Blake Lively-Eleanor Parker

Ever since I first saw this shoot with Blake Lively for American Vogue it's been nagging at my mind (and seeing as this was a spring cover-I think-that's a long time). The other day I finally realised who all the shots reminded me of: Eleanor Parker in The Sound of Music (one of THE most legend films of all time). Finding the answer to a really annoying, trivial question is possibly one of the most satisfying things in the world-like when you see an actor in a film who you recognise, but can't work out what other films they've been in. And then 5 hours later in bed you realise where you've seen them before, but you can't enlighten anyone else about your genius brainwave because they're all in bed. It is a mark of my incredible loser-ness that I often turn my light on and write a little note to myself so that I'll remember to brag about it to people the next morning...but anyway...Blake and Eleanor juxtapositioned here as a mark of my geniosity.

Hot Metal

I only bought Pop recently as I have been attempting in vain to stock up money for Christmas. FAIL. There are so many lovely editorials in the magazine, which will no doubt find their way on here eventually, but this morning I was having another flick through and was struck (again) by the strong sense of beauty and grace these photos convey, especially the second one. It's one of those photographs which tell a multitude of stories. Usually I disagree with the phrase 'a picture paints a thousand words', because although yes, one picture can convey an awful lot more than one word can, even a sentence or two read by a hundred people will evoke a hundred different interpretations, whereas with visual representations everyone has the same thing shoved down their throats. (You can see why my favourite subjects are ones which include long essay-writing, and why I dropped art as soon as I possibly could). But I find myself transfixed by said second photo-is she mourning? Contemplating? Slumped with defeat and yet radiating determination by the strong set of her neck? Or merely just striking an interesting pose which will best display her rather lovely jewellery collection? I guess we'll never know.

Pastel Pink

I took these in our front garden at the end of the holidays. I can almost feel the sun on my face when I look at them. Aaah, I miss summer!

The New Eyeliner

These photos are from UK Harper's Bazaar, November edition. The clothes were nicely styled etc but what really caught my eye was the hair and make-up-particularly the eyeliner. I mean, who came up with the idea of not filling in all of the bottom line (as seen in pic 2)?! Genius! Actually it was probably Karl-or at least something to do with Karl, seeing as he is actually an official genius (as certified by...er, me) and always thinks up everything. Love Karl. Anyway, editorial like this makes me start hitting myself like Dobby going, 'WHY can't I do my own hair/make-up in a remotely interesting way?!' I want a hair stylist. And then I want that beehive. FAST. And Pat McGrath in my cupboard, so she can adorn me with that eyeliner on tap, but then that goes without saying.

TIGHTS

I really really want a nice pair of black patterned tights for the winter, and some inexpensive options are shown below (you have to click on the picture to make it big enough for proper viewing, I haven't worked out how to make my pictures big yet). I get so bored of wearing plain jeans and leggings all the time in the winter, as most of the time my top half is covered by my lovely but equally plain-coloured coat. Tights are a great way to add a bit of interest to what could otherwise be a totally dull outfit (and they require minimum effort :) ).


Here are some of the many who regularly get papped in their own versions of the tights-fad:

(I know I'm jumping on the bandwagon, but Alexa-I love you)

(google.com)

Bianca, je t'aime

Some women are not pretty, or beautiful, they just are ___. That something. In the second picture especially I am reminded of the couture models from the 1950s-they weren't very young, nor did they measure up to any of our current ideas of beauty, yet in all their photographs they have such a strong sense of character, such a noticeable sense of womanhood, rather than mere girlhood. This is also how I think of Bianca.

Winter

This morning, walking to school in the freezing cold, my legs protected from the chill of the air by a mere pair of low-quality tights, I wished with all my heart it was still summer.

Then I remembered some of the reasons I love winter. Put simply:

1. Winter layering

2. Hot drinks on a cold evening in front of a Christmas film

3. The beauty of the English countryside if and when it snows

(google.com; style.com)

Cool Blue

This is actually my dad's shirt I picked up while it was drying in the bathroom the other day. Looks pretty cool, no? Would have been absolutely perfect for the summer, and 100-1 by the time next summer swings round denim will once again be at the bottom of the fashion pile, denim by Boden especially. Ah well-still nice to have squirrelled out: you never know when an oversize denim shirt might come in handy.