Sound of Stereo

I'm a few months late on this one, but whatever. I've had Sound of Stereo's "Zipper" for quite some time, but I never really got around to listening to their full E.P. Problem. I recently got my lazy self around to checking out "Velcro," and it's a certified no-nonsense track. Thanks for the prodding, ex-Panda Toes champion Dan Kagan. Apparently these dudes or their label (understandably) aren't too big on YouTube having full tracks, so peep the E.P. teaser. The track to end all tracks (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but still) drops at 1:35 or so.

Style Evolution

Hello there guys!

I found a disc full of old photos earlier tonight, and it got me thinking about how my style has evolved over the years. I think it finally fits me perfectly, but still, homage must be paid to all those years in between, right? I don't know if my experience is the norm, but I've changed a great deal in the last five years or so. I could describe the changes, but really, I thought it would be easier just to show you. Witness, the evolution of man! Or woman's clothing. Whatevs.

Haha, yeah a little older than five years ago. Just thought I'd provide evidence that my love for heart-shaped glasses started early.

Ok, so this is where I ended 2004/began 2005. I don't really have any photographic evidence, but only a year before this I was a blonde (am naturally, heh), and took most of my fashion advice from the movie Bring It On. You can imagine the surprise of the people who knew me.

Yup, that's me at the end of Grade 11. I was BIG into my black makeup, and I pretty much never took that Guns 'N' Roses shirt off. On a side note, the shirt is actually older than I am, and I scored it in a basket of hand-me-downs from a cousin. Awesome.

I quickly progressed to the phase I fondly call "obsession with cheap blue wigs." This was during 2005. Seriously, I had so many good times with this wig though. Once, me and my best friend spent the day in a shopping centre wandering around, and periodically swapping the wig between us. Shop assistants were confused/terrified. Once again, this phase was big on the heavy eyeline - as well as ripped t-shirts, jeans, fishnets, and pretty much anything else I could rip.


In early 2006, I tone down a little. Less makeup, but a crazily great hair cut. It was basically a mullet, but for people who are awesome, and with lots of layering. I miss that hair, as it was so easy to take care of. I'm still wearing my neck chain, but tying it with satin ribbon now, instead of a dingy white cord. Still, that is a Marilyn Manson t-shirt I'm wearing.

Late 06/Early 07. I have no pictures, but a week before this my hair was half green, half purple. I tried to dye it blue, but the blue didn't take. So logically, I combined what was left of a friend's hairdye and made multi-coloured hair. I still had green streaks in my fringe for about six months afterwards - you just can't get rid of that crap!

Mid 07. Notice me getting slightly tidier? My chain is now worn alongside one that The Boyfriend gave to me. Strangely enough, I'm wearing exactly the same top from the last photo. I'm also wearing cool shoes that lace up your legs, and look like ballet slippers. Soo, maybe I'm still strange.


End of 07/Start 08, and possibly the biggest change since 2004. Check the hair colour! Also, did away with my crappy chain, and now wear only The Boyfriend's chain. Until I looked at these photos side by side, I never realised how different I look with red hair compared to the black. Crazy stuff?

And there you have it folks. The epic journey through my style over the last five years. I don't think you really comprehend just how much you've changed until you look at the evidence. Or, at least, I didn't. How about you? Has your style evolved over the past five years? Are there aspects that you've kept, like me with my chain necklaces & messy hair? Are there things that you've purposely done away with (like my blatant overuse of black eyeliner)?

Until next time, xo.

A-Trak + Drake + Birdman

Panda Toes veterans may or may not remember a certain Breck Elizabeth who started P.T. with me a few years ago. She no longer writes on these here pages, but her lack of dedication hasn't led to the demise of our friendship. Obviously. Anywho, the young miss traveled up to New Hampshire to doggie paddle with me last weekend, and we spent a good ten or twelve hours of every day rocking "Money to Blow." So many choice quotes in that there song.

As soon as Breck left, a certain A-Trak did a little remix of sorts for the track. Nah Right - which has the .mp3 for you scavengers - reports that this is off of his Dirty South Dance Vol. 2. Judging by the fact that his first Dirty South Dance was one of the first mixes I ever really got into, one might guess that I'm twitching with excitement for the rumored second installment.

A Dose of Style - Threads for Kicking Ass

Hello there lovelies,

It's time again for some pretty pictures of ladies in amazing outfits. These are a few of my personal favorite chicks, who always seem to look ready to kick ass (I know Lindsay Lohan is in here, but once upon a time she always looked fierce. Remember those good old days?). I love their edgy style, and the attitude they put into their outfits. Onwards!

Mary-Kate Olsen is, as most will know, one of my style icons. I love her, whether she's dressed up to the nines, or looking homeless. This look is great - the stockings, the boots, the blazer - it all fits in perfectly.

Daisy Lowe is a new, but solid contender for my style icon list. I love the way she combines completely different elements into the same outfit, and still looks seamless. Plus, that hair! I mean, doesn't it just make you want to scalp her? Ok, maybe I'm a little creepy.

Oh Lindsay, if only you looked this good more often. I remember a time when I religiously cut pictures of you out of magazines for my style books. These days, most Aussie magazines exclude you from their pages because of your lack of self-respect. Anyway, this outfit is great. The turban tops it off beautifully. Actually, my new obsession with turban-like headgear in fashion is probably blasphemous, but then, everything good is.

Ok Alice Dellal, I'm going to square with you. I have no idea who you are, what you do, or why you are famous. But your style makes me drool, and I admire you for having the balls to shave the side of your head. You light up my life, oh half-bald angel in leather. Yeah, I know, getting creepy again.

Eh, what's that? Mary-Kate sneaked into this post again? How did that happen? Don't worry, in a moment you'll be hypnotised by her awesome leopard-print scarf, and won't remember a thing.

Until next time, xo.

Ellie Goulding

This girl. I'm in love with her. Perhaps an overstatement. But maybe not. Sometimes I get lazy and stop reading Panda Toes for a few days at a time. This is one of those times - Greg and I must be on some ESP ish. She's got the sultry british twang of an angel and an almost theatrical delivery style that I can't stop listening to. What's more, she sounds as tight on bouncey dancefloor bombs as those cheesy acoustic jams (which I am still shamelessly enjoying). It's like somebody mixed Uffie with Jenny Lewis and injected her with the exuberance of a young Joni Mitchell (name-dropping blogger alert). Done talking - Enjoy.

French Fries

I don't know who French Fries is. In fact, until a few moments ago I thought it consisted of multiple people. However, the fact that dude goes by "Mr. French Fries" and all of the French Fries promo pics are solo shots led me to believe that it is in fact one lone gent. Serial powers of deduction. Anywho, his Arma E.P. dropped yesterday on Beatport and I quite like it. In fact, I believe that you will like it as well. Hence the whole me posting about it thing. Remixes by BeatauCue, Bok Bok, and Tomb Crew make this even more of a winner. Delectible.

Australia Day Adventures!

Hey there lovelies,

As many of you know, today is Australia Day for those of us living in the land down under. Although most people seem to view it as another opportunity to get drunk/crowd up the beaches, The Boyfriend and I took a different approach. We spent the morning riding around on a heritage steam train, in an event organised by the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway. The train was beautiful, and the volunteers were super-friendly. They really took the time to talk to us, and explain the significance of the engines/carriages etc. This is great when you are a slight history buff/collector of strange facts, as you gain much more knowledge for your collection. On a completely unrelated note, I felt slightly pirate-ish when I got dressed this morning. Here are the results of that:

Outfit Rundown:

T-shirt: Jinx, $16.95

Pants: Trade Secret (Sass), $15

Boots: Target, $39.99

Bracelets/Padlock necklace: Made by The Boyfriend (see his other stuff here!)

Watch: Cleo Magazine, Free.

None of my photos from today turned out that spectacularly. I blame this on the searing heat, and blinding Australian sun. Nevertheless, here are a few of my better snaps for your enjoyment!

What did the other Aussies out there get up to today? Spill guys!

Until next time, xo.

DJ Zinc + Ms. Dynamite

So. At that rave that went down I vaguely remember dropping DJ Zinc's "Blunt Edge." Dunno remember what was playing before or what we mixed into after, but I do remember thinking, "Jeez, this is the perfect stinkin' time to drop some DJ Zinc." And I did. And it worked. But all the while I was trying to figure out when "Wile Out" - "Blunt Edge" + Ms. Dynamite's vocal work on top - would drop. The answer? February 8th. Can't wait.

Thought For The Day...

Photo by Ricardo Carreon

Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to change it every six months.

- Oscar Wilde

Until next time, xo.

PS: I'm also considering a new haircut. This maybe? Thoughts?

Azari & III + Ellie Goulding + Russ Chimes

So. That rave I was talking about. It all went down last night. Or at least two hours or so went down. Then the entire venue (if you can properly call it that) lost power, which of course means no black lights, no strobes, and no fans. Oh, and neither speakers nor turntables. Yet despite the premature conclusion of my favorite residency (again, if you can call it that), I made sure to find time to drop Azari & III's "Reckless (With Your Love)," one of my favorite tracks at the moment. Enjoy:



In other news, Ellie Goulding. Cute girl, lovely tunes. And y'all can observe both her cuteness and her songs' loveliness in the video below. After watching it, head over to Disco Dust to cop Russ Chimes's remix of "Starry Eyed." Simply lovely.

Uffie + Zombie Disco Squad

I've been waiting a ridiculously long time for an Uffie full-length to drop. My obsession started with "Pop the Glock" and intensified when Oizo dropped an unreleased version of "The Party" in one of his sets. I became a full-fledged fan boy (or perhaps a stalker) when I saw her live in London and Sydney. Then I didn't hear from or about young miss Uffie for quite some time.

Yet somehow my obsession never died. Despite my remarkably short attention span, I never stopped hoping for the promised full-length. And lo and behold, it appears as though patience does in fact pay off. The album? Dropping this spring. "Pop the Glock"? Re-released with some fabulous remixes. And a new single - "MCs Can Kiss" - is being released on February 15th. The Zombie Disco Squad remix is incredible. The dub? Even better. Peep the former below:



And here's the version of "The Party" that I'm still 100% in love with. Never had the good fortune of coming across a quality copy of this, so lemme know if you boys and girls know where I can buy it. The † version is lovely and all, but I've been needing this one in particular for a long, long time.

Can You Buy Self-Esteem?

Hey guys,

Ok, now don't let the picture scare you away. I know that every woman and her hand bag-sized dog has had something to say about Heidi Montag/her alleged addiction to plastic surgery. I'll admit that, although I find it terrifying that cosmetic surgery can change a persons' appearance this much, I don't necessarily disagree with her doing it. It's not the surgery itself that worries me - it is the reason for it. I think it's fairly obvious that someone volunteering for this many elective surgical procedures must be very unhappy with their body. Buy a new one, sure whatever you want. But can you buy the self-esteem to go with it? Honestly, I don't think it really works that way.

To give a little backstory, I've had 12 operations in my life. Except for those to do with ear problems, my procedures were classified as "reconstructive", but they are the same procedures used for elective cosmetic surgery. I've had numerous "nose jobs", lip revisions, and had my entire top jaw moved forward almost a centimetre. I've come out of the operating theatre with two black eyes many times, and after the jaw operation my face swelled so much that the skin on my lips cracked off. After all this trouble, did I look different? I certainly did. But, I can't say that I felt any different. I still came out of every operation with the firm belief that I was fat, ugly, and unlovable. Most of the time I couldn't even perceive the differences in my appearance, and I always thought that the next procedure would surely give me the perfect result I was after. Then, when my face was perfect, I would be happy.

Do you want to know a secret? That never happens.

Issues don't disappear just because bumps on your nose do, or because the size of your thighs decreases. If you don't have a healthy relationship with your body to begin with, no amount of changes will forge one without changes in your attitude. And this, this my dears, is why I worry about the Heidi Montags' of the world. Most of the time they are putting their body through incredible stress, not to mention extreme pain, for that perfect result that they are never going to see. While I don't disagree with cosmetic surgery just because it is what it is, I do think that people who have issues with their body/appearance/self-esteem see it as an easy way to (supposedly) fix all their problems. But that is bullshit. At the end of the procedure, nothing has changed. You are still exactly the same person inside that you were before the procedure. If you believed you were ugly before, you will probably still feel the same way afterwards - you'll just find something different to fix your negative attention on. In the words of a very wise (if slightly fictional) Doctor:

"The operation will only change your face. It won't change who your face made you."
Dr. House, to patient with a cranio-facial deformity

My advice to anyone considering cosmetic surgery is simple: face your demons first. The mind is a powerful thing, and it can go on believing all the negative things you've been telling it long after your eyes start seeing something different in the mirror. If you are comfortable with yourself, and still want to try surgery to "improve", then so be it. Personally, I wouldn't do it again. For me there was too much pain for very little relative benefit. But still, if you're going to do it, make sure you're not going to end up chasing the gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. That is no way to live your life.

Anyway, what do you think? Can you buy self-esteem when you buy a new body?

Until next time, xo.

Outfits You Don't Usually Blog Day

Hey beautiful world,

So, a little while back Lady Smaggle posted this blog about things that we bloggers wear when we aren't dressing up for our blogs, readers, and our own vanity. She was asking for other bloggers to jump on the bandwagon, and I though this could be a chance to have a little fun. Well then, without further ado, here is what you are likely to see me in if you disturb me on my day off, when I have no other reason to leave the house.

(Yes, I am aware that this outfit is also found on most toddlers.)

Outfit Rundown:

T-shirt: Jay Jays, $10

Sweatpants: Trade Secret (Reebok), $10

Hat: Made by me today from two old t-shirts! My friend was kind enough to bring around her copy of the 2nd Generation T book, and lend it to me for a bit. She's amazing.

Yup, so that's pretty much what I do with my spare time - dress like a four year-old, make crazy hats and jump around my lounge room. I'm passing it over to you guys now. What do you wear to do banal everyday things? What do you wear that you wouldn't usually put on your blog?

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Museum Edition

Hello there lovelies,

As the title of this post suggests, I went to the Queensland Museum today. Awesome! Seriously though, I freaking love the museum. When I was a little girl, I used to force my parents to look through every nook, cranny and drawer of that place. And then I'd make them read every plaque, sign and word written in there. The Boyfriend and I went today with some of his friends,
which resulted in a good time for all involved. We all squeezed in a little photography - and were generally in awe of the dinosaur bones. I mean, a toe bone as big as my foot? Freaking rad. Ahem.

Outfit Rundown:

Necklace & bracelets: All made by The Boyfriend, who coincedently now has his own Etsy store - check it out guys!

Watch: On the cover of Cleo magazine, free.

Singlet: Jay Jays, 2 for $15

Antique chair pants: University of Queensland markets, $12

Gladiator Sandals: Kmart, $19

The boys talking shop. Or camera, as it were.

Muttaburrasaurus skull. There is a full skeleton there, and it is amazing.

Ok, so these two weren't from the museum - but aren't they cute? Wait, what do you mean most girls don't find reptiles cute? Le sigh.

Until next time, xo.

Love Your Mind Etc.

Photo by Rafael da Costa

Hey there lovelies,

I know I spend a lot of time on this blog babbling away about body image - it's an important topic, and one that deserves plenty of voice. Sometimes though, I think that we focus so much on our bodies, and our appearance that we forget about the multitude of other things that are good about us. It is a good thing for us to value our bodies. You know, we need them to live, to get us where we have to go, and for a variety of other reasons. We should love our bodies, and treat them with the respect that they deserve. It's just that sometimes I think we all forget that we are so much more than our bodies. Sure, I feel great when I put the effort into keeping my body healthy and active, and when I can be bothered to shave my legs, get a nice haircut or wax my damn eyebrows. But, I don't need to do any of those things to be the person that I am. I have done plenty of amazing things, and I am amazing in plenty of ways that have nothing to do with how I look. And here's the kicker - so are you.

Just step back and think for a minute (and not about the size of your butt). I'm sure that there are things you love and value about yourself that have nothing to do with your outward appearance. Maybe you're the person who knows everything there is to know about Ancient Egypt, or you have the ability to make anyone you meet laugh milk out their nose. Perhaps you get straight A's in anything academic without even trying, or you can paint pictures that would make Picasso cry. You might even be the best shotputter you know, or have the uncanny ability to craft anything from secondhand materials. You could be an amazing public speaker/debater, or an actor/singer that can move people to tears. These things all have something in common - they have nothing to do with what you look like. Well, that and hearing about any one of these things would probably make you seem more interesting to someone you've only just met than an in-depth analysis of your beauty routine.

I can sew things that I'm happy to wear out in public.
I can happily discuss scientific theory with people I know.
I've spent three years studying psychology, and extending my knowledge about people.
I was once referred to as the "secret weapon" of my debating team.
I win awards for public speaking, and once wrote a short story that made someone cry.

I can read most novels in a day.

All these things make me proud, and I know you have your own. So love them! Find the things that you are incredible at, or that you really love about yourself and cultivate them. Read, laugh, love, speak, make, act, do whatever it is that you do more often. Even better if you can take some of the time you would usually spend obsessing over your appearance and channel it into something else. I'm not saying you shouldn't love your body, or spend lots of time learning how to take care of it, and feel your best. All I'm trying to do is remind you that you are so much more than what you look like - and I'm sure that one day you'll be glad that you spent time cultivating your relationship with those other parts of you. They are the ones that will hang around, long after your appearance changes. Remember, everything about you is worthy of being treasured.

Until next time, xo.

Camel + Everything Rules!!!!

I have no idea who Camel is. He? She? They? I dunno. However, I do know that I like the song "Zig Zag." I want it. I need it in my life. And word on the street has it the Zig Zag E.P. (or single, whatever) is dropping kinda, sorta soon. When it does, I'll be copping. You should too.



In other news, be sure to check out the new episode of Everything Rules!!!! because, well, it's super funny and the like. Brought to you by Bemused Frog, the same gent who whipped up the lovely "One Day" video. Please laugh:

Random Photography Outing!

Hello there lovelies!

I've had a pretty damn amazing day. The Boyfriend and I have resolved to have more outings in the near future. We figure that as we're living in one of Australia's capital cities, there must be better things to do than sit around at home every day head-shotting grunts on Halo 3 and eating Samboy's Atomic Tomato chips (although it must be said that these are both enjoyable and fulfilling activities). Today was the first of our little "dates". First, we went to see Avatar in 3D in the fancy Gold Class cinemas - think big comfy adjustable armchairs, less people and great food that is cooked and brought to you during the movie. This was made even better by the fact that the tickets were free! Then, to top off the day we went for a drive to Wivenhoe dam for an impromptu photography trip. Here are the results of our little trip:

It's a nice change to have a smile that you can't take off your face. How about you guys? Been up to anything interesting lately?

Until next time, xo.

Hump Day DIY Break

Hello lovelies!

It's Wednesday again, and therefore time for a little DIY madness to break up the monotony of the working week. Except, I've had no shifts this week, so I guess it doesn't really count as a working week for me. Fail. Anyway, while I was on holidays in Hervey Bay I managed to pick up two licensed Wolverine t-shirts for only $2 each! Amazing, am I right? What do you mean everyone in the world isn't as obsessed with Wolverine as I am? What do you mean loving a fictional character this much isn't healthy? Ahem. Anyway. Last night I performed a little surgery on one of the shirts. Take it away Wolverine Slasher Skirt!

Ok, so this photo makes the top of the skirt look really poorly done, but really that's just me standing like a dork. It actually has a waistband made from the bottom of the Wolverine shirt. I cut out the front panel of the shirt, and used it for the front of the skirt, funnily enough. The back is made of some grey/black striped stretch knit I acquired from an op shop some time ago.

I'm so proud of the back! This is the back panel of the Wolverine shirt, slashed at 2" intervals, hemmed at the sides, and top-stitched onto the back of the skirt. Argh, I love it so much. This shot shows the waistband better as well. I'm going to wear this skirt to see Avatar 3D at the Gold Class cinemas tomorrow (free tickets for Giftmas represent!), that' s how proud I am.

Until next time, xo.

PS: Speaking of DIY, aren't these the best homemade gift ever? My grandmother made these cushions for The Boyfriend and I for Christmas. She even did all the embroidery and beadwork herself. I love them so much!

Round Table Knights + Ocelot + Bird Peterson + Mowgli

I was getting sick of all the hype surrounding Round Table Knights' upcoming single, "Calypso." Though I've always enjoyed their mixes and play out the Mowgli remix of "Belly Dancer" on the regular, I couldn't be convinced to so much as preview "Calypso" on the Knights' MySpace page. Big mistake. After watching the video teaser for the E.P. I'm convinced I'll love each and every cut on the release. Made to Play is quickly becoming one of my favorite - if not my single favorite - label in the game. I've been sleeping, but at least I'm on board now.

round table knights - calypso ep from Foederation on Vimeo.

In other news, I may or may not be DJing a rave in a couple of days. Or a week. Or something. And not a proper warehouse-style rave or anything of the sort, but rather a college-kids-embracing-their-inner-house-and-electro-style rave. If that makes any sense, which it most likely doesn't. Anywho, I'm absolutely tickled every time I think of dropping Bird Peterson's remix of Ocelot's "Our Time" at the aforementioned hypothetical gig. Of course I'm also envisioning my hair looking something like DJ Pauly D's and Snooki doing the splits on the dance floor. Hey, a guy can dream, no?

The Happy Book Continued!

Hello lovelies,

It's been a while since I've added some pages to my Happy Book, but the urge to cut out lots of cool pictures hit me recently when I bought some post-it notes in the shape of speech bubbles and arrows. That probably makes no sense, but hey, you get that. I've also been feeling a bit stressed again lately, so I'm trying to take steps to combat that. So, without further ado, here are the results!

Pages 12 & 13. Pictures from Dolly, Grazia, Cosmo.
Background for the left is this crazy Cadbury ad that I adore - goths bouncing around on huge purple bouncy balls is just right up my alley. Background for the right is a picture of chain singlet/garment that I'm mildly obsessed with.

Heart quote:

Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action - Benjamin Disraeli

Speech bubble quote:

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be - Abraham Lincoln.

Pages 14 & 15. Pictures from Girlfriend, Grazia, Cosmo & Cleo.

Heart quotes:

You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy - Eric Hoffer.

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves - James M. Barrie.

Speech bubble quote:

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us - Helen Keller.

Arrow quote:

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet - James Oppenheim.

Pages 16 & 17. Pictures from Grazia, Cleo and Cosmo. On the left in the sparkly pants is Daisy Lowe, another of my girl crushes. Gotta' love a girl who can rock sequined pants.

Speech bubble quote:

Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination - Mark Twain.

Heart quotes:
It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis - Margaret Bonnero.

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open - John Barrymore.

Arrow quote:

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do - Epictetus.

And there you have it. The next few pages of my lookbook/quote collection/diary of random things. I'm feeling much happier already - although, truthfully, most of that is probably relief now that The Boyfriend's finished the testing battery stage of his job application. Things are looking up! Oh, and as always, if you make anything like this, be sure to share it!

Until next time, xo.

PS: Link of the day: What have you done for your body lately? @ Already Pretty