After an extended blogging break, I’m feeling frisky and ready to tell it how it is. This post is dedicated to all of you out there with naturally curly hair who would love to try out a straight slinky fringe of Claudia Winkleman proportions. You may have fought bravely with a pair of hair straighteners and either lost or felt that naturally curly hair is better than crimped and fried hair.
13 Mar 2014
Get Creative With Your Fringe
After an extended blogging break, I’m feeling frisky and ready to tell it how it is. This post is dedicated to all of you out there with naturally curly hair who would love to try out a straight slinky fringe of Claudia Winkleman proportions. You may have fought bravely with a pair of hair straighteners and either lost or felt that naturally curly hair is better than crimped and fried hair.
Labels:photos
Trends Spring/Summer,
Writing
12 Nov 2013
Visiting Brighton In The Rain
It's not often I visit somewhere soggy and grey with the wind howling up my skirt and don't feel like running to the nearest café and bolting the door, but Brighton is different it has this strange effect, of making you feel like you are on the set of some magic show, which leaves you feeling curiouser and curiouser . Everywhere I looked smiling visitors and locals, coated in thin plastic macs were skidding around the shiny boards of Brighton Pier. Dodging in and out of amusement arcades and sitting on the shingle beach eating pale fat chips doused in vinegar,
waiting to be blasted by the sound of another wave crashing onto the beach. After the frustration of trying to capture a giant one-eyed furry yellow minion with a useless/rigged metal claw, it felt like the right time for a game of mega air hockey, my winning streak back,
Christmas shopping was next on my list. I found some leopard print soaps in Heals, a whoopee cushion in a sweet brown vintage box (there are little people in my life) pop art, cartoon ceramic cups, with phrases like Zap and Pow in pink and purple and some Choccywoccydoodah activity books.
Christmas shopping was next on my list. I found some leopard print soaps in Heals, a whoopee cushion in a sweet brown vintage box (there are little people in my life) pop art, cartoon ceramic cups, with phrases like Zap and Pow in pink and purple and some Choccywoccydoodah activity books.
I wanted a giant felt robin and a stripy Christmas mitten, but decided to calm my Christmas shopping fever by experiencing the Zen of Brighton's eastern inspired pavilion. You're not allowed to take photographs inside, but I managed to snap it's fairy tale peaks peeping out of some trees. Whatever you do, if you ever go to Brighton, visit Brighton Royal
Pavilion!
Some people get goose bumps listening to music. I get goose bumps about unusual buildings and clothing and this place gave me a lot! It was a real Charlie and the Chocolate factory moment when I stepped into the entrance, the first things I noticed were giant chandeliers suspended by huge carved dragons, blindingly bright emerald green and yellow walls. Bamboo everywhere, including the banisters that ran up the side of the grand staircase, nodding Chinese figures and ornate hand knotted pink and gold silk rugs, but what I love most about it, none of this was taken from a real idea of the East. The Palace was never intended to last, it was created for the Prince Regent to inspire playfulness, based on the designer's brief to recreate the east and fun loving Brighton sprung up around it. If your lucky and it's not too busy you can have high tea upstairs, check out the tea pot! If you fancy freezing your bum off and sampling the delights of the Pav you can find out more here.
Labels:photos
Christmas,
Christmas gifts,
lifestyle,
travel
31 Oct 2013
Halloween At Choccywoccydoodah
I finally got to make my long-awaited pilgrimage to Choccywoccydoodah in Brighton the makers of all things fun-loving and chocolate. I was on a mission in my camper to pick up one of the house style birthday cakes, but first I had to try to penetrate through the thick gloopy gauze of cobwebs that had been lovingly draped over this year's Halloween display in their shop window; devotees of the Choccy series will know that nearly all the Choccy family
(sorry these are real humans I'm referring to, not hollow chocolate figures wrapped in foil) are dog owners, so some how chocolate dogs, including my favourite Westy and French poodles with a full head of marshmallow curls always seem to feature in every window display theme alongside other shamazing creations that Dave the head designer has sculpted, such as this years chocolate graveyard.
Did you do anything fun this Halloween?
(sorry these are real humans I'm referring to, not hollow chocolate figures wrapped in foil) are dog owners, so some how chocolate dogs, including my favourite Westy and French poodles with a full head of marshmallow curls always seem to feature in every window display theme alongside other shamazing creations that Dave the head designer has sculpted, such as this years chocolate graveyard.
Did you do anything fun this Halloween?
Labels:photos
lifestyle
17 Oct 2013
Tartan
I'm not sure if it's because I'm half Scottish that I get so sentimental about tartan, but I like that this fabric always manages to be edgy but reassuring homespun at the same time, and as long as you have plenty of black in your wardrobe, you can never go wrong with tartan pants or a skirt.
Labels:photos
Accessories,
fashion,
Writing
16 Oct 2013
My Passport to Style | Reviews Moroccan Bazaar
10 Oct 2013
My Passport to Style | Influential Trends A/W13
This is a proud moment, if ever us bloggers have been influential,
it was clearly visible on the A/W 13 runways where maxed out layers ruled supreme,
any blogger worth her salt has perfected the art of piling on layers of fabric to add texture and
interest. We learnt it from the best in the business Susie Lau.
I’m not sure about the trend for only buying half a coat ( because the rest has been skilfully lopped off, with a very expensive pair of shears) somehow it doesn't feel like money well spent, but I’m keen to emulate some of the artful tucks, luxe folds and fabric clashes as paraded on the A/W13 catwalk shows.
Thankfully, hourglass gals like me can celebrate that curve hugging pieces have not been wiped from the face of the high street just yet by heavy pleated pants and thick slouchy coats as we are all encouraged to man up.
After spending a pretty frustrating morning trying to pare down (read cram) the contents of four rails of clothing into my very small glossy black closet, I rediscovered a 50’s inspired shift dress that I could wear with an old khaki cropped roll neck layered over it, to transform it into a wiggle skirt, result!
I’m not sure about the trend for only buying half a coat ( because the rest has been skilfully lopped off, with a very expensive pair of shears) somehow it doesn't feel like money well spent, but I’m keen to emulate some of the artful tucks, luxe folds and fabric clashes as paraded on the A/W13 catwalk shows.
Thankfully, hourglass gals like me can celebrate that curve hugging pieces have not been wiped from the face of the high street just yet by heavy pleated pants and thick slouchy coats as we are all encouraged to man up.
After spending a pretty frustrating morning trying to pare down (read cram) the contents of four rails of clothing into my very small glossy black closet, I rediscovered a 50’s inspired shift dress that I could wear with an old khaki cropped roll neck layered over it, to transform it into a wiggle skirt, result!
*mages courtesy of vogue*
25 Sept 2013
Boring Beauty Routines Versus Beautiful Obsessions
When it comes to maintaining high standards of grooming aka our French cousins, I can be a bit slack as we head into autumn and start to show less skin. My slightly ambitious summer head to toe body care regime (don’t snigger) goes down the plug hole to use a favourite northern expression.
I prefer to indulge in a long fuss free wallow in the bath instead or hit the snooze button rather than jump out of bed and reach for a hard bristle brush equivalent to a broom in texture to whisk away my dead skin cells.
21 Sept 2013
Perfect Your Posh Pout With Beauty UK
Jumbo lip crayons are tres fashionable right now so if you don't yet have some in your pencil case/makeup bag go and sit on the naughty step. Apart from being fashionable. What is it about these chubby buddies that makes them so loveable and popular? Well, I put it down to a few things; they are rather cute, a breeze to hold and control, not as heavy as a lipstick but offer more colour pay off than a gloss, and the good ones are moisture rich with plenty of pigments that last, what's not to like?
Labels:photos
beauty
15 Sept 2013
2013 Vintage By The Sea Event - Celebrates 80 Years Of The Midland Hotel
What did you get up to yesterday? I spent three hours, deciding which vintage-inspired look I should wear, (based on our very unpredictable British weather) for my invitation to Wayne Hemingway's event, Vintage By The Sea. I finally decided on a Ben de Lisi 50s inspired, linen wiggle dress, a bright blue linen coat with chunky black buttons and ruffles on the front and a small black patent, boxy, grab bag.
Outfit sorted, camera and brolly packed, I wiggled my way down to the train station. Ten minutes later I was enjoying lovely views of Morecambe bay, whilst I tottered along the prom to the Midland. I love visiting the Midland hotel and taking in all its creamy art-deco curves and lines. It was nice to see it overflowing with people and all thing's vintage, from Punch and Judy shows; classic cars and ice-cream vans to glam gals wearing red lipstick and seamed stockings.
I managed to pick up a vintage bargain inside at one of the vintage clothing stores a malteeser coloured mock croc clutch. I was very tempted to have a full retro hair and make over at Guys, and Dolls pop up salon seeing some of the starlets emerging from a mist of Elnett hair spray, but I decided to save my money for a visit to the Routunda bar and a date with Elvis (well his music really) a chip butty made with smoke butter and a butterscotch Daiquiri which was every bit as dreamy as it sounds.
Sadly, I didn't get to chat to Wayne about his American Indian wrestling father Billy Two Rivers, or the many crazy outfits he got to model as a child on Morecambe prom created by his mum and his nan, or to ask how he felt about moving out of fashion and into design on a much bigger scale, but if I had of done, I would have wanted to thank him for throwing such a great 80th birthday party for the Midland Hotel and Morecambe his hometown.
13 Sept 2013
Wayne Hemingway Hosts Vintage By The Sea In Morecambe
If you have heard of British designer Wayne Hemingway MBE you will
probably know he is viewed a little like the Godfather of vintage in the UK and set up his fashion label Red or Dead in London in 1982 with his wife
Geraldine.
A custard tart or butter pie might be more his cup of tea
than a bowl of Italian spaghetti and meatballs as he was born in the small seaside town of
Morecambe, famous for its sunsets and art deco hotel, which luckily for me is
just up the road.
Whether you have heard of Mr Hemingway’s label Red or Dead
or not, you might be interested to know he will be hosting one of his famous yearly vintage bashes not in London, but in Morecambe to celebrate the Midland
Hotels eightieth birthday this year.
I’m going to be hopping on a fast
train to Morecambe tomorrow (Saturday14th September) to sample a pick and mix
of the best vintage has to offer at the Vintage by the Sea one day festival.
*images courtesy of vintagefestival.com*
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