Age Cannot Wither Her

Throughout the ages there have been interesting and wonderful people come and gone, though none so fabulous as the Marchesa Luisa Casati - tall & svelte with flaming red hair and piercing green eyes always adorned with layers of black kohl. Born 23 January 1881 to wealthy parents of notability in Milan, there was none in a better position to have any and all they wanted as the Marchesa.

To be as wealthy as an heiress is to have a great power, a power which can be used any which way the beholder pleases. It was art, beauty and opulence which pleased the Marchesa and lavish with it she was. She never spared expenses on outrageous parties and finely crafted fashions and paid many artists to capture her in all her fabulous glory. She wanted to be a living work of art and that she truly was if anybody could ever be. One of my personal favourite things about the Marchesa is the fact that she used to be waited on by nude attendants gilded in goldleaf, get around with two leopards on leashes with diamond studded collars and at one point owned a python which she used to wear around her neck and shoulders as if it were just another piece of jewellery.

Her story (unsurprisingly I suppose) ended in poverty, which I don't think takes away from her glamour, it really just reinforces it and adds a touch of vain tragedy - how utterly fabulous. She spent and spent and lavished all her monies on the arts & beauty not caring where it would leave her, as long as she was surrounded by the beautiful. *sigh*

More info @ wikipedia

Official website

Dream On

One night I was walking home from the train station and had the most vivid waking dream. It was of what appeared to me as a "star lady" I suppose you could say. She was almost glowing, surrounded by the night sky and the stars, I think she was "wearing" some flowing gown and she was running towards me with her arms stretched reaching to me, trying to say something without saying a word. I still think of it sometimes, not really sure what it meant (if it meant anything at all) and last night I did again and sort of wrote a poem about it.

"Came forth she did to me through the fabric of the night,

Reaching to me with her hands, arms stretched forth,

Running like the breath of wind in a laudanum dream motion,

Shown only by the faint gleam of the stars and the heavens,

Speaking to me without moving lips, without the utterance of word,

Her gown like a sheer curtain, whispering in a night's breeze."

I've been writing poetry for a long time, since childhood but haven't really written anything solid since I left highschool. This dream (whatever it was) it seems was the perfect inspiration :) I guess it all started with the Dr. Seuss books mum read to me as a small child, books I still have and refuse to part with.

Committing to the ink asylum

1.P22 Cezanne
2. Santos Dumont
3.Cabaletta
4.Achilles

One of these vertically down my spine... which font? I like them all!

For  a while now I've been wanting to get a tattoo but I didn't want to be one of those girls who got something like a flower "because it was pretty" or a band/movie tattoo "because they're my favourite" or some cliche quote - I wanted something that meant a lot to me or a poignant reminder while being classic, poetic and arty. I found (or discovered rather) just the perfect thing.

My mother told me something about the passing of my youngest brother, something that happened to her just after he'd passed. As somebody who is just generally interested in everything (like myself) she'd read (or heard) that on the third day after somebody dies the soul leaves the body. She told me that for the first two days after he'd died she felt as though he hadn't gone and that he was still here. On the third day, however, she stepped outside and looked at the sky and it was filled with birds, then, she said, she felt as though he'd finally passed and after so much suffering he was at peace, free.

There was the first part down - something that meant so much to me. I worded it as follows "On the third day the sky filled with thousands of birds then his soul was free." I also wanted something to do with my Scottish heritage so I decided to get it translated into Scottish Gaelic. I did a lot of research and internet scouring but finally found somebody who knew what they were talking about and the translation is as follows "Air an treas latha, lìon an t-adhar le mìltean de dh'eòin agus bha anam air a shaoradh".

The only thing left to do now is pick a font! THIS is the tricky part. I love the look of handwriting and cursive scripts but I also love the idea of going that one step further with the heritage thing and having it in a Gaelic/Celtic font... hmm... decisions decisions... 

j'aime la nuit

This is a set I made on Polyvore BECAUSE I can't stop dreaming about the ASOS black unitard featured above. It's only $55, has an amazing horizontal slash back and it's just an amazing piece to accessorise!! Not to mention it would be totally glamourous for winter clubbing - DON'T HOLD ME BACK!! I'll be purchasing this bad boy in the very VERY near future, until then however I shall dream on.

the back^^^

On A Rock Mission

Aqua Aura Quartz Earrings & Ring Set

It all started with Princess Polly. Here I was bored and surfing my fav. online stores when I saw clear quartz point studs which hung like icicles from the ear from the Erin Wasson "Low Luv" range, which was being stocked at Princess Polly. I was all ready to click and drain my account when I saw that they were $90. Pfft. I'm sorry, I know in the scheme of the world and prices that's really not a lot to ask and at another time of my life when I wasn't a poor TAFE student I would not have even blinked and bought them. Also, however, now that I am studying fashion I have a much better idea of the real worth of retail product AND $90 for cut rocks glued to brass is a GD RIP OFF. TO THE MAX. I get that the wholesaler has to mark up X amount to make money and that the retailers have to mark up approximately another 100% to make money but $90? FOR TWO ROCKS? Like the kind of rocks you can dig up in the bush with a stick... not happening. 

SO, determined to have earrings as close as possible I went on a scoping mission to see what was out there in the big bad world. I thought of even making them myself (even though I'd never done it before but I'm still keen to have a go). On my "travels" I stumbled across a bluish quartz which immediately caught my eye and I  liked it so much more than the clear. Turns out quartz can be... "infused" I suppose you could say, with other minerals which in turn reacts chemically and creates a new colour on the quartz. The blue is achieved with "infusing" it with gold (I can't remember the method exactly, kinda just skimmed over it in excitement). I decided I HAD to have a pair just like the Erin Wasson ones but in this blue, known as "Aqua Aura"(description below). I found a lovely lady on Etsy to customise me a pair and even make me a ring too!! I AM TOO EXCITED!! That's the set in the pic, I should get them soon!! YAY!!

This whole mission has made me want to dabble a bit in crystal & raw material jewellery making, would be a bit of fun experimentation which if I suppose if any of it is good enough maybe I could sell. Yay for extra income (which will probably go straaaaight back into paying TAFE fees haaaa). Strange I didn't want to try sooner, I was absolutely obsessed with rocks as a child.

This is just one description I found for "Aqua Aura" Quartz:

~Can Enhance Intuition & Communication
~Attracts Wealth & Success
~Boosts Immune System
~Will Balance Emotions 

One Door Closes... Another One Opens!!!

ASAHI PENTAX K1000 35mm SLR FILM CAMERA.

My camera obsession isn't slowing... I think I may have to start attending AA meetings but for cameras!! I'm besotted, it's a little weird!! 

The digital camera I got from a friend for my 21st birthday back in April decided to just... die. About 2 weeks ago, for absolutely no good reason. Dead. Just like that. I'm a little devo about it so I thought I'd celebrate it's passing slash buy myself a Christmas present with buying a new camera!! But this time a real SLR not just point, shoot, edit-to-make-look-good & upload. Takes all the magic out of photography this digital business, not to mention the amazing lighting & film effects you just don't get (naturally at least) with digital. I'd love to eventually still get a DSLR just for ease of use and convenience but while I'm a poor TAFE student film is the way!! I love film anyway!! This wont be my first one!! 

I did my research to find out what would be a good, sturdy option, then hit up ebay as obviously lame camera stores generally don't sell decent SLR's, and if they did it wouldn't be on the cheap! So I found... the ASAHI PENTAX K1000 35mm SLR FILM CAMERA!!!Some were really cheap - like $30 but then they'd not been tested and/or had dings etc etc which is only to be expected I guess, they've been in production since the 1970s ('76 - '97)!! However, I wanted something in the best condition as possible and feel I did pretty well for $100. THE BIGGEST SPLURGE I'VE HAD SINCE... TAX TIME!! *sigh* It should be in my hot little hands any day now, the only thing left to do is buy it a pretty case, some filters, a fish eye lense (thank you ebay) and of course FILM!!

Yay a new lease on photo-taking life!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Extra info for Pentax K1000

She's Got Me Wrapped Around Her Little Finger

A little something I did for my illustration assignment at TAFE. This was the computer illustrating component of illustration using - wait for it - ILLUSTRATOR!! And photoshop. This wasn't one of the main pieces I did, I was just mucking around and happened to really like it :)

Art Inspring Art

The original.

1/4 way progress of replication.

A bit further...

After 12 hours of acrylic layering.

Stage 1.

The mess I made in the progress.

Wallah!! She lives!! My own :)

This is what I did for Illustration at TAFE. The assignment was to pick a Fashion Illustrator, research them, pick one of their pictures, replicate that picture in the same medium to learn their style (that’s the theory), then create a picture of your own in the style of the illustrator. I picked Richard Gray and his picture “Plans For A Woman”. Richard Gray is ridiculously talented and imaginative and I’m a big fan of his work. I called mine “I May Be A Rusty But I Haven’t Lost My Touch”. I HATED working at such a small scale but I really enjoyed the challenge, it also would have been impossible to transport huge canvases to TAFE on public transport safely = NIGHTMARE. I’m definitely no Richard Gray but I think I did alright.

Success Begins With A Single Step

Riccardo Tisci is jealous, he just doesn’t know it yet. Original piece by 2nd year MSIT fashion student, Mitchell Hayes… one word? WOW. Look. Out. Fashion. World.

Do Your Research Before You Permanently Label Something -_-

The Godfather.

Mr. Dior.

The First Lady of Fashion.

Yves Saint Laurent.

“Haute Couture”. “Haute” means high. “Couture” means sewing/dressmaking. These terms literally make no sense referring to anything else. So next time you see something like “Couture Cakes” or “Couture Nail Varnish” feel free to laugh a whole lot. Violently laugh even. You may laugh so much you might end up in hospital. People use these artisan terms to make simple things SOUND fancy… if only we all spoke French… and now here’s a little “couture” history (by this I don’t mean fancy history, I mean history about the fancy sewing… heh). One name: Charles Frederick Worth aka The Godfather of Haute Couture circa 19th century. He began draping in London, then moved to the city of romance, Paris and worked for some well known Parisienne drapers. There he married one of their models, Marie Vernet, and she would wear some of his creations around the store where customers began asking for copies and the rest is history. Made to measure in luxurious fabrics and trimmings by his own design, handmade and showcased four times a year in Paris. THAT is “Couture” in context. Cake? Not unless it’s part of the garment.

Ring Riiiing, Ring Riiiing

The white ring is tacky (the lady with it isn’t so classy herself) but I’m super keen to get my lip done the same. It looks lovely with the diamante, love to have a sterling silver one! Somebody told me to get it done at "The Laundry"... sounds a little off subject but apparently it's a piercing place in a totally decked out laundry, as the title says. Might have to have a little looksie...

This is it! "The Laundry"

Shoes... OF DEATH!

Someone to help you walk...

29 INCHES. *jaw drops*

Appropriate for Church? haaa

Beauty is pain. Oh yes.

70s eat your heart out!

If you think the 70s had outrageous shoes… THINK AGAIN. Step into a handy dandy time machine and go back through the ages to the 15/16/17th Century. They were called “Chopines”. They were used as a status symbol to literally “look down” on the lower classes in Venice and Europe. They also required somebody else to help the wearer walk. I thought I had it bad in my measly 15cm heels clubbing for a few hours - not teetering around on 29 inch pedestals from dusk ‘til dawn. OH. MY. LORD.

It's All In The Details

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde (first published in 1890 in Lippincot’s Monthly Magazine) is undoubtedly my most favourite story of all time as it is so beautiful, so strange and so remarkably and poetically written. I understand that when adapting a story to a movie it is not always possible or practical to keep completely to the storyline and everything in it THOUGH obviously you leave as much as possible to keep it true. HERE is my great issue - The Picture of Dorian Gray is all about Dorian and his appearance and in the story one of his defining characteristics is that he has “a flowing, golden mane of hair”. You would think that when making the film that whoever was cast to play Dorian would also have or adapt this… WRONG and that is where the film instantly fails, most notably the 2009 adaption. OH MY WORD. I heard that they were re-making it (yes it has been made before) and was rather excited by the prospect UNTIL I saw Ben Barnes in the advertising with *da dun daaaaaaahhh* BROWN HAIR. HONESTLY. WTF WERE THEY THINKING?????!!!!!!!

Get High & Waisted... Get High Waisted!!

Marc Jacobs = Delish.

Love the pink & love the frills.

Noughts & Crosses? or Hugs & Kisses?

Tropical Fever.

Colour Block & Spots = Win.

There really is nothing classier than a pair of sexy, flattering high-waisted bikinis and they are at the top of my want list for summer. The only problem is finding a good pair in a truly flattering cut waist height and colour and pattern. If the waist height is too low than you just look wide and boxy… not very sexy at all. Colours and cool prints are pretty hard to find and the good ones seem to be sold out :(. Might just have to make my own… good thing I will learn at TAFE. 

“Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone”

Edith Webster was an actress who performed on stage in theaters. She was performing in Baltimore, and, while singing her swan song “Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone”, collapsed and died, both in the play, and in real life. She had suffered a heart attack at the exact moment her character was meant to collapse and die. Obviously, the audience thought it was part of the act and applauded, unknowingly, at both her death, and the stagehands call for help, thinking it was part of the play.

…gosh what a way to go but what a story!! Kind of cool, if I could select a way to go this might be it BUT at the ripe, old, healthy age of say… 3055?? Yep.

every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man

Best blue eyes - EVER.

In one word? Parfait.

Sexiest Man Alive - EASILY.

OH. LORD. *DROOL*

I have had the biggest, dirtiest crush on this man since his days of starring as Kim Hyde on Home & Away - me a young teenager in highschool drooling from 7 - 7:30 EVERY WEEK!! lol but really and now that he’s broken into Hollywood all these years later, time has not changed his appeal, if not made him sexier!! (except he got married D:). If he were a cake at a cafe, I would order him all *sigh*

he who cannot hear the sound of the holy trumpet hath clearly wandered too far

"Glory is the Reward of Valour"

Coat of Arms.

Clan Robertson Tartan.

Foretold the outcome of battle.

It’s so strange how strong heritage can be. Before I knew my father and before my parents reunited and got married and before I knew I had ANY Scottish heritage (amongst others), my mother would take me to various parades as a small child. You’d have your regular procession of floats appropriate to whatever occasion it was and then right at the end there would always be the bagpipe marching band (as far as I can remember anyway). I would be excited and wait for the band the whole parade and then as the band got closer to wherever we were standing, I would go completely silent totally awestruck. Then when they were leaving I would absolutely lose it and start to ball my eyes out. Years later I find out that my last name, Robertson, is EXTREMELY Scottish and has a WHOOOLE lot of history that goes with it… Kings, Warriors and Murderers included. 

Extra info @ Wikipedia

Norma Jean

The best picture I've ever seen of Marilyn.

At the beach 1949.

Beauty by curves.

Before Marilyn was Marilyn.

She’s known as the world’s most iconic platinum blonde. Here she is young and happy at the beach in 1949, before Marilyn was Marilyn and before glamour took the girl. Really, here, she is at her best.

you tell them sister!

Yes I do, everybody does. There is nothing worse than being taken for granted.