The Pineneedle Collective

Saturday 26 July 2014

Harlequin Legs and Squid Suckers

I love pattern mixing! I will forever ignore the silly "fashion rule" that you shouldn't wear more than one pattern at a time. Clashing patterns forever! Who's with me?

I am pretty happy with this thrift shop dress find, though. I've pretty much replaced my entire wardrobe through thrifting this year, which was a goal that I didn't think I'd be able to achieve! Of course, it helps when you know how to sew, and you're able to alter your finds to make them just a little bit better! Seriously, if you haven't gotten into sewing yet (WHY NOT?) you should give it a go! It will open up so many fashion possibilities for you (which I assume you're all interested in, being on this page and all). For me, it has meant that I can take anything from a thrift shop - mens shirts, plain skivvies, giant coats, you name it - and turn it into something awesome.

Electron scanning microscopes are wonderful. They not only allow us to see things with much more clarity than traditional light microscopes, but they can see smaller too. Electron microscopes can see things down to 1 nanometre in size. That's 1 billionth of a metre. You may have seen cool pictures of hair follicles via electron scanning microscopy.

So this is a cool demonstration of electron scanning microscopy. Above is a normal underwater photograph of a squid's suckers. Pretty cool; squids = cool.

But guess what these suckers look like when you get up close? Very close.

Image credit: Jessica Schiffman and Caroline Schauer, Drexel University

This is a "false coloured" image, so keep in mind that they're not actually green, but other than that this is exactly what those suckers look like close up! THEY LOOK LIKE LITTLE MONSTERS. I actually think they're kinda cute.

The suckers of the squid have these little "teeth" to aid their suction, helping the squid stick to things.

And this is also just one of the many reasons that I will absolutely never, ever eat squid.

That's it from me! I hope that you're all having a lovely day,

Friday 25 July 2014

Ask & Answer (and Alliteration!) with Annika

Hi! I'm just popping in today to post here (if you haven't already seen it) the Q & A video that I did a couple of days ago (my first vlog, omg)!

p.s. thank you so much for all your lovely, wonderful comments on my last post. They really meant the world to me. Some of you may have even made me cry (in a good way!) Words cannot express how grateful I am, so just... thank you.

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Three Year Blog Birthday! // The Journey So Far

Three years ago today I sat down at a computer, made myself a blogspot account, then roped my boyfriend into taking pictures of me in my new Asos dress. I then proceeded to make a fairly amateur first post, the formatting of which now makes me cringe. And all I got for my efforts was a single seedy comment.

But slowly my blog began to blossom - I became obsessed with online shopping, was introduced to the world of lookbook and chictopia (which helped people to find my blog in the first place), and started posting outfits once a week.

Inspired by other bloggers and the then very-popular galaxy look, I tried out my very first DIY.

Very shortly after beginning to blog, however, I was diagnosed with a very scary and life-threatening illness, which was to become a very large part of my life - certainly not a defining feature of who I am, but still something that I continue to battle every day.

This space then became so much more than a fashion blog to me - it became my place to escape.

Some days all that I was able to do was to throw on a pretty outfit, take some photos, and then be utterly exhausted. But it gave me something to do, some sort of purpose, rather than lie around in bed feeling defeated and sorry for myself.

At first, you wouldn't have been able to tell I was sick (such is both the blessing and the curse of having an invisible illness), but slowly the medications that I was taking took their toll - my weight shot up, my face ballooned and my hair began to thin. So I dyed my hair and hid my face, terrified that people would discover that I "wasn't normal", but determined to keep blogging no matter what happened. Dressing up and doing DIYs became a sort of therapy for me.

I got my first ever sewing machine, and started making my own clothes - the above picture shows the very first circle skirt that I ever attempted! While the hem was completely uneven and I had to wear it with a belt for it to stay up, I was beyond excited that it was possible for me to make my own clothes. For valentines day in 2012, I wrote my first DIY tutorial.

Companies took notice of me, and decided that they wanted to start sending me clothes for free, which was basically the most exciting thing in the world right then. Super enthusiastic, I signed up with about 20 companies - then realised that was way too much work/pressure, so I stepped back a little and became a bit more selective.

I discovered wigs...

Started actually working with aforementioned websites like chictopia on style campaigns...

And at the end of 2012, I started blogging about science!

I wrote for the Scientific American, was a guest on one of my favourite science podcasts and met a whole community of scientists and science-lovers who also adored vintage and loved to craft!

I met up with one of my favourite bloggers, Ashley of Candy Kawaii Lover in Japan, proving just how much of the world blogging had opened up for me. Ashley showed me around Kobe, and we became good friends - meeting up a second time when she visited Australia!

In 2013, I moved out of home, and was asked to be in a magazine. Shortly before the release date, I was asked if I would actually like to be on the COVER of the magazine itself! And so this happened:

I started thinking more carefully about my impact on the world and my fashion choices, and how the two were intertwined. Just under a year ago, I decided that I was no longer going to support/buy from companies that were possibly manufacturing their clothing in sweatshops. I had a complete overhaul of how I viewed fashion, but also aimed to prove that I could still maintain the same style solely through thrifting, DIY and shopping more ethically.

I started writing for Birdee Magazine at the end of last year, and this year I branched out into the world of video blogging and started my own youtube channel, on which I have just hit the milestone of 10,000 subscribers. This is both awesome and mind-boggling - as my "film studio" consists of me sitting in a very awkward spot where the light is just right in the middle of my kitchen.

But the best part about my three years of blogging?

You guys. (Awww)

Seriously though, it is! I will never be able to thank you all enough the love and support and lovely comments and "fan-art" and emails that have made me cry - to know that I have touched the lives of so many people in such a positive way is the greatest feeling of all. And in return, you guys have made such a positive impact on me!

So that's three years of The Pineneedle Collective (Happy Birthday, blog!) and I am very much looking forward to what the next three years has in store!

All of the love in the world,

Monday 21 July 2014

Tartan Dresses and Paper Folds

Dress is from Renew Vintage | tights are from Japan | shoes are no longer available

I am so glad that Katie convinced me to buy this dress while we were at Sydney's Finders Keepers a couple of months back! I noticed it early on in the night, but didn't try it on "in case I loved it", and proceeded to fret for hours while creepily returning to the store 3 or 4 times to stare at it. Sick of me being a weirdo and possibly freaking out the store owner, Katie forced me to try it on, "and then, when it doesn't fit, you won't regret anything!"
Unfortunately, it fit perfectly. This caused much more fretting on my part. Katie told me I had to buy it. I said no. Then a stranger walked by and told me how good it looked, and that I had to buy it. "Oh, maybe I should buy it!" I exclaimed, and proceeded to buy the dress. "Cool, don't listen to me then, listen to a stranger," grumbled Katie.

So that's the story of this dress. I'm really happy that I bought it now, regardless of the fact that I have way too many dresses in my wardrobe (psst! Buy my clothes! You know you want to!)

Speaking of Katie, she is still gallivanting around Finland and isn't going to be back for another two weeks, boo! I miss her so much!

Alright, want your MIND TO EXPLODE?! (Not literally, obviously. I promise that all mind explosions that may result will be of the good kind.)

If it were possible to fold a normal piece of paper in half 104 times (it isn't possible, by the way - the record is 12 times - if you don't believe me, go and try it yourself) then the resulting width of folded paper would be as BIG as the entire observable universe.

Cool!... wait. How?!

Exponentials, baby! Watch this video:

And I hope that you're all having a wonderful day.

Friday 18 July 2014

DIY Heart Collar

I just realised that nearly all my video tutorials centre around heart motifs (see: heart tights, heart dress, heart pinafore and now heart collar). I guess I must have a subconscious obsession with heart-printed things! Of course, you can substitute the heart shapes in my tutorials for any other easy-to-draw shapes, but hearts seem to be my go-to novelty shape (no regrets here).

Anyway, ever since finding my embroidered rude shirt (language warning for that link), I have wanted to embroider all of my collared things! I wanted to start off with something easy - hence the heart - but I'm definitely going to try words next!

Let me know what you think of the tutorial, and if you think you will give this a go! It's really easy, quick, and doesn't require a sewing machine (woo hoo!) so if you've got a spare 30 minutes to do a little crafternoon-ing (or crafternighting, if you're like me and always get inspired to start projects near midnight) - definitely give it a go! It's also perfect for people with little-to-no hand-sewing skills (like me)!

And here is a good link for the kind of stitch you need to know for this tutorial, which is called a satin stitch (does not need to be used on satin. Silly sewing lingo).

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Donut we all?

Necklace is c/o I Love Crafty | blouse, pinafore and cardigan are thrifted | tights are DIY | shoes are old

I felt that I needed some absurd way to express my love of I Love Crafty's new Donut Shop range of jewellery, so I decided to make it look like it was raining donuts in my backyard!

Image via Rebloggy

I've been a fan of I Love Crafty for years now, and this donut shop range is one of my favourite collections of theirs, featuring donut-themed collar tips, necklaces and rings in all the different flavours! They will go perfectly with any pastelly outfit, but will probably make you want to eat some real-life donuts (like I had to the next time I went out shopping, hahaha). Not only is the jewellery just wonderful, but Laura is also the queen of cute packaging!

Donut science! (TW: diets and food) Have any of you watched the documentary Sugar v Fat that aired a couple of months ago? If you can find it, I highly recommend watching it!

Basically, two identical twins who also both happen to be doctors wanted to see what was healthier for you when "dieting" - a high-fat or a high-sugar diet? For one month, one twin went on a high-fat diet, while the other went on a high sugar diet with little to no fat.

The demonisation of either fat or sugar in fad diets has been a point of debate in pop-nutrition - one moment, you're told to avoid all fats and the next, it's sugars that seem to be evil - with high-fat diets like Atkins, and low-fat diets all claiming to be the healthiest for you.

Well these twins wanted to cut through the bullshit, and study the physiological changes that occur when going on either of these diets.

What they find out is interesting - neither fat or sugar seem to be the real problem (and cutting out either one or the other is pretty unhealthy). Rather, it's a highly addictive combination of the two, usually when they occur in a 1:1 ratio - such as found in Krispy Kreme's original glazed donuts.

As neuropsychologist Paul Kenny demonstrates, when lab rats are given free access to a food that is only fat (like cream) or only sugar, they will not overeat. However, when rats are given free access to food that is a combination of fat and sugar, they will absolutely gorge themselves, and the ratio of fat to sugar is very important.

To prove their point, the twins offer people a choice between three donuts - original glazed, sugar-coated or creme-filled donuts.

What would you choose, given a choice (and you aren't allowed to say no?)

Most people, it turns out, would choose the original glazed donut. This 1:1 combination of fat and sugar is apparently not found anywhere in nature, rather it's only found in human-made, processed foods, and apparently it's super addictive to us mammals - so no wonder donuts are so appealing!

* Note that this wasn't a proper scientific study, but it does aid what most nutritional scientists (with actual science degrees) have been saying for years - eat a balanced diet and don't eat too many processed foods if you want to eat healthily! NB you should always aim to eat to be healthy, not to change your body to look like some "ideal" shape because all body shapes are beautiful :) So enjoy the occasional donut now and again!

I hope that you are all having a great day!

Thursday 10 July 2014

Mustard, Sunflowers & Women in Science

Because it's the middle of winter and my house doesn't have any heating (#studentlyfe) I have been wearing mostly warm colours like orange, red and yellow - as if I'm trying to trick my brain to make up for our lack of heating. I have also been ~constantly~ wearing this new Lime Crime velveteen lipstick (Wicked) because it's also a lovely, warm colour and it goes perfectly with my hair! Seriously, this lipstick is tha shiz - I put it on after breakfast, and it's still there when I'm getting ready for bed, without any reapplications! Now how's that for staying power?

And then there's these tights - they're my absolute favourite right now. Even when I'm just wearing a pair of plain black shorts and a sweater, they make that outfit interesting. I've been wearing this floral pair for the last week to check out how durable they are, because I have them for sale in my shop - and they're super good quality, I have not gotten a single ladder or tear, and I've even been taking them bike riding! So with that little plug, if you want to buy a pair I have about 8 pairs for sale in my shop!

"Our words can have a huge impact. Isn't it time we told her she's pretty brilliant too?"

This video from Verizon shows us how both society and parents unintentionally dissuade girls from going into science, and oh boy, it gets so many things right. And yeah, it's an ad for Verizon, but it's a really great one. First off, it's a video all about female empowerment that doesn't resort to how women look - such as those ads that emphasise "don't worry, you're beautiful whatever you look like", and in doing so perpetuate the idea that appearance is still the most important thing to strive for if you're a woman.

As slate observes, the ad makes parents and society into the problem, not the girls themselves. "So much of our efforts in trying to encourage girls end up treating them like they're the ones who are screwing up, either with too much "body talk" or being lame for playing with certain toys. This ad shifts the focus, arguing that girls are born fine and it's the rest of us who screw them up" says Slate's Amanda Marcotte.

The idea of young girls being "ladylike" - of not getting dirty, not playing with things found at the beach, staying safe, being quiet and letting the men handle potentially dangerous tools - is also telling those girls that they shouldn't have an interest in science and technology, because it's not a very "ladylike" profession to strive for.

Yes, you can tell a young woman that she's pretty, but that should never be her most important quality. Because "she's pretty brilliant, too".

Tuesday 8 July 2014

DIY Printed Tights (Video Tutorial)

Necklace c/o Eclectic Eccentricity | top is thrifted | skirt c/o Faith & Lola | tights are DIY | shoes are no longer for sale

Two years ago, I posted a tutorial on how to make your own heart print tights and it has remained the most-viewed tutorial on my blog to date!

However, the tutorial is missing some crucial steps which I wanted to cover properly with a video. Now you can see the process in motion! And as always, if you try this tutorial out then share a photo with me on instagram! Use #diyannika to share a photo with me (note: if your instagram account is set to private, I won't be able to see your photo!)

Wishing you all a super lovely day,

Sunday 6 July 2014

Checker Boards & Ridiculous Good Luck

Post preface (I promise that this will all make sense in a moment): You know when you have those vivid dreams where you go out and buy a really perfect dress/your parents get you a puppy/you discover the perfect food, etc etc... and because the dream was so vivid and perfect and happy, you wake up really excited - but then after a few blissful moments you sadly realise it was all just a dream?

Alright, keeping that in mind - the most amazing thing happened to me the other day and I'm still pinching myself!

For some reason nobody in my family told me about this until now, but my uncle used to run a business which manufactured patterned tights (this was about 10 years ago now) and supplied them to department stores, including stores in Japan. Anyway, there were still a fair few of these tights that were never ever sold, that were just laying around all boxed and packaged up in a basement. And they are -- AH-MAZING -- and still in perfect condition, and, well, they need to be worn and seen by the world (and saved from landfill) rather than being all boxed up! Needless to say, I took them off his hands! While I have selfishly kept for myself all the tights that there were only one design left of (like the ones I am wearing above), there were also quite a few duplicates of some really cool designs - which I'm going to start selling in my store to help support me through uni this year!

Believe it or not, that wasn't the end of my good luck. The business also made cute accessories like scarves and scrunchies. For this, they required a lot of cute fabric. Fabric which was also still sitting in large, industrial-sized bolts next to the boxes of tights. Fabrics like tartan, velveteen and paisley, to name a few. And my amazingly generous uncle just let me have them all. I nearly fainted.

I now have my own private little fabric shop in my shed.

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THIS? I STILL CAN'T! Please tell me that I am not dreaming!

Ahhhh *such excitement* and hooray for family! I don't think I have any excuses not to start up a little store selling my own designs, now ;) I'm thinking that some cute tartan pinafores are in order. Please do let me know if you'd be interested in me making stuff to sell! This was the start I needed to get my designs out into the world.

And you know what, if I am dreaming, actually don't wake me up - I'm way too happy right now! :)