Thursday, 11 September 2008

Little Jenny No Longer...

NO!! Taylor, what have you DONE!?



Momsen's hair's got that "I cut this all by myself" vibe you get off eight-year-olds who hacked at their locks under their mothers' dressing tables in the dark...She's not at the Courtney Love chop-my-bangs-off-for-funsies stage yet...but she's not far off.

Nuns With Bad Habits :D

I know, I know, worst pun EVER. Ha...Today's theme is Nuns Behaving Badly! It ties in with that pseudo-goth trend that's been lurking about lately.

For inspiration, refer to Pop Magazine's A/W shoot "Nun Head". It's AWESOME - if a bit irreverent. Here's some tasters of the shoot below - the most worksafe ones possible :P



Pile on the crucifixes. Do up that wayward top button. Twist a rosary round your wrist. And pray that God saves your sinful soul.



From left to right: Black lace gloves, £25 at Topshop. Jill Stuart Agadir Connie Dress, $374 at Shop Style. White locket with enamel cross, £14 at Urban Outfitters

Monday, 8 September 2008

She's Back And Better Than Ever!

Hello all! Summer went by FAR too quickly, didn't it!? All eight weeks of it...And August really didn't count. In fact, August was practically autumn, which pained me. It was so dreary and humid I was in jeans for the rest of the summer. No wear out of my shorts AT ALL.

What's my September about? Hmmm..the return to school means it's impossible to navigate your way down the high street without being practically battered to death by a sea of pushy parents trying to grab their little Jimmy 3 Casio calculators for the price of 2. You also can't lie down in the park any more :'(, cause if you do you'll get brown crinkly leaves plastered to you or wet patches on your behind from the deceptively dry-looking grass...Suddenly there's a chill in the air and flicking on the central heating becomes a daily occurrence, as does the re-emergence of huge woolly sweaters from the attic storage. Sob.

On the bright side, all the best shows return in September...including the fashion shows! NY Fashion Week's already kicked off and I'm following it religiously :) More on that later. TV show-wise? GOSSIP GIRL. IS. BACK IN MY LIFE. Can't wait for the second episode of the new season, out tonight - it'll be on Sidereel by tomorrow.

Anyway, along with the majority of other British students, I went back to school last week...and I'm inundated with homework already. I accidentally let it pile up last week and now I've got three essays to do by tomorrow. Sweet, sweet joy. (So why am I on here?) Oh, and before I forget - well done to everyone who got their GCSE results back last month (and AS and A results as well)! According to BBC News the overall pass rate was 98.4% and 65.7% of exams taken were awarded A* - C grades, the highest statistic in 18 years, so I hope everyone's happy with their marks! :) :) :)

HAHA! Another thing before we start talking business...or fashion, or whatever. In Astronomy today we discussed "scintillation" and I found out the true physicist's meaning - scintillation = stars twinkling. Made me smile to myself.

ANYWAY. Rebellion's a key trend at the mo and I'm luuurving all things tough generally...Refer to Alexander Wang's A/W 08/09 (below) for the ultimate sexy rebel collection.






1. A leather jacket is a classic wardrobe staple! I'd been lusting after one for ages and FINALLY got one yesterday. In my opinion, a leather jacket's the one item of clothing that mixes being defiantly sexy with effortless coolness. And they keep you warm(ish), of course. Practicality, sexiness and coolness? SCORE.
From left to right: Biker jacket, £100, . Hooded bomber jacket, £100, . Hooded jacket, £595, Mike & Chris at .



2. Love these fingerless gloves - they give me some degree of warmth whilst allowing me to show off my brightly-coloured nail polish, plus they combine grunge with military. Open any October edit of a fashion magazine and those trends will scream up at you from the pages :) £16,



3. More leather - jump on the trend bandwagon early with this Thomas Burberry leather mini. Leather skirts were all over the Resort 09 collections. £200, my-wardrobe.com

That's all for now folks, got to address the homework situation before it swallows me whole and spits me out in front of the entire class tomorrow. I'm going to try and post more frequently though - I know I've been negligent! Lots of love :)

Sunday, 22 June 2008

E. N. N. U. I

Hello, summer! It is the 173rd day of the year and the second day of liberation from GCSEs.

So how have I used up my first weekend of freedom? I've....
1) Been to see Sex And The City. FINALLY! And it was every bit as fabulous as I'd hyped it up to be. The fashion void left after the series finished was finally filled again by Carrie's brilliant outfit choices. HELLO, LOVER!

2) Learned to actually make what I deem proper food. Food that isn't a toastie or noodles. Soup. Yeaaah!

3) Received under the minimum wage (£2.50 an hour) for looking after five unknown kids until midnight. In my opinion this is LITTLE BETTER than SLAVERY. You won't catch me back there again.

4) Accidentally broken my iPod, and hastily composed a couple of excuses to use on the techies at the Apple Store, among them "I was walking through the security barrier at the airport, as you do, right, and all of a sudden, it just fizzed out on me" and "I left it on the table and the screen suddenly started to bleed, like spontaneous combustion or something. IT WAS HORRIBLE!" *swoons*

Hmm. Perhaps I'd better come up with a better excuse.

Anyway. Now I'm bored. Bored bored bored. This is just so typical of summer break!!!!

Luckily, though, I'm starting work experience tomorrow, so I'll have something to occupy my flighty mind for a couple of weeks.

Until then...a couple of totally unrelated gewgaws or six I'm lovin'...:)


1. A tape measure pouch. Erm, handy :) For measuring on the go, and it holds your coins too. £8.99, bettyjoy.co.uk
2. So cute. Who read Dick King Smith's The Hodgeheg when they were little? $18, chainchainchained.etsy.com


3. I liiiike this. I like the cateye glasses too! The design reminds me of that semi-pornographic Diesel ad from a couple of years ago - featuring a guy's toned body wrapped around by three pairs of legs. No one needed to know that, but hey! $25, publicdomainclothing.com
4. Oh my dear god, I NEED this necklace. That's all I have to say. $135, whitetrashcharms.com

5. This silk dress is so sweet. I seem to gravitate towards anything that has a bow on it. $85, yumiyah.com

6. See those little dolls on the t-shirt? In Japan, when you want sunny weather, you'll fashion one of those dolls out of paper and hang it on a string outside your window. The Japanese call them teruteru bouzu - "Sunshine Monk/Bald Head" if you translate directly. And they do look like Buddhist monks, don't they! (No offence intended). I need me one of these if I'm going to get the most out of my British summer! $15, Crowded Teeth at littlepaperplanes.com

Sunday, 8 June 2008

Now That It's Raining More Than Ever...

Exams are now in full swing and I've got a busy week ahead. It's full of absolute delights such as Human Geog, French essays, Physics Units 2 + 3 - and most enjoyable of all, Herodotus.

I really cannot wait for the 20th June. End my suffering now, PLEASE.

So this is just a quick note about something that amused me today: Queen of foxy beats Rihanna clung on to the Number One spot in the charts for the whole of summer 2007, remember? But evidently that wasn't enough for Rihanna, a.k.a Robyn Fenty - because she's gone on to release her own line of umbrella-ella-ellas :) There are 2 sparkling "slender 'brellas" and 3 "satin stick" ones like the one used in the Umbrella video. All with little "R" charms attached.

Colours include fuchsia, purple, gold, silver and perennially classic black, for those of us who like to blend into the crowd on a rainy day. "So go on and let the rain pour...I'll be all you need and more." these pretty umbrellas cry seductively.



Prices range from $20 to $50 at http://www.totes-isotoner.com.

Good luck to everyone else currently in the midst of summer exams, GCSEs or AS's!!!!

Sunday, 18 May 2008

Yes. I Co-ordinate My Wardrobe With My Summer Pursuits!

Summer's finally here! Well, it was last week. Thank you, winds from the Mediterranean. It seems hard to believe that it was snowing here in London just over a month ago. And now I get to lounge around in a string vest and shorts. Winter was unnecessarily long this year. So now sunshine is pouring through my window, and with it wafts in the smell of barbecues thrown by my neighbours. It's a bit cold today though, which is just as well because unfortunatelaaaay, I'm confined to the house because of revision. 25 exams to goooo! And once they're out of the way, I'm OUT THERE.

I've got lots of wicked activities planned for this été. Here are a few of them.

1. END OF EXAMS = HOUSE PARTY TIME! Permission to throw a night of debauchery at last. The rents have been persuaded to stay out of the house, the Audacity's playing my backyard and I'LL WANT TO SEE ALL YOU RAVERS ON YOUR BADDEST BEHAVIOURS! That's all.


I ADORE and want to wear this trompe l'oeil dress sososo badly. Short too - cool for a hot June night in the capital. £190, Sass & Bide at urbanoutfitters.co.uk


These gold thong sandals are lovely, cheap-ish and best of all, easy to dance in. £45, Office at office.co.uk

2. ROLLERCOASTERS ARE FOR HARDCORE PEOPLE, I.E ME. Before everyone jets off holidaying, we're hitting up Thorpe Park, a brilliant theme park a trainride away. Favourite rides of mine include Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Tidal Wave...


Hmm. Jumpsuit. Hmm. Yes. I promised myself I would never wear one, but it looks like I'm going to have to act the hypocrite. This "Natasia" jumpsuit is just too summery to pass up on. £124, Diane von Furstenberg at net-a-porter.com

More gold sandals. But you can't blame me! They're the supermodel of flipflops - a lot more glamorous, and you can wear them with practically anything. £14.99, Urban Outfitters at urbanoutfitters.co.uk

3. OPERATION CRASH READING When I missed out on the opportunity to buy tickets to Reading Festival a couple of months ago I nearly cried. But yesterday I found out that it's apparently possible to buy unlimited tickets on the door. If that's true, I'M SO THERE


Yeuch. Sorry, but the girl in this picture was one UGLY MOTHER. So I cropped her face out. Luckily the dress is pretty enough to make up for her. Love gingham. LOVE IT. £55, Urban Outfitters at urbanoutfitters.co.uk


It sucks being oh-so-nearly 5"4. So I'll need these leather sandals to be tall in the crowd, so I can actually SEE the band, won't I? That, or I'll get my mate to hoist me on to his shoulders. Either way is a win :) £347, Roberto Cavalli at net-a-porter.com

4. AÔUT IN THE MED Spending the first week in France cotching at the château of a friend and participating in a piano course. Then I'll be taking the train down to northern Spain and who knows what'll happen after that?


I can just see myself in this, whiling my days away inside the château at the keys of a piano while the sun beats down outside. £145, Juicy Couture at net-a-porter.com


WOW. LOVE this. It's an absolute gem of a dress. Parfait for alfresco lunches on the lawn, equally jolie to perform at the end-of-course concert in. The (black) cherry on top is that it's tough as well as sweet. £295, Jill Stuart at net-a-porter.com


In our free time I plan to persuade our mates to head down to the lake near the château for a spot of sunbathing and relaxation London-style, with the foxy sounds of summer (playlist coming soon) plugged in to our ears. This bikini is just right - it ain't too flashy and will hopefully draw attention away from my pale corpse-like-skin. £24, Topshop at topshop.com

IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT!!! Bring on the summer!

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

I'm Delighting My Scent With The Flowers Of Spring

"Summer breeze makes me feel fine,
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind."
- Summer Breeze, Isley Brothers

Fine...the summer breeze blowing through flowers in my mind aren't strictly jasmine. Actually, they're wisteria. We have it growing around the top of the porch outside the front door. Every May for the last decade of my life these tendrilled plants, yearning for something to curl round, burst into sweet purplish-blue bloom. Last week they finally blossomed, and now I have the opportunity to reach up and touch them as I leave the house every day.

I think that the colour of the wisteria flower is absolutely gorgeous. So I hunted down the beauty products that match the shade the best - click on the image below to see them and my wisteria :)



1. Heavy Metal glitter eye gel in Bootleg. £11.50 at Urban Decay, hqhair.com

2. Pressed eyeshadow in Bluebell. £8 at B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful, lush.co.uk (or alternatively, if you're in London, check out the B Never shop at 39 Carnaby St - it's a genuine Aladdin's cave of beauty gems!)

3. Cream eyeshadow in Boozey. £11 at B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful, lush.co.uk

4. Eyeshadow in Parfait Amour. £10 at M•A•C, maccosmetics.com

5. Shadow Pot in Sky. £14 at Stila, hqhair.com

6. Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Light As Air. £11 at M•A•C, maccosmetics.com

7. Cream eyeshadow in Grand Bleu. £15 at NARS, hqhair.com

8. Cream eyeshadow in "my date's my brother". £11.50 at BeneFit, hqhair.com

And lastly for tonight, a pretty cotton sundress fresh in from TopShop. £28, topshop.com.

Sunday, 4 May 2008

I've Been Feeling Childish Lately...

Subsequently, I have become enamoured of these giggle-making products. This is my "indulge the little girl within" wishlist.


1. So deliciously kitsch. I'd probably eat 'em all in one sitting. Hello Kitty Lil' Devil Cinnamon Hots are €12 at colette.fr


2. This Mr Bump first aid kit will look so cute in the bathroom cabinet. I'll almost be happy when I graze my knee (which I do frequently). €12, colette.fr


3. "Mummy, I want to go to Disneyland!" I whined at my mother, aged seven or so. I got to go, but my memories consist solely of swirly lollipops chock full of E-numbers, whirling round in teacups until I nearly threw up (I was so un-hardcore back then..) and shrieking my head off in the Phantom Manor. This version of the Disney castle, by Disney Couture, is much cuter and less nausea-inducing. And what's more, it's got Swarovski diamonds in the doorway. Win. $80, fredflare.com


4. "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines,
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.
They left the house, at half past nine,
The smallest one was Madeline."
Ah, such were the days of my youth. I read Madeline and Eloise instead of watching the Teletubbies or whatever. By wearing this tee, I can channel Madeline's gutsy attitude (poor long-suffering Miss Clavel!) and wish I were standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe aussi. $24, fredflare.com


5. Hm. To be quite honest, I'm not really sure who the superhero on this Luella tee is. Batman, maybe? Where's the bat symbol? Hrr, I still find it cute. Although he doesn't seem to be wearing socks. This kind of reminds me of a David Shrigley sketch. £55, net-a-porter.com (Sorry I keep mixing currencies, by the way. Should I convert everything to pounds?)


6. So simple, yet so lovable. I want. (Even though I could replicate it with a grey M & S tee and a graffiti can for a tenth of the price.) £125, Moschino Cheap & Chic at net-a-porter.com


7. Another Mr Man (I'm allowed to love Mr. Men and Little Miss's, because I had practically the whole set when I was a younging). This one's Mr Funny, gracing a pair of Topshop girl boxers. £4, topshop.com


8. God, I am definitely going to Topshop next weekend. These bunny girl boxers are just too cute. £4, topshop.com

I'm going to avoid my revision now by going and eating some Iced Rings and Phish Food-flavoured Ben & Jerry's in front of Beauty & The Beast now. Mm.

A Thinly Disguised Semi-Rant About Russell Brand


On Friday after school, a group of friends and I hit the Angel Vue in Islington to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall, "Knocked Up" director Apatow's latest baby. My opinion? Es war gar nicht so schlecht. ("It wasn't too bad", for all you German learners). To my surprise, Russell Brand's character, Aldous Snow, was strangely likeable, despite the fact that Brand was basically playing himself. Usually I think Russell Brand's a bit of a prat to be honest. When I flip open my morning Metro on the Tube in the mornings there's usually something about Brand's sex addiction, which he is immensely proud of. I can't take that kind of...erm...cockiness. No pun intended. Also, who calls their autobiography "My Booky Wook"? Please.

So as I was saying. He wasn't bad. I actually laughed when he simulated sex with a giant chess piece for the benefit of an inexperienced Christian guy's sexual education (see below).



I also found the vampire musical composed by the main guy, Jason Segel, hilarious. It was a bit like Avenue Q, which I love. And Mila Kunis was depressingly gorgeous. To possess such slender, tanned limbs and abundant dark tresses... it's too unfair on the rest of the female population. Kunis makes me green - with envy, that is.

Anyway, the long and short of all of this is that I would like to visit Hawaii now, please. I can't wait for the summer holidays. But UGH. I just remembered the horrors I have yet to face: After next week, (my last official week in Year 11) I have 2 months of GCSE hell to get through! Please save me.

Allow me to introduce myself...

in·tro·duc·tion [in-truh-duhk-shuhn] –noun
1.the act of introducing or the state of being introduced.
2.a formal personal presentation of one person to another or others.
3.a preliminary part, as of a book, musical composition, or the like, leading up to the main part.
4.an elementary treatise: an introduction to botany.
5.an act or instance of inserting.
6.something introduced.

I'm not trying to insert anything or make any remarks on botany. Honest. Hello, by the way. I'm Tamako. If you want to know a coupla things about me...

Age: Sweet sweet sixteen. (I've got a winter birthday, which pains me because I don't get a summer party and Christmas steals all my thunder)

Lives: LONDON TOWN. Dick Whittington came here because he'd heard the streets were

Education: Currently completing GCSE year (Year 11/Upper Fifth) at an inner-city all-girls school.

Likes: I read fashion magazines like a beast. Also like musics and learning new languages, and EATING.

Heritage: Mongrel of the world

Enjoy my nonsensical writing!