Yes, I dropped three-hundred out of the blue today. Well, not really out of the blue—I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. I’m just surprised I actually took the plunge that I didn’t think I’d take.

Next up is a 40-46″ LCD HDTV. I’m so indecisive about big purchases. I’ve been reading so many reviews and ratings, and I feel even more confused than before. Oh, and the reason behind it all:

Final Fantasy XIII. Come to me, please. Final Fantasy XIV, Uncharted 2, Assassins Creed 2, and God of War 3 are also welcome.

I am in love. Her name is Marina Diamandis, or rather Marina and the Diamonds and she’s all I think about anymore. I mentioned her back in July, and my crush has increased tenfold in the time past.

Since discovering this gem (har har, see what I did there?), she’s released two EPs, three singles (two officially for her debut album, I believe) and three music videos to accompany those tracks. In order newest to oldest: Hollywood, Mowgli’s Road, and I Am Not A Robot. On February 22, her debut album, The Family Jewels will drop. Mark it on your calendars.

For those of you who know nothing of Marina, it’s hard for me to explain what she sounds like. Wikipedia lists her as “alternative, indie, new wave, pop”. A very understated description, I must say. There’s really just no one like her. And by the way, it’s just her—Marina & the Diamonds is not a band. She is Marina, and we [ her fans] are The Diamonds.

As usual, here are a few favorite tracks accompanied by poorly-written comments and scattered thoughts of a crazed fanboy.

Shampain — Drinking champagne, a bottle to myself, savor the taste of fabricated wealth — Easily one of my favorite tracks [ if not my absolutely favorite ]. I’ve been in love with the demo version for about a year now and it’s lovely to hear the final studio version. It’s so much louder with pulsing synths and beats. It’s one of those songs that instantly send me into a state of euphoria. Shampain definitely lands on the far electronic / synth end of Marina’s spectrum. I’d say it’s about as loud and synthetic as the album gets.

Hollywood — I’ve been living in a movie scene, puking American dreams — I had never heard this until the music video dropped for it in late November. It was love at first listen, really. Hollywood’s music and structure seemed mild and less bizarre than all the other songs I had known by Marina. Didn’t mean a thing though. Hollywood talks of Marina’s ongoing obsession with American culture. In several blog posts, she mentions her favorite American toys, candies, cartoons, etc. from her childhood.

The Outsider — Is there more to lose than gain, If I go on my own again? — For months I had been listening to a low-quality webrip of the final version—I was that desperate. The intro and bridge of this song really make it. It starts with vocals and piano and at the fourteen-second mark, in jumps a pulsing synth bass line. Three-quarters way through the bridge introduces a dreamy clap / tambourine pattern right before busting into a loud final chorus.

Numb — I feel numb most of the time, lower I get the higher I’ll climb — Numb really proves how diverse this album is. While a good deal of these have a synthetic new-wave sound, this track couldn’t be any further away. The layers of vocals create these beautiful church-choir-like harmonies that send chills.

Mowgli’s Road — There’s a fork in the road, I do as I’m told, and I don’t know who I want to be — I could watch this music video over and over for the rest of my life. It’s so simple and bizarre I just can’t take my eyes off of it. [ Pssst: I posted the link up a little bit. ] The song itself is equally as strange and beautiful with it’s catchy “cuckoo!” and whistling hooks.

Oh No! — TV taught me how to feel, now real life has no appeal … I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine — Probably my second favorite track. The first time I listened to the thirty-second previews on UK iTunes, Oh No! stuck out and struck me instantly. Maybe because it was my first time hearing the song, while most of the others I had either heard leaks or demos of. Along with Shampain and Hollywood, I imagine Oh No! having some mainstream attention [ hopefully ]. Unfortunately I don’t foresee anything by Marina popping up on American top-forty radio, seeing as how no one really does unless they are Taylor Swift or Lil Wayne. Luckily, shows like Gossip Girl have given emerging indie-pop artists a bit of spotlight, which could be a nice way for Marina to add a few more Diamonds to her collection.

By the way, all of these amazing live photos are by Holly Erskine and Camille Promérat. Check out their flickrs for more Marina shots and lovely photos of other artists!

Just a teaser.

I’m usually not one for classical or victorian interiors—you can ask any of my friends. However, gosh I could watch Marie Antoinette on repeat for the rest of my life just taking in the set and costume design. The obnoxious candy colors and patterns are intoxicating. I’m really not so sure how historically correct the style is, but I don’t care. This film is visually a great piece of art.

Om nom nom.

pretty pretty please?

I’m always thirsty for inspiration. Here are a few random images I’ve collected over the past week.

Sources (not necessarily in order): decor8, emma’s designblogg, fine little day, graphic-exchange.

I’ve never done this before, but I think it makes for a decent post. I’ve seen it done by other bloggers, but never by a male. So think of it as a guy’s (not-so-manly) take on beauty products. You’ll notice none are fancy products, but they still get the job done. And well enough for my liking. Descriptions are eft to right, first row then second.

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm (Bath & Body Works / $7.50) — I recently discovered this chapstick and fell in love. I had previously used Bigelow’s Mentha lip balm (great for anyone who loves mint…and soft lips) but decided to give this a try during a five-dollar-lipcare sale B&BW was having. Yum yum, this stuff tastes literally just like super sugary lemonade and does a great job at keeping my lips unchapped. The only complaint I have is that it’s so tastey, it’s sometimes hard to resist licking it off my lips right away.

Nivea A Kiss Of Moisture Lip Balm (Target / $2) — A nice secondary chapstick. It’s flavorless, but has a slight fresh scent. I have a few of these everywhere—my car, bedside table, work apron, etc. It’s a little pricier than your old 99-cent chapstick, but both the quality and design make it worth it. The glue-stick-like tube is the same as the Bigelow stuff and has not yet once twisted itself into a mess like other lipbalms have in my pocket/bag.

Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Acne Treatment (Target / $6) — This tiny tube seems a bit pricey for its size, but does what it claims (that being ‘reduces pimple redness and size after just one use’ or something like that). After washing my face in the shower and in the morning before work, I dab little bits of this directly onto zits and problem areas. It’s clear and doesn’t dry crusty like other similar products. Downside: I’ve learnt that if you use it more than twice a day (just like stated on the package) it will dry the heck out of your skin. Sure, the pimple is gone, but you’ll be left with flakey, peeling skin which admitedly looks worse.

Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Wash (Target / $5) — I seriously live by this stuff. Every day in the shower, I scrub my face with this using my rough Axe loofah. Not going to lie, it seriously feels like it burns the top ten layers of your skin off (I’m sure it actually does) but it’s the only thing I’ve found that keeps those pimples away. The only reason I have the occasional zit here and there is because I miss a day of using this.

Clean & Clear Blackhead Cleansing Scrub (Target / $5) — This only gets out occasionally when I have a blackhead or two. It also seems to help keep my backne (ugh) under control.

N.Y.C. Coverup Stick (Target / $1) — I’m not big on makeup. However, I do use this coverup stick to help hide red blemishes. It’s only ninety-nine cents and as a result, it’s definitely not the best. But for a boy who isn’t too concerned about his skin, it does the job to slightly hide imperfections. And seriously, you can’t beat the price.

Tigi Bed Head After Party (Target / $18) — Okay, so this stuff is pretty pricey but it’s definitely worth it. As of the holidays, I’ve recently acquired a collection of Target giftcards so I don’t even feel bad about the price. The label says to use a dab on dry hair. I, however, like to use it while I’m blowdrying my hair. I wait until I’m almost close to being done but the hair is still a little damp. Leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft and smooth and the smell is absolutely heavenly.

Herbal Essences Shampoo & Conditioner (Target / $3 & $3) — I’ve heard bad things about this brand of shampoo, but have never had a problem with any of them. I mean, they’re definitely not the best, but they’re cheap and smell too good to pass up. This past week, I started using Color Me Happy and I’m not going to lie—the smell isn’t the greatest, but it seems to be helping maintain my haircolor. I’m accustomed to using Drama Clean or None Of Your Frizzness (both which smell heavenly) and will probably switch back when the dye wears out of my hair or I run out of shampoo (whichever comes first).

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Cream (Target / $5) — Recently disovered this gem. Some days I’ll go for a messy look, and while that usually comes naturally for me, this stuff helps keep it together. What I like to do is put a veryyyyyyy tiny amount in my hands and rub it around then go over my entire head of hair. To keep ends clumped together, it’ll go in with a bit more. One thing that drives me nuts, is the container it’s in. I wish it were in a squeeze tube isntead of this obnoxious tub. I seem to make such a mess with it.

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Serum (Target / $3) — I’ve seen this for a while but only recently decided to try it. This stuff makes me hair SUPER sleek and soft—so much that it almost feels thinner. I like to keep this for days when my hair is super thick and wirey (especially when it’s humid). This works similarly to the Bed Head cream, but when using this a very tiny bit goes a long way. The first time i used it I joked with a friend, saying “I swear this stuff is just scented vegetable oil” due to it’s slick runny feeling. Vegetable oil or not, it works fabulously. While nearly all the stuff I listed smells good, this along with the Bed Head cream smells the most fruity and delicious.

Vidal Sassoon Nano Straightening Iron (Target / $25) — Oh man, I love this little guy. I’ve been using a flat iron for years now. Usually (some days, but not nearly as much as before) not to get pin-straight hair, but rather to get rid of out of place curls/waves. For some reason, the right hair on the right side of my head curls, while the left doesn’t. I fell in love when I saw this at Ulta a few months ago and was joking “it’s so cute I’d even get it being that it’s pink”. Soon after, found it at target in more than just pink (blue, green, etc) and picked it up. Surely it’s no CHI, but for what I’m using it for, I don’t need anything fancy. The best thing about it other than the sleek design is it’s small frame and ability to stay to cool on the outside.

I’ve spoken about my addiction to Final Fantasy XI and consequently my obsession with Final Fantasy XIV before. Well, that was eight months ago and I’m still in the same state. I’m waiting impatiently for the online game which will destroy my social life more than both work and the internet already have.

These beautiful pictures are screenshots of a pre-rendered movie for the game. Most likely an opening scene. Besides these, a few in-game screenshots, and a page here and there of details, there hasn’t been much information released. Right now I don’t have much to say, but expect crazy fanboy entries as we move closer to a release date.

And what have we done? Another year over, a new one just begun.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone’s having as much fun as I am.