pardon my absence.

So yet again it’s been way too long since I last made my appearance here on tumblr-land, but at least I’ve got a good excuse for it this time (really!) – was away for a good two weeks overseas to attend a cousin’s wedding (which was lovely by the way) and I only just came back a couple of days ago. Also, just purchased a new laptop as I was getting too frustrated with my crappy old Dell (seriously, took about 15 minutes for it to properly turn on and load up, and freezes every time I had more than one program running – grr!) so the past few days have been spent migrating my stuff across le gadgets. Now here I am happily typing away on my brand spanking new and shiny Toshiba and things could not get any better!

Well… it could really because many, many moons ago I went to see Mystery Jets at Capitol and boy, do I now wish I could go back to that gig! It was quite serious one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended – the band played brilliantly and there was a good mixture of new tracks off their latest offering Radlands, as well as plenty of old tunes off Serotonin and Twenty One, many of which I only just realised on the night I knew pretty much all the words to. The crowd went especially nuts when the charming lads played “Two Doors Down” and it was amazing how everybody (including yours truly) seemed to know all the words to that song! Anyway, photos will be uploaded shortly, as always.

In other gig related news, Dappled Cities is playing this Sunday night and I could not be more excited for it! Also, Rock It is just lurking around the corner and the lineups for Future Music and Laneway for next year are both seriously looking rather promising (in addition to Big Day Out - have a feeling I’ll be completely broke this summer as I purchase my tix to attend said festivals). Finally, things seem to be taking its turn in the Perth live music scene.

In other non-gig related news, I’m currently awaiting confirmation (most definitely very likely!) for the short course I will taking when I head to Beijing next month. Can’t believe it’s not that far away now and I am getting really truly excited for it all. Eeeep! Will not have much time to list new items on my etsy store amid all this excitement and preparation I think (although I’ve been meaning to upload some photos of these chain necklaces I made ages ago…) but good news is that the 15% discount for orders over 30 is still on!

Happy as Larry!

x glassesgirl

the world of online (clothes) shopping.

Online shopping has always been one of those things that I am usually rather hesitant about, in particular when it comes to buying clothes – mainly because I am one of those people who generally like to try things on or physically feel the quality of items before deciding on making my purchase and parting with my well-earned (ha!) cash. Apart from the occasional purchase off Etsy or Book Depository (bargain books galore – I’ve pretty much stopped buying books in shops now ever since I discovered this website!), I’ve never really dared to venture into the world of online clothes shopping, fearing that the clothes won’t look as good on me/fit me properly once I receive them and/or won’t be on par with my expectations (and knowing the lazy ass person that I am I probably most definitely also won’t be bothered to return/exchange anything). So it came with a bit of a spur-of-the-moment and so-unlike-moi when I decided a couple of moons ago to take the plunge and give online clothes shopping a whack.

My first ever online clothing purchase came from Princess Polly, a rather well-known Australian-based online clothing store that promises free express shipping on all orders and carries the tagline of “Fashion for the girl who has something to express“. I had heard of this website before plenty a time, though I didn’t know anybody who had purchased anything off it, and being one of their followers on zuckerbook, my newsfeed was often bombarded with numerous photos of pretty girls wearing pretty clothes. I decided to play it safe for my first ever purchase by choosing something from their SALE section, so that if I hated the item upon receiving it I wouldn’t be filled with too much regret. I ended up purchasing this top and this bag, both marked down to $30. I ordered the top in the cream colour in a size 12 (I’m usually a 10-12 when it comes to tops, but I figured I’d rather be safe than sorry) and as promised on their express shipping guarantee, both items arrived quickly and safely in a mere 3 days.

It being my first ever online clothing purchase, I was pretty darn excited when the little parcel came, but my excitement was quickly dampened as soon as I opened my package and took a good look at what was inside. For something that was originally priced at $60, the top wasn’t really of a quality that matched it’s price. The brand was some random label called “Fahrenheit” and the quality of the fabric and cut of the garment made it look like something that I probably could have bought from a shop in Thailand or Hong Kong for about a third, nay maybe even less, of its RRP. The size, although fits me just, also runs pretty small and I doubt that a “standard” size 12 girl would have been able to fit into this top comfortably. The bag was equally as disappointing, being a lot smaller than I had expected and in a brighter orange than what I had gathered from the photos. The quality was also not on par with it’s original RRP at $45 and yet again it was off some random Made in for China label called “Sunshine Girl”. Though I am still going to be wearing both items as new additions to my wardrobe, considering the quality of these purchases, I’d be surprised if I get much wear out of them, particularly the top, after a few spins in the washing machine. So online clothes shopping numero uno = total disappointment.

Being the determined person that I am and not wanting to give up hope, I decided that I should give this online clothes shopping thing another go and this time opted to purchase something off Urban Outfitters. For those of you who have been living under a rock or in Australia (haha I kid… not really), Urban Outfitters is an American chain clothing retailer that operates in more than 170 locations worldwide and is known to cater for the growing “hipster” culture and fashion. With a promise of free delivery on orders over $50, I figured that I couldn’t really go wrong purchasing a couple of things off their SALE section. The first thing that caught my eye was this mod-style raincoat - I had been looking for a lightweight raincoat to wear to work for quite sometime now, and at $19.99 sale price I thought I had picked myself up a bargain. To add to my bundle so that it passed the $50 mark, I also ordered this cute top in brown (also $19.99 down from $49), fake nerd glasses ($6.99) and a much, much needed 5 minute shower timer ($6). I placed my order about two weeks ago and this is what arrived at my doorstep this afternoon:

Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with my purchases. I bought both raincoat and top in a medium and they fit me like a glove, meaning that they run pretty true to size as the website stated the medium to be about a 10-12 Australian. The coat is adorable and although the material is a lot thinner than what I had expected (and not quite a “raincoat” – more like of a thin and slightly waterproof canvas-y material), I really adore the mod cut and am already planning an outfit to wear it to work tomorrow The top is equally as cute, but I think what I am the most impressed with is the pair of glasses, which is not only comfortable to wear but also of relatively good quality and at just 7 bucks, a real bargain (my “cheap” $10 glasses from Cotton On does not come anywhere close to the quality of this pair!). Although the shipping took a little longer than my purchases from Princess Polly, it definitely was worth the wait as the quality of the items that arrived was a much better value for money and looked more like something that came from Myer or General Pants, as opposed to somewhere like Ally or Supre.

Anyway, after this little episode, I think I’ve finally understood the hype of online shopping for clothes now – the spontaneity of making that initial purchase and thinking of how much of a bargain it is as compared to clothes you’d find in shops, the anticipation of waiting for the item to arrive, the excitement of trying on the clothes for the first time and finding out whether it meets your expectations… It’s a bit like a game. Trial and error.

Sure, when it comes down to it, would I have immediately bought these purchases if I had seen them hanging at the shops? Probably not. But would I buy more clothes online after this experience? Probably… yes.

x glassesgirl

shop update.

I’ve spent the last couple of days sprucing up my etsy shop and giving it pretty much a complete head-to-toe makeover – new banner, new photos, edited listings… everything! So please do check it out when you get the chance! Either by clicking on the link in the blog menu to your right or by clicking on this smiley face –> 

As promised, with the official relaunch of OH, HELLO. shop comes an exciting new discount offer – for the next month or so I’m giving 15% DISCOUNT FOR ORDERS OVER $30!! Just enter in the coupon code OVER30 when you check out and etsy will automatically deduct the discounted amount! Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I’ve also been uber generous with my first couple of sales and have been known to slip in an extra item with my lovely customers’ orders here and there (though not a guaranteed thing!) I think I’ve just been so excited that a product of my passion and creative outlet is going to a new home to be appreciated and adorned by wonderful people that I just can’t help but want to give away free stuff. I know it’s not a good habit – I’ll try to restrain myself I promise haha.

Anyway, it’s time for photos. Here’s a few of some of the stuff currently listed on le shop.

I’ve also spent the last few days embarking on a new crafting journey into making hand-stitched notebooks. I’ve always loved the rough yet delicate look of notebooks that have been meticulously cut and stitched by hand and it turns out that it’s actually not all that difficult to make lovely little notebooks a la moleskine and their counterparts – all thanks to this wonderful how-to blog post! I’ve managed to make one mini notebook thus far and am thinking of doing a whole bunch of them with assorted designs and the like. Will keep you updated as soon as more progress has been made!

Have a lovely weekend y’all.

x glassesgirl

long time no see.

I’ve been pretty terrible at keeping up with le blog lately. I have to admit I don’t really know why because it’s not like I’ve been occupied with anything in particular that is out of my day to day norms. Though I’ve been getting quite a lot of work lately (Huzzah for monies and a healthy bank account!) and one of my best friends has just gotten her driver’s license, so we’ve been going out a whole heap more than we normally would do. Ah, I guess that explains everything.

Anyway, now that I’m sort of in a blogpostingmood, it just occurred to me that I never got round to posting piccies up from the Made On the Left markets I took part in many, many moons ago. I’m SO thankful that the awesome peeps from Small Things invited me to join their little collection, as I probably would not have had the confidence to hold a market stall at such a huge event otherwise! All in all it was a wonderfully successful day – the market was pretty much packed full of people from the moment it opened until it closed. Also, lookie at how awesome our stall display looked!!

I’m also hoping to dedicate a couple of days sometime this week to give my etsy shop a much needed makeover. I’ve been meaning to take new photos of my goodies for quite some time now, and now that I’ve got a new camera (Helloo Olympus E-PM1 Pen mini!) I don’t really have any excuse to wait around much longer. I’m thinking of doing some sort of promotional deal as soon as the shop is spruced up and running, so keep an eye out for an announcement sometime in the next week or so (hopefully!).

In other completely unrelated news, I have FINALLY renewed my L’s so look out as I will be hitting the streets in my little white Hyundai in pursuit of obtaining that long overdue driver’s license! I’ve just had my first ever lesson with dad the other day, and first ever lesson since the last time I attempted to learn how to drive which was some 3 or so years ago. I actually was getting quite good and confident at driving that first time I attempted it and was even able to do things like parallel park and driving of highways, but I feel like I’ve forgotten everything and am now back on square one. Hopefully it’s something like riding a bicycle, in that you will never forget how to ride a bike once you learn it. Or is it the other way round? I can never remember.

On the road again,

x glassesgirl

my top ten albums of 2012… so far!

It’s that time of the year when music aficionados across all ends of the spectrum take a pause to reminisce and look back on what the year 2012 (also best known as the last year on earth) has brought to us so far in the music world. Fasterlouder’s done it, and so has a gazillion other bloggers out there across the interwebs. So I figured, while I’ve got some spare time on my hands (Yay for school holidays!), why not jump on the bandwagon and collate my own little list of the best and most exciting album releases that 2012 have managed to churn out thus far for our listening pleasures?

So without further ado, I present to you my list of top ten albums of 2012… so far!

1. HOT CHIP – IN OUR HEADS

Genre: Electronic, alternative dance
Released: June 2012

When you think you’ve heard the best there is that this band has to offer, Hot Chip once again blows it all out of the water with the release of their fifth studio album In Our Heads. I’ve said it once before and I’ll say it again – I don’t think these guys can seriously EVER do anything wrong! This record is such a confident, joyous and quirky little gem full of infectious pop hooks and a whole lotta groove. One of their best albums to date in my opinion and a perfect listen from start to finish.

2. THE MACCABEES – GIVEN TO THE WILD

Genre: Indie rock
Released: January 2012

While this third album signals a huge change in style and direction for The Maccabees, Given to the Wild is an album that triumphs where all their previous releases have failed. Through the shimmery and deliciously liquid guitar hooks on top of Orlando’s tentative and whispery vocals, this record takes me on a journey to the far reaches of the wild and back. Long gone are the tongue-in-cheek, playful and catchy melodies of their earlier releases. But it’s no sad farewell as what has emerged in its place is a band that has pushed themselves further than ever before, beyond the realms of comfort and the familiar into a whole brand new territory. The result is one spectacularly beautiful album.

3. CHAIRLIFT – SOMETHING

Genre: Indie pop, synthpop
Released: January 2012

Apart from their one-hit wonder iPod commercial success “Bruises”, Chairlift was pretty much nonexistent for me in the music sphere prior to the release of this sophomore album. Heavily influenced by the 80s pop revival scene, Something is an album that is so garishly and unashamedly pop that it can seem a little too much at first, but then grows on you upon first listen. It’s a charming little album, and amidst Polachek’s experimental falsetto and the swirly, synthy psychedelic beats is a solid foundation bounded by the good old light-hearted genre of pop. Though it can sound slightly indulgent at times, Something remains as equally cool, calm and confident – a strong reminder that there is no shame in living like it’s the 80s.

4. THE SHINS – PORT OF MORROW

Genre: Indie rock
Released: March 2012

It’s hard to believe that the last time The Shins bestowed us with an album prior to the release of this record was back in ’07, and with a five-year long hiatus in between the two (plus a major overhaul in the original lineup of the band), the question on everybody’s lips surely is whether it was worth the wait. Upon first listen, my answer is a definite yes. The first track on Port of Morrow is mindblowingly good – so good in fact that it warrants the album to be played over and over again – and the rest follows so smoothly and confidently in its track. Overall, it still sounds a Shins’ album, though there’s something that feels slightly different about it, an influence that perhaps stemmed from Mercer’s new found interest in side project Broken Bells. And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing at all.

5. OF MONSTERS AND MEN – MY HEAD IS AN ANIMAL

Genre: Indie folk
Released: April 2012

What is it with the land of the Ice (see what I did there?) and producing good music? First, they gave us the wonderful talent that is Bjork, then there is the brilliance of Sigur Ros, and now Of Monsters and Men are undoubtedly following closely behind. For a debut release, this album is pretty damn good. It’s chockfull of epic choruses, heavy instrumentation and melodies that create huge walls of sound a la heavyweights of their genre, Mumford & Sons. Sure, there’s nothing hugely mindblowing or uniquely different on My Head Is An Animal. But what there is plentiful of is charm, a quiet confidence and an attractive sense of earnestness that is so promising for such a young, fresh band. This album is probably not going to be the best that this band will ever produce, but it can only be smooth sailing from here on forward.

6. MYSTERY JETS – RADLANDS

Genre: Indie rock
Released: April 2012

What do you get when you put a bunch of British indie rock lads in the middle of nowheresville in Texas to produce their latest record? Radlands - that’s what. I have to admit, it took me a really long time to warm up to this album. There’s an obvious Americana country music influence on this record that came with a bit of shock-horror at first, but after a couple more listens and a lot less comparisons to their former glories, on its own rights, Radlands is a rather solid album. It’s a definite reinvention of sound and direction from Mystery Jet‘s poppy “Serotonin” days. There’s an apparent yearning for maturity on this record signaling a band wanting to grow up to experiment and expand on their musical horizons, and if that’s not worth applauding then I don’t know what is.

7. METRIC – SYNTHETICA

Genre: Indie rock, new wave
Released: June 2012

Synthetica is an album that sticks true to its word. At times, the record feels a little overproduced and the preciseness of its tight and rhythmic guitar/keyboard combo can come across as uptight. But there’s an obvious strength to this record that I really dig. Minus the artificial vibe that perhaps is more obvious than intended, this record achieves such a perfect balance between electronic music and rock, the new and the old. It’s powerful stuff, and all this in addition to Haines’ now-more-than-ever bold and smoldering vocals. I mean, what more can you ask for?

8. LAST DINOSAURS – IN A MILLION YEARS

Genre: Indie rock, power pop
Released: March 2012

Time and time again, a new band equipped with debut release emerges into my periphery, engraves its own little place in my heart and stays there. Last Dinosaurs‘ first release does just that. I don’t know why really, because it’s not a record that demands a challenging listen, nor does listening to it change my perception of the world in any way. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and you may even describe In A Million Years as “generic”, being filled with lighthearted, power pop melodies that centers on your typical stories of heartbreak and young love (think Little Red and Two Door Cinema Club). But there’s something about this album that is strangely so appealing and sets it apart from the rest – perhaps it’s the honest sense of simplicity in their music that never fails to give me a warm feeling of nostalgia and youth, to the extent that you become addicted to playing this record on repeat until nothing else really matters and you lose track of all time.

9. THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – THERE’S NO LEAVING NOW

Genre: Folk
Released: June 2012

Our modern-day Bob Dylan does it again with the release of this third album. I think I have fallen so head-over-heels in love with The Tallest Man On Earth a.k.a. Kristian Matsson’s voice that he could be singing Opera for all I care, and I would still go out and purchase his record. There’s No Leaving Now is definitely a far-cry from Opera and in my opinion, one of his most confident releases thus far. It’s such a comforting little album, full of wonderful melodies, delicate instrumentation and lyrical genius. Although it’s easy to criticise Matsson for the lack of variety in his music and style throughout all of his three releases, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

10. MIIKE SNOW – HAPPY TO YOU

Genre: Indie pop, electropop
Released: March 2012

Miike Snow is like a guilty pleasure to me. When their first album came out, their poor lyrical prowess and predictably generic “dance music” melodies made me cringe, but I found myself struggling to put their record down. Happy To You is no different. It’s markedly a lighthearted affair, even more so than their debut and even more packed with disco-tinged, sing-along melodies that gets the heart pumping and the body moving. There’s obvious improvement from its predecessor and what they lack lyrically, they make up for in melodies and style. So what if Wyatt sings about flying over archipelagos and “God Help This Divorce”? If fun is what you’re after, this album no doubt guarantees it.

So there you have it – my top ten favourite albums that have been released this year so far! There’s no doubt that 2012 is going to be an incredible year in the music sphere, with plenty more exciting and wonderful releases just looming over the horizon in the months to come, namely in the form of Bloc Party, Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club… the list goes on! Can’t wait to hear what’s in store for the future.

Happy listening y’all.

x glassesgirl

i’d hit that.

Despite how easy it seems, cross-stitching is one of those things that, in theory, is actually quite simple to do but takes a bazillion years to complete. Sure, all you’re doing really is just creating little crosses of thread on a piece of fabric. But imagine doing tens of thousands of these little crosses, one row at a time, just to create a little bit artwork that probably only measures less than 20cm x 20cm.

Anyway, I’ve realised that I’ve developed a new little addiction to cross-stitching in the past couple of weeks. Though repetitive and seemingly boring, I’ve also found it strangely relaxing and as addictive as is a game of Tetris (and so addictive that I’ve actually found myself daydreaming and looking forward to an afternoon of cross-stitching… Seriously, what is wrong with me??) In a slightly frantic and partly spontaneous shopping episode, I have also somehow ended up purchasing six new cross-stitching patterns from this neat little shop on etsy. This is the latest one that I have been working on thus far… well, what it’s meant to look like when it’s finished anyway (I’ve only done half the piñata and I’ve already been working on it for two weeks!).

I’d Hit That - it’s a piñata… get it??! Yes, my sense of humour is really that terrible…

In other news, I am getting zee braces attached to my teeth on Wednesday this week and shall from that day forth be referred to as brace-face. It’s strange how little this thought affects me now. I had always hated the thought of wearing braces back when I was still at school, fearing that the double whammy of glasses and braces will make me look something like Eliza Thornberry, in Asian form and without the freckles and ginger hair (I don’t actually know which is worse…). But it doesn’t bother me so much anymore and I feel like I am more worried about the pain and aching more than anything else. Maybe the fact that I will have metal wires on my teeth for the next two years hasn’t sunk it yet. Or maybe I just don’t really care anymore.

Who knows, maybe looking like Eliza Thornberry will likewise bestow me with her special powers of being able to talk to animals. Hey, one can dream.

x glassesgirl

PERTH PEEPS!

Come and check out my market stall y’all tomorrow and Wednesday (5th & 6th June) as I will be stallin’ it up and selling my oh,hello. goodies for the 2012 Hands up Cultural Festival, which has been kindly organised by events management students from Central TAFE.

Tuesday 5th June 2012
Central Institute of Technology
25 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge | Level 2
10.30am – 2.00pm

Wednesday 6th June 2012
E-Central Campus
140 Royal Street, East Perth | Main Foyer Area
10.30am – 2.00pm 

African drumming, henna painting, free live entertainment and food tastings – should make for one pretty awesome day! Be there or be square

x glassesgirl

pom-poms and luminarias.

So I’ve recently developed a pretty unhealthy addiction to making tissue paper flowers. I just can’t help it – they look so colourful and pretty, and it’s surprising how quickly and effortlessly they can brighten up the room or even a person’s mood. And most of all, they’re so easy, quick and totally fun to make!

Here’s a photo of some of the paper flowers I made for the Art Spark Music Festival I featured in not too long ago. I didn’t expect them to be such a hit with the kids and it was sooo cute seeing these little kids running around with them in their hands like balloons!

Anyway, they’re probably one of the most simplest things you can make that bears the quickest form of gratification and reward. Imagine having a bouquet of them in a vase to spruce up your next dinner party! I’ve also found that making these pretty paper flowers is such a relaxing task that the first thing I do after coming home from a hard long day at work is to make countless numbers of these beautiful  artificial flowers while listening to music. What a lovely way to spend an evening! (And no, I’m not being sarcastic. Ha!)

Why not try your hand at making your own pretty paper flowers? Here is a simple and easy-to-follow tutorial by the one and only lady of craft, Martha Stewart.

Le freak, c’est chic!

x glassesgirl

better late than never, i say.

So last Friday night I went to see The Maccabees play live at Capitol and it just occurred to me today that I haven’t properly acknowledged the brilliance of the night in the form of a blog post/post-concert review. It’s not because of sheer laziness, I swear! I’ve actually had the first full working week in a long time and have been completely exhausted all week. Plus, the whole of last Sunday was spent market stallin’ at Art Spark Music Festival which, although was a really quiet day business-wise, ended up being a really lovely day enjoying the local music scene and discovering up-and-coming young bands!

Anyway, back to the topic of The Maccabees - I thought their performance was pretty incredible! We got there surprisingly really early and felt like die-hard groupies as we were the first to line up at the door. Was totally worth it though as we ended standing in the second row of people back from the stage, and being a barricade-less venue meant that we were literally face-to-face (well… more like face-to-kneecap) with the charmingly cute British lads of this ever-so-talented band. I could’ve sworn that there were several moments when Orlando Weeks and I even made eye contact!

Despite the crappy sound quality of Capitol (couldn’t hear the microphones half the time, the lead guitar was also way too loud), The Maccabees played a highly energetic set, delivering quality performances off their latest album Given To The Wild, as well as several hit tracks off Wall Of Arms and Colour It In. Looking back on their setlist for the night, I have to say that they pretty much ticked off the songs that I really was hoping they would play, which made me one very happy cookie for the rest of the night! Although the crowd around us were a bunch of bogans [sic.] (somebody spilled their drink on the back of my dress and the chick next to me kept shouting out “East Londonnnnn!” whenever Orlando Weeks started to speak into the microphone which annoyed the hell out of me… (Btw I looked it up. The Maccabees are actually from South London.)) the brilliance of their performance undoubtedly overcame such unfortunate events and all in all it was a near-perfect performance from a very well-deserving talented band.

Being so close to the stage also meant that I took a gazillion photos (and unlike the Florence photos, most of these ones turned out pretty decent!) so expect a Maccabees post-concert photo spam very shortly on my tumblr blog! I also managed to steal receive a copy of their setlist for the night which pretty much topped the icing on the cake for me, and it now hangs proudly on my bedroom wall.

If you’ve got no kind words to say, you should say nothing more at all.

x glassesgirl