Dainty

Slowly in just a few hours there will be the culmination of romantic tension as well as many advertisements bombarded to consumers in order to cheesy and floral trinkets, poesies and sonnets. My brain has been awash with all sorts of amorous ideas about architecture as well as structured clothing, bright and brilliant patterns and my favourite Yves Saint Laurent Art ring with pink stone. It's hard not to get wrapped up in the emotion of a holiday with gravity and retail appeal but I know I really shouldn't- I'm just lucky I've been collecting photographs of idyllic scenes and settings instead on my hard drive.

Being the most wonderful person I've met in my life, my beau has promised to deliver some roses to my tomorrow on St. Valentine's Day because it's to be expected and I asked in an indirect fashion. There's something softly spoken about the gesture of giving roses to a girl on this special day, February fourteenth as well as her birthday. I suppose I'm just rather lucky to have someone special in my life that cares about me and is willing to spend time with me.

As a passionate gesture for my boyfriend I wouldn't mind performing such a feat for my lovely beau in return- long have I been a fan of the photographic but never sought to bare all in such a manner. I may not have the delicate porcelain complexion but I have gorgeous dark brown hair that may lend it self well to the budding and white blossoms of Spring. Ah if only it were not for the improper use of such suggestive photographs of the Internet and the way they can destory a person's reputation...

One day I will have wonderful and dainty upholstered leather couches in the middle of magnificent sitting rooms dedicated to reading and the learned arts as well as creative endeavours. That is if I ever curve my love for shopping online and persuade myself to be frugal and make smarter financial decisions such as working more often and harder as well as selling the occasional lost treasure online for a bit of spare cash. I will lord over my spouse and choose the the furniture with little regard for what they have to say as well as create a studio space of at all available for fashion blogging complete with iPad and typing station... in my dreams.

I wish I could stop being such a dainty girl and get my hands dirty once more, scrape and bruise my knees in rough and tumble sports and once again explain my injuries with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. What could possibly look better than turning up to a fashion or runway even than having scabby or bruised knobbly knees? At the moment I'm also sporting a rather attractive band aid on my calf, acquired from a missing chunk of skin I assume to be hanging on to my razor blade. Even in my dull life of little activity I manage to do some serious harm to myself- I really shouldn't buy a plastic skateboard and try to take that up as well. It will only end in tears and more injuries but this time to my pretty face.

I already stare at my reflection enough as it is and it would be a horrible idea to acquire a vintage and silver framed wall mirror but one day I'll watch myself grow old in it's reflection and remember what it was like to be without the white hair, hair coming out of my ears as well as wrinkles. It's all about the gorgeous and ornamental baroque style frame even if I had to paint over it in a garish colour such as lilac or baby pink I think I would be content with it gracing my walls but still afraid of the whole thing collapsing on its own weight and acquiring another seven years of bad luck.

Dainty and yet modern with twenty-first century flair and grace comes matching shirts in wild and digital prints and matching but slightly garish blue lipstick. This look would be nothing without the soft wisps of fair hair and the pale complexion of the model dressed in such a manner, although styling is an important aspect of fashion once must also consider what you look like and how best to accentuate your own personal and individual personality.

Whenever my mother watches those period pieces based on old books such as 'Jane Eyre' and 'Pride and Prejudice' there are these fantastic buildings with well kept and groomed grounds surrounding them, lace dresses that reach the floor and tight bodices as well as spectacular interior decorating. I think I could be completely content and happy for an afternoon if I had a large pair of lace curtains to wrap myself in as well as small phonograph in the corner to dance around with and fantasise the entire day.

I've excepted that I don't need fair skin and blond hair to be dainty thanks to my hero and style icon Alexa Chung- she's one of the most graceful and skinniest things I've ever clapped eyes on but her Asian heritage reassures me too that you can be perfectly beautiful and reach your potential without having blue eyes and blond hair. Although with that said, a well groomed routine and vintage frill neck collars certainly don't go astray for maintaining a girls image in these areas though I can tell that much.

I hope one day to hold a kitty in my arms with the perfect little pink nose and masses of fur everywhere and have it follow me around- only then will I feel a sense of cosmic fulfillment and empowerment over refined and aristocratic creatures. Perhaps being dainty and empowered with chic flair isn't about the way you look but is rather a state of mind you can channel should you be ready mentally and with the right tools and knowledge.

Prissy

All the emails I've been receiving from online stores and shopping centres alike about their Valentine's Day selection must be leaking into my brain, it's either that or my inner romantic is finally unleashing itself in a spectacular fashion-fulled frenzy. I've been enjoying a lot of pink as well as floral as of late to admire and the pink glass stone of my Yves Saint Laurent Arty Ring which I had intended to throw back on eBay but I'm such a softie I don't think I have the heart to do it. If I am lucky enough to receive roses on Valentine's Day then I'll have to do a photo shoot holding my bouquet as well as sporting the large stone over my knuckle.

It seems that when I think of those effortlessly feminine heroines of mine, they all involve tall skinny legs that go on for miles and are decorated with utterly adorable and kittenish flats. I know I should be pleased to work in a job where I get to exercise and run up and down rather than stand fixed in one stop but I would love to get rid of all the muscle in my legs and just have them skinny for once in my life.

While I've been working hard and slaving away on a hot whistle it's been nice to think about all the things I'll treat myself to when I save the money and also staring at my treasures recently bought that I need to compensate for. One day when I move out I'll get many scented candles as well as some healing crystals for decoration to put at the top of my desk or maybe in front of the window as a little mystique reminder of who I am and what I loved as a child. Although I study within the discipline of science I can't possibly turn my back on the folklore of magic and pixies I was raised on.

I always wanted and lusted after a pink tulle dress with gorgeous little sequined detail but alas my mother had other ideas and chose black instead. My Year 12 formal dress had a nice sequin and scalloped effect at the top but it was the pink counterpart I was really after. It doesn't matter how much black one wears, the amount of Vans and jeans worn day in and day out, a girl will always for one lingering moment long to be a pretty princess on the biggest formal and social occasion of her school life. Her wedding night is the crowning moment of all these dreams, although I dare say one can't wear a faintly pink dress on that day of days, in a sort of bargain and trade tiaras however, are acceptable.

I'm afraid that no one has flowers on the brain more than I do at the moment, in a few hours I'll get to chat online with my beau about our plans for Valentine's Day as well as speculate the colour of roses he'll be getting me. Although it would appear that I still have a long way to go until these flowery thoughts engulf me entire state of being and I'm nothing more than a gorgeous body in a frilly cocktail dress and a dainty floral arrangement. It's been a long time since I last received flowers so I'm a little excited to see what he'll pick out as well as shoot a little bit of playful photography inspired by the mood of the day.

If I could I would be surrounded by a garden of pink- the grass would betall and soaked with a tinge of orange and pink like a spectacular sunset and fed and watered on a diet of pink water. The contrast with the sky whether it be pitch black, sky blue or sullen and overcast would always brighten up the mood of the day and I would be without a male companion of any kind if I did live in such a manner. I guess I'll have to make do with natural pink things such as flowers and possibly even vintage My Little Pony figurines bought online as well.

I love the hidden potential of the pink tulle and it's sheeny sparkle in this photograph as well as the gorgeous girl holding it- given the right hands, creativity as well as a stable sewing machine and one could spin a dress that dreams built. I myself have always been better at wrapping myself in material and falling in love with my own reflection than making my daydreams and wishes a reality. Even with limited amount of a material a small pill box hat could be made in preparation for something such as large horse racing events or maybe just your local vintage club having a get-together.

I'd love to having creeping streaks of soft lilac and lavender in my hair, if I can't have dip dye (which has fallen out of Vogue I feel) then this effect of soft streaks and stronger colour at the bottom of the ends is quite becoming and contrasts a natural tone with pink and purple. I've been longing to have dip dye in my hair for a while and also been fighting myself on the matter since my experiences with hair dye have always been regrettable but maybe I could buy the dye myself, ask for peroxide and bring a photograph like this to instruct and coach the hairdresser on. There's still the small matter of upsetting my much beloved boyfriend if I were to do something as childish and outrageous as having purple and pink in my hair but realistically, when else will I get away with such a stunt?

To style the mannequins for a second hand shop would be a wondrous and most splendid thing considering all the possible outfits and avenues one can explore. The contrast of the Metallica shirt supporting their album 'Master of Puppets' as well as the washed out denim jacket, lace gathered skirt and doily collar at the neck is perfect. I want to personally congratulate the person who set up this outfit and give them a gold star and take them out to lunch as well discussing the dichotomy between hard rock and grunge as well as soft tea party motifs and Marie Antoinette.

I would love to live in a grand old house with creaky wooden stairs, spiral motifs and a second story but I think houses like this only exist in America in rich suburban areas. Curious that the placement of the flower has hidden the face of, what I assume to be the happily married couple- maybe a conscious decision to allow the viewer to live through this imaginary and fantasy world of grand designs. Although I do love to buy many beautiful pieces of jewellery and clothing, I can't help but think of saving for a gorgeous house- the ultimate statement of luxury and decadence really. Filling that house with beautiful items and clothes is secondary in my daydreams of adulthood.

All the Beautiful Flowers

I'm in one of the most wonderful romantic moods but I'm also zonked out after sleeping-in today past noon. I've spent the day gathering research and hand-writing notes on a brand, putting together images of Alexa Chung and reading a soppy love story from the library. Another thing I dedicated today to was organising pictures of flowers and arranging my own fake ones that are gifts from my boyfriend. While this is probably just one of my wild moods brought about from a hormonal imbalance I hope it stays; I quite like organising space in my room for an armchair, looking at photographs of pretty flowers and chasing up a pink Yves Saint Laurent arty ovale ring.

About twice a year a line of rose bushes along the back of my garden light up in full bloom and give off a frenzy of budding flowers, it's about as wild and numerous as the roses pictured here but there's less of a red tinge to the pink and the petals are a brighter and hotter shade of pink. Unfortunately since plants are lacking in intelligence they just don't know when to stop and keep growing until they fall over due to their own weight. At one point of the year a few of out best roses were crushed into the ground by the heavy weight of rain and gravity. A real pity. 

Even if my romantic and flower-loving hippy mood dissipate I would still like to make my way to the annual flower show in my city and visit it with my mother and a good SLR film camera in hand. I remember last year when I burned with agony at the invitation from my mother and had to turn down the opportunity due to the amount of study I had to do to keep up with my subjects but this year I am free to do as a I please as long as I keep up with university study which should be a lighter load in comparison.

I love the dreamy purple tinge to the photograph created undoubtedly by the low light and mystery of a camera lens- I wish I could return to final year celebrations with my friends. In Australia it's somewhat tradition to head off for a week or two after finishing exams on what is known as 'schoolies' and drink plenty and head down to the beach. With our collective and emptied bottles of drink I would have loved to find some gorgeous flowers to sink them into just as someone else has done before me.

I'm in desperate need of floral skirts and more vintage or vintage looking pieces within my wardrobe, but before that takes place I really should sell the unnecessary items in my room to make space and money for new things. If I could, pulling together a garage sale would be ideal but eBay will have to do and this way I don't have to deal with haggling and much human interaction. To be fair, my yard and driveway would not make the ideal setting for such a sale anyway.

The filtered effect of this photograph is subtle, but with the darkening edges of the image as well as what looks like gentle distortion I would say a toy camera with maybe a fisheye lens has been used or something that vignettes at the corners such as a Diana of Holga camera. I quite like the combination of pink and red tinged flowers and purple as well. I wish I could be bothered finding an ideal spot for flowers to grow in my yard but goodness knows that I am more interested in flowers I can look at in photographed and film form.

An interior decorating idea I'm currently toying with at the moment is buying a small square of fake grass but instead of using it as a rough rug I could place some small potted flowers and species of cactus with a little piece of outdoor furniture like a patio chair or a beach chair. My father was a great fan of gardening but he doesn't seem to quite have the energy for it anymore and when I played basketball he would always volunteer to drive me to games and watch on a Saturday. One of the things I guess I can look forward to when I'm an adult and own my own home is looking after plants and enjoying beautiful flowers.

I'd love to have one of these trees in my own garden- some of my favourite and more artistic film camera shots have come from photographing the flowers and the blue sky of this tree. Everyday from walking home from school I would pass a neighbour's house and in their front yard was one of these trees and its seasonal cycle is quite different from many other trees- there's little growth in Winter and bare looking spindly branches and a sudden explosion of petals and flowers and what follows that is new growth. I would love to be able to have one of these trees in my garden, especially if I live to be a little old lady.

Nothing makes me feel more in touch with nature than cruelly ripping a flower from a nearby tree or bush and pushing the sprig behind my ear and in my hair. Flowers are on of the more traditional affluent symbols which have been incorporated into design for years and years but with so many different species the possibilities are endless and they will never truly tire.

Seeing Red

After walking around my local area for about six hours, getting light sunburn on my cheeks and waking up with a horrible searing pain on my shoulders I have resolved never to deliver catalogues again. Though it was good for the fitness, it's not worth all the repercussions. I may just hand in my resume all over the local shopping centres and try my hand at that rather than intense manual labour. And the whole ordeal stemmed from me wanting a little more cash on the side to buy nice things. I guess being money-hungry and just plain greedy can turn you in to a bit of a monster.

In my defence I need to save what money I can before my term deposit matures and also there's a range of book bags I want to buy at the store I work out- they look just like the penguin classic book covers in simple horizontal colour blocking design and they come in purple, green, orange and pink. I want them all! There's also luggage tags to buy, iPhone covers and a whole bunch of goodies I'm planning on making a part of my 'back to school' stationary shopping.

 

While there are several rose bushes and climbers hanging around my house we have never really grown this cheery bright red colour. There's been bright pink, pale yellows, pale yellow with tints of pink at the edges as well as a single dark, deep blood red rose. But I quite like this cheery red colour, a symbol of a high romance- I wish we had roses like this around my garden. Then again I may just be going through a large phase with bright red, I can think of a red bag I want as well as a vintage quilted jumper to match. I've really just got red on the brain.

Another proof of my current madness and love for red is the effort I went to adopt a chair abandoned early for hard rubbish collection- it took a blue lifting trolley and careful balancing to fit the rather large chair onto the bottom and walking down two streets earning myself curious looks to put it away safely in the garage. Unfortunately today it's raining and I suspect there will be some mud on the bottom, the garage has a tendency to flood a lot these days. Still, at least I didn't leave it out about and in the open. It's the kind of chair I've been thinking of buying with a large wing back at the top and an upholstered look. It's only red vinyl and ripped in quite a few places but it also reclines so I'm happy.

I love the drama of red and the holiday spirit associated with it as we are know left in the wake of Christmas 2011, which has left us behind. A colour for boys and girls and I have tried to combine the best of the two together; for example the second photograph of the red lion sweater is a mens sweatshirt but I'm itching to try and get my hands on it for myself. I find great comfort in wearing baggy and loose red jumpers- my Literature teacher once advised me that when one is sick, one tries to cheer oneself up by wearing red. This held true for me when I was sick for about the first time in five years and wore a red jumper I favour quite a lot on my trip to the doctor.

I don't even care that it might be a wig- I love the colour coordination of all red clothing with blue hair lying against a red and blue rug. It's a very healthy and homely look and I wouldn't mind getting a rug for my room when I find the room and the time to rearrange everything. I have the perfect rug in mind- it has a moon on if and it's from Urban Outfitters but it is quite expensive and well- it would be nice to have the space waiting for it before I order it. Otherwise if it's just sitting around and waiting to be used it's a waste really.

Tomorrow I get to catch up with all my high school girls and watch Disney movies and eat garbage junk food! I'm quite excited, I've been really slack and haven't seen anyone since schoolies and it's been even longer since I've seen my closest friend. Luckily everyone else has been much the same and this is our first major gathering I guess since study scores were released and it's the Thursday before our University offers come out on Monday. I expect to hear some lovely gossip and see everyone giddy with excitement. The friend's house we're going to is tripped out with a home cinema, heaps of beanbags and pet ferrets! It will be a very good day indeed.

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of an American Apparel blouse in white and a resin necklace I bought on eBay- you may remember my post about the brand 'This is Make Believe'? Well within just one search I got a red rose necklace for only $60 including shipping. I'm very excited; when it all comes in I'm going to try and have my armchair in my room by then and I'll take photographs of my reading books in it and wearing my red American Apparel cape. So there will be a lot of red around when all that comes to fruition. I could also throw some red lipstick into the mix as well- but I think wearing the blouse and my red rose necklace with lipstick and maybe plain black jeans or slacks would be quite enough colour coordination.