The Lady-Bird

Walking in the woods.

2010-07-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

The other day, I went for a walk in the woods.

I wore my hair in braids.

and my brother's knitted jumper.

I saw a (very brazen) fox.

and spent some time with my dear friends, the trees.
I miss these types of days.

With love,
Erinna.

Holiday Wishes

2009-12-26T00:40:00.000-08:00

Photos by me

I Hope every one had a simply marvelous Christmas!

I'm leaving tommorrow - very early in the morning.
I'm off to New Zealand, to visit the land of storybooks.
Hopefully it will all come to life for me like i've always imagined it would.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday - winter or summer or where-ever you are.

Lady-Bird Kisses,

Erinna

2009-12-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle"
- Plato.

I'll be back when my heart is in it. Which i think, my dears, shall be very soon. Summer has caught me in the trap of an idle and wandering mind, and although this is lovely, it cannot go on for too long. The idleness, I think, will leave very soon, I've had my time to be idle. But i shall continue to wander.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna

Dont Fence me in....

2009-11-18T02:10:00.000-08:00

Photo by me
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,

Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.

Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle

Underneath the western skies.

On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder

Till I see the mountains rise.

Photo found via We Heart it

Photo by Paper.Lillies
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences

And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.

Photo of me, taken by a friend

The words are from Cole Porter's song 'Don't Fence Me In'.

The holidays are almost, almost here...and all I long to do is 'Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses'

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Little Treasures

2009-11-10T14:16:00.001-08:00

My Grandmother's clover brooch

My Great-Grandmother's pearls. These are so special to me, They are from the 1920's and were bought on a trip to Japan.
My Great-Grandmother's signature album. I found this in an old trunk one rainy day, my mother had forgotten about it. It is such a little treasure, it has many pages of sweet messages and quotes, and even some drawings. There's a little message from my great-grandmother's husband too, from before they were married! The page above reads "To dear Narnee, with best wishes from Annie Cook" and below this "Small gifts have value when the giver's love goes with the gift as my love goes to thee."The inscriptions dates range from about 1906-1912. Every message is full of personality and love, some are humorous, and some are poetic, but they are all so magical.

These are a few little inscriptions from my Great-Grandmother's album. The writing is so lovely!

My mother's old copy of Flower Faries of the Garden, by Cecily Mary Barker.

I don't have many family heirlooms but what I do have is so special. Perhaps I'm overly sentimental, but there is just something so mysterious and beautiful about reading the words of a family member you never met, from many years ago. It makes you wonder about who they were, whether they had your eyes, whether they lived in mostly happiness or sorrow. I hope to leave something as special as this to my great-grandchildren, so they can wonder about me too.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Oh my!

2009-11-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

Photo by Matt Caplin

A big thank you to the wonderful Sami of Written Messages, who nominated me for this blog award! This put a very big smile on my face, so thank you!

The rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2) Copy the award & place it on my blog.
3) Link to the person who nominated me for this award.
4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.
5) Nominate 7 bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

Here are my lovely nominees:
1) Pigtails&Blushing Cheeks
2) Pearls In Your Hair
3) Your Taunting Smirk Behind The Glass
4) kisses and cross stitches
5) knalleffekt
6) Let's fly away now
7) Madeleine's Wunderkammer

And here are seven interesting (I hope!) things about me:
1) Change scares me, but we need to experience it, because without it, there would be no growth.

2) My favorite song is 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'

3) I'm a hopeless romantic and dream of hearts beating in time.

4) I love the city at Christmas time - and just sitting and watching everybody rush about with the sound of Christmas carols blurring around them.

5) I enjoy baking cakes but I'm afraid I'm not very good - my poor friends have to put up with my strange creations! I usually blame it on the recipe but perhaps it's me...

6) All my favorite books are children's books.

7) I have been dancing since I was around 4 and I adore it. I fell over in my very first performance, (dancing in pink to aqua's Barbie Girl), but it didn't stop me!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday!

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

It feels like hours but also like seconds...

2009-11-06T00:02:00.001-08:00

Another week is done. Another week with it's promise, dread, anxiety and wonder. Another set of seven days. Seven days where sometimes, everything changes, and sometimes, everything stays the same. Seven days which often pass by so quickly that you begin to think you've been sleeping through the days, wandering through the hours, carelessly without a thought to the minutes going by, and you've suddenly awoken and realised how much time has gone by. Not all days are special, but we must try our hardest to make each day worth remembering, to notice the world around us. A fleeting smile, a laugh with the glory of a church bell, the footsteps in the mud. Perhaps life's defining moments do not always come to one's side with grandeur and glory, like a knight riding to battle, but rather as an old friend, quietly and softly creeping to your side to stay with you forever. Moments will come, with their charm and their mystery, their pain and their joy.
But we must welcome each moment and never, never let them pass us by.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

P.S: I'm sorry about the lack of posting, I'm afraid I'm quite weighed down with school and exams at the moment. But I'll be back!

One Enchanted Evening

2009-10-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about spring is the endless parade and roses and garden flowers blooming, raising their heads in even the solemnest of gardens. I've been picking many a pretty posy, and as a result practically every spare surface in my house has been covered in jars and vases full of blooms! It seems the more serious and studious I have to be, the more I just want to frolic, to live not by school bells and time frames but by my own footsteps.

I did find a little time to spend among the flowers, wearing my new favorite spring dress - a 1950's sundress printed with pansies.

I hope every one had a marvelous weekend (and an appropriately spooky Halloween!)
Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

And God Created Woman

2009-10-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite editorials, from May Vogue Australia, Based on the iconic Brigitte Bardot film of the same name. I love the atmosphere of this shoot - it seems to capture the feeling of summer, bare-foot wanders under endlessly blue skies, the beat of the sun and the sand. Abbey Lee Kershaw is also beautiful, and of course the clothes are lovely, simple cuts and colours, perfect for summer.
I can't wait for the holidays, if only exams were over...

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

The 13th Annual Hollywood Awards

2009-10-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

Zooey Deschanel looked cute as a button at the 13th Annual Hollywood awards, in a sweet little Luella frock from the spring 09 collection. I am a tad obsessed with this dress - the cut, the colour, the bow...Zooey also seems to be a lover of bows, as she appears to be wearing one not only on her dress, but in her hair and her shoes as well. A girl after my own heart, indeed!

My other favorite was up and coming British actress Carey Mulligan's gorgeously beaded and trimmed dress, from the Prabal Gurung spring collection. Funnily enough, both my favorite frocks of the night feature bows... But this look is a far cry from Zooey's girly ensemble, proving that a bow can look both sweet and striking.

Well, let's face it, sometimes there is nothing more feminine and beautiful than a perfectly tied bow!

Lady Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Of skies and paths that cross

2009-10-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

Photo by Tigerlace.

Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we succeed. But we cannot dwell on these events. Sometimes we need to leave our pride and shame behind, to bring clarity to every smaller moment, to every day. Successions and failures do not make a person. It is the simple things, the moments filled with not a soaring rush of victory or the cold hand of an opportunity lost, but the times in which we stand tall, look at the sky and remember the earth. Remember love. Remember that life happens to everyone. Remember that everyone bears the burdens of victory and failure, the pressures brought upon themselves. So look at the sky. And when you do, remember that you are never alone. That the earth carries many footsteps, paths that twist and intertwine. Our paths may cross one day. And when they do, please look at me, smile and remind me to look at the sky. Because when we look at the sky, we remember.

Wishing everyone a happy friday!

Lady Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Forget Me Not

2009-10-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Coco, a freelance illustrator based in London, after spending five years studying in Paris, and drawing for magazines including Vogue, Elle, Nylon and Muse, has launched a silk scarf label. The label is named Forget Me Not, and the scarves are enchantingly beautiful and fascinating - I would probably rather frame one than wear one! Each is a delicate mixture of geometric pattens and whimsical imagery - and hand rendered and digitally printed.

Sigh. If only I could afford one of these beauties, they would be perfect for dressing up any outfit, from adding colour to a grey winter coat to giving that extra something to a spring dress. Sweet but mysterious, they are works of art, indeed!

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Spring Delights...

2009-10-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

Cecily Mary Barker.

The Swing, Jean Honoré Fragonard.

I adore spring. It's just one of those things that it would be strange not to love. I would be silly to say it is my favorite season, because I simply can't decide, but there is something so magical, so romantic, so anticipated about spring. Something that makes everybody come out into the street at twilight, or play music in their cars with all the windows down, or just walk slowly and smile knowingly to themselves. Every spring is different, just like no month is alike to the last, but it's the way all the blossoms all seem to decide to erupt at the same moment, filling the lane-ways with scent, that gives spring such a languid, sentimental feeling. Like a movie that you've seen before, so many times, yet you still thrill to every line. Maybe that's just me, but there is always that day, towards the start of spring, in which the colours are softer, the air so much brighter, and the scent more fragrant than ever before.

Luella Spring 2010

Dior Fall couture 2009

And spring fashion, how I adore thee! But I'm afraid, even with so many exciting new trends calling my name, I still pull out my old floral frock and feel all new and different despite having worn it with the same enthuse the spring before. Maybe it's just spring that gives everything a fresh touch, a new look, alters our outlooks on things we have discarded. That is, all except winter coats!

Mochino Cheap & Chic Spring 2010

So, please tell me, what do you do on the first day of spring? Do you dance around in the sunlight, or pull out your favorite frock? Or both? Whatever you do, do it fancy-free, and with a light heart full of new beginnings. And that, my dears, is the essence of the magic that is spring.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Michelle Obama in Rodarte

2009-10-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

First lady Michelle Obama wore a stunning Rodarte dress to The Opening Ceremony of The International Olympic Committee session at the Copenhagen Opera House this October. I adore this dress - the cut, the jewelled neck piece, the pleating, the under-skirt sweetly peeking out, the simplicity of it all, but most of all the colour. The orange is so striking, and especially on her - she looks so glamorous and elegant. It certainly is a shame that people often shy away from bright colours, as it often gives that extra something to a beautiful dress. I could probably write a book about the orange in this dress - it is so glorious, so luminous that you cannot help but stare.

So, grey, be gone, all though you were such a comfort to me in the Autumn months. It is time to pull out the bright and luminous colours again, for summer nights, summer days, and hopefully, a season as radiant as the orange of her dress!

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Monsalvat

2009-10-11T01:52:00.000-07:00

The other week some friends and I journeyed to Monsalvat, an enchanting and beautiful artist's colony in outer Melbourne. Despite the fact that it is spring, we encountered fairly wet weather, but we still were determined to have a picnic! There was an abundance of flowers, peacocks, and lots of magical little corners, and of course beautiful architecture.

Last picture of me taken by Miss Madeline. I highly recommend a look for anyone who lives in Melbourne or is visiting!

Lady Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Style Icon: Emma Pillsbury

2009-10-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

Being a musical lover, I am in love with Glee, it's unabashed cheesyness and cute characters. But lately something other than the catchy musical numbers has caught my eye. Emma Pillsbury, the obsessively neat guidance councilor, has a completely adorable wardrobe which is the highlight of the show. She's very prim and proper, but adds a cheeky and colourful element to every outfit.

I love how Emma wears different shades of one colour in an outfit, as above, in shades of sunny yellow. I would have never done monochromatic to this extreme myself, but she pulls it of so effortlessly, melding the mustard of the skirt, the pale yellow of the shirt with apparent ease that i'm thinking again. She does the preppy, vintage-y look in such a delightful way, and gives a fresh, quirky take on wardrobe basics.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna

Edmund Dulac

2009-10-09T23:30:00.001-07:00

I am completely smitten with Edmond Dulac’s romantic illistrations, which are simply filled with whimsy and elegance. His illistrations tell simple stories of innocence and the joy of imaginatation, evoking the romance and mystery of fairytales, with his soft use of watercolours to create a haze of dreams and delight. I love how the emotions in the paintings are held through the colour palettes, dream-like, but fleeting – his illistrations seem to somehow capture the fancies of little girls and boys, sleeping peacefully. Oh, how I adore fairytales!

Lady Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

Dreams of Paris, as always

2009-10-09T02:46:00.000-07:00

So it has been a very busy week of back-to-school assignments, exams and dreary mornings,and yet in another part of the world the crisp autumn leaves have begun falling, early-morning croissants are being spread with jam, and of course, fashionistas are tottering around cobbled lane ways, their heels making that self-assuring click-clack of confidence that fierce heels seem to give, and waking up to early morning front-row seats at shows rather than seats in maths class. Know where I'm thinking of? Why Paris, of course! Even though I wasn't able to be there myself (obviously!), endless pictures on style.com have transported me to the magic, enchantment and exhaustion of Paris fashion week.

One of my favorite shows, Mui Mui, was a sweet combination of embellishments, sheer and sharp tailoring topped of with toung-in-cheek animal prints of cats and birds (excluding a slightly less innocent print of a nude lady lounging). I esspecially loved the little-girl frocks topped of with Rapunzel-Esque plaits and beading.

But What I most love about this collection is not the 1920's beading, or even the kooky cats, but the sheer wearablility of it all. I'm all for dream-like and extravagant fashion, but sometimes the dreamiest clothes are the ones you can see yourself actually wearing and living in, as yourself, and not anyone else.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.

The Beginning.

2009-10-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Hello!

This is my first blog post, a new beginning in a way. A little introduction - I will be posting various fancies and wonderings, musings and reverie on the prettier side of life, and hope to bring much liveliness and joy to who ever passes by.

Among many other things I'll be discussing all from fashion (in detail, of course!) to walks in the rain, to cakes and curtsies, to frocks and fairy-floss. But please bear with me while I figure out the tinks and kinks of blogging!

This is a new beginning. And here's to a new day and new beginnings, where-ever you are.

Lady-Bird Kisses,
Erinna.