give a girl the correct footwear

and she can conquer the world.

Cheers Bette Midler, I'll use that phrase as some sort of rationalisation for my shoe love. It started with my first pair of 'real' shoes when I was a toddler - apparantly I was so enamoured with my feet that I kept falling over because I stared at them constantly. Basically, I blame my recent extravagant online purchase on my parents, because they bought me tiny patent shoes all those years ago. When I first saw the studded Chloë Sevigny ankle boots above (from the Pre-Fall 08 collection) on the Jak & Jil blog I fell head over heels in love with them, and started to make elaborate savings plans though I knew deep down it was unlikely that I'd ever own a pair myself. Then just when I'd given up hope, Office came to the rescue and put an almost identical pair on the market at 10% of the price. I bought them, delirious with happiness and student loan.

SO BEAUTIFUL. I wore them for the first time today, to Sainsburys. It wasn't a particularly glamourous outing but at least they've been introduced to the outside world. Their wonderfulness is such that it actually made my feet feel happy.

Puritan dress - Uniqlo, leaf necklace - 50p from a clock shop in Tywyn, ankle boots from Office.

I was feeling particularly nun-like today, so wore my puritanical but lovely Uniqlo dress. The material is really nice, as are the bell sleeves. It could do with a belt really but I can't find any thin enough - where sells skinny plain brown leather belts these days? I haven't worn the leaf before now as it didn't feel autumny enough. 50p!

cut adrift

It is a very strange sensation to inexperienced youth to feel itself quite alone in the world, cut adrift from every connexion, uncertain whether the port to which it is bound can be reached, and prevented by many impediments from returning to that it has quitted.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

awake from dreaming

I've already written about the new single "Whole New Way" by The Horrors, due to be released on 2nd November, as being my absolute favourite song right now. The video debuted online yesterday, and I thought it deserved a post. Aesthetically I think it's a great concept for a video, as essentially we see the rising of the sun over 3 minutes in time with the gradual crescendo of the music; the colours move from the twilight spectrum of blues, purples and greys to the pinks and oranges of early dawn. Add some steam punk-esque goggles and some very good 'mood walking' and you've got yourself a music video.

Loathe as I am to link to Pitchfork, you can see the video here!

as time goes by

happy birthday

...and it's another happy day

he was born eleven years ago
and this year it's long trousers
and a very smart tie.
just think in five years he'll be shaving.

and see how his face glows
it's an ninja sword. what a surprise!
it's a samurai sword. what a metal surprise.
he'll remember this day for the rest of his life.
- The Birthday Party "Happy Birthday"

I've been having my own little Birthday Party renaissance to counter feeling like a piece of grey fluff. Oh youthful Nick Cave, you were outta your tree. This performance of Junkyard goes some way to proving that. It's so visceral and weirdly sexual, I can't actually believe they were allowed on tv.

there's more to life than books you know

...but not much more, not much more.

Yesterday evening was spent in a mild panic after having looked properly through my timetables and weekly reading list for the first time since getting here, and realising that not only have I got loads more lectures than I thought I had (12 hours a week, plus film screenings every couple of weeks!) but I've also got a huge number of books to beg, borrow or steal this first semester. I am currently speed reading through The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in time for my first Narrative and Culture lecture tomorrow and I have to finish Sense and Sensibility (DENSE, Austen, your densest yet) by next week. If I don't keep up I'll become mired in a sea of unread words!

Illustrations from http://www.agatanowicka.com

latitudes and longitudes