Fashion Forward: Lets keep it simple

Greetings from Buckinghamshire! My Grandma and I drove up in the pouring rain yesterday night and we are spending her birthday (today) and the next two weeks with my aunt. Then i leave them to spend Christmas in France. Oui! Je ne comprend pas... That's about as much French as i can handle, so wish me luck when i'm watching my niece's and nephew's in various pantomimes and helping out at the local craft fair. EEEEK! I'm also hoping that i'll have access to the internet over there, I should do, but if i start posting at weird and wonderful times you'll know why. :)


And in the spirit of going away and living out of a bag for a few months, i formally present you with my pick for this week's Fashion Forward...

I figure it's probably best to keep things simple and also to mix and match pieces else i'll end up with 50 bags full of clothes i may or may not wear. (Oh the joys of travelling.) My old favourite, flat pumps, are all i really need shoewise. One pair will see me through an entire lifetime of outfits! Flared jeans and a basic tee always look good dressed up with a blazer and some bangles or slouched up with a comfy cardi. Now i reeeeeeally want to go shopping. 


Fashion Forward will be here next week and I can't wait! I've missed hosting :D  Make the most of Clair while you've got her and see what everyone else has picked for this week's FF.


xoxo

arrrrr.

I feel VERY piratey. These past few days i've spent quite a bit of time at Charlestown harbour where there you can see several tall ships docked. It  really is quite inspiring to be there, luckily enough for me that i only live up the road! I was such a lucky teenager... the harbour was has been used as a location for several films including the recent version of Man in the Iron Mask (oh take me back to the days of my crush on Leo DiCaprio!) and Pirates of the Caribbean (*faint*).

pirate panda

message in a bottle...(it says you can use it for marriage proposals *hint hint*)

In other news. I'm heading up country a bit to see some family and i'm taking my Christmas knitting with me. I completely underestimated how long it would take to make everything i wanted to make. I should have finished gift number one by the end of today so i'll try and take pictures and post it so you can see what i'm up to.

Yoho my hearties!

xoxo

PS. drop by Gemma's new blog to read a great interview with writer Dan Abnett.

read me.

Yesterday I had my head stuck in a book that I fell in love with when I was very young. I've been reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I seem to have had a strange fascination with the story ever since I first saw the Disney version, then several television versions, and then when I was about 13 I read the book.

Looking back, I can't remember a time when I wasn't going to the library, reading aloud or even making up stories to entertain myself, but I can't quite remember if it was something I was encouraged to do or if it was purely a natural instinct. Hmm. If i think hard about it then i would say that my mum encouraged me when I was very young and then when was older I took it upon myself to read books, ones that were probably far too advanced for my age.

When I was about 10, I remember my brother studying Animal Farm. The cover was cartoony and I picked it up thinking it would be a nice story about animals that lived on a farm. Instantly hooked, I didn't really understand the book until 5 years later when I began to read it again for my own studies. Then at 11, I read 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jane Eyre at about 13, and I went on and on for years reading books that shocked others to see me reading, but I enjoyed them. At some point I stopped and I have no idea why. I remember loving GCSE English and studying several plays. After that I stopped reading. Even during my degree, Creative Writing with English Literature, I resented having to read books. I didn't enjoy them at all any more. Since then I find it difficult to pick up any book and read it, but i picked up Alice yesterday and I love it all over again.

xoxo

PS. can't wait for the Tim Burton film to come out... March 5th 2010! I'll be counting down the days! :D

Fashion Forward: For when i feel all vintagey

I woke up this morning with an absolute need to pull on something with a little history.

 a pair of vintage trousers

a cute cardi

a quilted bag

Unfortunately, the history of my wardrobe only goes back to when i was 14. So i guess until i have some spare cash, i'll  be altering what i have into 1940s style faux-vintage!

Pop over to Clair's for more fashion fun!

xoxo

Fashion Forward: bob-bob-bobble

I'm awake...yes, my eyes are only half open and i still have sleep in the corners, but i am still awake. Just.

I'm a bit out of sorts with all this winter weather flying around. I'm starting to miss the long summer days already, i hate it when it's dark by 5pm. Grrrrr to the way the silly, silly Earth moves around the sun. Cold, wet and dark isn't my idea of wonderful, but if it means i get an excuse to wear hats with bobbles on the top...well, then i'm a happy paperpocket indeed. I chose some really super sweet hats this week, all of which are from Topshop and all £20 or under.

*High five for saving money*

I'm loving the extra slouchy bobble hat on the very right. I don't think anyone could fail to notice it, it's so...bright!

Oh boy, i love finding these FF things for a Monday. It's my favourite blog day <3

If you fancy having a go or want to see some more Fashion Forward's, pop on over to Clair's. Eeeee! this the best day ever :D

xoxo

bow headband

i got all creative with knitting and braiding this afternoon.

I got so into the whole making process that it was only after i'd finished i realised i'd pulled one of my favourite duvet covers from the cupboard and cut a massive hole to get the strips to braid... It just goes to show how involving and consuming creative processes can be. The end product looks pretty cute though. The pink bow is actually pinker, for some reason my webcam likes to dull down all the colours!

Usually i'd have a name for it by now, but i can't think of one. I shall leave it up to you!

Oh and a huge thank you to shimelle.com who featured our very own Fashion Forward in her class this week. Thank you lovely lady <3

Happy making, my little petals.

xoxo

1-2-3 jump

My friends, I am going back to the writing desk. I've shunned all my work for a little while and i think it's about time i went back and gave it another go.

<3

And you know who's really helping? Britney Spears. Yus...Britney is helping me get my writing mojo back. Her greatest hits are blasting from the stereo and i am proud to say i've been shaking my thing to her music; now i feel all confident and ready to face the world again. Isn't it funny how music can affect you?

It suddenly dawned on me the other day that i'd missed the start of NaNoWriMo :( oh no! I wanted to join in so bad...obviously not that badly else i wouldn't have missed the beginning. Hmmm this whole self confidence thing is seriously annoying. Must keep it in check before i retire from writing before i've even started.

Here are some awesome rules for writing as suggested by my favourite author, George Orwell.

<3

Also on my mind today...

...all those who gave their lives for their country.

xoxo

that winter feeling

I don't know why, but i feel really sleepy. These last few weeks all i've wanted to do was curl up some place warm and out of the cold. Winter must be affecting me quite badly; i'm utterly convinced i should be hibernating. This afternoon i had a four hour nap...and now i feel really guilty for letting all that time pass me by.

I also feel super hungry.

illustrations by Kate Wilson

Best get cracking on all the things i was meant to be doing while i was sleeping, but first...let's have a cupcake.

yum <3

xoxo

Fashion Forward: There are no words

I really can't count how long it's been since i last went out for a night and dressed up for it. I mean, when i usually go out i get glammed up, but i don't get out my best dress unless it's a really special occasion. And boy has it been about 50 years since my party frock was let out of my wardrobe! I sooooooo want to go out and partay  :D

*faint* can i just wear this while i do the washing up? Love it <3

Hop on over to Clair's blog to join in this week's FF. Now i'm off to have a looksy at this Monday's picks, can't wait.

xoxo

EDIT: duh...i can't spell today :(

P.S.

can i get one of these in adult size pleases and thank yous?! showing some etsy love

xoxo

knit stitch sew

Gee, i never realised hand-making my Christmas could be so much fun. Here's my todo list...

-two cowls, one pink and one purple, for my little nieces
-a pair of gloves for a boy who will only wear camouflage colours
-a baby blanket for the sweetest baby girl in the world
-some christmas stockings
-lots of man scarves
-diary/notebook covers

...and maybe more! Pictures coming soon :D

Also...meet Anaconda. He lives on the top of a radiator and my mummy made him a VERY long time ago.

My older brother has asked me to fix him since there's a big rip in his side and cut up strips of old pairs of tights are spilling out :( Poor Anaconda. He will be in my make shift doll/toy hospital for a little fix up and then will go to my brother's new house and live in the game room.

xoxo

P.S.  you may be wondering what happened to the flash on my camera. Yep, me too.

ballet shoes <3

i know, i know. Don't say it. I've been utterly pants at blogging these last few weeks. Sorry, i will be a better blogger, i promise :)

This last week my brother (almost 30) finally moved out of Dad's house and guess who was around to help carry  very large heavy boxes. The house him and his girlfriend have bought is beautiful and every time i walk through the door i get a little pang of jealousy. It must be nice to own a place where you can decorate it how you want, i think my house would be excessively girly...my poor Mr!

Oh! And i came across my old dance bag...full of ballet shoes, leotards and leg warmers.

I haven't danced for about 5 years now; i think it might be time to start again. I used to love going to ballet class every week and some of my closest friends are girls i danced with from a very young age.

<3

aww that picture reminds me so much of the shows we used to do together :)

<3

...and a still from my favourite film, The Red Shoes. Gah, i can't believe i still don't have that movie on DVD!

xoxo

P.S. I'm hand-making my Christmas! Yay!

Fashion Forward: Eight legs, good

...*blush* sorry everyone. I was in a bit of a daydream and completely forgot FF was today.

In the midst of my foggy last week I spotted something really special. I should quickly add that I like traditional jewelry, not too big, not too small, and classic. But then...there is that part of me that adores the slightly weird and quirky.

This necklace from Crave Jewelry Design is most definitely on my Christmas wishlist. I may even write to Santa after all these years. It reminds me of reading 20 000 Leagues Under The Sea when I was younger.

quirky = fabulous <3

Clair is hosting this months FF so head on over to join in or just to see what everyone else is getting up to.

Normal service will be resumed shortly. My brain is all a mush! Bleh.

xoxo