AU SECOURS!!!

HALP!

Being eaten by uni work.

Studying literature should be like this:
But the reality is more like this:
I just spent 20 minutes trying to remember the word "establishment".

(images via weheartit)

seachtaine na ... what's that thing they used to speak here?

Apparently it was Seachtaine na Gaeilge last week. That is the week in which the people of Ireland pretend the hour of Irish each morning in National School wasn't just the most hellish thing ever and that we enjoyed it, learnin' bout the culture, excuse me, cultúr.
Anyway despite the fact that I speak French, Italian, bits of Spanish and am looking into learning Russian over the summer I really do not have much Irish.
I mean really this is it:

An bhfuil céad agam dul amach go dtí an leithreas?

This pretty much our go-to phrase when asked to speak a bit of Irish. It means, wait for it:
Can I go to the toilet?
Yep, that's right ask an Irish person to give you a sampla of their "native" tongue and they'll ask you if they can go for a ... Basically because this was the most widespread way of teaching Irish in National Schools, asking four year olds, who don't have best control over the bladder situation anyway, to turn to a strange language in order to be relieved. I suppose it avoided the courseness of:
Jayse miss I'm dying for a piss let us out wouldya?

Is maith liom cáca milis.
I like cake.
An infinitely more useful expression I'm sure you'll agree.

And now some vocabulary:

Cailín.
Girl.
I would have put a pic of myself up but in spite of my kinda red hair I don't make for a good study of the Irish colleen. It's a smirking thing.

Bóthar.
Road.
Above an example of a typical Irish road. The lepru-thingies are evidently resting.

Ciúnas.
Quiet.
Usually pronounced cu-NASSS and followed by muttered curses by red-faced science teachers. Or CU-Nassss by stressed out English ones.

Bainne.
Milk.
Pronounced ban-je in our family, for some reason.

Andthat'sit. The height of my Irish knowledge and to be honest it's all gained from this Carlsberg ad.

(all pics via weheartit.)

I read a novel today

Here it is:

"At night, in Bezons, Charrault awakened his three brothers-in-law from their conjugal beds by firing at their windows."

(From Novels in Three Lines, Felix Feneon)

Green, White and Gold

Happy Paddy's Day.
i should sleep cos it's 2am here.
and the party isn't even til tomorrow.../later today.

(all pics: weheartit)

what day is it?

If I were American I could wish you a Happy Pi Day.
Unfortunately here it's the 14/3 so all I can do is wish you a Happy "I love you" Day.
That's kinda better though, right?
(image source: 1, 2)

Une tasse et une chanson

My mum's up visiting this weekend which means I actually get proper coffee this morning without having to go down to Starbucks in my pyjamas (this is semi-acceptable here with emphasis on the semi judging by some of the looks I'm liable to receive when I venture out like that).
It also means that my Saturday morning soundtrack must have cross generational appeal. In other words: chanteurs.

Beirut ❤ Postcards From Italy
Jacques Brel ❤ Les Vieux
Edith Piaf ❤ Hymne a l'amour

ANTM - 12.3

Makeover episode!
Oh the drama. Really does anyone ever explain to any of these girls that hair.grows.back. Though to be fair they weren't that bad this season.

Only Fo really lost it. Honestly Fo, butch? Mr Jay, dammit Mz Jay, is butcher than you now stop your crying.

I'd have been more pissed if I were Aminat or Sandra. I miss the 'fro and the mohawk.

The easiest way to deal with this show would be to fast forward to the photoshoot past all the crying and the bitching and Natalie calling John Barrett dude. Dude. And past Fo crying about her new hair and food stamps and past Sandra trying to come between a girl and her liquor. Cos models don't ever drink and they're never trashy. Just don't tell a girl not to drink Sandra I can't go along with that.

Photoshoot Concept: Light yourself

Congratulations: Teyona.
Despite TyTy's best efforts to sabotage her with a crappy, crappy weave she slunk up that pole and made it WERQ. And hid the rubbish hair do.

Goodbye: Jessica
Do none of these girls know anything about today's models? Alison thinks it's an insult to be likened to an alien and Jessica thinks it's enough to be pretty. Well, it isn't and it is not, Jess. See ya.

Bam.
Oh I just love Celia and you can tell Miss Jay already kinda wants to hang out with her which instantly adds to anyone's appeal.

Oh look, it's little Jenny Humphrey let out of her cage for the night. If I saw those eyes looking up at me from a pile of rubbish I'd kill it, kill it, kill it. Wonderful in pics though.

Next week: Etiquette. And spitting.
And better picture quality? Please.

(images: CW)

BaRcA!

Barcelona, March 2009.

Paris F/W 09/10 - Balmain

Balmain: There were sparkles. There were shoulders. There were no killer jackets.
What is EmAlt gonna wear next autumn? Dresses?!
(not any of these dresses I hope)

Well there's a jacket, I guess.

What is with these pants? And what have they done to Freja's leg?

Oh, look, Lily has shoulders on her hips. OIC ur genious Cris, rly. (gag)

You have a lot of work to do. I see Nina Garcia on that runway and...
Make.It.Work.
/Gunn.

Shoulders and Sparkles.

S 'n' S

One hand.

Look no shoulders. Just one ridiculously large hip.

Ugh. I do generally like the shoulder-y thing at Balmain but I liked it last season too and I guess recycling is good during this harsh climate (economic and otherwise) but jeebus Decarnin, move on a little bit, yeah?

I have to say this collection's same-y-ness depresses me more than it probably should but something about the economic climate and our own increasing financial difficulties is making Decarnin's poverty of ideas even more offensive.

Fashion week plea: Could someone bring the whimsy please? Could someone find the fairytale? That's what we need. The nevers not the eighties.
Thnx.

(images: tFS)

ANTM - 12.2

Photoshoot concept: Fun and Games

Tyra is worried that teenage girls are out of control. Personally I call teenage girls who play leapfrog out of control. And also porn stars.

And did I hear right? Did Mr Jay call that model the "pregnant fat girl"? Erm, Mr Jay, pregnant women are not fat, not even fakely pregnant ones. /rant.

Winner: Alison
Congrats crazy alien girl.
But you still freak me out. I'll stick with Sasha for the creep alien baby thing.

Goodbye: IsabellaApparently I'm not the only one who can't stand that "i'm just a simple country girl" bull-osity but sorry to see you go, Is. You seemed sweet. And how exactly can someone look like "a small person" if their legs can seriously stretch that far apart? Paulina's really getting into mean judge mode this season. Yawn.

(some) Others:
Kortnie

This shot is really cute. A little too cute perhaps but strong for a first effort. The one thing I can't get over though? The Uggs. The dirty uggs.

Celia

As soon as Miss Jay brought attention to the hand thing I couldn't.stop.looking.at.it. Before that I was staring at "rebel" girl smirking in the background and fat pregnant girl looking on whimsically remembering her hula-hooping days.

Teyona
I have to say I'm really liking Teyona. For some reason her whole "I usta be a tomboy" thing actually seems sincere. And her photo gave Tyra the oppurtunity to explain perspective. It was all very "These cows here are small, Dougal. The ones in the field are far away." (Father Ted? No one?)

(images: CW)

ANTM - Pet Peeves

I've not even started on the second part of the ANTM premiere but I've already been reminded of my pet peeves about the show. Having any part in any of the following tends to lower my estimation of a model.

1. "I'm a small town/country girl"
Oh puh-lease. I'm from the most rural of rural Ireland. I could see sheep and Catholics from my house and yet you don't see me scurrying about pretending I've never seen running water and four inch heels.

2. "This is not America's Next Best Friend" and variants of same
Yeah, you're absolutely right. Your best bet to get through this is totally to alienate those around you. It's not like you all have to live together or anything.

3. "My Granny/auntie/secondcousin'sneighbour is from [insert name of random SouthAmerican country here] so I got booty"
To which I say:
I wanted a Brazilian grandmother and all I got were these wide, Irish hips.

4. Insane screaming, usually accompanied by hyper handclapping and foot stomping.
This is especially grating when we know you do.not.know the guest judge you're creaming over. Calm, ladies. Gather.

5. Girl-on-Girl crime
Please be nice to each other. Please. It's not much to ask, is it?

ANTM - 12.1

Love.LOVE.Love.
fin

Street preacher in leather leggings?
Called London?
Actually the London thing bugs me most.

So I gotta reiterate what Tyra said: This girl's got the London look.
Lurve her hair.
But wtf was that fight with Angelea?
"You got those long toes?"
I guess if you're both models there's not a lot to criticize but srsly.

Aww.
Who wouldn't love a Blacksican with dog poo sprinkled across her nose.

Well hey there Miss All-American Lara Stone.
Though I really, really don't think Lara Stone twirls.

Well, if you're going to have crazy you might as well have crazy with big blue eyes.

(photos: CW)

Rest: the sweet sauce of labour

I'm done with uni for a fortnight.

So holidays!

Or rather, STUDY.

(images: 1, 2)

Fee fi fo fum

I have all the ingredients for a perfect Sunday evening.
I have a novel (The Portrait of a Lady), a bowl of Special K (with hot milk!) and cosy jammies.
BUT our neighbour has decided to watch some war flick at top volume so that it sounds to me and my brother like a giant ( à la LilyD above in Pucci) is whispering at us.
This ruins the effect somehow.
(picsource:tFS)