DELIGHT or SMITE? (July)
[ 6 July 2007 ]
DELIGHT
Sequinned anything! Ebay is sequin mecca — miniskirts & cocktail dresses abound! You can dress it down to avoid looking like someone off the cast of Dynasty, with a vintage t-shirt, leggings or a big cardigan.
Homemade, impromptu sandwiches. Last night I toasted some Turkish bread, thinking I would dip it into my soup, but ended up cutting it in half, smearing it with margarine & mustard, & then adding some ham. It was SO GOOD.
Hats. Whether little knit caps, newsboys, berets, fedoras or small top hats pinned to the side of your hair, it’s time for a REVIVAL! They keep the sun off your face in warm weather, & help retain your body heat in the cold. My mother always told me, “If you want someone to remember you, wear a hat”. She’s right! Let’s rock it!
Asking for what you want. You know it’s true — if you don’t ask, how will anyone ever know, & how will the universe be able to give it to you? Start today! At work, at home, in bed, it is your responsibility to keep yourself happy… & asking is an excellent first step.
Evil breakfasts (read: a slice of chocolate cake & a glass of Coke). No explanation required.
Travelling alone! When I was a child, I used to fly to Dunedin whenever I had school holidays to stay with my grandmother (whom I adored). I used to fly by myself, & on Air New Zealand, they used to pin a badge on me which said “Solo Voyager”. I’m starting to wonder whether that was a self-fulfilling prophecy, since the older I get, the more I realise that I am on a very different, individual path. Anyway, all that stuff aside, it is my firm belief that travelling alone is good for the soul. You get to do things at your own pace, & quickly realise the need to be happy with your own company. (Of course, this could be partially influenced by my travelling to Sydney at the end of the month!)
Full skirts, as in, to the ankle. I own just one ankle-length skirt, but I love it. I’ve owned it for… 8 years, I bought it in H&M in Germany on a school trip (!) & still love it today. It has pleats from the knee to the floor, it’s black & it ties in the back. Gorgeous. I have NOT seen enough long skirts on the street, & they’re so beautiful & classic. Revival please!
Pompadour hairstyles, as endorsed by Bryanboy!
Fingerless gloves in leather or wool. (Bonus points if worn with a sequinned miniskirt & trilby hat.)
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” (Inspiring speeches.)
Clean-sweeping your life!
Jewels worn on the fingers, clipped into the hair, attached to blouses & dangling from handbags. Glam glam glam! Glitz glitz glitz!
Terry Richardson. I love him. He’s such a pervert.
SMITE
Swearing. After years of cursing like a sailor, I have finally realised that it is totally uncouth & unattractive. I am going to do my best not to curse unless I am REALLY mad!
Paying through the nose for imported American treats. Booooo!
Forgetting to go to parties/launches, then seeing pictures & kicking yourself because it looks like a good time was had!
Fashion magazines with boring photoshoots. “& what is the use of a magazine,” thought Gala, “without pictures to hang on my wall?”
Antici… pation. (I am the least patient girl EVER to exist.)
Reading about spa treatments & practically drooling all over yourself but feeling like you’ll never have one again!
Feeling bored & wanting to spend money but being unable to find anything on which to squander your cash! (Man, I hate that.)
Michael Jackson-haters.
He is inhumanly good.
So… what’s on your personal DELIGHT or SMITE lists for July? Regale us!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Add Gala on Twitter!
DELIGHT: – Fun perfumes! I just ordered some Demeter samples in Green Tea, Cappuccino, Patchouli, Gin & Tonic, and Paperback. I love not smelling like a bouquet of flowers. It’s so fresh.
- Summer of Love flashbacks. It’s the 40th anniversary since the hippies hit the mainstream in San Francisco, and I am feeling the event, from the clothes to the music (Hendrix! Joplin! The Who! The Beatles!) to the politics. Summer’s a good time to embrace the hippies’ carefree ways.
- Short leggings. They make my short skirts and dresses much more casual, and much less skanky.
- The White Stripes. Since Icky Thump came out, I’ve been listening to them constantly.
SMITE
- The nasty New Jersey humidity. Ugh- it’s a bother to even go outside.
- Skin breakouts. :(
Delight: – Spending all day making/altering clothes and drinking tea with your best friend, and then spending the night watching Buffy and having wine and elaborate cheese on toast (with turkish bread, antipasto spread, onions and herbs). Better still, doing this often
– The gelato/atmosphere at Dolce and Gelato in Newtown…mmm…delicious gelato and colored plastic chairs and an upper level from which to watch the people go by. http://www.dolceandgelato.com.au/ – Two hugely exciting Harry Potter events this month! The fifth film on the 11th, and the seventh book on the 21st! – Coming out at work and being accepted/finding out half the other people working there are that way inclined too. – Being able to perve on other people’s style, through street style blogs like http://www.hel-looks.com/ and http://facehunter.blogspot.com/Smite: – The loved one being in Peru for three and a half weeks with almost no way of contacting me.
– Self harm. Enough said. – Ingrown hairs. Particularly made much worse by my method of dealing with them. – Messy rooms with dead flowers and nail clippings in empty tea cups. Ew….Solo Voyager?!? Man, I always got pinned with a badge that said “Unaccompanied Minor”... solo voyager sounds much more exciting!
Delight – Going to other people’s house for dinner
- Occasions to get dressed up for
- Doing other people’s hair/make-up and making them feel GORGEOUS!
Smite – Rain and pants that need to be taken up!
To go with the Micheal Jackson comment…
I agree!
For a talent show…my friends and I learnt Thriller…like…all of it.
I leant from the video and taught them it all.
It was awesome…I got to be Micheal(big shoes to fill)...and we were said to be the best of the night.
DELIGHT – Michael Jackson!!!!! Thank you so much for that honey, you always boost my joie de vivre! I have been dancing for over 20 years and I am not even worthy to touch the hem of his garment. Truly one of the greatest dancers ever. :-D (And I LOVE that open jacket/shirt look he so consistently wears.)
- Going to the gym coz it’s the school holidays so I get “time off” (and practicing my dance routines after class in front of those big ol’ mirrors)
- A friend getting her all-clear after undergoing treatment for cancer
- Big date planned with my good girlfriend – we are going to the opening night of Harry Potter 5 and will wallow unreservedly in our own unhipness
SMITE – shouting at naughty children (school holidays . . . ) No fun for any of us. SUCH a bad look.
Delight:
Eating cold things on a cold day when you are warm.. just had best ice coffee ever
Winter sales, Designer jacket reduced to $71 from $249.. yes!
Leggings, I have FINALLY discovered the joy of wearing super short dresses without looking like a hooker
Smite:
Not having enough to do at work :( (Gala I was reading your blog tips links and I have been thinking of starting a food blog)
Traffic + Rain + missing gym class.. boo.
Feeling sick after consuming said iced coffee..
I’m with you on the asking for what you want – I’ve been gearing up for a big, serious ask all week, then somehow obiliterating good moments with tense discussions on inconsequential topics – typical! Guess what’s number one on my smite list!
Delight:
roast vege frittata
listening to the rain on the roof while snuggled up in bed
passionfruit syrup cake with buttercream icing from the City Cake Company in Auckland
parcels in the post
playing dress up
giant pink handbags
Smite (aside from that already mentioned):
lack of time to roast veges for frittata
having to get out of bed when it’s hosing down to go to work
aircon/heating sucking the moisture out of my skin and being unable to find a moisturiser up to the task
Ginny — Try Skin Drink from Lush! One winter my face was so dry it itched & flaked off. NOTHING I found worked, & then I tried a sample of Skin Drink… since then, I have been a Lush convert. Go into one of their shops (Queen Street or 277) & ask for a sample!
That is the raddest MJ video I’ve ever seen! I own both the HIStory music video tapes but I’ve never seen a compilation like that.
Delight: white! (haha, that rhymed) white clothes, white shoes, white sunglasses. not necessarily all together, but that’d be cool too.
Smite: the pirate trend – it’s on EVERYTHING! so last year. lol
Smite:
Procrastination.
Having to do stocktake at work, and not finishing it until 11pm!! WORST.
Procrastination.
Delight:
Baking! Winter is so good for baking yummy things. Last week I made cherry and apple pie, and yesterday I made yoghurt cupcakes with choc-hazelnut icing!
Swap-bot.com. I just received my first swap in the mail, and I can’t wait to get more.
The shorts I altered this week – cute little grey shorts, to which I sewed a rose pink velvet bow at the back. To be worn with stockings underneath, and my pink angora cardigan.
Op-shops, bargains, freebies, samples. So much joy.
I don’t think, with the sugar rush I have now, I could write a proper list, but…
I do have to say, I really enjoyed that Rocky Horror Picture Show reference.
:D
I have a friend who is a micheal jackson obsessee (is that a word?). He practices the dances and everything. So adorable.
Delight: SEQUINS!!! Gold/glittery clothing, David Bowie, dancing around to silly music, new sketchbooks, and spending all weekend making clothes.
Smite: distance, tummy aches after eating sugar, insomnia, and being laughed at.
Delight: Playing drinking games that go along with your favorite TV shows – without alcohol! No nasty hangovers.
(On July 4 my friend and I played 3 episodes worth of the Grey’s Anatomy drinking game…substituting sparkling apple cider for hard liquor and lemonade for beer. We had to run like mad for the bathroom every 15 minutes, but it was so fun!)
love the smiting of swearing… something i’m working on too. :D mostly because my sweetie IS a sailor and occasionally tells me that i swear worse than he does! lol. anyway, my personal list for july…
delight
sweet tea for summer days
sending random “i love you” text messages
decluttering!!
embracing yourself for who you are!
smite
not saying “hello” or “goodbye” to someone
summertime facial breakouts!
following trends blindly
bad job situations :(
Michael Jackson is so awesome. Me and my friend used to put on MJ concerts when we were little and made our parents pay $1 to come and watch us in their living rooms. Her brother even did our lighting…
Delight – Heaters, snuggling with cats, choc self-saucing pudding, stockings, new shoes for only $20, fringe trims, birthday parties, work ending, rain without wind, stormy nights snuggled up inside watching dvds like The Devil Wears Prada and eating junk food whilst drinking wine with your best gals
Smite – sometimes that in itself is a smite :(
OH! and DELIGHT – The Postal Service…the band not the way mail is sent round the world ;) I had heard them before and had loved them. But I am getting into them in a serious way at the moment because every time I hear their songs it makes me happy
DELIGHT
● Sneakers and boots! I’m falling in love with technicolor Reeboks and Nikes, and I’ve been lusting after a pair of Frye boots for the longest.
● Free stuff…I won a contest recently (my prize – 24 bottles of spearmint water, hehe), and today I got some free Dior make-up samples in the mail!
SMITE
● Swearing, as well. Sometimes I hear other people cussing and it sounds so bad when they do. I should feel the same way about myself.
● Not living in the moment. The only time you have is today. You only live once. I turn my back on the past, indulge in the present, and consider the future. I say let yourself get a little crazy, have fun, and live against the norm! But stay safe, too. :D
Gala’s Smites:
a) Reading about spa treatments & practically drooling all over yourself but feeling like you’ll never have one again!
b) Feeling bored & wanting to spend money but being unable to find anything on which to squander your cash! (Man, I hate that.)
The cure for b) is a)! The cure for a) is b)!! Semplice!
DELIGHT: – Having hard work acknowledged. – Making international travel plans! – Dinner at friends’ houses – Harry Potter!
SMITE: – Not being paid, because someone else messed up. :/ – Stage fright – Negative people
DELIGHT REDUX: (best to end on a positive!) – Getting a free ride on the cable car, because you smiled at the conductor boy, and used your manners.
Delite – The boy.
Reading.
Baking cakes.
Smite –
Not being able to tell the boy you like him.
A lack of new books.
Eating TOO much cake.
DELIGHT:
—Movies! I’ve been watching soooooo many lately.
—Cheesy 70’s Tropicalia music.
—Benicio Del Toro, I’m currently obsessing. He’s just so, so weirdly attractive.
—Hats as well! I’ve been advocating hats ever since an H&M red beanie saved my ears in a freezing NYC February. I’ve got a purple fedora but I want a trilby and a straw boater hat.
SMITE:
—Beastly hot weather! It might be freezing down where you are but up in NorCal it’s getting into the 90’s and 100’s
—Stupid friends. Long dumb story.
—Summer homework
—The lack of air conditioning at my job. Uggghhhhhhhh. As much as I love shelving books at the library, the still, hot air ruins it!
What is the difference between a trilby and a fedora?
Gala, I totally agree w/ you about hats! I loove wearing hats! Bring back the hat!
Delight- Being happy and getting out of the house!
Smite- Bad manners. Too many people have atrocious manners. (I’m working to improve my own!)
BTW, nice Rocky Horror reference!
a+ rocky horror reference! :D
gotta agree on the fingerless leather gloves thing. i adore mine.
xoxo
Andrea: I don’t think there is a difference between a trilby and a fedora, I think it’s a cultural difference in name (like British “lorry” and American “truck.” (I think, I could be totally wrong, but that’s what I gathered after googling “trilby” and getting results for both) :)
Delight:
-The 4th of July – Fireworks, good summer food, and good friends. I love it!
-Knitting
-Photography, esp. self portraits.
Smite:
-people who you thought were your friends talking about you behind your back…while in your house.
Delight!- *Going to Scotland for the Fringe Festival *Good rehearsals that leave you feeling all excited and talented! *honey *I too love leggings:) *chocolate *Harry Potter
Smite- *my hair color fading- despite doing everything I can to keep it from fading *haters in general *finishing a book you don’t want to end
To everyone confused about a trilby – In a recent issue of GQ they said the difference was that a trilby has a narrower brim than a fedora.
SMITE: – reliving greif from last year (two days ago was the anniversairy of the day my grandad died)
-lazy people who still depend on thier parents after 24 years – when it rains all night and the windows are left open .. a damp house is never comfortable. – Large beetle-like bugs that infest my room.. meaning I stay up half the night trying to kill just one of them. then cant sleep the rest of the night because I’m too traumatized
DELIGHT: – Buying tickets to see THE CURE in september (I’m pretty much brimming with excitement, a false step and I may explode of happiness) – hair dye – newly re-organized wardrobe – harry potter!! woo! – starting a new book that really sucks you in (A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore) – cake for breakfast! good thinking gala, I’m going to have cake for lunch. :) – The Sting (you know, that movie with robert redford and paul newman)
-Alfred Hitchcock
DELIGHT:
-pedicures. ahhhh…
-fun hair colors
-catching up with old friends
-The fact that I actually have my grandfathers old trilby! I used to wear it all the time when I was a teenager in the 80s.
SMITE:
-getting too drunk to act like the cool, sophisticated person I was at the beginning of the night.
-smoking. YUCK! I’m having trouble quitting. Will try tapping to help.
-rudeness
-getting old
delight – Buying gold class tickets to harry potter for myself and 3 of my best friends. Feeding baby lambs! drinking hot chocolate and eating Lemon flourless cake on cold winter nights, Magazines with freebies, porridge with honey and brown sugar for midnight snacks.
smite – most of my friends going overseas to warm tropical climates, seeing practically every girl in my town wearing Trackies and Ug boots while shopping, wishing my hair would decide if its curly or straight!
I dont have much smite for July.. even the cold weather doesn’t phase me.. winter is my favourite season! xxx
Delight!
+ Driving to work in the morning eating popsicles for breakfast and listening to really bad rap on the radio.
+ Sneaking into parks while drunk in the middle of the night with my best friends to run around in the fountains barefoot!
+ My tattoo appointment next week that I’ve been waiting three months for. I’m finally getting my half sleeve finished, six months later! Geeze.
+ Becoming friends with your ex again. For the right reasons, not all of the wrong ones. For once!
+ Getting DHL packages at work, full of the producion samples of my very first line! BEST THING EVER!
Smite!
- Splotchy sunburns from doing a bad job of putting on sun screen.
- Car payments and rent using up all my $$$!
- Burning my tongue on my first cup of tea in the morning.
- Smoking too much and feeling like death the next day :(
Yep, I was wrong about the trilby/fedora thing.
What else is new?
Lol. :)
Perfume, perfume, and more perfume. My newest addiction.
Wanting to spend money when you don’t have any. :(
All I have to say is YAY for MJ!!! :)
delight:
SAND ARRRTTTT:
http://sandfantasy.com/videoclips/videoclips.htm
Smite:
the hot air that just sticks to your skin.
My delight list:
This morning when I went horseriding around the LAKE today listening to Francoise Hardy & Sylvie Vartan in a black & yellow adidas tracksuit drinking blueberry juice from the carton.
Talking to giant swans in the park
Edith Wharton, F Scott Fitzgerald & Co.
Stefanie — I know, isn’t it AMAZING? I watched it in bed with my boyfriend the other night & we just sat there with our jaws hanging open. MJ is the king of pop, for sure ;D
Nadia — When I worked at Lush we had to do stocktake every MONTH & it would go for HOURS. Sooooo bad. I feel your pain. & your shorts sound totally adorable!
Emily — Omg, your friend sounds GREAT!! I love people with weird obsessions. They make the world so much more interesting. Mmmm, sequins.
Saxy — Hahaha, that’s crazy! I bet you were well-hydrated afterwards though ;>
Casey — It’s so hard not to swear when you’ve been doing it for years & it comes naturally! I guess I used to curse a lot to prove I was ‘tough’ or something, but I don’t need to do that anymore (& anyway, I have tattoos instead, ha!). Still hard to let go of, though.
Emma — That is totally awesome. I remember my friend & I doing a dance routine to Nuttin’ Nyce’s “Froggy Style”, aaahahahah, so funny, I bet we looked ridiculous! I need to get my fringe trimmed too, but I keep putting it off! It means I have to walk to the other end of town & I’m just not feeling it…
Valerie — Yes to living in the moment! It’s something I’ve been trying to do a lot more this year. I think it’s working, too. It’s quite amazing when you consider the amount of time most people spend thinking about the past or the future — it’s a huge chunk of time & does very little good!
Ritalin — Yeahhhh, you think you’re sooo clever! ;> Except I don’t actually have the money for a spa treatment… Good work on the cable car though!
Lesly — TELL HIM!
Vanessa M. — Yay, hats! I’m terrible in winter, if I don’t have something covering my ears I tend to get awful cold-induced headaches. They suck, so scarves & hats are my best friends.
lalumiere — Argh, bugs! I spent a sleepless night in the Chelsea Hotel due to an infestation of COCKROACHES, it was absolutely disgusting. An experience, but not fun at the time…
Davide — You are a true lol festival ;>
Gala, it’s quite easy to cut one’s own fringe. Use proper hair scissors (from the chemist, or found as part of a buzz-cut kit). Just take off a little bit at a time, breathing calmly! You can wet it or not – I usually cut mine dry because my hair is ruler-straight. Cut it blunt, then if you wish you can chip into it holding the scissors vertically, or you can comb it upwards and cut across to thin it out.
I’m just totally feeling you NOT feeling walking to the other end of town . . . (I had to go right across Auckland to Botany Downs yesterday for my nephew’s birthday – grr!)
DELIGHT:
-lavender honey cupcakes.
-discovering your personal style.
-vintage summertime dresses with tall beautiful shoes.
-big big hair.
-planting yourself with your honey on the bed at night with cheesy movies, fashion magazines, and appetizers.
-crafty girl nights at fanciful french sweet shops.
-travel.
-believing in yourself.
-great finds at estate sales.
-eating dinner outside with a fabulous friend.
-having sex in a variety of places.
-planning parties.
-iced tea with simple syrup & fresh mint sprigs.
SMITE:
-letting the media give you a bad body image.
-sweltering heat.
-baking blunders.
-chapped lips.
-silly arguments.
-not having a “green thumb”.
-feeling worn out & exhausted.
-black licorice.
-the fear of carbs.
-jealousy.
*~Delight:
-Playing dress-up and taking pictures. Especially two days in a row.
-Laying out your favorite big blanket on the floor with a few pillows and curling up with a teddy bear and another fave blanket while watching movie after movie.
-Finding out out your favorite actress released a clothing line and gawking at all the wonderful pictures. Check out Helena Bonham Carter’s new line The Pantaloonies. SO happy.
-Finally being able to draw after days and days of not being able to *~Smite:
-Cleaning
.-Running out of Ice Cream Bars
Anna Rose, don’t worry, it wasn’t just you. I was pinned as an U.M. the whole way!!
Solo Voyager? Go Kiwi’s!! We are unique race. . .