I saw Alice in Wonderland in the weekend and truly enjoyed it - though I recommend seeing it in 3D to take full advantage of Tim Burton’s wonderland.

Alice and her new story aside, the costumes in the movie particularly caught my eye. Designed by Colleen Atwood, each of Alice’s gowns are incredibly beautiful, intricate couture pieces, each one more amazing than the last. What is particularly striking is how they appear to be ‘thrown together,’ (sans the opening dress) or accidental in the case of the first dress she shrinks into.

Her familiar classic, the pale blue dress, benefits from the addition of romantic, sheer sleeves.

Ruffles and a halter neck, Alice does a bit of running in this dress and those ruffles play their part.

This is the second version of the above dress, after Alice shrinks, again, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter does a bit of frenzied DIY on the above dress. I wish it were that easy to create beautiful rose gatherings on the bust line.

This is the most brilliant of the gowns designed for Alice. In the story, this dress is supplied by the Red Queen. There’s something about how the material gathers into ruffles that reminds me of feathers, and turns the dress into something quite tribal.

The armor Alice wears toward the end of the film is quite striking. Not as much as the dresses for me, but she looks quite elegant despite being covered neck to toe in metal.

If you haven’t seen it already - then do go ahead and enjoy it! I was somewhat disappointed to hear  a number of bad reviews it received, and now the 3d visual isn’t quite as stunning as Avatar but it is still fun and better than most of what’s out in the theaters at the moment.

Images from here. You can view the rest of the Alice in Wonderland costumes here.

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Tags: alice costume, alice in wonderland, alice in wonderland costume, fashion, fashion inspiration, media, pop culture

How to Make that Phone Call… via vi.sualize

Making a phone call doesn’t sound like a hurdle - until you’re faced with an all important call and at once the phone becomes your least favorite technological device.

Unfortunately there’s a part of growing up and becoming a confident and independent individual that involves making that phone call. The phone call that could have an impact on your career, studies, social life, even your love life - and thinking about doing quickly see’s it shoved into the realms of procrastination.

I found myself holding off on making such a call last week. Until I came to the point where I bit the bullet and did it - and I felt so much better for doing it after!

• Visualize what the call is about. It can be difficult to go into a call without having any direction or knowing what you want to get out of it.
• Visualize who you are calling, consider how they might react to whatever it is you are going to call them about.
• Ask yourself what you are really nervous about. A rejection? Awkward silence, or not knowing what to say? You can plan to avoid these scenarios (e.g. jot down what you want to say), or in the case of rejection prepare to handle it with grace.
• Are you calm and in a sound state of mind? Don’t make an important call if you’re feeling frazzled and rushed.
• Be prepared to introduce yourself, and make a little bit of small talk to help guide you into the conversation. Ask how their day is going.
• Then be prepared to bring up the reason you made the call in the first place!
• PICK UP THE PHONE AND DIAL THE NUMBER. Save yourself any more hours of worry - and just do it. You’ll be glad you did!

From that point? All you have to do is talk. Be yourself. The uncertainty and hesitation may only completely disappear once you’re on the call - and do remember that it does disappear, and only once you pick up the phone and dial the number.

Have you ever had trouble making a phone call? Sometimes it can be really difficult to talk yourself into it! What do you do to before making a difficult phone call?

Comments: 11 Comments, your thoughts are welcome »

Tags: Advice, confidence, difficult phone call, how to, how to make a phone call

OPI Alice in Wonderland Mad As A Hatter Nail Polish via Sarah Hannah

Last week, on spur of the moment, I treated myself to my first manicure. I found that having your nails done professionally is completely worth it. You come away with a perfectly painted nails, and you won’t want to stop waving them around.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, try nail salons located in malls - or shop around until you find a price that suits you.

If you want to be really smart about it, bring your own nail polish. That way you can easily perform your own touch ups when it starts to chip.

How many of you have had a manicure? - I know that I got some good response to this in my last post! How uplifting was the experience?

Comments: 8 Comments, your thoughts are welcome »

Tags: Advice, High Life, lifestyle, manicure

Part of my favorite editorial, via Model Couture

My summer holidays are coming to a close, this weekend marks the last weekend of freedom from studying and assignment - back I go on Monday. It is my final year which is pretty exciting, though I am going to be extremely busy…

Short Stories

Ruby Angels Coat

I bought the Angels coat from Ruby, a splurge at $499 but I have no buyers remorse. I love it. I am lucky to have picked one up, as they seem to be flying out the door. ♦ One of my friends booked a room in Auckland’s Quadrant Hotel for her birthday on Friday night. I love hanging out in hotel rooms and drinking wine on balcony’s overlooking the city lights. Beautiful view. ♦

via premshree on Flickr

My boyfriend and I are moving in together, and I’ve claimed my half of the walk in wardrobe. The majority of my things are still at my parent’s house, we are in the process of clearing out space and setting up a study. ♦ I have been cooking, this week I whipped up the perfect chili with baked kumara, falafel and hummus wraps (twice), and poached my first eggs. The boy always veers towards take aways/eating out, but I am enjoying developing my cooking skills - it’s also so much more healthy and economical. ♦

OPI manicure

I had my first manicure, it was only $20 and they did such a great job I think I might start getting them more regularly. I’d rather they came out perfect every time, I’m a bit hit or miss with the  nail brush. ♦

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Tags: Fin