HALLOWEEN DREAM

So, with nearly two months to go, and in preparation for a party which doesn't yet exist, this is about the time when I start thinking about Halloween. In particular, my costume.

Three years ago I dressed up as a mime for a friends party and it was the best costume ever - minimum effort, maximum impact:

Just a simple H&M top, Toppers waistcoat and and my black school skirt dug out from the bottom drawer. The face paint really made it though, totally loved this look!

I haven't really been able to match up to it since, not in my Charlie Chaplin attempt or my vampire effort - photos of which will remain buried for all time on the long-redundant bebo...

HOWEVER recently I've been really inspired by skulls, bones and skeletons, be in it jewellery, accessories or clothes, and I think I've decided on a style-savvy costume this year:

Body and leggings @ Black Milk.

Over sized skeleton jumper @ Wildfox.

As for face paint, I'm going to try my best to copy this EXACTLY, or as exactly as my shite artistic skills will allow. Almost as crap with a paintbrush as with a camera. Almost.

via Beautiltion.

As hot as I imagine this outfit to be in my head, the thought of actually wearing skin-tight leggings under a skin-tight body has me panicking about my wobbly bits already.

In reality, THIS outfit would be much more comfortable, but alas it is nowhere to be found online - I believe it was briefly available to buy from Topshop online, but is now more covetable than an Alexa.

Ashish tracksuit as modelled by Topshop Boutique senior buyer, Rachel Proud.

So, a skeleton it is. Maybe. Probably. What will you be dressing up as? (Or is it ridiculously early to even be thinking about Halloween?)

I STILL WANT TO DROWN WHENEVER YOU LEAVE

So The XX won the Mercury Music prize, deservedly in my opinion. I would have liked to have seen Laura Marling win for I Speak Because I Can because of how much she has progressed and developed since her first effort, Alas I Cannot Swim. But, The XX's album was one of my favourites of the year. Maybe actually ever.

A bold claim, but it's so chillingly beautiful and subtle in the way it creeps up on you and lingers in your mind. The lyrics are deliciously ambiguous and the music is haunting and even spine-chilling at times.

One of my biggest regrets was not being quick enough to nab tickets to see them live at the Barrowlands. I won't make that mistake again. If you've been living in a cave and haven't heard it, please get it. You won't be disappointed.

This is my favourite off the album. Without wanting to sound pure emo, after a turbulent few months, this album and song in particular was the soundtrack I deviated to without almost realising it.

Congrats.

I HAD TO COME ALL THE WAY TO MOTOR CITY DETROIT TO FIND MY TRUE LOVE...

I'm loaded with the cold and sitting in my jim jams yet AGAIN... very much in the mood for some romance and violence...



About to go and stick it on right now. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette have never looked hotter. Fact.

JANUARY

The Emmys is usually the safest sartorially of the big American award ceremonies, so someone has to really stand out to make an impact.

January Jones was that person this year. Absolutely stunning in Versace:







She wore a mint green Versace number last year, but this year's one takes the biscuit. Absolutely beautiful, styled with simple diamonds, black courts and straight blonde locks. This girl's a goddess.

BUT THE EYES ARE BLIND, ONE MUST LOOK WITH THE HEART

"The men where you live," said the little prince, "raise five thousand roses in the same garden - and they do not find in it what the are looking for."
"They do not find it," I replied.
"And yet what they are looking for could be found in one single rose or in a litle water."
"Yes, that is true," I said.
And the little prince added:

I don't know why it looks pure wonky like that, my Dad took the photo... Trust me when I say it is much straighter in real life. It looks exactly like the text as you would type it.

I got it in Courier font and it's really small, exactly like how I wanted. I'm so happy with it, and despite what the "helpful" goth-girl waiting next to me said, it was NOT painful. I repeat, it was NOT painful.

Now, I am by no means tough as nails. In fact I would go as far as to say I am a complete wuss when it comes to any sort of pain - so the fact that all it felt like was a hot, uncomfortable, but entirely bareable scratching, was a huge relief.

In the end I went to Tribal Body Art in Edinburgh. I'm sure there are loads of places in Glasgow where I could have gone, but it was another excuse to see my pal again.

Also, if you weren't as lucky as me to read Le Petit Prince in French class, the English version will suffice. Simple, moving, touching, and brilliant.

FORGET THE HORROR HERE

Is this a re-release? I'm sure I heard this before ages ago... Maybe not. So beautiful, just so totally beautiful.

UMMMMM

Where did my wee views counter go? I have to admit, watching it approach nearly 500 views was putting a smile on my face, and now it's just disappeared? THAT'S PRETTY WEIRD, and kind of annoying after the HTML hell trying to put it on my page in the first place.

totallyfreecounters.com - yeah, I'm looking at you.

Sort it out.

QUESTION

Why isn't Sophie Ellis Bextor a supermodel? Seriously, Soph, give up the "singing" you are SO in the wrong game.

Agree or disagree?

SHE JUST PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE!

Another Saturday spent at work and another night spent watching Xfactor and Ultimate Big Brother with only my cat for company. Ho hum! However, things to look forward to - my tat is definitely booked for Tuesday so when it's done I will post a picture. Unfortunately my photos from Edinburgh were horrendous as usual - lots of ones of the road, the inside of my bag, my shoes, close ups of my eye make-up and about 100 of my and my friend posing and pouting. Facing reality here when I say photography is NOT my forte.

On to considerably more exciting things! Topshop Unique's AW2010 collection lands this month - indeed a few pieces are already online. I remember being ridiculously excited by this back what seems like EONS ago when I first saw it. There were some who were totally turned off by the furry woodland-creature-type theme (I'm thinking of a particular article here, possibly Grazia? Can't remember ahh!) but I was proudly on the opposing team. Like I've said before, the AW shows always excite me so much more than the SS ones, but even I was impressed by Unique's SS effort. I bought the long faded distressed denim shirt and wore it constantly throughout summer, so I had high hopes for them for AW.

Toppers' in-house design folks did not disappoint. Loved loved LOVED it. Favourite looks include...

So many looks to chose from, don't make me pick a favourite! The last one is like something out of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - a cross between the White Witch and Mr Tumnus. I also really hope the long chunky cardigan is released to buy... Although being 5ft 2, it could look ridiculous on me...

I digress. This collection totally does it for me - quirky, fun, comfy, practical, young, wearable, textured... and totally sums up the whole feeling of winter - cosying up in front of the fire, wrapping up in layer after layer of textured fabric to brave the frost outside... OH GOD why isn't it winter yet???

In other news, Zara's online shop launched this week. If there is one shop that represents the absolute antithesis of my previous excitement, it's Zara. Believe me, I've TRIED to like Zara. I've bought one or two things from them in the past - a leopard print bag and a silk leopard print blouse that I actually really love - but every time I go in I am BORED. I'm bored with the sheer amount of camel and beige and cream. I'm fed up with the shapeless dresses and shirts, I'm sick of seeing hundreds of trousers that all look the same... I basically feel like it's just not a shop for me. I can appreciate a well made, well tailored pair of trousers, but, I mean, I haven't actually worn a pair since 2006.

HOWEVER, what with my recent penchant for purchasing anything and, quite literally everything online, I perused their new online shop today at work.

Now, I enjoy a good skive, maybe more than I should probably admit, but to my dismay I pretty much gave up trying to get interested and went back to work after about 10 mins. Dear me, Zara, in my book that's what they call a FAIL.

Some of the (in my opinion) most lacklustre pieces:

I mean, this plain, unassuming, cotton, single-breasted coat is £89.99!

This "dress" is £50??

I know EVERY single magazine is telling me that trousers are a AW10 wardrobe staple, and I'm not against them in principle, but I could literally fall asleep looking at these - £40.

I feel bad, I'm not trying to slag off Zara, but I just really cannot get excited by them. Part of me thinks I'm not Zara's target market anyway so I'm sure they won't care, but actually when I think about it I probably am. I'm 23, working full time, have money to spend and want to look smart (sometimes), so why am I left so cold by them?

Anyway, so as not to end on a downer, this arrived for me today :)

And this skirt is in the post :) :) (after being back ordered for no less than 7 weeks - doesn't bode well for American Apparel).

WEEDGIES > EDINBURGERS

First attempt at a blog from my iPhone! I wanted to do a long post about the October 25th anniversary issue of uk Elle - a few good articles to discuss - but I've had a hectic morning and now I'm on my way to Edinburgh to stay with my pal for the night, so no time today! So really this is a bit of a non-blog... I'm hoping to take some cool photos of Edinburgh on my jakey digital camera but my skillz in that department are notoriously terrible!

Catchye!