DIY Madness!

Hey guys!

After a long dry spell where creativity is concerned, I have some DIY action for you. Some of you may remember the Wolverine Slasher Skirt (which, coincedently I wore the last time The Boyfriend and I went to the Gold Class Cinemas - apparently old ladies do not approve). Well, it now has a cousin. Made from another one of the $2 Wolverine T-shirts I got from Sanity, and some stretchy striped material from Spotlight, here is the Slasher Hoodie.

Side. I've left the sleeves unfinished for now, and I'm undecided as to whether I'll eventually hem them.

Front View. I also ended up going with short sleeves - I figure, in Winter I can layer it with long sleeved shirts.

Back view. Excuse the horrible picture, and unlined hood. I was lazy, and it's a rainy day.

I'm tempted to try and find more Wolverine shirts so that I can make a whole range of Wolverine/slasher clothing. And then wear it all at once, so people think I'm totally insane. Ok, so maybe I have an unhealthy obsession with Wolverine. Or the X-Men in general. I can't help it. I love that they were all born different, are outcasts from society and still manage to kick ass. Gotta go - creativity calls!

Until next time, xo.

Moschino Cheap & Chic Fall 2010

Hello lovelies!

Now, I'm usually not much of one for drooling over designer collections, but check this out:

Photo from Style.Com

CAT EARS ON THE CATWALK.

I always knew that my obsession with cat-eared clothing somehow made me cool. All my cat-eared homies represent. Anyway, the rest of the Moschino collection is very nice also - pretty pictures at Style.com.

Until next time, xo.

Bring On The Freeze!

Hello there lovelies!

While all of you in the Northern Hemisphere are eagerly awaiting Spring/Summer, and hot sunny days, I'm counting down until the first days of Winter. I'll probably cheer with joy as soon as it's cold enough for me to wear a hoodie or a jacket outside of an overly airconditioned building. I dislike Summer. Actually, I detest, loathe and abhore Summer. Sweat, terrible BO, suburn and chafing? No thanks, I'll take curling up under a blanket in a big jumper and thick socks any day. Maybe this is just because in Queensland, Australia Winter is something of a novelty. I'm not kidding, it didn't even really get cold enough for me to wear a coat last Winter. Light cardigan weather was about as cold as it got. I'm crossing my fingers for a cold one this year! Here's a little something for the other Winter-lovers out there - some inspiration/fashion porn for you, hehe.

Ring Woman by Miss Peregrin featuring Precis Petite pants

I loooove this jacket and boots.. And for those of you practicing radical self love this month, I thought this t-shirt was perfect. Also, I need a ring that says "fuck you".

Red Queen by Miss Peregrin featuring Balmain shoes

Something for the less casual folks. This is the raddest 'effing skirt I've ever seen.

Neon & Knit by Miss Peregrin featuring Sanctuary pants

This is exactly the look I want to be rocking this winter - slouchy knitwear, studded motorcycle boots and a hint of neon. Awesome.

Winter Punk by Miss Peregrin featuring Alexander Wang tops

Shorts with stockings - shall I go there? We'll have to wait and see. I think this would be a nice comfy, but warm combination though.

Any other Winter-lovers out there dying for a little bit of chill? I'm right there with you.

Until next time, xo.

Marina and the Diamonds + Ellie Goulding

Ah, Marina and the Diamonds. For some reason or another I never really got into Marina's work until a few weeks ago. That, my friends, would be when I first heard "Hollywood." Being the spastic blogger that I am, I immediately went for the remixes. "Good stuff," I thought. And then I listened to the O.G. And oh my word, this song is huge. (In retrospect, most of her songs are massive. I've been missing out, and I have nobody to blame but myself.) Peep it:



And then there's Ellie Goulding. "Starry Eyed" and "Under the Sheets" blew me away from day one, but "Your Biggest Mistake" just may be my favorite track from her yet. The chorus brings an unreal energy that'll knock you down and pick you back up in record time. That probably doesn't make sense to you now, but it will once you listen to the song. Trust.



And really, I promise this isn't just another case of me being madly in love with two more European pop stars. I mean the fact that the gals are gorgeous certainly doesn't annoy me, but this particular obsession is all about the tracks.

P.S. Marina's The Family Jewels dropped on February 16th and you can cop Ellie's Lights on March 2nd. Spend money, don't be a thief, etc.

Thought For The Day...

Photo by me.

We have no choice of what color we're born, or who our parents are, or whether we're rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here.

- Mildred Taylor

Until next time, xo.

P.S. I came across a really beautiful post today, by The Lost Princess - check it out here.

What I Wore Today!

Hello there lovelies!

Welcome to another day in the life of my vanity! I didn't really do much today - just went over to the University of Queensland to pick up some money I made selling textbooks. But dammit, I needed an excuse to show off the super-hot Pulp shoes I picked up last Thursday night whilst shopping with my good friend C. Look at them, look at them dammit! Yay gladiator sandals. Yup, I don't care what you have to say, they are one horrible trend that I adore (another blog topic coming on perhaps?). Also, they were $19.95, down from $79.95, and there was only one pair left, in my size. It was meant to be, I tell you. On to the outfit!

Outfit Rundown:

T-shirt: Trade Secret (Envious), $5
Belt: Hit 'N' Run (Emily the Strange), $10
Shorts: Trade Secret (Pure Hype), $14.95
Shoes: Pulp, $19.95 (!!!!!!!!!!)
Bracelets: Made by The Boyfriend
Watch: Cleo Magazine, Free.

Holy crap, is that one whole outfit that I procured for $50? You're damn right it is! Bargain shopping is my crack. Although, I'm going to be laying off the shopping for awhile. Damn you tempting Manchester sale table at work! My new obsession is possibly redecorating our house. Any tips out there?

Until next time, xo.

P.S.: This week, from 21-27 February is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Check out these blog posts on the subject: Denim Debutante shares her experiences here, and there is a wonderful post on Olive Life about taking action in your everyday life. I'll let them speak for me this time. Xo.

Chilly Gonzales

You may know this gentleman as the virtuoso Quebecois producer behind Feist and Peaches, or his mind-bending piano reinterpretation of Boys Noize' "Waves" last year. He's back at it this month, performing a weekly at Joe's Pub in NYC with special guests like A-Trak and Andrew WK. I'm still kicking myself for not skipping a day of class and driving down to see Trizzy tear it up - word has it that they tore up cheesy RnB covers all night. I sure do hope some videos surface from that one - the Andrew WK piano battle clips on YouTube are nuts.

Anyways, the man dropped a mixtape last week, available for free on his website, where he mashes up recognizable drum breaks and rap acapellas while he shreds on the piano. It features everybody from 50 Cent to Claude Von Stroke, which all seem to work with Gonzales' rich, layered harmonics. Best of all, it manages not to sound like the glitchy ADD mashups our generation has grown so accustomed to. It's short, but one of the most creative musical projects I've seen as of late.

And a little snippet for those of you still in doubt.

Radical Self Love - Because You're Worth It

Hello there lovelies,

You guys all probably know that amazing Gala Darling declared February the month of radical self love, which I though was quite rad. Learning to love yourself is something that is truly worth all the effort and trouble. You won't always do it quite right, just like loving anyone else in the world. Sometimes you'll stumble, and catch yourself being less than loving to yourself. Just like you have to work to cultivate any relationship, you have to work to cultivate radical self love. You have to believe that you are worth all the effort.

I've noticed that people in my life, and especially women, fall short of acheiving their goals because they don't really believe they are worth the end result. It's a waste of your precious time lovelies! How are you ever going to sell yourself to a potential employee if you don't think you are worth buying? How are you going to get that promotion if you don't think you are worth promoting? How are all those fabulous ideas in your head going to come to pass if you tell yourself they aren't worth trying? And of course, how are you going to love yourself if you don't think you're worth the love?

I'll tell you a really big secret - you are worth the love. Every single one of you is worthy of love, both from yourself, and other people. I know that's the bit that is hardest to figure out. I don't know why, but it seems to be far more accepted to put yourself down than to build yourself up. I think it is because when you stand up and tell the world how amazing you are, other people start to feel like maybe they aren't as amazing as you. Now that isn't true - everyone has something special about them, and I don't think we need to be jealous of another person's talents. But the more you believe you are worth it, the less it matters if other people are jealous, or nasty. You're worth the love, and their reactions say more about them than you. People who put you down because you are worth loving are people who haven't discovered that they are worth loving too!

So get out there and convince yourself that you are worth radical self love. Hold your head up high; speak up for yourself; wear those incredible "special occasion" clothes on any old normal day; go somewhere you have always wanted to go; get into your best lingerie and shimmy in front of the mirror to a cheesy song about how sexy you are; write lists of all the things about you that are amazing; read books that you love, even if you've read them a million times before; change your hair colour (or just your manicure); write love letters to yourself, and hide them inside your favourite household objects so that you find them again later; wear clothes that suit your shape regardless of the number on the tag; tear pages that make you happy out of magazines and make a scrapbook or inspiration board; put your name in for a new job that suits you better, and tell the potential employer exactly why you deserve it, and cut the crap! Cut out the negative self-talk, cut out putting yourself down to make other people feel better, and cut out that niggling feeling that you are not as good as someone else. You are amazing, and you're totally worth it. Remember that!

Until next time, xo.

Chiddy Bang

I've been all about Chiddy Bang for a minute now. I copped their "Kids" remix from Neon Gold at the beginning of the summer and haven't stop playing it out at parties since. It was effective then and it's effective now - this song simply won't die, and that's not at all a bad thing.

Anywho, the lads just released a video for the cut (thanks to the dude DJ Winter Pledge - ha - for pointing it out). Apparently it's being released on an E.P. under the name "Opposite of Adults." The idea of remixing a remix used to be obnoxious, but then Renaissance Man edited the heck out of an xx remix of a Florence and the Machine track. Now I'm all ears and hoping whatever release Chiddy Bang offers up is as good as the original. Or the remix. Or whatever you wanna call it.



P.S. This may or may not have been the most blog-tastic post of all time.

P.P.S. Does this video remind anyone else of the big headed players code in N.F.L. Blitz?

What I Wore Today - Double Feature!

Hello beautiful world!

Another photo-heavy post I'm afraid - and also one that shows off a few of my sides. The Boyfriend and I went on another random photography jaunt today. We headed out to Karawatha Forest, and spent most of the day walking the trails and photographing interesting shit. By the end of the day we were hot, sweaty, sore and damn grateful that we have running water, but the day itself was amazing. We walked up rocky paths, sat next to lagoons and even encountered a little green snake. Then, in what can only be described as record time, we scrubbed up and headed out to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast for dinner. Phew, another looong day. Onwards to the photos!

Photography Outfit Rundown:

"Rarrrr" t-shirt: Jay Jays, $10
Pants: Kmart, $29.95
Gumboots: Kmart, $20

Yay for times when comfort truly wins out over style!

The Lagoon Trail was very pretty.

But the Rock Circuit rocked.

More evidence of the Lagoon Trail's prettiness.

Our little friend snakey! I think I might call him Steve.

Koala Stump!!!

We're so awesome, we hug in crevices.

Dinner Outfit (Otherwise known as "I Don't Scrub Up Half Bad":

Necklace/bracelets: All made by The Boyfriend.
Dress: Target, $28.88
Socks: Had them since high school, can't remember where they came from.
Boots: Kmart (Grosby), $30

Also, yes I'm aware it's Valentines Day, I'm just choosing not to mention it. Happy Valentines to those who are into that though. Stay tuned for real content in the next few days, haha. And, tell me all about your weekends? What (or who!) did you do/see? Most importantly, what did you wear?

Until next time, xo.

What I Wore Today - Gardens Point/Botanical Gardens

Hello there lovelies!

I've been having some whirlwind weekends lately! Today, The Boyfriend and I went to meet up with some friends in the Brisbane CBD for lunch. We went to an amazing chinese place where it only cost $25.40 to feed both of us (with drinks), the plates were piled skyhigh, and the salt and pepper squid was so friggin' good. Nom nom nom. Then we wandered Queen Street Mall, and the Southbank markets, before heading over to the QUT campus at Garden's Point. There, our friends had to leave us, so The Boyfriend and I embarked on another photography journey through the botanical gardens. Onwards!

Outfit Rundown

Rose t-shirt: Trade Secret (Pure Hype), $9.95
Jeans: Target, $25
Boots: Target, $40

Bracelets: Made by The Boyfriend
Belt: Jay Jays, 2 for $15
Pink Watch: Free from Cleo Magazine a few months back.

Cuuuuute.

Friendly pigeon! It let me get so close.

Water fowl, on the beautiful ponds.

Baby water fowl!

This guy is just chillin'.

Whew! Time for dinner, yoga, and a good sleep I think! If you're interested to see the photos The Boyfriend took (with his vastly superior camera), just head over to his flickr account. Also, a quick, but huge thanks to anyone out there who is watching/bidding on/has bought items from us on eBay - the cash is sorely needed, and I appreciate every cent! I'm going to be listing more clothing tonight, so check back if you're interested. Anyway, how is your weekend going so far?

Until next time, xo.

Matt Van Schie

Matt Van Schie is a crucial ingredient to every little boy's or girl's life. Though his tasteful pop songs aren't anything outstandingly unique or anything along those lines, there's something about them that pops out and slaps a grin on your face. For example, I feel like I've been listening to "Saturday Night" day after day for years on end. It's been on repeat for the past 24 hours, and every time I hear the chorus I feel like I'm back in Sydney chilling on the beach or drinking with friends before heading to Club 77. The track captures every vibe I loved about living in Australia perfectly. Gorgeous.



EDIT: Half of me is very, very glad that I don't live in an age when people went out on Saturday nights and roller-skated elegantly around a rink. That said, the other half is kinda jealous of these kids. Does that make sense in any way, shape, or form?

Thought For The Day

All endings, Stacey, are happy endings. If you even believe in endings.

It's just a matter of staying with the story long enough, Stacey.

Whah!!

The Universe

- Note From The Universe for today.

Until next time, xo.

Lady Gaga + DJ DStar

Panda Toes loves Lady Gaga. Not surprising, seeing as how we love more or less every female pop star ever. Panda Toes also loves DJ DStar. Also not surprising, seeing as how we're super down with almost every DJ ever, especially ones that like Gaga as much as we do. Needless to say, it was downright thrilling to hear that the latter had remixed the former's "Bad Romance." End result? Well, Panda Toes loves it. We're so predictable.



P.S. If you look super hard for it, I'm sure you'll be able to find the .mp3. (Hint: you won't have to look too hard at all, actually.)

P.P.S. DStar's gonna be playing at Dartmouth in a wee bit. Get ready.

Travis Porter + Roscoe Dash + A-Trak

Travis Porter and Roscoe Dash dropped "All the Way Turnt Up" quite some time ago. I liked it, I got into it, and I forgot about it. My bad. Hearing it at the end of A-Trak's Power Party Mix for Power 106 (which you can download here) reminded what was up. Gonna start playing this out on the regular. Y'all should too.

Breakbot

The Panda Toes vets among you certainly remember how much I used to talk about Ed Banger Records. I'd blab about Uffie for days, chit about Feadz for a minute, and chat about Justice the rest of the time. Oh how times have changed.

However, that's not to say that the label's gone downhill. Lady Uff is about to drop the long-awaited full-length and Justice is still important enough for people to make fake Justice tracks. Still, I've gotta go with Breakbot as my Ed Banger-er of choice. I've spent a grip of my past week or so listening to "Baby I'm Yours" alongside Tensnake and Todd Edwards while playing Fifa, and boy does it ever put me in the lightest of moods. Get giddy:

Afrojack

As y'all probably know, Afrojack is the man. I'm pretty sure I've loved pretty much everything the dude's ever put out, and his recent output certainly is no exception to the rule. I've been wanting to throw up his "Silly Boy" dub remix for a hot minute now, but the darn thing doesn't seem to wanna be posted up on YouTube. Whatever. Below you'll find his remix of "Better Run." Though his "Silly Boy" effort is my track of choice at the moment, this here song definitely works in a grip of situations. So good. Promise.

So, I Cut My Hair...

Hello lovelies,

As the title of this post suggests (and as anyone who follows me on Twitter already knows), I cut my hair. It is infact even on both sides, but my strange tendency to pose like an idiot for the camera makes it look a bit wonky in this photo. I love it! The only thing is, it looks like I have some kind of compulsive head twitch, because I keep trying to flip my hair over one shoulder. Only thing is that it's no longer long enough to flip that far. I'm still toying with the idea of dying it black as well, but I think red may hang around for at least a bit longer.


In other news, I've been quiet on the blogging front because The Boyfriend and I have been cleaning our house from top to bottom. Literally. As in, we emptied every cupboard, in every room, sorted through the HUGE pile of shit, and are now in the process of putting the shit we want to keep back where it belongs. We have approximately three boxes of assorted household items, and two garbage bags of clothes to donate to the op shop, and I'll be having a mini-garage sale of sorts on eBay in the next week or so. Stay tuned kids! So, what's been happening with all of you? I'm very behind on my weekly blog reading!

Until next time, xo.

Kingdom + Todd Edwards + Grindin Chart

Kingdom's "Mind Reader" blew us all away some time ago. Like a really, really long time ago. I've been dying for somebody to commission some remixes and release the darn track for what seems like decades now. Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite labels in the game - Fool's Gold, as it were - stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park. Remixes by fellow Grinders Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990 as well as one from Panda Toes favorite Todd Edwards make this release well worth the wait. Cop it through Beatport or snatch a beautiful vinyl copy with "Mind Reader" and "You" from our friends at Acephale. Do it. Now.



And don't forget to peep the January Grindin chart. A lot of stuff I love, a lot of stuff I want to love (see: stuff I'm not important enough to have been sent yet), etc. All good stuff, as per usual.

1. Tensnake - "Coma Cat"
2. Mosca - "Nike"
3. The XX - "VCR (Matthew Dear remix)"
4. Health - "Death (Renaissance Man Remix)"
5. Dubbel Dutch - "Throwback"
6. jj - "Pure Shores"
7. Joy Orbison - "The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow"
8. Mosca - "Square One (Julio Bashmore Longhorn Remix)"
9. MVSEVM - "French Jeans (Style of Eye Remix)"
10. Riva Starr - "Dance Me"
11. oOoOO- "sedsumting"
12. L-Vis 1990 - "United Groove (Kingdom Remix)"
13. Joy Orbison - "Hyph Mango (Andreas Saag's House Perspective)"
14. Martyn - "Hear Me (Zomby Remix)"
15. Kingdom - "You"