HAUL!

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post - mainly as I've been ridiculously busy with the new term. 3rd year is scary!

Anyway, as recession blows its cold wind across the nation, my buying habits have been reduced to pretty much nil - especially I bought quite a few of the 'essentials' i was previously missing toward the end of the hols. My wardrobe is currently filled with fun bits and pieces - a mixture of favourites both new and old, and a medley of clothes that had been languishing in the back of my wardrobe back home. I'm not really having many sartorial crises, as my core wardrobe is pretty sorted, and my only problem is how freaking far the laundry is from my current digs!

However, I haven't had anything new to play around with for quite a number of weeks.

Yet today, the clothing gods smiled upon me, in the form of a few freebies given out by my friend who runs a creative space here in Cam. They had a make-do and mend event today (that I was unable to attend due to being at work... sob!) which left a number of clothes unwanted and unloved in the studio this evening! So, in return for some romantic advice ( - my proper use around here lol - ) I was allowed to rootle through the leftovers and found some plain totes, a fat square of fabric, three dresses (two of which require altering to sort bagginess in wierd places - can't help it that I'm HUGELY hourglass / slightly less weight on my hips after a month of weight gain due to stress-out yukkiness and torn cartilage-forced lack of exercise), a suede jacket, a red wool coat with black collar and a black knit halterneck with sparkly tie at the front... ALL FOR FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Yay! Right. Tomorrow, I work. Honest!

*photos and descriptions to come soon...*

Xxxc

Office Dressing...

Well, after selling my soul for seventy quid a day, I find myself in a solicitors office in London, 'til it's back to Cam next week, twiddling my thumbs while I wait for someone to find me some photocopying to do. It's wierd to be in an environment where I have to do 'office dressing' - something I've never had to do in a big way. My everyday wardrobe is quite smart anyway, and the jobs I do tend to be either just requiring being presentable (working on a box office) or wearing comfy outdoor-able clothes (lifeguard, archaeologist, leader at summer camp). So... I bought two new pairs of TROUSERS - things I never really managed to buy (except for a pair of peg leg GAP men's ones in the sale a few years ago that I ADORE) - which go against my usual skirts bias... But after 3 days in the office, I find I LOVE them. They're warmer, easier to coordinate at 7.30am when I'm dazed from the earliness, comfy (yes, I get the horrible rubbing thighs thing that makes summer dressing a tad less easy) and I have to admit, make me feel amazing!



The first pair bought were the pair from Isabel Marant Etoile. Having put on a little weight since then (I had a job for 2 weeks which gave me too much extra money for food, so I bought dark chocolate, gluten free biccies and coconut rings every day for two weeks... yuk) they fit, but don't look amazing at the mo... Unlike pair number 2.



Having battled with trouser-buying before, and lost to the point where they just didn't figure on my fashion radar (except jeans, which I am currently weaning myself off...) I have made up my mind that since high street ones are often just so ill-fitting / made out of icky material (yes I'm a snob but I think trousers are the one item of clothing which really really show up such things), I will stick to high end stuff. Obviously not ludicrously expensive, but certainly investment pieces.



So along came my Diane Von Furstenburg high waisted, flared, woolen pieces of gorgeousness. Okay, so I have to wear heels with them (I may be tall, but my legs are stumpy compared to my wierdly long body), but they make me look, and feel amazing - which considering the steps backward with the weight gain, is GREAT! Hopefully, the fact they're on the tight side means I can re-lose this annoying stress-and-free-f00d-weight and they'll still be perfect! They're the trousers on the right in the left salt-and-pepper colour.

So, office dressing sorted. YAY!

Object of Lust

Look at this Acne skirt... (Can you tell what my favourite label is? ;D)

All 3 metres of folded fabric, inspired by the matador Juanita Cruz...

I especially like the back view...

Beautiful...

I can just feel the weight of it...

Sigh...

Only 3 left online. At £280, it's just too much. Damn!!!

Drinks, Driving and a Darling 'new' Teeshirt...

I've had a week of being down-in-the-dumps and staying in, missing people, post finishing at the Summer School, and have just started being sociable again! Leaving behind the cat and Murder She Wrote...

None of my home friends are being particularly approachable at the mo (comes from spending the first 2.5 months of the summer away or working 24/7...) and my 'rents, who were supposed to be away on holiday, but for various reasons aren't and have been underfoot, have been driving me INSANE!!!

So, I got out. Dinner and quite a few cocktails with my workmate La on Tuesday (outfit post will eventually surface... along with the full story), and yesterday, I went to the pub with another workmate... We had a brilliant time - him drinking two small glasses of red wine (classy ;p), me on one cider and then lime and soda as I was driving.

Anyway, I wore the following outfit:

- Acne Hex Royal Grey Jeans (new pair I got on sale at their website to replace my old faithful, but falling apart and a tad too big, slightly darker grey pair I've had for YEARS), two tone converse (denim blue and shell/salmon pink tabs from office) and massively oversized print tee I bought for Є1 at a rag-stall in the market by the Capella Medici in Florence... The tee was to be tucked in and the (almost down to my elbows) sleeves rolled.

Post-sedate-pubbage, I agreed (after much persuading) to let my (graduate) mate, who has never learnt to drive, have a first 'driving lesson' a la moi down one of the private roads around the school we live in... It was hilarious! I don't think my little Clio will ever forgive me, but a little bit of clutch abuse was worth the obvious enjoyment he got out of it... I was hanging onto my seat in paranoia, but it was a great laugh. He didn't once crash into anything!!! Hehe. We did 1st and 2nd gear and speed bumps. Not too bad for a first timer eh! Regardless to say, it was approaching midnight, so we thought a longer lesson would have to wait for another time...

New Favourite

As I start dressing for the new season (it being freezing in August an'all, on top of the shops being filled with A/W goodies, the nicest of which will be snapped up by Actual Autumn), I find myself using one particular item a great deal.

I bought it in my local TRAID about a week before I trotted off to Italy, and had no idea it would become such a staple!

Said item is ticks several 'trend' boxes, according to glossies such as Vogue and Elle etc lol, such as being mid-calf-length and mustard... Despite the fact that on the surface such a description doesn't exactly lend itself to instant lust, I LOVE IT!

It is probably from the early 90s or late 80s, but is in great condition... It goes with Loads, and it's colour is actually really easy to wear!

Worn here with a navy Zara cardigan, bought in Florence. (I always find stuff in Zara abroad, but never at home!!!) Please excuse the mess at home and the - as usual - wierd colour in the photos...

And... the Cat loves it! Hehe.

It has even prompted the resurfacing of my gorgeous sample sale Eley Kishimoto shoes! (Pictured with cat and sadly neglected sewing machine...)

I've done quite a few outfits with it in the past week, and will have to post some more, so you can see how versatile it actually is!

Sigh... Xxx (a lovestruck) c ;)

I Really Want to Run Away to Paris...

Over the last week, I've felt an overwhelming urge to take a day trip to Paris...

First came this (that I have purchased from Urban Outfitters... On sale... Cross Fingers it's fulfils my HIGH expectations!!!) :



Then I found a £49-£69 under 26 deal on Eurostar returns!!!

Now I await my best friend's verdict on a day to go!!! Woooooo!!! Let's hope I can get this plan off the ground!

Xxxc

About Face

In another turnaround from one of my earlier posts about my hatred of Topshop, I have, I must admit, ventured into the murky (to my mind) waters internet clothes shopping at Topshop.com - very late to the game! I had tried on a shaped black skirt with a red rose print on a few weeks ago at Selfridges, but refrained from buying due to being unsure and at the same time, making a purchase of too expensive office-wear trousers from the Isabelle Marant diffusion range (high waisted, navy wool, nautically inspired button up bib front, to die for!!!).

Since then, I've not really been near a Topshop store, but had been mooning over it online... A few days ago, my lust for the skirt, along with a grey jersey 'origami' skirt and two items used in the latest ad campaigns - a batgirl tee and a black and coloured metallic stripes structured puffy skirt, had caught me, hook, line and sinker. And since my four items of joy added up to the scary total that Topshop.com require for shipping it all free, I thought it must be fate! That and the fact that I can return things to the nearest Topshop store, rather than faffing about with postage, if they don't quite work!

They all arrived today... I excitedly ripped open the pleasantly polka-dotted package, and tried them all on. First was the 'origami sweat skirt' (not exactly the most pleasing of titles!). I have a bit of a love affair with grey going on in my wardrobe, but I must admit that this will not be added to the collection. In part, probably due to it being rather big, and on arrival was creased and not particularly good quality. I quite liked the front, but what made it interesting there made the back hang badly and though it wasn't expensive, I have too many clothes, and additions really have to work...

Then I tried on the rose print black skirt that had been the reason for my purchasing in the first place. I love the print as I did before, but I realised that my misgivings in the store were not misplaced. I just felt quite apathetic about it. It's nice an' all, but I don't know if it will fit perfectly into my wardrobe. However, I'm going to mull until I venture out to my local Topshop tomorrow, as I did think over the purchase, and I'm going to have to get a second opinion from the mothership...



In part, my willingness to return the rose print skirt is because while I'm not poor at this particular point in time, I had wanted to save up a bit post-summer jobs... I decided that the Batgirl tee would fit nicely into my wardrobe and fits my too long, kinda lumpy body well (also, my big boobs don't obscure the print - bonus!!!).



And I am growing to love the striped skirt... While on the surface, I am going to have to work hard to get it to fit my wardrobe, it really ticks my boxes for a going out skirt... Short, shiny, interesting shape (not puffed out as it seems on the ad pics, but slightly lantern shaped), sits high.



It was sold out on the website in all but my size and one bigger (it's now sold out completely), and I'm really glad I got it. It's in a slightly crumpled state, which shows a bit due to the stiff fabric, but I really like it! I'm planning on wearing it for my next dinner and cocktails out with the girlies with a forest green strappy top, black tights, black (and gold detail) suede ankle boots and a vintage red cropped suit jacket I rescued from a covering of dust in my mother's wardrobe... What do you think?

So... All in all, I have added to my Topshop stash! A skirt and a tee for definite, and poooooossibly, a second skirt. Though that will depend on mother's eye and how ruthless and thrifty I'm feeling pre-shops tomorrow!

Xxxc

Honestly... Where have I been?

So, this time I shall make no excuses, except to say I've finished my summer digging and chasing round small children, and am now getting back into summer living, reading and wearing ;-D

Exams went fine in the end. Planning for the next few years - a.k.a. stay out of the real world for as long as possible - goes on apace... Current thoughts include MA at York and then a year at a boarding school in Beijing as a grad teaching assistant.

Anyway... I'm currently on the sofa, having spent 2 days... on the sofa. I'm listening to a radio 4 drama about Cambridge... It's hilarious! Kind of missing the ol' place! Luckily, I'll be back there in about 2.5 weeks for 2 weeks of dissertation work and the glorious fun of a fundraising job in the evenings. I hope to spend at least some of my time off from both these things in Cam's wonderful charity shops... Without all the annoying 'arty' types who usually frequent them...

Tomorrow is the first of my days out in the world post-summer school... I've already decided that I'm going to wear my lovely mustard skirt, eley kishimoto shoesies and Zara blue cardi... But we shall see about the weather!!!!

FINISHED!!!

Yay!!! Exam went almost as badly as I predicted, but at least it's over now eh!

On a much more fun note, went to see Sex and the City - and though the girls behind me (in a totally Cambridge-snobby way) pronounced it crap - I loved it... the clothes, the girly fun, the drama... sigh... I cried THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH! Yes, I'm possibly the soppiest person ever (I cried movie star tears at an episode of Dr Who once...) but I loved the film... Might even see it again!

Today, family descends, so after imbibing a Little alcohol last night, I've had to tidy and push through the slightly worse-for-wear feeling... Oh well... I'm finished with exams for another year!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Bring on the fun of May Week!

Xxxc

Last Day of Exams!

Yay!!!

Okay, so now I've yay-ed, I should probably get on with that last bit of cramming before the afternoon exam... Wish me luck! (I need it.)

Trying to cheer myself up using clothes:



Gap top, Reiss belt, Warehouse skirt, Topshop tights, Converse two-tones, Vintage pendant...

Summery (despite yuk weather) and suitable for (hopefully) going to see Sex and the City later!!! :-D

Xxxc

Pouty and Not Revising

Now, I know I complain when I have one exam after the other, but to tell the truth, I wish I hadn't had a 2 day gap between the nightmarish exams and my last one... The last one is actually my most important one, and up until last weekend was the only one I was really revising, but having gotten absolutely exhausted by the three at the beginning of the week, I gave up yesterday, post Roman Cities exam. Not a good plan. I overslept today, and then procrastinated. It's now 9.10pm and I have my exam at 1.30 tomorrow... I can't remember anything, and just can't seem to get down to work! Gah!

Oh well... So I wanted to do my MA in the same field as this paper... who needs MA's? I get a fake one from Cam anyway!

Wish me luck anyhoo! Maybe I'll recapture the exam spirit in a minute... Or maybe I'll go to the gym... Hmmmmmmmm...

Ok, so here's what I'm wearing today... (Tee from realitee at topshop - it has a cute crossed and knotted back, indian elephants necker from charity shop, vintage Jaeger brown tweed blazer with velvet collar from my Mother's closet - it's older than me!!! hehe, Sass and Bide high waisted jeans, Jaeger shoes that were on sale last term, gorgeous crystal dangly earrings - they have a really unusual shape - bought from Nomads in Cambridge)

Pouty much? ;-D





Xxxc

Quote of the Day:

Here's a small and silly insight into the life of my room mate and I...

*L*: "you really do have a bit of a thing for engineers..."

*Me*: "I think it's because they're good with their hands"

- No, my life is not ALL about boys... but Sometimes, it seems like it is ;-D

A few outfits...

It's exam term, and what better way to procrastinate, than to play with my clothes?

We have today's outfit - led-zepellin t-shirt which is a slight DIY project on one from Camden Market yeeeears ago, skirt from h&m, ribbon from john lewis (pink and velvet) and m&s ballet pumps... (also worn with a pink h&m hoody.)



that is something of a composite of two non-starter outfits... One from last week (skirt and pumps with gap top):



And one from last night at 2am trying to work out what I'd wear today (top with yellow satin ribbon, ferragamo vintage black suede shoes and french connection much longer skirt rolled up and paper-bagged with ribbon as it's far too big for me now but I like the effect)...



Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

Odd Crushes

Why is it that I seem to get odd, short-lived crushes on guys I spend a lot of time in close proximity with? In the past it's been the older, wiser publicist with a ginger beard and a wierd wierd personality (apparently he fancied me too, but quite glad now that it didn't go anywhere), and then there was the techie who let me study in his office, but was far too comp-sci-ish... I liked him for a while, then realised I didn't fancy him, was just being needy-post-breakup, and he was on rebound from ex-WIFE! So again, tho he liked me, I ran away. Boy last term was similar, though I didn't run away quick enough - the latter two were far too mild mannered and I didn't actually fancy them at all in hindsight... just liked being liked I guess.

Currently it's 'study-boy' who is really quite cute in a compact, good things come in small packages way... now he's not remotely minging, but not my type - i like to be made to feel girly and small, not massive and like i could squash the guy like a bug ;-D sigh... also, haven't really ever spoken to him - we all live in a room filled with piled-high desks, silence and a coffee machine for the duration of exam term. His friends in the room are different from my friends in the room. The divide seems insurmountable.

Yet sometimes I catch him looking at me, and sometimes it feels like he doesn't notice I exist. All very silly and pointless, and SO a reaction to exam-term madness! It'll all be over in a week and one day!!! Then back to normalcy, and Not fancying him... Therefore - MUST STOP MYSELF DOING ANYTHING SILLY.

The intense crush is annoying as before was just happily going along appreciating 'fit-back-boy' who is possibly one of the fittest boys in college, very popular, cute smile, great stubble, big and manly lol. That was always a pie in the sky fantasy and one which all of us girls could giggle about - we all have different view points, so joked about fancying different parts, and not the whole boy ;-D

Ah, it all seems so 12-year-old-schoolyard... But that's what this term reduces you to! GAH!

Sigh. I hate being single. It's got boring.

Best mate has finished all his exams and his final year project and has gone climbing today. Safe to say it's hate I'm feeling right now ;-D

I must get off back to revision... Yuk.

Sunshine and pretty dresses

Had a haircut last week, the weather's warming up, and I'm wearing lots of little dresses... Unfortunately not spending much time outside as I'm revising (1 week, 3 days to go... yuk!), but I do get to sit behind 'fit back boy' - don't ask... and we have our very own coffee machine in the study room. Oh yes. Caffeine addiction ahoy! ;-D Pictures will be forthcoming! (Of dresses, not boy... darn it!!! Hehe)

In related news, my best mate broke up with his girlfriend last week, and we've already fallen back into the 'habit' of sleeping together. This makes me feel ever so slightly amoral, and also worried about boy's lack of conscience lol. Ah well, I don't have to go out with him! ;-D

Right... back to urbanisation in Iberia!

Oh Joy! Exams!

So, I'm back in Cambridge for the hell that is Easter term...

Exams are a little way off - they start on the 2nd of June - but I really need to keep on top of work and starting to revise... I've been on a field trip and ill for the last few weeks, so very very behind. Kinda like with this blog!

Well, never mind... Had a non-date date drink with unattainable boy (still in love with ex, leaving for new life in Australia in 3 months) this evening, and really edgy... Would go and kill myself in the gym, but I have a recovering sprained knee and sprained elbow, and having done a little (nurse advised) exercise yesterday, the knee might complain if I forced it this evening... It's not achey or sore, but slightly uncomfy... Oh how I want to be on a bike right now!!! Grumble.

Ah well, I have to be up (far too) early in the morning, so maybe an early night is a better plan?

I've degenerated...

I'm wearing stash all the time at the mo...

It's my treasurer polo with my name on the back... SO SO SO uncool!!! Yet, so so comfy.

Maybe when I've stopped being stressed by Maths, I can wear normal things again ;-D

Xxx

I'm just not great at this whole regular blogging thing...

Hey all,

Since I'm supposed to be doing a statistics project ( - I'm an arts student... WHAT ARE THEY DOING getting me to do MATHS for 5% of my year's grade?!?! - ) I've decided to blog instead.

Boy problems are back again with a vengeance...

I'm talking to the ex again, which is throwing up a tonne of unresolved issues, but that's the least of it...

I've got one boy who everyone (including him) thinks I'm going out with... He's a bit older than me, but we've got a lot of friends in common, and very 'relationship-y' - which I'm SO NOT... flighty and fickle are words definitely applicable to me in this context, and I'm getting grumpy and starting to think about bolting. Which is wierd as I'm trying to Not bolt, as it'll hurt his feelings and make me the queen bitch in the eyes of everyone else!

Add onto this the fact I'm going home to a complicated friendship which is much much more than that and a boy who's so totally my type, but not over his ex-girlfriend and a bit of a wanderer... I'm falling hard and fast for the latter, and I just don't know how to go about carrying on with the situation. I want to get our friendship back on track after a drunken night where we both did more than we planned, and I'm not sure how to get back to where we were before...

But it'll all be fine. It's holiday time... and once this stats project's out of the way I can get back to working out exactly how to cope with my - once again hugely complicated - life of love... ;-D

I think I might pack up my desk in the library now and head to bed...

Xxx

First outfit post in a while!

I haven't quite given up my tendency towards cute print - this one's just lilacy and teeny on a crisp white background. PLus the skirt has a little petticoat and is just cute and puffy enough. I especially liked being able to belt it up and float around in a flirty manner. It was what I wore to our 'anti-valentines' "thursday party" ;-D

Aquascutum A/W 08

Oh how I love the palette that's coming out of A/W 08... Not so hot on the tailoring, but it's ubiquitous so I suppose I can cope ;-D

In the first of several fash-weeks posts - I love these Aquascutum dresses!!!




The colours and arrangement of the blocks on the body are just so gorgeous! Really simple, yet striking... Shame there are no v-neck ones... I couldn't wear one of them due to the sheer size of my boobs... Damnit!!!

Xxx

P.s. Don't get me wrong, I love my E-cups... But they're bloody annoying at times. It's the whole grass-being-greener syndrome I suppose

After a term spent Trying to work...

I'm back on the blogging bandwagon...

Partly due to a renewed vigour in my search for some sense of sartorial self

and Partly due to my need to procrastinate Further from an essay on medieval death. There's only so many descriptions of leprosy one can read...

So...

In the past two months I've:

a) gotten addicted to granola, blueberries and aubergine dip mixed with sweetcorn

b) lost almost a stone in weight - finally listening to my doctors saying 'you've got a small frame... your bmi may be fine, but you're going to bugger up your joints even more than they already are if you don't eat right and excercise...' oops! - the coupledom / illness / first year of uni / depression weight is going, I'm eating healthily and I'm just about starting to get on track exercise-wise... WOO!!!

c) realised i'm much happier without boy-drama, cut ties and am contented and de-stressed with my group of close close friends who i love more than anything in the whole world, and my 'friend-with-benefits' when I'm home for the hols ;-D

d) realised my wardrobe's undergone a radical switch away from my mother's loathed 'earth mother' dresses and bright, baggy, eye-catching fare to a more slimmed down, classic, still adventurous and slightly eccentric, self-possessed air-ified stance on the whole fashion thing.

e) actually Done my work (well, apart from that one teeny classics essay... lol)

f) stayed out of the theatre more... and seen more plays as a result! David Hare at the Royal Court and The White Devil at the ADC being highlights...

g) not spent much of my weekends in cam - i realise now, more than ever, that it's neccessary for me to escape the bubble as much as possible. Whether it's just to go to the theatre, or to celebrate my birthday joint with my two best mates who turned 21 the week before my 20th, I've loved the return to the big city (or the visit to another city - Rome was such fun), where in a lot of ways, I feel like I can breathe again...

I've probably done tonnes more stuff, but those seem like the important points - right now anyway... The rest of term's looking busy - several dinners, including the one i'm organising, two shows - one professional, one as a favour, trips to london for an opera and a play, and much more besides...

Right... back to the clothes and fun! ;-D

Xxx

P.s. in an update on 'the ex' - he's still going out with rebound-girl - almost a year now, so not sure it can be classed as such, but hey... Recent photos of both parts of that couple... Not so flattering...
God how I love being bitchy ;-D

New term...

Gosh, I really am bad at keeping up with posting! I wonder if there's still someone out there to read this!?!?

Anyhoo... term is so far going well, I've mildly changed my style towards something a little less eccentric, a little more glamorous and smart...

It's partly been stimulated by a little bit of a weight-loss... I'm currently eating very healthily and generally looking after myself... woo!!!

Essay crisis looms, but I'm strangely unstressed. Probably due to the prospect of a trip to Rome this weekend! Hehe - much fun... Okay, so 4 days in the middle of term is probably silly, but hey, it'll be worth it!

I'll try to take photos and have something entertaining to say when I get back ;-D

Xxx