Dear Diary,

For most of my high school years, I kept my diary writing as a series of scattered blog entries all over the internet. I've used the now extinct Windows Live Spaces (now transplanted to wordpress), Xanga, Livejournal, and various miscellaneous word documents on the computer. I also had a paper and ink journal also existing in fragments of scrap paper and various notebooks. When I was 16, I bought a red leather diary which took 5 years to finish. But for my 21st birthday, a very good friend of mine gave me a beautiful journal which I took as a motivation to finish my existing one and move on to the new one. Ever since then, I have diligently tried to write in my diary regularly. As a result, I now have a stack of diaries which carefully document my life for the last two or so years. This is a significant achievement for me, since I've always been the kind of person to start diaries and never finish them.

I suppose I just find an ink and paper diary so much more convenient and intimate than a blog.

In my diaries, I draw and sketch, record dreams, doodle in the margins, write down my music soundtrack, record daily occurrences. There are things I can do with a paper diary that I can't do in a blog. There are also things that I can't do in a paper diary that I can do in a blog. But mostly, I just relish in having a soundly legitimate excuse to go out and buy beautiful diaries because (depending on my writing and on the size of the diary) I go through diaries on an average of one per every 2-3 months. The larger ones can last me 3-4 months, the smaller ones perhaps 1-2. But nothing excites me more than when I finish writing on the last page of an old diary and having to go out in search of a new one. Tonight is such a night.

Tomorrow, I go out in search of the new "perfect" diary, which I have already (finally) pinpointed in my mind. Which leads me to Paperblanks. Paperblanks is a division of Hartley & Marks Publishers, a Vancouver-based publishing company which specializes in beautiful journals/blank books, address books and dayplanners. I have drooled over their gorgeous specimens for years and I finally bought a Paperblanks journal a couple months back (Silver Filigree).

Voilà! My baby <3 td="td">

 I only recently discovered they were in fact a Vancouver company during my time abroad in England, where I found the collection of Paperblank journals available were sadly lacking and also much more expensive than at home. Paperblanks is an orgasmic experience for the journal writers and bibliophiles. And without further ado, I present to you my future diary and Paperblanks' new design for the fall: the Nocturnelle

Oh yes, it shall be mine.

This lovely thing is Paperblanks' reproduction of an antique French binding based on a cover designed in 1829 by publishers A. & W. Galignani for “The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore.” I cannot wait to be able to write inside those pages.

This is tomorrow's quest.

I would maintain my diary-writing habit just to be able to purchase and use all my favourite Paperblanks journals.

Perhaps later I will extol on the advantages of blank versus lined pages, but honestly I just would not care whether Paperblanks were lined or blank in this case (actually I do prefer blank books, but I would make an exception for beautiful bindings).

Time for sleep and a new day.

Goodbye, farewell, aufwiedersehen!

The inexorable feeling of eternity

I've been home for a month and half now, and the feeling is surprisingly normal. Nonetheless, I do so very much miss it. Do they have a word for being homesick for a place that isn't actually home? I find myself fixating on tiny things like the milk cartons I get from the supermarket or the 33p Sainsbury white chocolate that is especially addictive. I miss the way people dress impeccably in the tube.

Anyways, I've been doing some photo manipulation lately and I thought I'd share some. Not the best photo quality but I thought I'd make some nice BWs to go on my wall eventually.

 I think I am in love in earnest.

 In other news, I acquired a very peculiar and wonderful dress for obscenely cheap yesterday while walking past a sale rack on my way to visit a friend in Kitsilano. It goes with my patent black Victorian strappy ankle boots perfectly. For your viewing pleasure (please excuse the mirror self-photography):

Cheers lovelies :)

Les feuilles mortes

I'm in the UK right now and it was all that I could hope for and more besides. Here is a picture of me basking in the golden afternoon sunshine in the churchyard of St. Andrew's church in the village of Alfriston in East Sussex:

I really wish I could stay here forever.

There's a little bookshop nestled next to Ye Olde Smuggler's Inne at the center of the village called Much Ado Books which has the most delightful selection of collector's books a bibliophile could hope for. I highly recommend it, considering I emerged with three huge volumes: a Folio Society fascimile edition of William Blake's "Songs of Innocence & of Experience", another gorgeous Folio Society collection of Women's 19th century stories titled "The Lifted Veil" and a leatherbound Oxford Library of World's Great Books (grey with gold embossing) of Don Quixote de la Mancha.

My beauties

Don Quixote de la Mancha

Songs of Innocence & of Experience

The Lifted Veil: Women's 19th Century Stories

Some othere pretty books accumulated here: facsimile copies of "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carroll from an Alice in Wonderland specialty store in the North Laines in Brighton and "Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson from a tourist shop at the Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.

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I visited Bath the two weekends ago and found this stall that sold leather journals for a really reasonable price and the owner embosses your initials for free. It was the most amazing thing ever. I purchased a journal there, and may have to purchase another one when I go back in December. Here is a photo documenting the embossing process (but not my journal, the one seen in the picture is actually my friend's who couldn't resist getting one either after watching me get one).

In summary, I do not think I could ever get tired of this place in all honesty. The only thing I really miss is the selection of Asian foods at home.

Something from a fairytale

I have loved the Pre-Raphaelite painters ever since I found and read this book in my high school library many years ago:

Pale as the Dead by Fiona Mountain

So imagine my delight when I discovered on The Clothes Horse's blog that Chloe's Resort 2012 line emulated the romantic Grecian styles from those paintings. I am so so so very in love!

These are a few of my favourite pieces:

I ADORE that dress and those shoes!

If this is going the way of a new trend I am definitely very much in support of it and would love to see cheaper, more affordable versions in stores soon!

Hipster Hobbits

I know I haven't updated this in a while and I'm not sure if anyone even reads this but just found the greatest mashup doodles ever done shared on io9.com. The original post is from the blog A Girl and Her Demons. The simple style reminds me of the illustrations in The Little Prince and the concept is just great. This post is entirely of LOTR characters but you should definitely check out her other drawings too which includes Doctor Who, Bones, and Series of Unfortunate Events.

This one titled "Arwen as an indie coffee-shop queen" is my absolute favourite:

Closely followed by the one of Eowyn as a biker chick:

Hey and what else beats hipster hobbits?

You can check out her full gallery of "The Broship of the Ring" here.

Paper Bag Princess

This is definitely the coolest thing I have seen in a while:

This is a replica by A Matter of Style of a brand name handbag (Birkin) made entirely of just brown paper and tape!

If only I had a sewing machine I would definitely try this out for myself. Coolest DIY bag ever. Puts my paper fetish in an entirely new dimension.

Outfit inspiration - Madelaine

Remember that children's book about the little French girls who were looked after by a nun?

This outfit totally reminds me of Madeline. The addition of a cloche hat makes it more chic and grown up and the colour combination is just stunning. Love love love.

Dress from ASOS