Lies.

Now, I know I commented somewhere that I wasn't going to blog until I'd got these essay deadlines out of the way...

But I may have told a fib. Not on purpose. I was FORCED by T-B to go out and "play pick-chas!"

So. There you have it. I have no will power. Please excuse the fact that my skirt is unironed! ;-D

I like swinging from trees. Trees make me happy.

In these I'm wearing: 

- Zara cardigan bought in Florence... (I do find it funny that I can never find stuff I like in British Zara, but take me there in Italy, and I come back with a suitcase STUFFED with Zara clothes!)

- Hermes skirt that I found in a charity shop... (From the cherubs / eyepopping primary colours / nautical print, it's got to be 80's) 

- Eley Kishimoto shoes, bought in a sample sale at BStore last year... (Some of my favourite shoes ever, and despite the humungous heel - so so so comfy!)

- Topshop tights, Primark bag, Toy Watch and Macrame flower necklace bought in Florence... again! (I wandered into a tiny little craft shop, where the lady made things on a board in front of you. When I went in, she was giving lessons to another woman and they were chattering away in Italian, made me sit down - by gesturing madly at the chair and patting the seat, and proceeded to carry on with the lesson. I sat there for about half an hour before deciding I needed to carry on with tourist-ing! There were loads of lovely things, but this one caught my eye...)

Please excuse the large numbers of photos... T-B takes too many that I like. :-D He's trying to 'improve' you see, as the camera's relatively new. Any views on the photography will be appreciated from his quarter, as I'm not letting him put any of the me photos up on facebook. Personally, I think he's amazing at taking photos of people. His vistas are ace, but some of these come top on my favourite pictures of me ever; and that's hard since I HATE photos of myself and get really antsy when the camera's out. This is another reason for doing this -someone else taking my blog photos - thing. It'll maybe help me get over my photo hangups... Cross fingers! ;-D 

Hmmmmmm. I should probably go do some work. I have a black tie alumni dinner tonight, that I've spent the last month organising... So no time to work post-6pm. And it's almost 2 now. Sigh.

Xxxc

Hallelujah!

*Drum Roll*

Today's post, for your viewing pleasure, actually features lovely, well lit, well shot on a proper camera, photography... This is because I (gasp!) told one of my best friends about the blog.

I had hoped to keep it a complete secret from my nearest and dearest, but when it comes down to it, TB knowing about it is a small price to pay, as I trust his discretion, for Actually Nice-looking outfit posts! 

My clothes aren't all the dingy nothings they've looked up to now... The light in my room and the crappiness of my camera just don't make nice images!

So... without further ado, let me introduce:

Frolicks, jumps and wanderings around the Backs: trampling a few crocii and swinging from a few bars on the journey...

Here we have moi in a Gap tshirt, the Rokit scarf, a charity shop skirt - Sally Anne's Salvation Army Store, Mill Rd, Cambridge is a treasure trove, Riva boots, my treasured but slightly beaten up Toy Watch (I'm currently coveting the Fluo Winter Purple and Winter Pink ones... sigh), Whistles gloves, Ark purple rose leather bracelet, green bead necklace - bought in Florence - worn as bracelet, and grandma's brooch...

Disclaimer: No I wasn't cold. It's quite warm out today, and I was bouncing too much to feel the breeze ;-D - though in case you were wondering, my cover up, which I left in the library, is a camel coloured Paul Costelloe princess coat. It's amazing. Everyone should have one. Get one in a John Lewis sale ASAP! So so so worth every penny in warmth and design.

Disclaimer 2: Sorry there are quite a few photos. I'm not a narcissist, honest. I just loved how well these turned out. And we took over a hundred, so getting it down to these was a task! ;-D

Oh, we did have fun! It was an excellent diversion from the essay I am supposed to be writing... Supervision in 2 hours 50 minutes and counting. 911 words written, probably 1,300 (+) to go.

This is going to be a shoooooort essay... My long-suffering, ever-patient supervisor's not going to be pleased. Oops!

Disclaimer 3: I wrote this as a draft a few hours ago... In truth, been there done that. Essay was fine, if a little lacking in cohesion.

That's all for now, folks!

Xxxc 

hypothetically...

I'm putting off online purchases for a while...

This of course means just making my wishlist longer...

Choices choices...

1) Purple or Red?

2) Luella or Marc by Marc Jacobs?

3) Marc by Marc Jacobs or Stella McCartney for Adidas?

Please understand that this is therapeutic wishing. 

I am hoping that by abstaining from buying I will forget about them.

Yes, I am That Much in denial.

Both of the pairs of Melissa shoes are from coggles.com

The teeshirts and bags are from net-a-porter

On another note...

I'm going to try and just do one post a day for the next week or so.

I have 4 essays and a presentation in before Monday, a jazz night I'm bar managing on Friday, an alumni conference, reception, museum tour and black tie dinner I'm organising on Saturday, and the parentals are here on Sunday as I'm reading in chapel, and I've a piece of coursework due a week Friday... 

That's a pile-up even in Cambridge terms, and I need to spend less time online.

At least that's what I'm saying.

Shout at me if I post too much.

Clothes are my escape.

I need to not escape.

No time.

However... 

In the interests of content per post... 

I'll probably just amalgamate several trains of thought in one. 

Like now...

Have you guys seen Hedi Slimane's Courteney Love photos? 

I think they're in LOVE magazine.

Rave reviews but haven't read it yet.

These photos are up on his site though...

This one's my favourite:

I really do love Hedi Slimane's photos, for all he gets criticised in the 'hip' press for his use of pretty white boy models and oversexualised imagery... But I think they always make a visual impact which is hard to deny or ignore. I love the use of the veil in these photos. Especially when she's depicted with the "rocker"... Literal and tragic LOVE. Doomed marriage. Sex, drugs, rock n roll etc. Fit. I love CLove for her chaos and ability to put across her fire even through mascara-misted-all-nighter eyes... If I looked that good strung out with no sleep, it'd be a miracle. (Ok, ignoring the blatently obvious skills of a very talented MU artiste on occassion... ;-D) 

Right. I must stop blogging now. 

3 minutes to midnight. 

Sugar.

Xxxc

divine intervention?

I almost bought those Westwood shoes last night... But what seems to be an act of the accounting god forced Browns to sell out. Oops. 

But in more fun news, the Rokit scarf and bangle arrived today. I love them. The bangle's just the right amount of heavy / chunky, and the scarf's neat, fun and colourful...

The scarf print kinda reminds me of this from Marc Jacobs: 

After the wait... Do you like?

Woop!

Xxxc

dreaming in plastic?

Have you guys seen Melissa shoes? After a post on Style Bubble and trying on a pair of Alexandre Herchcovitch oxfords (and not getting them, though I wish, wish, wish I had... But the queue in Topshop was too long!) I really do rather adore the brand...

Cute little lookbook video, though shame the shop isn't up yet... These yellow wedges are a-calling.

I have to admit to being most excited about the Vivienne Westwood collaboration. Absolutely LOVE the heart heels! You can get the beige and blue at Hervia, though I rather like the orange or the yellow... At £78, they're not a steal, but they're not bad either!!!

Don't you think the orange would look rather yummy with this BLANK (SS09) dress? (I can only find BLANK on gosee which is upsetting... I was rather hoping to acquire this very fetching concoction. Harumph!)

Hmmmmmm. 

Xxxc

I wanna clockwork man and clothes like this!

Film for Lowe perfume... Shot by one of my absolutely favourite photographers - Eugenio Recuenco. 

Esencia de una Seducción
by erecuenco

Amazing imagery. The stills online at his website are even more fantastic. Those along with literally a thousand others. My favourites are the historical-ish ones - Titanic, Vive La Revolucion and fairy tales... Slightly politically incorrect but a visual feast. (Might post some of my favourites when feeling a little less sleepified!)

Thanks HEK for reminding me to check up on him!

Xxxc

Off topic.

Any poetry buffs out there?

I'm reading a poem on Sunday. Anyone got any thoughts on Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Carrion Comfort"?

It's a bit of a bitch to work out how to read aloud:

Not, I’ll not carrion-comfort, Despair, not feast on thee;

Not untwist-slack they may be – these last strands of man

In me or, most weary, cry I can no more. I can;

Can something, hope, wish day come, not choose not to be.

But ah, but O thou terrible, why wouldst thou rude on me

Thy wring-world right foot rock? Lay a limb against me? Scan

With darksome devouring eyes my bruised bones? and fan

O in turns of tempest, me heaped there; me frantic to avoid thee and flee?

Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear.

Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (it seems) I kissed the rod,

Hand rather, my heart lo! sapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, cheer.

Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, foot trod

Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? that night, that year.

O now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God.

Doesn't mean I don't rather like it ;-D Xxxc

In the depths...

Well, since Daisy Chain Dreams did an open tag on a 'what's in your bag' post, I couldn't resist... (Also, essay procrastination. Yay! ;-D)

I was going to do close ups, but my camera's crappy...

So, what IS in that pile of stuff?

Clockwise: 

We have my 4 rotated bags - leather paillette bag (arkclothing),  Red is the new black tote for days in the department library (nicked from a friend lol), tooled brown leather bag - vintage, Antiquity journal bag (nicked from the Arch and Anth museum staff stash of the things) - whenever I'm not in the dept... Oops! I do seem to appropriate totes... 

Ok, then there's glasses (for powerpoints in lectures), apple juice (I'm fasting. Blah), Gant leather purse (quite small but does the job on a day to day basis), monkey purse - present from mother, hair clip (my hair's far too long at the mo...), dinner menu from hall with my best friend and her parents and godparents on Friday, notebook (essential and irreplaceable... I live in fear of losing this one, especially as it's still filled with conference notes from December. Ah! Paranoia!), black leather gloves - present years ago, diary plus car and room key, Smythson address book (pleasingly un-beat-up), green LX tape (the most useful stuff EVER!), book about memory and dark heritage in africa, lined paper, last months dog-eared Super Super magazine, A4 paper supervision work file, Whistles gloves (I love love love these... the leopard's eyes are crystals... yummy!).

Plus make up and pens in the middle.

Quite a mess really, but it works for me! Oh, and my phone (in pocket) and camera (in use) are missing.  

Funsies! Now I have to run to Peterhouse (15 minutes away) and back in time to get to the car park (5 minutes if I run, in opposit direction) for 4.50... Hmmmmm. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!! ;-D

Xxxc

P.s. I tag Claire, Grace and Gennie for this btw ;-D

Eeeeeek re. Summer

Yikes.

I think I just agreed to work for Browns at the press office from 22nd June to 2nd October...

I've just given up the Ghana plan until Christmas, as it seems to fit better with my travelling partner and I's plans. This meant that when I was asked to change from 10 to 15 weeks interning, this afternoon, I Could Not say No!

OMFG!!! - I'll be working during London Fashion Week! (And through some of the others...)

Hugely hectic and high pressure, but I have to admit... I JUST CAN'T WAIT!

Too excited to do my essay reading.

8-D

Xxxc

So shoot me... I like sequins...

It has to be admitted... I have a slightly crazy ongoing obsession with Ashish, that arbiter of all things sequin-stylee. Back in SS06, he was producing these:

Vogue UK and Vogue Paris display the wonderfulness that was the sequinned rugby shirts... I have to admit to owning the pink and black one. I barely wear it as I'm so worried about shedding shiny plastic all over the place! 

Here's me in it at a party back before uni...

Anyway... Since then, he's continued churning out be-sequinned marvels, including these beauties.

- Bear with me here. Ignore (or don't) the blue lipstick ;-D - I actually quite like the hair!

- The jacket is great! Hehe.

- A variant on those tuxedo tshirts... I love the flower in the button hole!

- Granny-chic... I would actually get quite a bit of wear out of this outfit.

 
- Immense jumper. Yum.

- GREEN reindeer! So what I want to turn up to Midnight Mass in ;-D

- This one's on sale for $62 at pixiemarket.com... I think it's quite cute as Ashish-lite. Just add sequins!

Hugs! Back to the non-existently referenced essay that was due in, oh, 8 minutes ago...

Xxxc

I'm really awful.

I just ordered something from Rokit...

There's something about essays that makes me do something else... Like buying pretty accessories online.

It's a scarf that reminds me a great deal of the print from Marc Jacobs' Fall 09 stuff, and a studded bangle. Woop! I'll post when they arrive, but I suppose this gives me an excuse for some shameless MJ love. 

For me, this collection really was all about the colours... The shapes scream ladies of leisure, but the colours say otherwise... The use of velvets and silks is masterful, and I just love those pinstripe trousers (grey, blue and mustard - SIK!) and the 80s makeup!

Can I have some of those gold shoes please? Thank you very much. Oh and the grey cardie wouldn't go amiss either...

Teeheehee. Hopefully my scarf won't take forever! Cross fingers for me... Already got plans...

Xxxc

Praaaaaaaaaaaaaaaada!!!

Ok. So I have just found pics of Fall 09 on Hilary Alexander's blog for the Daily Telegraph... And let me tell you, I'm loving it! (Well, what I can see anyway - before Style.com comes up after the weekend.)

So, Muiccia Prada was apparently influenced by outdoor clothing (cue waders and tweed), but I certainly see quite a lot of imperial gladiators in here, and perhaps a bit of decadence via red crushed-y-fabrics-y-yumminess.

So loving the knit rompers (espec 2nd pic), and though not quite sure about the waders, I will wait and see for more pics to decide Quite, my take on this collection. But hey. Have a quick gander at these beauties, and knock on over to Jak and Jill blog for their gush about the show :-D

- Tho espec loving the second outfit - it looks so warm and comfy and snuggly! - the third just gives off such a gorgeous, forties-esque vibe... rationing chic meets voluminous handbag! Loving the cut of the bottom of the jacket and the brown belt on black blazer combo... Hmmmmm. The possibilities!
- Not so sure about these three, but enjoying what look like welly warmers on number 1, and thinking about a variation of numero 3 for the next archaeology pub crawl!

- Woop! Can I have ALL of 2 and 3 please? 2's shoes are especially immense, and the drama of those waders + the red is FITNESS! Shorts over rompers... will it catch on?

Overall, loving the palette, loving the drama, loving the outlook for Fall 09! :-D

Xxxc

Being a bit of an Etsy-ite...

Right. Now my taste in jewellery is eclectic and fickle... But occassionally I find stuff I LOVE on sight.

On the front page of Etsy today, I discovered a beeeeeeyoooooooteeeeeeeeful jewellery emporium called Untamed Menagerie...

I bought two necklaces. I have no willpower. Can't WAIT to get them!

Here are a few that I didn't get, and wish wish wish I could have! Just so you can see how spilt for choice I was... (Or you could be!) 

- Makes me want a FUNFAIR to come to town... 

- *Sings* what shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor... etc. Ad Nauseam.

- icicles on a ring... so FIT! so potentially murderous! ;-D

- Who DOESN'T want maypole dancing on a necklace?!?! This one was the hardest to leave behind. I really really really want it. Oh for *just* that little bit more leeway in the budget / exchange rate!!!! 

I'll post pics when mine arrive. (*Excited Squeak*)

Xxxc

Regressing

Ok, so I know most people (hello lovely ones!) reading this blog are here for the fashion, but as those of you who've been around a little longer (hello claire!) know, I used to blog a little more about my (ridiculous) life of love and, well, slightly less love.

So, to appease the general populous, can we have a big round of applause for...

Pucci. New designer - Peter Dundas. New aesthetic. It's yummy! Still bohemian, still prints (resurrected from a 1953 collection according to style.com) and swirls... But more modern. More in keeping with the kind of stuff being sent out by more relavent-for-this-fashion-moment designers like Gianini and Simons and Ghesquiere. Sigh.

Just look!

- The perfect fanned shoulder... hmmmmm. i never used to be a fan (no pun intended :-S) of assymetricity!
- divine... look at the gradiation of colour. can't you just SEE the floatiness!
- love the colours and the sharp shoulders...

- ok, beautiful, casual. the colour combination of navy, watermelon, lavender and burgundy is strangely SWEET! I also really dig the trouser front detail. who WOULDN'T want those pockets?
- words cannot describe my LOVE for this jumper...
- i think i'm drawn to this because my college symbol is the eagle. woo collegiate spirit!

- so sexy - smart casual at its fittest.

- perfect May Ball dress. sigh.

...

Now. Onto my trials and tribulations.

Anyone ever get the feeling that when you bugger something up ROYALLY and try to forget, no matter how much you run away it comes back to haunt you?

There's someone I came very close to, well, becoming very close to, before I messed it up by seeing an old flame and it being more than it should have been. I thought the new guy wasn't right for me as he's a) younger, b) a smoker, c) a lawyer lol - but in hindsight I was doing my running away from emotional risk thing. Sigh.

Now, he's popping up all the time, and occassionally we chat. Today was a particular kick in the gut, as I'm feeling awful about essay deadlines anyway. Gah. Why do I get myself into these messes?

Right. Love life thing over. Thanks for paying attention to the ranting... Back to essay. It's much less complicated ;-D

Much love Xxxc