A Type of Magic

As a kid I loved mythology and had I spent more time in the ocean rather than being restrained to collecting seashells on the beach, I bet I would have spent my time hunting mermaids. Of course when I use the word 'hunt' I mean luring them in with halves of tuna sandwiches in the hope of sharing deep and meaningful conversations about the universe and the meaning of life. If mermaids were real, then I assume they would be an ancient race with many great gems of wisdom to impart on their land-locked brethren, the human race.

There seems to be many different types of magic, apart from the traditional mythological creatures of unicorns and mermaids. The most modern in my eyes would be photography and the art of applying make-up, used to transform one person into something more magical and alluring such as this face shown above surrounded by pink leaves and flowers. I love the natural look of freckles as well as thick lashed without the clumpy mascara. It seems wonderful the way the leaves match the lips and tongue of this girl who may even represent some sort of mystique forest sprite and a guardian of plants.

I don't believe in the healing properties of hexagonal crystals but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy wearing them around my neck. You can easily detach these little crystals and string them along a range of different silver chain necklaces- I know I have many stored in my little jewellery holder available to mix and match. For a few extra dollars there are more perfected styles in pyramid points as well as small crystal skulls but I think I prefer the more common touch- there's a whole lot of colours available for these healing crystals, my favourite is Lapis Lazuli.

What could be more magical then leaving your old life behind, grabbing a whole bunch of balloons and floating away from all of life's problems such as the nine to five grind and the sole crushing reality of adulthood? I love the dreamy pastel colours of orange, pink, lilac and opaque as well as the brooding head-tilt of the two girls anchoring the mass of balloons. My imagination was taken away by Disney Pixar's 'Up', I was one of the pathetic people to cry because seeing it made me realise how easy it is to let your entire life slip away from you because of the ordinary and taking part in day-to-day routines.

If I had an empty desk space that I felt needed decorating I wouldn't mind filling it with a variety of lucky cat statues with their poised paws and range of colours, but I've also taken a licking to teapots in the shape of elephants. There aren't as many available lucky cat statues on Etsy but there are some lovely good luck charms that can be held in ones hand. I don't really believe in good luck charms anymore, I have the support of my family, friends and boyfriend which I believe to be all the good luck I need but when lucky cats look this good and colourful, it seems I should be scoping out the dusty shelves of Asian green grocers more often.

It's a wonder how some of these images of mermaids are put together- whether it's entirely Photoshop or people in costume as well. One of the girls I used to sit next to in math class was doing mermaids as her focus for art class and she was doing drawings but also had to explore photography a little bit. I've seen the mermaid costumes on the outfit and there is the minor detail of the feet to walk around when in costume but I wonder if there are full fish tails available. Bustiers have been popular in recent years, so they shouldn't be so much of a problem really.

Pink and purple hair reminds me so much of fantasy and unicorns as well as small little figurines of My Little Pony- it doesn't seem to matter whether you're wearing an outfit with colour or all black. Colour seems to adore the company of other clashing colours and patterns seem even brighter and bolder but when wearing all black, you still have the appearance of a sunny disposition and are somewhat kooky and approachable. There's also the small matter of being able to wear black lipstick and looking like a bad-ass punk, or perhaps a shade of soft pastel pink to match your wickedly dyed hair.

I believe the model shown above is Bambi, but it's a little difficult to tell without a proper look at the prim eyebrows hidden under a bandanna adorned in spikes and studs. There's something modern and very twenty-first century gypsy about the bandanna, nose piercing as well as pyramid shaped ring in blue resin. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the works of Elke Kramer or something similar. I personally love pyramid shaped rings as well as hexagonal shaped crystals. There's something satisfying about the regular polygons and shapes as well as the pointed natured of both three-dimensional shapes.

I've always wanted a dream catcher, though I have had the good luck to not be plagued by nightmares and bad dreams. As of late, things have been strange in my subconscious while I sleep but my greater nightmares are faced everyday on the street when meeting new people and at work. I wouldn't mind having a dream catcher clipped above my ear to keep away all the negative and snide comments I hear when at work but I suppose that's a far stretch. I'm sure there's plenty of amazing and colourful dream catchers available at the Camberwell market, as well as on Etsy adorned in feathers, beads and webs in many threaded colours.

This little cat reminds me much of the black cat in 'Kiki's Delivery Service', a popular Anime film from the creative world of Hayao Miyazaki which I really want to buy on DVD or maybe even rent from my university library as soon as I sign up with them. I've seen the movies 'Ponyo', as well as 'Spiritied Away' from the Japanese creative genius and I loved them for their imagination, unusual plot quirks as well as great Anime art. I always feel sad and left out when there's a marathon of all his movies going on when I don't have full access and subscription to the television network.

The most magical pieces I adore at the moment include the range of Olympia Le-Tan book clutches made using brass, Liberty lining on the inside and embroidered detail as well as felt on the front cover. When I settle into doing my university degree and the routine as well as workload I may one day enroll in a course outside my own institute for textiles as well as fashion design perhaps. It's nothing more than a hobby to me and I think I would enjoy keeping up to date with fashion and like-minded people in this field.

I spent most of my money on my black Yves Saint Laurent ring (very much worth it though!) and I'll be waiting for a little while until I can get my rolls of film developed. I'm sure when I see the old nostalgic images of my final week of school and celebrations I'll fall back into my routine of carrying a camera around in my pocket and maybe having cheap disposable cameras with me as well. I should stock up on as much as Kodak as I can since they are sadly going bankrupt after the digital age has revolutionised the world of photography.

I love the use of two photographs used together in a mirror image- there's something cheap but satisfying about the appeal, just like eating greasy fast food. I love the psychedelic colours of this shirt all melted together that match her hair and front fringe- that seems really magical. I wonder if Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever had hipsters and girls with multi-coloured hair attend their fine institute.

I actually can't wait for university orientation to start and to finally join 'Monash Muggles', a club dedicated to the reading as well as viewing of Harry Potter movies including trivia and dressing up. I wonder how much of the classes at Hogwarts were dedicated to using crystals... probably mainly Professor Trelawney's Divination since she used crystal balls, tea leaves and other methods to predict the future. There are people out there that believe in the power of crystals and that they have an influence over human behaviour but I mainly adore them over their colours and shard-like shapes.

No matter how hard I try I can never find anything as mystical looking and spectacular as this aquamarine coloured piece of crystal quartz coated in gold plate. I know the chemical process of gold plating but it's all very complicated when using electricity and what's known as electrolysis- I wonder what is the stone used for this crystal necklace and whether that's real gold used. It would look wonderful when worn around a plain white sweatshirt with a simple print on it- had I the money and a little less-discipline when it came to buying things I wouldn't mind getting a sweatshirt from Yokoo Gibraan's Etsy store.

You only live once so maybe my life would be spent better experimenting with my hair and making it into wild colours; the thick curls shown in the hair here could almost be mistaken for dreadlocks in its very early stages. I love the variety of colours within this very small section of the rainbow- it's as if each lock of hair has been individually dyed using variation on dye all mixed together on an artists pallet. My mother would personally disown me if I ever had my hair in such a shocking colour buy dip-dyeing means that only the ends are in a shocking colour and they can easily be removed with a simple snip using scissors.

Stationery from Pigeonhole

My association with stationery store Typo has finally taken hold on me and I have the urge to buy some pretty paper, write things by hand again and abandon the computer age. I'm not sure whether it's guilt or me trying to see whether my staff discount is still applicable, but all the same before I meet with a picnic with friends tomorrow I'll head off bright and early tomorrow to buy some lovely book bags as well as a leather satchel if I can make my wallet stretch that far. I'm going to seek out some lovely and thin Exercise books in pretty colours as well to make some hash up scratch books and scrap together my favourite extracts from Vogue.

Another stationery supplier apart from my old store that's located online is something you may already know of; the store that seems to be the source of my paper envy is Pigeonhole Shop and I'm fairly certain I've mentioned before but haven't yet included some of their cute stationery and cards. All of the images have been taken from their website so if you like what you see, jump onto your mouse and get clicking through their website to find some more gorgeous goodies.

This cute little item is simply named 'The Folding Pocket', maybe I'm attracted to the contrast of mint green and dark brown reminding me of chocolate mint ice cream. I'm a little unsure whether the seam along the front which we can see from the photograph opens up and the dimensions of the piece but you could use it as a little pencil case and cram in the essentials. It could even house a very thin and wiry pair of anorexic sunglasses.

The item I'm most interested is the Travel Kit in Bon Voyage; my biggest gripe with this site is the minimal amount of photographs of their products as well as the confusing photographs of their products. It's all very well and good to throw in a few other things that are similar to the product you're selling but if the name of the product is ambiguous you can't really be too sure what you're buying. At $12.50. I'd be happy to shell out the dollars and have something neat to hold on to for when I next travel which should be 2013 to Band in Canada and the Rockies.

As an on-again-off-again hobby photographer I would never turn down a photo album, especially one with such a cute colour scheme and neat illustration. Scoping through the sales items of the online store Pigeonhole has got to be one of my favourite pastimes but I haven't yet ordered anything. I keep trying to save my pennies for something big and spectacular and also reminding myself that I potentially have a 50% discount to my name. As soon as that gives out or I see something that I'm clamouring to get my hands on I bet I'll cave in to these wicked desires.

Cute little illustrations like this are a sobering reminder that my own drawing skills, while looking promising when I was young has turned to shit in recent years. I guess something had to give when I wanted to become a vet over being a cartoonist so while I spent a lot of my time drawing as a child. That's sadly come to an end, but now I rather I now write as opposed to drawing and holding a pencil in my hand. While I do like focusing my attention on a few things at a time, I wish I was a little more of a jack-of-all-trades and hadn't let my artistic side whither and die in high school. For someone who did have a lot of angst and hatred aimed at the world and in every direction, my drawings and everything else sucks.

 

It seems everything chic and kitsch that I like is written in French, including these illustrative cards from Pigeonhole, some Rebound books which are recycled diaries and also books from Olympia Le-Tan! I clearly picked the wrong language to study during high school but it's still not too late for me because I may be able to take a TAFE or adult learning class- I'm sure there are also numerous phrase books for travellers and a book along the lines of 'French for Dummies' or something similar.

Space is the Place

When things get too boring on this tiny little rock of ours, remember there is a whole world outside our atmosphere and in the stars above and that space is the place. While we all can't be blessed with near perfect scores on every single test and being chosen as an astronaut it is possible to be able to read about the celestial in science fiction books as well as the factual. I am lucky enough to live in a home with such large print books as 'Astrology', as well as 'Build your own Telescope' and my personal favourite: 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.'

I love the old 1960s scene of what seems to be clumsy and clunky space suits as well as the Apollo moon lander. One of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who revolves around this time period and how much The Doctor loves the 'cool' astro gear. As part of my study in Year Eleven Physics we were told to learn the names of each moon cycle and it's shadowy picture but with further study involving difficult calculus I can't quite get my head around studying space and galaxies, despite the interesting factual data.

If I had not been deterred by the flaky art teacher that had been bestowed upon my class in Year Eight as well as her overbearing and nasally voice I may have taken a greater interest in drawing and being able to command colour as the illustrator of this piece had done. It would be great to be able to perform water colour as well as mixing shades of purple, blues and reds.

 

This is one of the more gorgeous tattoos I've seen and after having a little chat with my boyfriend's high school friend a tattoo on your back may not hurt as much being more meat on your bone so to speak then say, the top of your foot. I'm wary of coloured tattoos eventually losing their colours so if I was that way inclined something in black shading would be better and the different stages of the moon looks so gorgeous as well as the intricate detail of each crater and it's not just the same design repeated over and over again. In the car we reached the conclusion that tattoos can be art and tasteful but otherwise trashy and this is really something I would love penned on myself... if I was unable to feel any pain and dead on the inside that is.

Lovely Hair

After looking at many different photographs that star girls with artificial colours in their hair, it's nice to get back in touch with nature and look at what's natural and normal to see in someones hair. It's reassuring to see that you don't need to be far-out and wild to be considered beautiful and unique. I guess I sort of feel like I'm settling for something ordinary by embracing natural coloured hair, but I pride myself on the length my hair now has and also the sheen to it. I should really stop using conditioner meant for coloured hair since I outgrew my streaks, but for some reason mum keeps buying it and it makes my hair look shiny and healthy anyway so there's no real problems with it.

I love drawing hair in this vain- it's like the grain of wood full of lines and texture. It's kind of hard to execute but with a little more practice I think I may get the gist of it.For that type of drawing I've found that using a pencil is near-hopeless since it smudges quite easily and don't you dare even think of using something like a highlighter for a job like this. You're better off sticking to using a no-nonsense fine liner to sketch out all the fine lines and details of each strand of hair.

I suppose it's not at all possible that all of that jet black hair within that plait can be real- I think I can almost see pieces sticking out from when one extension ends and another begins. One girl at my old high school (my old school now that I've finally finished) was one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen in real life. She had long hair down to her waist in a dirt blond colour which was more of a becoming and charming honey brown really. Sometimes my friends at lunchtime would complain about the impractical nature of her hair while I'd be sitting quietly, chewing on a sandwich. Quiet with dreamy admiration and hope that my hair would too become as long and pretty as all that. Believe me, it was a sight to see and very impressive.

I must admit, I had the thought in my head that to not dye your hair is boring and you'd be full not to try it- you'd be a Plain Jane really. But none of that assumptive tripe is true since if you have never dyed your hair before then it doesn't make you any less interesting. Likewise, just because you dye your hair doesn't automatically make your personality any better either. It would be nice to have a long set of locks, long and my natural colour. In my opinion it sort of shows your devotion and willingness to stick out that style and that your not flippant, constantly changing your look. Or maybe I'm just being daft again.

Another wonderful thing about masses of natural hair is that when you put it into a bun you get the neatest and most round and full bun you've ever seen. On the rare occasion when I tie up my hair I lose maybe an inch or two of it's actual length when I braid it and my bun is getting nice and bulbous, although I still haven't worked out how to hold it all together without the assistance of a comb.

This is the kind of look I think every girl dreams of waking up to- those curls are so perfect, so luscious and bodied. This is what makes me sad about having straight hair; there's no real texture to it and there's no bounce to it either. I love how the ends seem to taper and wither away, it's a much better look then simply have dry and crackly ends that are screaming to be lopped off by the hair dresser. The black and white editing of the photograph really lets the texture of the hair show, the way it plays with the light and the variation in colour you get. I only got a look similar to this when I had my hair plaited over night, undid it and then went to the beach and splashed in the water. Imagine being gifted with such looks and natural beauty. Some people have all the luck.