Death of a Writer
Hello from Melbourne! Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. I don’t really have to apologise for I did say I was going on a short hiatus in my last entry. The truth is I did have time to blog. I was just stuck. Creatively.
I’ve been afflicted by a severe case of writer’s block the past two weeks and while I am still far from getting over this self-bashing, I was in dire need of expressing myself so I’m attempting to get rid of this block by doing exactly what I don’t want to be doing: writing a blog entry. I’m not sure how long I’ll take to write this but I’m putting away all sharp objects just in case I get vexed by my own writing and start having ideas about reenacting scenes from Sweeney Todd.
This writer’s block just materialized one morning after I had my cup of English breakfast tea and reading The New York Times online. I sat up quickly on my bed, crippled with uncertainty and thought, “My god, I can’t write for shit.”
I think this has been going on for some time now, manifesting like a leech in my head over the last stretch of the summer holidays and with me, its host, caught unaware. Writing is very subjective, as is design. There is more to writing than the careful placement of a verb, a noun, an adjective; a quiet chemistry that happens when you string a bunch of words and punctuation together. And while I am familiar with the rules that govern the standards of ‘good’ design, I am completely inexperienced when tinkling with the alchemy of writing. But I suppose we all have to start somewhere.
tea noir is my baby, it’s only been two years since I decided to show the world how much make-up a person can accumulate but this site has transformed into a quick-change act, emitting enough ambiguity to confuse even my most loyal reader. New friends who want to link me on their blog always ask the same question: “Should I put you under beauty, fashion, photography or simply under Personal Blogs?” I was just as stumped.
I think I’ve figured it out though. tea noir isn’t a beauty/fashion/photography/personal blog, it’s a commitment to an aesthetic: my own set of principles and elements of style that I’ve cultivated through my experiences growing up. It’s up to you to figure out which genre or category tea noir falls under, it’s all blurry at this point but I consider it a strength, a uniqueness that I possess in this wired world. People have asked why I don’t have ads, sought out advertorial opportunities or joined nuffnang. It’s not that I oppose it, I just want free reign on what I put up on my blog (and sry2say I worked too damn hard for my pretty layout to be destroyed by ads created by some idiot who *think* they know design I HAVE PRIDE ALSO K)
LOL so enough ~serious business~, I think the previous paragraphs have been a great warm-up to help get me back on track. If you’ve made it this far, I hope I didn’t bore you lol. I just needed to shake off this hatred I feel towards my writing :/
I’ve been redecorating my room the past week to keep me distracted from my writer’s block and it’s been going, for lack of a better kick-ass word, spiffy! 8D I’m sick of complaining to everyone that my apartment is fug so I decided to be pro-active and make my room a better place for womankind. If you’re expecting the methodical “before” and “after” photos, sorry I’m not going to indulge you with the “before” photos because I refuse to let anyone be subjected to that kind of horror lol.
I keep all my skincare and accessories on the ledge of my window. Because there is not enough space elsewhere for the amount of product I have. Yeah I know, I have a ton. I went thrift-shopping for a couple of days to find one-off pieces for my ledge and scored that super long tray for $3. I got it at a weird party store too lol. I like to close my eyes and pretend it’s from Philippe Starck ROFL.
Floral soap dish, oval container and brush holder were $8? Vintage bone china side dish plate was a lucky find too, isn’t it gorgeous? I love the delicate gold trimming. That polaroid photo was taken the day I left for Australia for the first time in 2010, a reminder of new beginnings and my family’s love.
Monet’s Regatta at Argenteuil, circa 1872 <3 If you ever find yourself living in a ghetto apartment, throw in a Monet painting in a baroque frame and girl, you've got instant CLASS. The almost pastel green glass bottle houses my most adored scent from Parisian perfumer Annick Goutal, Petite Chérie. Incredibly pricey too, I try to use it sparingly.
My bedside table! I found this bone china dish at the same thrift store where I bought its sister and it houses the make-up I use daily e.g. mascara, concealer, fave go-to lipsticks. Anyone notice that tube of Maybelline Full N’ Soft mascara? That was my first mascara ever and it was discontinued in Singapore like 6 years ago or something. SO STOKED TO FIND IT HERE! I always have a cup of tea in my room in the mornings and at night. Also introducing my first film/lomo camera, the Diana Mini in her pristine white reincarnation.
These wooden alphabets were given to me on my birthday last year by my crazy friends! I think it’s an ingenious take on the boring greeting card plus it doubles as a brilliant prop atop my shelves. Please excuse the expletive you see in one of my friend’s written greeting above lol. I was going to blur it out but that would’ve made it seem even more obvious. Plus I’m no innocent, just because I keep my language clean on this blog, doesn’t mean I don’t swear in real life ;p The painting is Van Gogh’s lesser known Starry Night Over The Rhone, 1888 (told you I was an Art History buff!)
Remember in a previous entry I was ranting about the silly tribal flag painting in my room? I covered it up with some high fashion material WERQ IT! Can’t believe I took a year to think of this ._.
MY FAVOURITE THING IN MY ROOM RIGHT NOW: FRICKING FAIRY LANTERN LIGHTS!!!! I don’t care if that makes me a pseudo hipster chick, my room has AMBIENCE. I can serve some tea and let people chill on my bed for $10 per head just to look at my lights, THIS TRUMPS ALL.
Cherry blossoms printed on each paper lantern 
My Keep Calm poster! It’s actually longer and has the crown at the top but it got cut off by my camera, I’m using my 50mm – left my zoom lens in Singapore because it was just annoying to carry around.
So that’s the end of my room tour, I hope you guys like what I’ve done to the place! I’m going to change the look of my entire apartment gradually but for now, my room is looking foxy and that is enough ;D
Also, to the man who bought me my first Chanel and who would’ve supported me even if I wanted to be a drag queen, to the man who taught me that there is no sense in being rich if you don’t have humility, a great personality and substance: Happy birthday dad, I love you!
..God I love/hate my writing. I’m going to bed.
Ilyana you have nothing to worry about your writing is as perfect as your blog (ie, amazing).
Also, I WILL KILL YOU FOR THOSE LIGHTS WOMAN WHERE DID YOU GET THEM? I’ve been looking for suitable ones for ages to go with my sun and moon Ikea lamps (which are actually nightlights for two year olds but we’ll call them decor).
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March 2nd, 2011 at 5:58 am
Aww thanks Simone but I’m sure you’re biased ;p
You wouldn’t believe it but I got them from Typo, check it out they have many others! I LOVE THE SUN AND MOON IKEA LAMPS, I used to have them :3
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Oh man I love your room! Especially the fairy lights and the paintings!
fuzzygreenlights recently posted What the Flea!
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March 2nd, 2011 at 5:59 am
Thank you sweetie, I hope you’ve been enjoying your giveaway prizes
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shut up about being a bad writer. serrriousssly. every writer goes through bouts of writer’s block. if you didn’t, then, well, i’m not sure what kind of a life you’re leading. i believe that it’s always good to take time out to reflect elsewhere other than the computer screen, and then come back another day to write down everything and anything you feel. but really, i heart your blog! your writing, your amazing pics, everything. FYI i am wearing chanel particuliere ATM. it is a beautifool colour.
i hope melbourne is treating you well! is it getting colder yet? i’m so sorry we never got to meet up while we were both here. such a busy bee you are~ ah well there is always next time, hehe. i heard spruce isn’t that great anyway. x
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March 2nd, 2011 at 6:03 am
Ok I promise I will stop whining in the future LOL you’ve raised some excellent points because I’m sure even the greatest writers of our time have phases where they hate their own work. Thank you so much Bel, I love your blog too and dude can I just say I think you write better than me? Your writing is pretty sharp x
Melbourne has been good so far! The weather’s sunny one day and cold the next but nothing I can’t withstand. It’s okay, we’ll def meet someday! Are you going to work in Sg for long still?
p.s so jealous you have a bottle of Chanel particuliere. The one I wore the other day belonged to my cousin
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Loveeee your room and how you store your beauty goodies. ^____^
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March 2nd, 2011 at 6:03 am
Thanks Ami! I’m hoping it doesn’t get messy by the weekend lol. Thank you for reading <3
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“tea noir isn’t a beauty/fashion/photography/personal blog, it’s a commitment to an aesthetic: my own set of principles and elements of style that I’ve cultivated through my experiences growing up” Love this!
I feel the exact same way about my blog — it has bits of beauty, bits of nerd, bits of food, bits of my babbling, and lots of things that make me smile. It’s difficult to pin it down to one category, and while I’ve definitely thought about trimming away the odds and ends for a focused product that’s easier to serve to people, I keep thinking back to the reason why I started blogging in the first place. TL;DR = the blurriness and open-to-interpretation quality of your blog is very much a strength and a large reason why I like it so much (but you already know this! I’m just nodding in agreement).
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March 2nd, 2011 at 6:06 am
Angela, you must reopen your blog soon so we can trade links
From your comments on my blog, I can somewhat tell that you must be an amazing writer! I love that YOU LOVE the ambiguity my blog has, thank you so much for reading all this time. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY BLOGGING LIFE LOL
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Your writing is fine dear. And I think it is so much better than mine. It gets really tough when you’re doing it full-time and then you do the same when you get home.
There’s always good days and bad days.
And, your room is looking good!
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Hi dear! great blog you have
I love the pictures and the full and soft mascara is very good 
xx Roseanne
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I love how you store your make-up! So pretty! Hehehe. How do you store your shoes then may I ask?
And btw, your writing is goooooood, babe!
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Haha, I love it when I can find cheap (but pretty) “dishes” to keep my trinkets in. The paintings are lovely.
Oh my gosh, I love the lattern! *squeals* I’ve always wanted one. I think I might try to find some when I move out and get an apartment, maybe. Those it’s not really on my top priority of things I would get.
I agree with the writing part. To me, it’s kind of like an art. Before, I never really thought about it, but now it constantly nags me. I love the days when the words just flow out, but I really hate myself on days when I’m stumped just looking for the next word to put. It’s like…I don’t know. You have to choose the right words to make it sound beautiful, I suppose.
Anyways, the point is, I think it’s good – today’s entry. It made me smile and laugh along the way, and the phrasing is beautifully put. Whenever I get writer’s block, I just stop whatever writing task I’m doing for a while, and focus on something else. Sometimes I read other works to get inspired.
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when i first came across your blog, i fell in love with the way you write. you made writing look effortless you inspired me to write better (though i think i still fail quite terribly haha!) so even though you hate your writing, i think a few others will still love it
and ohhhh, i’ve always wanted to have fairy lights in my room. those lantern fairy lights look so pretty! also you organised your makeup really well. if i were to have loads of them, mine will probably be all over the place since i’m reaaaally bad at organising things -.-
p.s. we have the exact same mug hehehehehe
lenny recently posted odds and ends
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I think you are a beautiful writer, i love reading your posts, they’re entertaining, snappy, funny and rhythmic. : )
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i llluuurrrvveee your room!! you are super organise!! and ur small little vanity is purrrfect! XD
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Okay I know everyone has been saying it already but I love your room! The fairy lights are so pretty! Wherever did you get them from? I think my dream room would be a room like yours – unfortunately it’ll be too girly for my man’s taste, and I’ll be moving into his room, so… sigh. See, this is a perk of being single.
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