Yacht O'Clock

I don't know about you, but I get a little silly during the holiday season. There's so much to do, so much to see, and I sign up for all of it, making the grandest of grand plans...and then tea and Scrabble somehow manages to win out.

Sadly, even one of my sneak peeks suffered that particularly shameful fate. Instead of basking in the Sydney summer sun on one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, sipping champagne and snacking on a picnic lunch whilst watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race...I stayed at home and ate muesli. It was pretty good muesli too, so good that it managed to distract me until the start of the race was well and truly over and there was nothing really left to watch.

It's a Boxing Day tradition, but a strange one (as opposed to all those "normal" traditions). Like most Australian traditions of course, it's more or less just an excuse to drink copious amounts of alcohol. Because really, if you're actually on the harbour, there's a bit of a buildup, then the gun goes off, and then you see a whole fleet of yachts sailing away. Then it's either game over, or if you're really keen, you drink for the next 48 hours until the first yachts start arriving in Hobart, at which point the crews of the winning yachts take the alcoholic baton and run with it for the next few days. Slurred victory speeches are the best.

I think what I'm getting at is...it's not really a spectator sport. And I have to admit, the main reason I watch the start is to see what the lads on the Hugo Boss yacht are wearing...

[Images via Rolex, Getty Images, Christophe Launay, Jamd and mynameisluca]

A Boss suit can make any man look dapper, even a (highly overrated, overpaid, rival team) football player.

But perhaps what I'm really getting at is the simple fact that despite the gruelling 48+ hours, the treacherous oceans and the very real threat of death, I secretly want to compete in the Sydney to Hobart one day. Sure I've only been sailing twice (both times I sat and "observed"), but I figure I'm still relatively young, surely I can fit it into the next 40 or so years.

OR.

I could just do this.

Not so much the dress head to toe in leather bit, and especially not the be an international supermodel bit (although if Jean-Baptiste Mondino wants to photograph me, I'm down with that.) Mainly just the bit about hanging out on a yacht, being glamourous.

If that happens to mean being glamourous in designer threads, I'm down with that as well.

Once you excuse the atrocious image quality care of my terribly average scanner, you'll be admiring one of my all-time favourite Wallpaper* fashion spreads, dating all the way back to January 2004. To be honest, I'm not too fussed about the fashion, so why do I luuuuuurve these photos?

Because it lead me to Wally.

Wally, meet my lovely readers.

Lovely readers, meet Wally.

Or to be more precise, the 118 WallyPower super yacht. 36 metres of dreamboat material, with speeds up to 65 knots (sea-speak for fast!) Behold!

And so began my obsession with yachts. Initially, the dream was to design a few, but since starchitects and design gods like Norman Foster and Philippe Starck have made their way into the megayacht design scene, I don't really like my chances. I guess I'll just have to settle for owning one. Sigh.

One day, my pretties, one day. And when I finally have my very own Wally, you're all invited to the wedding.

Happy sailing lovelies, have a marvellous weekend! xx

Oldschool Heart Art

I figure I'd better make good on a few more of my Sneak Peek promises, so today I'm going to travel back in time and explore a few of the works of a fairly famous yet somewhat underrated artist...

Care of a very thoughtful Christmas gift from my dear Mumsie, M.C. Escher will be inspiring me throughout the year in calendar format, so I've decided to do a tiny bit more research on this talented lad.

Maurits Cornelius Escher (1898 - 1972) was a Dutch artist who is widely known for his "impossible constructions", as explored in beautiful lithographs like Belvedere, below.

[Belvedere, 1958, lithograph]

After struggling with illness and failing to finish high school, he tried his hand at architecture, but eventually pursued the decorative arts at the suggestion of one of his professors. Although his background in architecture is evident, his explorations of mathematical concepts like impossible objects and tesselations are all intuitive. His more famous works like Belvedere, Ascending and Descending, Waterfall and Relativity are still some of the best (and most beautiful) examples of optical illusions.

[Three Worlds, 1955, lithograph]

But there is of course more to the man than tessellations and Penrose Stairs. He explored a variety of subjects and a number of media, from lithographs to woodcuts, engravings and watercolours, and the occasional mezzotint.

[Still Life and Street, 1937, woodcut]

Inspired by his life and travels throughout Italy, his work evolved from direct observation to imagined (and impossible) realities. Still Life and Street, above, harks the beginning of this era.

In 1960, he wrote:

The fact that, from 1938 onwards, I concentrated more on the interpretation of personal ideas was primarily the result of my departure from Italy. In Switzerland, Belgium, and Holland where I successivly established myself, I found the outward appearance of landscapes and architecture to be less striking than those which are particularly to be seen in the southern part of Italy. Thus I felt compelled to withdraw from the more or less direct and true-to-life illustrating of my surroundings.

The outbreak of World War II also affected Escher both geographically and personally. His former teacher, Samuel de Mesquita, was one of many Jews who were kidnapped and killed by Nazis. Escher took it upon himself to salvage Mesquita's works, and following the war he organised a memorial showing of these works at the Stedelijk.

[Symmetry Drawing 88, 1948, ink and watercolour]

Having being exposed to Moorish (Arabic) tiling in the 1920's, Escher's continued fascination eventually emerged in his work. Although his Symmetry Drawing 88, above, is my favourite tessellation (how cute would this be as a wallpaper in a child's bedroom!?), the culmination of this fascination with tiling and illusions is undoubtedly his Metamorphosis series, my favourite being Metamorphosis III, below.

[Metamorphosis III, 1967-68, woodcut]

This image has a particular place in my heart, namely because it kept me entertained through many less than exciting high school physics classes. The detail is just astounding, click on the image and have a closer look if you don't believe me!

[Relativity, 1953, woodcut]

There's only one image that trumps Metamorphosis III in my books, and that is Relativity, above. Why, I hear you ask? I could pretend to have an intelligent answer, or talk about my love affair with the aforementioned Penrose Stairs, but the reality is there are two reasons, and both of them are far from intellectual.

Yep, the first reason is Lego. Andrew Lipson is responsible for this little gem, and it makes me smile every time. But not quite as much as this little clip from Family Guy...

It's embarrassing to admit how much I laughed when I first saw this, and even worse is admitting that now, every time I look at my calendar, I'm going to hear a little voice in my head singing "Going up the sideway stairs!" I think I need to get out more.

Trust me to reduce a great artists life work to Lego and cartoons.

Further reading at here and here.
All images are Copyright The M.C. Escher Company, with the exception of Relativity in Lego, copyright by Andrew Lipson.

Olden Globes

I have a confession to make. A darling friend asked me today yesterday (yes, this post has taken me two days to finish!) what I thought about the fashion choices on the Golden Globe red carpet, and my response was a blank stare, followed by a long swig of coffee and a blatant attempt to change the subject ("So how about those two headed fish?"). Sure I'd seen brief glimpses of dresses, but nothing that particularly took my fancy, so I perused no longer. Kit without an opinion?! Outrageous!

As my shocked friend kindly reminded me, the awards season is now in full swing, and I MUST be up to date on these things. So when I returned to my trusty hunk o' computer, I had another look. On the whole, I think there are a number of stylists about to find themselves unemployed, but there were a few saving graces. (I'm still giggling that the Lanvin sack made a controversial appearance on quirkmeister Maggie Gyllenhaal!) And unsurprisingly, I'm on my own with a couple of these, with the general consensus amongst my daily fashion reads seemingly pointing towards the fact that I have no style or taste whatsoever. Probably why they run insanely successful blogs whilst I'm sitting here in my pyjamas, sipping tea and wondering how I've managed to kill 3 of my plants in as many weeks. Whatever, at least I have tea.

But I digress.

Amongst the sea of Blandy McBoring, there were two dresses that caught my eye. Specimen #1 as worn by Jenna Fischer (of "The Office" Americana fame, wearing Zuhair Murad) is probably not the ideal red carpet candidate, but as a light summery maxi-dress, I totally rate it. I tend to loathe about 99% of the prints I see on maxis, so the tick of approval is rare (and usually only given to dresses that are well outside my budget - typical!)

The jury is still out on Specimen #2, but from most angles, I think Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, in Christian Lacroix) has absolutely nailed it. Sure there's some weird back detail that looks like a discoloured toilet paper trail, but if you ignore that, it's mustardy perfection. Ornate cuff bracelets and chandelier earrings just add to the loveliness.

And there are even some great specimens amongst the neutral pallettes. High School Musical sweetheart Vanessa Hudgens features here as Specimen #3 (in Alberta Ferretti), and although I would probably fall off my chair if someone tried to convince me I'd be in love with a peachy beigey mermaid-esque sequinned dress, I just can't help but love it! Simple double looped necklace, cute clutch and glossy waved hair...I'm glad she's finally getting publicity for being clothed!

And finally, Specimen #4 in the form of Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, wearing Stella McCartney.) Perhaps I love it because I'm still secretly hoping she'll reprise her role in the miraculously reinvented Veronica Mars, or perhaps I'm happy that someone other than Anne Hathaway is representing us ultra-fair skinned types. Albinos represent! But anyway, despite a few reviews that the dress wasn't particularly well fitted, I've yet to see any photos to back this up. All I see is a flattering cut, gorgeous material and a nice little splash o' shoulder bling.

And then...deja vu. Specimen 2, 3 and 4 all seemed to ring a distant bell. And suddenly, a vague memory resurfaced...that I had in fact promised to share a bit of Elie Saab love with you. Remember this?

Well let's just say that although Saab wasn't particularly well represented this year (dear, dear Beyonce, what were you thinking?!), we can all take solace in his stunning Spring 08 Couture collection, full of sparkling neutrals and the occasional splash of yellow. Perhaps I was in Christmas mode when I fell in love with this collection (accustomed to lots of shiny baubles and sparkly tinsel), but I'm still smitten.

[Click the image for a larger version and check out the sparkly goodness!]

I'm not usually keen on the ultra-blingy, but I'd make an exception for my new best friend, Elie.

[Click again, it's so worth it!]

And anyone who designs some killer yellow dresses is my BFF, more or less. The yellow looked very bright in these pictures though, as compared to the more mustard tone in the first image...so I thought I'd search for other images just to be certain.

And then...

The horror.

One of my favourite Saab dresses...

On Laura Linney.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Perhaps it's just me, but there is a fairly substantial list of actors/actresses that I simply cannot stand. There's no logical reason behind this loathing, but the hatred is palpable. And right up there in my top 5 of my Most Inexplicably Detested Actors is none other than Laura Linney (being kept company by Kevin Bacon, Marc Whalberg, Natalie Portman and the aforementioned Anne Hathaway.)

On the bright side, at least the yellow is less garish than the catwalk pics. But WHY on Laura Linney, WHY?! Curse her for looking so damn pretty!

*Deep breaths*

I decided to comfort myself with more red carpet goodness. And I found a few more goodies too, so honourable mentions go to...

The young guns! I haven't yet been able to find out who created the smashing orange number on Madeleine Zima (Californication), but I DO know that NZ girl Anna Paquin (True Blood) is wearing a amazingly understated aubergine Herve Leroux number that is so beautifully cut. I wish I had a better image of the ayssemetrical bodice, but I don't, so you'll just have to lean into the screen and squint. Or just take my word for it, whatever works.

And I can't go past this J. Mendel frock on Kate Beckinsale...ok that's a lie, I actually flicked right past it, but the more I saw of it, the more I came to love it. Another flattering bodice cut with just a dash of kooky and a tiny bit of bridal. I'm not super keen on the earrings, but I doubt Kate is worried.

And last but not least, fellow Aussie Melissa George (Grey's Anatomy) ups the kooky ante in this Giorgio Armani Prive dress. I usually despise powder blue as a rule, but if anyone can convince me otherwise, it's Giorgio. The cut looks a bit awkward from some angles, but in these two photos Melissa looks devine. For some unexplainable reason, the black detailing reminds me of Beetlejuice (I f'ing love that movie!)

Ok I'll admit it, I'm still hurting from the Laura Linney thing. But I know how to fix that...

Man candy! This time in the form of Australia's own Simon Baker (The Mentalist).

Ahhh that's better.

There's a lot to love and hate at awards nights, but talented lads in suits makes it all worthwhile...so bring on the awards season!

[Images + Info via Just Jared + FabSugar + Red Carpet Fashion Awards + Mama Mia + Socialite Life]

Wednesday Wisdom Strikes Again

The time to relax is...
when you don't have time for it.

- Sidney J. Harris

I hear you, Sidney!

[Image via Apartment Therapy]

ThreeFiveSix

So I'm 13 days late but I'm still jumping on the bandwagon. That's right, the most unreliable blogger in the world is committing to take one photo a day for a whole year. Can she do it? Will she falter? Will she take so many photos of her vegetable garden that people will pay her to stop?! Only time will tell...

Delve into the outrageously unglamourous life of Kit, who has once again slipped into the third person and can't seem to get up. Have a looksee at her very own 365 Project...

Here's a tiny sneak peek!

She promises she will post something more substantial and exciting in the very near future.

P.S. A few lovelies have let me know that they haven't been able to leave comments - if you have the same problem, pretty please shoot me an email and tell me what goes wrong so I can tell Blogger :) Thank you muchly!

P.P.S. Yay! My Third-Person-Itis is cured!

P.P.P.S. The photos are straight from my little camera phone, so apologies in advance for the mediocre image quality. <3

Redemption via Fashion

I've been neglecting lots of things over the Silly Season, like sleep and sobriety for example. So now that I'm back on track (except for the sobriety bit), I have a lot of lost ground to cover. I'm still catching up on emails, replying to comments and desperately trying to get up to date with all my favourite blogs, but first on my list is a big thank you and hello to VintagePrincipessa (amongst other aliases), a very multitalented lady who's firing up what is bound to be an invaluable resource...The Best Etsy Blogs. Now I have to admit, since the Australian dollar nosedived into sub-zero territory, Etsy has probably been the top of my Neglecto List, but with the $AU slowly but surely climbing back to 1990's levels (oh joy), I'm getting back into the swing of Etsy things.

[Did someone say swing?! Tree Swing (Green) by ashleyg]

So firstly, be sure to keep an eye on The Best Etsy Blogs, where I am very honoured to be featured (as a lover and buyer, not a seller just yet...that might be New Years Resolutions #11...) There's a tonne of fantastic links for buyers, sellers and lovers alike, so head over there and have a looksee, and nominate your favourite Etsy blogs while you're there!

And secondly...ETSY FINDS! I've been a little neglectful on the fashion front as well, so here are some Etsy Fashion Finds to keep my conscience clear...

First up I can't deny the vintage sourcing talents of the aforementioned VintagePrincipessa, because as anyone who has been op-shopping before knows, every gem is buried under about 8 truckloads of mediocrity.

Holy amazing prom dress. I don't consider myself a girly girl (despite my latest obsession with summery dresses) but THIS dress would totally transform me into a giggly teenager skipping through the streets, or better yet a field of daisies.

Keeping with the ultra glamourous theme, I've been drooling over this AMAZING bridal wrap by Bonzie for months, and I'm still in love.

Next up is one of my favourite sellers, Liza Rietz, and although I tried my very best to find just one standout piece, I couldn't chose between these three...

...And who could blame me? Art Deco glamour...

...Post modern frivolity...

Or Blair Waldorf-esque refinement? (Apologies to non-Gossip Girl lovers!) Despite how different all these pieces are, I honestly can't chose one I prefer more than the other. Love love love!

Speaking of refinement, another long-time favourite on my Etsy list is the work of LEMONSTORY by kimenna. I absolutely adore the Fall Shirt Dress which comes in a range of colours and fabrics, which again is both a godsend and a curse for indecisive types like me!

Another style that is perfect for both work and play is this gorgeous dress by Replicca. Any dress that looks great with bright tights and/or a cute belt wins my vote, but this dress has me looking forward to the cooler months once more.

Speaking of that elusive cooler weather, my obsession with blazers has well and truly survived the new year, especially with great vintage finds like this little beauty from Santoki Vintage. Marching bands have never been so cool. Seriously.

Apocalypse Vintage has also dug up this great little military number, and the hat is to die for too!

And as I ponder a possible return to university to get another piece of paper (ugh!), I'm loving this unstructured blazer from Basho.

There are few things I love more than being comfortable in the ol' jeans, T-shirt and blazer, so I might be sporting this look whether I return to campus or not.

I'll have to save accessories for another day, because the list is so very very long and my mind is currently wandering towards all things food-based.

Before I go foraging however, I'd better mention (whilst I remember) that I've jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, even though I'm still not entirely know what it's for (other than finding awesome bloggers and their awesome blogs!)...so if you want to hear all about my gardening habits and sporadic ponderings, feel free to follow me! :D

And last but not least, one of the lovely ladies over on the Vogue Forums has reminded me about the brilliant 365 Project, and although I'm a little late, I'm jumping on that bandwagon too. More to come on that front, stay tuned...

What Day Is It? Where Am I?

Holy mackerel. I've totally lost track of days. Not even in the "Is it Saturday or Sunday?" sort of way, as in the "I have absolutely no idea what day or date it is!" sort of way. I don't wear a watch either mind you, and daylight savings is still a relatively new thing for me as well, so I find myself completely disorientated and genuinely shocked to realise that New Years Eve is tomorrow was a week ago? WHAT?!

I only had a few days of recovery from the family being in town before friends jetted in, and before I knew it my teeny tiny apartment was a makeshift hotel! No time for blogging, sleeping, thinking, just endless trips to remote corners of Sydney, lots of food and shopping and SO much coffee and wine. An epic New Years, followed by an epic recovery, followed by lots of beach time...it doesn't get much better than that. But alas, I have neglected you all, so I'm back to make amends.

[My NYE looked a little something like this...Image via FFFFOUND!]

Well I don't know about you, but 2008 was crazy. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so much. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to a fresh start in 2009, and here we are. But I still had a few things from Oh-Eight to share with you. Firstly, I made some little collages of my Christmas that I don't want to waste.

Christmas in Australia is of course in Summer, and usually very, VERY hot, and fairly humid in most parts of the country too. So Christmas is a time for the beach, for tasty seafood (which I don't eat!), for cold meats, cold salad, and perhaps a little warm turkey for good measure. The best Christmases are ones spent by the water, whether it be a swimming pool, a lake or, most likely (for my family anyway), the beach. It's not unusual for the temperature to hover around 40°C (~100°F), so there's nothing better than floating around in the pool snacking on cherries and all the other delicious seasonal berries.

I still can't quite imagine a white, wintery Christmas, despite having seen it a zillion times on TV and in movies, but then again I haven't even seen snow! This year, I intend to change that. And that brings me to...*drumroll*

New Years Resolutions 2009!

#1 See Snow
#2 Eat Snow
#3 Make Snow Angels
#4 Learn to Drive (Tragic!)
#5 Plan European Driving Trip for 2010! (Weee!)
#6 Save for European Driving Trip (Doh!)
#7 Pay Off Credit Cards (Yes, cards. Eep!)
#8 Buy More Flowers
#9 Make More Pancakes
#10 Enjoy the Small Things

[#10 includes bike rides...lots and lots of bike rides! Image via FFFFOUND!]

That all sounds fairly straightforward, but I suspect #7 is easier said than done! I really should include a few usual suspects like drinking less wine and not biting my nails, but I'd rather focus my energy on pancakes. Um yum yum.

[The search continues! Image via FFFFOUND!]

So I think that's a wrap on 2008. I'll probably remember something else I wanted to tell you, but in the meantime, I bought you all a present on behalf of this little blog...

That's right, I bought a goat from Oxfam, which according to their website...

...can play a key role in the livelihoods of rural communities, feeding on household waste - so they get rid of rubbish and unwanted scraps - and providing milk and manure as a bonus. Oxfam Australia provides training in keeping the goats, vaccination and de-worming.

I dub thee goat Poppy! I sincerely hope she is a valuable asset to her recipients, and that she brings smiles, happiness and prosperity. In fact, I might make Poppy my very own little guardian angel...she's an apt reminder of how much we have to be thankful for, and how lucky we really are to have shelter and warmth to share with those we love.

So on behalf of Poppy and I...

Happy 2009!

Tell me how your holidays treated you! Are your New Years Resolutions as silly as mine? I challenge you all to a silly resolution competition! :D

Wednesday Wisdom For a New Year!

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.

- Mary Pickford