♮I wish I could be Lily Cole, especially if I could have her costumes from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

♮Tidy, clean and re-decorate my room. Plans include a zillion paper cranes hanging from the lamp in the ceiling (almost like that scene in Heroes, you know?), new stuff hanging on the walls and a clean floor.

♮Having dinner with Boyfriend and Boyfriend’s sister.

♮Watch lots of Ally McBeal while doing something creative with my (now short) nails.

♮Leaving the house as little as possible. It’s no longer freezing here, but it’s raining, causing icy sludge, and the wind is ever-present, as usual.

♮Working on some proper, fashion-related blog posts, as I’ve had little time to do it this week and really miss it. I’ve got some nice ones planned, so stick around, kids!

Source

I love lists, it’s no secret. My dashboard (on the MacBook, not in a car) is packed with yellow post-its with random notes on them, such as “George do it: a work evading phrase in flapper slang”, “text-transform: lowercase/ uppercase” or simply “ALICE IN WONDERLAND!!!”. But my lists tend to be all over the place (literally), and even though I find hand written ones much more charming, I always end up writing a lot of them on my MacBook anyway, saved as plain text documents in various folders where I can never find them again.

Enter Listography! Even though it doesn’t work perfectly in my prefered browser (Safari), I’m actually willing to open Firefox to adjust my settings now and then simply because it’s a wonderful site. It keeps me organized too, which always makes me tick (such as when I discovered Weheartit, remember?). I’ll still be writing lists here in the blog, but listography is great for a quickie, or for those lists that aren’t about fashion-related things.

Are you on Listography? Do let me know your url so I can come visit!

My Christmas calendar is almost over, and the experience has been rather interesting. You all seem to like me posting every day – which is a wonderful thing to hear! – but at the same time I find it hard to come up with interesting posts that often. I feel a little silly when I write one of those today-I-did-this-and-this-posts a lot of bloggers do, but I’ve realized that, especially when it comes to daily blogging, they are pretty much unavoidable. Hence, here are todays random things:

♮I went shopping for Christmas presents today. I finished all the gifts, but I also bought a rather fantastic dress with round studs and two belts at Lindex. Yes, I am weak.

♮I’m working on an “I’m-allowed-to-buy-this-in-2010-list”, which includes quality lingerie, pants and makeup brushes. More on that later.

♮I’m still pondering over what I’m going to do next year (as in August 2010). I’ve decided I want to work since I’ve been studying for five years now, but I don’t really want to work as a music teacher full-time. This means I’ll need some time to think about what to do now, not to mention how to do it. Looks like I’ll end up in Oslo, but there are a lot of issues about where to work and how to live that are very tricky. Like how do you get a job in one city when you’re currently living in another one? And how do you get a job that isn’t in retail (I’ve done that a lot, and absolutely hated it)?

♮Only nine days until Boyfriend comes up here to spend New Years’ with me and my family. Hurry, dearest!

♮As always, I’m thinking about doing something new with my hair for the new year. Common ideas are going red (wait, have you heard that before?), bangs like Brittany Murphy in that movie I wrote about, or simply getting some highlights.

♮Bye bye, Brittany Murphy. She was wonderful, don’t you think?

Around Christmas there seems to be a new party every day – if not two or three! – but there’s hardly enough time to prepare for them all. I therefore thought I’d share some of my quick fix tips with you, in hope that you will arrive at your festivities looking fabulous without being stressed out.

♮Diamonds, darlings, diamonds! The quickest way to look ready for something wonderful without a lot of fuzz. You can also include them in your everyday outfits, of course (and you can read about how here), but somehow they always look their absolute best when they’re glowing in candlelight.

♮I always reach for a red lipstick when most desperate. I first put on a little bit of Rosebud’s Mint Balm (the round metal box in the picture), then dab on the lipstick and smooth it out with my fingertip. This way it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to be perfect, and you can get away without razor-sharp edges and lipliner. Just remember that you’ll have to freshen it up quite often, as the lip balm makes it disappear fast.

♮Creamy eyeshadow is a lifesaver when in a hurry as they blend so easily. A slightly neutral colour, such as a champagne/grey/brownish one is great for that five-second-application.

♮Nail polish in a pale colour won’t give away tiny errors as much as a dark one, and you can often get away with a single coat. I like Maybelline’s foreverstrong in colour 76 (“French Manicure”), as it’s practically transparent, but gives a more polished nude look.

♮If you know you’ll have very little time to do your hair on the day of the party, proper preparation can make things easy as pie. My favourite hair trick is to shower the evening before, applying some mousse in wet hair, then braiding my hair in two french braids. My hair dries while I sleep, and I’ll usually keep the braids during the day as well, finally letting my hair out an hour before the party. Or, I can keep the braids (which will have become a bit messy) and pin them up in my neck for a rather lovely updo. Braids are also good for days when you don’t have time to wash your hair.

♮A good quality perfume will always give you glamour bonus points, no matter how you look. Just avoid spraying yourself almost to death in panic, as perfume overload is a definite turnoff.

Do you have any tips of your own? Do share them in the comments section!

The most important “things” in this list are my mother and sisters, but my mother doesn’t like having her photo taken and my sisters are at my father’s for the day, so you’ll just have to imagine their photo here as well. (UPDATE: My sister Cookie was slightly offended as she isn’t at my father’s and thus seems not to exist. She does, of course, and she’s lovely company on MSN when I can find her there. She also looks quite like Audrey Hepburn. Happy now, Cookie? )

I’m sorry for the lack of fashion-related posts lately, but this silly cold is making it rather impossible to do anything reasonable (such as thinking). But I can tell you that all these photos were taken with the fancy lense I mentioned in my last post, which is the reason for the pretty blurring along the edges. Didn’t work too well on the sofa, though, so I assume the lense is best for close-ups. More on that when my brain is working again.

Have a lovely Wednesday, kittens!

Some random thoughts from when I was shopping for Christmas presents today (simply because I don’t feel very good and I can’t concentrate enough to make a proper post):

♮”Ooh, that’s pretty. Maybe I could buy it as a pre-Christmas present for myself? Because I really do need a new sweater/bra/pair of tights/bag/belt/dress. I don’t have that many dresses at home.”

♮”If I put on some red lipstick, nobody will notice I couldn’t be bothered to put on any more makeup. Right? And red lipstick and a nude face is a rather chic combination.”

♮”Must remember to buy tape. Lots of tape.”

♮”I wonder if they still have that insanely gorgeous necklace I saw here yesterday. Oh, yes, they do. It’s even prettier than I remember. If only somebody would get me that for Christmas. Maybe I should tip off Boyfriend? No, wait, I already told Cookie about it. But it can’t hurt to show it to him, too, right? Because it’s the most perfect necklace I’ve seen in years!”

♮”Will Cookie like this one? What about that sparkly thing there in the corner? I wish she could be here and tell me oh-so-subtly what she would like me to get her. Next year I’m definitely living in the same city as her. Definitely.”

♮”My throat feels itchy. And my head is hurting, too. Maybe I’m getting sick. Ugh, that lady just coughed on me! I feel weaker already. And now I’m kind of dizzy as well.”

♮”I could really use some new lingerie. Maybe I should get myself measured soon, so I can stop wasting money on uncomfortable things that don’t fit properly? Oh, look – lace!”

First of all: I do not claim to be an expert on the subject. All the tips in this post are simply based on my personal opinions and experience, but I do think a fair few people out there will agree with me … do you?

A black background with white text will always be more difficult to read than the opposite. I should know – my very first blog had a black background – because I wanted it to stand out – but I realized rather quickly it was rather tiresome if you looked at it for more than two minutes. Don’t get me started on bright pink or yellow backgrounds, which is like an instant migraine. I always think justified text (that reaches both the left and right margin) looks better than text that’s aligned to the left or center. And while fancy fonts for the body text can seem like a good idea, they are only interesting for the first five seconds. After that they simply make it hard for the reader to figure out the actual content of your blog, and we don’t want that, right?

I think a header should be like a shop window: it should make a lasting impression on the visitor, and should display what can be found inside. This means that the header is the place for fancy fonts (and it’s a better idea to go to Dafont for something special, than to end up with something like Comic Sans, which should have been killed a long time ago) and pictures with proper resolution. Also, if a header is more than about 400 pixels high, most of us people on tiny screens won’t be able to see any of your content, which means we have to scroll to see if you have written anything new. And repeat after me: enforced scrolling is bad.

I prefer the clean and structured ones, but no matter if you like lots of glitter in your sidebar, make sure it doesn’t distract the readers from the actual content – which means blinking stuff is distracting and, for some, annoying. Sparkles might work for diamonds and vampires, but not for your sidebar. Oh, and make sure you keep the useful things, such as the search function, your archive and your Bloglovin’-link close to the top, so readers can find them easily.

Forcing people to listen to your music without warning is bad manners. I’m sorry, but automatically playing music should be illegal. If you’d like to share your taste in music, keep the player, but turn off the autoplay. Just turn it off, you can do it!

Learning basic html can be compared to learning to do a basic makeup. It makes your “face” (read: blog) more presentable when you want to make a good impression. You don’t need much, but it’s very useful for putting images/linked images in your sidebar, for instance, or for creating a link that can be used for sending you mail (which means spam is not very likely). I actually started learning html when I was still at Blogger, and half my posts would look weird or things would turn our wrong without me doing it (no, I don’t like Blogger, sorry). When I understood what the html told my posts to do, it was much easier to fix it.

While a typo once in a blue moon is almost unavoidable, not using the spellcheck that most of post editors have these days is a serious crime. It takes perhaps one extra minute to click the button, then correct your errors, but a whole lot of bloggers out there seems not to care. Trust me, your readers care.

“I’m-sorry-it’s-been-so-long-since-my-last-post-I-feel-really-bad-but-I’m-just-soooo-busy”- posts are becoming a cliché. The best way to avoid them is to decide how often you realistically will have time to post, then stick to it. When I started out I posted mostly once a week, then twice. The past months I’ve been trying to keep it maximum four days between each post, and in December I’m giving daily blogging a go. The point is to keep it regular – this way, your readers will know when to expect a new post, and you won’t have to feel guilty for not blogging every second you have available.

It might be a specific theme (shoes) or sub-theme (Louboutins), a design element (such as my handwritten things), or a style of writing (such as the Queens of Kingdom of Style – just read one post, you’ll see what I mean), but if you can manage to find something that’s you, it will make your blog stand out from the zillions of others out there.

Copycats, or people-who-steal-content-from-others-without-giving-credit, are actually doing something illegal. Not to mention that it’s incredibly bad manners, and makes me question the blogger immediately. We’ve all saved something on our computer but forgot to save the source, but at least make an effort to locating it before posting it. Weheartit.com can be helpful in keeping your sources organized (read how here).

When the news that Topshop was coming to Norway was released, I saw at least thirty bloggers proudly spreading the news. The sad thing is, they all said exactly the same. Being number 24 to report something simply makes you look uninformed. Mentioning it in a post is okay, but dedicating a whole post to old news is a waste of time, both yours and your readers’. The same goes for those catwalk pics that everyone seem to post when they’re feeling uninspired – darlings, if you can’t say anything new or unique, why post them at all? We’ve seen them at style.com anyway.

♮

If you’re looking for more tips on the subject you should drop by Shini’s DIY Blog Design Crime Investigation-post at the blog Park & Cube, which is rather brilliant (both the post and the blog itself).

♮The venue: a huge – but cozy – private house (which would be mine, naturally), situated somewhere slightly isolated in the Northern Norway, covered in snow and with lots of windows.

♮The guests: Boyfriend, my family, my closest friends, my band and some carefully selected people (who would, magically, be alive or real for the party, of course); Edith Piaf, Frida Kahlo, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, Harry Potter, Jacob from Twilight (just for you, Cookie!), Björk, Danny Elfman, Johnny Depp (for Vivi), Tim Walker, Tori Amos, Coco Chanel, all the members of Skunk Anansie, Neil Gaiman and Marilyn Monroe.

♮The dress code: “Please wear your absolute favourite items, no matter the level of formality (or lack thereof).” (This should make for some interesting sights, don’t you think?)

♮The decor: too many candles to count them all, pretty things in white and gold, and with lots of wine glasses to reflect the light. A big christmas tree in one corner, decorated with white lights and all my favourite tree decorations from my childhood.

♮The music: Martha Wainwright and her musicians playing music from her Edith Piaf record, with guest appearances from all the guests, as might be expected.

♮The food: tiny little chicken pies for appetizers; lasagna, garlic bread and salad with marinated feta cheese as a main course, and chocolate fondants and perfect clementines for dessert. Everything served with anything you could possibly want for drinks, including Pepsi Max and El Copero (my favourite red wine).

♮The activities: laughing, talking, walking around the Christmas tree, drinking, eating, playing that weird game of guess-who-I-am that they play in Inglorious Basterds, hugging, kissing, snowball fights, cake fights and dancing, lots of dancing, on every surface possible, including tables and other people’s laps.

♮What I would wear: something elegant, slightly decadent and embellished, with high, shiny heels and soft, voluminous hair. Actually, if I could simply become Marion Cotillard for the evening, that would be perfect!

Photo by Bruno Dayan

What is YOUR perfect (and if you’d like, imaginary) Christmas Party like?

Photo: private

This post is dedicated to my magical little sister Miriam, also known as Cookie, Cookie-Pookie or simply Poo (there’s a song that goes along with the name, you see, which gives the whole thing a little more sense). Today she is 19 years old, and I wish her the happiest of happy birthdays.

Kid, if we weren’t currently in different parts of the country I’d give you a proper celebration, but I suppose that’ll have to wait for when we both go home for Christmas. In the meantime, I thought I’d tell all my readers why you’re my favourite oldest little sister (phrased that way because there are two even younger little sisters, and we wouldn’t want them to be offended and send us ants in the mail), and why you’re an even better friend than diamonds:

♮Who else in the world can recite the entire Lilo & Stitch-movie with me, with perfect intonation and pillow-hugging?

♮I seriously believe you and I are the only ones in the world who have truly mastered  all things chocolate – though I suppose the small ones will join us very soon.

♮You are my blog’s biggest fan, and seem to have endless faith in me and my attempts at conquering the world through fashion/music/writing/whatever I’m into that week.

♮Who could possibly resist loving a fairy, a pirate princess, a weird little monster, a kitten, a Lucy, a neverending story, a Norwegian Audrey Hepburn?

♮I actually like it when you offend my chocolate cookies for their wonky shape, or when you tell me off for never finishing my DIY-projects, because I know you love me anyway.

♮We can spend hours watching Gilmore Girls, SYTYCD, ANTM, Tim Burton-movies and anything involving Johnny Depp – and even though we’re not talking, it’s so much better to watch it with you.

There are a thousand things I could have added to this post, but I think I’ll let you keep some of that secretive impression you give, and instead say that I love you, very, very much – just the way you are (yes, even though absolutely everything makes you cry, such as Disney movies, or hugs in the airport, or maybe even birthday blog posts, you weird little thing ♥).

Today I’m not going to whine about how insanely cold it can be to live here in Tromsø, especially now that the snow and wind has come to spend the Christmas here. Instead I thought I’d share my clever little tips on how to stay warm in a fashionable way, as I am sure there are lots of fashionistas out there feeling slightly frozen nowadays.

The Very Best Option

♮Don’t go outside. With a bit of clever planning (such as buying enough groceries for more than one day), some begging (in case of parents and siblings) and batting of eyelashes (boyfriends or others of the other sex), it should be possible not to leave the house at all for some days. Stay inside in your blanket, light candles and drink hot chocolate. The best way to keep warm, I promise!

If You Must Go Outside

♮ Here is my “standard uniform” for when I cannot avoid leaving the house:

♮If you have long enough hair to do french braids, you may now shout “yes!” like those women in the shampoo- commercials. After showering, add some product (I use Define’s volume mousse) and braid it. Pin the braids up in the back of your neck, and add a cap of your choice – those big furry ones will definitely keep you warm, and now that everyone’s wearing it, you won’t have to feel like a Russian spy). The cap will mess up your braids as you put it on and take it off… but we like messy hair, don’t we? And when you take out your braids, you’ll have big, lovely curls.

♮Layering is key for keeping warm, as is fabric choice. Anything synthetic is no-go, and wool is your best friend (along with diamonds, of course). Cardigans and tank tops aren’t the only things you can layer, by the way – tights, scarves, socks and gloves work well, too. Right now I’m particularly fond of wearing those lace tights with big holes over really warm wool tights.

♮Hands are frequently exposed to winter weather – get some nice, lined gloves or mittens (the lining will keep them from getting wet easily) and hang them on your door key using a clothes’ peg. This way you’ll always remember them when you leave the house.

♮Skirts and dresses might sound insane in the winter, but hear me out! You know how those trouser legs always get soaked in the sludge, freezing as you’re outside and then thawing ever so slowly once you get inside..? I’ll say no more, except that if you insist on wearing pants, at least tuck them into your boots while outside.

♮Bags with a top flap, or at least a zipper closure, work best in snow storms as your things won’t get wet. Oh, and avoid those canvas bags, as everything you carry around will drown/freeze in minutes, despite a top flap or zipper.

♮Warm takeaway drinks work wonders if you’re really desperate. Just don’t burn your tongue (right, Miriam?).

♮Music can be a wonderful distraction, preferably something upbeat so you won’t get as gloomy as the weather. My personal preferences are The Kooks, Skunk Anansie, the soundtrack from Twilight (the first movie) and Martha Wainwright’s Piaf record. Oh, and don’t forget to keep your music player dry – put it in a pocket INSIDE your jacket/coat, or slip it into a small plastic bag if you have to carry it in your outerwear.

Keep warm, darlings!

It’s December – finally! – and my Christmas present for you guys starts already now. You see, in Norway we have a very strong tradition of Christmas/advent calendars, so I thought I’d treat you all to a new post every single day from now until the 24th (in Norway the main celebration is on the 24th, not the 25th). I have lots of goodies planned, but I thought I’d start with something wonderful and sparkly – just like Christmas itself.

Most people seem to think that diamonds – be it real or fake – are for Princesses, engagement rings and very special occasions only. I respectfully disagree, and think we should all listen to Marilyn: diamonds are a girl’s best friend. The trick is simply to know what to wear with them to make them work practically every day.

For everyday sparkle

♮The more dressed up your diamonds are, the more casual the rest of you should be. This applies to both hair, makeup and clothing. My favourite way of wearing my chandelier earrings is with opaque tights, denim cutoffs, worn-out leather boots and layered tops. Diamonds with sweatpants looks a bit odd, though, so think simple-but-pulled-toghether-casualness, not the I-just-want-to-crawl-back-into-bed-and-sleep-look.

♮Earrings or rings are the easiest to pull off on an ordinary Monday. If you’re brave enough for a necklace (like the one pictured above), layer it with even more necklaces, such as common chains or plain pendants. Sounds weird to add more to keep it from looking overwhelming, but trust me, it works. Just pick thin, rather simple necklaces to avoid looking like a Christmas tree.

♮If you’re wearing earrings, sweep your hair up in one of those messy updos or a bedhead beehive. Braids are also good, as long as you mess them up. As you’ve probably realized the key word for the hair is “messy”, as diamonds and complicated hairstyles can make it look like you’ve tried too hard, like it isn’t effortless. And we want to look like we even sleep wearing diamonds, don’t we, girls?

♮What you’re wearing is important, but how you hold yourself matters, too. If shiny sparkly things make you feel constricted or uncomfortable, it won’t look good. Wear them at home to get used to them, and give it some time – if you’re not usually an earring kind of gal, it will take more time getting used to the feeling. When you’re ready to go public, remember that it should always feel like you’re wearing the diamonds, not the other way around.

♮

PS:  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Madeleine for recommending my blog, I am honoured! I have so many new readers today I am simply overwhelmed.

And to you newbies: Welcome! I do hope you’ll stick around?

Click photo for credits.

I’m finished! The show went really well, it seemed a lot of people liked it. There were so many more people in the audience than I’d expected, which is always a good surprise – and I did end up wearing outfit nr. 1 with the tulle skirt. Who am I to deny an overwhelming number of lovely comments? (but Sigrid, I did consider the other one until the very last minute, so don’t think I didn’t consider your vote as well!)

Random little things I learnt today:

♥ If the venue people forget to rig the lights, don’t panic – you can use a zillion candles instead.

♥ Giving people you know a personal invitation on the back of a flyer for the show makes them feel special and thus much more likely to show up.

♥ Forcing your band guys to wear a proper shirt makes them look extra handsome.

♥ If you’ve had to take stupid asthma medicine a while ago, water onstage is your very best friend.

♥ If you’re going to wear your pretty heels for only one song, you really don’t have to bother bringing them at all.

♥ Listening to blog readers when it comes to outfit advice is a good idea indeed – I felt so pretty in my tulle!

Pics and recordings coming up as soon as I get my hands on them!

These past few weeks have involved more shopping for me than usual, as I’ve been shopping for the perfect dress for Christmas parties and for wearing on stage. As I’ve found quite a lot of useful tips along the way, it would be really bad of me not to share them with my wonderful readers, so here we go:

Before You Leave Your House

♮Be Your Best. Shower, shave your legs and such, put on makeup and take the time to make your hair look good. If you don’t look good, you’ll never find a dress that makes you feel good either. Just stay clear of complicated updos and lots of lipstick, as these will be annoying in the dressing room.

♮ Dress Cleverly. If you’re shopping for a dress, wear a dress. Also, avoid long necklaces, hair accessories or buttoned cardigans, as you will spend more time taking them on and off than you will trying on new things.

♮Know Where Your Heart Is. Look at some of your favourite dresses, and try to work out why you always feel good in them. Consider the shape, colour, material and general style. I, for instance, know I usually prefer dresses that fit snugly around my waist, are made in a soft fabric and have feminine details.

♮Understand Your Canvas. Because as I have an hourglass figure, I’ll never look my best in a waistless shift dress. There is a great guide concerning body shape and clothing here, if you have trouble working it out on your own. I’m not saying you need to stick to a strict set of rules, but it will definitely be helpful to be aware of your shape when you’re out there among thousands of potential dresses.

♮Be Prepared. Pick a rather large handbag – preferably a cross body bag so your hands will be free. Now add your wallet, a water bottle, a hair tie if your hair is long, a lip balm of some sorts, a pair of heels and a belt, preferably one that’s elastic and of medium width.

On the Battlefield

♮Go It Alone. Recreational shopping is wonderful to do with a friend, but not if you’re looking for something very specific and have to keep your head in the game. The only exception is if you have a friend who understands your style really well, and has accepted to spend the day helping you with find a dress and is willing to put her own shopping needs aside for another day (when you will return the favour, naturally).

♮Timing Is Everything. If at all possible, do your shopping during the morning/early day, and not in the weekends. Your stress levels will thank you.

♮Be Open-Minded. This is the most important thing I’ve learnt these past weeks. I’ve tried on dresses that made me look like a pudding, but I’ve also found two wonderful dresses I probably would have missed a few months ago. Grab everything your gut seems to like, and use your critical head later, when you’re actually wearing the thing.

♮Bring Two Sizes Of Each Dress. Having picked the wrong size is really annoying if you’re shopping alone, as you need to get completely dressed and leave the dressing room to find a different one (and then probably face a line to get back into a dressing room).

♮Remember Your Little Helpers. The belt you brought can give you a waist in the most shapeless of dresses. The heels will show you how the dress can look “in real life”, and the hair tie can help you imagine the dress paired with a fabulous updo. Oh, and the water bottle is not only good for fighting dehydration, it is also a lifesaver when your hair gets static from pulling all those dresses over your head. Just put a few drops of water in your hands, and pat over your hair.

♮Avoid Taking Hostages. Dresses that look good, but “only” need to be hemmed/dyed/taken in/taken out/dry-cleaned… Don’t. Unless you’ve got a regular routine of seeing a seamstress or possess amazing DIY-skills, this dress will never be your perfect one.

♮It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over. Unless you’ve tried every single dress in every single shop, have searched all the online stores and vintage boutiques (which is rather impossible), your perfect dress is still waiting for you somewhere out there. But you won’t find it if you stop looking, darling.

♮ Don’t Let Go. If you find a wonderful dress, but they’re out of your size or the colour is wrong for you, don’t lose hope! Ask a shop assistant to call the same store in other cities, trying to locate your size. Or ask if they have the dress in other colours, or something of a similar style to the one you like. Some shop assistants might seem like the devil’s minions, but they still have to do their job if asked directly. Brace yourself and think of the dress you love – it might be waiting in a mall a few miles away.

Do you have any tips of your own, darlings?

PS: Haha, I have no idea why it says “boots” on the image of the belt – something weird must have happened with my snapshot. And I know that wishlist-posts are a little cheesy, but it’s too much fun to resist. Besides, it might help some of my stressed out family members with the christmas shopping, which is never a bad thing ♥