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About

Sophiatron celebrates life through art, and seeks the little inspirations in the everyday. She is an average artist, an aspiring craftster, and a collector of the quirky, the cute, the thought-provoking and the beautiful. She lives in a little room with her toy collection, a red guitar, and a camera named Spencer.

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sophiatron [at] hotmail.com

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Kinderland
Capital Style

9 December 09
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

I finally saw “Where the Wild Things Are” the other day. I absolutely fell in love with the cinematography and the soundtrack. This song in particular, is simply beautiful. It’s called “All is Love” and is sung by Karen O & The Kids.

8 December 09
Photograph by Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist.
I read an article today in a Sydney paper about Scott Schuman and his book launch in Sydney and Melbourne. I then thought “does that mean he is in Australia at the moment??” I rushed to his blog, and found this to be the case when I stumbled across this amazing picture he took of a girl on Bondi Beach. Now, lots of people I know don’t really like fashion blogs (or don’t admit it), but I have always found that the Sartorialist was always an exception to the rule. His photos are in my mind, more than just photos of the fashion, but also the personalities or characters behind the people. This is a quality that you don’t really find on other fashion blogs where everything feels so posed.
During the time that I took photos for Capital Style** I would say that the Sartorialist was my biggest influence. I even got a 50mm lens so I could capture a similar style. Of course, my photos were never as lovely as his, but I do still feel a certain inspiration when looking at his photos. I only wish that I did take photos with more personality. Vicki always pushed for that angle, but I guess I was a bit too conservative.
I am wondering whether I should take some more fashion photos since I am in Sydney now. Or maybe when I go to Manchester? But where would I post them? As much as I like taking photos of perfect models in the form of plastic dolls, I really want to return to more portrait style photos.

**In case you wonder about Capital Style, I am taking a break from taking photos since I will not be back in Canberra for a good 7 months. Vicki is going to continue, however. :)

Photograph by Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist.

I read an article today in a Sydney paper about Scott Schuman and his book launch in Sydney and Melbourne. I then thought “does that mean he is in Australia at the moment??” I rushed to his blog, and found this to be the case when I stumbled across this amazing picture he took of a girl on Bondi Beach. Now, lots of people I know don’t really like fashion blogs (or don’t admit it), but I have always found that the Sartorialist was always an exception to the rule. His photos are in my mind, more than just photos of the fashion, but also the personalities or characters behind the people. This is a quality that you don’t really find on other fashion blogs where everything feels so posed.

During the time that I took photos for Capital Style** I would say that the Sartorialist was my biggest influence. I even got a 50mm lens so I could capture a similar style. Of course, my photos were never as lovely as his, but I do still feel a certain inspiration when looking at his photos. I only wish that I did take photos with more personality. Vicki always pushed for that angle, but I guess I was a bit too conservative.

I am wondering whether I should take some more fashion photos since I am in Sydney now. Or maybe when I go to Manchester? But where would I post them? As much as I like taking photos of perfect models in the form of plastic dolls, I really want to return to more portrait style photos.

**In case you wonder about Capital Style, I am taking a break from taking photos since I will not be back in Canberra for a good 7 months. Vicki is going to continue, however. :)

21 November 09

Lego & Paper

Winning combinations like this make me extremely happy. Lego & MUJI team up for a new way to play with lego. Apparently what you do is punch lego size holes in paper and then the rest is obvious enough. It really is such a simple but brilliant idea, I wonder why no one had thought of it before. Pictures taken from highsnobiety.

Posted: 11:03 AM

Who are the Mori Girls?

The mori girls (森ガール) belong to a subculture which began in Japan. ‘Mori’ means forest in Japanese, and if you’re looking for the simplest description of mori girls, they are girls who look like they live in the forest. Indeed, the unique appearance of the mori girls is what attracts most people to join in their adventures.

Mori girls are often seen in loose dresses or smocks, vintage blouses, puffed sleeves, A-line skirts  tights and leggings and many-layered ensembles. They delight in beautiful fabrics and textures, preferring natural to synthetic materials, and are impartial to autumnal shades reminiscent of forest glades such as deep reds, greens, blues and browns. They keep warm with knits and furs in winter, and ponchos and leather boleros in the fall.

The childlike nature of mori girls sets them apart from the more aggressive and carnivorous women in the city. They shun stiletto heels for flat shoes and prefer to keep their fingernails short and skin fair. Mori girls are also drawn to animal, candy, checked, floral, vintage or polka-dotted prints. However, they avoid looking overly cute. They wear little makeup, but when they do use it some like to draw pick circles in the centre of their cheeks as a homage to the dolls they played with when they were younger. While every mori girl is a child at heart, they are endlessly fascinated by objects with a history. Vintage items such as pocket watches, small gold pendants and analogue cameras captivate mori girls.

Mori girls are also characterised by certain attitudes to life. While most mori girls really live in the city, they maintain a pace of life that may be considered slow by others, preferring to stop and savour the tiny delights that many deem insignificant. Mori girls like to explore old neighbourhoods, discover hole-in-the-wall shops and read in cafes. Many mori girls enjoy expressing their creativity, never mind if nobody will see or applaud their efforts, for instance through photography or journalling. Scandinavia is for many mori girls a dream destination, and Scandinavian design influences often appear in mori girls’ style.

In her own quiet way, the mori girl is an individualist. She does not care that the world may live differently from her. She lives consciously and chooses her own lifestyle. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky. When she shops, she buys something based on how it makes her feel, rather than on how fashionable or expensive it will appear to others. While she may enjoy the company of others, the mori girl loves her own company and indeed has embarked on many of her most memorable adventures alone.

Welcome to the world of the mori girls.

*****

Lovely words and images taken from morigirl blogspot and morigirl tumblr. Check out the site for more delightful pictures and inspiration.

20 November 09
Deliciousness from Giant Dwarf.

Deliciousness from Giant Dwarf.

18 November 09
Pictures from stephaniexu.
Okay so I know I am officially “broke” and on a no more spending money until forever vow. But fabrics and trims don’t count because they are useful and cheap(ish) and beautiful and will help me with kinderland. So there.

Pictures from stephaniexu.

Okay so I know I am officially “broke” and on a no more spending money until forever vow. But fabrics and trims don’t count because they are useful and cheap(ish) and beautiful and will help me with kinderland. So there.

Posted: 12:06 AM
(not my photo, click through for link).
Hello peeps. Sorry for lack of presence on here, life happens, you know? I’m happy to say I am finished for the academic year, and now have two months of blissful summer holidays to look forward to. I got my Manchester letter today, so it looks like I’ll head off to Europe at the end of January for some UK fun times. Excited and nervous at the same time.

(not my photo, click through for link).

Hello peeps. Sorry for lack of presence on here, life happens, you know? I’m happy to say I am finished for the academic year, and now have two months of blissful summer holidays to look forward to. I got my Manchester letter today, so it looks like I’ll head off to Europe at the end of January for some UK fun times. Excited and nervous at the same time.

24 October 09

Reasons why I want a film camera:

taken from peach.plum.pear

I should probably get a Canon body, right? Since I have Canon lenses? (Do DSLR lenses work on SLR?). I’m looking at you, Don.

22 October 09

Bento Bento!

Maybe it’s the domestic house-wife in me talking, but I really want to learn how to make Bento boxes. I recently became obsessed with them while surfing Lucky Sundae’s Flickr (from which these photos are taken). I then started obsessively following Bento blogs, and looking at Bento books, and all the cute supplies I can buy. There is something so sweet and charming about making a Bento box for yourself or your friends. :)

18 October 09

I want to:

  • make amazing Bento boxes
  • fry an egg without breaking it
  • learn how to needlefelt little characters, and caricatures of my friends
  • reroot a Blythe in tickled pink saran
  • draw more
  • start using watercolours
  • finally learn the secret trade of knitting and crocheting
  • lose 5kgs (or more)
  • learn how to line a bodice
  • become better at using a sewing machine
  • make lots of pretty dresses for my Blythe label
  • learn how to make lino stamps
  • take better photos on Spencer
  • become better at processing photos
  • take photos on a film camera, eventually
  • declutter my life
  • renovate my room, organise everything in it
  • organise my books by the Dewey decimal system
  • read all the 12 books I bought this week
  • learn a new language, or master an old one
  • understand Heidegger (or philosophy, in general)
  • master the F chord on my acoustic guitar
  • write another song
  • become more productive, and procrastinate less
  • finish all my assignments so I can have fun fun fun in the sun sun sun

Image credit goes to Laurence.

Themed by Hunson. Originally by Josh