Mint Choc Cherry

[Dress Zara, Lipstick Cherries in the Snow by Revlon, Nail Varnish Mint Green by Barry M]

After my friend Katie did my nails in leopard print for me back in January, I’ve been itching to have a go at nail art myself! Nail-painting has always been something I’ve been doing, I’d often show up to school with red and black nails much to some of my teachers’ annoyance, and I really miss having my nails in loud colours when I go back to my supermarket job – neutral colours only, boo!

Some time ago now, I read a nail art tutorial by our resident nail art fanatic Gemfatale, which said that liquid eye liner pens could be used as nail art pens – genius! Liquid eyeliner isn’t something I usually buy, but I got one free with this month’s Company magazine and thought I would finally give it a go, woohoo, hence the polka dots! Not that adventurous I know, but I’m going to try something a bit more ‘wild’ next time : ) having mint coloured nails with black dots on means I’m currently craving mint choc chip ice cream… I don’t have any, but am managing to make my way quite nicely through some custard donuts instead, mmmmmmm!

I’m also enjoying using the liquid eyeliner for its proper purpose. For years I’ve been wearing my make up the same way, and thought it was time for a change! Since I was 13/14 I’ve been hiding behind my pencil eyeliner, which somehow ALWAYS manages to smudge within about 5 minutes of application… so for the past 7 years I’ve been walking around with smudged eyeliner, cool. Needless to say, I’m welcoming something which is a little bit fresher and that doesn’t end up half way down my face/leaving me looking like an emo panda!

Blondespiration

[Claudia Schiffer by Ellen Von Unwerth]

As you can see from my last post, I’ve been trying to be a little more adventurous with my hairstyles lately, and where better to get inspiration from than some of these amazing past and present ladies? I’ve started to develop style crushes on Debbie Harry from her Blondie days, Brigitte Bardot’s effortless chic and I absolutely love Jennifer Lawrence’s soft styling in the current Marie Claire issue at the moment. With so much inspiration coming my way, I felt that it was only right I shared it with all of you!

P.S has anyone else noticed how freakishly similar Georgia Jagger is looking these days to Brigitte Bardot?!

Bardot Bombshell

My first ever video post, yay! I’m so excited to have finally done one! I’m a bit disappointed that the video quality isn’t great, but considering I had to turn to Photo Booth and iMovie in my current lacking of proper equipment, I think it could be worse : )

Lately, what with too much time on my hands now that university’s over for the year, I’m finding myself spending more and more time getting inspired by all sorts of things on the internet! I’ve been wanting to experiment a bit more with my style lately too, and have have the urge to pay homage to Brigitte Bardot (iconic for being insanely gorgeous, and in my opinion, having the best hair EVER!) – so I thought it was time to stop thinking about channeling a bit of that tousled, bedhead glamour, and get on with it!

I know I am in no way the only person to be a fan of Ms Bardot’s effortlessly sexy aesthetic… nor am I trained in any way to be a hair stylist, which is why I thought it’d be fun to share this little video with you so you, too, can transform yourself into a timeless bombshell in a quick and easy way : ) I always wear my hair the same way usually (as you’ve probably noticed…) a style I like and which works for me , but isn’t necessarily that exciting!

I’ve always thought that it was great how changing just your hair can let you show off a different side to yourself… and this one is definitely Bond-girl gorgeous, so why not give it a go?! It only takes about 5 minutes to do, and the whole point is to be a bit messy, so its perfect if you’re looking for a quick and easy style to do for a special occasion, or indeed if you just feel like glamming up your every day look a bit!

P.S Sorry if I’ve been a bit quiet over the past few days, I’ve just got back from a 3-day Enterprise Summer School which was very hectic but a lot of fun, and I was lucky enough to stay at Farnham Castle during my visit! Back to my student lifestyle now though… booo. Photos will be up soon!

Flamingo

This top is by no means new, I got it from a charity shop in Somerset last summer, but I’ve always held off from wearing it because the people in my town don’t really ‘get’ fashion and I think they’d think it was a bit ‘out there’, which is actually crazy talk to anyone who’s ever step foot in London, but goes to show how different fashion-perspectives are in the countryside! I’ve also been more wary of wearing pink ever since I made the change from brunette to blonde – I don’t want to end up looking like a Barbie wannabe, or Hannah Monatana!

However, in the spirit of self-liberation, and upon reflection after my last post, I’ve kind of decided that I don’t really mind what other people think of me, and that as long as I’m happy in the way I’m dressed, no one can make me feel bad about it; and I hope that goes for all of you guys too, because life’s too short to tone down your personality, clothes and otherwise!

So it looks like I’ll be dressing like a flamingo, or indeed any other animal I like from now on! Haha : ) I do actually really love this top, and regret not wearing it more, because feathers are my favourite design feature. I would dress in luxurious feathered dresses every day if I had the money… a couple of my recent favourites are these Chanel creations. The little blue number Laura Bailey is rocking is pretty much my dream dress, too perfect! She looks like a high-fashion Alice in Wonderland, I love it!

I’m going to be slowly selling off some pieces of clothing over the next couple of months or so, because like any other girl who loves fashion, my wardrobe is starting to burst at the seams – definitely a sign that its time for a clearout! I haven’t had much time to sort things out yet, but I am selling a pair of customised vintage Levi Strauss cutoffs on eBay at the moment. I’ve been holding on to them for a while, but after the realisation set in that they’ll never fit me properly, its time to say goodbye! I think they’d be perfect for a summer festival, check them out!

Crouching Tiger

I’m not really sure whether this print counts as tiger or zebra… perhaps a tiger x zebra with a little bit of The Incredible Hulk mixed in there too? Who knows! Either way, I found a great bargain in this shirt – I’m not exactly how much it cost but it must’ve been about £2 from the little town gathering I went to the other day! The good thing about buying from a charity shop/stall is that you can feel a little less guilty about spending money, because you know it’ll be going towards a good cause; guilt free fashion, I like it!

Whilst I was browsing Gala Darling last night, I was pleased to see an article tackling the weight debate which is becoming in increasingly prevalent point throughout the blogosphere. I’m by no means a size zero, and whilst I have my ‘fat days’ like everyone else, I’m comfortable in my skin! It can be disconcerting at times, as a lover of fashion and the fashion industry alike, to see sample sizes that are ridiculously small – a size I know I could never achieve naturally.

The blogosphere is great, because it allows all of us normal girls to share our love of fashion and to quip each other with tips on how to dress and look amazing at any size, so its a shame that weight may still be an issue at times! Fashion (and blogging of course) should be fun and democratic, and self expressive! So whilst I know that my thighs will always be a bit on the chunky/muscular side, and like any girl, there are tweaks I would happily make to my appearance, we need to spread the word that a chunky thigh isn’t so offensive, and that health and a lust for life are far more important than any niggles we may have about the way we look!

So to anyone out there who may be holding off starting up a blog because you don’t feel confident about your size, or worry that you might not ‘fit in’, seize the day because all shapes and sizes are welcome on my browser (and indeed any other blogger I know!) we love to see how other people are dressing and living their lives, regardless of anything else. Blogging is all about breaking the usual conventions and showing the world who you are, after all : ) if you aren’t a size 8 with the legs of an amazonian goddess, who cares?! FOOD IS FUN : )

Head on over to the article to see for yourself, there are some great, liberating perspectives that have been shared; Gala always knows how to make us girls feel good about ourselves, like our blogging-supreme-fairy-godmother! P.S her blog makes for some amazing rainy day reading too, which many of us UK-ers are on the look out for at the moment, so check her out!

Mulberry Delight

Say hello to my delightful new Mulberry Neely! I can’t believe she’s finally mine! Having been repeatedly putting Neely copy-a-likes into my online ‘baskets’ for months now, and resisting the temptation to buy cheap variations from high street stores, I am extremely happy that I managed to hold off because now, I have the real thing – and couldn’t be happier : )

Whilst I study, and love fashion, I’ve never really been able to condone spending out a huge sum of money on a handbag, no matter how beautiful or delectable I might find them to be, whilst I’m still a student it isn’t really an option… however, after having a bit of a turbulent year finance wise, I have finally been able to buy myself the best ever belated 21st birthday present for under half of the usual RRP, score! Those of you who follow me on Twitter, or indeed know me in real life, will be well aware of how much I love visiting the Mulberry factory outlet in my town… I’ve been itching to make a bag purchase for over two years now, and felt that the time had finally come!

After my first introduction to the Neely last year via my fellow Mulberry fanatic, Carrie, I haven’t been able to find a bag since that matches up so perfectly aesthetically – it was love at first sight! The clean lines make the understated design perfectly elegant and classic, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a sucker for some great patent leather… and trust me when I say the Neely is delicious to the touch! I can’t get enough. Big enough to fit in all the essentials and more (camera, of course!), Neely is the perfect arm candy for me!

Who doesn’t love a few cute little freebies to celebrate 40 years of Mulberry? Twice my age and twice as stylish… how do you do it Mulbz?! I think I’m going to be having fun accessorizing my outfits with the gold badges – perhaps my sweet little dog Bug will also want to wear one on his collar when he goes out for a walk, since he appears to be getting in the festive spirit, as you can see below…

I’ve been a little bit quiet on the blogging side this week, simply because I’m back at home and am enjoying spending some quality time with my friends and family, and Bug of course! And thank you for all of the lovely comments I’ve been reading on the blog, they always put a smile on my face : )

See you tomorrow!

The Minnie Mouse Dress

There are no shortage of Disney references on this blog at the moment, huh? Whilst my love of Disney stretches as far as my love for The Little Mermaid, apparently my inner-Disney fan is starting to reveal itself in my wardrobe! But hey… If its good enough for Rihanna and Dolce and Gabanna, its good enough or me! This dress is sooo Minnie Mouse it hurts. Another ‘hand me down’ from my good friend, and another addition to my wardrobe I have fallen for big stylee – the perfect summer dress, no?

I went to our little town fete I suppose you might call it, today, and lapped up the sunshine. I love the sun! Perhaps a little too much, though, because like a fool, I’m now sporting a bit of a burnt nose! It isn’t quite on the ‘Rudolph’ end of the scale, and luckily wasn’t bright enough to match my dress, so I haven’t labeled the ‘village idiot’ quite yet, but all the same, not a good look!

I’m a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to the whole ‘town fete’ thing – something I get from my mum, a genetic dislike for anything provincial… but I always manage to have fun looking around the little stalls people have out, and managed for the first time to get some really great bargains from a charity stall, which you will be seeing very soon – I am now the proud owner of three new maxi skirts! Perhaps I’m converted to this town fete thing after all? The little old lady that was working on the stall was really sweet and helped me pick out some things, so who was I to say no to the 50p bargains being offered up?!

The weather here has been crazy lately; sunshine one minute, thunderstorms the next, which is why after spending yesterday stuck inside, I took to my garden as soon as I could to do some picture taking! When I came trudging down with my tripod my mum thought I was going out to take pictures of the shed… clearly she has never read a blog in her life, haha. Perhaps that could be a new blog idea, Shed Envy? Anyone?? *tumbleweed blows by*

Mirror Mirror on the Wall…

I finally got to the hairdressers today, so I no longer have racoon roots, yay! During one session Skyping with Carrie we said that it looked like I’d painted a dark line along my parting, haha. Not good! I do love having blonde hair, but my natural colour is so dark that when I get roots they aren’t exactly subtle… but my hairdresser is very nice and everyone in the salon is lovely (plus having your hair washed by someone else is A-MAZING!) so I don’t mind so much! Plus… they always give out free sweets, drinks and biscuits which is definitely something which is a perk! You know that they say, ‘little things please little minds’…

I’m traveling back to my little home town in Somerset tomorrow, which means cows, the Mulberry factory shop, and probably more cows! However, this is the first time in a year I’m going home without going back to my job at Tesco so I’m actually so excited to have lots of time to dedicate to my friends and family! And also, of course, time to dedicate to torturing myself over all of the amazing bits and bobs they have in Mulberry. Every trip gets more and more painful – no money = no fun! I am thinking about saving up for a bag though, because with the amount of binge buys I make (curse having Primark in my town!) I feel that its about time I save up for something I would really love and get a long term use out of… we’ll see how that one pans out!

I got this skirt third hand (third hand is the new second hand, people!) from my lovely friend the other day who was having a clearout, and have fallen in love with it! I do have a few black skirts but they’re much more boring and plain than this one, so its a great addition to my wardrobe… which incidentally needs a bit clearout itself. Or perhaps I just need a bigger wardrobe?! Wishful thinking… haha : ) My friend and I actually have a few things listed on eBay at the moment, check them out! Hope you’re all having a good week so far! x

DIY Tutorial: Ruff Collar

This tutorial will show you an excellent way of jazzing up any plain garments you have, which doesn’t require any real technical ability! If you’re scared of sewing – don’t worry! This is very basic stuff, as long as you can sew the pieces so that they will be sufficiently secure, it doesn’t need to be neat or tidy at all : ) the needlework will be hidden behind the ruff itself, so if its a bit all over the place, no one will ever know!

Stupidly, I accidentally deleted the photographs I took at different stages of the sewing process, booo! What we have here will be enough for you to be able to copy it yourself though so hopefully these won’t be missed too much : )

You will need:
– The garment you want to customize. I’ll be using this plain jumper from a previous post!
– Organza.
– Scissors.
– Needle and thread.
– Ruler or tape measure. (Not essential though!)

Step 1: Cut out a square of organza. I did mine approximately 5 x 5 inches, but it really depends how big you want the ruff to be, so this is up to you! I didn’t use a tape measure either, and made some of my squares different sizes so as to create a fuller texture, which seems to have worked quite well.

I cut my squares out one by one along the way because I wasn’t sure how many I’d need. If you’d prefer to cut them all out in one go, that’s totally up to you!

Step 2: Get your needle threaded up before the next step!

Step 3: Pinch your square in the middle. I pictured a flower head when I was fiddling with the shape, to get the right sort of ‘ruffliness’! You want it to look something like mine is in the image.

Step 4: You need to take your pinched square and hold it against the garment where you want to sew it. Now all you have to do is try and keep the square pinched in the right shape whilst you attach it to the garment. There is always the option of pinning it first! This is where my deleted photos would’ve come in handy! But nonetheless, its very straightforward, and if I can do it, anyone can : )

Keep on repeating steps 3 and 4 until you’re happy with the ruff!

Tips: As you can see, I started sewing mine on about 1cm down from the shoulder seam on my jumper. I started from the right side and worked over to the left side, it isn’t a precise art so you can start, really, wherever you want – although bare in mind that the pieces you will have sewn on already may get in the way if you do it in a really unsystematic way!

Like I said at the beginning, you don’t need to be too tidy with your sewing – as long as the ruffles are secure, its all good! Make sure you sew each ruffly square on as close as possible to the one(s) next to it, so you will end up with a nice full looking ruff with no noticeable gaps!

I probably used about 15 squares of organza to create my ruff. It wont take many before you start to see the results and see your garment’s transformation! Every garment will be different, and you can experiment with using different sizes of ruffle to get different results. Of course, you aren’t limited to doing this on the collar – you could try the sleeves, shoulders, or anywhere really, to create something that’s fun and unique to you!

Again, apologies if any of this seems confusing at any point – leave me a comment if anything is unclear and I’ll add further instructions into the post : )

TA DA! What do you think?

Happy sewing people! x

Limes and Violets

[Dress Vintage, Neck Tie Unknown]

Just over a year ago I went to a rummage sale at a vintage shop in Brick Lane, and whilst I missed the best bit of the sale on the first day (the queue was about a mile long, and I was ill so I had to leave before I even got in! Booo.) I went back the next day and had a good, less-crowded rummage through the leftovers. I do think I probably missed out on some really great pieces, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t manage to pick up a few good bits myself!

This dress was one of them, and whilst I realise now that it isn’t very flattering on me, its definitely grown on me! With a little bow neck tie I think its quite ‘me’. The main reason it doesn’t really look that great is because the skirt is a strange length, so I always end up tucking it up over a belt to shortyen it up a bit – which in these pictures makes me look realllly wide, haha. I’m going to be setting up my sewing machine soon hopefully (which will probably end up causing me some kind of stress related trauma… eeeek!) so I’m probably going to re-hem it, because in the summer it is a cute little dress with potential!

Speaking of fixing up clothing, I have a great little kind-of-tutorial on the way to you tomorrow; something I wish I’d done ages ago, that can really help transform plain, generic clothes from high-street to high-end without much effort or technical ability required, I really hope you’ll like it!

P.S I’m really diggin’ these necklaces on Etsy at the moment, what a clever idea! Where is your heart? Mine is definitely in Florida… I’m such a big kid, Orlando is my escapist haven!

See you tomorrow. Love! x