My Vote - Triple J's Hottest 100 2012

Triple J's Hottest 100 2012 - What I Voted for from aroseandapeony on 8tracks Radio.

For those of you who aren't Australia, don't care for the radio, or are somewhere in Australia that manages to miss one of Australia Day's biggest events (sans the Australia of The Year Awards), Triple J (our biggest publicly funded, youth centred radio station) hosts and plays the hottest 100 tracks from the previous year voted for by us.

When voting each year, I normally try to have a good range in what I vote for but I don't think I stuck to that this year. I spent a lot of this year isolated from the radio and my musical discoveries were heavily dictated by what sought out my ears rather than the other way around. I think that also says something about successful musicians. If I can be so distant and distracted from finding the music and it still makes its way to my ears - its worth my time and I'm going to love it. Especially with musicians like Chance Waters who would have to be my breakthrough Australian artist of 2012. 

Classic choices like Regina Spektor, Ben Folds Five and The Black Keys (all of which I saw live last year and loved every minute of) are in there for obvious reasons. I would put all of Regina and Ben's albums in there if I could but unfortunately you can only vote for songs they have given air time to. I was also glad that The Black Keys didn't release ALL of their songs as singles last year when they released El Camino so I had another chance to vote them into a Hottest 100. 

Unsurprisingly, Of Monsters and Men made it into my top ten, twice. I have this playlist that I listen to when going to sleep at night that is comprised of Icelandic musicians; Sigor Ros, Emiliana Torrini, Bjork, Seabear, Jonsi and many more. There is something so soothing and chilled out about music that comes from that part of the world. I'm sure someone knows what it is but I love the mystery and assuming its simply icy magic. 

The Temper Trap and Purity Ring are unusual choices for me but I just couldn't get those three songs out of my head. They are unexplainable but that doesn't make them any less amazing. Particularly Miracle - one of my all time favourite tracks. 

All the Row Boats - Regina Spektor

Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

Maybe Tomorrow (feat. Lilian Blue) - Chance Waters

Young and Dumb (feat. Bertie Blackman) - Chance Waters

Draw a Crowd - Ben Folds Five

Mountain Sound - Of Monster and Men

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

Need Your Love - The Temper Trap

Miracle - The Temper Trap

Fineshrine - Purity Ring

And there you have it, my top ten songs from 2012 and voted for in Triple J's Hottest 100. Eight of them made it in (the two left out being by The Temper Trap, sadly), so I think I did a reasonably good job. 

Like last time I posted a playlist, you can stream it on this blog post or you can listen to it on 8tracks. You don't need an account to listen but if you make one, be sure to follow us so we can listen to your tracks too.

Erin xx

Ps. I've been pretty sick for the last few days, unable to do much but lay in bed and mope to my friends and family about how much it sucks. I'm still in bed today but feeling a lot better - thankfully otherwise I probably wouldn't have the energy to write this or upload the songs to 8tracks. So excuse my lazy post please, its the best I could do today.

Jeffrey Campbell Back Offs

So today's post was in serious jeopardy of not existing. I'm not sure if it's featured much on non-Australian news but there is some serious flooding happening in my area of South East Queensland. I was without power for about 24 hours and I am beyond thankful that that is the worst my family will experience. For everyone facing floodwaters I wish you all the best and that your lives can get up and running again soon.

Right, back to shoes. These are the Jeffrey Campbell Back Offs. As a JC hoarder personally I wouldn't consider my collection complete without these shoes. Made famous by Black Milk these shoes are an awesome piece.

To me they are combination of combat and figure-skating boots. Sounds weird but somehow it works. These are also the JCs I am most comfortable with wearing in the day time. They're only an inch shorter than Litas, but somehow that makes a big difference in my mind. In terms of comfort these are some of the best JCs I own. I have worn these all day and all night and my feet were right as rain. 

Mine were purchased from Solestruck, after they had been out of stock for forever. These are one of the few JCs I didn't wait to go on sale, as like the original Black Litas I don't think Mr Campbell will stop selling these. The boots are in a US7 and I find that they fit perfectly. In this instance I think a US7.5 would have been slightly too large. 

The only disappointment I have with these shoes is that the silver leather has crumpled on both shoes. This has been a complaint made by many on the Solestruck page, and even though I "waterproof" all my shoes I, unfortunately, faced the same issue. For a shoe that retails at around $170 I think the metal used on the Cap Litas (review here) could have been used for the Back Offs. 

Overall though the creasing doesn't affect the appearance of the shoes when you see them from a distance. As you can see in the above photos my favourite way to wear the shoes is laced most of the way up with the extra lace tied around my ankle. I find the laces on the boots to be really long and this is just the simplest way for my lazy self to tie them. 

Stay safe in the floods everyone and I'll see you all on Friday

Jess xx

Juicy Treats

Juicing. It's a trend that has really exploded and I am completely happy to jump on for the ride. We bought my mum a juicer for Christmas and I have to admit, I might have been using it a bit more than her. I adore fruit, and although juicing vegetables might be more beneficial for me, I can't go past a good fruit juice in the morning. It's got plenty of natural sugars to kick start my day side-by-side with my muesli. 

So far this summer I've tried a few combinations and found some favourites. I love the kick that a bit of ginger or lime can give to a super sweet drink. It's definitely a bit heavenly. 

Today I made this beauty. I love the froth that a freshly juiced orange creates and the multiple colours that emerge when fruity froths swirl together. 

Using Breville's Juice Fountain Plus I juiced two oranges, one green apple and a lime and got about two of the cups you see to the left. I always like to hold back the froth with a spoon until the liquid is right near the top. The layered appearance just adds something special to the drink. 

I'm also a fan of using one red (preferably a Pink Lady) and one green apple to achieve different colouring. Juicing is such a good and healthy way to create. A few richly coloured berries can be a fabulous addition, although you want to make sure they're fresh as frozen just aren't the same in a juice - much better in smoothies. 

Have you found yourself caught up in the juicing and green smoothie whirlwind of late? Found any great combinations? 

Erin xx

About Face #1

I thought I would try my hand at a beauty-themed post today. I'm off to work today so I needed to be somewhat presentable and I'm meeting friends for Friday drinks later. So I needed my look to last well and transform from day to night.

I started by buffing my Origins Stay Tuned Balancing Face Makeup into my skin, followed by a healthy dose of the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Clinique Airbrush concealer. I am fortunate enough to have pretty good skin so I find this combination is my fail safe and I don't tend to experiment with it anymore. 

For eyes I went for my staple Mac Woodwinked eyeshadow. This is my favourite eyeshadow of all time and also the only eyeshadow I've ever finished. I layered this over Painterly Paint Pot to ensure it stayed on and then blended a bit of Mac's Embark into the lash line. After a good few coats of Georgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara that was the eyes done. 

The cheeks I kept simple with a quick splash of bronzer and blush from the Sleek Face Form Kit in Light. 

I chucked Mac So Chaud Lipstick in my bag to throw on after work and ran out the door. I like my makeup to be easy to maintain and simple especially at work so a lipstick is the perfect thing to brighten up the end of a long day. 

Wishing everyone an early Australia Day. Have a good long weekend lovelies 

Jess xx

OOTD Uniform Via Thrift

Blouse - Thrifted, Tunic - Thrifted and altered, Dr. Marten 1490 Boots - Thrifted, Rings - (from left) Lovisa, Thrifted, Bingo Betty, and Etsy, Bangle - Market stall at Woodford Folk Festival, Lips - Illamasqua 'Spell' medium pencil and Clinique 'Super Moisturising Gloss'

This OOTD accidentally reminds me of Jess and mine's winter uniform. Navy blue tunic and a white button-up blouse (yes, I know this one is cream). And as much as I despised wearing that uniform, it creates something nice and nostalgic about this outfit. Virtually everything is thrifted, which you will learn is not unusual for me. The blouse I dug out for $2 at my favourite thrift store near my old home, and the tunic also thrifted (see Sunday's DIY post). My boots I think I've mentioned before; my Dr. Martens are one of my most treasured and well used possessions. 

Here in Melbourne, the Summer can be unpredictable in its temperature variations. It can range from 12 to 40 degrees within two or three days. I wore this outfit on Saturday on a casual stroll down to the Camberwell shops and was pretty pleased with the fact I could wear boots and a long sleeve shirt in Summer. 

It was also my first day experimenting with styling my new haircut. The first wash after the hairdresser styles it is always interesting. I purchased this snazzy new product called the Miracle Hair Treatment from ELEVEN and so far I've been pretty impressed. With a tousle through my hair and a thorough blow-dry with my hands the result was exactly as expected and desired. Super soft, lacking frizz, and that perfect 'rolled out of bed' look. 

I've been accruing more and more rings of late. However, I have to wear sterling silver as my skin instantly turns green if it's cheap metal. My favourite is the tiny little crown ring on my ring finger (far right). Jess bought me this for my 20th birthday last year. The one next to it is a recent purchase from Bingo Betty just around the corner from my house. I love that it's a square shape. Second from the left, you'll see a ring I found hidden in my mum's collection - aching to see the light of day. The fourth ring was just a cheapie pick-up from Lovisa during its seemingly continuous 3-for-2 sale.  

Have you been grabbed by the recent trendy addiction to rings? I struggle finding sterling silver ones with multiple sizes - any tips?

Erin xx

OOTD Festival Fashion

Shirt - Thrifted, Shorts - DIY Levi Cutoffs, Jacket - NastyGal, Claw Bracelet - eBay, Turquoise Bracelet - Markets, Black Bracelet - ASOS, Watch - Casio via Urban Outfitters, Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell 'Rainy Days' 

For me summer means one thing. Festivals. I am a huge advocate for festivals, when there's a good line up you can see bands for a fraction of the cost of an individual ticket. My love of festivals was instilled at a young age when I ran around barefoot at the Woodford Folk Festival. Last year marked my 11th Woodford and this was the outfit I chose. 

You may be thinking I'm deranged for wearing a jacket to a summer festival, however Woodford is held in the hinterlands and can get surprisingly cold in the evenings. I felt that the two denims were different enough to avoid the dreaded Brittany-Justin tragedy (click here if you dare). Paired, as always, with some silver jewelry and Jeffrey Campbells this outfit managed to be relaxed and allow me full range of motion whilst dancing like a loon. 

The shoes are gumboots. By Jeffrey Campbell. Best gumboots ever? I think so. I picked these up on a whim from Solestruck at the beginning of last year in order to qualify for free shipping (we've all used that excuse) and they have turned out to be one of my smarter purchases. Super comfy and completely waterproof as long as the mud isn't too intense these make an excellent festival shoe. 

Anyways my brain is absolutely fried as I just got back from Big Day Out today and my body is not happy to be sitting at a desk rather than having a Nana nap (or hibernation as the case may be).

Have you guys hit up any festivals lately?

Jess xx

DIY Tragic to Hip not The Tragically Hip

I found this dress (pictured on the left) at a thrift store for $12. It was midi length, an extremely heavy cotton knit, had a tight t-shirt neckline and was the owner of two extremely unnecessary shoulder pads. And yet, I picked it up. Then I put it down and browsed some more. I went back to look at it again and put it down again. But I couldn't stay away. 

Side note: I do that a lot when I thrift shop. Ask my many, often bored stiff, companions. 

I think I knew though that I had wanted to attempt a cut-out t-shirt DIY for quite some time. The problem was that I don't wear a lot of t-shirts and the ones I like tend to be firm fitting - something about oversized shirts on me seems to scream pijamas. This dress solved the problem. It isn't a modern, thin, crappy cotton knit, which normally turns me off t-shirts. It is quite heavy and I could sense that its raw edge wouldn't roll too much. I also have a soft spot for the simple and homey flower patchwork on it. Too kitch to resist! 

Basically, with simple DIY jobs like this, where all you really need to do is snippity snip snip, patience and small steps is key. Don't cut too much at once because once you've cut it, you can't uncut it. 

All I used were good quality fabric scissors and pins. Oh and a long T-shirt dress to snip, snip and snip. I thought about what I wanted changed and how I would best achieve them by cutting. I cut the neckline out to a shape that framed my collar bones well. I then cut the dress to a length that was short enough but not too short that when the fabric rolled it would become unwearable. Its also important to make it straight along the bottom - even though the fabric will most definitely roll, you want to have some precious to achieve that 'perfect yet shabby' look. 


Above you wil see the process I went through when cutting the sleeves. I started by leaving a fair amount of room for error between the already cut neckline and where I wanted the sleeve to end. When you reach the bottom of the sleeve you want to cut a right angle outwards (like in the second image). This is a basic rule when cutting off t-shirt sleeves. It just looks and fits around your body better. If you're sleeve isn't thin enough once you've tried it on and you want to keep cutting, keep cutting. 

To replicate the perfect sleeve I folded the dress in half and pinned the cut edge - making sure all the other uncut edges matched perfectly. The second sleeve was then cut off.

I then washed it, as you should always do with thrift store purchases before wear. This was also an opportunity to see how much the fabric would roll and so far it has been minimal. I'm sure though, with more washes and wears it will continue to roll up.

And thats it. You'll see the last photo in my next OOTD post. Until then, let me know if you try my sleeve cutting technique or have a better one for cutting up oversized shirts.

Erin xx

Jeffrey Campbell Brazen Holgram

So surprise, surprise here's another pair of Jeffrey Campbell's to add to my collection. Continuing on from Erin's shiny shoe post on Wednesday (click here) I have also added some holo to the shoe collection.

Like many of my JC shoe purchases this one went through many of the same phases. The initial sighting, the horror that it was sold out, the hunt, the purchase and then the long wait for delivery. I was watching shoe unboxings on YouTube, as us addicts love to do, and stumbled across this. Sadly Wasteland were all sold out bar size 9s. Despondent I trawled the online shopping mall and found them on NastyGal. A swift log in to PayPal and they were on their way. I think NastyGal has since sold out in all sizes, however Solestruck has recently started stocking them. 

These are standard JC height of approximately 5 inches with a 2 inch platform. These are not as easy to walk in as Litas, predominantly because of the lack of support for you feet. Whilst there is definitely a higher "topple" factor with these I still feel pretty stable and comfy and have had no tumbles to date. These shoes are stunning in real life, though they may not be to everyone's taste and they certainly aren't an everyday shoe I adore them. The holographic-ness proved elusive to capture on camera, but they are so reflective and eye-catching in person. 

I got these in a US 7.5 in case anyone's wondering and I would reccomend getting them in your normal JC sizes. The leather at the front is quite hard and tight, but I think it needs to be with the shoe's design. 

Cinderella's glass slippers have got nothing on these.

Is anyone else jumping on the Holo bandwagon? 

Jess xx

Holographic Flatforms, Foreal?!

For a long time now, well since they came out when it was still boots and stockings weather last year, I pined for Wittner's Juci Wedges. I refrained though because they were $119.95 and I just couldn't justify it. I wouldn't wear them endlessly and I was going through particularly poor student times. Only a few months later, however, Wittner did me a gigantic favour. They released them in a flatform which I really just couldn't go past. I had been looking for an alternative flatform to the Christian Di Riccio pair I wear almost every day and these were it. Like most shoe stores with as many outlets as Wittner, I knew that come Boxing Day I would have a chance at a bargain. The lovely Jess (fellow blogger), pointed out to me that they were reduced and after a few days of umm'ing and ahh'ing I thought I might as well bite the bullet because they checked ALL my many boxes. 

They are magnificent. Everything I had hoped for and more. They sport a comfortable slope that feels virtually flat and enough support to hold in my precious feet. Some people might not be a fan of the velcro fastener but I think it suits the style and fabric of the shoe quite nicely - some what reminiscent of 1960s Sci-Fi (think The Jetsons and Lost in Space). 

Like a lot of Wittner's shoes they are true to size and a 41 accommodates my 10-10.5 size feet nicely. I do have to secure my left foot in tighter than my right but thats something I'm used to and the velcro makes it super easy to do.

I haven't seen an abundance of these still left in stores around Melbourne but I have a feel I'm looking in the wrong ones. I do know however that they have a brilliant online store that sources from their locations and all sizes are still left here. 

I'm glad to have bought something in the currently lusted after 'holo' material that will still be relevant in a few months time (if I haven't worn them out by then). You'll see Jess's recent holo-haul on Friday - have you had one this season?

Erin xx

OOTD Look at me I'm Sandra Dee

Shirt - The Hives, Bandeau - Paper Scissors, Pants - Disco Pants American Apparel, Watch - Seiko, Bracelet - Topshop, Lipstick - Mac 'So Chaud', Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell Lita Spike.

This is an outfit I wore last Thursday when I went out with friends. My disco pants have been affectionately dubbed my 'Sandy pants' by them and I love wearing them clubbing. I think they make the perfect outfit when you want to dress up but you don't want to be flashing a whole load of skin. 

The shirt I bought when I saw The Hives at the beginning of January at The Tivoli. This was the second time I've seen them and they are fantastic live. So high energy and interactive with the crowd, one of the best concerts I've been to in a while. 

The Litas are one of the first Jeffrey Campbells I ever bought and for me they were a no-brainer. Black leather, sky-high platform and spikes? Perfection. As mentioned in my Lita Grad unboxing (link here) I prefer my JCs in a 7.5. These are in a 7 but I feel they fit bigger than my other Litas. Looking at the reviews on Solestruck it would seem that most other people feel the same. Obviously these are heavier than an average Lita, but I find them just as comfortable to wear. And, touch wood, I haven't lost any of the spikes yet. 

That's it from me for today. What are your favourite items for a night out?

Jess xx

Citrus Twist Melting Moments

All of my grandparents have (and had) a particular love for Melting Moments. However, I have never attempted making these delicate little biscuits so I thought I would give it a go. I find a lot of the store bought versions rather plain and thought I'd put a little twist on these with some orange. I used orange because it was guaranteed to work but I think next time I'll use lime. If you try this recipe with lime, let me know how it goes.

Makes about 20

Ingredients

250g butter, cubed

1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/3 cup cornflour

Cream filling

60g butter (at room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 orange rind, finely grated (you can substitute your favourite citrus fruit - if its a small piece of fruit, use 2)

2/3 cup icing sugar (sifted)

To prepare, preheat your oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with non-stick paper.

Using an electric beater, beat your butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl until pale and creamy. The mixture should have drastically changed consistency since you started beating. Sift the flour and cornflour together into the creamy mixture and beat on the slowest speed until a soft dough forms.

Lightly flour your hands and a clean, dry workspace. Work the dough for no more than a minute just to insure the right consistency that the beaters cannot achieve. Use a teaspoon to roll identical sized balls (consistency in this part is essential) of the dough and place them on the prepared baking tray - placing each one about 5cm apart. Make an even amount as you will need to pair them together. Use a fork (lightly dusted in flour) to press into each piece of dough - flattening each to about 3cm in diameter and 1cm thick. 

Bake in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Oven temperatures vary though so keeping an eye on them and taking them out before they start to turn golden is the easiest way to do it.  

To make the filling, beat (with electric beaters again) the butter, vanilla essence and citrus rind in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the sifted icing sugar and beat until combined - think of what you would expect when biting into a biscuit and mix to that consistency. 

Once your biscuit halves have cooled, you are ready to assemble. Spread the flat side of one biscuit with your preferred quantity of icing. I used a butter knife and you can see how much filling I used in the pictures on this post (about 0.5cm). Join each biscuit half to another without icing on it as you go. You may end up with left over icing but that all depends on how much you use. 

And thats all folks. These go down a treat with a cup of tea or coffee when you have people over (or if you have grandparents with a sweet tooth). They also make a really easy gift idea. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Erin xx

Jeffrey Campbell Lita Grad Unboxing

As promised in my previous OOTD (click here) my next post would be an unboxing of the beautiful Lita Grad. When I first saw these on Solestruck my jaw may have dropped. Though I wasn't a fan of the other colours personally, the blue pair were something special. 

They were however, like most newly released Jeffrey Campbells, very overpriced. A year of buying his shoes has taught me that you can almost always find them on sale. So I waited. I hoped they would pop up in a Black Friday sale, but no luck.

I had given up on owning this pair of Litas when low and behold I found them on Urban Outfitters for $99! A swift 10% coupon code later and they were mine for only $89.

I had thought that since these were a patent leather they would be less comfortable than my other Litas. However the lining on these is the same tan leather on my other pairs and they are just as comfy.

For reference I got these in a US 7.5. I wish more Jeffrey Campbells would come in half sizes as I feel that these fit me better than some of my other shoes in size 7s.

Jess xx

Who is the Peony?

I woke up this morning and thought "Humph... my new shoes haven't arrived - what on earth am I going to blog about today?" However, this is the perfect excuse for me to introduce myself to you properly. 

My name is Erin and my favourite flower is a Peony (hence our blog's name). I'm a Brisbane (Australia) girl through and through but am spending the summer in Melbourne with my parents, hoping to return to my home town when the season is over. Recently graduated with a degree in Creative Industries, I have a passion for arts, music, and events management, and writing about the arts, fashion, music, and entertainment. 

There are a few things that may have come across in posts already but I'll give you a run down on my style. I wear what I like. "What I like" covers a ridiculous amount of bases.  Be it stylish, comfortable, practical, or "cool", what I like changes on a day to day basis and therefore so does my typical outfit. As much as I would love to dress in vintage atire all the time, the allure of recent fashions and clothes falling under the umbrella of "hippie" is too great. I love the thrill of finding a bargain at a thrift store equally as much as dishing out a small fortune for an immaculately kept one-off from the 1950s. I can't seem to refrain from whipping out my credit-card digits for a sneaky ASOS buy (who can resist the free shipping, seriously?) or a post-Christmas shoe sale. Nor can I hide the fact that I own 8+ pairs of fisherman/harem/dyed pants and live in them during the summer. I love frilly skirts, floral patterns, denim-on-denim, and combat boots. I also, on occasion, have dreams of wearing vintage Chanel suits to a job I am yet to attain. 

My major at university was music, my other passion. Finding and spreading the word of new kids on the music scene and introducing people to genres they wouldn't find in their normal hearing range is something I want to be involved with forever; especially music from Brisbane and Australia. 

So please, lend me your eyes twice a week and read about my post-uni, self-styled, music loving life.

Erin xx

OOTD Summer in a Land Down Under

Hat - Asos, Lipstick - Revlon 'Wine Not', Necklace - Asos Shirt - thrifted, Skirt - Urban Outfitters, Obligatory arm candy - eBay and markets, Watch - Boy London, Shoes - JC Lita Grads via Urban Outfitters.

I have to say it is rather strange to be posting a summer outfit whilst all the northern hemisphere blogs are wrapped up snug in faux fur and leather. Nevertheless here is an outfit that I wore recently whilst pottering around town.  

I realise that pottering and Litas are not synonymous, quite the opposite in fact. However, in the new year I have made a resolution to wear my JCs more and not just save them for nights out on the town. They're too pretty to be confined to that. There will be an upcoming unboxing post on the shoes so I shall save my thoughts on them until then.

The skirt is a recent buy from the Urban Outfitters' sale. I find that some of my jersey maxis get a bit hot during the Brisbane summer, but this one with its thin fabric and side splits is perfect. I feel that although it's a coloured piece, I will be able to wear it through winter with some tights and layers. 

Photographing on your lonesome is a tad challenging please bear with me until I master the art or bribe a younger sibling into taking them. Let me know your thoughts or if I missed some vital outfit angle for next time. 

Jess xx

P.S. We now have a tumblr page, if you'd like to follow the link is in the top tabs lovelies :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Review: SO FRENCHY SO CHIC 2013

REVIEW: So Frenchy So Chic 2013 from aroseandapeony on 8tracks Radio.

One of my brother Liam's most predictable qualities is that he buys gifts bound to surprise.  This Christmas was no different. Unbeknownst to Liam, I had seen this new So Frenchy So Chic around record stores in the last few months and not knowing many of the artists on it had thought 'I should probably save those pennies and keep listening to what I own.' 

I popped this album on to play Christmas morning during breakfast and everyone loved it. I couldn't wait to get it onto my laptop and iPhone so I could play it out endlessly. It covers so many genres it would be hard for anyone to not enjoy but one song. I think that occurs because of the origin of the mix being the Unofficial Soundtrack to the 2013 Alliance Française Film Festival. Created to please all ears in different ways. 

I'm not going to ramble on about each song because I think music is something you can enjoy without someone else's opinions hovering over you. I have however, picked out a small compilation from the double-disk album of some of my favourites. This isn't an extensive list of them and I could really go on forever. 

The 8tracks playlist at the top of the post includes: 

Salomé Leclerc - Partir Ensemble
Claire Lise - Ah Quel Soleil
Mia Lan - Easy
Laura Cahen - Mon Loup
Applause - Hope you're better
Maia Vidal - Follow Me
Lescop - Le Foret
Skip the Use - Ghost
Talisco - Your Wish

I really enjoyed this album and if and when I see previous years compilations I will more than likely pounce upon them to soak up as much French-indie-folk-pop as I can. 

You can purchase it here and I'm sure many other places as well. 

Hope you enjoy my playlist,

Erin xx

PS Jess and I have signed up and started using 8tracks (see side bar for blatant promotion) which is really awesomely handy for putting playlists together. You don't need an account to listen to our playlists but if you make one, follow us so we can listen to your mixes too.

Creepin' About

I'm sure there are more than a hundred derivatives of the title of the post I decided on, but I've never been one to resist a good pun. Yes I succumbed to the hype and invested in a pair of creepers about 6 months ago. Have I looked back? No!

These are the T.U.K. The Mondo Creeper Shoe in black leather which I picked up for around $40 on Karmaloop a while back. Although there are a million and one creepers floating about on eBay these days I wanted to purchase a solid real leather pair, although I couldn't quite justify a splurge on an Underground pair. 

With a 2 inch platform this pair stand slightly taller than most creepers and I have been loving the extra height boost during the day. Something to note is that these shoes run in unisex sizing so mine are in a US5 which is the equivalent of a women's US7. 

There are definitely a few drawbacks to the shoes that I found initially. First and foremost being the weight. Out of curiosity I weighed them and they tip the scales at just over 1.5kgs. They are seriously hefty shoes. Because of this weight they did leave the most horrendous blisters initially. They took a good three months to break in properly as well because the leather at the heel is so stiff. My poor feet, I apologise for what I did to you. You may notice in the pictures above some suede heel inserts, I highly recommend those for these shoes. Mine are super comfy now and a shoe I would hate to be without. 

For me creepers are the perfect way to grunge up an outfit, or add a bit of interest to a plain one. They were worth the initial pain, and now I shall be wearing them for years to come. 

Jess xx

P.S. Just realised there are a few sizes left on Karmaloop here if you fancy them for yourself