Super snazzy old European men

If there's one thing we need borrow from Europe, other than long lazy lunches, because 30 minutes for work lunch break is torture (resulting in indigestion and a burned oesophagus), is well-dressed dapper older men. These gentlemen really put us to shame. Is there anything more happy-sigh inducing than seeing a distinguished older gentleman with his salt and pepper hair, in a perfectly tailored suit, biking around in the afternoon to do some errands? Maybe when his purple socks match his paisley pocket square, and his tortoise-shell glasses perfectly frame his face. Everything about snazzily put-together old men is awesome, mostly because it still seems a bit whimsical to me. There is something so nostalgic about it, despite me never having lived in a time or geographic location where retired men dressing like that was the norm. It's as rare as seeing a unicorn, here in Australia! And if you ever catch them gathered together in a park on a sunny aprés midi, sipping wine and reading the papers, or playing chess, your heart will explode.

Films I want to see now

I remember after I had posted this list about two years ago, movie buddies started to appear from everywhere. Now I am going to try again. Anybody want to see any film on this list avec moi? Instadate me! Before I go off seeing it alone, as per usual, and you miss your chance of spending time with awesome me.


A dangerous method



Carnage



Martha Marcy May Marlene



Romantics anonymous

Mixtape: Being productive

I tend to put mandatory tasks off until I’m out of time and running around, stressed and grumpy in a The Devil Wears Prada kind of way. “I don’t have time for this!” I might yell to my assistant. "And where is my skim double-caff extra-whip latte?!” "I need someone to babysit Bearemy tonight!" (I like pretending to have a personal assistant.)

I tend to find every little thing distracting and way more interesting. And everyone seems to be having a good time, according to Facebook. Staying focused and self-disciplined is not my best quality. I'm a pro procrastinator. Yet, somehow I've discovered that by playing the music, I have an easier time being productive. It’s similar to how some babies stop crying when you turn the vacuum on. I have deadlines to meet, so ciao! P.S I just spent the last hour on Facebook and making this playlist, while I could've done some research. Yep, that's me.

001 SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS :: Dylan and Victoria
002 ROMEO AND JULIET :: The Killers
003 NEW SLANG :: The Shins
004 HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY :: Fleet Foxes
005 DISTRICT SLEEPS ALONE TONIGHT :: Postal Service
006 IN THE ROOM WHERE YOU SLEEP :: Dead Man's Bones
007 HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN :: Jenny Owen Youngs
008 GREY OR BLUE :: Jaymay
009 CALAMITY SONG :: The Decemberists
010 HIGH AND DRY :: Radiohead
011 NO CARS GO :: Maxine Cyrine (Arcade Fire cover)
012 UNINTENDED :: Muse
013 SET A FIRE :: United Pursuit
014 BLESSED :: Hillsong
015 PILEDRIVER WALKTZ :: Arctic Monkeys
016 SPARKS :: Coldplay
017 LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR II :: Coldplay
018 BLUE :: Big Bang
019 FICTION :: B2ST
020 BUTTERFLY :: G-Dragon
021 SHE'S ELECTRIC :: Oasis
022 THE SWEET ESCAPE :: Gwen Stafani
023 CLOSE TO ME :: The Cure

2012 Fall designer looks I want to recreate.

I've been very uninspired the last few weeks. The fact of the matter is, I've reach that seasonal (or trans-seasonal) point when it's too soon to whole-heartedly indulge in layering, leather, and fur. As it happens, I've just been going back to a safe combination of black jeans, t-shirt, collared shirt, and oxford shoes.

During my 4 hour tutorial this morning, instead of dumbing down designer apparel for a lower-priced market, which was what we were supposed to do, I was discreetly going through the Fall collections from Paris Fashion Week on style.com on my laptop (nodding every now and then to show I was listening to the lecturer). Fortunately, temperatures are FINALLY dropping Down Under, as indicated by my wearing of opaque tights today, and Fashion Weeks came to pass. And so I really can't wait to be recreating designer looks by Charlotte Ronson, Paul Smith, Dsquared2, Isabel Marent and Frankie Morello this season! Super duper excited!

Sources: fashionising.com, style.com

Monthly Recap: February '12

It's back. My monthly highlights and laundry lists of just random things and stories that is quintessentially me so that I can laugh at myself or indulge in a little self-pity. Because I'm just good at making lists.

Music stuck on repeat:

• Ne me quitte pas - Regina Spektor
• Be be your love - Racheal Yamagata
• Undisclosed desires - Muse
• Transatlantism - Death Cab for Cutie
• Crooked teeth - Death Cab for Cutie
• Back in time - Lyn

Laundry list of things memorable about the month:

• Announcement of the cancellation of House. Devo. I don't think this news has sunk in entirely. Saying goodbye after 8 years ain't going to be easy, although not a hard as dealing with the tragedy that was the end of Friends. 
• Romantic Valentine's day evening on the grass gazing at stars, while eating chocolate dipped strawberries. Coming home, I thought, the only way it could've been lonelier is if the internet stopped working.
• Seeing "The Artist" at a local cinema by myself early one glorious sunny Sunday morning.
• Lulu, my sister cat, is preggers! Yay, kitten-nieces and kitten-nephews soon!
• Death Cab for Cutie in Sydney.
• New iPhone 4s. White.
• Robocop movie marathon. (I'm excited about the Robocop remake!)
• Making plans to elope to New York city after I graduate.
• I really do miss NY.
• Linsanity.
• New professeur de français. Enjoying awkward yet amusing French lessons with a fob frenchman.
• My mom practically memorising the French alphabet due to my daily annoying singing of "c'est l'alphabet en Français!"
• The dreaded end of holidays. Back to school. Oh, the joy of getting up early for a 8am class.
• I went shopping with a gay friend of mine, who actually is super Vogue intern skinny, and saw him try on an XL t-shirt. On his waifish body, it actually resembled Olsen-twin-chic, but on me it just looked puffy and strange. Seeing him swim around in the shirt like a jellyfish, I realised that's what it was supposed to look like. Lesson learned.
• Goodbye summer. Goodbye to days where the weather sticks to your body like glue, and you complain about the humidity to anyone who will listen, because it's what you're supposed to do.
• Heeeeeeeelllooooo autumn!

Book(s) reading:

• The Help - Katherine Stockett

Currently obsessed with:

• BOOM!! SHAKALAKA!!! *fangirl mode*
• The moon that embraces the Sun. I'm so emotionally attached to this series and the characters that I almost explode from waiting for it to air every week. (FYI, exploding fangirls are one of the most dangerous creatures in the world after the boxed jellyfish and the king cobra!)
• Kenzo, Burberry Prorsum, Marcs by Marc Jacobs and Carven's Fall 2012 collection at Paris fashion week.
• The 1960's. Mad Men! Pan Am! Also, conveniently this season's fashion trend!
• Cue Clothing Co's winter campaign.
• Improvising cookie recipes.

Three things I'm thankful for:

• Pre-mix cupcake/ cookie mixes at supermarkets
• www.solarmovie.au
• Jeremy Lin

Mixtape: Les filles qui chantent en français

Confession: a part of the reason I learned French in the first place is because singing along to these songs just looks so fun, like Carey Mulligan's character in An Education (beautiful film with a charming soundtrack). I like ingesting a box of pretty macarons, and pretend I'm in a Sofia Coppola commercial.

001 SUR LE QUAIS DU VIEUX PARIS :: Juliette Gréco

002 SOUS LE CIEL DE PARIS :: Juliette Gréco

003 L'ADDORDEONISTE :: Edith Piaf

004 LA VIE EN ROSE :: Edith Piaf

005 NON, JE NE REGRET RIENNE :: Edith Piaf
006 DANS MA RUE :: Zaz
007 LA PLUIE :: Zaz
008 LA FEE :: Zaz
009 ROUSE-ROUSE :: Christie Laume
010 C'EST LA MODE :: Annie Phillippe
011 SYMPATHIQUE :: Pink Martini
012 C'EST PETITE RIENS :: Colbie Caillat
013 MOI JE JOUE :: Bridgitte Bardot
014 EN DOUCE : Baquette Quartet
015 PÊCHES A LA CRÈME :: Dorine
016 COMME UN GARÇON :: Sylvie Varton
017 LAISSE TOMBER LES FILLES :: France Gall
018 LE TEMPS DE L'AMOUR :: Francois Hardy
019 ROLLER GIRL :: Anna Karina
020 LAISSE MOU :: Chantal Goya
021 LA MER OPALE :: Coralie Clément
022 ONDULÉ :: Matthieu Boogaert
023 EXPRESSION :: Helen Jane Long