Nothing Like A Lazy Day!

Today, I can admit to doing bugger all! Ive sat around watching tv, posting in various forums and buying stuff on ebay! And so far I've won a knee length black cord skirt by Elle. Very hot and cheap too! Just waiting on a tan suede skirt by Topshop and a Zara gold cardigan.
Yesturday, I got a nice invitation for two for the Fine Art, Design and Antiques show at Olympia from the 1st of March. Dont know if Im going to go yet but could be fun.
Also my boyfriend is kind of pissing me off a little. I last saw him on friday night and i havent bloody heard from him since. Not so much as a 'hey how you doing' message. Im doing all the bloody work! I like him but i dont know if i like him enough to keep putting up with this and the constant lateness. If he ever showed up on time i think id pass out in shock. hes always at least bloody half hour late and its really pissing me off. I hate late people, its so bloody rude. ive made the effort to be somewhere or ready at a specified time, do me a fucking favor and show up within 10 minutes of the time. Thats the grace period, any more and its fucking rude. If he's reading this, then get the fucking point and show up on time!
Kate Moss is to grace Vogue Uk's March cover which isnt really fab. She's so over! Come back to England, get arrested and sort out your bloody life! Shes getting too old to model and her problems have really hit her career hard and will continue to do so. Bring the younger, brighter, taller models to the foreground and get rid of Granny Moss!!
Well today obviously is moany day! Probably due to the crap weather we are having - its way too cold and grey to do anything! Roll on Summer!
Menswear ended in Paris today, so we will be rolling into New York for ready to wear on the 3rd!
XXxxxxX

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update - 10.20pm

I won the Zara cardi and the suede skirt. also came across a black top with the shoulders cut out which i also won. Love Ebay!

also glad to hear that Kate Moss returned to the Uk and helped out our bobbies with the coke enquiry. Finally facing the music!
XXxxx

'Elegance' by Kathleen Tessaro

Yesturday picked up one of my favourite books, 'Elegance' by Kathleen Tessaro. I love this book as the characters are so fabulous and every one can see a little of themselves in Louise. Not since Bridget Jones has anyone made you laugh, cry and aspire. You can't help but love her, and especially her love interest at the end of the book - Eddie. He's just so fabulous, you want to find a guy just like him! I've already read this book twice, so this was my third visit to its brilliantly witty pages, and I didnt get the de ja vu thing too much, that i knew exactly what happened next. I hate when that happens! I loved this book so much, with its hints of how to dress self help that I had to go out and buy the book that Louise finds in the 2nd hand bookshop by Dariaux, (and by the way, the picture that she creates of a secondhand book store is so true and so is the accompannying picture of the new bookstore). I recommend that all women should pick themselves up a copy of this, its so FABULOUS!
XxxXxxX

Books Again!

I said that I wouldnt go out and spend money today, and yet I did. Ive bought 7 more books (for £3.45):

• The Hungry Tide - Amitav Ghosh
• Divas Las Vegas - Belinda Jones
• The Other Woman - Jane Green
• Firecracker - Sean Stewart
• Want to Play? - PJ Tracy
• Star - Pamela Anderson (HB)
• Snobs - Julian Fellowes

Nevermind! I needed something new to read anyway! XXXxxx

Namma - Kate Karko

I've just finished reading 'Namma' by Kate Karko (2001; Sceptre) and it has to be one of the best books that I have ever read but definately the best non-fiction book.
It opened up a whole new land that is so mysterious especially to us Westerners. The cultures, the people, the religious beliefs and the collectivism within the Amdo people was inspiring and admirable. The marriage between Kate and Tsedup is something we all strive for - a close relationship that gets closer and stronger with time and experience. Its East meets West at its best. he book shows the joys and sorrows (more joys than sorrows!) of life in the Tibetan grassland of Amdo and I have to admit that I did cry at the end when they leave Tibet and she finds that she is pregnant.

A great book that I would recommend in a heart beat!

xxXXXx

Haute Couture Was Amazing

Haute Couture shows have just finished in Paris and like to see its still something to wait for. Classic Elegance was key at Valentino and Armani Prive, Fur was hot at Revillion, John Galliano's Dior show was as outrageous as ever - maybe even more so!. Lacroix was creative and bold and Chanel was feminine and girly. Best show had to be the closing one - Elie Saab - so many fabulous floaty and seductive dresses, that showed purely elegant glitz and old-style glamour!
Menswear in Paris starts tomorrow!
XXXxx

Shopping, Relaxing, Reading and More Shopping!

Since the exams have gone a little mad. Spending here and there! Yesturday went out and bought a few back issues of a few magazines that are usually hard to get hold of (American Teen Vogue, Vogue from any country except UK, Jane and Harpers and Queen), some really nice pink boxers for sleeping in, a grey sweatshirt with a buddha printed on it thats a little too big but its not a big deal and a pink glittery vest top. Picked up a few books too including:

• On Writing - Stephen King
• Lake Wobegon Days - Garrison Keillor
• Plainsong - Kent Haruf
• By the River Piedra, I sat down and wept - Paulo Coehlo
• The Hungry Ocean - Linda Greenlaw
• The Light of the Falling Stars - J. Robert Lennon
• Foreign Fruit - JoJo Moyes

Also went a little spend crazy today. Bought 2 bra and pantie sets, 4 bras, one camisole, long grey t-shirt thats ideal to go with skinny jeans and heels, and a black beaded sport-back vest. Also ordered a Dior 'Rasta' large wallet (which goes with my new Dior Saddle Bag - i know theyre a little out of date but ive always loved them and i finally got my hands on one!), a red satin plunge bra and a Valbonne strapless bra. Hope I get those soon!

Tomorrow I plan to spend nothing or Im going to be totally skint, so Im gonna stay in, relax and read whilst waiting for the laundry to be done. Hope the weather is nice enough to hang it on the line outside otherwise ill have to keep running backwards and forwards to the dryer! Ah! The Domesticity of my Life!

XXxxxxxXxX

Fashion Weeks Kicked Off With Menswear in Milan

Its that time of year when the fall/winter shows are being shown and they kicked off last week with Menswear in Milan. All offered a different edge but longer line coats, grey and red were key things to covet for the coming winter.
The best shows had to be Valentino, Burberry, Alexander Mcqueen, Costume National and Neil Barrett. Check out www.vogue.co.uk for show pics and details.
You might have also glimpsed a few well known women that hit certain menswear catwalks like Brittany Murphy at D2Squared looking fab in a black empire line dress, Carmen Kass strutted her stuff at Cavalli and Versace and Victoria Beckham looked fab in a white dress at Cavalli.
Looking forward to Haute Couture that starts today in Paris and Ready to Wear kicks off next week!
XxxXXX

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Finals are over til May!!!!

Thank fuck the finals are finally over! No more revising til May, yay! Now all I gotta do it wait until I get my results to see if I actually pass or have to do retakes. Hopefully passed Cognitive psych and Developmental psych, not so sure about Personality and Social psych, which is the one I had today. Probably one retake. I think id be a little pissed if there is more than one, or worse all three!!! Ah well, fuck it! I pass I pass, if i don't, then i don't.
Good luck to anyone else with finals!
XxXx

Exams 'n' shit

Well I've done two out of three exams and they werent as bad as i thought they were gonna be. The worst one is out of the way - cognitive psych. Just got personality and social psych on monday which shouldnt be too bad.

Bought a few books today as I havent done so in a little while, i dont know how much i spent but i got all these for a few quid-ish!

• Literature in the Modern World - Dennis Walder
• The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
• Carrie - Stephen King
• The Funhouse - Owen West
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• Witch Hill - Marcus Sedgwick
• Hotel Babylon - Imogen Edwards Jones
• Ladder of Years - Anne Tyler
• Blood Red Rivers - Jean Christophe Grange

I went to my mates gig the other week and it was very fucking fabulous so check out Letters of London by Letters for London at http://www.myspace.com/lettersfromlondon

Xxx

Books Again

Been out again this morning and one of my thrift stores has topped up its books corner. All the rubbish i've perused for months has been replaced by some hot stuff. This morning for £5 I got:

• Citizen Girl - Nicola Krauss and Emma Mclaughlin
• Jungle Janes - Peter Burden
• Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl
• A Venetian Affair - Andrea Di Robilant
• Cowboys Are My Weakness - Pam Houston
• The Republic - Plato
• Burial - Graham Masterton (HB)
• Insomnia - Stephen King (HB)

Well I better get back to avoiding my revision for finals!

XXxxXX

What Am I Doing!?!

I have my first final on the 16th, followed by another on the 17th and ending with one on the 23rd. I know that I have just over a week till then and yet I'm still doing anything but revise. I will happily sit on the couch watching rubbish just so I dont have to do some work. Another thing is that when it gets to friday, i'll be freaking out and kicking myself for not revising sooner! You think I would have learnt from all the other times when I this week of cramming but no! Lets just hope I understand the stuff and am able to pull a passing grade from my ass! (I only need 40% to pass, but its not a good grade!) I was watching Tommy Lee Goes Back To College, and he was cramming for finals the night before, and I realised that that was me! (only not male, old or heavily tattooed!) So note to self - when finals come up in the summer again - revise for more than 5 days before the exam!
Also this morning had to mail off my insurance forms for my bike before the closing date and couldnt find my bloody driving licence. I was totally freaking, but eventually found it folded up in amongst some other letters.
Good news though! Student loan has arrived in my bank account this morning, which Im totally happy about. Im now 2 grand richer. Though £1245 goes to pay housing that i dont live in, but im held in a contract i cannot get out of!

Bought 3 books this morning to cheer myself up: (2quid of cash spent on these)

• The Time Traveller's Wife - Augrey Niffengger
• The Vesuvius Club - Mark Gatiss
• Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

Well Im now gonna avoid revising some more by watching The Grudge and getting ready to go to a gig tonight!

XXxXxXxX

TRENDS FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2006

If you checked out the shows back in October 2005 like I did then you already know what trends are hot for this Spring/Summer. However, if you didnt manage catch one of the many shows from across the globe, heres the basic trends set to sizzle this Summer. (Source Vogue UK, Feb and personal S/S06 lookbook)

• Dresses especially shift, shirt and babydoll styles. The new style to grab is the strapless - very seductive
• Coats in the form of a trench, fitted or a duster
• Pleated things, especially skirts but not so you look like a librarian or school girl. If you dont like a harsh pleat try draped fabric for a softer touch
• Nakedness - choose colors like greige, buff rose, cream and soft, soft pastels
• Shorts are back - make them teeny tiny or knee length, but they must be tailored
• White is big and the signature color of the season. Add gold for a splash of glitz and glamour
• Plaid, check and gingham fabrics are the key print to look for. Also try a dog tooth but make any print colorful
• Glitz it up with shimmery fabrics and metallic colors. Add beads and sequins just to be flash. Show the gold!
• Utility is hot, comfortable and practical. Pick up dungarees (just don't look like a country bumpkin!) or overalls for the working effect. Add braces and belts for a finishing touch
• Be patriotic in your red, white and blue - wear as stripes for a fab look especially on the 4th of July!
• Add feminine ruffles and frills to anything especially shoulders and shirt fronts. Channel the new romantic in you!
• A classic white shirt is always hot!
• Let out you masculine side by wearing a Tuxedo in classic black. Add frills for a feminine touch
• Lace and crochet add detail and you can make something unique yourself at home!
• Trousers come in many forms this season, so either wear them skin-tight, real loose or sailor-style (high waisted, button fronts, usually in white!)
• Show your intellectual style, by adding something Preppy to your wardrobe. try shirts, polo shirts and ties
• Don't be afraid to flash color this summer. The brighter the better is the rule to follow - try orange, red, blue, green, yellow and purple. Follow the rainbow!
• Swimwear season puts dread into all of us, but try a 50's cut in a monochrome for instant fabulousness!
• Oversize sunglasses are still hot, as are chunky belts, and oversized bags (try a rounded one or a square one)
• Try chunky heels or flat sandals. A wedge is okay but don't do the stilletto, especially on the beach.

Shorter trends come out now and again, but these are the ones to stay this spring/summer.

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FASHION WEEK TAKES OVER IN 4 HOT CITIES IN FEBUARY, SO CHECK OUT WHAT WILL BE HOT AND FABULOUS IN FALL/WINTER 2006/7

DATES FOR FASHION WEEK ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• NEW YORK KICKS OFF ON THE 3RD TIL THE 10TH OF FEBUARY 2006
• LONDON'S THE PLACE TO BE BETWEEN THE 15TH AND 19TH
• MILAN OVERLAPS ON THE 18TH TIL THE 26TH
• WE LEAVE MILAN ON THE 26TH SO THAT PARIS CAN BRING US TO A CLOSE ON THE 6TH OF MARCH

MY CATWALK PREDICTIONS WILL BE POSTED AFTER EACH DESTINATION!

XXXXxx

VOGUE ARRIVED

Today I refuse to do any work. The new Vogue has arrived this morning and I plan on spending the whole day perusing its fine pages. I love this time of the month. The catwalk report came with, so I'm already planning my summer wardrobe.

XXxxx

I really should stop!

I really should stop buying books. Went out today and came back with another haul of books! Not to mention when I came home and found that my book from Ebay had arrived! And there will be a couple more arriving in the next few days! I don't plan to go near a bookstore til next week at least! So what did I get today? For £4.90 I managed to get 10 books (including 5 hardbacks and 1 uncorrected proof)

• Stormy Weather - Carl Hiaasen (HB)
• After the Storm - Janet Dailey
• The Dark Half - Stephen King (HB)
• Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs (HB)
• Air Babylon - Imogen Edward Jones
• Needful Things - Stephen King (HB)
• Choose your own adventure 120: Ghost Train - Louise Foley (I collect these)
• Lost Geography - Charlotte Bacon
• The Tommy Knockers - Stephen King
• Pirates - Celia Rees (uncorrected proof)

xxxxX

First Read of 2006

I have just finished reading my first book of the year. It wasnt exactly a challenge, I just picked it up and read it cover to cover (not a great feat at 60 pages in length!), but it distracted me for five minutes from reading Namma by Kate Karko, which is quite a deep book.
xxx
Also I recieved The Athenian Murders by Somoza this morning from Ebay!

Book Haul

Another hour out of my life has resulted in a haul of 19 books for £11. I needed something to cheer me up as I have finals in 2 weeks and I havent started revising yet, and its raining here in England today. So what did I buy today?

• The Shops - India Knight
• Understanding Abnormal Behaviour - David Sue
• The Regulators - Richard Bachman
• Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
• The Pursuit of Happiness - Douglas Kennedy
• Roses are Red - James Patterson
• Violets are Blue - James Patterson
• Cat and Mouse - James Patterson
• Cider With Rosie - Laurie Lee
• Great Journeys of the World - Various (Sandi Tosvig, Tony Robinson, etc)
• The Sands of Time - Michael Hoeye
• Golden Buddha - Clive Cussler
• The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
• Snow Falling on the Cedars - David Gutterson
• The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory
• The Queen's Fool - Phillipa Gregory
• Whispers in the Sand - Barbara Erskine
• Cradle and All - James Patterson
• The Grim Reaper - Bernard Knight

This year I really wanted to try some new authors, so Im trying James Patterson and John Grisham. Hopefully I'll like 'em! XXxX

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Update - 13.57

Just ordered A Painted House by Grisham and bid on Reading Lolita in Tehran on Ebay

New Years Resolutions

Its that time of year again when we all lay out our good intentions for the new year. This tradition is utterly pointless as most are broken by April, yet every year i make a new list and lie about actually sticking to them. The list is usually as long as my arm and i actually keep about 2 or 3 of them. I suppose keeping any of them is progress towards the better me. So what am I going to tell myself I'm going to do this year? Well, lets see:

1. Eat a bit healthier so I can lose a few pounds before bikini season
2. Read 52 books (thats just one a week)
3. Stop buying crap - if i dont need it, then dont buy it
4. Put more effort into uni - actually pass the year first time!
5. Remain fabulous!

I'll keep you posted as to whether I fall or suceed throughout the year.

Good luck with all your resolutions!

HAPPY NEW YEAR Y'ALL