How old were you in 1992?

My weekend was full of music and fun. It all started on Friday night when I saw this band...

which is Beach House. They were super good and the band that supported them were super good too, all of their songs sounded like they could have featured in a remake of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, lots of eerie country... And their bass player had a killer moustache, it was amazing.

Lets skip over Saturday and talk about Sunday. I went to my first ever ice hockey game, it was intense, lots of people got smashed into walls but no fights :( I went to see Sunset Rubdown that night which featured this man...

He was really pretty and funny and from Montreal which means he can speak french even though he sounds like a normal canadian! Loves it... There were a lot of attractive men at both of those shows, like I would date about 50% of the male crowd... I need to find out where these boys go on the weekend. I met some guy who was friends with my friend Ben, he was like hey don't you work at H&M and I was like yeah I do! Recognised on the street, I'm like a minor celebrity. If he was cute and not so kinda creepy it would have been better though.

On the subject of minor celebrities, I saw a Degrassi cast member at Spadina subway station on Saturday night! He left me breathless.

I have been forgetting what clothes I've been wearing lately. I see girls wearing things and I'm like man that looks cool, I wish I was wearing that. Then I look down or take my coat off and realise I kinda am wearing that... I liked my hair the other day, I have been thinking about doing something with it but I can't decide. I think right now I don't have time to do anything so I might leave it till I have a day/afternoon/hour off...
Oh and Friday is the day, I finally get paid and can begin my journey to a new wardrobe!!

oh you're so silent natalie...

Yes I have been silent! But thats because my life is a crazy ride right now! Everythings happening all at once and I have never been happier!!
This week was volunteer sign up week for both images and hot docs so I signed up for 5 shifts for images and 7 shifts for hot docs. It is going to be intense. During hot docs, I will be working 9-5 at Rogers, 5:30-10:30 at Bloor Cinema, then seeing a 11:45pm show that same night. Its going to be a whirlwind of film!!! The highlight I suspect, will be Wesley Willis's Joy Ride. Oh yes. The highlight of Image may be the suprise bonus live show featuring none other than JENS LEKMAN!!!

Yes that sweet man is suprising Toronto, and me, as I had no idea he was coming and I even knew his touring schedule for the next few months and I have read the Images book like a thousand times! I totally freaked out about it! He thought he could come to a city I'm in and get by me? No luck Mr. Lekman. I have sent many-a-pleading email to my images lady volunteering my time to work at the show, even though I already bought a ticket, anything to get in Jens' good books!! I am beyond excited, I was feeling light headed all day today...

So now to the wardrobe. I am obviously still in the planning stages because I am poor until Friday the 4th of April but I thought I would update you on what I am going to start with. One of the things the article in Elle told me was that you should start with some good quality underwear. Now I don't know if you know this but I think you do, I don't really enjoy going underwear shopping. My large rack makes it hard for me to find things that fit me and I hate that I have to contemplate going into the fuller figure section because I would not say I am fat. But anyway, I haven't bought any new underwear since I left Australia and I kinda need some. So thats first. And they will be smart choices in underwear, bras in colours and styles that will compliment my new wardrobe. I have also picked out a bag at h&m which I think would go with the clothes I wear now but also fit very well into the new wardrobe. And the next item will be some black jeans, probably the same style as my jeans now, just in black. Some other things on my list include
- a blazer (preferrable black and can be worn either formally in an office situation or casually)
- Cashmere cardigans from the Gap in a variety of candy coloured pastels
- High(ish)waisted shorts (I don't think I can do extreme high waist, again a rack problem, but at least high enough so bending over won't reveal anything)
- Floral blouses, tiny floral print, probably in sheerish fabrics.
- Plain coloured button down shirts, kinda Ralph Lauren style but not as expensive.
- Floral skirt, subtle floral though...

Ok thats all I want to share right now, and I haven't even talked about accessories! But for now I think thats all I want. I'm also planning on buying an interim perfume, something kind of cheap but still nice, to hold me over till my parents come. I want to smell like flowers because I'm really into that right now... So I'm deciding between Maybe Baby by Benefit or Amazing Grace by Philosophy. They smell kind of similar so yeah.

Tonight, Kania and I are going to see Beach House, I am very excited. Tomorrow I have a job interview at a hostel, I hope it goes well because it would be super fun to work at a hostel over summer. I have tried to think up a good outfit that will take me from an interview, then to work at h&m and then to karaoke. While I was thinking about this, I was checking Style Bytes which I just added to our blog list. I have been looking at her blog for a while, she has gotten very glamourous lately and I'm always like shit how does she do it! And then I saw this outfit and realised all I need is a tshirt, a pencil skirt and cute accessories and I have an outfit!

Loves it.

Imagine my surprise this morning when the email I get regularly from refinery29 had something I actually liked in it! And more than that, something I could actually wear! Built By Wendy's Spring '08 collection is really cute and fresh, and I think there are things for both you and I, Natalie. I really love the long sportjacket, it reminded me of the one I opped last week (but still haven't had drycleaned). Also, the florals are really sweet. The bottom Flower Scoop Mini is all about rack & legs, you should look at the website to see it on the pretty model.

Built By Wendy Spring '08

I also found a pretty girl's flickr via Wardrobe Remix. Her haircut is so sweet, give me your opinion. Do you think this haircut will look as good with dark hair? Probably black, I think it's all black for winter. From what I can deduce, it's a little longer at the front and then bobbed at the hairline at the neck. I don't think I'd wear the bits (she has them plaited here) out, but I'm okay with little plaits all the time! I also don't want to look like a lesbian, if I'm going to be wearing blazers all winter.

Pic courtesy of piksi_

I really enjoyed your last post, Natalie, so I am going to list a list of basics that I think will complete my current wardrobe. I am also a culprit of thinking "yeah all I need is like, a sequined bolero jacket to complete my style" when in reality, nothing I own would go with a sequined bolero so that adds a whole other list of problems in my already questionable style scheme.

Good Flats
Starting from the bottom up, I really need 2 good pairs of flats. One hard wearing leather ballet flat, one sparkly almond-toe slingback. I have so many pairs of flats already but none that are really universal.

Booties
I am going to get some booties this winter that I hope will stay in my style for some time. I want some that are almond-toe, ankle length, and have heavy duty fastenings like buckles and zips. In an antique brown or black, please.

Good Raw Jeans
Stretch jeans can only last so long, so I need to find a well-fitting pair of raw denim jeans. I like Denimbirds but my budget, and body type, doesn't. Suggestions will be taken as of Winter.

Silk & Cotton Blouses
... are perfect. Vintage optional, in muted pastels and neutrals and every colour! They breathe, unlike the synthetic pussybow blouses of my past. I can also wear these casually or formally.

Cotton T-Shirts
In neutral or bold colours, oversized, sleeves rollable. I have taken to wearing L v-necked American Apparel t-shirts under last summer's pinafores, it's adorable.

Cashmere
I really want some cashmere this winter. A nice sweater or two, and a cardigan.

LBD's
I already have more than enough, but the hunt continues. I could really do with a strapless LBD that's fitted at the top and rounder from the waist to the knee. Heidi Klum wears one on a Project Runway ad that looks quilted, and that really appeals to me!

Summer Frocks
Vintage, or chain store, summer frocks are the greatest thing ever. To be able to sit on a picnic rug encircled with pretty patterned cotton is truly a blessing.

Outerwear
I have many blazers, that I love. Also a cropped leather jacket, my Lover tapestry cape, my APC over-shirt-jacket-thing, and my Kate Hurst mini peacoat. I'd really love a little capelet that ties in a bow to fasten to wear over above LBD with wrist-length-gloves.

Purses
A large leather tote (M by MJ?), a small shoulder bag (Luella?), a canvas duffle bag (Country Road?) and a pretty evening purse should do me just fine.

Headwear
Headbands, hats and feathers galore. When I finally make something worth taking a picture of, I will post.

Now I just have to fund these extravagances, find them, and be on my way!

Oh so now a real-life update. I had a minor breakdown last week about my lack of prac options. I was totally in the frame of mind where, this prac was going to determine the rest of my life. I have now set myself the goals of; 25 - not in Perth; 30 - on the right track. So I can work in music or theatre or festivals until I get the experience I need, go somewhere I really want to be, and then start on the discipline I want to be in. I'm also going to make a lot of art this year. Once Esther and Stace leave, I am going to be a total study bug, but I really want to have an outlet that isn't uni-related to blow off steam. Expect watercolours and experiments with light.

On Saturday I saw Lullatone at the Bakery, they were seriously the cutest thing ever. They handed recorders out to the crowd and made a symphony. Their latest album is called Bedtime Beats, all about getting ready for bed and going to sleep. By the end of it, I felt as though I'd eaten my body weight in fairy floss, but it was worth it.

Ba-donk-a-donkey

H&M is slowly killing me.
I would have updated earlier about all this but I have been working like a mad woman. Even though this was a short work week and I took a day off for Images, I still worked about 45 hours. This week was the grand re-opening of my H&M, which involved a press party and alot of drunk women hanging out in change rooms for hours. It was actually pretty fun and our store looks amazing. So because we have all three floors open again and its gradually getting warmer, people are shopping alot and I am working alot. Right now it kind of sucks because I have no time to even scratch myself but I know in a few weeks, when my pay cheques start rolling in, I will be a lot happier.

Until that day comes, all I can do is plan. And plan I will! I recently read an article in Elle UK (which I am going to buy everytime I find it because it is just great) about wardrobe makeovers. Basically, some girl let someone talk her into throwing out all her clothes and replacing them with a wardrobe of fewer clothes which were more suited to her figure and style. I am really into this idea; I think it will solve all my style problems, it would give me a more refined wardrobe. But because I am not a millionaire who can afford to throw out all her clothes and buy a whole pile of new ones, I have decided to plan out this transition from style schizophrenic to someone with a more mature style. I've written a list a staples that I need to buy gradually and in order of importance, buying things that I can wear with the clothes I already have rather than buying random items that I can't wear until I buy the other items. This has also made me decide on what kind of style I want to have. I think I generally want to look cute like all the time so theres no point fighting that. I don't know if my love for florals is just because winter has been going on forever but I enjoy flowers so I want to continue with that. I have nice legs and a good rack so I'm going to start dressing to show them off, ie. continue wearing shortish skirts and buy some lower cut shirts, you know without looking slutty... I've always been into that preppy kind of look, the New York prep school kind of thing, so this new style will be a mix of different things, but in my head its all working out.

It feels good to be working everything in my life out. I have the career plan down, the style plan down, I think that my time away from my normal life has put alot of things into perspective as well, my priorities have changed. My priorities used to be friends, partying, looking cool. I really miss my family and I didn't expect that. I don't think I ever made them a priority in my life and I think that should change. Quality over quantity should be a priority, in all aspects. With my friends, there's people who I really like and who make me want to do things with my life (a few at home and a few in Canada) and I have kinda been holding onto a lot of people who never supported me or motivated me to do anything at all just because I've known them a long time. I need to get rid of the things that don't make me happy and start putting in more things that do. Its like I'm spring cleaning my life! I spring cleaned my house on Friday, noone cared and Chris hasn't washed her dishes since Friday night... but I'm still feeling good!

I have to say that I really like this skill of mine to pick myself up and make things work. I did it once before, bounced back after a tough time, and I feel like I'm doing it again but in a bigger way. I've started listening to much happier music as well. I'm embracing the indie hipster label I have been given by particular friends here in Canada and I am listening to a lot of Vampire Weekend and Born Ruffians and MGMT. Which is all cute pop songs which make me want to dance. Its a fun time of life Jessica, the sun is beginning to shine, my feet are continuing to dance, I'm doing more than I ever have/ever thought I would be doing!

I also spent last night in the company of attractive scandenavian men. Actually they were in a movie I watched called Reprise which was super good and one of the main guys were so attractive I occasionally forgot to read the subtitles because he was so distracting. I couldn't find a really good picture of him on the internet but there's this one.

Ok its laundry time!

Miu Miu

After choosing Miu Miu frames at OPSM today - of which I'll post pics when they arrive in my paws - I am all about this label. The campaign, the clothes, Kirsten, etc.



So while procrastinating from study today, I put together my favourite looks:

This headband

With this dress for office, add black ankle-strap pumps..This dress for casual, with black ballet flats..

And this dress for formal, with jewel-tone heels.

Now all I need is a rich husband to finance the whole thing. And the perfect figure to pull it all off. I have a few ideas how I'll emulate this in my own wardrobe, but more details of that later...

Op shopping today was a complete success. I bought a long, tailored tuxedo blazer with cream silk lining, a blouse in the same shade of cream, a black shirt with silk ruffles down the front and a navy pencil skirt. I also went to Spotlight and got a few materials with which I'll get crafty later, namely organza roses to make a headpiece out of and a tonne of black ribbons to do the same. Hopefully over Easter I'll actually get something done and post something useful!

Hrrrrrr

I need to go the hairdressers before I turn grey, and therefore need some advice..

Currently I am working the long-fringe-and-braids-bun but when I wear it out, it looks outgrown. Below is a picture of Maggie Gyllenhaal in 'Stranger than Fiction', I think my hair would do this okay.

It's pretty cute and I think it would go with my style this winter! But is it too similar to my last hairstyle..? And do I really like her hair, or do I want to be her character in this movie? Sweet, creative tattooed girl who has a great townhouse and who's lucky in love?



You be the judge... I would obviously love a long thick mane of beautiful hair but that just isn't in my destiny.

Tomorrow I am choosing new glasses, hitting the op-shop traps and interviewing at a bookstore, and telephoning you. I will update with hopefully new, old clothes and success in all areas of my life.

Oh and I saw Cat Power yesterday, le sigh. <3

holy crap.

Leonard Cohen announced his tour today.
I knew this day was coming but I didn't believe it!! And now its real!!!
June 6th and 7th in Toronto, I love you Mr. Cohen!

Smelling so sweeeeeeet

I have a dilema. As my parents are coming over to Canada in a few months, mmy mother has offered to buy me pretty much anything from duty free stores. So now I have to decide what I want! I am thinking about getting a new perfume, I've done a bit of scouting and I've narrowed it down to...
- The new Chloe fragrance.
- LAMB by Gwen Stefani.
- Burberry Beat.
- Prada.
I like all of them alot so its going to be a hard desicion! At least in the meantime my room smells like a blend of different perfumes because I have so many samples... Its like sleeping on a bed of flowers!
I really like flowers at the moment! I think its this prolonged winter, I'm missing seeing some green grass and colourful plants! All the floral fashion is making it worse as well. Maybe if I start wearing florals now, the flowers will come sooner...


Why are all the foreign blogs writing in english now! Its kinda making them lose their magic...

I should have known better

So this last week has been quite eventful. I will start on Thursday because nothing really happened before Thursday anyway... At work on Thursday I helped put together a suprise baby shower for one of the ladies at work. We decorated one of the meeting rooms with lots of streamers and balloons and crazy baby shower things and there was lots of delicious food! And it was totally a suprise for her as well! It was lovely! Thursday night I went to Lindsay's for dinner and some rock band and then we went to see Be Kind Rewind. It was great. I was smiling the whole way through and continued smiling for a few days after. It really makes you want to make a film.

Thats Jack Black dressed up as RoboCop. Yeah, go see it!!

Friday was full of cute boys. It started at work where I saw a super cute boy in the cafeteria, his celebrity lookalike would be Ryan Gosling, and we totally made eye contact like twice. His casual Friday clothes were good as well... Friday night I volunteered for Canadian Music Week so I spent the night working the door at a showcase of BC bands (that means they were all from Vancouver pretty much..). All the boys want to talk to you when you're working on the door! The bands were pretty good, one guy called Dan Mangan was pretty amazing. It was a pretty fun night, but working 14 hours in one day isn't a good idea...

There was a snow storm that started on Friday night and continued all through Saturday, it was pretty intense and now theres too much snow around. I think we're like a few centimetres off the record snowfall for Toronto ever! Crazy! And its apparently one of the longest winters as well... I volunteered for CMW on Saturday night as well, Trainwreck and Bang Camero played. Trainwreck is Kyle Gass's band (the other guy from Tenacious D!) and Bang Camero is like a metal band with about 15 members! Seriously, they had 8 guys singing! It was fantastic!!! I wish I brought my camera, it was a sight to see!! Not as many cute on Saturday night, just a couple here and there. After the show I met Kania and Mike at The Social for some dancing. Coincidently, two of the cute boys from earlier in the night were there and we danced a bit and one of the boys gave me a button for his disco punk band... and then Mike came over with his "why are you dancing with my girlfriend?" face on... When I got back to my house I realised that I didn't have my key and noone was home... I tried calling Kania but her phone was off! So I called Will and he told me how to break in... Lucky because otherwise I would have been sleeping in the snow!!!

Ok I should actually talk about some fashion or something right? Well today I went shopping a little. I bought ElleUK, it pretty much mapped out exactly what I was planning for my summer wardrobe! Its kinda weird that I'm getting ready for summer while you're planning your winter wardrobe. I looked around at some stores as well and picked out some clothes I want, lots of cashmere cardigans and florals, I really like the new Luella collection, its kinda the idea I'm going for...



Although a new wardrobe is kind of a low priority at the moment, I am almost out of shoes to wear! All my shoes have been ruined in the snow so I'm going to buy some rubber boots next week, and probably some flats just to wear at work... I thought that this would be the end of the snow but after this, the rain starts! But Lindsay told me that April showers bring May flowers so thats something to look forward too. My next pay is dedicated to shoes and tickets. Xiu Xiu is playing next Monday and its only like $10! I want to go and sing I luv the valley real loud.

Oh man.

Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony

Page 6 and page 27 are my winter '08.

Wednesday!

Last week I got heaps of photos developed from my Holga - one roll of Canada and one roll of December in Perth. I'm putting my favourite photos in here.

December 2007, Perth

Old Montreal

Do you remember how freaking cold it was that day? Insane. It's been over 35 C here, all the time, and it's making me very upset that I can't wear my velvet ice-skater dress or my two-toned smock from H&M. I don't really have many winter clothes to buy for this year, although I do need to buy a tonne of office clothes. This is good, we have some things to confer over! Here is the list of what I want my winter style to resemble -

• Androgynous but distinctly feminine, I think I'm too curvy to pull off man-style. I'm thinking oversized shirts with thin belts around the waist, over skinny-leg pants, blazers with scrunched sleeves and sparkly sling-back flats.

• An anourak! I might move into the city mid-year so I want to ride a bicycle into work.

• I'm growing my hair out again, it won't get out of hand this time though. Still lots of plaits and blush and that's about it.

• For work I'm going to buy dresses with exposed zips in stretch fabrics, man-style s/sleeve striped blouses with wide cuffs and long pencil skirts, and wide-leg highwaisted pants with sheer ruffley blouses. Do you dig it?

DUDE. Having the flu in summer is terrible, but it does give me time to look at pictures of the new Designer for Target (Australia). It's Zac Posen - and considering the dire state of my unemployment, it's fortunate that I only like one item.

Ottoman Brocade Cocktail Dress

I went to Feist and Okkervil River last week - Feist was okay, she was so mellow. Dan Deacon was on after her though, and it was so fun. He made everyone in the whole venue (over 1 000 people) do a 'human tunnel' and there was a dance-off! Okkervil River was great too, I went to the beach before with Esther, Stace, John and Sean. I wore the same skirt I posted last time with a blush-coloured Lover blouse. I've been listening to lots of Joanna Newsom lately and I think she's infiltrating my style.

I'll post more inspirational things later, time to wallow in self-pity.

Everybody likes cake!!

So last Thrusday was Jerry's birthday and to celebrate, Lindsay cooked us some dinner, we drank lots of champagne and I baked Jerry a cake! I discovered the key to making a cake, its mixing. When they tell you to mix something for 5 minutes, do it. It kinda looks like a child decorated it but it was really tasty and Jerry loved it!

It was a lovely evening. We decided that we're going to have a bake sale in the summer to raise some money for our projects! We'll set up a stall on our porch and put posters around the neighbourhood, yeah its going to be awesome.
Lindsay also had the new Nylon magazine at her apartment which featured an advertisement for the Converse for Target range. It is pretty awesome and so so cheap, it kinda makes me want to go to America so I can go to Target... Here are some dresses I like.


Super cute!
I went shopping over the weekend and bought some nice things which will probably pop up on here sometime soon, I'm trying to buy clothes that I can wear to work but are still cute enough for wear out and about. I don't like having two different wardrobes, I need more crossover items. Yeah!