gems and ting.

Some rings I'd love to slip on:

1. Raw Stone Ring
2. Zara Terez Wood Ring
3. Dara Ettinger Chelsea Ring

All from UO.

-peach

the fox and the forest

i've recently acquired quite a few clothing items; i'm deeply attached to all of them. this is unfortunate because, although i wore some outfits on my recent trip to saint lucia, canadian weather will not allow me to indulge my desires for another few months.

i've also found a favourite spot in my room for photographing clothes. hello new hobby.

1. h&m fringe tank
2. h&m scalloped short
3. h&m crepe and lace dress
4. kimchi & blue chiffon maxi dress
5. h&m crochet short
6. and 7. vintage evening purse (my grandmother's)
8. vintage leather satchel (my grandmother's) and h&m purse friend (unofficial name)

a third of my closet is neutral, another third is black, and the last third consists of florals, yellow and green.

today i wore leggings, a scarf as long as my body, and a fucking parka. i make jokes, but now i'm actually considering moving somewhere hot for the rest of my life. i'm such a delicate flower.

-peach

CUFF ME

oh god, i am in love with ear cuffs. all types- the simple bands, the badass ones with chains and crosses, the feathery ones. i've found these online but i need to find a shop in toronto that carries them. usually i wear the simplest of accessories- my vintage gold watch, maybe a ring- but these, man, these will change how i accessorise. they are THAT revolutionary in my life.

here are some favourites:

this is simple but beautiful. it's the trinity ear cuff, designed by rumi neely (writer of fashion toast blog). her blog is one of my favourites- her style is one of my most prominent inspirations.

this is an ear cuff by litter, and i love the brassy chain. this is badass without being too hardcore, probably because of the vintage-y leaf cuff. seriously, this is stunning- although i wouldn't wear it with any other earrings. that's just me though. i dislike being heavily laden with jewels.

this is whimsical but it's just the right amount of fanciful for me. i can imagine wearing this with a creamy vintage slip and a fringe-laden cardi. (anni jurgenson feather ear cuff).

i'm also loving knuckle rings, but more on that later.

-peach

(these photos do not belong to me, and have been credited to the owners.)

spring best be in the air

my birthday is coming up in april. i like the idea of spring, but i loathe it in reality.
i was searching for clothes and i found a few looks that could definitely change my 'loathe' into 'quiet and calm acceptance' of this horrible season.

after compiling a list of items i'd love to have for spring, i have come to the realisation that i love neutrals and the 70s. you'll see.

all from aritzia's 2011 spring collection:

omg omg omg. this is the wilfred loti kimono (in watercolour stream) with a high-waisted silk pant. i can't even. this is my favourite. it's like a wearable, class(ier) david bowie costume.

this is...ethereal. i love the skirt especially- the le fou vida skirt. and i love how wearable this looks with flats. no hardcore model heels here.

i LOVE the shoes in this picture. i love the beige even more. i can't get over beige. this is the t.babaton bergen blouse and ava dress. yum. beige. camel. tan. all of them, i love.

here's another version of the loti kimono in action. my main interest here is the pant, though (wilfred bastille pant).

i don't love everything about this look but i adore the sweater. it comes in a pale rose colour as well, and i love how it drapes and how sheer it is (t. babaton  kate cropped sweater).

this is the only thing i've been able to get my hands on at aritzia, and it's a welcome addition to my wardrobe- cause i'm badass or something. it's the comfy and wonderful talula isis tank.

i weaved my way through other favourite clothing sites for this post and i found that all of the season's looks were honestly done SO much better by aritzia. although, american apparel has a ton of intriguing silk and chiffon numbers that i'm dying to get. i love their long chiffon skirts and sheer silk button-up tops.

ah, feeling all light and airy. spring makes me want to pack a bowl and nibble at some cucumber salad.

maybe my birthday month isn't so bad after all.

-peach

(all photos are property of http://aritzia.com/)

Girl, Editor.

(x-posted at jilledmondson.blogspot.com/)


Greetings, dear readers!


I'm Lisa, one of the editors of Jill Edmondson's new novel, Dead Light District. Jill asked if I'd like to spout off a few words about my experiences in this industry. Of course, I obliged. Working on her book was a great opportunity that I continue to be thankful for.  


I'm a newbie to this business, and the two years I've spent in this industry have taught me some valuable lessons. I've been through a Publishing certificate from Ryerson University, a publicity/marketing internship at Tundra Books (McClelland & Stewart) and an editorial internship at Colborne Communications.


Here, I list my top ten lessons from the life of an intern.


1. Editors live long, long lives.
There is a running joke amongst publishing hopefuls about the super-vitality and seemingly never-ending existence of in-house editors. It's a joke because if publishing students didn't laugh about it, we'd sink into depression instead. Only the very lucky get to follow their grammatically-correct dreams of becoming an editor at Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin, and other bigwigs. Editorial positions usually only open up when long-standing editors vaporize, grudgingly retire, or die. Would-be editors keep an eye on potential editorial positions like gold-digging wives keep an expectant eye on their aging husbands' dwindling health and growing wealth.


2. Drinks all around.
 The publishing industry includes lots of hard work and even more hard drinking. Many professors (who shall not be named) prefer to hold their classes or meetings at The Imperial. Some publishers engage in the ritual of Champagne Mondays. Most book launch parties are held at pubs or clubs. Frankfurt festival is debauchery at its finest. Of course, I'm not complaining; I'm just pleasantly surprised.


3. Writers can be glorious wing-nuts.
I've interacted with a variety of writers throughout my internships. Some of these interactions (save my collaboration with Jill, who is profoundly awesome) left me wholly terrified or completely amused. Thankfully, I was on the outskirts of most altercations.
There was the semi-famous tv personality who couldn't meet with us for months, only to show up unexpectedly and freak out about their book cover; the writer who kept submitting different parts of the same book every time they got rejected; the author who spammed a co-worker with daily "funny" pictures of her pets; the clients who submitted work to be evaluated and then disappeared - the list goes on. At the same time, I've been rendered star-struck many times and continue to be in awe of the quirkiness, generosity and ingenuity of the writers I've met.


4. Double spaces, em dashes and small caps. Glamorous.
Writers hold an identity in culture as starving artists - genius minds working through the night, smoking like a chimney and crying absinthe-flavoured tears onto a typewriter. They live off bread and possibly squirrels. The same goes for editors, except we're honestly just hobos. No romance here; no transient artistry - just low wages, a style guide and Cheetos. And yet, we love it.
I'm proud to say I edit things, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, it's all about those details that go unnoticed in a finished product. These editorial details are the things that really bring a product together. Editors are supposed to deal with things that no one else will pay attention to. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.


5. Editors aren't perfect. 
I kind of suspected this, but I've seen proof. Even the editor's name can get misspelled in a book's credits. How does this happen? The editor was probably too fixated on the consistency of serial comma use.


6. Reading will never be the same.
Publishing industry people and publishing students alike long for the days when they were simply a reader. Designers, typesetters, editors, sales people - all of them now experience books in a completely different way. This is wonderful and terrifying. It's completely impossible for me to read a novel now without inadvertently proofreading it instead.


7. Likewise, my sense of humour will never be the same. 
Editing/publishing humour is on the same level of specificity and awkwardness as physics or engineering jokes. For example, editors fall into hysterics discussing the chiller font. It's a damn font.
I'd like to share reasoningwithvampires.tumblr.com. The blog breaks down the grammar of the Twilight series paragraph by paragraph. Sentence maps are never supposed to be funny and yet I definitely laughed at some of these.
We also find things like twitter.com/FakeAPStylebook totally hilarious.


8. Publishing is actually a cult.
This is a quick one because we disciples aren't really supposed to talk about it. I've had multiple industry people tell me to "get out while you still can". I've yet to find out what this means. 


9. Editors worship cats and caffeine.
Editors are 50% caffeine and 50% cat lady. I haven't encountered an editor who doesn't need coffee and meows to properly function. If we could somehow combine the two into a coffee-making cat-shaped robot (with a roll up the rim), we would be complete.  


10. When it's all said and done, Canada's publishing community is a beautiful thing. 
All of the ranting and jokes aside, the publishing world is truly inspiring. Toronto is a hub for innovative, entertaining and unique voices in writing, design and book culture. There are book launches and poetry readings to be found almost weekly. There are book festivals to match every season. It's a veritable pow-wow of creativity and love of the written word. 


Thanks for reading. Now, get a copy of Dead Light District into your hands!


-Lisa


You can follow me on twitter @lo_haze

guys, reading is cool.

books as accessories?
here's a list of titles i'm obsessing over now:

this book isn't all that new but you''ll be super cool if you read it. it's nick cave, people. some cool is bound to rub off on your hands from reading this. he hasn't published a book in about twenty years, and this one is worth the wait. it's about a manic, drug-addicted sex-obsessed travelling salesman who goes on a desperate roadtrip with his young and hopelessly oblivious son. it's debauched. lurid, horrifying, absurd, and fucking hilarious. the man knows how to do black comedy. he's also got a nifty audio book version complete with his voice reading the book and an original soundtrack. who even does that? i'll tell you who does.
...nick cave, obviously.

this novel is nothing new either. i like old things. my sister and i are in love with ray bradbury. if we were old ladies we would definitely fight over who gets to live in the retirement condo with him. i read this last summer and it's simply beautiful. the opposite of nick cave's book, it's innocent, nostalgic, contemplative and it takes you back to a place you've never been. it's a series of vignettes in the life of a young boy and the stories of his neighbours over the inevitable loss-of-innocence summer. includes trademark bradbury magic realism. boom! outta nowhere.

i'm liking my inadvertent juxtaposition skills. this one is especially devious. ellis is a badass, it's that simple. he's also a douche-bag on twitter, but let's not get into that. it's the looooooong-awaited sequel to ellis' breakout novel, less than zero. anyone who knows this guy's writing knows that he creates miraculously fucked-up characters and i love it. sado-masochists, narcissists, violent, sex-crazed people. the best people.

ishiguro is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. there's just something about japanese names. i would explode if i tried to read a murakami at the same time as an ishiguro. there would be unicorns and rainbows and i would probably see the face of god. anyway, never let me go is well-known because of the film adaption out recently (and, you know, being shortlisted for the booker prize). the novel is gorgeous and tragic. the narrative point of view is done with such precision and delicacy; it's perfectly immersive. the story is emotional, fyi. i bawled. the story is told in flashbacks and memories from 'carer' kathy. quiet horror ensues.

patti smith is another ultra-cool rockstar on this list who has a gift. with this book, i see her as a writer just as much as a lyricist/vocalist. i've read parts of it and i'm hoping someone buys this for me for christmas. i'm not used to paying full price for books anymore *snobbish look*
when i get through with this book, i'll definitely post a review.

in october, penguin uk issued a new f.scott fitzgerald collection with amazing art-deco covers. they're so good i feel like i could WEAR THEM. these are two of my favourite but i believe there are six in total. WANNNT.

-peach

potions of deception

i've just written a christmas list on the insistence of my mother, who still spoils my siblings and i like royalty during the holiday season. the other day i mentioned how awesome advent calendars are- being the nostalgic nymph that i am- and the next day she went out and bought one for me. i feel like i'm 5 years old!

my point is that while i thought of things i possibly need but mostly want, i started to think about my favourite beauty products. so,
here's a list of products that keep me happy and keep my beau in love (i don't care if he says he likes me without makeup!):

benefit's georgia face powder. benefit's powder boxes aren't necessarily blushes, but they de-zombify my face and they last forever. hoola is a ridiculous bronzer (without all the random sparkle) and dandelion is a darker, pinker version of georgia.

M.A.C's cyber lipstick. it looks intimidating, but it's super-versatile. its not too shiny, and it hangs onto your lips for dear life. it works for pale vampires and tanned cholas. trust. (i'm wearing it in my blog pic)

i frickin' love marc jacobs. alas, this is the only thing i can afford. it's a special edition of the original spring-forest-fairytale fragrance, and it just looks epic.

i'm also partial to katy perry's new fragrance, but only because i adore the kitty-shaped violet bottle. have yet to smell it.

for original, devilish and surprisingly literary scents, i've been obsessed with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/ and @bpal on twitter). a stylish friend told me that their sampler is the good shit.

i probably don't even have to tell you about this one. it's crack. i'm not sure how many tubes of this i've eaten but i'm going to be eternally minty. i even sneak it onto my beau's lips while he's sleeping. once i lost a tin of it and i completely freaked out. my housemates had to buy me a new one before i could function normally again. i'll stop now.

colour supplements from lush. i just found out about these. for shame. while they may not be beautifully-named (my shade is "dark yellow" , which sounds like i have a jaundice issue), these pots are pretty inexpensive and dang fresh. i use that in the most gangsta way possible.

-peach