Hair New Era

Pictures from whereisthecool.com

My expectations tend to be notoriously high, and when I picked up Stephen Fry’s debut novel The Liar that had praising reviews from everything starting with The Literary Review and ending with Cosmopolitan on its cover, I was quite sure I was holding my new favourite novel in my hands. So yeah, imagine my surprise when I started reading it and realised that it was... so much better than I thought possible.

While reading, I wrote out some sentences I liked the best, at times turned back to reread some lines, then went, “Ohh” in understanding, and when I’d finished about a third of the book, went back and reread all the preceding chapters, and then finally thought I understood. Except the fuck I did really, and so I kept turning back as I was getting further, each time making slightly more sense of the whole, and being increasingly intrigued by it.

I love a work of art that can confuse you, that requires you to work, to think. Just like a person who is smarter than you, it brings you a few steps higher on the endless stairs of knowledge instead of being a weight pulling you down. It is just the kind of wonderful novel that is not insulting your intelligence, the kind where you can tell the author is both clever and wise, and on its pages he has sprinkled references from literature and other fields, some of which you feel proud to get, and others that serve as a reminder of how much more you still have to learn.

In fact, while reading, I compiled a list of important literary works that were known by the characters, but not by me: a mistake in need of prompt correction.

The Naked Lunch

The Lost Weekend

Catch-22

The Loom of Youth

The Hill

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Madame Bovary

Lucky Jim

Howards End

Sredni Vashtar

So in conclusion, the book made me blush, smirk and laugh out loud, it blew my mind, broke my heart, and more than anything, it impressed me. It was an exquisite puzzle, coated with numerous differently delicious flavours hiding a satisfying core.

I was hoping for a twist ending, but instead I got at least five or six twists in the last 50 pages, so through most of them I was just grinning and shaking my head at being outwitted by the author again, and again.

But seriously, what else would you expect from a modern day Oscar Wilde, British national treasure and pretty much my favourite person alive?

Pictures from weheartit.com

Because QI is my gospel, I can't wait to be prescribed antibiotics for something. And then drink alcohol.

Day 24 – Best quote
Andy’s speech towards the end of Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale. It makes me cry every single time. (And I don't normally cry when I'm watching telly. Or when I'm on YouTube. Honest.)

Day 22 – Favorite series finale
The Office Christmas Specials. No competition. It manages to make me laugh, cry, cringe and think. All the things that make a great episode. And it has the most satisfying ending ever (The 'Why don't you fuck off' moment was perfection).

Day 18 – Favorite title sequence
Six Feet Under. This is a haunting piece of art:


The same people also made the title sequences for Dexter and True Blood which make up my TOP 3 hands down. And since I’ve apparently started a list, number four is the cookie cutter suburbia of the early seasons of Weeds. And number five… probably Freaks and Geeks. Or the classic Sex and the City.

Day 14 – Favorite male character

My suitcase is almost packed. The only problem is that about 70% of it is filled, but I haven’t really put any clothes in yet. Trouble brewing, I’ll tell you… But there’s still over a week left. To pretend everything is A-ok.
When I’m not running around, trying to get everything done before I need to leave, I’m listening to Marina and the Diamonds. Yes, I already kind of wrote about her, but now that I’ve been listening to more of her songs, I can see that not just one, but almost all of them seem to be describing me. It’s actually a bit creepy. Has she somehow managed to break into my head and steal my thoughts and hopes and fears? Or rather, how is it that her autobiographical songs are so completely relatable to me? I’ve never had that with any artist before.
In any case, she’s basically the only pop star that I’d really want to meet and talk to. She seems to have substance – which just happens to be nearly identical to mine. I’m intrigued.

I love books and I love purses, so quite unsurprisingly, Kate Spade Book of the Month clutches are the coolest things I’ve seen in a while. Top points for the idea.
I'd love to go out, carrying a classic under my arm.
Here's the selection: The Great Gatsby, The Importance of Being Earnest, Great Expectations. Which is your favourite book (clutch)?

Picture from midwesterncliche.com

The last few weeks have been hectic, apologies for no new posts. I’m slowly working on some exciting DIY projects, though.
Until then, I’ll leave you with a song that feels like it’s been written about/for me. The video looks cool too (I want the dollar dress).
And by the way, I just found out that Marina and the Diamonds will be performing in my university this autumn. Awesome.

Alyssa Miller, Elsa Hosk and Silviu Tolu by Ellen von Unwerth

I love how instead of being a list of predictable commercial pictures, they tell a flirty little story set in the '60s (full 'story' here).
This is almost good enough to make me forget about the awful campaign Guess had for spring 2009: *shudders*

Pictures from fashiongonerogue.com x10, thesuperficial.com x1

I’ve always seen Katy Perry as a beautiful airhead; stupid and childish, but kind of fun as well. She’s like Zooey Deschanel’s dumb sister. Or like that friend you have who is the life and soul of the party, but shouldn’t really be allowed to talk about serious subjects in public.
And excuse me, but I actually like many of her crazy outfits in their sweet ridiculousness.
@katyperry: "Bet @rustyrockets would like a HJ with these nails... :P" The carousel dress is my favourite. Awesomeness:But this quote from an interview with Rolling Stone, well, I don’t even know:

The California girl, who has “Jesus” tattooed on her left wrist, tells the magazine, “Speaking in tongues is as normal to me as ‘Pass the salt..’ It’s a secret, direct prayer language to God.” Perry, 25, adds that her dad usually speaks in tongues while her mom plays interpreter. “That’s their gift,” she explains.
“I wasn’t able to say I was lucky because my mother would rather us say that we were blessed, and she also didn’t like that lucky sounded like Lucifer.”

The Superficial has been my guilty pleasure of pointless celebrity news for years, but this article on whatever the hell Katy’s on about has got to be one of the best on the site. Usually I don’t appreciate bloggers using their platform to preach their beliefs, but this is an exception. In fact, I think I have a tiny crush on The Superficial Writer now.

Pictures from iheartkatyperry.tumblr.com x6, thesuperficial.com x3, poorimpulsecontrol.net/blog/ x1

Dioni Tabbers by Ellen von Unwerth for Vogue Italia (July 2010)

Pictures from fashiongonerogue.com

Alexis Mabille:

Chanel:

Jean Paul Gaultier:

Valentino:

Christian Dior:

Wouldn't mind having any of these gowns, no.