Male Muse: Roger Radcliffe

I watched 101 Dalmations (1961) last night, and this Disney classic has left me in a nostalgic coma. It's funny, watching something like this after  a decade and a half. I don't remember it being this upsetting while watching this as a kid, oh, but cry I did last night.

Also. I can't believe it has taken me all this time to realise how much of a cartoon babe Roger Radcliffe is. He's a bachelor music composer. He's funny. He's romantic. He loves dogs. He's kind. He's incredibly charming. He's tall (lean, long limbs!). He has nice hair (subjective). And he really rocks skinny slacks and sweater vests (not easy). I can't believe I've overlooked this insanely attractive songwriting hipster gentleman!

He's made me want to meet my future husband when our clever dogs' leashes tangle together in a park.

National Geographic

I recently stumbled across an amazing tumblr of National Geographic scans from the late 50's to the early 70's. The beautiful grainy pictures with their warm light and saturated colours seem to represent a life so pure and unaffected. First published in 1888, National Geographic was a window to the world in a time when travel was only possible for those who could afford it and many cultures still remained mysterious and exciting discoveries.

Kraho boy of Brasil with armadillos, March, 1959

Brilliant chandeliers light an underground palace in Moscow’s subway, December, 1959

Goats in the Olympic Highlands, America, February 1974

Nakoda rider at Cascade Mountain, Wisconsin, 1960

Prince of Bhutan and his bride, 1952

Oranges traveling by horse cart from a cooperative orchard to El Asnam, Algeria. August, 1973

Male Muse: Young Michael Caine

Most young people think of Alfred the butler, but he made a bigger impression on me in his 1966 film 'Alfie'. Sir Michael Caine was one of the sharpest dressers in 1960's London. He eschewed the era's style in favour of the kind of restrained but energetic tailoring that's entirely relevant today. See him demonstrating the effect of a good suit on beautiful women.

Playlist for every occasion

Commute playlist - I love staring out the window of a car/bus/train and pretending I’m the lead in a movie and this is the opening scene as the title credits pop up in the corner (fade up to a wide shot of a train rolling over a landscape as we slowly zoom in to see a young woman looking out the window of the third car). And I can totally pull off staring blankly out of a window.

The Candles and Bath Salts mix - You're home, maybe getting in the mood. Get some smooth music - John Mayer, and maybe Jason Mraz too - and let the mood happen.

Rainy day compilations - A mix of dreamy acoustic and melancholy alternative tunes to accompany the sound of drizzling rain.

Les filles qui chantent en français - Sing along, ingest a box of macarons, and pretend you're in a Sofia Coppola commercial.

NYC mix

For my Future Husband mix

Road Trip playlist - This is radically different from stuff you would play when you drive alone. This is socially acceptable music that's great in the background, with the occasional group sing-along thrown in, pop, rock, ballads, anything from the 90's.

Being productive mix - For when you have deadlines to meet and need to stay focused.

Holiday Harmony - Stuff to listen to while you decorate the Christmas tree or bake gingerbread cookies.

"Chrismassy music that isn't about Christmas" mix - People who work in retail will appreciate it.

ULB (or "Universally loved bands") mix - One Republic, Coldplay, Radiohead, Muse, Maroon 5, The Smith, The Fray, The Killers, you know, bands who, at any party, you could remark "I love *insert band*" and you're guaranteed to hear responses like "We do too!", you know, bands who everybody likes or claims to like.

Sing Me To Sleep playlist - Songs to help you wind down and drift off. "Wonderful" by Gary Go will lull you to sleep.

Good morning, sunshine - Waking up to music is as awesome as falling asleep to it. I'm not much of a morning person, but when I've got some great music while I'm still on autopilot, it's made early mornings so much better.

"Beautiful" mix - Includes tracks like, "What makes you beautiful" by One Direction, "Beautiful" by B2st, the same title by Christina Aguilera, "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney, "What makes you different makes you beautiful" by Backstreet Boys, "Just the way you are" by Bruno Mars, "Nothin' on you" by B.o.b, "You are so beautiful" by Junsu, "Fireworks" by Katy Perry... you get the gist. Because admit it or not, you like to be told.

Adventure: The soundtrack - Music to accompany your adventures and travels in a foreign territory.

The Unrequited Loved mix

Winter Pick Me Up mix - Upbeat songs to beat the winter blues.
Study playlist - Fact 1: Without decent music there's no way you'd get through your homework, essays and revision. Fact 2: Songs with lyrics distract the part of your brain which you use to repeat things to yourself when you're learning. The Solution: Lyricless compositions, film soundtracks and piano covers.

All Nighter mix - Unlike the Study playlist which is a bit too relaxing (because it was to help creative juices to flow), this soundtrack should consist of mid-tempo music to help you power through the wee hours. I recommend a mix of late night ambiance and study break freak out material, with broadway music like "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.

The Jazz Age playlist

Cry, baby - Tear-jerkers. Sob, let it out. Hurt right along with the music.

Old School R&B mix

Modelling playlist - Throw on some heels and walk around like you mean it. Perfect for when cleaning out your wardrobe.

60's Lounge - Inspired by Mad Men and Pan Am soundtracks.

Girl Power - Butt-kicking, girl power anthems by Shania Twain, Destiny's Child, Pink, and Christina Aguilera. Maybe something from the Charlie's Angel soundtrack too. 

Nostalgia mix

Weekend Walk About mix - Music for you wanderings.

Work out playlist

Coffee Croons and Tea Tunes

New Age Pianists mix - Yiruma, Yuhki Kuramoto, David Lanz, Keiko Matsui, Jon Schmidt, Keith Jarret, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Kpop mix - Because the Korean wave is taking over the world. Get with it.

British Bands mix

First Love mix - The audio equivalent of a romance novel.

Getting Dressed mix - A list of high-energy songs to get you psyched for the night out.

Party mix

"I know all the words to" mix

"Be Impressed With My Music Taste" mix - I might be alone here, but I'm constantly around hipsters and music snobs who listen to my playlist, and immediately judge me on my music taste. ("Is that Kpop?!") Now, though, I'm ready for them with my "awesomely interesting intellectual music". Staples of these playlists are MGMT, Belle & Sebastian, Pink Floyd, Grizzly Bear, Regina Spektor (both popular and yet well-respected as indie still. Go figure.) Including also any big artists who did side solo projects like Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

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

Midnight in Paris

Today was a wonderfully rainy day, so naturally, I decided to snuggle up with Lulu the cat, download swing jazz music, and give Woody Allen another chance. And I'm glad I did. Midnight in Paris (2011) is a charming and sentimental film about a struggling novelist, Gil (Owen Wilson), a man who, like moi, also thinks rain makes everything beautiful, wanders the streets of Paris, and at every midnight, an antique car pulls up and transports him to the 1920's era. He encounters Cole Porter, Josephine Baker, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, T.S Eliot and Salvador Dalí (sexy Adrien Brody). And with his new found love he is further transported back to the 1890's Moulin Rouge where they meet Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and Edgar Degas! Oh my goodness, I love Edgar Degas! With so many funny lines by famous (dead) artists, writers, surrealists, I give this movie a rating of all the stars Vincent Van Gogh ever painted!


After the movie, I got thinking, I'd like to visit one of those "nostalgia shop" the modern characters talk about. And I'd also like to have a 'Midnight in Paris' moment too. Paris in the Jazz Age really does sound enticing, as does Paris in the 1940's - that's probably the one I'd pick. But I'd also be intrigued by Vienna circa 1900, London in the 1590's, first century Rome and New York City in 1960's. 
So, what is historical era would you like to visit?

Goldie Winter 2011

Heavy 70's hippie influence with a nudge towards glam-grunge. My style inspiration, no, "stylespiration".

Source: fashiongonerogue

Telva October 2010: Anouck Lepere

Spanish Magazine Telva, October 2010

Model: Anouck Lepere

Photographer: Ruben Vega

Stylist: Carla Aguilar

Octobre Inspirations

A handful of designers (Louis Vuitton, Karen Walker, Marc Jacobs, Celine, Proenza Schouler, and recently Dsquared2) are inspiring my personal wardrobe choices. I love how the fashion tide is towards polished lady-like looks. It's very grown up and chic. I'm incorporating this trend into my wardrobe via button up shirts, pleated skirts, boyfriend blazers, and girly stack heels. I'm also crazy about animal print accents; a hint of leopard is the ideal way to freshen up classic staples and make them feel current again. All in all, I'm incredibly excited.

I've been needing a new handbag for so long (I've been using my Veronika Maine black leather and chain handbag for every occasion, both appropriate and inappropriate). I want a replacement that is so far from what handbags have become expected be. Something minimal to the extreme, like this Chloe beauty.

Muse: Joan Holloway, Mad Men

I could happily watch Mad Men with the sound off. It's all about the wardrobe, so lady-like, so subversively sexy. Every week, I marvel at Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks)'s outfits. Not just because a size 12 (14?) woman can look chic while the audience is obsessed with being a size 2, but also because she is always, hands down the best dressed female at the agency. I've noticed, she is smart in picking colours. That's probably the best kept secret of well-dressed women. They own fewer clothes but each of it suits them perfecting from cut to colour to fit.