Noir et Cuir

I really don't think there's alot for me to say at this point.
Except...I wish I had the actual panache, enigma and alterna-cool factor of the girl in this picture.

It's that frightening uber-cool vibe that we all know and love from those teen misfit movies of quality (cue early 90s)
Think Natalie Portman in Leon. Or Winona (yeah in them wild double denim, tattoo filled, hotel room trashing Johnny Depp days) in Reality Bites.

Screw the fluff of today!

But back on that X-factor:

Then and only then could I probably embrace my dark side with lashings of fur, signet rings, maxi leather skirts and scary/awesome boots (I like to think my new platform booties...which will be getting much love from and outside the camera...are kind of scary awesome in a kind of weird zombie love child of a trashtastic Lady Gaga-esque whore and a dandy Englishman...but story for another time)

I probably still wouldn't look half as amazing.

But they say they have cookies on the dark side...

Mmm...

Love

xx

Bec

Come Eat With Me

Digging through my photos this morning.
Because now I have the time and it's officially NOT procrastinating anymore.
Well it probably is...because there are probably more pressing things to do in the world like...saving it etc...but yes.

I re-found the ultimate solution to the double obsessions of both food and shiny things.
The cutlery necklace

Suitably shiny like your mother's best silver-ware. And with more than one option (so it's better than the humble spork). And really convenient (if possibly slightly awkward) for those pesky hors-d'oeuvres. Because it's simply uncivilized to eat with your hands.

Didn't your parents ever teach you that? Shame. Now we just have to wait for the chopsticks necklace. Then all my cuisine bases would be covered. There's an idea

Love & Munchies

xx

Bec

Rock & Roll Baby

Dear Pennie Smith ,

I thank the debaucherous rock powers that be for your photography.

Thank you for affirming my belief that it would be far more appropriate for me to learn the electric guitar rather than the piano (and/or the violin). For making me dream of seedy nights destroying five star hotel rooms in only the most artistic way possible. For introducing me to the beauty of the sight of countless empty (possibly broken) bottles of numerous intoxicating spirits (of the highly flammable and not dearly departed kind). And the sordid tales behind it all. Involving black leather, denim, anything short, tight and inappropriate and copious lashings of kohl on both boy and girl.

For providing aesthetic justification for my teenage angst and my misguided attempts to slash a good number of inches off my regulation tartan school skirt. And for the resultant feeling of rebellious cool when the vice principal told me it was far too short. For making me recall the feeling of listening to 'London Calling' for the first time and thinking I had actual artistic cred.

For inspiring me to embrace my inner leather clad, intoxicated misfit.

And to rock the Casbah via air guitar in the privacy of my own room.

Like every bona fide social outcast. Who isn't actually cool.

Love

xx

Bec

Pen - Bohemian Like You

'And I'm feeling so bohemian like you...'
One of my favourite songs. If only I could live up to it.
But not.

And it pretty much pops into my head every time I see Pen (I realize stalker vibes are radiating at mind-blowing levels)
Making the rather sterile (aka boring) halls of the law school far prettier with her piled on bling and adorable dresses (see ensemble of the day - cute mini with puffed sleeves, gypsy trinkets and boots). Thrifted eccentric with a classic edge.

It's bold, a little bit crazy in a good way...like the super cool gypsy-folk muse you wish you could be (yes change that to - I wish I could be) Note: Last time I experimented with the piled on 'trying to channel my inner Bats For Lashes' spirit...it was more homeless misfit than inspired mystic

And the best thing about Pen is how much the way she dresses is reflective of her 110% lovely, effervescent (girl-you-can't-help-but-fall-in-love-with) personality. Passionate about the environment (she does alot of impressive work in that regard...leaving me feeling rather ahem...unproductive...I should really start stalking less accomplished people). An intrepid traveller with a keen eye for the experimental and artistic.

An effortless muse really.

Now I'm just going to listen to countless replays of 'Bohemian Like You' and maybe that vibe will come to me.

One can always hope.

Love

xx

Bec

Wrist Adornment

Everyone loves a bit of arm candy.
No admit it...you do.
Whether it be in human, bag or bling form. Nobody likes a boring arm. Seriously.
Unless you're awesome tattoo lady. In which case...you're in a whole different category of cool.

Especially when it's all classic and retardedly easy to put on (for those of us who struggle like spastic kids with the lobster clasp...yes et voila...yet another skill Rebecca is hopelessly inept at..fastening bracelets with her left hand...harder than it looks amigos)

These leather and 24 K gold plated Vita bracelets were basically my lifesavers at work. Clasp-&-Go. They were the order of the day. Like Up-&-Go except far far prettier. And dear Lord does it improve the view when you're staring at a ridiculously colour coded spreadsheet that you've made because you have far too much spare time on your hands (but I am far too cool for that...so...yeah that never happens to me...never)

Go the orange when I'm feeling like it's a Gucci day (i.e. yes when my mother's Asian housewife serious loud blingage vibes infect my brain) and the white where it's a default Park Avenue Princess Day ( you see the elitist Americana obsession coming through?)

So screw the Up & Go and Clasp & Go instead!

Love

xx

Bec

PS. Somewhat useless but kind of cool trivial fact if you're a label whore - Vita does all the jewellery craft-work for labels such as Fendi and Gucci. But yeah...fraction of the price. Stalk time.

PPS. YES - they appear on Miijo.com (shame shame...I know the ultimate source for Hollywood starlet goodness) but for God's sake those women don't know the meaning of overkill. Personal opinion: these babies are not made for the stacking. But that could just be me and the fact that I hate Vanessa Hudgens almost as much as I despise Miley Cyrus.

Camp Americana

You could love this or hate it.

Me? I love because secretly I too am obsessed with the mess that's America.
And the sheer camp factor of this video is making me want to hold that West Wing themed party I've been meaning to have for some time. Hot dogs from a stand. Hold the mustard. Cheerleaders (yeah I totally always wanted to be one). 'So you live in Ass-tralia?' (Oh I wish everyone had butts worthy of it being called something like that). Prom queens. I've always wanted to go to a prom as opposed to the rather lamely named Formal. New England crab cakes? Idaho potatoes? The stars and stripes hanging everywhere in my house? I should really invest in a tiara so I can come as the Statue of Liberty or something. Or just drape myself in a flag and do like Marina does and blame Hollywood and Disney for giving me unrealistic expectations about life.

Oh in the home of the brave...and the land of the free...

Love

xx

Bec

PS. If you want me to host a West Wing themed party - do let me know...it is in the making

Adorably Offensive

Part I: The Post-Break-Up Hotness Factor
I was tempted to call this 'The Metamorphosis of Claire' then decided
(a) That sounded far too much like a beauty commercial of the door-to-door salesgirl type. Bad.
(b) It could bring back really bad memories of Latin (apparently a bitch of a subject...not that I ever tried) and/or high school science (Now look at the ugly bug as it undergoes metamorphosis and turns into...a butterfly...Awww...which by the way only has a 24 hour lifespan before it dies. Apparent moral of the story: You spend most of your life ugly, have a brief epiphany of beauty and then die. Am I particularly cynical today? Probably)

No but seriously. I have decided...not that I'm drawing on personal experience or anything. That some people just look WAY hotter post-break-ups. Maybe it's the fact that you're on the prowl again...or that you just need to cut that bloody bastard out of your hair (yes I did that) and/or you're feeling your empowered woman (or man) mojo return in a whole new AB-FAB experimental way. But it is so true. Claire's always been beautiful. It's that stupidly gorgeous Eurasian gene that she has. But Z-O-M-G...the hair! The complete change of wardrobe and aesthetic! Goodbye standard student uniform of tees + jeans and hello 'oh I just picked this up off my floor and I look amazing' vintage perfection.

The first time I saw Claire post break-up. My jaw nearly dropped. Oversized blazer with a pocket chain and floral dress. This time it was an old jersey dress made good with a 'I just found this old thing' heirloom Ferragamo belt (adorably, she didn't even know it was Ferragamo and hence had to rely on my heinously acute designer spidey sense) and the bling...Oh the bling...

Part II: The 'Jerk' Necklace
The 'Jerk' necklace is so awesome it deserves a whole part to itself. No not a mere paltry sentence. A whole PART.
More so because I picked it. And yours truly also layered it over her old 'handed down from many an Asian mother-to-daughter' piece. And even if you're not impressed by my stylist abilities (although I am currently offering my service free of charge if you did want a personal shopper...*nudge nudge hint hint*...) it really was just the most fabulous thing I'd seen in a while.

It's by ex-Melbourne (currently Adelaide *sniffle* based) woman of bling - Toto (and available at Lenko...if you did want to stalk it out...because you should) and here I provide you with a well organized list of reasons why it should be your next statement piece:

(1) It is absolutely bold,adorable...and yet offensive. So it makes for those absolutely grand awkward moments where someone goes: 'Oh my god...what a cute necklace...but so...' (trails off into weird silence) Yes it says JERK goddammit...

(2) People who wish to insult you no longer have to actually say the word to your face because you have embraced it in an all too aesthetically cool way

(3) Related to the point above - you save yourself some effort by not having to insult people verbally anymore. It's just like my 'Yo' ring...I mean why say 'Hello' anymore when I could just give people the finger AND meet-and-greet 'em at the same time.

(4) You can get more offensive words. Like 'Ass' or even 'Ass Face'. Or just really naff words from the '90s. Like 'Dope' or 'Phat' (which is totally on my indulgence list once I get out of my fricken' house post-exams)

(5) At only 30 bucks a pop...your inner cheap Asian/Jew/stingy Ebenezer Scrooge should be rejoicing...because that's like ridiculously easy on the hip pocket for an awesome slice of bling. Pamela Love and your stupidly priced 800 buck bracelets. Eat your heart out.

Hell yes.

Love

xx

Bec

PS. You can find the full range of offensive (or just pretty awesome) words at: http://welovetoto.com/