Exams over... At last

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

Radish Delight

I'm not a big fan of radishes as a rule...

They're bitter and hurt my tongue...

On a dress, however...

I think I'm in Love.

Wearing - ASOS radish print dress, charcoal lace up boots from Office, purple tights that were, for some unknown reason, stuffed in my pigeon hole (- when I had one, in 2nd year, as president of the theatre technician's association -) at the ADC Theatre and my trusty ToyWatch. When I went outside, I covered up with my (unseen) massive, comfy charcoal knit long cardigan that I filched from the mothership's wardrobe too long ago to remember... Click on the picture to see it bigger - the print is uber-cute and uber-wierd up close!

These pics amuse me... I look so darn crazeeeeee. Look! Insane glint in my eye? Steely set to my insanely strong jaw? Purple tights indicating I'm ready to attack any second? Stompy boots to kick my enemies out the way?

Oh yeah. Only I can see something fierce in the radish dress too... Radishes? They're like weapons of mass destruction right?

Hehe. Silliness (that I totally understand if you don't get... Don't think I understand the last two paragraphs ;-D) aside: I tried my best, but couldn't quite keep my new-on-today arm strapping out of the picture, so on the left pic, some white tape creeps around my arm. Sorry about that! Went to the physio this morning, and felt optimistic about my various joint-related ailments for the first time in ages... All the typing on an ergonomically unsound laptop has really aggrivated the damaged ulnar nerve in my right arm, but my amazing physio came up with some really helpful strategies to cope with the rest of exam term, and did some pressure point release therapy for my shoulder which has been getting really cramped to overcompensate for the fact my right arm just doesn't work properly.

I guess, what I'm trying to say is, don't type too much on your laptop! Everyone can have problems - not just totally broken me - especially in your back... from typing too much on laptops! They're like the worse thing ever for your neck and spine!

I'm doing the next best thing from getting a new desktop PC ( - hahaha, who can afford a new computer at the moment? - ) and both putting mine on a pile of books to raise my head and getting a separate keyboard and a mouse to go with it to try to reduce the flare-up of arm issues. It's bad enough in three hour exams when my arm goes dead every hour, on the hour, (for which I get legitimate extra time) without my fingers not working pre-exam due to typing on a computer that I shouldn't be working with!

I have to admit... The keyboard and mouse that is currently on its way to me, is not exactly standard. It may be incredibly, sillily girly.

Yes. This is the keyboard set I bought to assist my arm-recovery:

How cute is that?!?! (If you're equally enamoured, find it here.) Haha. Big change from the FIERCE-girl of yesterday eh! ;-D

So... Lecture over...

Two savings-codes today! And they're for reasonably priced but uber-kwl things!

Does anyone like Motel dresses? I got this email from their online shop, Motel Rocks this afternoon, giving people 20% off in their store JUST THIS EVENING so if you like something, type in easter20 at the checkout to get that discount!

Quite enamoured with these, and if I wasn't holding off on any more internet shopping 'til all the returns I've put in the post the past week clear, I'd be in there like a shot - especially that mesh back dress!

Also, the jewellery shop Lady Luck Rules OK are having a Secret Sale... Any purchases from the Fun Rocker Jewellery and Cute Accessories collections are 20% off if you enter the code CHEEPCHEEP at the checkout! That one ends MIDNIGHT (GMT) Easter Monday...

I'm rather enamoured with the "Playmates" necklaces and brooches, and am trying very very hard not to get me some!!!

I've also had a bit of a thing for the love letter from Paris and the bronze kodak camera necklaces for a while...

Sigh.

Xxxc

P.s. Find fashionable apparel and so much more online. No need to even leave the comfort of your own home. The best part is, they're for wholesale clothing prices!

FIERCE!!! in Studs and House of Holland... (And more savings-fun)

Well, since I managed to have a panic attack at 3am last night, I decided there was nothing for it but to get through my pyramid studs! 

So here are the jeans... DIYed! 

There weren't Quite enough studs to finish a pocket, but almost... I think they're wearable without 'finishing ( - I was going to do a full half pocket - ) if not quite kwl as they are!

I took the whole pocket off, as I preferred the slightly neater look, and unlike in the Jak and Jil photo, black denim just doesn't have the same look, frayed and torn apart!

So... What do y'all think?

I was glad to have these this morning, as it was my first day out and about, working in the University Library - ok, only for a few hours, but still! - rather than in my own room... It felt good, not to float around, as is my usual want, but to stalk around town in black denim and an oversize crrraaaazeeeeeeee tee-shirt from House of Holland... (Claire - this is the one I got in my first foray into Cocosa!) Otherwise, I'm wearing Kate Kuba suede and faux snakeskin shoes and the ribbon of a net-a-porter box as a belt!!! Hehe. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and all that! ;-D

I'm already trying to think of what to do next! (After the AA tees and the Mick Jagger one which may take a while to get here anyway, and ribbons may be a long term plan too...)

I was on Koodos today - they're having an up-to-80%off-sale at the mo on brands like Sara Berman, 7 for all Mankind, T-Bags dresses, Miss Sixty, Betty Jackson, Maria Grachvogel - to name a few - too...

And I saw these:

They are Superfine jeans down from £250 to £60!!! Though my bank account's running fairly low at the moment, at least for purchases over the £10 mark... and I thought... what about trying to stud chevrons onto my black jeans...? Might try and find another pair and do it in gold, but it seems like a fun, if slightly more intermediate plan than the ones I've been making so far...

Any thoughts? Maybe I should hold off on studding everything is sight tho... Hehe.

In other recession-friendly-sales-and-discounts-news:

1) the Tate (museums) online shop is offering a 10% discount with the code 10%Twitter09 - so tempted by the Rodchenko and Popova hammer and sickle scarf still, but my purse will be remaining in pocket, as I know that I get the same discount - without postage - at home due to my discount, but it's a really good deal! I'd also recommend the brooch and tote bag from that range and I'm wierdly attracted to this children's bag:

I just want to cut off those backpack straps and add some felt handles to make it into a cute but eccentric bag to take somewhere like the next Planet Angel party I get to... (For those that don't know, Planet Angel is like a rave, but more hippy... and is a secret... so Shhhhhhh. But I gave you the link, so you can have a look... I haven't been for ages and am SO looking forward to going every month in the summer! Before you write me off as a hard-partying-druggie, I'll put my hands up and say I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do ANY drugs... I just get hyper on sugar and dance... Lots... and Lots... and then throw some glitter at people...)

- back to savings now -

2) Hervia.com - Vivienne Westwood's online shop - is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders OVER £68 until Midnight, Monday 13th April...

3) Don't forget Hervia's current Melissa for Vivienne Westwood shoes, for which the discount code MEL02 still applies, until MIDDAY TOMORROW (Thursday 9th April)!

4) UK Members-only sales

a) SecretSales - quite low end mostly, but they do currently have some Herve Leger dresses reduced massively (talking 2 grand to 350 quid) and good jeans sales...

b) BrandAlley - great sunglasses, had Melissa's for £20 the other day... lots of tat but also lots of gems!

c) Cocosa.com - the creme de la creme of online members-only hand-picked sample sales... From House of Holland to Allegra Hicks to Matthew Williamson (clothes), Bex Rox and Laura Lee jewellery, Hunter wellies, Loewe and Pauric Sweeney bags PLUS competitions for jewellery / bags / events etc. AMAZING doesn't begin to describe the discounts on here...

If you want membership, then follow and message me on twitter @cassiopeiadoes so we can private message emails, or comment (with ur email inc'd) on here specifying which one. I'll then send you the code for joining or send invite emails! I won't deny I get vouchers for recommending people and especially on Cocosa, that's an immense thing lol. (I'm on another new one, but it hasn't opened yet so will post that when I know more...)

5) Acne online shop has just opened an IMMENSE outlet store - we're talking 50-70% discount on really great stuff! Go here.

6) ASOS - code that I'm unsure about working... APRILDELIVER gets free delivery on orders over £50. Apparently. It didn't work when I tried, but that was the day that ASOS was malfunctioning a lot...

*Phew!*

Deep breath. That was a lot. Thanks for bearing with me... I should really go finish the case study I've been working on all day...

"ox bones... blah blah... ritual deposits... blah blah... monumentalising landscape... lalala... burnt bits of daub... ???... contiguously sequenced buildings... ooooh! bird flew past... ritual continuity... ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!"

It's not that bad, but I'll be so so so glad when this dissertation's over!

*** Sorry this post seems to be all about "promotions" - it's not supposed to be, but I got excited about them all, so thought you might like them too, especially given people's reaction to other 'deals' I've posted... Maybe I'll try to do a weekly save post? Do you want me to? Not sure how long it'd be most weeks, but I can do my best to unearth lots of discounts... If you want? ***

Let me know!

Xxxc

Studstudstudstudstudstudstudstud... etc.

So today, I got a bit of a DIY-bug... The brainstorm was mainly as I received (and ordered more) studs to play with today. These are just silver stars and pyramid studs, which I’m using on denim...

First 'play' was with a Top Shop layered frill denim skirt that I studded with a smattering of stars... Mainly for clubbing wear as I’m not this skirt’s biggest fan, but it was on its way out, so thought – in the interests of reduce, reuse, recycle – to do this instead:

Outfit is TopShop denim skirt, H&M white vest, M&S grey lace vest, M&S silver pumps and GAP baby blue men's cardigan...

The pyramid studs are currently being used to convert my 5 year old, rather shabby, black Cheap Monday skinny jeans into something along the lines of this:

 from Jak and Jil blog

Not exactly original, but looking okay so far... Another piece of denim I'd consigned to the 'rarely-wear' part of my wardrobe. They remind me far too much of my 17 year old self, head over heels in love with a blonde, blue-eyed, Harrow(School)-boy-metal-head lol. He liked them as they were the only thing in my wardrobe that was black! Hehe. Not much has changed eh. Except maybe my taste in men... So hopefully this'll give them a new lease of life other than being worn when there's no other option ;-D - I'll post pics when they're done.

I also ordered some skull-shaped studs and coloured (purple and baby blue) pyramids that I'm going to try to persuade myself to use on my beloved AA purple tri-blend tee... I might have to buy a double of it tho. Or get a blue one and play with That! Oh the possibilities!!!

Don't know if my heart can take the risk otherwise! ;-D  Yeeeek! I'm getting all these from the AMAZING ebay seller denk_universe who I cannot recommend enough... They're really quick for shipping, cheap compared to other retailers, and just generally really sweet! Plus the Mexican stamps on my package are just Too Kwl!

Sigh. They're even 'Tajin, Mexico, ARQUEOLOGIA' stamps... How fitting!?!?!? 

:-D

I think the skull studs are going to be used for a project along these lines:

- I'm currently waiting for this tee-shirt from voltage.vox on ebay... and I reckon, if I use the studs to attach (along with some sturdy invisible stitching) some velvet ribbon to the sides to pull it in at the waist it could be really fit! I ordered a medium to get some length and loose-ness around the shoulders and neck (which I'll probably cut out anyway ;-D). Thoughts on colour for the ribbon? I haven't been in VV Rouleaux for aaaaages and I can't quite bring myself to buy online as their shops are Such Fun... So this one might have to wait til after I've been home.

In other news... 

I was supposed to be 'smart' and on box office today, so in the ultimate boring outfit, I'm workin' my amazingly amazing grey Acne jeans - I buy a new pair every year in their brilliant online sales lol and they're the only jeans I wear... Slightly different washes, but always Hep style and grey! Unoriginal much. But I suppose I don't wear jeans much, so these do the job and go from casual to smart rather well. Plus a vintage Jaeger silk shirt (missing a couple of buttons - *note to self: replace them before Mother, whose shirt it was originally, cottons on!*), black M&S pumps and necklace from Etsy, yeeeeeeears ago... I got to their shop after a tip from SusieBubble (and I think, from Queen Michelle too, but can't find that post...) - Paraphenalia was the name, but they don't seem to be on there anymore, which is a Crying Shame!

Right... That was supposed to be a short post. Ha ha ha.

Back to the dissertation-grind!!!

Xxxc

P.s. Thank you so so so so so much for all the amazing comments on yesterday's blog post. I was having a really really really bad day (yesterday and today), and they got me through... Hugs. You're all immense!

*Edit* Paraphenalia can now be found at http://shop.paraphernalia.nu/ - thanks to Rebecca of The Clothes Horse for that!!!

The Weekend of London Lovliness Series - #1

As I said... This weekend, at the boat race, we did a photoshoot.

Although I said the photos would be in limbo, T-B has come through for me, and since there are a few different aspects that I want to show off, I'm going to break down the shoot-posts into three 5-picture parts... # 1 is the photo shoot itself, # 2 is inspiring images of the surrounding area and # 3 is detail shots.

I'm going to do them interspersed with posts about my former life as a costume wench at the ADC theatre in Cambridge, so bear with me this week! Hopefully there'll be plenty for you to enjoy feasting your eyes on, and I'll try to find interesting things to say about it all ;-D

So...

Step 1) Ignore boat race. Hug instead.

Step 2) Go home and dance in the streets

Step 3) Admire motorbikes.

Step 4) Have fun with reflections

Step 5) Strike a pose. In. Vogue. (Well, almost...)

It was a great day, and thanks to all involved in that. Not only was the exhibit in the morning one of the best museum trips I've ever had, but my friends at the boat race were on top form, and taking T-B to my childhood-home bit of London - Chelsea. 

We moved to a more suburban area when I was school age, but due to friends and family, most of my formative memories are here... It's where I am most comfortable. Our flat was above a quite famous pub on the even more famous King's Road - where Vivienne Westwood had her SEX shop...

In a Susie-Bubble-esque shops-googlemaps-venture, on a smaller, much more personal scale, I created my London Life-Map (1 - Chelsea). Hopefully I'll do some more soon, but here's for starters... 
View Larger Map 

- when you click to a larger map, you need to go up and to the left slightly if you can't see any of the pins or the KR - for some reason it sometimes decentres... -

Going back in the midst of stressy dissertation time was a breath of fresh air.

Anyway... on the day I was wearing Adidas patent basketball shoes - bought in Paris with my mum on a girlie holiday last year, the Topshop tights, the purple leather skirt from Rokit, blue GAP tee, GAP shell pink cardigan, scarf from charity shop in Rochester, Toy Watch, purple leather flower cuff from ARK, Rodchenko and Popova exhibition brooch (detail forthcoming in #3), Dolce and Gabbana red patent clutch bag, Paul Costelloe coat...

Oh, and my AIDS day ribbon that I refuse to take off. I'm Cambridge's student's union executive Sexual Health and HIV Awareness officer, so wearing it is part of my job description as well as being for a cause I really believe in. It's so so important... Have a look at CAMFED - a campaign to educate girls in rural Africa and help them gain economic independence after leaving school in a bid to end their poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS. It's a really amazing cause!

Until next time chicas!

Xxxc

Back and Refreshed...

Hello! (Note the bright and breezy greeting...)

I'm back from an uber-refreshing few days away in Canterbury... It was great; filled with plenty of sightseeing, a few choral concerts, a day at the beach, fish and chips on the sea front, several films (I love Kung Fu Panda!), a bit of ferocious debate, much good food, and great company.

And so I'm now returned to Cambridge ready to tackle my dissertation. 

I am Shi-Fu, and Po is those 10,000 words of well-argued, to-the-point discussion of Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity... Ka-POW!!!

Honest!

T-B is off home tomorrow, but we managed a photo-shoot this afternoon, so he could procrastinate from packing and I could put off beginning my slog through the venerableBede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum. 

I've decided to have it finished by Tuesday... 

Never. Going. To. Happen.

So we wandered through town, venturing first to the 'tourist spot' of the Corpus Clock on King's Parade... It's new this year and apparently really kwl in the way it was made, but I just like the grasshopper "eating time" and the fact that the tick-tock is supposed to sound like a "chain dropping into a coffin". Hehe. 

Then we wandered through a few graveyards... I like the typography on old gravestones!

And finally, back to college where we admired the college chapel and Lady Margaret Beaufort got me in a whistful mood...

And I got a bit excited about marble...

And we stole Sunday's surplices to play with!

Surplice aside, I'm wearing a black Lux (from UrbanOutfitters) top, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel cardigan, purple leather vintage skirt from Rokit, black stockings - too old to be id'd though knowing my buying habits, and the fact that they're not seamed, I'd put money on them being Wolford Satin Touch, M&S black ballet pumps, Primark bag, an ironstone necklace - a present from a cousin in Australia, and my Toy Watch.

Oh what fun...

Got to love the holidays!

Xxxc

hypothetically...

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

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

Choices choices...

1) Purple or Red?

2) Luella or Marc by Marc Jacobs?

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

Please understand that this is therapeutic wishing. 

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

Yes, I am That Much in denial.

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

The teeshirts and bags are from net-a-porter

On another note...

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

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

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

At least that's what I'm saying.

Shout at me if I post too much.

Clothes are my escape.

I need to not escape.

No time.

However... 

In the interests of content per post... 

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

Like now...

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

I think they're in LOVE magazine.

Rave reviews but haven't read it yet.

These photos are up on his site though...

This one's my favourite:

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

Right. I must stop blogging now. 

3 minutes to midnight. 

Sugar.

Xxxc

Why oh why do there have to be so many amazing onine shops out there?

Latest craze...

Luisa Via Roma. Bryan Boy kindly pointed out that the last chance sale was on. Joyous.

Cue a little while agonising. A 'one item only' buying at 70% markdown. And a lot of wishlist-ing.

Here's my two favourites that didn't make the cut... D&G scarf and beautiful LVR shoesies! Sob.


Xxxc

Gotta Love the Sart!!!

Here are a few of the Sartorialist's posts at Style.com that I'm LOVING... Got to love Fashion-Week styles. Such variety makes my head go whirly, and they really give food for thought!

- Simple. Scarf. Want.

- Pink. Pop. Blue. Pop. Yum.

- Forest green + Wine-dark-purple + Sunniest yellow! (Admittedly on someone else.) Great colour combination that will haunt me for WEEKS!!!

- Denim ahoy. Just so casual, yet sweet. I'm reeeeeeeeally getting the roll-ups and hat vibe...

- Again. Purple. Pop. Blue. Pop. Yellow. Pop. PLUS. Turban magic + Roll-Ups. Sigh. Heaven. Yum. Overload.

;-D

Xxxc

Bejewelled and Bedazzled

So I've had a PINK week.

I had a few nights out in pink stash, and it is HIDEOUS shape-wise. Pink-wise, it's great, but REALLY not remotely flattering. 

So I've had to accessorise and pin to have it REMOTELY wearable!

Now, this particular necklace is part of my growing collection of statement pieces that I think you might be seeing more of over the upcoming weeks and months...

1) My pearl choker, the pink and purple jewels from above and my 'turkish artwork' that has seedpod bells, of all things, dangling from the bottom making AMAZING noises!!!

2) My Ironstone upside-down-pyramid necklace...

WOOP! Xxxc