I wish I had facebook!

While I wait for facebook to be activated at 1pm today so that I can access my pictures over Christmas, here're some lovely pics of what's caught my eye off Lanvin's Spring 2011 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week:

 
 
 


What I love about this collection:

1) The leather details and metallic embellishments that up the cool factor to phenomenal levels
2) Alber Elbaz's choice of colour palette for his collection: beeswax yellow, silver cloud, and slightly less conventional spring colours like navy, teal and deep vermillion. So pretty.
3) Simple silhouettes that look so wearable!


I need to be on the lookout for pieces that I can get at pocket-friendly prices that look as though I took them off the runway. Never in a million years will I ever be able to afford labels such as these. I have lovely dreams of what I'll do with my first pay packet (which isn't even close to coming since I'm still officially unemployed) - most of them have got to do with wanting to buy meals for people and right on top of that list is to buy myself a Blackberry.

Elie Saab amid the sea of bitchiness

I dunno if it's cos I'm working at a women's magazine that's making me more conscious about fashion (okay maybe not, since I've always been fascinated by it) - but it's definitely cos reading up on the latest fashion styles right off the runway has become part of my work that's made me infinitely more into it than ever. Dressing up each day is part of the fun of working here! I don't have to adhere to the normal stringent rules of workwear, which is super fun :) But since my style's naturally more inclined to the classic lady-like look and I like to look classically sophisticated, my work wardrobe for now still consists of plenty of flattering shift dresses and curve-hugging pieces. The boho-chic look is one that I admire seeing on celebs but it's ultimately not really me, so I don't bother trying to put together outfits like that. This spring, I'm particularly liking Elie Saab - his flowy dreamy dresses are to-die-for, and I'm absolutely in love with his choice of colour palette. Lovely coastal blues and peachy oranges look surprisingly good together, with nude hues of silver peony and silver cloud holding swatches of colour together. Love love love! Some of my favourite pieces from Elie Saab's showing at Paris Fashion Week:

 

 

 

 

Sigh so dreamy and pretty! Need to find a place to wear these - there's no place for such whimsy here. Maybe on my twice-yearly holidays from next year onwards!! More to look forward to :)

In the midst of all the petty bitchiness surrounding me, I'm trying hard to keep my spirits up and not be sucked down to the level of all the insecure people who have to call everyone lower than them (by "everyone" I  mean only the interns actually - so that's saying a lot about the standing of these badmouthing meanspirited people) "dimwits" or "bitches". Okay. I will not engage, I will not engage, I will not engage. I'll try to be nice cos kindness is only truly kindness when displayed in the face of vehemence. Poisonous vehemence, I might add - all over little petty things like stationery (wtf right) and the need to wield any form of power over anyone. Why resort to being so furtively mean and explosive?? Gah. I went to bed last night extremely perturbed, and got up feeling so unrested. But I need to be secure in my own skin, secure in the knowledge that all these ain't personal. Sure, go ahead and edit my writing (badly, I might add), and let the editor think that I'm capable of writing so amatuerishly. I'll let this slide this once, but the next time you try this, I'll fight back. I'm thinking this is a genuine, well-intentioned mistake, so benefit of the doubt this time. Trying to believe in the good in people here, yo. So shall stop ranting. Cannot stoop to their level, and I'm truly not trying to be condescending here. Struggling though, and every single day I find my eyeballs setting new records in rolling all the way back to my head at the retardness of everything.

But still, I try to show you the respect you crave, if only because you're higher in the pecking order and because you need it so badly to get through your life. As for me, I will see this through with as much dignity and self-respect as possible, and hopefully life will get better with the passing of time.

And. The banality of work she assigns me has reached new lows. Saving high res pictures (100+ of them at that!) is such appropriate work for a graduate whose purpose in coming here was to write and get experience. At least I've got some writing work waiting for me after I finish this *rolls eyes* important thing for her.  

Rather quiet day at work today (read: boring), so I figured that it's time to make good on my promise to try to blog more frequently. Had a really rested weekend so am glad that I could start this work week so fresh and happy :) I'm thinking I might want to start asking around for more beauty/fashion writing, cos all I've done so far are mostly promo pieces which I'm thinking will only be useful if I'm trying to get a job in advertising or copywriting. Um well, beauty/fashion writing will not help me get a job in PR, but I can indulge myself and my interests since I'm working for nothing right. :P

Wanderlust is setting in really quickly and badly. Friends are jetting off for the Christmas season and while I'm so excited for them, I half-wish I could leave the country toooooo. :( Cheryl's gone to Abu Dhabi (OMG!!!!), Trina's just left for HK, Angel&Matt are in Australia.. Such happening Christmases!! But actually come to think about it, the last Christmas I spent out of the country wasn't quite as exciting as I thought it would be. Clem and I spent Christmas 2009 in New York City, and we imagined that it would be oh-so-glamourous, balls of fun etcetra etcetra. As you can probably guess from the way this is going, it wasn't all as cut up as I'd imagined, and I wished I was home with friends and family revelling in lots of warm fuzzy moments and parties. Okay so no more Christmases away from home, I should be happy with my lot.

I hate to jump from topic to topic like that, but exam results are coming out tomorrow!! A part of me doesn't give a f**k anymore, but the part of me that slaved so hard over the semester cares too much and is freaking out at the thought that all this will be over soon. It's funny how things that mattered so much just weeks ago have taken on a different significance so quickly, and I wonder at what really and truly matters in the midst of so many important and significant things that become clutter within a matter of weeks or months. At this point in time, these are the four things that matter most to me - in no order of importance. Perhaps by listing these out, it'll help streamline my whirling thoughts a little.

1) Preparation for my upcoming wedding day and a lifetime of marriage thereafter.
2) Getting my job - which I seriously should have put more thought into before this so that I could have done the relevant internships/research and misc preparation.
3) Spending time with family and close friends since things will surely change in a short 11 months.
4) Putting my spiritual life and relationship with God in the equation at all times.



I honestly can't wait for point 2 to be settled, so that point 1 will be helped along and it'll put me in a much better disposition to work on points 3 and 4. Praying for a miracle to take place and for my job offer to come through by end-Jan. Dear God, please please PLEASE!!!

So it's been two weeks since I started on my internship here - but it feels as though I just started. I'm getting into a comfortable rhythm and think it's time to try to rock my boat a bit and ask for more challenges. Need to maximize my time and experience here and try to sort out thoughts about my future. I'm really not sure what I want to do now, and I keep changing my mind each day. I'm a tad scared cos December is going a lot faster than I thought it would and I'm not any closer to being sure about anything. Sigh. I feel so unaccomplished and pathetic. Need to try not to wallow in self-pity and actually do something, but I'm at a bit of a loss at what I should do :/

Shall try to clear my head over the weekend and recharge myself for a week of hard work before lapsing into a partying frame of mind that Christmas and New Year always puts me in. I am determined to get my immediate future at least of the next year sorted out before January sneaks up on me.

Post-KL road trip

My life seems to be increasingly defined by particular moments/events, and life after Moment/Event A is Post-Moment/Event A. I seem to be unable to blog on a day to day basis when I don't do anything in particular. I shall try to break my habit of blogging Post-Event posts, to encourage myself to think more and find meaning in the banal. After all, I cannot define my life only by its momentous events - they make up perhaps only about 30% of my total life, at most. The other 70% mustn't be neglected just cos they're not special. So while I struggle to do this daily thinking-out-loud on this blog space, do pardon my at-times incoherent thoughts and my often-time ramblings. I apologize in advance for all of that which I fully see myself doing in due time.

Since I came back from KL on Sunday night, I haven't gone to work. No, not because I was too tired, although that did cross my tired mind when I crawled into bed on Sunday night. But cos I spent Monday curled up in bed writhing with the stupid cramps, and the most part of today was spent going for an interview. Work as per usual tomorrow, I foresee a ton of writing to get done when I'm back since I've been away for two days. Sort of can't wait to get right into the thick of things!! But I bet I'll feel so differently when I try to haul my lazy ass out of bed tomorrow morning haha. Oh well.

KL with Clem's supper gang was really fun! Especially since we did different things than the usual shopping-eating that I usually find myself up to my neck in whenever I visit cities. Heck, I've only ever visited big cities I think! Haha! Abseiling, leap of faith, and white water rafting were things I never would have chosen to do if I were to plan my itinerary, but I'm glad I got to do those among hours and hours of eating and getting lost in our car! :) More on that when I get pics from Clem.

I'm feeling a huge need to sort out my wardrobe. I don't know what exactly is in there, and it's making it a lot slower than necessary to get dressed in the mornings cos I just can't decide what to wear. I haven't bought anything online for a week, am feeling so proud of myself!!!! Also, have done up an excel sheet of my accounts and budget for this month. If I stick to it, I'll be sure to celebrate and let you know! :)

Thou shall not complain

Being an intern post-graduation is really tough. On one hand, I relish the challenge of doing something so utterly new, working on a glossy women's magazine and writing little features here and there: fashion and beauty journalism has been something I've always wanted to try but haven't had the chance to - until now. On the other hand, it's hard being the lowest lifeform who has very little monetary incentive (read: zero, actually) and is struggling to earn some form of income to support herself. I'm trying not to complain because truth be told, I do enjoy the work I'm doing every day and I really appreciate the opportunities to write something that is going to be published. The industry is so hard to get into, especially the fashion/beauty journalism I have always dreamed of working in. So I'm taking all the chances I've been given with grateful hands and a positive attitude - although the parental disapproval at my perceived "free labour status" is almost as tough to deal with the fact itself.

Although I'm interning more than working, I'm trying to take this as I would an actual job - making sure I get enough rest every night so that I can do a good job the next day in whatever I'm tasked to do. Hopefully, I'll have something lined up for me once I'm done in Feb, although I'm thinking now that I'd like to take a nice two or three week break after my internship ends before I begin whatever's waiting for me next. I do tire of telling people who ask what I'm going to do now that I've graduated that "I don't know what job I'll end up taking, nothing's certain at the moment" - it makes me question my own abilities. But uncertainty's something I have to learn to embrace, although it's definitely an awkward, uncomfortable pill to swallow.

As for what I've learnt in the last couple of days, I'd say I've learnt the most about being confident enough to not hide in my corner and hope that someone will notice me and say hello to me. There's no place for shyness and aloofness in the office. If you want to be talked to, you have to go talk to people first. I hate it, because I'm naturally reserved and generally pathetic at meeting new people - but it is something I have to learn to do. Especially with all the possible career paths I'm contemplating - journalism, Public Relations.. All of which, ironically, are unforgiving to the reserved who insist on remaining as such.

If I could though, I'd give anything to be a stay-at-home writer. I can write to my heart's content in the comfort of my cosy bed, where my time is flexible and my own, and I can let my imagination run unbridled and the words flow. Ahh. Dreams. We all have them, even at the grand old age of 23.