Urrggghhh

Oh mah gawd it has been so hot here it's like I've been drunk all week. Also getting drunk on Sunday night didn't help. I can barely think let alone type, and my evenings have consisted of: get home, sit, take of all clothes, sit, crawl to kitchen and sit in front of open fridge, decide on eating Light and Tangy chips and tzatziki, sit, lie down, sit, watch television, gaze longingly at the pile of sewing I want to sew and the drawing I want to do, then leer hatefully at my sweaty hands which inhibit me from doing anything that doesn't involve putting a flannel in a bowl of ice water and then putting that on my face.

Luckily tomorrow I'm jetting over to Wellington for a mini-break, where I can enjoy some decent weather (19 and cloudy? yes please!) and allow my cells a chance to heal.

Be warned now, travel and food pictures impending.

Happy Second Paid Sleep-In Day Of The Year for tomorrow!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday! To celebrate, here's a kitten jumping through hoops!

Have a kitteny weekend!

Six little words

Liberty. Art. Fabrics. New. Season. Prints.

OH GOD

So I check my emails this morning and THIS is just sitting there, tempting me, seducing me, calling to me like the One Ring.

One Ring to rule them all,

One Ring to find them

One Ring to bring them all

And in the darkness bind them

This one's called 'Elevenses'

What's taters, Precious?

Well as you can see, I will be dreaming of Liberty fabrics for weeks. AND how funny that I put on my (one of many) Liberty scarves (Ianthe print, my favourite and oh god it comes in bias binding) this morning. It's meant to be.

All I can say after this is 'hallelujah for international shipping'.

I got the Rich Kids Blues...

I really don't, but I what I do have is that song stuck in my head.

I haven't been doing much worth blogging about this week as I haven't been home much.

On Monday I left Benedict at home all day while I was at work, and nearly chewed off all of my nails worrying about him. I came home to find him asleep and perfectly content without me.

On Tuesday I went to see the new Girl With The Dragon Tattoo movie, which I loved (and will be writing up about on my film blog). I ate a large tub of popcorn and a choc top, and I didn't even get any chocolate on my clothes! Winning!

On Wednesday I went to the Night Market at Vic Markets and played 'Count the Hispters'. This game is usually started by looking for burgundy or mustard jeans; ironic glasses; tanks and perfectly draped scarves; and beanies in the middle of summer. Needless to say we lost count... Obviously because I failed Blogging 101, I didn't take any pictures. My excuse is that I'm looking to buy a new camera (bye bye, 3 year-old IXUS) and also because of reasons (sangria).

I'm waiting on my new TPG internet (unlimited!) to be installed and until that time I can't watch the latest Sherlock 'The Reichenbach Falls' (so you KNOW it's going to be good) and I'm just not sure what to do with myself besides making and then promptly forgetting about cups of tea.

Anyway I promise I'll do something tonight (some sewing, deffs, or maybe IKEA) and take some pictures and then I'll write something funny about them.

My Growing Family

On Saturday I was lucky enought to bring home the newest member of my family. Benedict is 11 years old and a purebred Siamese. His owner had to move into aged care and he had been living at Animal Aid in Victoria until this weekend.

Well of course it was love at first sight. His big blue eyes and beautful cafe au lait coat make him a very handsome old man. At the shelter he was too confortable in his hidey-hole and wouldn't come out without the fright of the spray bottle, but we eventually nabbed him and settled him down in his cardboard carrier with a blanket and a handful of treats, ready for the long drive home.

He spent most of the weekend hiding under my bed, and yowling all night keeping me awake, but he's settled in more now, and we are enjoying getting to know one another and sharing some company.

It is such a wonderful feeling bringing home a rescue pet, not only because of the new addition to your own family, but also knowing that you are providing them with a new comfortable home. It's often found with rescue pets that they really do know that they've been 'rescued', and while they might be a little shy at first, in time they grow to love you with a gratitude that only adopted pets know.

If anyone is looking to add a new member to the family, I hope that you'll seriously consider adopting from a shelter or rescue centre. The RSPCA is a good place to start, but googling ''pet adoption" in your state should come up with a number of pet shelters with some beautiful new faces and personalities ready to love you.

Have you ever adopted a pet from a shelter? What was your experience?

Lola xo

Sewing Resolutions

I made a couple of sewing resolutions this year in an attempt to curb my rampant fabric spending and improve the quality of my pieces. Mostly, these are little things like only sewing bound button holes or, on sheer pieces, loop closures for buttons (preferably fabric-covered) and hand-finishing everything, also known as not being lazy and resorting to the machine for hems.

Love the colours!

There is, however, a big one I'm working on: a (somewhat seasonal and activity-based) capsule wardrobe. Chanel spoke about two suits being all you need, and while I like to consider myself as adhering to her style philosophy, I'm really not. So this year, I'm working on a plan to control my wardrobe and fabric spending. I find that as I'm getting older and settling into work, what I want is not more clothes, but simpler ones that can go with each other and with everything else.

Pleats, I can't handle it

Of course there's a trench

I'm drawing inspiration from several places: this article from Fashionising is a look into the road fashion has been taking since the GFC, when everyone started curbing their spending and opted for quality over quantity. I remember reading an article in Elle UK (my absolute favourite fashion mag after Burda Style) when I was in London a couple of years ago about this same idea.

I love the drape

The Vivienne Files is an amazing blog about capsule wardrobes and creating them around colours and what suits each individual. Vivienne puts together the most amazing capsules using Polyvore and her ideas are so inspiring. I love her use of colour and her take on the 'classics' and how to adapt them for yourself.

This dress and...

A couple of years ago I bought the book Dress For Success by Edith Head, the most amazing Hollywood costume designer who worked from the 20's to the late 70's and won 8 Academy Awards for her work. Next time you watch a movie from the 60's and love the costumes of, most likely she designed them. The book itself shows its age, particularly when talking about finding a husband, but it has some incredibly useful features, such as sample wardrobes and THE colour chart of all colour charts. Edith talks about how to plan your own wardrobe, starting with looking at what you do.

... the matching coat

The Erdem Pre-Fall 2012 collection is another inspiration for me. It looks like a capsule collection on it's own. The way the prints and colours work together are genius, and I love that you can mix and match virtually every piece in the collection.

So this is the beginning of my plan, looking at these sources of inspiration and plotting out the who what when where and why of myself and how I dress. Wish me luck!

Ten on Tuesday

I just spotted Erin's post (please check out her blog, it's great) about Ten on Tuesday, which I think is great, even though due to time differences for me they may be Ten on Tuwednesday. Here are the ones from last week to get started!

1. What did you get for Christmas?
A great cook book holder, the (surprisingly amazing) Kim Kardashian perfume (guilty pleasure, I know) and some other bits and bobs.
2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
At home, yes. I didn't have much.
3. What did you do for New Years Eve?
I watched the Sex And The City movie the walked (well, pushed my way through the crowds) to Federation Square in the city to flirt with the bar staff, drink a glass of champagne, and watch the fireworks. Before I left the house I cleaned absolutely everything - there is a tradition in Japan where the whole house is cleaned to welcome the new year, and it's a tradition I started for myself - to have the space where I live clean and fresh and new for when I come home in the early hours of the morning in the New Year.
4. Do you like accents?
LOVE accents. All accents. Especially with little mistakes in English, so fetch.
5. What kind of television do you have?
 A tiny but bulky CRT that came with my apartment.
6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
Yes, I started running and have been trying to plan out my life better.
7. What’s the last book you read and do you recommend it?
I'm reading The Thirties by Juliet Gardiner, I love period films (Downton Abbey, anyone?) and the thirties is I think when I spent most of my previous life. This book is a very interesting insight into the changing state of England during the inter-war years and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this era.
8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
Always.
9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
I know the lyrics to heaps of random songs and I love it. Including these three!
10. What is your favorite education television show?
(I hope this doesn't mean kids shows) I love documentaries and my favourites by far are the BBC ones presented by Dr Michael Mosley.  He is brilliant and the subjects he raises are so interesting.

On Being a Fangirl

How can you not?

Anyone who follows my Tumblr or Twitter or Facebook knows that I am a huge fangirl of many things, usually all at once. Currently, I have over saturated myself with Steven Moffat's Sherlock. I mean, I changed the passcode on my iPhone (I bet you can't guess to what), I had a dream last night that I woke up next to Benedict Cumberbatch (that name); I rewatch episodes constantly; and I spend hours looking at other Sherlock blogs and tumblrs and giggle over gifs and swoon over sentiments similar to my own. Next thing you know, I'll be doing fanfiction (please take away my internet if that ever happens).

I so am.

I feel that maybe I should be embarrassed about enjoying a tv show so much and letting it fill up my life. But then again I don't, because I have nothing else going in my life right now (single, no pets, no time-consuming hobbies) and retreating into the fantasies in my mind is my way of dealing with the solitude of single-girl city living.

I suppose there is something a little unhealthy in living in a fantasy, but this has to be better than meeting up with strangers in the park at night for drugs and sex, right?

Right.

Anyway tonight I'm going to see the new movie on my own, because I'm cool like that.

Do you have any totally healthy and appropriate and not weird in any way obsessions with actors, characters, tv shows?

TGIF

I love Fridays. Even when you're on holiday there is something magical about waking up on Friday morning and going "yeah, it's Friday" and then sleeping in for an extra five minutes because, damn it, it's Friday and you can.

This morning marked the end of my first week of running. As I've mentioned before I'm using the Get Running app to get me started. It's a nine-week program, building up to running for thirty minutes straight. Of course, that's a long way away, and week one is all about gently urging yourself into getting up early three days a week and moving around for thirty minutes instead of sleeping in, drinking tea and watching kids shows on ABC3. Ahem, that would be of course for other people because I don't watch Power Rangers every day, obviously.

Anyway, this week's game has been: walk for five minutes to warm up, run for one minute, walk for 90 seconds, and repeat eight times. Then walk for five minutes and stretch. Taking a half-hour out of my Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings is surprisingly easy. I thought getting started (especially as I'm on my own and not in a group) would be the hardest part and that I'd ease into actually enjoying it. In reality, it's been the opposite. The feeling of self-accomplishment when I make half-way, then finish the set, is wonderful, and the smiley-phone voice of the app saying "excellent!" makes me grin like an idiot. Thankfully this happens at 6:30 a.m. in Carlton so no one is around to witness.

Not to mention, knowing that I get to sleep in all weekend is so worth it.

Speaking of the weekend, have I mentioned how pleased I am it's finally AlmostSaturday? The first week back at work after holidays is the pits. To celebrate, I get to do all kinds of grown-uppy stuff like going to the market and cleaning my apartment and doing laundry.

To better deal with this, here's Arizona Muse on the new cover or Vogue UK looking sunny and perfect as usual:

Thanks to Fashionista

How will you be spending your weekend? Has your first week of Resolutions been successful or a total waste of time?

New Beginnings

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life". I've said this to myself on several occasions throughout my life and I think it's quite fitting that this time it coincides with a new year.

A lot of things have changed for me recently, I'm single and living on my own (for the first time in a long time) and I'm learning how to spend time with myself again. I'm having to find things to occupy my time and my thoughts, since I don't have a person around. I'm doing it by improving my health in all aspects of my life: I've started running (using the Get Running app to keep me motivated); I'm repaying my debt with the help of Anna's And Then She Saved; and following a healthy vegan (mostly) eating plan.

I'm so excited to begin this new stage of my life and share my journey here. I love conversations of any kind so please ask me questions or comment! I love hearing from everyone out there!