Blue

Something that takes me by surprise countless times is the use of blue in punk clothing and outfits and how well it works as a constituent shade of darkness. Once I at least sort out my funds of what will be spent on fun things and what must be saved, I will either buy a wonderful handbag that will serve me for years to come or I will be in the mood to finally buy a pair of creepers. I would probably be a little more enthused to buy some creepers once my leggings from Wowch come in the mail but for now I have my mind set on a good studded, black leather handbag. I'm also thinking of injecting some more blue into my wardrobe by wearing clear shoes with blue socks and denim shirts, but it looks like I'll need to make me mind up and prioritise- I can't possibly buy all the lovely items my heart desires at this moment in time.

Sometime last year (possibly even in 2010) Oyster Magazine featured a striking image of a girl with heavy black front fringe and a  gold-metal studded leather jacket- I thought it looked like heaven on Earth. An icier and cooler reincarnation of the same jacket has once again blesses us this time with silver studs and chic blue hair. I'd love to be able to stud things myself but I have seen far too many sub-par studded jackets and would prefer it be done right and with medical precision. I don't own a leather jacket myself and while they're not on trend prolifically at the moment I wouldn't mind having something with biker gang toughness to wear over my sweaters for university. It just feels so good being punk.

At this very instant I am watching David Attenborough's documentary on bears which features our friend the polar bear. I feel horrible and worn it today and a little blue myself- I think lethargic would be the best word since I've started my holiday for Mid-Semester break and need to revise over all the biology lectures, something which I'm struggling with. Were it not for the fact that I am such an over-achiever and I pride myself on my grades, I would love to curl up in bed with the laptop and watch Japanese movies and blog all day. This is but a simple reprieve from my busy study schedule in order to make time later in the week to relax- when I'll really need the rest and relaxation.

Another wonderful result of my rest from attending lectures is that I allowed my self ample time to scope out Tumblr and collect a few more photographs and images together and explore the Olympia Le-Tan blog. In the online world is a refuge of Japanese and mysticism, something I've been in dire need of for some number of weeks. The next week will be spent refueling my spiritual tanks and getting inspired once again to write and also commentate on collections. There's a great variety of new collections on Solestruck and other 2012 runway shows I can't wait to share with all of you.

My last holidays were spent in the company of aromatic, scented candles of Cherry Blossom and a near-obsession with fire and flames. While I don't attempt to spend my time again in such insidious conditions and with dark auroras abound, I wouldn't mind using them to spark a mood of romanticism- were it not for the fact my family will be home for the entirety of my break. It looks like I'll be faithfully enjoying the company of my new laptop and interactions with the keyboard instead...

While my father would be both abhorred and scarred by the image of such a beauty with blue hair, I love the modern and fresh take on models. I watch Britain's Top Model on and off when I can (the only region where I can tolerate their accents and challenges) and was delighted when a contestant for the show, Anastasia, received a makeover of pink hair. Whether you opt for luscious pink looks or something a little more close to the heart of the ice queen, I am certain that for a moment you will capture strangers' attention. With a great variety of streaking shades and colours that branch out from the scalp and culminate over tantalising bare breasts, I love the new and artistic nature fashion has been heading towards as of late.

I'm already looking forward to studying abroad and I think my mind has been swayed to either visit Japan for three weeks with my mother or study there as part of student exchange. I caught up with all the recent activity of my favourite Parisian designer who had been to visit the Miyazaki museum, feeding my own childish love of manga and the zoo as well as other adorable photos. I can't wait to press my ugly nose up to airplane windows as I touch down into foreign lands again and to go mental with disposable cameras to cement my aspirations, hopes and dreams within a strange city. There's inky black skies and flickers and streamers of light to look forward to on my own when I get out there into the big bad world.

While I had been keen to go on night time adventures in parks and finally engage in wild youth-filled exuberance I'm struggling to stay up at night due to me early morning routine and will probably hang around the house for the next few days over Easter. You often picture what your life is going to be, and plan what you want to become and no matter how much you want something within a single instance, by the time you get to what you plan for, you don't want it anymore. It's enough to make you blue when your mother wants your brother to buy his own house and he's playing video games starring batman instead.

 

I rather badly wanted to make today productive and do work and get on top of my study and feel an aching sense of tiredness, intermingling with accomplishment. I made a small dent into the lectures I need to review, watched an absolutely inspiring video of Tavi Gevinson's room and interview about her journey in fashion blogging and fragmented outfits and am now listening to covers of Lana Del Rey. Strong women and being strong myself usually cheers me up but I could kill for a coffee right about now... were it not for the fact it's nine o'clock at night. I hope everyone is having a cheery Easter.

 

Satanic Rituals

I know I'm meant to be seeing the new Star Wars movie in 3D which will be good for my social life, but I went out yesterday and I am quite tempted and content just to spend the day in my home, alone and writing up articles on my blog. It seems next week will be a frenzy of activity as well so I want to enjoy the last few days of holiday as well as computer trolling while I can, but maybe I would enjoy myself by coming out with the girls and doing something enjoyable. Do I begin to ease myself into a busy and social schedule once more with people and in situations I'm familiar with or do I go out with a fight and resist the social future by hiding in my cave behind a computer screen all day? I know I prefer the no-mess and little work needed to maintain my appearance in private... but I really should go out again today since I have work tomorrow and I'll earn the money back anyway.

I've put together a little collage of satanic and creepy photographs and I think the saddest thing about this one and it's caption is the hopelessness of the situation and lack of faith in the human race. I was very much once so drowned in the anguish and dim-reality of depression and despised everyone around me. I radiated heat and felt it at the back of my throat trying to rush out my mouth at times when I was angry and upset. I'm quite glad that's all behind me now.

The largest rituals I would be willing to perform are those which involve feeding a black cat and possibly collecting rosaries- but never in my life would I dream of reattaching them inverted and make a mockery of their symbolism. Shown upside down and above, Jesus on the cross held by a black cat with big golden eyes filled with big black pupils may seem foreboding for those that are the religious type, but I'm afraid for someone of my upbringing it's fairly mundane.

As well as the odd satanic rituals, there's just good old images which evoke the 1960s such as floral wreaths and long blond hair being shaken about in the wind. My childhood lacked a religious and spiritual outlet but that never really bothered my before- in America the Australians were met with the Christian culture shock as well as some who attended church with their host families. I could have been one of those lucky few, but luckily they chose to attend the children's soccer game instead. That was the temple and the prayers and songs were replaced with the helpful but intimidating banter of an Angry Soccer Mom.

I would make a terrible candidate for satanic rituals and being sacrificed in the name of some god- for one thing I can imagine the whole ordeal being very cold and impersonal and I get self-conscious easily. I can't sleep without any clothes on unless I've taken refuge under the covers and wrapped myself in a neat little cocoon of blankets. The candles and crosses would be a nice touch for scenery but I'm afraid my days of burning candles obsessively, tending to the flame and wax levels are over. I think I may develop an unhealthy and costly obsession if I decide to buy another one...

I prefer to think of myself as the hapless victim dressed in white dress, lying on a beach somewhere and becoming victimised by my 'saviours' trying to work off a thousand year old debt. Fortunately I'm not in a movie, don't wear white if I can help it and also don't own a pair of thigh high stockings to tease the boys. It's not stocking weather yet anyway and so I usually prefer black when it boils down to giving my legs a little extra warmth and layers to protect them from the cold. White is just such a naughty nurse stocking colour to wear... not very classy these days.

Although there are many colourful and delightful clubs to join at my university as well as volunteering positions it seems that none of them include chanting in a pentagram, surrounded by colourful wisps of incense, droning in an ancient language without any clothes. I wonder if the photograph above was staged or indeed if some hapless art student stumbled across this scene in his local park and decided to get a snap of it. I would predict staged though, the angle of the scene is above, indicating the use of a tree branch or step ladder to elevate one's position from the ground and create an angle for the photograph.

Strangeness and Charm

What could be more relaxing than chilling out in some of my comfiest clothes and looking at inspiring images? Maybe if I had a little Florence and the Machine playing in the background or even a good cup of tea next to my hand to sip on occasion. Today I'm trying to avoid the 'idiot box' otherwise known as the television as much as possible today and purely focus on reading as well as writing in preparation for a cooler and more alternative live full of skull candles as well as hexagonal healing crystals and kooky framed pictures.

Egyptians: the largest and most prosperous race of hipsters known to mane who constructed large monolithic pyramids in a homage to their kings and their alphabet being comprised of pictures rather than characters. I'd love to travel to Egypt one day for a photography expedition of my own but there's so much turmoil in that area of the world I would never be allowed to go with my parents and I'm not sure how any partner I could be with in the future would be keen to be my own personal bodyguard.

New Zealand fashion label Twenty-Seven Names has this sort of charm about their photo shoots and model presentations, I especially love the clunky brown lace-up shoes with white socks and dainty long hair. Although the picture below is just a side profile of all the models staring at one professional camera, this unique photograph from the side makes the braids from the front of the crown all the more evident. It's like stumbling across a friendly cult of beautiful women with delicate dress sense is pastel tones.

Although there is no need at my age to walk in pairs of two and hold hands when roaming the streets with a group of girlfriends, I think it would be nice to belong to one of those notoriously bitchy cliques and dress similarly while walking around together, prowling the streets for fashionable shops in a tight pack. Unfortunately, this universe only exists in the world of magazines and there is no such place where brightly coloured shoes and wedges are worn while carrying vintage school girl satchels. I'll just have to be my own one-man fashion team and dress alone and brave the world without equally fashionable friends.

Maybe I would be better off dressing in a quirky hat bonnet and jumping out of windows than searching high and low of my fashion equals... yes sir, sure is lonely at the top but somehow I know I'll manage easily by myself. I'm sure that without events and parties to dress up for and attend my life will be better spent at home enjoying the comfort of a good book as well as commenting on beautiful photographs starring equally gorgeous people instead.

A strange curiosity I would like to collect one day is my own little cat and photograph them doing all manor of strange things but until I move out of my parents house, it appears I will be without furry companionship but on the plus side I don't need to worry about claws and sharing my bed. I can imagine it now, sitting amongst my desk of collectables including rosaries and candles shaped in skulls as well as hexagonal crystals. Ah, to be young and a being of magical powers.

An oddity I'm becoming a little more in love with is vintage nightgowns- they're like gorgeous thin dresses full of alluring frills and lace in single block colours. I imagine the two girls sharing a tender and romantic moment above are wearing the same sort of clothing but with frilly socks and loafers. If there were a little more modesty about the material of night gowns then you can be almost guaranteed I'd try to wear such a thing to university- or at least for fancy dress parties.

If I was any sort of master, or even novice when it came to the practiced and time-honoured approach of applying make-up I would love to have this shimmery grey eyeshadow swallow up my eyes. It's made all the more powerful with stone black eyes (a quality I am told I possess every once in a while) as well as small and prim, pouted lips and long silvery and dishevelled looking hair. The black cat is a cute touch to this sheer blouse and tassel scarf approach. It's a shame I don't have a paler complexion to get away with wearing black more often.

A strange and even more strangely becoming look is the popularisation of unusual bottled hair colours; my favourite being pastel shades of pink, purple and green. I usually make promises of one day dip-dyeing my hair when I become brave and full hardy but it appears I'm all art and no matter- that is, I'll never really go through with it. I love my hair the way it is and the trend is just so old now- there's also the damage from the last time I had streaks evident in my hair since some strands are left dry and brittle. It'll be a while before I ever reach for that bottle again.

Skull Candles

 

My mother forbids me from burning candles in my room, complaining that it's too messy but since I've removed all the paper litter and she works during the day I spend a lot of me time either on the computer with a scented candle burning a few metres away or cleaning my room with it burning. Two years ago or maybe even three I received a large green tea candle and had it displayed on my side of the bathroom vanity and then it mysteriously vanished- I fear that my mother threw it out on my behalf and without my permission. It's a shame really, I've almost burnt out the last of my candles and need some more but maybe I can get myself a large decorative candle in the shape of a skull on my next trip out to the shops.

 

Since I don't want to frighten the few guests I do welcome into my house, perhaps I should get a skull candle in a bright and bold colour with a wicked and mad grin on his bony face? Online store Pretty Dog based in Australia sell the large pink skull and small black set of skulls for $70 Australian and $58 respectively. They also sold the fluorescent yellow skull as well as an impressive wax candle bust of a Victorian woman but those both seem to have sold out. What a shame.

Although I do like the dramatic effect of a large skull in a wild and bright colour, for my needs smaller skulls may be just what the doctor ordered. I have a small dish to burn candles on and collect oozing wax effectively but it may not be practical when burning a large and ornamental candle, if you are indeed meant to burn them at all. Collecting dripping wax underneath a beautifully carved candle by using newspaper doesn't seem fitting at all and would diminish the beauty of the object.

Normally I prefer my skull candles to be plain and as close to the design and contours of a real human skull, but I do like the coiling of the snake around this wax skull in black. It reminds me a lot of the designs for Meadowlark jewellery which is a New Zealand based label, so the combination of deep set empty eye sockets as well as temples and a black snake with shimmering skulls seems very fitting. It would look good on top of a small coffee table with a doily underneath, for ironic and dramatic effect.

 

I can only imagine the sort of havoc I would try to reap on the world with a skull candle in my possession. For starters I would probably also try and find a large Victorian looking collar and dress up as either William Shakespeare with a tiny mustache and a single hoop earring, clasping it in my hand with the other placed firmly on my heart. Then I would make a large speech bubble out of cardboard and write 'Alas Poor Yorick, I knew him well.' I have been studying Shakespeare firmly since Year 10 and received an A on my essay about Hamlet so I think I have earned the right to mock him just a little bit. Of course I would have to do it kindly and tastefully as well.