seeking clothes to heal a broken heart

Beautiful Suiting

2011-09-19T22:17:00.000+01:00

Having just been promoted at work, I've got quite into Power Dressing... Having never been a fan of black, I'm now in love with it for its air of professional cool and power.

This new M&S dress is my new favourite... Flattering, appropriate, and washable! The holy grail of work dresses!

Though I am now partial to a bit of black, you can't do without colour... And what is more Colourful than a berry red wool suit?!?!

The skirt especially is easy to wear, warm and incredibly nice on. The wool doesn't crease, and the lining doesn't get staticky with opaques!

And the footwear?

How about some gorgeous black suede heels, with cute triangular straps?

I'm such a twenty-something middle-ager, but I'm ADORING M&S this season! =D =D =D

Xxxc

Life Imitating Art

2011-07-09T15:19:00.000+01:00

Lately I've been thinking about Art... It has been a while since I have spent a few hours in a museum, whiling away a few hours staring at beautiful combinations of colour and line. A couple of friends of mine are fantastic artists... One, a professional comedian, is an obvious suspect - always dressed flamboyantly. He accepts commissions to design stamps in Spain, and discusses constructing sculptures out of my hair. (Don't worry, I have no intention of cutting my Pride and Joy for Art's sake!) He introduced me, a long time ago now, to the art of Rinaldo, Ergisto and Cyrus Cuneo: Californian artists of the early 20th century. (A great Youtube view of California Artists with the Auction Network starts with Bonhams and Butterfields (Fine Art) #1 - I'm loving the William Keith and E Charlton Fortune's works.)

Rinaldo Cuneo - The Farm - c.1930

Rinaldo Cuneo - Storm Mountains - c.1930

Rinaldo Cuneo (1877-1933), "The Painter of San Francisco", started his adult life in the Navy, followed by artistic training in San Francisco under Arthur Putnum, working alongside Ralph Stockpole and Maynard Dixon. He went to England and became a fellow of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and later studied under Whistler. I love Tonalism in general, but I think his works are truly beautiful. Such a shame that he struggled to market them in his lifetime due to the advent of the Great Depression!

His youngest brother, Ernisto Cuneo, studied under John Sloan, and was an officer of the Kit Kat Club, an organisation that raised funds for art scholarships in early 19th Century New York. He specialised mostly in nudes and figurative drawings, and abandoned his art work to work in Real Estate...

Ernisto Cuneo - Nude Model, Kit Kat Club New York - 1920

Cyrus Cuneo also studied under Whistler, and settled in England, becoming a celebrated illustrator for London News and war artist, as well as becoming a Fellow of the Royal Academy. In my opinion, his war art is some of the most affecting I know, from a genre full of heart-rending material... The pictures below are prime examples of the genre, and particularly the top one, feels like it could be happening in Afghanistan right now! Such is the nature of warfare I suppose.

Cyrus Cuneo - British Pilot Destroys Fourteen Ammunition Trucks with a Single Bomb - c.1915

Cyrus Cuneo - An encounter between Turkish and Italian Troops - 1911

What do you guys think? Have you had much experience with the Californian Painters? What do you think of the Auction Network programme? I'm interested to hear your views...

Xxxc

Got to Love Sunshine!

2011-05-10T21:45:00.001+01:00

Today was so beautiful and warm! A great day for getting out and about as part of Walk to Work Week!

It's a great / hilarious website, where everyone taking part from all over the UK gets to log their miles walked over the week, and learn things like how many Muffins they've burnt off, or how many times they've walked to John O' Groats from Lands End!

I've got really into this, unsurprisingly, and am getting out every chance I get... I walk to work every day anyway, but as Boy and I are doing a 26 mile-in-a-day hike in September for the Alzheimer's Society, I thought now would be a good excuse to start getting into good habits before we have to get training properly!

So, this evening, we wandered out over some fields at the back of our estate, and walked off our nommy stir-fry dinner! =D

Considering we did a bit of scrambling up banks and through nettles, I was wearing TOTALLY non-practical outfit...

Sliiiiightly unflattering shorts, (okay, make that Very unflattering shorts...) and a cropped floral / hippy patterned shirt (from Oxfam). I wore these with walking shoes and a big red vintage coat. HOT!!!

The boys were certainly amused by the flash of midriff! Normally never happens! =D

Those shorts in a slightly more flattering pose, but with a less cute top (Gap tank top from yeeears ago) can be glimpsed again, if you're willing to put yourself through it...

Not sure what I think of the shorts... They're from the Each charity shop again, and shorts are useful in summer. Hmmmmm. To keep, or not to keep, that is the question!!!! Thoughts anyone?

Getting Back In The Swing

2011-05-07T16:27:00.000+01:00

As mentioned in my last post, the camera's back, if not quite up to previous standards of photography...

It's been so warm lately, my outfits are swinging from spring to summer and back again on the occassional day of rain. Summery thingshave been sorely lacking in my Cambridge wardrobe since the whole "grown-up life" began, so starting to collect some flimsy things to wear in the warmer weather, so my few bits from my "previous" (i.e. unencumbered by work dress codes) life aren't worn out!

PLEASE excuse the moody expression... I'd just got the camera working, and tried so many times to get it to capture my new *bright* dress, but it was refusing to play ball. Trust the only remotely decent photo to be of me looking Massively Grumpy!!! Also, sorry for lack of anything other than dress. (I'll probably try some different belt options with this soon.) Haven't quite worked out where to pose yet! The dress is actually a size 20 tunic top with ties that you can use to pull in the "dress" massively at the back... I got it, as usual, from a charity shop. We have a massive East Anglia Childrens' Hospice shop next to our local coop. Yay Saturday charity-plus-grocery shopping!!! =D

And here we have a slightly different outfit... My work outfit from the other day! After days of blindingly-hot sunniness, we woke up to gray, and threatening rain this morning. So I paired a knit tank with a long skirt. Under my lovely warm coat and black cashmere cardie it was warm enough (if slightly nippy) to walk to work in, and cool enough to keep me from sweating buckets / keeling over / getting a migraine in our boiling-whatever-the-weather office!

I wasn't expecting this outfit to garner much attention, but it got several favourable comments today! Odd what people love! I wasn't sure if the length of the skirt plus the high neck was a bit matronly, but I think the bare legs and the high high black suede-and-snake pumps lifted it out of the no-go area into rather a nice outfit! (If I do say so myself.) The components are a John Smedley black knit tank, M&S via Oxfam charity shop floral skirt and Jaeger enamel buckle criss-cross leather belt, plus old Kate Kuba shoes (not pictured).

Apologies for the bare feet. My left foot looks a bit mottled, and my right foot has disappeared completely into the duvet / mattress quicksand! Trust me, I was wearing hot shoes, but I kicked them off as my right foot got a bit chewed up on the 50 minute (there and back) walk, so I was eager to get them off once I was in the house, and didn't want to wear them to jump on our clean duvet! I think for the moment this will be my pose of choice, so shoes might not feature very often... Oops.

How's everyone else doing with the can't-make-its-mind-up weather?

Xxxc

Nomnomnom

2011-05-05T21:01:00.001+01:00

After my picture-free carrot cake post the other week, I thought I'd go one better with the lemon-y cake-of-awesomeness Boy and I cooked up for his parental visit the other week.

Okay, so I've finally got my camera up and running... So these pictures aren't exactly of the standard those of you who've been reading for a while came to expect when T-B was around, but they're from the heart!!! ;-D

This is me, post-cake baking, quite proud of the cake, but not wanting to show Quite how proud...

I'm wearing my absolutely AWESOME "Domestic Goddess" Grumpy Cat apron I bought in York at The Cat Gallery - they don't have it online, but I've found it here. (Scroll down a bit.) Not sure why I was wearing my denim shirt with my black and cream print romper. So Not A Match... But I suspect I grabbed the shirt in an "I'M FECKING FREEZING" moment, with little bother made to style!

And here are "My Boys". The most important one is holding the cake. ;-D But given I live with my Boyfriend *and* my Best Mate, they're both quite important! (In case you hadn't worked it out, the former is in the foreground, the latter reaching for something on top of the fridge in the background.)

Got to love Boy's Major Unimpressed Face...

I'm probably going to get in Major trouble for putting this photo up! (Particularly since his hair is slightly floofy. He doesn't think it's a good look. Oops!)

And, a Big Slice of the cake in question... Who'd'a thunk it was mostly courgette!!! =D It was pretty darn awesome too, if I do say so myself!

The recipe is mostly courgette, rice flour, ground almonds and a lot of lemon zest. The jam is strawberry, and the icing is pretty much just soy-margerine, icing sugar and lemon juice. Note the layer of icing in the middle... Boy is a HUGE fan of the trad. Victoria Sponge. This recipe is again from Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache, my absolutely favourite recipe book of all time! =D

What have you guys been baking lately?

I've had a break since these, but am quite tempted to do some Brownies this weekend... Nomnomnom!

Xxxc

Judge a Book by its Cover.

2011-04-24T18:24:00.000+01:00

Articles bemoaning the end of the physical book shop sadden me...

I can't describe the feelings that well up when I am in a book shop, from Waterstones to the rows of antique book stores opposite the British Museum, or the light, airy confines of the London Review of Books shop, or the dark pannelled Daunt's on Marylebone High Street. I just love trailing my fingers across spines old and new, picking things out, excited about the journey ahead.

My favourite book shop of all is John Sandoe's, just off the King's Road, where I remember a very deep, involved conversation with one of the proprietors about the relative charms of the Jennings books. I was a fan of Jennings' Little Hut, whereas he liked According to Jennings best of all... I must have only been about ten, but that conversation, standing in the shadow of bookcases so tall you feel dwarfed, with all that black wood and the slick, colourful spines, will stay with me forever. The time taken by someone who could have chatted to my parents, rather than me, in an effort to make a sale, will forever be treasured, and that is just one of a thousand moments I've had in that shop that remind me that selling books is more than just about ease and low price. (Hello Amazon!)

Okay, so sometimes it is... When I need a book for book group, which I don't particularly fancy, and know will probably go charity-shop-wards soon enough, or if I am getting an excruciatingly expensive employment law book that's £50+ in Hammicks Legal Bookshop ( - not that I don't love it, but god, the prices are EYE WATERING!!!) and it's £12 on Amazon.

But I still want the little stores to be there. The ones that present me with the greatest adventures you can have in your own head. I love finding treasure, from the day Claire talked me into buying Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache in an anonymous Waterstones, to the expedition where I asked Karen in John Sandoe's for a recommendation of some unusual books to read on a plane; coming out with Richard Russo's Empire Falls and Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. Empire Falls remains to this day one of my personal high points of literature, and represents a great achievement for me. It was the first book - aside from one of the trashy romance novels, literally Mills and Boon stylee, that got me through two years of ilness (and still do get me through the bad patches of depression and panic I am still occassionally plagued with), that I read from cover to cover when I recovered from a debilitating and incredibly confidence sapping health issue that kept my teenage self from getting up, going to school, and having a normal life for far too long. The concentration it took to read that book was something I did not think I could do, but thanks to Karen, and to an amazingly rich tapestry of words, I found the experiences I had been sorely missing during my "lost" months of ilness, and gained back a small ounce of confidence in my own ability to bounce back. That tiny achievement in the scheme of things still keeps me going today.

I digress.

When you're in a book shop, how do you choose the book? I tend to go for a cross between an analysis of whether or not I have heard of the author, whether I like the title and the cover, (nothing pink or curly or too fussy thank you!!!) and whether it feels right in my hand. I like little slips of books, and massive doorstops too. I hate a book to be too large or chunky to hold, though if it is large in size, let it be easily opened - and kept - at the right page...

Some of my favourite "come to me" books I've encountered lately have been:

The Coralie Bickford-Smith designed Penguin Classics... Particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Seriously... How awesome are all the bugs? I'm not the world's biggest Sherlock Holmes fan, though Benedict Cumberbatch did do an awesome turn... But this book, with all its Antipodium tones really ticks the book buying box for me. Judging a book by its cover? Oh yes.

I so want this skirt... But that book is the Next Best Thing!!! =D (Photo from Cupcakes For The Eyes)

This Jane Eyre edition is also stunning. I think it really evokes the atmosphere of the book, and as I take great pride in choosing to own the editions of books I think are the best representation of the words inside, I'd buy this over other editions any day...

The cover art is by Petra Börner. I think her work is generally pretty awesome...

What about The Long Song by Andrea Levy?

I just LOVE the colours of this book, shortlisted for last year's Man Booker Prize. Take Andrea Levy's name, add a story about Jamaican Plantation life - my mother spent a while in Jamaica in the 70s, and its culture and history fascinate me - and put a kick ass cover on the front, and I'm SOLD!

What about you guys? Any stories to tell, or books that just took your breath away?

Hope you're all having a truly lovely long Easter weekend!!!

Xxxc

My New Best Friend.

2011-04-22T21:18:00.000+01:00

Evening!

Decision made.

I've decided I need to broaden out this blog a bit. Just churning out fashion titbits isn't doing it for me anymore, as it really just brings home quite how limited my capacity to run this blog on clothes alone is. My beloved photographer is miles away, my own camera is just a tad shoddy, and I'm too busy to spend all my free time researching my fashion loves. Not only that, but to be honest, my miniscule salary doesn't really cover much more than minimal spending on clothes, and so I need to focus on other things for a while...

That's not to say I'm not going to blog about fashion anymore, I will be doing that, but I will also be doing posts on theatre, film, travel, work, play and, my favourite of all, food... In particular, on that last score, the wonders of healthy home cooking, and the trials of being a celiac who can't eat dairy or potato either!

It's been a very long road for me to come to accept how my body needs to be treated, not feeding it things that make it run slower, or cause me pain. Instead, I have had to find alternatives that fit in with all aspects of my life, and make it easier to keep up with the hectic pace of 21st Century 20-Something living! I've been helped with that to a large extent by my awesome boy who makes sure that I don't just eat hummus and rice cakes 10 times a day. He's very into three square meals, and has been nudging me to keep me from using my old food-as-punishment device I used to give in to most of the time. The one where I'd make myself sick eating things I knew would degrade my intestines, give me headaches, and blow out my stomach to three times the size it should have been. For this, and a million other things, I'm so grateful.

Anyway, moving on from the mushy stuff... Hope anyone who already reads my blatherings here will stick with me. Hopefully there's plenty still out there to inspire me. It just won't necessarily be fashion, at least not every day...

Off I go to eat some gluten-and-potato-free toast (trust me - hard to find!!!) and hazelnut butter... Nomnomnom.

G'night.

Xxxc

You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine...

2011-04-20T17:13:00.001+01:00

Ah, Sunshine... Nature's best medicine. And today I'm home early from work so can ENJOY it! (Admittedly because I had such bad back pain I couldn't stick the rest of the day in front of a computer and I have plenty of stored up flexi time to use... Bah.)

So here I am, basking in the sun, with my work suit airing on the line, in a white strappy top, green denim skirt and bare feet, feeling on top of the world.

Since I'm still sans camera, here's what I would be wearing if I was wearing clothes that are still in the shops:

Splendid White Ribbed Strap Top, YSL Green Denim Mini, Seiko Gold Watch, Lanvin Leather Heels, Betsey Johnson Bee Necklace, Badgley Mischka Bag

I actually really really really want that necklace... I'm always strangely attracted to things with bugs on, and that is JUST TOO CUTE! =D

Hope you're all enjoying the sun... I'm off to make a cocoa-banana-almond smoothie. Nomnomnom.

Xxxc

Is it odd...

2011-04-03T18:37:00.000+01:00

That I have a bit of a thing for Laura Ashley?

Picture from the book on Laura Ashley by Martin Wood

Not the new stuff - I don't really like the layout of their stores... - but the old stuff, and the ideas that are conjured up by my experiences of the brand. I have vivid memories of a wall in one of the sixth form classrooms at my school covered with a display on the History of Fashion. A page from a magazine had been cut out and stuck to the top right hand corner, showing a girl in a Laura Ashley sun dress, wandering through long grass. I wish I could find that image now... It has stayed with me for more than 5 years, and will continue to feature in my thoughts on summer dressing and florals for a long time to come!

These photos by Jane Ashley for example... There was an exhibition a year-ish back at the Arden and Anstruther Gallery in West Sussex. I really wish I'd been able to go, as even the images I can find on the internet show a wide variety of styles, but a beautiful, consistent aesthetic.

Image from The Guardian by Jane Ashley

Image from the BBC website by Jane Ashley

Image from Arden and Anstruther Gallery by Jane Ashley

I also adore the fabric patterns that have surfaced... A couple of my favourites are these:

What do you guys think? I'm really really really tempted to buy the Martin Wood book...

Xxxc

How I love...

2011-03-22T21:15:00.000Z

... PRESENT HUNTING!!!

Who doesn't?!

Shopping, with a slightly larger budget than usual, trying to find the perfect thing. At the moment, I'm trying to find something from my old roommate. She's not the girliest, but has converted to jewellery relatively recently. So, I'm trying to find her something trad-jewellery-ish. Thoughts?

How about the classic charm bracelet? Everyone's gotta have one, and I rather like the bar detailing on this one.

Or these lovely porcelain bangles? (I am a sucker for porcelain plus jewellery!)

Or this extremely cute dinosaur necklace?

Or these lovely little earrings?

OH GOOD GOD, NO, IT HAS TO BE...

A MICROSCOPE NECKLACE!!! =D Okay, so this is probably only the perfect present for the Organic Chemistry PhD student... (Which my friend is, by the way!)

Oh, how I do love present shopping!

Xxxc

Shirtless.

2011-03-21T19:45:00.000Z

As Springtime appears to be inching into our midst, I have to contend with cool walks to work and a boiling office once I get there... The time for light jumpers is passed, and it has to be light tops and cardies. Unfortunately I have very little in that area, aside from a few dry clean only shirts, and some vintage finds. Thus, I am on a hunt, people! For reasonably priced, okay, make that low priced, tops that are suitable for a relatively-smart-workwear office.

Today I had a mildly successful charity shop hunt, which unearthed a white cropped broderie anglaise top that might fit with high waisted skirts and trousers, and a black silk shirt for potential work use... Can't wait to play, particularly with the black shirt, next week!

What are people thinking about TopShop for workwear at the mo? I bought their mint green short sleeve, voluminous, slightly sheer shirt, which I wear tucked in with grey trousers and a shell pink cardie and white boots. Sheer? you may ask, but I have only had compliments on it at the office...

Tempted to invest in another couple of their shirts...

or

Do you think buying the same thing in different colours is a good way to go? Or is too similar every day a bit unoriginal? Or is the fact that it's workwear mean being original isn't top of the agenda...?

The thing about these is, I know they fit. If I weren't so worried about fit, I'd go for this shirt at Rokit...

Sigh. Only 2 days to pay day! Then, I might manage a shirt or two... I just feel like such a scruff with my endless cycle of slightly tired outfits. I really do hate feeling Blah, even if it is "just" the office.

For a quick overview, my office is very female dominated, with no clear dress code. It's pretty hierarchical to be honest. The men are all at officer level (middle rank) and wear suits and ties. The women at manager level (top rank) are all similarly smart, wearing suits and classy dresses. The female officers tend to go for more of a top and skirt approach, with the assistants generally bringing up the rear in - for the most part - generally scruffy workwear. It was the oddest thing for me, starting 6 months ago, to find that people think it's acceptable to turn up to work in clothes I wouldn't even wear on a scruffy-day on the weekend. Okay, so I probably sound mean, but I happen to feel that at work, you should dress for the job you want in the long run, not for the job you have. In an office where the majority are at least well-dressed enough to hold a meeting with a client, I think it's bad form for the assistants to turn up looking like they don't bother, or don't notice, that we work in a professional environment.

Don't get me wrong, I have a few days where I wear a pretty skirt, or a sheer shirt (with cami, obviously), i.e. clothes probably too frivolous for, say, a lawyers' office, but generally, I try to present a professional image. Amusingly enough, of the six of us at assistant level, three of us take the dress-for-the-job-you-want route, with three taking the other, and guess what...? The two groups sit together on different "pods". Groupthink mayhaps?

What do you guys think of this? Is it important to you to project a professional image at work, or are you more about comfort?

Xxxc

If only I was older and wiser...

2011-03-17T22:07:00.001Z

I'd maybe be able to act on some of my fantasy wishlists!

Today, I've been yearning for Jonathon Saunders' acid brights, up now on Net-A-Porter.

Quite bright, I must admit... But I feel that it would be suitable for the spring days ahead!

(Jonathon Saunders dress, Crumpet cardigan, Proenza Schouler bag, Aurelie Biderman bracelet, Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet, Lanvin brooch, Lanvin ballet pumps)

Ah to be able to afford even just one of these cute things!

Xxxc

Having Hair...

2011-03-16T20:00:00.001Z

I've been musing a lot about my hair lately.

I'm relatively low maintenance about the shiny brown mane sprouting from the top of my head, but I often wonder whether paying more attention to it might reap more rewards.

I get it cut about every 5 months - I'm lazy and I still go to my hairdressers in London that I've been to since I was teeny-tiny.

Thus, it doesn't happen as often as it should. Otherwise, I rarely blow dry my hair - maybe once a month?! Though it goes in waves. Sometimes I'll use my hairdryer every day for a week, then it'll sit gathering dust in the corner of the living room for months at a time... Naturally dried, my hair is mostly straight, but with a frizzy, curliness to the back. It's usually bouncy enough, and I tend to throw the front section around, and side part it roughly.

Since starting work full time, I've got used to also sticking mousse in my hair, as I air dry it while I walk the twenty minutes down the road to my office. Doing anything complicated with my hair before I drag myself out of the house would significantly reduce the amount of sleep time I get. And I do love my sleep time!

I tend to use Lee Stafford's Ddouble Blow Volumising Mousse, though it is supposed to be used in tandem with hairdrying... I find it easy to use, and good at taming some of the frizz.

However, I have been finding lately, that it is prone to making the roots of my hair a little lank.

I have also used the hairspray from the same range, but I find that that is too solid-making. If I ever remembered while I was in Boots, I think I'd probably invest in some Elnett hairspray, though I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to associate it with anything other than afternoons spent playing with my Gran's heated hair curler set, when I was sub-ten!

Otherwise, I always use a mixture of Redken and Aussie. I have used Redken since forever, as it's bought by my parents from our salon. I used to use their conditioner, but my hair has always needed intensive taming, and I started using Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (Luscious Long) about two or three years ago to supplement, and then replace the Redken. I've tried replacing the shampoo, as Redken is rather expensive, but I have to admit, I've never been able to find better... A few times, I've replaced Aussie with my housemate's Head and Shoulders conditioner, which worked rather well. Odd thing, that premium shampoo seems worth its weight, while I think you can generally get away with spending less on conditioner, and still having awesome hair. (Not that I think my hair is awesome, but it does have its' moments!)

Oooooh! On an Aussie related note, I managed to completely bugger up posting about their Christmas Fete in London... Crappy of me. I took Claire (the wonderful, sadly departed from blogging, A View From Here writer-turned-lawyer...) and we had a wonderful time sampling spicy prawns, sugared almonds, mulled wine and taking silly photos!

Disclaimer: the rather weird makeup was Not My Fault! Never tell a makeup artist to do "Anything" while in a darkened room, and without knowing whether they have an instinct for what colours suit people... Oops!

Right... Off to find food!

Night night.

Xxxc

Shades of Grey

2011-03-15T21:04:00.000Z

So, I've always been a fan of grey... I have grey jeans, grey cashmere jumpers, grey socks, grey coats, but NOT ENOUGH GREY DRESSES!!! (Or shoes.)

Oh YMC Button Up Smock Dress, where have you beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen all my life?!?!?!

Probably worn with these Finsk Wooden Wedge Ankle Boots...

And how cute are these little Paul Smith Jackie shoes??? Got to love the pop of orange! I own so few flat shoes, due to a shin splint / ankle problem that confines me to heels (Oh woe!) but I think I could make an exception for these in Fantasy-Shopping-Land!

Definitely the thing to wear with this awesome See By Chloe little jersey piece! (Okay, Admission Time: my other grey dress is my corset print SBC dress featured here... Oops! =D)

Seriously... I want a donkey.

from inkyfool.blogspot

Night night!

Xxxc

Can I...?!

2011-03-14T20:00:00.000Z

An addition to yesterday's post...

Seriously... Most awesome cake tins EVER?!?!?!

Xxxc

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!!!

2011-03-13T19:32:00.000Z

So, in an effort to be prouctive this weekend, Boy and I made CARROT CAKE!!! No camera, so no photos, but here's a pic off ze interwebs to get your mouth watering...

Image from caketodays.com

It is awesome, though as the cooking instructions say cook for an hour - rather than the 12 - 20 minute in the oven cakes I normally do, I think I might cook it for less time next time we make it, to compare consistency...

As I'm celiac, and dairy and potato free, cake is always something we make at home. This one was a ground almond and rice flour base, with an egg and muscovado sugar binding agent. (We used dark muscovado instead of light - which is what the recipe called for.) The fruit / veg elements were lots of carrot - obv - and a zested and squeezed orange, plus sultanas, vanilla essence, baking powder, cinnamon and toasted pecans and hazelnuts. (We added hazelnuts, as we didn't have enough pecans, and I think it made the cake more awesome!) For frosting, we didn't use the cream cheese version in the recipe, but I mixed random amounts of soy butter and icing sugar, with a few drops of warm water, vanilla essence, cinnamon and zest and a bit of juice of a lemon. Nomnomnom.

If anyone wants the actual recipe, it's in the AMAZING book Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache. I do so love that book. The Chocolate Full Stops are my go-to cakes - particularly in muffin form. Everyone loves them, though opinion is divided over whether it's the book-recommended Coffee icing or my own Cinnamon-Choco-Vanilla-Buttercream on top that makes the best experience. I've also had successes with the Christmas Cupcakes as gifts for the festive season (though some of the ingredients are an arse to find), and Orange Squash Cupcakes, which were loved at a lunch party. The Blondie is scrummy though we substitute Dark Chocolate for White and Blueberries for Raspberries. Courgette and Camomile Cupcakes are a particular favourite of my Mother's... My Dad prefers the American Vanilla Cupcakes. The Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes, while not my favourite, were very much enjoyed as an after exams reward, and I swear it was feeding Banana and Sticky Toffee Cake to my friend's long-time crush that brought them together at last... The Coconut, Lime and Blueberry slice recipe convinced our Chinese Geology PhD housemate that I was a gift sent from heaven last year, and the Rosewater Fairy Cakes were rather guiltily enjoyed by all when I took them to work while I was interning in the fashion press office a couple of years ago.

So all in all, £12 well-spent... (It was on offer in Waterstones at the time - it's £20 RRP - and I'd say it was worth that too!)

So how can I spin cake into fashion???

Well, I'm rather in love with all the carrot-cake colours out there in stores, so here's a selection of my favourite you-could-almost-eat-them pieces...

Topshop Unique Woven Wedge Sandals

TBA Organza Ballerina Print Skirt

Whistles Cobra Print Dress

Topshop Knitted Contrast Trim Top

I'm seriously contemplating hunting out those shoes, though Topshop shoes have never fitted my horrendously-hard-to-find-comfy-shoes-for feet... And the TBA skirt is top of my purchase-when-I-have money list. I have their mushroom skirt from last season, so I'm hoping it might be equally reduced in a sale at the end of this season!

Hmmmmm. All this writing has made me hungry. MORE CAKE TIME!!!

Xxxc

Home for the Winter

2010-12-24T16:25:00.000Z

Apologies all for the hiatus, I managed to get myself rather ill and confused for a few weeks. Cue Boy rigging up laptops so I can watch Star Trek Voyager from the (extremely hot) bath, and cooking me nothing but grilled chicken and baked eggs for a week - my body basically couldn't digest anything except light protein, and I got sick of bacon with my eggs by day two...

But now I'm home in London, exhausted from a hard, and at times unsatisfactory, month at work, missing Boy, but glad to be without cares for a week or so.

Any recommendations for things to keep myself occupied with? All I can think of is sinking into a good book - most likely E.M. Forster - I'm obsessed lately, particularly with the new Hodder & Staughton editions... And watching lots of old films! I'm also rather enamoured with the idea of the V&A after Christmas.

Anyway. After several months of starving myself of clothes-related treats, I've splashed out in the Christmas sales! Not sure whether I'll keep them once they arrive from ASOS and Urban Outfitters, but I'm hopeful...

First up: Camilla Norrback Dorothy Squirrel Print Blouse

Second splurge: TBA Mushroom Print Silk Skirt

And finally... The jumper I've been lusting after for MONTHS (though in a different colour):

Stine Goya Snake Plait Jumper

Ooops!

I've now got to go on an economy drive for the rest of the month! ;]

Though I'm so close to cashing in in the Mulberry online sale... (I haven't got the Bayswater yet. Thinking about it for birthday cash usage.) The Leah Messenger and the Hayden Tote are calling my name!

Is anyone else using the Christmas Sales as an excuse to treat themselves this year? =D

Xxxc

Another pair!

2010-11-21T18:47:00.001Z

So last weekend another pair of jeans arrived! Just before we went on holiday... Awesome timing!

This time, a yummy pair of thin grey stretch denim from Firetrap on Box-Clothing.co.uk, that I was kindly sent as part of a promotion. The 501s are great basics, but I have to admit, the boyfriend prefers these... They do make me feel like I should own a leather jacket and heels with spikes on them!

If I could, I'd do it like this...

Alexander McQueen Leather Belt

Christian Louboutin Boots

Helmut Lang Vest

Dries Van Noten blazer

Okay, so it's not a leather jacket but...

Anyway. Back to the jeans... They're nicely clingy, and don't create too much of a muffin top (- always a problem for me)! They do slip down slightly at the back, but this is mostly due to me being a weird size, having to wear a 30 inch waist even though most of me is skinnier than that... (Damn thighs! ;])

Still want to try the Levis Curve-ID tho!

No pics at the mo, as still no camera, but I promise an outfit post soon!

Xxxc

Denim Chitchat.

2010-11-10T22:16:00.000Z

So today I finally bought a new pair of jeans...

I've been wandering around for months in a far-too-large pair from TopShop I bought to go to Stockholm with - they had to be big to fit my oh-so-very-sexy thermals underneath! But not such a good look to rock around town, I can tell you!

I'd been resisting buying any more denim, but with a looming "long weekend" on the Kent coast with Boy, I took the plunge today, and spent far-too-long in Peter Jones "contemporary-casual" section. (It's actually a John Lewis, it's slightly posher than normal as it's on the end of the King's Road, and has a different name...)

So, to cut a long and boring story short, I ended up getting a standard pair of Levi 501s, which I'm surprised at as they've never suited me in the past. But hey, bodies change, right!

No pics tho, as I am currently without camera. Bugger!

Apparently women try on at least 10 pairs of jeans before buying one... I can definitely relate to that. The damn things never fit properly. Even these give me slight muffin top.

I also contemplated Not Your Daughter's Jeans - in which I was an 8!!! HAHAHA!!! It's the extra 2% lycra I reckon... Normal jeans have abut 2% but apparently these have 4%.

However, I didn't quite have the £130 to spend. Plus, the name slightly put me off! They are really good for flattening the tummy though. If you are looking for basic, straight or bootcut jeans with a high waist that doesn't cut into you try them... I'd possibly have bought them if I'd had the cash, I think.

My only slight annoyance though was that I had been thinking of looking up Levi's Curve ID jeans... You know the ones that are fit according to shape??

There's been chatter about them lately, and I'd really like to try them. Has anyone gone there yet? Interested to know if you guys think they're as "revolutionary" as the various press bits and pieces make out...

Xxxc

Winter Nights...

2010-11-07T12:04:00.000Z

Is it just me who's become obsessed with Pyjamas?

Okay... Probably...

I've bought several F+F at Tesco pairs of jammie bottoms lately. All for lazy Sunday mornings in bed!

I'm short on tops, but I figure I can collect some more. I bought this one with the red tartan pair:

- plain but useful!

I'm okay being alone in my obsession!

'Cos that means all the more snuggly cotton for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

I just want MORE!!! =D

Dahlia Pant Set from Hush

Bunny Rabbit pyjamas from PJ Heaven

Hedgehog print pyjamas from Topshop

Wild Flower Pyjamas from Cyberjammies at Idlewild

Me to You Bear Leopard Print PJs from Very.co.uk

Sigh.

And what about footwear?! I'm a sucker for fluffy things.

Step up... The ULTIMATE.

Debenhams fluffy booties

All for curling up in front of the metaphorical roaring fire and preparing for Christmas... YAY!

Pondering Investments...

2010-11-06T14:57:00.000Z

In our house, one thing that often comes up is whether saving or spending is a better idea... While I like saving, and do so regularly, my best friend is a spend-now-save-later type who doesn't always understand why I like to save a third of my (not substantial) monthly income rather than spending it on going out and items that I have a momentary yen for.

I may be a fashion blogger, with a wardrobe obsession that many think must equate to a large number of clothes, but really, I don't spend on new things very often. I tend to enjoy "rediscovering" my own wardrobe... And my mother's wardrobe... And my grandmother's wardrobe...

I tend to spurt buy charity shop bits and pieces when I'm feeling in the mood for the buyer's high, but my internet shopping habit often leads to spending more on returning items than those I keep! My boyfriend finds this slightly odd, but - thank goodness - puts up with it...

My style is more dependent on treating life like one play after another that requires sets of costumes, than on fashion trends - though I do enjoy fashion week's spectacles, and take note and inspiration from the stories they tell and the ways other people interpret them...

I am also an inveterate magazine buyer, though once again, it's the stories spun, and the interplay of colour and light an texture that attract me, not the "current"ness of an outfit. Not that being fashionable is something I look down on. On the contrary, I wish I could make my costuming a little more directional sometimes! ;]

For me to actually buy something new, physically in person, it is usually presaged by at least a week, up to a couple of months, of musing and mulling over any gap in my wardrobe and debating quite how much I love, and would wear, an instant style crush... Case in point: Sophie Hulme for ASOS Pigeon cardigan:

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy shopping when I'm in the mood, but I do tend to go through quite a guilt complex process with buying things for my wardrobe. It often equates to it being easier to not buy something than go through the annoyance of beating myself up for it after and have to spend time returning a week or so later.

Odd huh.

However, at the moment, I'm battling with a conundrum. Do I save my savings from the past couple of months, or do I spend on one thing I've been yearning for for a while now...

A Mulberry Bayswater bag, in yummy chocolate brown, that will enable me to abandon the less-than-chic tote bags I relied on throughout university and that still do for day-to-day when a smaller handbag just isn't practical...

I've been thinking about it for ages, and I think that after Christmas, I might just about be ready to take the plunge. But is it worth the uncomfortable feeling I'll get having spent the money I'd been putting aside for my own security?

What do you guys think?

Xxxc

Weekend of Weekends

2010-10-31T22:15:00.001Z

Evening!

So I'm currently relaxing in bed after a lovely Sunday, waiting for my boyfriend to realise it's bedtime... =D I have to get up at 7am these days, so it's getting ready for bed-time at half ten. Who'd'a'thunk-it?!?!

What have you guys been up to this weekend?

I managed to make a trip back to London on Friday night with Boy, and had a lovely, relaxing time there, 'til we headed back this afternoon. My parents are in Jamaica for two weeks, so I had promised to pop back and visit the cat, and dragged Boy along so he could come with me to have lunch with my Godfather...

So, after a late night on Friday, we got up early on Saturday to head to Blackheath for lunch at Cafe Rouge, which had a excellent "gluten free" menu (yay Celiac), and were happy to also remove any traces of potato and lactose from my food! (My stomach basically hates me...) It was a lovely meal, and two of my favourite people got on very well!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon visiting Blackheath Gallery and at the funfair on the Heath. Boy won me a big cuddly leopard at the shooting range (and got rather a fan club of gun obsessed, small boys).

Then we headed to the Southbank for dinner and an amazing film at the BFI - It Happened One Night... 1934, Clark Gable falling in love with Claudette Colbert. Amaze!!!

I particularly loved the fact that they fell in love with each others' brains as well as being attracted to each other... Oh, for that quality in a mainstream rom com of this decade!

Colbert wore some absolutely gorgeous clothes, particularly an awesome white silk pyjama jumpsuit in the first scene... And then she promptly dives into the sea in it to escape her father! =D I can't find an image of it via google though, so I'll have to give you one of her in his pyjamas instead!!! Images from http://www.matttrailer.com/it_happened_one_night_1934

I've never been a particular fan of thirties fashion, but I'm kinda rethinking that view now... I mean, how cute is her hat?!?!

Brilliant film. AND Boy enjoyed it as much as I did!

So after that, we had a lazy Sunday morning, which involved not getting up 'til gone 11, eating a massive brunch, and then driving back to Cambridge - after saying a tearful goodbye to the cat!

The rest of the day has been spent watching Glee, reading Vogue and painting my nails... Ah bliss. Oh, and I cooked dinner and did the laundry. Hmmmm. I'm an adult now. How dull! ;]

Work tomorrow!!! G'night!

Xxxc

Resurrection Mark Ten Zillion

2010-10-28T18:34:00.005+01:00

It's once again been a while since I touched this blog, and every time I get pulled back to it I wonder why I left it, whether I'll really be able to get going again, whether I really want to... But this blog has kept me going through some rough patches, and I just can't seem to let go of it.

So today, I'm turning over a new leaf. As I said, it's been a while, and quite a bit has changed. I'm no longer a student, no longer struggling to get through a depressive fog day to day, and I'm happily settled in a relationship, house, job etc.

My wardrobe has, I must admit, changed focus...

My weekend clothes are mostly the old favourites: a couple of Etsy and charity shop dress finds, an old pair of far too big jeans, some moth-bitten jumpers. All things I find comfort in. Because now weekends are about running around, doing errands, and spending time relaxing. Mainly as I'm still living in Cambridge, but a little further out than I used to be. Thus, I wander around the house with a book, while one of the boys builds something in the back garden, and the other programmes some "useful" thing on their laptop. Ah life.

My sartorial comfort zone now lies in my work wear. Having never before been chic and pared down, I have moved a little more into my mother's style of dressing. Simple jumpers with smart trousers, plus a few silky, smart dresses which share a teensy whisper of my previous life with my new one...

I have been converted to a well cut pair of trousers, and have three pairs from Jaeger on endless cycle. I definitely need more. Jaeger trousers always fit me, and are always the right length... Yum.

And I have become obsessed by knitwear. Particularly, John Smedley Geranium scoop neck sweaters and N Peal cashmere V necks which I have been scooping up at Cocosa's rather excellent sale prices. (John Smedley stuff is currently on sale on Brand Alley, but I hate their delivery policies - it takes far, far too long, so I'm passing on the "vibrant pink" jumper... Sob!)

Oh, and then there's my irrational, crazy, head-over-heels crush in the rather lovely oversized Stine Goya oversized grey jumper that I know, unfortunately, that I'll never own, no matter how long I yearn... Sad times. Seriously though... HOW HOT IS THIS ENSEMBLE?!?!?!

And then, there is my winter coat... It is my belief that an awesome winter coat is the foundation of a good day at work. Walking along in the morning, striding out against the biting wind, my coat protects me, it shelters me, and, catching a glimpse of myself in the window of the shops I pass, it surrounds me in a slightly princessy, slightly businesslike, slightly mysterious cocoon of mink softness... Paul Costelloe is the make, bought a few years ago in a sale in Peter Jones, the King's Road branch of John Lewis. And I adore it. It's got cute details like the double rows of stitching and the bracelet cuffs. The lining is secure and silky, and it still looks beautiful despite a few winters' hard wear.

Last year, I flirted with a gorgeous furry thing, that still makes my heart beat just a little bit faster when I wear it out, but it's always this one I come back to for warmth and great lines when it's really getting chilly. So now, I'm thinking about the next one. Paul Costelloe has made a couple of my mother's winter coats, so I now they last and keep their fit as she's had both of hers for years. So now I'm coveting one of their long riding coats like this one... (Though I have to say, on both John Lewis and House of Fraser's websites, they look really scruffy and crumpled! Ick.)

I guess I'll have to wait for the sales again though... Sigh.

Picnic

2010-05-30T17:40:00.003+01:00

Hey all,

Just dropping in quickly to apologise for hiatus from blog revival - I've been pretty ill for the past fortnight and it shows no signs of going away... Sucky, but as soon as it does, I'll be outside for some outfit fun. Promise!

Until then, there's an outfit I particularly love that I wore on a day when I was feeling less crappy last weekend... It was gloriously sunny and my parents and a family friend came up for a picnic with boy and I. It was a beautiful day, and not only was the company and weather awesome but I was just a bit in love with my outfit - a new vintage dress I'm a bit gone over, and a hat I've had for years and just don't wear enough... These are family photos so the outfit details aren't excellent, but hope you like!!!

(Vintage dress from JessJamesJake on Etsy, vintage bag, M&S sandals, vintage hat, Primark sunglasses)

Xxxc

Suuuuuuuuunshine on a rainy day!!!

2010-05-21T22:40:00.004+01:00

So last weekend was a London one, as I mentioned in my last post. (Gosh, almost a week ago. Oops!)

Of course, I had to see T-B and his lovely missus. They had just got back from Mexico, and apparently had a craving for burgers. So we headed from Sarf Laahndan to Soho for lunch! (I would like to point out that, due to gluten / dairy / potato issues I had a squash and goats cheese salad... Nomnomnom. They had biiiiiiig burgers though...) And of course, we did photoshoot-ness. YAY!!!

- Moi in the burger joint...

- Sheltering from the London-rain under a rather dysfunctional umbrella...

- Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiindy!!!

- Giggle. Standard.

- Ooooh, and look at this lovely necklace that Becks has... It's from Mixco on Etsy. IWANTONE!!! :

And how awesome are the elephants appearing around London at the moment?! Street art for a charitable cause? WIN! I love this one in Covent Garden...

It was a lovely day, despite the rain... Home is such a sanctuary for me. London makes my heart beat faster and calms me down all at once. Yay for graduating and moving back! (Well, ish... More to come on that conundrum.)

Anyhooooo... In this photoshoot, I was wearing a vintage floral dress from Etsy (putonthatdress), vintage yellow slouchy cardigan also from Etsy (joyelizabethG), a vintage white leather bag (from Topshop's Peekaboo vintage concession), Jonathon Aston white lace tights, black Converse and a fabric and button brooch I made myself... Oh, and the watch is a Lego Star Wars one with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo lego men on (- now sold out but they have some cool new ones in... I quite like the C 3PO one). Hehe! Funsies.

Hmmmmm. Quite sleepy now, and I haven't finished my dinner yet, so I should probably get to that before boy grumps because I haven't eaten all the yummy food he made me... Night all!

Xxxc

Boater Success...

2010-05-16T10:36:00.007+01:00

Morning all!

After a beautifully sunny (if a little chilly at times) day yesterday, it's chucking it down this morning. I'm home for the weekend and desperately trying to get my head together to get dressed and off to lunch at T-B and Becks' in Sarf London. But I thought, before I left, I'd post a photoshoot I got my long-suffering mother to do with me yesterday!!!

The light in the back garden was gorgeous, and I was so hyper about my new boater, that I neeeeeded to get some pictures done! The boater is hilarious, as it's a men's large, but since the price was a steal, I didn't really care... I'm planning a costume-wench bodge (boy-word alert) with a foam ring and some glue!

Wearing: Antique Store Boater find, Gap teeshirt, Jaeger Jacket (courtesy of mother's wardrobe), St Michael (i.e. v.v.v. old M&S) skirt, vintage suede belt, TopShop tights, Kate Kuba boots, 1940's WI badge...

How pretty are those sleeves!!! (And my dad's flowers... :D)

Nattering on at Mother... Standard.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I do love our old swing... (And yes, that is a farm, and yes, I live on a London underground line, about 20 minutes drive / 30 minutes tube from most destinations in Central London... Oh Yes. Best of both worlds win ;D)

Crouching Tiger... (With a Boater)

Boater in the Bluebells...

LOVE this badge... Another Cambridge antique store find.

Oh, and meet my cat, Jasmine... She's a completely crazy little critter who I adore beyond all other crazy little critters. She was given to us when her owner went to Africa, and when she came back, Jaz had settled in so well, we were given her to keep! She has a habit of sleeping *under* my bed and sitting on people for hours at a time, and is the most lovely reading companion, until she starts chewing the pages... Attention whore!!! ;D

Right, I really should be off... Half an hour before I should DEFINITELY not be here anymore... Oops!

Xxxc

Floating awaaaaaay...

2010-05-11T19:14:00.012+01:00

Does anyone else rather love Noa Noa? I think I've posted before about how much I love their catalogues every season, and this is no exception. Lots of yummy sherbert orange, aubergine purple and grass green...

The website is singularly unhelpful in providing me with many pictures of the pieces I found in store today, but these two beauties are indicative of the rest of the collection. Yum! Not many shops on the internet either, but I am rather in love with this skirt:

Also, I've been spending waaaaaaaaaay too much time on Etsy lately, and here are a few of my "if only I were a different size" picks...

OH GOOD GOD HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THIS DRESS?!?!?! And it comes with a fluttery matching shrug... Oh darn silly large breasts!!!!!

(The measurements are 35", 28", free hips in case you're interested!)

If it were still winter and if I had any room for more coats in more wardrobe, I would be first in line for this gorgeous wool cape coat...

Ooooh! This dress is one of those things that I should hate, because it reminds me a little of Carry On Nurse, but that I actually love, because it reminds me a little of Carry On Nurse... And all of those vintage Mills and Boon about Doctors and Nurses I consumed as a teenager!!!

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! This little jumper is so cute and unusual! Me being so darn clumsy, I'd probably drop tomato or something down it in a second, but... IWANNIT!!!

And these are just some of the bits I can't countenance buying due to fit... There are so so so so so many more in my favourites, waiting to be reperused and agonised over!

Hope everyone's enjoying their Tuesday evening. Boy is cooking me-friendly pasta with tomato, bacon, goats cheese and mushroom. I am hungry. This is awesome.

Xxxc

Exams over... At last

2010-05-05T17:13:00.005+01:00

Well, the last exams I'm going to take in this place are over... Management Studies has the awesome feature of seriously early exams that means that we lost our Easter vac, but can enjoy all of what the approaching summer has to offer! I do have a project to do, but it's nowhere near as stressful and much more structured than the impending doom of exams encroaching upon one's happiness and health!

So... I am going to try and return to the blogosphere. Slowly, softly, perhaps, but freedom awaits in a few months with graduation, and as I'm still unsure what the future holds, I might manage to reinject some life into this little side project of mine. I do miss it when I drop off the face of the earth for months at a time, and since I will be rejoining T-B in London-town in July, we might even get the occassional photoshoot done!

Anyway, what brings me to the computer today? It's another installment of the fab Aussie Angel initiative. I am, as ever, slow on the uptake. Claire posted about it a while back, and I'm proud to have my little "Luscious Long Tribe" pack which arrived at college today.

The wonderful people at Aussie have sent me a Welcome Pack for "surviving until your Tribe party" - in July, and when I'm supposed to be in France, but that may not happen, so I'm keeping an open mind!

They have been so generous and sent some of their lovely, yummy Luscious Long shampoo and conditioner, a mini brush, a compact mirror, some badges to display my allegiance and some chocolate... I have to admit that the chocolate will be going to The Boy, as my body hates me and does not allow the consumption of dairy. The Boy will likely be very pleased...

Awesome huh!

In other news, I went shopping for the first time in yonks today. After almost giving into a tapestry bag covered in cats in Ark Vintage in Cambridge city centre, and trying to decide whether I should buy oversized stripy shorts from Joules (- my new shop crush... All those pretty candy colours! All that outdoorsy blowsiness! YUM!), I wandered into Karen Millen. Now, I don't have much occassion to wear what they do best - gorgeous luxe night-out wear - but I have to admit, they have upped the ante from what I remember from the last time I seriously browsed in there, as a teenager... Searching for hot house party outfits, out for the afternoon with my mum, shopping on the King's Road. I seem to remember coming out of there with an outfit involving an orange crochet shell encrusted halter top... Strange memories. Sigh. Nostalgia.

Anyway. Browsing in there today was rather fun. And I have to admit to falling for a dress... A £165 dress. GULP! As a girl who shops either vintage or designer sample sales, I get a bit cranky shelling out almost two hundred quid for glorified high street. But that's the snob in me. (Please don't hate me! I just have an issue with our hardcore, wear-it-once, who gives a shit about quality, consumer culture...) But here I must admit I can see where the money is going. Ish.

The embroidery is awesome and it has the most darling bow at the back... Sigh. If only I had the money, or the event to wear it to!

Right. That's all for now folks... Xxxc

Hosiery Chat

2010-02-18T14:15:00.005Z

I am afraid I am relatively dull at the moment... Trying desperately to get over the work lull that comes with spending far too much time at the theatre, and not doing essays when I'm supposed to. Like now.

However. I have been on a bit of a vintage binge of late. (Details of some of my finds to surface in posts sooooooooon!) And to go with my vintage things, I have been feeling in need of some shaping and spicing up!!! All of my hosiery at the mo is thick and large and either black, brown, navy or pastel (with a few bright purples and reds thrown in for occasional-wear!

Yet, I used to be the Stockings Queen of my school in Sixth Form. I would wear them most days and pride myself on the fact that I barely laddered a pair a month of the beautiful silky things... I would spend my Sundays investing in a new pair or two, and enjoyed finding new and exciting pairs in vintage shops as well as in Debenhams, Selfridges and online.

So... In a mad moment yesterday, I decided enough was enough of my tights laziness. Alright when I'm wearing coloured tights, but when I'm doing black or brown or nude, I should be taking advantage of the fact that stockings are far more fun and far far better with many many outfits! (None of the under-dress muffin top that comes with a few extra pounds and a pair of short waisted tights that don't quite sit right...)

I ordered a pair of nude Pretty Polly nude holdups from MyTights.com... And now, to wait! I had a bit of a browse around MyTights, as it is a site filled with hosiery-yumminess, but I just never go on, as I'm stuck in my Topshop/M&S tights rut. But no more! I also noticed that they are stocking the awesomely awesome Spanx which everyone went nuts over a while back and which, I must admit, saved my May Ball Dress of last year from a tummy-attack! Hehe.

I shall try to post an outfit and comment about the stockings as soon as they arrive!

On a different note: Surprise of the Week was me actually loving some of the pieces from Alexa Chung for Madewell's collection... Seriously. This long peachy skirt is MINE!!!

(Picture from Refinery 29)

Xxxc

Men Can Accessorise too!

2010-02-09T20:46:00.006Z

Seeing Cassie post again on the same day I received my new watch gave me new drive to pick up the camera and get snapping. Of course without my normal subject of Cass, I've been forced to introspect. Well not quite introspect, more just turn the lens around. Of course I can't take photos of myself, because I'd fear for my lens, but I can take them of my stuff.

Today, an introduction to what I find I need to combine with my generic suits and shirt combo for the average day of working hard in the Finance mines of the city of London. I've recently realised that I've taken on a sort of Tom Baker meets Ted Baker style and quite like it for the winter months.

These are my daily essentials currently. Shoes (obviously), scarf, phone, watch, bag and overcoat.

The iPhone is pretty self explanatory. I'm a nerd first and foremost, and I need my nerdy shinies, so I load it up with games, apps and comics (don't judge, they make perfect tube reading) and chuck it in my pocket. Keeping a charger at work and home means I don't have to worry about it dying on me and the Belkin skin has kept it impressively undamaged over the last 6 months.

Next in the heap are the shoes, from our good friends at Blue Inc. I started off honestly not too keen, because the soles were pretty much frictionless, but after a couple of weeks these are my go-to work shoes. They're just so comfortable and go with most of the suits I've got without being too plain. Also the lack of laces makes life easier at 6am when I leave the house. These make me especially happy because of how difficult it is to find shoes in the canoe-like scale I need for my size 12 feet which don't leave me hobbling like a giant with back pains.

Moving along to the pile of colour, that's a hand knitted 9ft long scarf made by my loving mother a few years ago for a Tom Baker Dr Who costume. It was abandoned for all but fancy dress until this winter when I realised it was both awesome and incredibly warm. Now I rarely leave the house without it. This has lead to people humming the Dr Who theme while walking behind me and a fair number of questions about TARDISes (TARDI-I is clearly not the proper form but sounds funnier...) I honestly wear it because I enjoy walking around with a giant scarf flowing in the wind, made more fun when wearing my huge jacket. The over-coat was randomly found around my house, no doubt inherited from some cousin or relative, but it's a solid jacket and incredibly warm and sturdy. It also allows me to wear it with a suit on, but never creases the suit underneath, a useful feature of an overcoat. The ridiculous length of it also means that people often ask to try it and end up looking like they're wrapped in a large black duvet.

Possibly my favourite item in the pile is the bag. At first glance it's not too special, but on further examination, this Fuchs messenger bag is made of fully waterproofed felt (it's survived monsoons with lecture notes in and not a drop on them), with a really awesome design using velcro that means it can be dis and re-assembled to varying sizes, very useful if like me you end up either having one bag thats always too big, or two bags that never quite fit everything. This bag at full size can easily hold a laptop, slr, a couple of books and some water. The fold over top also means that on the tube I know noone can get in and nick my stuff. I've only ever seen this bag sold on www.charlesandmarie.com (a fantastic site), but not sure if theres any left in stock, if you've got the cash, I'd recommend it, 1 1/2 years of daily use and not a scratch on it.

The last and newest item is my new watch. A Nixon Spencer

For some scale, here it is lined up with my other recent watches

In order, A TokyoFlash Scope, Nixon Spencer and a Fossil watch I forget the name of.

As you can probably tell, I like large watches with something a bit different about them. The Fossil one is a kinetically charged watch with half the face missing so you can watch the pendulum spin. The Scope is frankly just shiny and cryptic and the Spencer is beautiful and has the dual analog-digital time. I'm sure I'll find a new one I want soon enough, but until then, this makes me very happy.

So those are my accessories on the typical work day, but this leaves out the biggest and best one obviously, my lovely lady;

Although most of you would probably prefer her accessories....

(by the way, I've still got some stored pics from food trips/restaurants I can write up if anyone's interested...)

Dancing With Glee!

2010-02-09T18:33:00.004Z

Okay, so I probably don't have to explain what the Glee phenomenon is right? It's awesome... And pour little ol' moi, one of the best bits about this awesomely amazing tv show is the outfits that Emma Pillsbury wears!

So imagine my happiness when I stumbled across *this* blog today... What Emma Pillsbury Wore.com

They have challenges, and this week, it was to put together an Emma Pillsbury outfit using a Nanette Lepore green cardigan!

So, here is my outfit I put together:

(Nanette Lepore cardigan, Marni dress from Browns, Bottega Veneta handbag from Browns, Christian Louboutin pumps from Barneys and vintage daisy brooch from RockinRubyVintage on Etsy)

I'm not cool enough to have mastered Polyvore, so it's a Paint mashup... But still!

And HOW CUTE is the Marni dress?!?!

Xxxc

So I am still here... Just...

2010-02-09T17:28:00.002Z

Dear All,

Since it's been almost two months since I last blogged, I thought I'd take a fresh look at all this and attempt another try at getting back on the blogging horse... Without T-B to do photo shoots at the moment, and sadly lacking inspiration a lot of the time at the mo, I've been terribly dull and have concentrated on the academic and theatre aspects of my life... BUT NO MORE! I shall return to fashion. Now. (Well, okay, not Right Now, as I have a marketing essay to do, but later on this evening...)

I just thought I'd tell you.

Love.

Xxxc

All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go?

2009-12-12T18:57:00.007Z

So today, I have managed a two hour bar shift at the theatre, and an epic queue in Borders, and not much else... Post-term lethargic FUG-time. Joys.

But to cheer me up was a dress I'd been sent by the lovely people at Covert Candy, a great site dedicated to both vintage shopping and swapping! It revolves around a "credit-based system" where if someone wants an item of clothing you no longer need, you can send it to them in return for credits you can then spend on someone else's lovely stuff! They also have a section of the site dedicated to a small, but well selected Vintage Emporium run by the site owners, and there, sitting in the Clearance section, was this adorable dress. It has such a cute print and perfect colours... It's definitely about to enter my day dress collection!

Ok, so it's not remotely wintery, but WHO CARES?!

My room is lacking in any accoutrements with which to dress up this little number, as I'm halfway through moving out, and have no high heels due to a bottom-of-the-foot injury a few weeks ago. Thus the outfit photos with bare feet or Converse!

This was my attempt to play with the length... Thoughts?

So, I should really be packing... Instead I was just distracted by boy, then started watching Angel, then started organising holiday theatre... Might leave Cam by 1am. Maybe. Oops!

Night guys! London tomorrow! Woop!

Xxxc

Pretty, Sparkly Things

2009-12-08T22:52:00.008Z

I Love Christmas... Seriously... I love the cake baking and big wooly jumpers and jangling bells and midnight mass SO DARN MUCH! Christmas present shopping is also AWESOME. There's something so satisfying about finding that present, or baking something that will make someone smile. And best of all, I love the excuse to dress up and wear sparkly jewellery; something I don't really do at any other time of the year!

So, as part of the altruistic urge to gift, and the mahooosively irresistible urge to look at sparkly things I can't really have, I ended up jewellery browsing online. Noooooooooooooooooo! So much I want! (I have a feeling there are going to be quite a few posts like this... No money, no photographer, LOTS OF YEARNING!!!)

How cute is this?!

A reindeer pendant from Astley Clarke, purveyor of all things fine and designer jewellery ish. I think this range is just so adorable... Shame I don't have £225 quid to spare as it's SO GORGEOUS!

Now who wants a pair of ludicrously expensive diamond snowflake earrings to see out the Winter season?! I have to say, I probably wouldn't say no to a man who bought me these for Christmas, but it might seem like selling my soul for Tiffany's...

And how adorable are these Links of London charms?! I DEFINITELY want the mitten one... At £45 each, they're slightly more attainable, but not really on my current budget. Recession bites, eh!

Ok, so I can't afford any of these very very pretty things, so I think I might make my own Christmas earrings instead...

WOOP! CRAFT PROJECT! I'm very excited now...

Jewellery is one of those things for me which only really comes up when I find something really special. I have my watches (woo, bright orange bit of plastic on my wrist!!!) and my name necklace, and a few bits of vintage painted goodness, but most of the time I find jewellery a faff. My ears are pierced, but they rarely see a bit of dangly metal, mainly as I'm far too lazy to coordinate! Do you girlies have any bits of jewellery you always wear? I get a bit panicky if I'm not wearing a watch, but otherwise I tend to find it all just a bit of a nuisance! Except at Christmas...

Right, now, I must be off to perfect my christmas cupcakes! ;-D

Night!

Xxxc

Look-see-smile...

2009-12-04T14:32:00.010Z

As some of you may have noted, I do love a sample sale, and browsing Fashion Confidential for them has always been a favourite part of my London-based weeks. Remember the Eley Kishimoto shoes???

When I’m in Cambridge, I tend to avoid it and all mentions of shiny shiny designer clothes I can't afford, for fear my heart may be broken by the news of a Kane or Kirkwood extravaganza happening just near enough to be possible yet just far away to be prohibited by the next impending deadline.

So of course I was delighted when they got in touch with me to see if I liked their new magazine-like format and revamped other-than-sample-sales content, which I'd never really paid much attention to before... So after I had finished my last supervision essay yesterday afternoon, and after today’s actual supervision (during which I had a very satisfactory argument about Foucault – woo panopticon!!! ;-D) I have spent a good hour or so compiling a couple of fantasy wish-lists and reading their articles (like this quick interview with a very chic Parisienne). Oh gawd, something else to keep an eye on. Not sure how I’m going to cope!

Also, normally, I also ignore any shopping emails that arrive in my inbox. Net-a-porter, Browns, Cocosa... GO AWAY I HAVE NO MONEY!!! (Possibly my own fault due to impending theatrical extravaganza and a trip to Stockholm in January...) Yet I have to admit to having loved the cute, purple-themed "stocking fillers" feature that popped up this afternoon. It's not really the products themselves - though I quite fancy a copy of the Camilla Morton book and that Aubin and Wills purple top... It's the adorable way it's all been put together. I'm really one for a slick piece of graphic design, and FC have, of late, been producing some rather good layout-porn!

Fashion Confidential has always, for me, been part of the pleasure of physical shopping, as it has pointed me towards some of my best sample-sale scrummages. Yet now it tempts me with yet another avenue of internet shopping: the best of the sales online. Arrrrrrrrrgh! Who could resist a page filled with those crossed through ridiculous prices, followed by red massively reduced ones...

Shame I'm "economising"... But doesn't mean I can't look!!!

Aren't these pretty... (Can you tell I'm procrastinating from academic work again? ;-D)

(Philip Lim and Roland Mouret from TheOutnet)

(Marc by Marc Jacobs from Matches)
(Aubin and Wills and Elle McPherson Intimates at Net-A-Porter)

If only I had money... Sigh. Silly recession.

Xxxc

Artistic Leanings

2009-11-29T12:21:00.011Z

Yes, I'm still a very peripatetic blogger... Dropping in now and then, scattering whimsical thoughts in my wake! ;-)

Lots has happened lately; lots of ups, a few downs, but at the end of the day, I appear to be Very Happy. Right Now. Which is what matters!

I have just waved goodbye to the wonderful Claire of The View From Here, who was up visiting for the weekend post-her law exams!

Awesome times.

We baked.

We went to jazz.

We wandered.

We had coffee.

We talked boys.

We talked clothes.

We watched Star Wars.

We dressed up as Bears.

It was excellent!

In other news, I also have a dress to (very belatedly) review... The lovely Ceri from Blue Inc sent me this hot little number:

(Wearing: Blue Inc. dress, Eley Kishimoto shoes, M&S cardigan, ToyWatch.)

I absolutely ADORE the painterly pattern, and considering it's only £19.99, it's really well made and a good length for going out - though I will be wearing it with thick black tights!!!! (I just didn't have any to hand at the time, and thus we get my awesomely large and white thighs on show... SORRY!!! ;0D)

I would say that the top bit has a tendency to fall down, but that may be because my boobs are a little large so fall out at every opportunity. A bit of tit tape or the sewing in of straps or a strapless bra will easily solve the problem!

Hopefully I'll be going out a few times in the upcoming weeks, and this dress is a perfect addition to my party outfits!

Right... I must be off. Tonnes of admin to do and parentals turning up in about half an hour. Woop!

More soon. Xxxc

Into the Labrinth of Maze

2009-11-28T14:40:00.007Z

A couple of weeks ago, my brother treated me, my girlfriend and his girlfriend to a meal at Maze, as a 21st birthday present (Never mind that I'm 22).

Maze is a restaurant in the Ramsey Empire which does menus which are half way between tapas and a tasting menu, suggesting 4 to 6 courses ,at least, when ordering. Obviously we went for 6 courses each with a flight of wines to accompany.

Because I waited so long though, I've kind of waited too late to grab the menu off the website, so it's going to be mostly from memory. Although of the 10 choices, we hit all of them. I'm going to be a bit brief describing the courses because a) there were so many and b) by the end we had had quite a bit of wine so they're a little bit...hazy...shall we say.

We started off with cocktails; An apple and sage martini, a strawberry and balsamic vinegar cooler, a raspberry and champagne mix and a final one I kind of forget. But after taking a sip of each and passing them round, we came to the conclusion that they were all awesome. A good start to a meal that would only get better.

After the bread came out and was pounced upon by the 4 of us, getting hungry after we all forgot breakfast, came the first course;

(The photos are before the Veloute was poured onto the duck) This was a Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute over Duck Confit with a Field mushroom on toast on the side. It was an amazing combination of silky veloute hiding some amazingly fatty and flavourful duck, both incredibly smooth and unctuous, and the crisp toast with earthy mushroom on top. To start a theme that will no doubt frequently recur, I could eat this course for every meal, ever.

Next was Beetroot with Goats Cheese Curds and a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce. Probably the least interesting of the courses, but still very good. Interestingly the beetroot was raw and so very crisp which gave a good textural comparison with the cheese.

Third course, and one of the most interesting, was the Osso Buco with Pumpkin Risotto. The risotto was creamy and delicious, and the Osso Buco pretty much melted as you ate it. An ethereal kind of meat.

Note the intense concentration on Becky's face, contemplating the interplay of flavours and textures.

Compared to my brother, just powering in, not wanting to waste a single second he could be eating the tasty food...

We then diverged in our courses, because my brother and his girlfriend has opted for two desserts, while Becky and I went for one of the fish courses each

I had Cod with Baby carrots, which was one of the best pieces of fish I've had this year. But Becky seemed to win this round with her French Fish Soup with Aioli

This soup was one of the best fish-related things I've put in my mouth. That includes fish shaped things like those bright pink sweets shaped like prawns...

Around here we had a much needed break, as they slightly messed up the order of our food, but it was welcomed as it gave us a chance to digest the last 4 courses before we had more on our plates to deal with. (We also got the cocktails free because of it, fantastic service!)

The course which my brother and his lady had while we had the fish arrived next; Pork Cheeks with Mashed Potatoes

It didn't last long.

This is the course I could eat forever. I'd be tempted to go again and get 6 courses of just this. It was that good. So good that I think I may have given each bite a little hug before I ate it. So good I'd be tempted to create an aftershave out of it, just so I could have it's smell around me. So good I'd be tempted to start a pig farm just to have more.

But as with all good things, it was transient. Then came the puddings.

I'll deal with these as a batch because there were some duplicates, but there were Rice Pudding with Ice cream, Apple Pie and Chocolate Three Ways. All were very good, but I think the consensus was that the Rice Pudding was the best thing the other three had ever eaten that had sugar in it. Which I suppose is a compliment...

To celebrate my birthday there was even a little cake. An amazing little brownie that vanished very quickly, even with a stomach full of so many delicious courses.

To top off a fantastic Saturday lunchtime spent eating fine food, because of my brother's chatting to the waiter about his time working in a restaurant, we got a tour of the kitchen. A very impressive operation with a huge wood burning stove and a troop of chefs working intensely. But alas I got no pictures.

So overall, Maze turned out to beat even my high expectations and has fuelled my new desire to spend more Saturday lunchtimes at fine restaurants (such as Hix which I'll write about sometime soon...)

Tea and Vintage...

2009-11-11T09:16:00.001Z

Although I am now back in Cambridge, not in London, I thought that today's post could concentrate on the wonder that is Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street...

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, as it is home to my favourite physical vintage store in the world, ever, and it's great for a stop off in a peaceful place amidst the craziness of Oxford Street and Carnaby Street.

The best stops, starting from the top:

Camellia's Teas: Great tea, lovely proprietress, immense foods (the salads and soups are Always interesting - uber-win!) and pretty awesome gift-type items.

T-B + tiny cup = hilarity!

Next floor down is the wonderful Sam Greenberg which is my absolute favourite physical vintage store. Every time I go into the store I find some beautiful dress that exactly fits the occasion I went in there to buy for... It has a lovely mix of pattern and plain, all colours of the rainbow and all eras. Has anyone else been in? They have a great range of eras represented, though a predominance of 80s and 60s shapes. It really is awesome. Small, but perfectly formed! My favourite buys include my Ferragamos (now, sadly deceased due to one too many rainy days...) and my "Flamenco dress" - black, calf length, with big red and white flowers - an adored, well-worn dress, but funnily enough one that's not yet surfaced on here... Perhaps soon!

Anyway, moving on... There are three other vintage stores in Kingly Court: Stromboli's Circus is next to Sam Greenberg, and while I enjoy nothing more than strolling around, and in particular looking at their vintage fabrics and magazines, I've not yet found a piece of clothing in there I really love. It's possibly due to the higher prices and higher incidence of fancy-dress-vintage, but I think it might be awesome for boy-wear. My partridge scarf was bought in here, so I do have a certain amount of affection for it...

Fur Coat No Knickers is on the top floor, near Camelia's Teas. This place is a wonderland, albeit an expensive one... They have really, truly, first class vintage, beautiful hats, amazing though fragile bags, and more jewelled, magpie-happy-making stash than one can bear! It's worth checking out for the intake-of-breath factor!

Finally, Marshmallow Mountain on the ground floor has a good selection of wearable vintage, and an awesome selection of accessories. I always like to rummage in their shoes and scarves, but haven't yet plunged in and bought anything. Possibly because I'm usually expecting to find something more exciting upstairs, and thus I always hold back on the affection-giving!

Aside from vintage, I'd say other highlights have to be Lazy Oaf and Traffic People on the ground floor... Always good fun to be had. Food-wise, I'd say that C'est Ici is pretty nice. Especially if you're a cake fiend. Their chocolate fondant is yummy-scrummy, and the candy cakes are immense; but have them with a big drink of water as they get very sickly very quickly. I'd recommend the blueberry ones. Also, the Ferrero Rocher milkshakes are gooooooood! (Can anyone tell I fell off the gluten-dairy-free bandwagon a few times this summer; much to the detriment of my digestive tract which is still punishing me for my misbehaviour, seeing as I'm actually allergic... Sigh.)

So, all in all, definitely worth checking out if you're Oxford Street way... Carnaby Street is just behind Liberty too, so you must also spend time in their haberdashery department; just in case you don't already, which obviously anyone with an ounce of sense must do on a regular basis... Right?! ;-D

Apologies, seriously, for remaining crap on the blogosphere front. Same excuses as ever. Work, course being horribly hard, etc. etc. Sorry! Will try to get better again soon! I have a few bits and pieces up my sleeve for this week and beyond, so... Woop! ;-D

Finally, a couple of outfit pictures from T-B and I's Kingly day...

Gosh, I really was wearing a lot of black and grey over the summer... Hmmmmm. Anyway. I was wearing: Hobbs grey nubby tweed jacket (borrowed from mother), grey Primark strappy top, black Motel lace back dress (turned around), Luella bag, grey Acne jeans (now sadly deceased...) and M&S sandals... Funnily enough, also swinging a Sam Greenberg bag containing an awesome turquoise 80s dress. Good times.

Right. Must go write essay.

Hugs! Xxxc

Puss in (Chelsea) Boots

2009-10-16T14:01:00.001+01:00

Ok, so I've got an eensy weensy teeny weeny little bit behind on posting... Not that you haven't been well looked after by T-B! But he has a job, and therefore can't spend all of his life taking photos anymore. Sad times. I have been absent due to the fish-out-of-water feeling that comes with starting afresh on a completely new subject, in a completely new department, though admittedly at the same university. I am now at business school, and this is a far cry from the boat burials and church roofs of previous thought processes. Today's lecture was on Fordism and Scientific management. Yesterday's was on luck and risk. I'm enjoying it, but golly, by brain's getting a bit of a workout!

However, I decided it was high time I took up the reigns here again... And thus follows a very very late post following on from the one about the Romina Karamanea show from LFW! I thought I'd share with you the photoshoot T-B and I did in the afternoon after Claire left me to go swot up for her lawyer-ing exams! (In fact, t'was the same day as a couple of the photos in T-B's post of Borough were taken!)

We began at the BFI cocktail bar - a regular haunt - and progressed along the South Bank to Sawf-of-the-River and Borough. Enjoy!

Velveteen Rabbit In London

NEW HAIR!!! I had had my hair chopped between the fashion show and meeting up with T-B, so I was a *little bit* excited...

See! I *can* be quiet / sensible... Honest!

Sweet and innocent...

Killing the poor duck with my antics...

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Gratuitous *Beautiful London* shot... The light was so amazing on Saturday!

Devil in the Detail... Me and my beeeeyooooooteeeeeeful Luella bag, bought in the sample sale I went to at the beginning of the summer (along with a number of other bloggers).

My favourite shot of the day... Preparing for the day I'll be a proper Sarf Lahndahner - i.e. when I've graduated and have a job and an abode. South of the River. OBV!

I was wearing: H&M lace and ribbon jacket, H&M charcoal tee, vintage belt, H&M skirt, H&M crushed velvet leggings, ToyWatch, vintage (mother-acquired) "Chelsea" boots and Luella black leather bag (just seen) and Slow Food Market (by the Southbank Centre) sack-bag.

I really am on a bit of a velvet kick at the moment... These leggings, some Topshop pieces, the spider on the front of my mother's angora jumper from the 80s I've, erm, borrowed:

Woopee!!!

Right... I'm supposed to be doing stats work. Oh the joys!

I'll be back soon... PROMISE!!!

Xxxc

Brick Lane, a surprising outcome from a visit.

2009-10-10T18:40:00.005+01:00

It's me, T-B, once more here with food and musings to accompany the lovely Cassie on fashion.

Today, intending to take lovely pictures of the Brick Lane curry festival, which I imagined would be full of Street food and glorious sights, sounds and smells, I set off with girlfriend in one hand and camera in the other. The day did not turn out as expected, but the discoveries more than make up for it.

Discoveries that included a curious skeleton.
And a head on the floor.

I thought it was a good sign that when we got to Brick Lane, this was one of the first streets coming off it that I noticed. Bacon Lane. A good sign for someone there for food

Street food was what I was hunting for, for which Brick Lane has a good reputation. I was specifically looking for a stall selling the special Green curry which was specially created for the Curry festival this year. However, while there were Japanese;

Middle Eastern

and Chinese

Vendors, I couldn't see any curry. This was about the time I realised that this festival may not be on the street but in the restaurants. So it was time to wander and find a Brick and Mortar place to eat.

And then we found something fully unexpected.

We saw this place, Story Deli Pizzas, where my attention was grabbed by the GIANT spinach based salad I saw someone eating, and the beautiful looking pizzas, so, while in London's home of curry, we (and by that I mean I) elected to have pizza.

Looking at the menu, it was one of those situations where you have 20 choices, and you want all 20, at once. But in the end we decided. I got the Chicken, Chorizo and Sweet Potato

While Becks got a 'La Scala', with spicy sausage and various other delights.
(Here I should probably note that they only used certified Organic produce and seemed like a very ethical establishment all around)

These pizzas were some of the thinnest I've ever had, heading more towards Filo than pizza dough. Crisp yet still chewy (Becks tried to eat hers in the New York slice fashion by bending it, sending shards flying). The toppings were also in perfect proportion, instead of Mozarella, I had Taleggio covering my pizza.

The pizzas didn't last long...

But it was one of those places where you came away feeling happily full but not stuffed and definitely keen to come back. Especially since the dinner plate sized pizzas were a steal at £12 each.

If you're around Brick Lane, definitely give this place a shot.

You can find it at Dray Walk off Brick Lane in Shoreditch

T-B takes a go

2009-09-29T20:58:00.008+01:00

Hi everyone, the mysterious yet loveable T-B the photographer here. Cass has asked me (or I asked her) to take a go at guesting, so here I am. Since I am far less of a fashionista, I'll be going for another route; Food

With food in London, especially to one who's working in the City, there's only one place to start: Borough Market. Borough Market is just off the south side of London Bridge and every Thursday through Saturday it serves up a variety of the best food London has to offer.

You get everything from towers of cheese;

To amazing meringuesAll served from stalls
And most of it cooked right in front of you...

So what is there to know?

Firstly, Borough Market is home to the best brownies in England. Bar none. I'm currently in the process of negotiating international shipping of these brownies just in case I ever have to move anywhere. Surrounded in a perfectly crumbly but firm crust, these brownies toe the line between cake and mousse, and also go with most outfits, as demonstrated below;

Notice how it highlights the features of the wonderful model!

Now onto the real recommendations, and I'll give you a guide, coming in from my usual entrance of the stairs in the North East corner by the Cathedral

First thing I ever had there was the Paella, as seen above. It's a welcome sight coming down from the city proper into the depths of the market (have I mentioned that it's half covered by a railway track? Well more accurately, it's covered half by a railway track, and the other half is covered by a proper roof) and the smells of smokey Chorizo, the bright colours of the paella and the sound of people enjoying their food assaults you, while the Paella does not disappoint.

Passing this, you get to some good, if not amazing stalls with cakes, Pimms and a variety of sausage wraps (I recommend the Lamb and Chimmichurri wrap. I think it was that one at least). After which comes the start of the free samples.

Now I recommend that anyone who likes a free day out not even take a wallet, you can have a very good meal on the free samples of cheese (the Compte from the stall who specialises in it is a must), sweets, meats, tea and other such glorious products.

There's also first flush tea which is completely without the tannic tang of the usual cuppa, a variety of fresh fish, including freshly cooked scallops in the half shell, more fresh fruit and veg than you could ever need (but will always want) and cakes galore. Just thinking about what is there makes me hungry

The key goal, however, should be the Mozzarella and Parma Ham salads. On first sight these seem plain and not worth a minute of your over-excited and slightly addled mind. However, the Parma Ham is some of the best I have ever had the fortune of eating, and the Mozzarella is without a doubt unmatched. Paired with a simple Rocket salad, salt, pepper and a fig perched on top, this is the ideal meal for a summers day.

That's not to say there is nothing for the colder days. Pieminister, the Fresh Pasta company and the variety of hot curries and sandwiches play their part too, and all must be tried to fully appreciate the range and beauty of Borough. However, little matches the feeling of sitting in the sun with friends having a glorious salad beneath Southwark Cathedral.

The best way to understand the fun of the market is to head on over one week and just absorb it all. Definitely one of the best places in London, and one of my favourite places to eat in the world.

If anyone's actually interested in hearing more from me, and seeing more of my photos of food, please say otherwise I'll get self conscious and go back to hiding... (Any advice is also appreciated, self-improvement is the name of the game!)

We're Angels. Obviously.

2009-09-23T23:32:00.009+01:00

Ok, so this is very very very tardy, even by my standards, but today's post is about being an Aussie Angel!!! Along with Claire, Winnie, Nicola et al, I was contacted as one of 50 bloggers to get the Undercover Aussie treatment...

It all kicked off with a treasure hunt to Chelsea Farmer's Market, where I also popped into the food bit to find some sheepsmilk yoghurt and rice flour! We were sent a key and a clue to find the "silo", and when we turned up, we got a lovely box of goodies including Aussie products, a Topshop voucher and a spa voucher!!! Uber uber exciting.

I haven't used them yet, mainly as I'm saving them for uni supplies. Living at home in the summer = use parental posh shampoo time!!!

I do use Aussie's 3 minute miracle on a very very regular basis, as long hair gets a bit damaged, and it JUST SMELLS SO DARN NICE!!! Thus, I have to admit I'm rather excited about trying their normal shampoo and conditioner! I will also post about Topshop and spa choices when I stop working all hours and get back to Cambridge where one has time to take a breath and treat oneself!

Anyhoo... Next stop, a week later, was Adee Phelan's salon in Covent Garden for hair styling and lots of champagne! We were allowed to take up to two friends along, so I brought two uni college girlies, Sarah and the lovely Becks, T-B's gf. IT WAS SUCH FUN!!! Claire was also there with some of her pals, and we all ate lots and lots of jelly beans and got a bit merry on the champers and cocktails provided when we went down the road to The Hospital bar!

Claire and her amazingly glam hair...

Me and my crazeeeeeeee but lovely stylist!

Becks and her shampoo... Loving the Lana Turner-esque eye hiding!

Sarah really loved her goody bag!!!

Angelically Posing...

Not so angelic...

COCKTAILS!!! Yum.

Pretty! Sparkly! :-D

We three have better hair here than Charlie's Angels!!! Fit.

Shocker - I ended up with curly hair for several days! Woop woop!

Night night!

Xxxc

Dumdumdeeedum... Skipping Along to Another LFW Show!!!

2009-09-23T00:09:00.007+01:00

Short post this evening... Might be something to do with the huge lack of sleep I've been living on lately ( - I'm a massive insomniac - ) and also work being really quite hectic at the mo. Oh, and the lovely, and slightly expensive, very merry evening out I've had. Sigh.

Anyhoo... As you may have noticed if you read the lovely Claire's blog, The View From Here, we went to another fashion show on Monday evening.

Claire - Glam as ever...

Moi straight from work... I look like a small child hehe. (Take note of the velvet hair scrunchie... I am newly obsessed!!!) Wearing: vintage Escada wine silk shirt, Luella bag, Cheap Monday self-studded jeans, M&S sandals, Boots bordeaux velvet hair scrunchy.

It was the Maaike Mekking show at CAMP near Old Street - very East London, very too-cool-fash-un... Claire and I had a great time commenting incessantly on everyone's ensembles, and yumyumyumming at the red velvet cakes that were on offer. (Not so much at the wine though...)

The show, which annoyingly started almost an hour late, did present some rather cool clothes, the stand-out ones of which I attempted to get good photos of in poorly lit conditions on a poor camera. Like Claire, I felt that a lot of the clothes were let down by some rather shoddy modelling. If you're going to have non-professional models, then at least brief them on how to walk, the speed at which they should go, and that they should STOP at the end of the runway. I missed some photo ops on my favourite pieces because a couple of the girls moved far too fast and didn't even pause for breath at the end of the white carpet... Sigh.

However, I did appreciate several elements of this collection. Aside from the cupcakes, I rather liked the oriental details, the cut outs and the subtle definition of the girls' silhouettes behind both structured and loose clothes. The show was simple, but by having them walk against a wall, the shadows emphasised the free-flowing movement which made several of the pieces rather interesting. Saying that, one of my favourite pieces was a rather stiff white dress, so maybe I should just shush! ;-D

This floaty pleated trouser and white top with bra-as-outerwear thing going on was rather special and I was sad not to get a better shot... I think the collection, with it's muted but striking pallette and hints of lovely pattern-creativity was overall good. I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much as Saturday as the crowd was a bit too hip for little ol' me, and the lighting and models - annoying, niggling details - really put me off.

Adore this dress... Great brocade-esque details.

Scary China Doll look... Love the shirt though!

But maybe the cupcakes and the white dress, cute white shirt and pleated trousers may have been worth the adventure into East-London-Land for me...

Night All!

Xxxc

This Fashion Life

2009-09-20T18:49:00.012+01:00

Well, as everyone knows, it's mid-London Fashion Week...

At work, the only reasons one notices this fact are that my boss keeps leaving in the middle of the day dressed to the nines and we have had to stuff thousands of party invites including one addressed to "Ms Anna Wintour"!

However, Claire (of A View From Here) and myself have been a *little bit* fashion-week-y this weekend...

First up: Yesterday, we went to the lovely Romina Karamanea show (part of the Vauxhall Fashion Scout schedule). We have made it a policy to always try to get a plus one, so we both get to go to lots more stuff as we tend to get invited to different things! Yay blogger mates!

We got all dressed up... Of course!

Claire wearing her AMAZING sample sale JP Braganza dress...

Little Ol' Me wearing: H&M lace and ribbon jacket, H&M charcoal tee, vintage belt, H&M skirt, H&M crushed velvet leggings, ToyWatch, vintage (mother-acquired) "Chelsea" boots and Luella black leather bag (just seen).

The Romina Karamanea show was just so cool. We were queuing outside Freemasons' Hall for fecking ages, and again inside the venue, but it was great for people watching and architecture-porn-spotting!!!!

Freemasons' Hall is so kitsch and really rather fascinating to explore... Claire noticed the pentagram on the front step, and I was rather enamoured with these light fittings and all the autumnal colours of stained glass!

These two girls really fascinated me. I adore these bird headbands that have done the blogging rounds, but had never seen anyone out and about with one on... Too cute! She had this great asymetric haircut too. I went to my hairdressers after the show and showed this photo to two of the stylists. Hilariously, one of them had seen the same girl, with the same crow, only two days before at Victoria tube station! Yay for fashion freedom! Love the bleached look of her friend too... They both just looked so perfect and out-of-time - they made me cheer for London's ability to nurture and celebrate such quirkiness and confidence!

Anyway... On to the show!

Romina Karamanea - Ready-To-Wear - Spring/Summer 2010

presented at Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout LFW September 2009

Thoughts???

Mine: Amazing Square Shoulders... Shoes that seemed harder to stand still in than walk... Lots of graphic, block printing... Easy flowing fabrics and much more structured pieces mixed together to create a quite cohesive and interesting show. The notes spoke of a collection inspired by "engineering and industrialisation, everything is linear and robotic. There is a theme of disconnection..." Quite like the times we live in eh! The pre-show video sequence was also amazing, detailing the corsetry techniques, speaking of destruction and construction, and celebrating the form of the model lopping her long black hair off to reveal the monochrome laced clothes. All in all, a great show that struck the right balance. Not all of it was stuff I'd wear, but there were certainly enough pieces in there that had me salivating to ensure I keep a close eye on what this girl gets up to next!!!

More to come on our LFWeek-end exploits soon!

Night!

Xxxc

Secretary Chic

2009-09-19T21:53:00.007+01:00

Gosh I'm bad at this lately... But I'm crossing fingers that I'm going to get my mojo back as I'm starting to get excited about styling again. I've had a good week and have made a select few purchases and started thinking dreamily about the return to the gilded spires of Cam.

Don't get me wrong; I adore London and my people in it, but working where I do has in some ways stifled my love of fashion even as I've been immersed in it. Odd eh!

Something about the worthless feeling that comes of interning. Not for me really.

The rest of the office have spent today organising an event, while I *miraculously* was not called upon to work said a-list extravaganza, and had an extremely fun and fashion-filled day despite non-work-involvement. Woop! More to come on today's adventures in a later post...

Firstly, however, I want to do some catching up!!!

Here is a photo shoot that T-B, his lovely assistant / girlfriend Becks and I did in his set pretty much the night before before I set off home for the summer... So mid-June time. Yikes! Haven't I been a bad blogger this summer!!!

Peeping, Laughing, Not Yet Sleeping...

Wearing: Face a Face glasses, vintage mustard blouse (bought from The Stylish Wanderer), ICB silk skirt, Kate Kuba navy suede shoes, ToyWatch, Vintage silk scarf (bought at Ark Vintage in Cambridge) and vintage navy suede belt.

I went to T-B and Becks' for (yummy scrummy) dinner tonight... Their new flat is AMAZING but it's wierd to think when I return to Cam in a fortnight's time, they'll still be in London. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! They're both grown-ups now!!! Or maybe not... Hehe.

Right. Off to sleep with me... Early rising tomorrow!!!

Xxxc

Green Light at the end of the dock...

2009-08-11T16:35:00.005+01:00

Now I'm the first to admit that I've been crap at this blogging malarkey of late... It's been bloody ages since my last post, and I haven't even been checking in on other people! Naughty huh.

I've been working at my internship since the end of June and I think that I just needed to separate work and play a bit. Inspiration has been oddly lacking, and I've been madly dashing from one "London thing" to the next, so updating online hasn't exactly been a priority!

My life of late has been hectic to say the least, filled with lots of time with friends, theatre, film, art and yummy food. Claire from The View From Here is teaching me how to bake, and life's really rather satisfactory.

Work's fun as I work with lovely people, but I have come to realise that as much as I love fashion and clothes and making visual statements through my wardrobe; creating a character, I don't want to make it my career... Which I guess is why I haven't been online. I need a bit of separation between work and play.

However, with fashion week coming up, and work being frenetic, I thought now would be an *ideal* time to start blogging again (see the slight sarcasm?)!!! ;-D I won't be around commenting too much, but I'm going to try to post content more often.

So. Where to start?

Well, first up, I have a couple of reviews and an update on my current addictions:

1) my name necklace

Okay, so Sex and the City is a looooong way gone, but I got sent a Cassiopeia name necklace by the lovely people at mynamenecklace.co.uk! Exciting times. I shall put up a photo as soon as I can, but my camera is currently not exactly working. It's silver and I wear it several times a week. It makes me smile! It's good quality and came in a lovely purple gift box too. I'm a sucker for pretty presentation... The only reason I don't wear it every day is that as far as jewellery goes I usually prefer gold, and I wish I'd asked for an 18" not a 16" chain, but overall I'd really recommend this website if you are going to get one! I certainly love mine, and if I weren't completely broke I'd get myself another one!!! I rather like the acrylic necklaces like this one. So thanks to Steve for getting me involved!

2) borders and frontiers teeshirts

Again, everyone's got one of the Tavi tees by now, and the Igor and Andre blog ones are doing the rounds too - and you all look GORGEOUS! But since I haven't been online much lately, I thought I'd just spare a moment to wax lyrical about these tees. These are my favourite basic wear-with-anything-anytime tops. I wear them to work with skirts and belts and on the weekends in city or country with jeans or dresses. The cotton is so thick and yummy and though they blatantly don't exactly make me look stick thin, I love them anyway... The adorable Drew even sent me this lovely specimen new one that, bad me, I'm not sure which blog it belongs to, but I adore, which again I will have to wait to put pictures of up as camera = dimwitted. I am also *loving* Rumi's one and have had a long term crush on the one by Bonjour Girl... Wish (as usual) I wasn't so darn broke!!!

3) lots and lots and lots of theatre

My life of late has revolved around shows... I love that the calibre of things being put on in and around London this summer has been so high. As I had saved up to enjoy my time at home, I've done a tonne, and loved every minute of it.

A few highlights:

Dominic Cooper in Phedre. Love Racine. Love his arms. Sigh.

Ian McKellen in Waiting For Godot. Perfect. Bumbling through Beckett. A Class Act.

Arcadia... Just a lovely play.

The Mariinsky Ballet at the Royal Opera House - not technically theatre... The Homage to Balanchine was amazingness personified, and their Sleeping Beauty was breathtaking.

Jerusalem at the Royal Court. I've loved Mark Rylance since he was artistic director at the Globe, and he's just AMAZING. Such stage presence. Such a beautiful voice. Such a great play.

I've also been to a lot of Proms - managed 5 concerts in one day on the bank holiday!!! And a lot of film... Anyone who gets a chance to see Mid-August Lunch SHOULD!!!

Okay, enough rambling now. I should sleep. I'm off to the Tate in the morning bright and early to see the Futurism exhibition with one of my closest friends who has been away in Edinburgh for a month... Woop!

Night. I promise there'll be more pictures next time!

Xxxc

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down...

2009-07-04T13:04:00.003+01:00

So I come home for the summer, and have to move out again in the space of two weeks...

Hmmmmm. Not ideal. Basically, our entire house is being rebuilt around us over the course of 5 months for reasons far too dull to go into, and all furniture / books / clothes etc that we don't use on a regular basis has to either be chucked or put into storage! Of course this was the plan, until my roof sprung a second leak, waking me up at 4am during the other morning's thunder storm... So now I am moving out, and into my old maths tutor's house ( - she's also one of my mum's best mates - ) for a while... Of course, this would be fine if my room wasn't Stuffed With Stuff, and we had more than 24 hours to do it.

Thus, all of this is why I might be a little lax on my posting every day rule for a while, but I'll do my best!

Anyway, life chat over with...

And onto some of the promised (for weeks) photos...

This post is dedicated to the finalists garden party, given by the Master of College in his gardens... Think Pimms and reminiscences and commiserations about how screwed we all are with the current economic climate haha. It was great fun actually, and I'm afraid it's a dress you've seen before ;-D - This wasn't a photoshoot in athe usual style, as obviously, T-B was taking photos of the event, not just me and my crazy outfits, but there were quite a few nice photos anyway!

- Oh yes, I'm just so serious... (And the old dude in the background is "The Master". Lovely guy.)

- Me sticking my tongue out in photos may be replacing the ubiquitous twirling ;-D

- How kwl is her dress?!?!

- The amazingly comfy, if slightly out of focus shoes, which cost me £15 quid in M&S and I wear ALL THE TIME! (Either those or the same ones in black which I also have :-D) - Oh, and evidence, that I don't iron my clothes hehe!

- The only full length shot... How serious do I look? ;-D

The outfit, elements of which have all been used before, was: Vintage handmade dress, M&S sandals, GAP shell pink cardigan and Vintage tooled leather bag, with my ToyWatch and BarryM purple nail polish.

So there you have it... Garden partay numero uno. Sorry it's taken me so long to post... I really do love this dress...

I'd had such a rushed morning before this, having overslept into a breakfast meeting, so I had to rush out in jeans and t-shirt and no make-up, knowing full well I had two garden parties later. Of course, I was late to both... And looked rather the ghost having just shoved on the first make up I could find, i.e. my going-out-foundation, and no blusher... (as I'd left it in T-B's kitchen cupboard. Don't ask!)

It seems weird to think that I've been gone from Cam for 2 weeks... It's also amazing how much one changes on starting work and settling back into big-city life. I'm much more routine-ised, and my style's subtly shifted; probably partly due to the environment I'm working in, but also because of how I'm feeling I guess... Up until yesterday, I had no idea what was going to happen when I've finished my internship in October. I was basically still waiting on an official decision from Cambridge's Business School as to whether I had been accepted onto their Management programme for 4th year. If not, I would have to get on applying for more internships and jobs in fashion PR and Marketing which is probably the career direction I'm going in...

And yesterday, the crisp white letter headed Judge Business School, University of Cambridge came in the post... And I've been accepted! So back to the 'Bridge in October. I am really excited, though I was quite ready to get on with "real" life... Scary eh!

Right. As usual this was supposed to be a short post, so I must be off!

Xxxc

Yo.

2009-07-01T23:29:00.008+01:00

Short, low maintenance post today, for a number of reasons, none of which are really bloggable. I Have had an absolutely lovely day on the whole, as I had two little social occasions that were uber nice.

Skipping out of the office at about 2.15 ( - we have late lunches due to starting late and finishing late - ), I went to meet the beautiful Claire from The View From Here, fresh off the train from Paris, for a lovely sushi lunch, sitting in one of London's myriad grassy, tree filled squares/parks... She had even brought me Jalouse Magazine and MACAROONS!!! Love the girl :-D

- How sophisticated does she LOOK! Despite the heat, poised and elegant ;-D

- Then we have me... A little bit of perspiration, a little bit of crumpling in the clothes department, a little bit scattier than my So-Parisian-Chic-It-Hurts friend ;-D (Wearing a TopShop playsuit, TopShop oversized tee and M&S sandals... The sandals are one of my best summer buys. I have them in black too. So comfy and so so useful! Who'd'a thunk it?!)

It was great to have a gossip and hear all about the Parisian sales and her Immense purchases... One in particular I was particularly excited to hear about, but I'm sure she'll be blogging about that herself soon enough and don't want to spoil the surprise! ;-)

But all too soon, it was time to return to work... (Whoever invented one hour lunch breaks was a mean old sod who obviously had no social life!) The office was boiling, but we have developed a Starbucks habit for Frappes - make mine a berry one - late afternoon... Delish and uber-cooling. Yum. This heat certainly makes you a little lazy... Though today it wasn't too much our fault as, having had most of the day sans computer or printer/photocopier (don't ask), we had a massive rush in the last hour to get all our sendouts and emails done before home-time!

Upon leaving the office, us three press gals and our photographer friend rambled for a London-Heatwave-Post-Work-Thirst-Quenching-Pub-Drink (£4.05 for a G&T?!?! Feck!), round the corner from the office... Was supposed to be going to see Transformers II, but had decided this morning that as much as I love my home mates, I wasn't shelling out £8 for a crappy film lol.

So all in all, a nice day, but a sleepifying one...

Will try to get around to a more interesting post tomorrow; but until then; a couple of Look Book images:

- This girl reminds me a bit of Louise Brooks crossed with Daisy from The Great Gatsby... Loving the autumn leaves too. Crunchy looking!

- Want her hair!!! And that back drop...

(Really Loving the Black and White aesthetics at the mo...)

Xxxc

Break Over.

2009-06-30T23:02:00.010+01:00

Wow. It's been far too long since that last post...

And such a lot's happened!

I've had balls, garden parties, birthday celebrations, homecomings, reunions, and I've started work! The 3 week (ish) break was unintended, but probably needed. Last term was a bit of a rollercoaster, and I needed to take a bit of a breather, get time to myself, and readjust to being a) a Londoner again and b) free of exam fear!

I suppose I should also tell those of you who've been so supportive these past couple of months, I got through it... And I got a high 2.1 including the highest mark in the year on one of my papers. (Same one I came top in last year... Woop! CV heaven! ;-D) My dissertation, as I knew it would be, was my lowest mark, but it was still respectable. Thank gawd. Panic over!

I still don't know for sure if I'm going to be in Cambridge or London next year as the business school are extreeeeeeemely disorganised, and I'm amidst plans to turn my house into a building site for 5 months, so our home is being cleared of 20 years of hoarding. Clothes are amongst the victims of the mass-clearout, as are board games, books, and bin bag after bin bag of paper... (All sent to charity or recycled of course! ;-D)

So all in all, it's a little stressy around here, but the clear-out's actually really cathartic, and it's all nothing compared to Cam in exam term haha.

The job, as a press assistant with an extremely lovely bunch of people is going really well 1.5 weeks into a long haul. I'm slowly but surely learning the ropes (I think) and am loving every minute of it. I've fallen in love with quite a lot of our pre-Fall stock (including a darling little mint Acne jumper), and am absolutely knackered at the end of every very full day. I'll try to talk a bit about it in future posts, but I'm not sure at the mo how much I want to keep the blog and the job separate, so will be treading quite lightly for a while.

Woah, that's a hell of a lot of writing, so I'll sign off now... I'm also going to zero my Google Reader so I can just start again commenting on people's blogs as at the mo, the thousands of unread posts are just a tad daunting!

Photos to come tomorrow.

Love Xxxc

It's been aaaaaaaaaaaaaages!!!

2009-06-13T18:17:00.006+01:00

Hello all :-D

I'm finally free, and rested, and I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things blogging-wise... Woop!

For starters, we have the extreeeeeeeeeemely unflattering photos of me sans-makeup, sans-sleep, sans-sanity post-last exam... (See my pink keyboard that I typed all my exams on! ;-D)

I was actually the last person to finish, which kinda sucked, but now I'm done, and am leaving, and it's slightly scary but reeeeeeeeally exciting! :-D I've got a summer intern-ing to look forward to, and going home to one of the most exciting, confusing, large cities in the world, and I'm so so so happy about it. No idea what results, or the end of the summer has in store, but for the first time ever, life's plan is uncertain, and that's kinda insanely amazing.

Do I sound mad? Probably... ;-)

So anyway, since the champagne (which I'm actually allergic to, but I took piriton allergy tablets so I could celebrate traditional-style ;-D), I've basically just been sleeping... A few bits of admin here and there, but mostly snoring away!

However, last night was technically the beginning of May Week, and the fun of balls and garden parties, so I started it off with a bang at Robinson May Ball... It's one of the less formal ones, but was great fun as I went with some of my closest friends and we ate SO MUCH FOOD! Hehe.

*There had to be a twirling picture... ;-D*

Great start to the week ahead... I was wearing Jigsaw dress (shock), Wolford stockings, Kate Kuba heels, Zara clutch bag, borrowed scarf.

SO much fun. Right. I need to get changed and run to a garden party. Yay!!!

Xxxc

Sunny wanderings...

2009-06-04T15:09:00.006+01:00

Well, I'm three down, one to go on the exams front... Next one's on Tuesday, and I have to find some motivation deep within to get back into revising after crashing for a couple of days since my 3 exams in 27 hours typed with crippling pain from the RSI.

My viva 'exam' is basically going to be me bitching about the exam timetable lol. I don't think they've gone too badly overall so far, but considering in my third paper I was so knackered I could barely type, let alone form cogent arguments to the best of my ability on my best paper, so will probably get a low 2.1, when I should have got a first, is annoying to say the least.

Ah well. I've given up on the idea of a fourth year and just want to get this done so I can go home and think about jobs etc lol. Plus, most of my friends are already finished or finish in the next couple of days, so I'm really champing at the bit to be done. Then again I know nothing for Tuesday's exam, so should probably do something about that quite soon haha.

Anyhoo... Moaning aside, T-B and I did take some time out the other day to do a photoshoot, while it was still sunny ;-D

Purple days and Purple ways...

Truly low maintenance summer-ness... I'm in my trusty, slightly worse for constant wear two-tone Converse (- can't see my colour combo, but kinda jonesing for a brown and orange-tongued pair. hmmmmm -), TopShop tee and dress, Toywatch, vintage purple sunnies and my MapTote.

Funsies. It was pretty much straight from this shoot back to work... Euurggh. I really should be getting back to work tonight. Blah. I know nothing about the Anglo Saxons. Sigh. Long long long 5 days ahead. But once it's over, I have a BBQ at our dissertation coordinator / college fellow's house (he has the cutest kids) - not sure he knows quite what he's doing having 20 just-finished-finals undergrad archaeologists turning up at his house, but he's a good laugh as are all the other dept fellows who'll be there, most of whom just get drunk with us, so... Yay! First archaeology lash in a looooooooooooong time!

Then I have the WONDERS of May Week and May Balls to look forward to... (Ignoring my viva exam on the last day of May Week lol.) It's going to be weird, as pretty much everyone is going their separate ways. Slightly scary prospect really. Sigh. But that light at the end of the tunnel - Finishing - is what's keeping me going at the mo.

Sorry I'm still not around much... I'll try to amp up the posting, and get around to returning to Google Reader and returning comments sooooooooooon! I miss you guys!

Xxxc

Sleepy... But PHOTOSHOOT!!!

2009-05-28T20:02:00.004+01:00

Hey all,

Exams creep ever closer - they start with one on Monday, then two on Tuesday, then I have a week before my final final on Tuesday 9th - and I'm so unprepared. But never mind... Sleepiness pervades, but I'm just popping in to post up a photoshoot we did a few days ago.

This is one of my favourite outfits - because it is made up of my favourite charity shop find ever, some of my longest serving shoes, and the cutest cardie in my wardrobe! Sorry for the generic-streets venue. Exam term doesn't leave much time for photoshoots in the nice places - only in the bits in between! ;-)

So...

I love yellow... Really??? Never... (Captioned)

- "Alex, there are *People* around!"

- "Alex, stop taking photos like a paparazzi!"

- "Alex, I'm ignoring you!"

- "Alex, you still there?"

- "Alex, seriously, what are you doing?"

- "Alex, can I twirl with shopping bags? No? Why not?"

- "Alex, you're a meanie..."

- "Alex, whassat???"

- "Alex, there's a cute boy over there... Stop taking photos so he doesn't think I'm a tourist!"

*Please excuse the shopping bags.* We didn't quite think the order of the afternoon's activities through. I lugged these (and dragged TB) to a book launch and then for photos, for no real reason, since the supermarket is actually, technically, on the way back to college from all these places. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I'm wearing: vintage, handmade floral dress bought at Sally Ann's Salvation Army store in Cam; Pringle cardigan (the seams are stitched in pink and green, which you can't see here, but is just the cutest detail ever!); Kate Kuba suede heels; vintage, purple sunglasses; vintage, tooled leather belt; Maptote Cambridge (Mass.) bag and Lady Luck Rules OK brooch.

On that note, I really must get back to the library. Life's very dull at the moment. But got to keep going... for another two weeks. Sigh.

Then, I'll be back properly, with a vengeance ;-D

Hugs to all,

Xxxc

Images, as ever, taken by Alex Tatton-Brown. Thanks to Pamela Jane Smith.

Polka-dotted exam-crazed girl...

2009-05-22T22:30:00.007+01:00

Since it's been pretty much a week since my last post, and it's pretty self-evident that I'm being a crappy blogger whose spent the last week in the library, I'll just put up a few photos and not make any excuses. Promise!

So... Today's photoshoot:

Pleated Prettiness! Run, Run, Run!

Anyhoo. This outfit is a work-in-progress, of the Susie Bubble school of not-quite-happy-with but posting-experimentation (though her "not-quite-happy" would make me happy enough to cry ;-D).

And this work-in-process outfit is made up of: "Surprise Inn, SW3" teeshirt from the mothership's wardrobe, navy polka dot pleated skirt from Love Miss Daisy Vintage, peach tights from Topshop, Kate Kuba navy suede heels, Toywatch and my Maptote Cambridge (the Massachusets one ;-D) bag.

My life now revolves around archaeology, not clothes (sob!) so my sartorial instincts are a little off... But I'm IN LOVE with this beautiful "new" (well, vintage) pink, pleated, navy polka-dotted skirt that plopped into my pigeon hole from Love Miss Daisy Vintage last week, along with the aforementioned cocktail dress and a beeeeeeyoooooooteeeeeeeful scarf that the lovely Laura included in my parcel. Oh I Adore that site. Sigh. Not sure about having teamed the mildly unflattering teeshirt with the skirt, but never mind... It was comfy ;-D

On that note, I really need to get back to the library. I've had an hour's more break than I should have and am sleepy, so needs must, or I'll not get anything more done before bed. I will try to post more frequently, as I have another photoshoot, some Amnesty Fashion Show stuff and other bits and pieces to show you as well, but the blog's had to go on the back burner until after finals... Do keep checking in though. I may even post on the weekend... You never know!!! ;-D

Xxxc

Grey Day So We Invade Trinity

2009-05-16T23:29:00.008+01:00

Ok guys, it's a photoshoot day!!! I was going to save this 'til tomorrow, but I think the next couple of days are going to be spent in la library removing myself from the internet... No shopping. No procrastinating. Just attempting not to fail exams... At least 'til Tuesday! ;-D

But, since you're all so lovely, I thought I'd leave you with this *attempt to make the world at least pretend to be sunny and warm...*

I'm Blue! Dabadee Dabadi Dabadee Dabadi...

I just love twirling TOO much... But the skirt does FUN THINGS!!!

Gratuitous accessories love...

Pose... And TWIRL!!!

Stumbles...

Fights with tree... And giggles.

Oops! Sorry Tree!

Lost.

Hop, skip and a jump... But not quite home!

As you can see, the sun has decided to desert Cambridge for the time being... I'm trying to keep in the sunny feeling, by wearing bright colour, but I have a feeling all this spring chicken energy may sap away the longer this grey dreary spell continues. Let's keep our fingers crossed tomorrow brightens up!!!

The location for this shoot was Trinity, which is the college next door to mine... We're supposed to be mortal enemies.

Trinity has canons pointed at John's!!!

No Kidding!

In this shoot, I'm wearing a GAP tee and GAP men's cardigan, vintage skirt, Accessorize and confirmation present bracelets, vintage tooled leather belt, Melissa for Vivienne Westwood T-Bar Mary Janes, ToyWatch and Anya Hindmarch woven clutch.

So, that's today... I'm well behind on an essay, and rather sleepy, but never mind!

I've mostly spent the day admin-ing and searching for the perfect Stepford Wife half-apron with Angie (@Norwegian_Wood) via Twitter and Etsy. I got a new haul from Love Miss Daisy Vintage today, including a raspberry pink cocktail dress that just *screams* silly themed dinner party... WOOP! for post-exam planning! My current favourites for the job of *my apron* are these:

from Serendipity Treasures and phase three

from Boojiboo

from Spice Rak Designs

Also from Spice Rak Designs, and currently very much the favourite... Hmmmmm.

I was thinking I could attempt to make my own, but THE LEMONS ONE IS SO DAMN BLAST PRETTY!!!

Thoughts, comments and suggestions are welcome. I'm also looking for a hair tutorial (youtube?) for 50s Stepford Wife hair:

Definitely thinking about this waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much... Hehe.

Oh, and one final thing:

Can we all express the LOVE for T-B's teeshirt...??? (From teetonic.com - they have a girl's version in lilac too!)

Hehe. The boy done good.

Night all!

Xxxc

more musings on lookbook inspiration... because i should be doing other things

2009-05-15T23:15:00.004+01:00

Though I had a lovely evening out in Will's company, eating sushi, planning summer jaunts to Venice, and generally putting the world to rights, I'm just a bit out of sorts. In honesty, I'm bone-deep-tired, seriously emotionally raked-over-the-coals, slightly (ok, horrendously) scared about impending exam doom, and seemingly incapable of getting up at a reasonable time in the morning at the moment... So not really happy skippy and photoshoot-y. Maybe this weekend!

So instead, I'm going to share with you a few Lookbook.nu inspirations again. I know... Unoriginal ;-D

- Just so simple... I love the shoes and that jumper is just too cute!

- Can I please BE this girl? That backdrop is to die for and the dress KILLS!

- So cute. I love the skirt and the sweet head tilt...

- Fierce. I keep wondering about red converse. They can be hard to pull off, but done SO well here!

- I always love this girl's stuff... She has such adorable outfits, and the illustrations really float my whimsical boat. Gorgeous.

So, there you have it: the things inspiring me this evening.

Oh, and These Mark Leibowitz photos from backstage at Galliano are Just Breathtaking!!!

I should be revising statues in 5th century Constantinople... Sigh.

Toodles!!!

Xxxc

Vintage Loveliness, Family Goodness and Inspirational Architecture...

2009-05-14T14:00:00.012+01:00

I have mentioned a couple of times in the last week or so that it was my confirmation on Sunday. It was lovely as my parents, several close family friends and my godparents came down to attend, and, of course, my best friend was there, as always.

Getting confirmed while at uni was really important to me, as if I go into academia, I'll most likely do church history or theology, so being involved in college chapel life is a big part of what has made this year really, truly, one to remember. We have *the most gorgeous* early George Gilbert Scott designed chapel, adorned with truly beautiful carvings and a roof covered in paintings of obscure saints - this means I spend most of my time in there, neck craned back, staring at the ceiling, trying to identify the saints above me based on my very crude knowledge of iconography!

Anyway, enough about that, here's the photos of *the dress* I wore... which is far more important ;-D

Me, chattering away about something. Looking rather pale, but that's usual, so not giving away my completely shattering - physically and emotionally - previous 48 hours... Oh, the WONDERS of MAC concealer and foundation, NARS blusher and Max Factor mascara ;-D

These were all taken in the lovely gardens, overlooking the Cam, of the Master's Lodge in college... (The mothership is in green and my daddy is the big guy between Will and me.)

Since, I believe, it was Mother's Day *everywhere except the UK* quite recently, I thought I'd show you a picture of my mother and I... She's my rock and my confidante. I am quite a daddy's girl too, but I couldn't do without talking to my mum most days. Silly huh. She and I are quite different but equally, we are *exactly* the same in so many ways... Though she's far more *chic* than I could ever be! Something to do with the rail thin, ex-model / alpha-female, senior-partner-lawyer thing lol. I also find the deathly pale vs. healthily tanned / nut-brown from 2 seconds in the sun contrast hilarious... Shows what years living in Jamaica will do ;-D

This is probably my favourite picture... Sitting between the two men in my life may have been a bad plan... ;-) Hilarious!

This silky floral shift dress is *absolutely* my favourite thing in my wardrobe now... It's vintage from the 1960s and, as far as I can tell, handmade. I love the subtle, wide boat neckline, the high waist (- mine falls higher than average, so "waisted" stuff often looks crap on me -) and the unusual colours - the orange flowers matched my watch and nails ;-D. It was perfect for the weather and the ceremony (though it was covered up by a massive floaty white piece of cotton - a surplice - for the service - all members of college have to wear one on Sundays, Saints Days and for special services like this one... It's just college variant academic gowns for others!)

I got the dress from a website called Love Miss Daisy Vintage, which I have to say, is probably the best online vintage emporium in terms of service and quality I've so far encountered. They have some really beautiful pieces, in great condition and which are extremely good value - prices range from £18 to £100+ for dresses... I stalk their new uploads most days, and yearn for quite a large percentage of things! Today, I gave in and ordered a skirt and completely unneccesary cocktail dress to compensate for the pain of revising the 1948 UN convention on Prevention and Punishment of Genocide! Laura of LMD is so so lovely, and you can add her on twitter (@LMDvintage ) to ask questions and just generally chatter! :-D This site is *seriously* worth your time, and they're featured in quite a few magazines and on celebs so the stuff is only going to get *hotter*! I'm greatly amused by the fact that my new dress is going to be in the July issue of Woman & Home hehe.

Thanks tonnes to the Novelista Barista, who gave me an award yesterday!

She has a really lovely blog, so you really should all check it out. I think the rules run to something like - I'm supposed to give out 15 of these, but I'm just going to give it to the people who immediately spring to mind, irrespective of numbers :-D

So, Claire, Laura, Winnie, Tina, Liz and Casey... Have this award, you are all AMAZING!

Also, thanks to everyone who commented such lovely things on the last post... The location was in fact, not a castle or park, but one part of the (massive) gardens of my college, down by a stream-tributary of the River Cam. It's my new favourite place as it's sheltered from the wind and covered in daisies! Nice place to revise on a warm day :-D

Right... Talkking of revising, I should be doing that now...

Xxxc

New Day, New Sun, New Photoshoot!!!

2009-05-12T22:10:00.008+01:00

Hello all,

I'm still terribly behind and about to get more so as "exam fear" hits... Please bear with me while I try to balance huge amounts of work for finals with retaining a presence in the blogosphere. Will try to post 3 or 4 times a week still, but might remain behind on my Google Reader and replying to comments for a while. It's not that I don't love you and really appreciate you all commenting, but I just can't find the time to do everything! :-(

Anyway, apologetic rambling (it's getting to be a habit now...) over, it's time for A NEW PHOTOSHOOT!!!

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do. I'm half crazy, oh for the love of yoooooou!

The outfit today was far simpler than usual. Or at least not as crazily coloured/patterned! It was sunny so out came the legs, and I've been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster since Friday, so I needed some sartorially-induced-equilibrium...

I'm wearing a Zara top - bought in Florence, GAP men's cardigan, very old TopShop denim skirt, 2-tone Converse, vintage purple sunglasses, one of my myriad, anonymous tote bags containing revision for post-shoot, belly dancer's bell belt from Nomads in Cam and the interlinked, silver and gold, cast-hearts bangle I was given by my godparents for my confirmation... And my new favourite nail polish, which, in case anyone was wondering, is Manga from Miss Sporty!

In case anyone was wondering where I'd got to since the last post, I was in Oxford. I got to spend a bit of Saturday with the Lovely Lovely Claire from The View From Here, who has been my longest running commenter and blog friend, and we finally - after about 2 years - got around to meeting up when I was conference-ing in her uni town!

We had an absolutely lovely few hours, sipping fancy fizzy drinks and munching chocolate coated coffee beans in "The Vaults" and then went shopping around town. She got some lovely things, including a gorgeous blue zipped top that I covet TREMENDOUSLY. I managed to be hugely indecisive and not quite fit perfectly into the couple of things I almost got. But we had a FANTASTICALLY lovely time. I managed to be out of it enough to leave the photography up to her - I really was Completely sleep-deprived, (see earlier rollercoaster comment and below photo - zombie!) and wish I could have been more on top form, but it was an excellent few hours spent in each others company, gossiping and getting excited about clothes together. Both of us will admit we're definitely solitary shoppers usually, but rather enjoyed the bloggers-together experience... At Last! Someone who understands! Someone who gets the need to be adventurous and who sees all the possibilities inherent in clothes! She's also covered the day on her blog, with pics of her purchases and an even less awake, touristy photo of me! (In case anyone was wondering, I was wearing a C&C California tee I bought in NY about 5 years ago which has held up SO well, a GAP men's cardie, an ICB silk pleated skirt, the fabled lace tights and Kate Kuba white leather boots mentioned in Claire's blog post...)

*Thanks Claire... Here's to our next jaunt! ;-D*

So a good weekend... My confirmation also went swimmingly, and I had a blast with all my family down. I was wearing my New Favourite Dress which I will endeavour to post if any of the photos came out well, and if they ever make it to me - they're on the parental camera...

Wish I had more energy, but I think that's all for tonight! I've become someone who goes to bed before midnight... Scary times!!! ;-)

Hugs,

Xxxc