Girlie socks!

Through my love of the cute and my 'Little Girl' side I'm strongly drawn to these very girlie socks that aren't a million miles removed from what I'd of had on as an actual little way back when.
While at British Home Stores who have branches in most UK cities I spotted these really cute ankle socks that were on special offer are are great with trousers or mid to short length skirts.
 During the recently snowy patch I went out shopping as work had called advising not to turn in as they'd shut down.
I have issues about being out in the winter following a childhood accident and in an attempt to deal with that I gritted my teeth and went out.

Death Kitty

Let's be plain here. I just love Goth styles and Death Kitty who not only are based in London, England but actual make it there produce a great range.
It appeals head on to my little girl side although it's aimed more at mid to late teens.
From it I've selected this, their Cherry Dress available in small/medium and medium/large sizes.
Photo courtesy of Death Kitty.

Death Kitty





 




Amongst other places like your local Goth Emporiums these people on Ebay are Death Kitty stockists Black Prince Clothing

















A recent arrival in my wardrobe is this lovely Death Skull mini skirt from Death Kitty with built in black frilly underskirt. I just love it


As worn:

Diamond Daydreams

Well this was a dvd that I always wanted to get but wasn't able until now as it not issued over here and the individual imported discs were quite expensive.Based on a story by Ohji Hiroi, this is a collection of tales about six woman in the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido telling of their trials of love, loss and life.

Meet the women:
Atsuko.
A hard working, fun loving woman who tries not to let life get too complicated discovers an approaching arranged marriage to a self centred Hotelier. Another man mature and passionate becomes a part of her life too and she torn between them.She has to battle between wanting the comfort of firm stability and the pain of a wanting heart.
Karin.
She is very ill and her Physician doesn't seem to doing much for her either medically or emotionally being cocky and aloof to her needs.The only thing that keeps her going is her Blog on the Internet as only there does she find some warmth and sanity in her cold confined state.In time her blog develops a following that leads to her meeting a new friend that is kind and caring. She feels this is the one she's been longing for however when she mets him face to face things aren't what they seem.
Kyoko.
She's an aspiring young filmmaker to whom creating compelling stories and capturing them in an engaging way is her only goal in life.Passionate about this she will stop at nothing to make it happen, spending the college days obsessed with her craft and neglecting all else around her. As her unbridled passion for directing grows the rift between her, colleagues and friends widens. It seems by focusing on her craft she's lost the her touch with the intimacy of her world that a true master of the cinema needs to draw their inspiration.
Suomi.
You could say she was born to be on the ice commanding her skates to glide using her grace and strength with a delicate ease. In her childhood she with her friend Hanna often dreamed of winning skating tournaments and sharing medals when they grew up.This is well in past now and her star has faded as has her friendship with Hanna. Life indeed has moved on.
Suomi senses an opportunity to perform again but she is engulfed by a flood of memories taking her back to her humble beginnings, her once beautiful friend, Hanna and to a promise made long ago.
Shoko.
She's a radio presenter doing an agony aunt style show which is very successful, is held in high regard by her listeners and indeed you could say she really couldn't ask for a better job.
We learn that she is having an affair with a married man and this relationship already shaky grows further so, she's forced ask herself some very importantly and emotionally painful questions.
Akari.
Ever since the death of her mother she's lives alone with her father. She works during the day at the local confectionery and while not there does household chores and takes care of her father.
Her father is an unsuccessful gold digger,.
To make things worse he is a drunk, spending the majority of his time and Akari's money at the bar at the end of their street where every night he gets into fights after drinking a lot resulting in him being kicked out.
Faithfully Akari picks him up and takes him home putting him to bed.
You'd think it could not get any worse but when Akari find out about her fathers illness it does.

Presentation: This is on 3 dvd's in slimcases inside a slipcase so it takes up the same space as a regular dvd and is Region 1 (many players can be made all region).

What I like about this anime is it has a good storyline - it is pretty much the kind of story that in the printed form I love to read - but with the added value of the animation that helps to bring it to life.
Anime doesn't have to be all mecha, tournaments and ninjas, folks.

Soumi eats a cream bun. This anime was retitled Diamond Daydreams for the US.

Lonely This Christmas

This is a favourite of mine from the mid 1970's when we used to gather around the tv looking at what would be the seasonal hit of the year.

Lonely This Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

Grave of the Fireflies

Coming up to christmas so I have been adding to my collection of full length Studio Ghibi anime movies.

This, possibly the bleakest anime Studio Ghibi have put out is based on an semi-autobiographical novel by Akyluki Nosaka tells the story of two Japanese children Seita aged 14 and his four year old sister Setsuko struggling to survive in war torn Japan with daily American bombing raids and napalm being dropped.
Their mother was killed on a raid on air raid shelter while their father, enrolled in the Japanese Navy remains unknown, they are left to fend for themselves as best they can and even a brief period being looked after by an elderly aunt who is very cold and distant proves no salvation, they set up home in an abandoned air raid shelter.
For a period this brings a sense of peace and solitude as they enjoy watching the fireflies keeping them company, the increasingly worsening situation with its food rationing , Seita finds it an increasing struggle to feed himself and Setsuko to keep them both alive.

Motown Anthologies

As part of my building a music collection, I've sometimes you have to choose between buying whole individual albums and buying recordings that only hits such as compilations either because of economics (albums may be very expensive if out of print) or many of their hit recordings were not on the albums.
For many Motown artists from the 60's, albums were a secondary consideration to the 45's typically containing a couple of hits, their reverse sides and then 8 cover versions so in many ways the compilation if chosen with care makes more sense.

This is a trade advertisement for one of a series released around 1973 and 1974, a 33 track retrospective by Marvin Gaye starting with his hit 45 Stubborn Kind of Fellow from 1963 to his then last studio album Let's Get It On featuring his duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross. Like the ad, my copy is the UK edition.

I also have the Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder and Junior Walker and the All Stars volumes although I don't own the Diana Ross & the Supremes (have both UK volumes of "Greatest Hits" instead), Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Temptations volumes also issued at the time.

 Junior Walker's Anthology is desert island material for me being very distinctive borrowing a lot from jazz.

That one wasn't out for long as Stevie Wonder didn't care much for it issuing Looking Back on November 30th 1977 instead although I feel it's the best selection of his pre Talking book output.It wasn't issued in the UK but imported especially for that market in its three lp plus booklet form.

Also in the series is the Temptations one covering from The Way You Do The Things You Do to 1972's All Directions album.

My copy is the US edition. I also own the 1973 1990 album in a UK pressing STMA 8006

This was issued in late 1973 but not officially part of the Anthology series although in many respects being a double album with all the Four Tops hits up to 1972 on it it almost certainly should be.
Apart from find good stereo recordings, each set has a full colour insert with background capsule, essay and exclusive pictures.

I have the two UK single lps of Diana Ross and the Supremes Greatest Hits as issued in 1968 and 1970 that have most of the tracks featured in the 1974 Anthology set as well as the 1974 'new' Supremes Greatest Hits covering the Ross less recordings from 1970 thru 1973 such as Up The Ladder  To Roof, Nathan Jones, Floy Joy and Bad Weather.

Tsubasa Reservior Chronicles

I bought this 6 dvd set that includes all twenty-six episodes of the first season the `Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle' anime a while back but - as ever - have only just gotten around to opening it!

The series follows Sakura and Syaoran as they search for Sakura's memories which have been scattered across numerous parallel worlds in the form of feathers. Joining them on their journey are the warrior Kurogane, the mage Fai, or Fye, together with magical ball of fluff Mokona.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle's is highly enjoyable anime series that has some nice characters and an interesting plot. Regarding the English dub it is relatively good and the soundtrack is beautiful. The series does have a brief crossover with `xxxHolic', which was nice, and it is just a sad that the `xxxHolic' anime didn't follow suit.

Clamp fans will recognize Syaoran and Sakura from Cardcaptors (Disc three has the story of their childhood past) and indeed some might suggest this is a more shonen take on that story but whilst there is some truth in it this goes deeper into the characters.

Highly recommended