Decorating the tree

Christmas Decorations 16/12/10

WOW, 1cm of snow!

Some angles of my garden in December 

just around the river bend.

Scanner dammit!!

Okay my desire to post my own work is growing, however to do which I need a scanner, that I do not possess. I need kind old Sir Nick to drop one down my chimney, or better yet through my letter box, as my house is lacking in any kind of chimney-like portal. Printer, scanner, photocopier in one me thinks.. lets persuade the father, that's where Santa get's his ideas from these days YE?

*in a perfect world there would be an illustration here*




*and here*




*probably here too*




Scanner please x

Antoinette Fleur

She's a French fashion illustrator who uses felt tip coloured pens as her principal medium. Her work is beautiful, and this drawing of Nicole Kidman particularly caught my eye in her series of portraits.  There's an urgency about her sketches, yet they seem so elegant and full of life, due to the rainbow selection of colours I'm sure. It somehow makes the image of the character seem more personal. They remind you how felt tips work, as sometimes they are so easily struck aside as a tool for children. Yet Fleur (such an appropriate name for an artist producing work of this calibre may I add) manages to make it the perfect technique for this style of illustration. 






















Another: Brigitte Bardot
It's a skill nonetheless. 

http://www.antoinettefleur.fr

Tough. Beautiful. Polo.

This is such a genius Ad. I love it when they use imagery.

And... oh yeah, I have this car. Ammaright @Ryan?


Take a look at the making of the commercial as well.. at the end of the video select the new film from the selection at the bottom. 

Versus

You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, For especially in the month of June. There's a wealth of happiness and romance, oh... Flowers:...the golden afternoon!

S/S 11

Alfie flashback!

Oohh mayyyyn!

A true British Sex God. He is so on my fantasy dinner party guest list. Amaright @Grace?

Flora or Fauna?

Alexander McQueen strikes again. Spring/summer 2011 brings flora and fauna into the spotlight, back from last season and as fresh and spring like than ever. Although this clutch could be taken for a glamorous knuckle duster, the sculpting and detailing is phenomenal, I think Paris is the home for this little, 'skulled', gem.

Rihanna - What's My Name? ft. Drake

Your Song John Lewis

The new advert for John Lewis boats the talents of Ellie Goulding, with her cover version of Elton John's 'Your Song'. It's a beautiful rendition and a testament to the original. Her voice fits the melody perfectly, even though she manages to make it her own version so well.

Coincidently the most recent X-Factor show also hosted an Elton John themed evening, where all the contestants sung songs from Mr John's infinite repertoire. At the beginning of the second commercial break of the night, the new Christmas John Lewis advert premièred on ITV.

It's not my favourite advertising of a company in the world, however the featured song makes it seriously special, definitely one to look forward to seeing this holiday.

Peacock

PEACOCK CELIA DRESS BY MOTEL

£30.00 - TOPSHOP

Okay so it will probably be too short for me, and the back is kind of weird... netting doesn't really do it for me.. period.

However the front panels are gorgeous, and given my love for all things bird-related, not to mention their unique plumage designs, this is definitely a beautiful example of concessions for Toppy.

Peacock Celia Dress by Motel** - Dresses - Clothing - Topshop

Moi Je Joue

If I ever see this posted onto the side of a bus stop.. It is mine.

Cheryl Cole - Promise This

Stunning.

Promise This

Cheryl Cole appeared on the Pierce Morgan 'Life Stories' show last night, and it one one the most real things I have seen on TV in a long time. This woman has fought so much during the past couple of years, and she is still standing tall and is as fabulous as ever. Maybe even more so than before. She proved that 90% of what you read about her is lies. She is not a doll to be played with by the media, cut up and sewn back together when they need something to fill the pages on their tabloids. She is someone's friend, someone's daughter, someone's ex-wife, and she is affected more so by any slight change in her life than the majority of the population of the world. Her life is unfairly inflated onto the covers of magazines and newspapers, more often than not with scandal.

Not just from what I saw last night, but from following her from the distance of my own small life, she has become one of my idols. She is strong, independent, beautiful. And human.

She is an inspiration.

Also her new single is AHmazing. The video is incredible as well, she does not fail to disappoint.

Herman

So there's this new cake on the block, his name is Herman.

He takes 10 days to make, 1 hour to cook, and before you 'take him to his favourite hot place', you divide him up into 5, and give 4 sections of him away to your friends.

I have just assisted in adding finely chopped sultanas and grated apple to the mix before he does indeed 'go to his hot place'.

Mother: [whilst adding flour, having already spent 9 days adding the occasional egg, stirring 2-3 times day, and finding 4 suitably sized Tupperware pots to put Herman into] This cake is so complicated!

Me: [sifting] I think you reached complicated on day two. It's now a week later, we have now passed the line, and are still none the wiser as to whether it will taste of anything worth while.

Images to come when he returns from his final destination in the oven.

God speed good friend.

Testino Español

Mario Testino's most recent exhibition opened on the 20th September, 2010. Se llama 'Todo o Nada'. From the 6 images he has allowed the public to preview on his website the collection looks amazing, but then when did anything he's done not look incredible.

He must simply ooze creativity all day long. His images don't necessarily tell a story, and they make make us insanely jealous of each woman inside the frame, each magical location he shoots in, but they are undoubtedly works of photography genius.

Skin like silk, hair as dark ink, grunge, glamour, you name it, it's all there, and it's beautiful.

Todo o Nada closes on the 9th January, 2011.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

FUR.

These would be amazingly warm in the winter. Contrasted with a dark cape coat maybe? Or a camel trench? AND with student discount one of these two version from asos.com and Topshop are soo coming into my life very soon.

TopsHOP £20 (10% student discount)

ASOS £20 (20% student discount)

Juke box?

WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THIS CAR?!

Is it a sports car, is it a land rover, is it a 4x4? Who knows.. apparently they say it's urban-proof. Well isn't that a great quality for a car to have, you know in the real world, most cars can survive in a city without breaking down when it sees a building. To be honest, out of all of the sleek cars there are available at the moment, I would think that this model is one of the least urban-proof. It's big, according to the advert, anything which runs from electricity freaks out and spontaneously combusts when it drives past.. so no, I don't think it would work well in an environment which lives off modern power.

Other than that the advert is pretty cool. Apart from when the people at the end celebrate some nice buildings which look like they are on fire.

It kind of makes me think of a Japanese bug. A big red one.

Nissan Juke.

The Fabulous Five

Jourdan Dunn for Lanvin, Spring/Summer 2011.

From the highstreet to Paris.

Oh so fabulous.

Lanvin S/S 11

Alber Elbaz

A stand against women's hatred of ageing, his collection encompassed pleats and folds as an embrace of lines and wrinkles. In contrast some dresses were all about the stretch, and the fabric was taught over slender figures. My personal favourite of the collection is a toss up between the long hem and billowing fabric of the 70s style dress, or the minimalists, wearable and utterly feminine piece of work wear.

Long Live The King

Even though resting in peace in Fashion Heaven, McQueen still manages to produce beauty on the catwalk. Is it completely unbelievable that this is a ready-to-wear piece? Looks like prints will prevail come blossom and daffodils.

GO Sarah Burton!

Por favor..

Me encanta, no hay nada más decir.

Se puede decir que Zara es la personificación de la moda. Ojála que tuviera el dinero para comprar simpre las cosas que me hacen tan emocionante y apacionada de cada temporada.

Artists' Book

Finally after having wandered back and forth to the nether regions of my imagination I have come up with a semi-solid idea of what this 'artists' book' will be.. given that it won't be a book.. but there will apparently be pages. It was in fact a simple conversation which help spark the idea. The father.. he has a use after all. It was in fact him who enlightened me with the artist known by the world as Frank Frazetta, an undoubtedly talented and unique illustrator of whom my house hold owns several books.

His work revolves around the depiction of heroes. Men and women defending themselves and sometimes others against great beasts. One of the reasons i love his work is that the creatures which appear in his paintings are not always the classic feared animals of the jungles of today.

Often, these beasts don't even exist.

However one of the most profound qualities of his works are how many of his pieces depict the strength and courage of women. Women who are physically strong, courageous, dangerous. You can literally see, and almost feel their muscles working under their skin as a means to their survival. Well, that, and the fact they're probably carrying a spear.

Alternatively with the second image, women are also depicted to be in alliance with these feared creatures. This is something I find very emotive to look at. For one I feel incredibly humble and vulnerable in the presence of great animals, which is why I find visiting the zoo a fascinating experience. The two portraits combined, strong and confident heroines, and ferocious, murderous animals, almost becoming partners, is such a powerful image.

Not to be interpreted as feminist, this work brings such a sense of elegance and beauty to what a man is seen to do instinctively. Each and every woman Frazetta creates has a personality, strategy, independence.. a mind of her own. She is at one with herself and the beings around her. These images are a vision of power, and just as if faced with one of the animals in Frazetta's work (the ones which are not extinct, of course) I am in awe.

Hail To The Princess Aurora

One of the most amazing things about a Disney soundtrack is it's ability to not only transport you into a world of complete fantasy (possibly a clichéd look at some form of over-analysed escapism) but also to transport you back to a day in your own past, that afternoon you sat indoors when it was raining. Your mother put on one of the recorded Disney films that has been shown on the BBC weeks ago, and you begin, subconsciously to archive the images and melodies which you see, hear and experience. They create entire emotions, which can only be felt through that one scene, or sole piece of music. Every time you hear that tune throughout the rest of your life, it will bring you back to the atmosphere you sensed during that hour and a half when you were only eight years old. This, is the magic of Disney. Unforgettable, never tainted, and always significant, every feature ever seen makes it's mark.

Tom Adair – Hail To The Princess Aurora

Mary Costa – Do You Hear That?/I Wonder

Watch this

Having achieved pretty niice A-level results, my 'reward' from the parents is a much needed watch. I do have one which i love, although when i look at it at 3pm and i says 6.20 i wonder whether it's time to get one which doesn't require winding up every 24 hours...

Ebay once again comes to the rescue, and there are some amazingly gorgeous vintage Disney watches >

Adorable.

AVIATOR PLEASE

So I'm browsing Elleuk.com, checking out the 12 best aviator jackets on the market for this autumn, and it says Aldo does this amazing one for £59... I'm thinking; OK wow. This coat is gorgeous, looks like Topshop but for half the price. Then I click on the 'Aldo' link, and realise this online store only sells shoes and accessories....

?!?!

I need this coat in my life and they've pointed their readers to a shoe retailer!! I'm not denying the website itself is pretty awesome, some loverly footwear.. BUT I WANT THIS LEATHER BOMBER WITH SOFT SHEEP SKIN LINING AND ZIPS AND POCKETS AND WARMNESS!

I guess it will have to be Topshop after all |-/

Aldo - £59 .. apparently..

It's the circle of Life

I have forgotten how much I love photography!

So even at the Zoo, where the abundance of wildlife is forged, it's still possible to get some fierce shots. Of course with the help of Photoshop, albeit mainly just changing levels and cropping a few frames, I have managed to compile a collection of photos spanning the African plain without leaving the country. I'm rather pleased to be honest.

Whistles | Whistles Bridgitte Print Playsuit at ASOS

Whistles Whistles Bridgitte Print Playsuit at ASOS

This is SO cute! I wish i had a disposable £135 wad of cash lying in my bedroom!
I really want a playsuit this summer! This one looks asthough it may actually fit without causing AWKWARD discomfort.
Dilz does them so well... Maybe I'll ASOS them some more.. yeah :)

Image courtesy of http://www.whistles.co.uk/

And 12 images later...

OK, so now i have officially completed my photography exam for A-LEVEL!

I had gotten so stressed towards the end of the 6 weeks planning, so much so that i ended up doing 3 shoots the night before... bad planning Jen.

Anyway, organisation aside, i want to put them up because this work did take A LOT of effort.. I'm quite proud..

My theme for this project was phobia/fears.

Fear Of Dolls (Tryptich) #1

Fear Of Dolls (Tryptich) #2

Fear Of Dolls (Tryptich) #3

Fear Of Eating/Food

Fear Of the Darkness

Claustrophobia

Fear Of Time

Pediophobia (Fear Of Puppets)

Fear Of Ageing