does. Her coral ensemble may make someone other than Emma look like a giant salmon fillet, though combined with her pale skin and beautiful soft red hair, she matches perfectly.

Emma's accessories are quite experimental compared with her twee look book. Her necklaces often finish her outfits, and by all accounts such as various blogs who document her outfits, they aren't too expensive.

So enjoy Glee, and the extra character that is Emma's clothes. It's sort of exciting seeing what she's going to pull out of the bag every episode.

Perfection

One word: Amazing.

I ♥ this cover.

Natalia Vodianova- UK Vogue- Feb 2010

Nara to my heart

I'm not sure when I came across Yoshitomo Nara, it seemed I always knew the iconic girl in his images. Her snarled eyes and pursed little mouth, wishing your chances away as she stands there so ironically.

 admire the way Nara can create a story in one image, one stare. Why is the little girl angry, why is she sad, or man alive she is awesome at the guitar.

Pop art normally doesn't register with me, although I think Nara's anime and punk influences drive his art more to a universal point, rather than 'I live in a warehouse in New York City and make fabulous art that is ironic'. 

It's simple, it's sweet and his subjects intrigue me. I think the ability to intrigue means that the artist can claim a degree of success.

Artwork 1. Cosmic Girl - Eyes Wide Open

Perception

It's funny how people perceive you, or how hard you desperately try for them to perceive you. You would say one thing, and mean another. You can smile through gritted teeth and be told you were the nicest thing on earth. You could go out of your way, only to be told you've wasted your time and that isn't the way things are done. Is it as easy as Descartes put it in the 17th century, 'I think, therefore I am'?

I know I am here, as Descartes asserts, therefore I must exist...though as I am, or as other people perceive me? Why are there so many faces, do we mould our existence to each person we come across? Are we kind to the friendly neighbour we hardly know, then moody to the partner we're angry at for not putting away the milk? Does this make us several different people in one, or one person with several different personalities? And there is the fine line between sanity and schizophrenia.

How many people actually are true to their own feelings and moods when they interact? If one wakes up in a mood, do they reply when asked how they are, 'I'm feeling horrible today, though thanks for your concern'? Rarely, it's too much effort, and who the hell cares. Interestingly, do we call those people who are dictated by their feelings mentally ill, because they live by their lows, and ride the highs when they come by? It seems so.

So to the issue of perception, coupled with existence. Existing is all about perception. Privately we live as well as we can cope, some better than others. It's when people judge that existence that we want to manipulate their perception and begin to act in a way that may not be true to our feelings.

Remember when...

...you used to tape your favourite movies on your VCR, wearing the tapes thin after endlessly watching them, quoting the lines with the characters?

Here are some of my favourites movies doing the circuit in the 80s.

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985)

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Goonies (1985)

The Parent Trap (1961)

Round 2

Amazing, i've now been in London for a year. As this is my second time around it doesn't feel as significant, though man am I lucky to have had to the opportunity to live abroad.

I've been in and out of Australia since I was 21, hopping around, expanding my repertoire of countries.

Gaining experience, gaining confidence, flying the nest, flying away.
I've seen things, felt things, heard things and tasted things.
I've met people I never would have spoken to.
There are still so many more people to speak to.

Don't worry, we were all scared once.

The passion is in the pudding

What is your porn?

Mine's cookbooks. I love them. I read them, devour them, scan them, would lick them if I could.

I have a number of them, not including ripped out pages of magazines, photocopied pages from borrowed recipe books and handwritten snippets from relatives.

When I read them, I scan the method and visualise it all coming together, resulting in something that not only looks amazing, but tastes worth it.

I cook to relax. I cook to realise tension. I cook for creativity. I cook to eat.

I just love it.

My latest cookbook- awesome

What is your porn?

Twenty-Ten

It seems almost irrelevant, though hoping all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. I'm not huge on this time of year, my family is small and divorced and I tend to see it as lovely, though very minimal. I go to midnight mass, I thank the Big-G for my blessings and I wake up to a lovely meal.

Again with New Year's, it's never been on my radar. I suppose the aforementioned makes me somewhat different, in which I am, though I've never minded, I've never felt like I'm missing out on anything.

I spent Christmas in the North of England; it was exceedingly cold, though exceedingly beautiful. Alas, it was one of our parties first Christmases, so I suppose it was what Christmas should feel like: magical and childlike. I was thoroughly spoilt this year, and I certainly was not expecting to be. DVD boxsets, money, cookbooks and facials at dayspa's, what else could I need?

I've posted a picture of ice in the garden, just before we left on the 22nd. That evening it started to snow quite heavily; it was such a beautiful train ride with what felt like the whole of England coated in snow.

New Year brings about silly and what is most likely, half-hearted endeavours to do/be/act/love something new. For this reason, I don't do resolutions. Instead I choose to see everyday as a new opportunity and change something then and there if need be. Of course, thinking is easier than doing.

The latter half of 2010 will see me leave England and unpack my suitcase in the city I called home until I was 23. February sees me head to New York City. Other plans include Iceland and Morocco. I'm learning to pace myself though, Europe will always be here, I can come back.