alissa loves

cotton and cinnamon

2011-03-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

just thought i'd introduce to you one of my other blogs... cotton and cinnamon.

it's where i put all of my latest inspirations. so, instead of my image files getting clogged and difficult to navigate, there's one place full of beautiful images and ideas...

it's also a great place to find new blogs to read!

i hope you like it!

looking to next season

2011-02-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

so, it's time for a little look at what's going on in NYFW at the moment. i've been keeping my eye closely on the runway, watching every video that's released to catch a glimpse of the trends for next season.

the more seasons that pass, the more i realise how difficult it is to be unique and create something new for the runway. 'trends' are repeated constantly from season to season, and it takes an outstanding design team to really shock and surprise me.

partly it's about the whole theme, part of it's in the detailing, and another part's in the styling. fashion on the runway should always be coming up with different combinations that look both elegant and edgy.

so far this season in NY we've seen a lot of sheer, neutral, lace, leather, fur, tights, silk - things you would expect to see in a fall season catwalk. but i have yet to be completely surprised (though the brightly colored fur at Prabal Gurung may slip into the category of surprising).

someone who has combined the fall 2011 elements in an interesting way, that's very wearable and beautiful, is the following man:

fashion is subjective.

2010-12-10T00:55:00.000-08:00

first a definition of the word 'subjective':
belonging to, proceeding from, or relating to the mind of the thinking subject and not the nature of the object being considered

the thing about fashion is that - it is what YOU make it. you can't and should not criticise other people, because their fashion is their own, and therefore when you criticise their fashion choices, you criticise them too. fashion is incredibly personally, after all it is an extension of yourself.

the point of the wonderful online fashion world, is that there are many different people expressing many different views, and it is our job to read and enjoy them, and take little bits of inspiration from everywhere to create our own look.

with that in mind, i have created a couple of videos about my favorite blogs out there, and thought you all ought to know! the first was created summer 2009, and the second was autumn 2010...i hope to keep creating this sort of video, to let everyone know about the wonderful inspiring blogs out there ♥

and i've probably mentioned this before, but there's a wonderful Q+A section on Fashion Questions with interviews from some awesome fashion bloggers - a great place to find new people to watch...

the outcome

2010-11-15T03:59:00.000-08:00

so after many many hours, i have finally completed my scarf! and it's received a ton of compliments already and has kept my neck very warm ♥

i'm already starting on a couple of these for Christmas presents...

the obsession continues

2010-08-09T02:02:00.000-07:00

back last november i posted about my love for the brand toast and although i still don't actually own anything from their collection, i remain an avid admirer of it. and hope with all my heart that one day i won't see it as too expensive (although they did have a huge archive sale recently, which was affordable - although hardly anything to be found in my size, congrats to Topshop who figured that searching by size in a sale was much more pleasurable - i had spent all of my clothes budget in Paris!)

well, i receive the toast updates, which arrive in my inbox about once a week (i highly recommend these, as they'll alert you of the sales and new collections in good time)...and this week i received one about their new video that highlights their autumn / winter 2010 line. and oh my word, it's so beautiful. keep your eyes peeled for the red legwarmers and cream jumper combo in the snow - it's such perfect winter wear: cosy, fitted, muted deep colours, messy blonde hair pinned to one side - undone elegance and just proper british glamour in the most perfect way...

and so the obsession continues - maybe next year i'll save up for one of their amazing coats or a paid of ochre drop earrings, or a shirtdress, or maybe some of their jam!

outfit of the day #2

2010-06-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

hello lovely readers! here's my second outfit of the day video, i hope you like it...

and did it rain? no. it just threatened the whole day through, now that's proper english weather!

outfit of the day #1

2010-06-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

yes, i've started doing ootd videos. i thought it would be really fun, and a great way to get a little more creative with my outfits! so far so good, but i'd love your input - are there specific outfits you'd like to see, say for a particular occasion or event? or have you got any style questions you want answered, or a specific item or accessory you'd like to see me style up?

a question of individuality and style

2010-06-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

firstly, sorry for the huge lack of posting lately, and i hope that this post goes someway to explaining why that's the case...but also i've been on and off ill for the last couple of months - rubbish, but i think i'm past it now.

this was going to be a bit of a rambly post, but i really dislike reading those on other blogs cos they kinda get me down, and where's the fun in that? suffice it to say that i'm in a total style rut. i figure style is about confidence and experimentation, neither of which i've ever been particularly brilliant at - i'm more the shy and safe kind of person.

however there is a little fashion rebel inside of me...i just know there is. the kind who wants to get a tattoo, wear red lipstick and wear heels every day.

i think style is a constant process of re-invention and experimentation, fashion allows you to be a different person every day and try on different personas to see which one(s) is really you. but somewhere along the line, my clothes got boring, and the combinations with them.

how does one try to crawl out of a rut? well...

firstly i will keep paying attention to you lovely bloggers, and maybe even try to recreate some of the looks from my favorite blogs, just to see how i feel
only buy things that are interesting and unique (shopping trip to Paris in July should help with this!) - and more vintage shopping is blatantly a great way to do this too!
try not to focus too much on trends, but instead search for lasting elegant style, or at least something that is different from other people
show off my favorite features - legs and shoulders will be the centre of attention for outfits and new purchases to come
try to find some statement accessories - i would love lots of big earrings. and a few pairs of actually interesting and wearable shoes.
get some awesome hair...i am in the process of regaining my natural colour, as it's now gone a very dodgy shade of orangey, blondey, brown. and i can't seem to do many things to my hair either now it's short. oh, how i wish for long hair i can side braid and look completely carefree with.
feel good by finishing my to do list and accomplishing more of my goals - that way if i'm happier, then in theory i'll want to spend more time.
realise it's not about the money. i don't need to spend lots of money to look really good, it's more about actually spending time putting outfits together, and creating custom pieces.
keep watching my favorite fashion films (see this video) repeatedly, and write down what makes their style so awesome so i can incorporate that into my own real life (i have bought Aeon Flux and Roman Holiday recently which i can't wait to see)
take advice from helpful people - have you ever been in a style rut? what things do you think are important to remember when putting an outfit together?

i've been thrifting...have you?

2010-02-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

sorry it's been ages since i posted on this blog. that's pretty bad of me. and my excuse is just busy-ness, and lack of anything interesting to write about. i started a new job on monday, and on wednesday too (a different one though!)...i seem to be doing a little bit of everything nowadays, which i like ♥

last saturday i went to see my cousin and have a girly day with her, and it turned out to be awesome fun! we went thrifting in a little village and found a couple of items. i got a teal dress with a beautiful neckline - which i'm sure you'll see in the next couple of posts - and my cousin got a french connection monochrome tweed-ish jacket (both from the £3.95 rail). but more excitingly, on that same rail was this calvin klein denim jacket!!

we could not decide who should have the jacket, and so we came up with the conclusion that we should become the 'cousinhood of the travelling jacket' and share it between ourselves. our rules are simply that when one of us goes to visit the other, the jacket should swap ownership. i don't know how long this'll last before it ends up in just one person's wardrobe, but for now, i get to take care of it, and wear it!!

it's a small, but a ck denim small is still quite large...so we'll be sporting the oversized look until i can be bothered to attempt to take it in - although i kinda like that its oversized right now.

i'm so thankful to have finally found a great place to find some bargains. and am totally up for doing another £5 challenge with my cousin in the not-too-distant future!

future favorites

2010-01-20T02:20:00.000-08:00

ok, so you all know about my favorite runway of the season, Chanel, which just blows my mind, and makes me want go to Fabric Land right now and get metres of trimmings, as well as dye my hair blonde.
but of course there were others that caught my attention, so if you haven't looked at any runway videos or pictures yet, these ought to definitely be on your list ♥:

3.1 Phillip Lim - oh the shoes...
Alexander Wang - we all know that the braid or plait as we know it in the uk will be everywhere this summer
Anna Sui - i must learn from the mistress of prints and patterns, perhaps i can take a course in not being afraid of mixing 101
Badgley Mischka - classic, with a twist, and lots of cream = divine
Carolina Herrera - pure elegance. and the hair was AMAZING!
Erdem - the trend leader for this season it would seem, loads of lace and florals on the runway
Isabel Marant - the styling was amazing, it was a version of formal casual that i kinda love
Karen Walker - ruffles, red, stripes, leather waist belts and totally vintage style
Luella - the black, faint floral print, short sleeved tea dress was just stunning
Marc by Marc Jacobs - blue and red are THE colours of the season, mixed up in all sorts of ways
Moschino Cheap & Chic - amazing 60s styles and awesome prints in general
Oscar de la Renta - really 'proper' but amazingly on trend and elegant
Ralph Lauren - if you love vintage, then...oh my word.
Roberto Cavalli - floral and chiffon was very pretty pretty, but the models on the runway looked really mad - i like the contrast
Rochas - vintage style and vintage colours too - navy blue, ochre, mustard, tan, and the little hats were very Chanel's first-ever-creations inspired
RM by Roland Mouret - potentially my absolute 100% favorite of the season next to chanel, it blew my mind, the colors, the cuts and the artistry, WOW
Sonia Rykiel - i want to join in on the amazing 80s party with tons of glitter and big belted cardigans
Tory Burch - simple, easy to wear day look that i want to copy entirely
Twenty8Twelve - wearable rock chic, the coral stripey pieces were gorgeous

as for trends of 2010...i am definitely thinking that it'll be floral, lace, nudes, shorts and vintage style that will rock the realway. i'm already on ebay searching for bargain to kit out my wardrobe for this season! oh dear, here i go again...and i'm off to london on saturday, so i'll definitely be hitting anthropologie sales racks to see if there's anything left on them. i hope there will be.

26 dresses

2010-01-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

thanks so much for the amazing response to the last post about my favorite bloggers of the moment, i love when you guys leave messages, and I am super happy to share some of my new inspiration with you all. hopefully i'll get to doing posts like this regularly throughout the year as I'm always on the search for new inspiration, and blogs are most definitely the place for that!

so, on Saturday as well as buying a new coat for my sister in law in Laura Ashley - who always have an amazing sale with loads of vintage style - and going fabric shopping in my local town, i did a massive wardrobe overhaul. it was intense. but entirely necessary.

so saturday morning, i took everything out of my wardrobe and walloped it onto my living room sofa, got my mum to sit down with some very important homemade signs, 'take', 'toss' and 'get creative', and started to go through item by item.

it's an incredibly freeing process, but the sad thing is that most of what got thrown out was stuff that is super colorful, which is what i've had for the longest, what i wear most of the time and what gets dirty the quickest too. the sad thing is that the black bin bag ended up being filled with a beautiful rainbow assortment of colours, and my wardrobe is left helplessly dark in colour. so, straight onto ebay and topshop to get loads more basics to inject back color to my wardrobe.

the other thing is that the pile of get creative stuff is really big, and full of lots of brown things i'd like to dye dark purple or navy - which is far more interesting - and lots of things that are slightly broken or need a little hemming or adjusting.

there is a pretty large pile of things for charity too, just things i've not worn more than once, and a lot of things that never really fitted me properly.

anyway, i learnt a lot from the process:

that i should never buy something if it doesn't fit properly, i won't wear it, no matter how much i think i will
that i love coral, almost everything that i had worn to death was in that color, and now there's hardly anything coral left in my wardrobe (tear)
i love half length sleeves. again, so much of the stuff i had to throw out due to wear and tear had half length sleeves, and most were cardigans too. i think i must like them.
i reckon i'm pattern phobic, there was hardly any pattern in my wardrobe. this must be a sign that i need to get more creative and be a little braver; or perhaps i'm destined to wear simple block colours for the rest of my life...boring?
that last year's resolution to buy more dresses ended pretty well, with at least 26 dresses in my wardrobe, which is a pretty good percentage
that i don't wear exciting tops that often. there's still plenty of tops that don't get a lot of wear, that i've had for ages. i'm not sure why? i guess i just wear ribbed tanks all year round for layering, and it doesn't get much more exciting than that. i always swore i'd be a dresses person anyway.
i've got more jackets than i thought. awesome ♥
that i have no interesting tights or leggings - i guess when i'm limited on money i tend to buy boring, staple items, in sensible colors, which would now explain why i have several pairs of black leggings and a gazillion items in dark grey. i must must must try to be more creative, even though i have negative money.
that going through my wardrobe is a fantastic process, that i should definitely do at least twice a year, so i can focus my shopping correctly and sensibly

and here are my 12 tips for clearing out your closet, which i've done a yt video for as well, here:

- 1. Do your clearout in December or June, before the sales.
- 2. Do it in the morning, after a good breakfast. That way you have enough energy to go through all your items, and you can see them in good light.
- 3. Have someone else there whose opinion you trust. Someone who sees fit rather than trend preferably.
- 4. Get some awesome music on in the background, to keep the atmosphere fun and upbeat.
- 5. Take time to have a snack and a cup of tea. Keep hydrated and energised as it can be quite draining.
- 6. Make some excellent Toss/Take/Create signs, so it’s more fun.
- 7. Go through each item individually and work out when you last wore it. If you haven’t worn it in a while, why not? Is it the colour, fit or style? Try it on.
- 8. Be honest. If you love the style but it doesn’t fit right, give it to charity and find one that fits beautifully.
- 9. Have a creative pile for things that need adjusting, dying, re-hemming or re-purposing.
- 10. Write down a list of things you’ve thrown out from over-wear, that you want to replace, and then write a list of things you think would make your wardrobe more versatile.
- 11. Have a full-length mirror close by so that you can see exactly what you look like in your clothes.
- 12. Start with things that are on hangers, as these are often the hardest to decide on, the least worn and the most complicated to get in and out of.

blog inspiration

2010-01-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

i'm constantly inspired by all of you, i really really am, so as a beginning to the new year, i'm gonna share with you all some of my new found favorites (including a lot of vintage bloggers)!

1. strawberry koi 2. sleepy fawn 3. liebemarlene 4. vixen vintage 5. leproust 6. sally jane vintage
7. the velvet bird 8. the little deer 9. the vintage society 10. lay me in some tall grass 11. pearls in your hair 12. left hand endeavour 13. lulu letty 14. sacaton june 15. smile because it happened
16. the snail and the cyclops

here's one i made earlier

2010-01-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

i made these two dresses yesterday, i suppose my last creative burst in 2009, and i’ve definitely wanted to make these two for ages now. the first is a old long-line tshirt cut short and a skirt added with pockets too, and the second is an old dress, which i only ever wore as a skirt (i wore it when i went to stourhead), turned into a dress by making a strapless tank top from some black tshirting.

i think i like the second one better, but i’ll blatantly wear both loads all year round. i’m looking forward to making lots more stuff this year, given that my first 2010 resolution is to make more of my own clothes. if you’ve got any secret sewing tips or hand stitching ideas, let me know. i’ve got a couple more items to repurpose in a similar way, including a 90’s floral dress, and a pretty green top, which will both end up as dresses i’m sure. perhaps tomorrow!?!

i’ll be sharing some of my fantastic blog inspiration shortly with you all…look out for it!

ps. i’ve been wearing my leather boots from the first picture loads lately, and when i went to the cinema to see 3D Avatar (which is AMAZING by the way) on Wednesday the two girls in front of me were also wearing similar ones! anyways, i still ♥♥♥ them.

happy new year!

2010-01-01T02:14:00.001-08:00

hello to all of my wonderful readers! i hope you’re as excited about this new year as i am…2010 is blatantly going to be amazing right?

i love the amazing hope that lies on this day. it’s so wonderfully filled with possibilities, and things you could do. i definitely feel like this decade is going to require me to be a bit braver and step out of my comfort zone (difficult but possible) so that i can achieve all that’s out there for me to do.

so, i thought i’d share my new year’s resolutions/goals with you, so you can all hold me to them, and i feel accountable to someone. i make loads of business related goals too, though i won’t share these with you (it’s the wonder of being self-employed)

make more of my own clothes
pay off credit card
read 6 classic books
make at least 1 YouTube video every week
have flowers in the house at all times
learn to paint
get a puppy

well, i think these are all fairly do-able (i achieved all of my goals last year!!). i’ve already started on some of these things, like my own YouTube channel and i’m in the middle of Pride and Prejudice too, and yesterday i made not one, but TWO dresses out of old fabric and old clothes. i’ll show you them soon. mum bought a new camera in the sales as well, so i can definitely keep up with creating more outfit posts, hopefully, and of a better quality.

anyway, i spent last night with some friends watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, which had Dizzee, Florence, Paloma and Tom Jones on it. fantastic. it’s really funny too.

like i say, i really hope that you all fell pretty happy and excited for this next year, and the next decade – the teenies! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

anthropologie loves

2009-12-23T02:14:00.000-08:00

by now, most of you probably know i have a small addiction for anthropologie, and it's beautiful quirky designs. so i thought i'd share some of my favorites with you just in case you haven't yet realised the full extent of the anthropologie greatness.

i do hope some of this is in the sale!

vintage vogue

2009-12-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

this christmas i've bought my sister in law the most awesome present, even if i do say so myself. this is actually one of the few people that isn't receiving a homemade gift. given she's been doing an amazing dressmaking course, i thought that a sewing pattern would be a great and very useful gift. but it's no ordinary pattern, it's vintage vogue!

i bought the pattern at the weekend in a craft store, when my mum and i went to chichester again, this time we saw The Snow Queen at the Festival Theatre, which was awesome! there was loads of fake snow, and the costumes were so so so amazing! Amy Jackson, the costume designer for the show created almost 140 individual costumes...all tailor made for each actor.

it made me want to:

buy a vintage dress coat pattern and make it up with cream wool fabric, and a bright coloured lining
find some incredibly sparkly flat oxfords
invest in a pair of incredibly quirky glasses
experiment with backcombing my hair
buy white tights
wear red leather lace up boots
paint my face blue
buy tulle underskirts.....

if you live in the south of the UK, it's definitely worth booking in to see the youth theatre christmas productions, it's such a fun day out! and you can get totally carried away in the craft shop too...

making homemade christmas gifts

2009-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

so here's a little update on the gifts i'm making this holiday season, and just how far they've come...

i've made a whole 3 batches of crabapple jelly, which is pretty delicious, and all but 3 jars are gone (one even over to morocco with my brother!). it was extremely easy to make, even though there are a million steps...and it was totally worth it, as it is really really good!

homemade granola - this is still to be made, but i'm going to use this recipe from the Kitchen Sink Recipes blog, which looks yummy.

instead of the promised pancake mix, i decided to do some homemade biscotti, which i've made today, and which taste absolutely amazing, thanks to King Arthur. i made the first batch plain vanilla biscotti, and the second i added cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chopped pecans too, mmm.

the chocolate truffles will be in full motion on sunday, when i will be making and rolling a good load of chocolate. how terrified am i of attempting to temper the chocolate on my own? aah! i'm sure they'll be totally fine though, as long as i remain vaguely calm.

i've made all the cushions now, bar two tiny ones which hopefully i'll get onto tomorrow.

i've even embroidered names and initials on them to make them more personal (and the fabric is from ikea by the way), these really don't take long to make, apart from the embroidery which is fairly time consuming.

i made an apron for one of my best friends too, who will hopefully ♥ love it (for some reason the photo rotated on upload...):

and get how cute this is, it's reversible and it has her name embroidered into the corner! again, not too difficult a project as it's all straight lines!

and yes, i did make all my own christmas cards, which unfortunately left in the post before i actually photographed them. silly i know, but i could tell you that there was a lot of cutting and pasting involved in the process, and lots of wrapping paper and corrugated card, and you'll have more of an idea!

please let me know if you're pledging handmade, or making any of your own gifts this year, i'd love to hear about your ideas!

snow in england!

2009-12-16T03:28:00.000-08:00

i don't know what you're thoughts on snow are but i love it! that's probably because we never have enough in England to get annoyed with it and wish it away. and when we do have snow, it's a fantastic excuse not to work!

well it did snow here today for about 5 minutes, which was awesome. it was actually pretty magical, because I was listening to Cliff Richard singing Let It Snow on my Christmas tunes... more of that in a minute...and I looked up from my computer and it was snowing!

there's no way it'll settle today, as the ground is too wet, but there's snow expected in the south of the uk tomorrow!

mum was talking the other day about how much she'd like to go on a sledding holiday, where she can just sled for a couple of hours a day on real proper thick snow, and then have to drink at least 10 hot chocolates in a day also, of course! i thought new england or somewhere like that would be perfect?

anyway, here are my current favorite christmas tunes to cheer you up on a cold wintry night (unless you live in the southern hemisphere, where then I'd hope these tunes will cool you down):

maybe this christmas - the o.c. mix 3
orchard house - little women album
have yourself a merry little christmas - judy garland
sleigh ride - ella fitzgerald
it's beginning to look a lot like christmas - dean martin
soul cake - sting
i believe in father christmas - greg lake
mistletoe and wine - cliff richard
auld land syne - mairi campbell & dave francis
merry christmas mr lawrence - ryuichi sakamoto
rockin around the christmas tree - brenda lee
walking in the air - peter auty

these christmas tunes are especially good served with hot healthy mince pies snuggled up by the fire chatting with your favorite people.

flowers make me happy

2009-12-10T02:54:00.001-08:00

one of my new year's resolutions last year was to try to have fresh flowers in the house all the time, and i think we've done pretty well. and it's made me so happy this year, i can't even say! i thoroughly recommend it as a resolution for 2010...

christmas decorations ♥

2009-12-08T03:23:00.000-08:00

garden-store christmas decorations... aren't they pretty? we always go for red and gold decorations. and mum has this thing for little ornaments too, we have loads.a very cute miniature christmas village in Haskins...this is our tree this year... we seemed to have run out of tinsel and lights this year, so my imagination was definitely necessary.

when i was young

2009-12-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

i know i promised you, my lovely readers, to some old pictures of me (on account of my scanning them in for a christmas surprise!) and so here they are...

i went to london, oh yes

2009-12-04T04:11:00.000-08:00

so here's our journey in pictures...

we started on the train, of course, to London, which takes well over an hour, but we chatted all the way so it flew past. mum tried on my hat, and decided it was definitely time for a new one (but more of that later!)

then off to find Wholefoods - i went to the one in NYC and when i found out that there was one in London, i had to go! And its amazing, rows and rows of delicious things to eat, including Booja Booja ♥

and i got to try my first lot of raw chocolate, and wowee did it taste good. it was expensive though, but definitely worth it for the experience. it was really creamy and the perfect bitter/sweet combination.

the most exciting part of the shopping was Anthropologie, which I have been loving looking at online, and the new-ish store in London was phenomenal. they write your name on the cubicles and everything. i bought a dress and a jacket, in the sale! one of which is my christmas dress (photos to come soon)

the store is beautiful. with a living wall, and a skirt made out of blue and white china (above) the homewares are just amazing, and the clothes are so unique! mum bought her hat in the store, it's a navy blue version of my hat, only chunkier and much nicer.

we went to beyond retro too. a very cool vintage store, but given that i am rubbish at shopping in vintage stores i didn't last long. the quantity of clothes is overwhelming, i only wish i had more time and a hardcore vintage shopper by my side, guiding me through...

we went into Harrods too ♥ we saw the international designer lounge and i inspected up close an oscar de la renta outfit, which was simply stunning. it made me want to try to make a chanel style jacket (anyone know any good jacket sewing tutorials?). we went to the food hall and bought a cookie and an almond mince pie. i saw a row of these payphones right next to the restrooms, and i thought they were brilliant!

off to winter wonderland in hyde park, where there's tons of gorgeous rides and the scent of hotdogs in the air...as well as an ice rink of course

then we went to see Wicked, which was amazing, i highly recommend it to everyone and anyone that wants to have fun and be inspired!

we got home really late, and the train was super busy all the way back.

all in all a wonderful day! we're going again twice in january, which will be the most i've ever been to London in such a short space of time. mum's buying me the tickets instead of my christmas stocking this year, how great is that?!

anyway, over and out, have a great day!

a ridiculously gorgeous photo shoot by robynne

2009-11-30T04:08:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite bloggers of all time, Fashion on Edge, recently posted an Autumn / Fall photoshoot she took, and i just had to show you guys. it's absolutely amazing, and I wish this was how I looked all the time...

she's done some other amazing shoots too, time goes by was extremely fabulous, english heart made me want to wear hats every day and the chameleon post was just amazing too. robynne nows how to style a look together, and how to work vintage...i am in awe.

ballyhoo, bally who?

2009-11-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

i've been researching vintage dresses for an article i've been writing, and i stumbled across Ballyhoo Vintage whilst searching for vintage 60s dresses. ok, so it may not be the most beautiful website, but the clothes are absolutely stunning! here's a sneak peek at some of the things i'm longing for...

and if that wasn't enough, they've got some very cute vintage aprons, pretty 50s swimsuits and amazing gloves...oh my word! plus some of the items on there have NEVER been worn, ever.

a handmade christmas

2009-11-28T01:02:00.000-08:00

it's official, i'm making a whole bunch of gifts this year, each with a really unique twist, hopefully. i've done some homemade gifts in the past, but i'm really stepping up a notch this year...

i can't tell you exactly what they are, just in case my family and friends are reading this, because then the gifts won't be a surprise, and we don't want that now do we? but, i can tell you the general areas of things i'm making, and no-one will know who they're for...

jams and jellies - delicious first and foremost, but also excellent because they don't have to eat it right away
homemade muesli and granola - as part of a breakfast special!
pancake mix - a bit of buckwheat flour, a bit of gluten free, some cinnamon and a special sprinkles section, delicious
chocolate truffles - i went on a course a while back, on how to make perfect truffles, with a delicious ganache centre. so, i'll definitely be making some of these in the week before christmas
cushion covers - i went to Ikea to buy some thick fabric for making cushions, and the prints in there are so much fun, i'm sure everyone will love the cushions. i'm adding some personalisation to it as well, with some peoples initials handstitched on in felt, and some with an individual design
aprons - these are really easy to make and accessorise, i've made one for myself in the past, and i love it loads. i especially love that the ties are really long so you can wrap it round and tie a bow at the front!
christmas cards - i haven't actually decided on a design yet, although i'm sure i will soon... perhaps i will make them tomorrow!

i've got a couple of other ideas too, but these are the definite ones so far. have you got any good ideas? i've been searching craft blogs for ideas, and actually i find most of my inspiration comes from blogs that don't actually relate to crafts necessarily, like A Field Journal, Design Sponge and Oh Hello Friend.

this last Thursday, I went to the switching on of the Christmas lights in my home town, do you remember? Anyways, it was amazing, super festive with carols and fireworks, and the lights in the town centre are gorgeous. and even though some people were complaining that it felt too early to start getting all christmassy, i disagree, i think it was the perfect way to begin the festive season. (we went for a milkshake afterwards too, i had a raspberry one, yum.)

and to continue with this festive spirit, tomorrow we will be going to the advent procession at our local cathedral, something we have never done, but everyone has said that its the most magical thing ever. and then the weekend afterwards, i'll be making mince pies and christmas decorations, which we'll put up with the tree on sunday! oh, how i love Christmas!!

ps. if you would like me to do tutorials on any of these projects just let me know?

it doesn't matter, it's b + w

2009-11-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

i realise it's been a while since my last outfit post, so here's one of my latest concoctions...in black and white to honour the colour of the clouds :)

the hat says 'la vie est belle', which is 'life is beautiful' in french, cute eh? oh, and that's the skirt i made a few weeks back, which from today i've decided never to wear with high heels and tights, it's a little bit too figure hugging to not make me feel a bit too vampy...

i bet you all have some amazing hats..? i think perhaps one day i'll start a vintage hat collection, wouldn't that be amazing!

i've been trawling through, and scanning in old photos of me and my family from when i was little, perhaps i'll show some to you in my next post?

i'm learning to knit...again

2009-11-26T03:51:00.000-08:00

me and my mum went to chichester festival theatre the other day to go see an adaptation of pride and prejudice. and before we went in to the theatre we went to do a little bit of shopping... and it was the craft shop that really took our eye; upstairs they had everything you could ever want to craft with, oh my word!

i've been thinking about knitting again for a while, but just haven't got round to actually buying any wool. so, when i saw a huge load of very cheap wool by Robin, i couldn't resist, especially when i saw this beautiful color...

i learnt to knit once before when i was much younger, i had to be an old french woman for a play so there was a bunch of us on the side knitting. i could even do it without looking at it. that's how good i was. i'm picking it up again now, and it really isn't complicated at all, and it didn't take too long to remember which way to loop it and stuff.

perhaps before long i'll learn how to purl..!

this is how far i've actually got...i'll keep you updated on my progress. somedays i do just one row, others i'll manage about ten. maybe i'll be finished before christmas. but i think i'll run out of wool quite quickly as it's a pretty wide scarf!

thanks to Sadie's Wardrobe for the awesome inspiration to actually pick up the needles again!

giving thanks and my obsession with toast

2009-11-26T01:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of my blog readers! it means such a great deal to me :) at this most appropriate time of year (even though we don't have thanksgiving in the uk) i hope you are all feeling super thankful for awesome things that have happened in your life this past year...

my thanks list is fairly endless, but here are a few of the things i am thankful for:

my awesome family. who keep me strong and level headed
my fantastic friends. who make it ok for me to be me
my health. which although its been dodgy, is ok now and is always improving
my life. there are so many people i know who have lost relatives and friends this past year, and i am so thankful that i am still alive and my closest people are too
the weather. this may seem a bit odd, but i love the english weather in all its beautiful changes! today we've got a beautifully sunny day after many weeks of rain, and i can really appreciate how magical such a clear day is
good food. oh this year has been filled with amazing and delicious food experiences, i am thankful that i have been able to enjoy new food and enough food to keep me well and happy
animals, especially cute little cocker spaniels, actually this year i finally realised i quite liked cats...which was a definite step in the right direction i think
money. this year i've whined a lot about money, but when i think about how much i've had access to, in order to do all the amazing things i've done, i am massively grateful!
opportunities. i live in a country where i am able to choose to do what i like as a job, i am not restricted to doing one thing, and actually have difficulty choosing what career paths to take
fantastic music. this year i've started appreciating classic fm, loved Snow Patrol no matter how samey their songs are, and enjoyed playing with Shazzam on my iPhone

that's just a sample of the things i am thankful for. but there are so many!

and now, i want to share with you a company that definitely requires more attention than i think it gets. i first found out about this company when i was about 15 when a brochure fell out of my new copy of vogue, and then a few weeks later when i complimented my art teacher on her awesome outfit, to which she said it's toast.

Toast is absolutely stunning, it's got this simple, classic design with quality fabrics. it's snuggly and warm, and perfect for winter, and i just want to wear everything in every catalogue. oh and did i mention they have a home section too (divine!) they deliver to loads of different countries, so its definitely worth taking a look at their full range. but here's a delectable sample:

well i hope you all love toast! i'll hopefully be posting soon with some outfit pictures! today i'll be going for a swim at the gym and scanning in thousands of old photographs to use as christmas presents...and finishing by going to see the turning on of the christmas lights in my home town and drinking a milkshake. i hope your days are equally lovely!

shake up your style

2009-11-13T08:47:00.001-08:00

hey lovely readers, i'm sorry it's been so long since i posted, but life has gotten in the way, and it's been stressful and hectic since coming back from holiday. the weather here has been truly horrible too; as i'm writing this it's really dark and windy and raining. i'm glad i'm inside, but it is quite depressing...

but, i got an email that i thought you all might be interested in, because i was super excited to be reminded of this awesome company!

styleshake.com are having a party in London on the 18th, and if I wasn't busy I'd definitely be going :) they are such an amazing company, that basically let you design your dream dress and then they make it for you and ship it!!!!! amazing!

so, there are obviously some limits, because they only have a certain amount of colors and fabrics to choose from, but otherwise the world is your oyster. it'll probably come in at under £100 and they ship internationally too. it just gets more and more exciting! i can't think of a better way to buy bridesmaids dresses or a special occasion dress when the shops start to feel all same'y

i would love to show you guys pictures of what i've worn over the past few days, but what with the rain and clouds, the lighting has been terrible and my camera isn't really that clever :( i did make a dress though, and right now i'm sat wearing my vintage fur gilet to keep me warm. i'm also considering making christmas present cushions tonight, instead of messing around on my computer like normal. hmm.

over and out.

shopping in padstow & cornish beaches

2009-11-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

i'm back! as you know, i've been in cornwall for the past week, and before that I was visiting my auntie/uncle/cousins near bath.

we went shopping in Bristol, and out to eat at Cosmo's (if you live locally, but have never tried it, do.), an all you can eat buffet. i didn't actually buy anything, but saw some gorgeous things in Zara, as always. i was on the lookout for the perfect pair of knee socks to wear with boots, but couldn't find any that I thought were a reasonable price...any suggestions?

we also went to Bath, to do a little shopping, but mainly to hit the spa there. so amazing, it's just the most relaxing thing EVER! then we came home a chilled, as none of us could move due to severe relaxation. we watched How to Marry a Millionaire. awesome movie, i especially love the scene with the mini fashion show!

then off to Cornwall...

we stayed in Bude, which is a pretty seaside town, with a few shops, and some nice beaches. did i tell you lately that i love this season's Fat Face collection?!

we went to Padstow on one of the days, and I thought i'd share with you my favorite stores:

Fusion - filled with unique brands, this is one of the only stores in Cornwall not filled with surfer gear.

The Summerhouse - i want my whole house to be filled with everything from this shop.

Buttermilk - fudgy snacks are very important, especially when you have so many flavours to choose from.

Custard - this delicious restaurant is the most awesome place to eat lunch.

Atlantic Blanket - so many styles in luxury wools...i can visualise myself wrapped in all the blankets in the store.

Rick Stein's Patisserie - custard tarts in here are so amazing!

Teri Walter - unique home decorating ideas

we went for a walk on the beach every day. summerleaze beach always has surfers in the water, even at the end of october! every single day, from sunrise to sunset you are almost guaranteed at least 3 surfers.

you aren't guaranteed good weather though, BUT it was mild whilst we were there, which was great! it only actually rained once the whole week - during the day that is.

the sunset at the beach is beautiful...

and even on an over cast day, cornwall is still magical, and all the english still leave their houses to walk their dogs on the beach.

new hair cut

2009-10-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

I got my hair cut!!!!!

I absolutely love love love it! It is so much more edgy than what I had before, or at least that's what I think anyway. Last time I had it cut short, I didn't have my straighteners or any mousse, so it was a frizzy mess...not good. It's a blunt cut, so it looks really vintage and 30s, and looks amazing with hats :)

I'm heading off to Devon/Cornwall for a week away, which will be nice and relaxing even if it rains. which it almost guaranteed will for at least 50% of the time. But no matter, because I have a ton of books to get through including Sense and Sensibility and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Hardcore, but hopefully very readable.

I've packed so many long-sleeved tops its unreal, I have given up on packing properly given just how many times I've packed recently. on the way to devon we're stopping by with my auntie/uncle/cousins for a little while who live near bath. so hopefully i'll get some good shopping in, or at least some amazing photos.

i've still got a lot of new clothes to show you all....and i made a dress yesterday to go with my new hair.

talk to you all in a week or so :)

current loves...

2009-10-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

what i wish was in my wardrobe by alissaevelyn featuring J Brand jeans

handmade skirt...love love love

2009-10-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

i told you that this was acoming. i have been meaning to make something with my sewing machine for ages now, and i had this skirt idea for a couple of weeks since i bought a similar skirt in urban outfitters.

i went to Fabricland to get some similar fabric, and i found some that was almost identical. the trick with this skirt is to use fabric with loads of stretch to it, then it pretty much can't go wrong (although stretchy fabric does present some interesting stitching problems, hmm)

literally, get your fabric, make two pieces, one for the front, and one for the back. cut a slightly curved line around the edge. sew them together, back to front, so the stitch disappears when you turn it inside out. check that it goes in and out in all the right places. you could make this as a high-waisted skirt really easily, just change the curve to fit your waist rather than your hips

get some thick elastic for the waistband and cut it to the right length, with a little left over to fold and sew under. then sew it onto the skirt, and stitch together the band join with a zigzag stitch.

then sew up the hemline to wherever you want it. It's such an easy skirt to make...i'm blatantly making more and more. and more!

i hope you have a go, it took me a couple of hours :)

ps. in my hand i'm holding some truffles i made in a workshop...check out my food blog for more info at Not Just Apples.

ebay purchases

2009-10-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

I have been talking to a few people in the last week about eBay; and opinions have varied.

The more savvy, stylish people are happy to have seen some good purchases, the people who are trendy highstreet shoppers are genuinely surprised and jealous of such awesome finds, and then the people who dislike shopping are horrified I would ever buy any clothes on eBay. "They sell clothes on ebay?" to which I reply, "Yes, of course, about 60,000 dresses at any one time." And that's in only my size...

anyway, i wanted to share my purchasing joy with you. so here they are:

All in all, I am a happy bunny.

People have often wondered how I manage to get nice things from ebay. And the answer to that is: I buy things I know will suit me. I buy items from stores I know will fit me. I buy things that will timelessly fit into my wardrobe. And last but not least, I spend HOURS AND HOURS on ebay trawling through the rubbish items.

i look for specific items too. like i'll type in dress, but then sort it by size, stores, country, fabric, etc. but some of the best purchases have been things that were labeled badly, like just "dress 10" or simply "shoes".

i've worn the tea dress almost every day since I got it on Tuesday :) i'm wearing it right now actually. and the thing is...it's a Primark dress, but it feels gorgeous and fits perfectly. the i am going to head out with my 1950s style tea dress, my leather topshop black boots, a cream cardigan and my new faux fur gilet (i thought the best way to nod to the trend was with a simple bodywarmer)

and all that for £83.88!!!!!

just make sure to cut yourself off whilst the going is good.

british vogue love

2009-10-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

wowee, this month's vogue came in the post the other day, and how perfect that it should be an issue about affordable clothing :) november 2009 british vogue is gorgeous, with loads of helpful articles, and almost everything in the issue is within financial grasp (i say almost, because vogue's idea of affordable means that its not 4 or 5 figures, but it is still 3)

anyway, i thought i'd give you guys a sneak peek, and tell you to go out and get it!!!!!!!!!!!

the photos are backwards from the order in the magazine, but for some reason, the picture downloads won't work properly (grrr)

there's a photoshoot made out of household items...this is a tea-towel corset made by William Tempest. the detail blows my mind.

there's a whole section devoted to street style, which is amazing, as i think that's what blogs are really all about, aren't they?

there's a directory of places to go to get the Dash Cash look...the best charity shops and vintage places, night classes and haberdashery. AMAZING!

The final photoshoot is the gorgeous Caroline Trentini posing in the ultimate classic fashion staples, that have been updated for the season. and of course everything in the shoot is accessible and affordable, yippee!

as if you don't already want to go out and buy it, the first article is about taking old vogue patterns and making them into something up-to-date and wearable. oh my word.

oh and ms jagger has been interviewed for the issue too, what an inspiration.

the past few copies of vogue have been a disappointment, but this has totally renewed my faith. i actually have read every single word and article, and just love love love it.

ps. keep your eye out for my latest ebay finds, and a skirt that i made myself!

ebay is evil, ebay is awesome

2009-10-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

oh my word, i've gone totally ebay crazy. its not good. its really not good. it's definitely not good for my bank account. it all started when i got my iphone a few weeks ago and realised that it had an ebay application. i started playing with it, and the rest is history. they make it so easy for you to buy stuff!

i've actually bought in the last week...
- one belt - a great purchase, as long as it fits
- 3 dresses - one red, one khaki, one floral (2 topshop, 1 zara)
- one smart top - it's from topshop, it arrived in the post yesterday, and it fits!
- one coat - it had some dodgy shoulder pads, but once i got them out, i think i'll be wearing this coat all through the winter! it's vintage and navy blue. perfection.
- 2 pairs of boots - one pair didn't fit, so i'm reselling them back on ebay, and the other's i wore today...they're grey topshop ankle boots, and i love them, even if they hurt my feet today :)

and i'm bidding for another 6 items, and watching 18 others. i've lost out a few times, but that's all part of the "fun"

i actually am addicted. i know its not good at all. but i CANNOT stop. i actually can't. i need to delete the app from my iphone...it's the only way.

ps. i'll show you what i bought as soon as it all arrives in the post, and this madness stops.

for the love of chanel

2009-10-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Chanel Show Spring Summer 2010, Paris, watch it on Youtube...the models come out of a giant haystack, with gold twigs in their hay, Lily Allen comes out of the ground to sing, and there's a little model mayhem in the hay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8otjTStvmIE

i saw this yesterday on my phone, and i had to stop everything i was doing to watch it (twice!). what an amazing show! they are always spectacular but i never thought i would want to wear every piece in his show...but literally EVERYTHING in this show is amazing. here's some of my favorites, thanks to http://www.style.com/:

this show makes me want to:
- draw little chains on myself with eyeliner
- paint my nails with OPI's 'You Don't Know Jacques!'
- wear tweed all winter
- find a pattern so I can attempt to recreate a Chanel jacket, given there's no way I'll ever be able to afford one in the short term...
- buy and wear some amazing tights
- drape black lace on everything
- learn the art of the elegant messy bun
- pile matching bracelets on my wrists
- dye my hair blonde
- get black ribbon and attach it to all my clothes

the queens wardrobe

2009-10-02T01:01:00.000-07:00

i've recently been watching a whole bunch of 'fashion movies', and yesterday I watched The Duchess. It's a really great quality movie, with superb acting, costumes, set and script. The only thing is just how depressing the story actually is...it's not one of those movies that I'd want to watch to chill out on a Friday night, or to put me in a good mood.

the fashion in it is absolutely amazing, and the hair is insane! so i would 100% recommend it for that :) just don't expect to finish it and feel good about the world.

anyway, i've recently fallen in love with the Queen's Wardrobe, which is an online fashion store, with a whole load of interesting pieces. And more importantly, they ship to the UK! here's some of my favorites:

i'm stuck

2009-09-30T01:52:00.000-07:00

I've been stuck these past few weeks without a working camera. How much does that suck? So, instead of taking lots of beautiful photographs of the things I bought on my trip round the world, you will just have to wait patiently whilst I talk about what I am currently doing with my life...

So, now is definitely a good time to tell you all how much I appreciate you reading this, and for following me too. It makes me so happy!

Some of you will have some sort of an idea who I am and what I do, but I reckon most of you probably don't really have much of a clue. So, let me fill you in.

I graduated university a year ago now, with a degree in Drama Studies. After finishing I went and got some experience teaching in schools, where I realised that I hated yelling at kids. Not so good for an aspiring teacher. Ok, so rethink. How about some one-on-one maths tuition, yep, tick, I can do that, start up a new business! So, I've been tutoring maths for the past year now, and I love it. It's so much easier telling off one child at a time.

Then I thought how awesome it would be to become a beauty therapist. So, I've been taking a class for the past 9months, and am learning about all things to do with beauty, skincare....I've got a few more courses to go, before I can get my certificate.

Since I've come back from round the world, I find myself hopelessly short on cash, which is sad, but true. So, I've put beauty course on suspend until I can afford to continue, how depressing is that. Anyway, in the mean time, I'm taking on a few more students and building some websites, to keep me busy during the day. Check out www.fashion-questions.com and let me know what you think! Some lovely bloggers have been kind enough to answer questions for the site, which are really interesting :)

I'm keeping busy at home, trying out new things, and setting goals for the future. Working from home does take it's toll on you though. It's incredibly difficult to keep motivated. It's like writing an essay or doing a paper in your bedroom vs at school...so many things to distract me, and my phone never stops ringing. I don't have my own office, so I sit at the dining table trying so hard to write something and just generally work, but it's not always so easy.

Hopefully I'll have a working camera soon, so you guys can see all the amazing things I bought round the world. Plus, I'm working on some sewing projects which I'm eager to share with you guys (has anyone else ever tried to recreate an urban outfitters skirt?)

Keep reading...xoxo

fall09 reflections of the past

2009-09-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

as has everyone else, i've lately been checking out the spring summer 2010 runways. who isn't?

but instead of getting me all excited for the future, which it has don't get me wrong, i've been thinking back to the fall collections for inspiration for the cold months ahead (there's at least 8 of them!)

i also think its strange how when i go back over all the photos that i saved from previous seasons, i don't love everything i loved 6 months ago. i know that makes sense, because personal style is always evolving, but its definitely interesting. some of the looks i saved now seem really boring because everyone has been wearing them for the last few months, and others seem stupid because no-one is.

i went through all the photos of all the runways and saved my favorites to show you guys. i actually printed them out on photo paper and stuck them to my wall for inspiration.

i am definitely going to have to buy some knee high socks and start wearing them, before that becomes a big high street trend, and everyone is wearing them...and i can't decide about the whole fur debate (not faux vs real; it would always be faux for me). i'm not sure that anyone should wear it? and if they do how it doesn't look tacky. help me out on this one...

anyways, moving on. these aquascutum ensembles are so gorgeous i can't even say.

the dsquared2 collection made me want to yell YEESS! It was so spot on. And 100% wearable. I want the twins to dress me always.

marc by marc jacobs was so heritage. the prints were divinely vintage inspired. the hats were cute. i want to live in outfits like these this winter.

others worth mentioning:

- anna sui was every bit the rock and roll legend as always, though this time with feathery beanies

- michael kors neutral dress with tan accessories. the neckline was divine.

- nanette lepore - this designer does not get enough respect. perfect colors, perfect lines.

- rodarte - AMAZING. its actually wearable art.

thanks to style.com for all the photos and perfect inspirational browsing...

new york city, new york

2009-09-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

as soon as we touched down in jfk i could feel my heart racing that little bit faster! then when i saw the lights of manhattan i swear my heart jumped out of my chest. i took a picture to commemorate the event, but this is what it came out like:

it's a cool picture nonetheless though right?

we arrived at our hotel (we stayed at Hotel Beacon, which was awesome and well priced) and couldn't believe the view out of our window. you can see central park in front, and downtown to the right.

we had really good weather for being touristy, not too hot and not too cold, and it only rained on our last day. how good was it that we were there for fashion week too? amazing right...?

we were only in new york for 2 days, so we thought it was better to get an overview of the city, so that when we came back we'd know where everything is, and really be able to get into the proper new york mode, and feel like a local. so we got tourist bus tickets and did the downtown loop the first day, and uptown the next. it was great to see all the districts, go to statue of liberty and up the empire state building.

we went out to starbucks every day, here i am drinking a chocolate and banana smoothie with a shot of green tea matcha.

and i got super excited when i saw movie trailers everywhere. our bus driver yelled at the crew top ask what they were filming at the plaza, and they yelled back 'sex and the city'. woohoo! we saw so many white lorries everywhere, its no wonder that new yorkers get used to celebrities.

we went in a little bit of the park. buti still need to sail a boat, lie on strawberry fields and skate in an ice rink. i just have to.

if you get the chance to go to new york, go to Gray's Papaya. some seriously good hotdogs are sold here. they're grilled here, rather than the boiled ones you get on the street, and a gray's will only cost you $1.50 each.

this is the entrance for fashion week in bryant park. paparazzi everywhere, plus glamour were giving away free cupcakes when we were there, so i ate a chocolate one. there's such a buzz.

so in conclusion, i think that new york is awesome. my favorite city in the world so far. for sure. it's just so good. it's not as busy and crowded as you might think. it doesn't smell bad. and yes it's noisy, but it's really quiet in central park. there are amazing views everywhere, healthy food, amazing shops EVERYWHERE and some genuinely nice people with cool accents (there seem to be too, one i really don't like that's really snooty and the other i love - the one that sounds like Joey from Friends)

i super can't wait to go back and actually SEE new york. i will have to go for at least a week, so I can feel like i've done stuff. i want to go to magnolia bakery, see a show on broadway, shop til i can't physically carry anything else, catch a yellow taxi (it's a crime i didn't do that this time I know), see the Met, Moma and Mets, read books in the Library, buy books in Barnes and Noble, then try on shoes in Bergdorf Goodman, and have my hair cut and colored somewhere super expensive, stay in the Waldorf Astoria and go to Dean & Deluca.

i miss you new york. can't wait to see you soon. xoxo

san francisco!

2009-09-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

san francisco is a really cool city. it's very chilled and a great place to go out for a meal - they have a ridiculous amount of good restaurants and cafes, as well as Bristol Farms, but lets go into that later.

on our first day in SF we went on a tour of the city with Gray Line, which was not that great, but it did mean we actually got to drive through most of the districts...including Haight Ashbury, Castro, Chinatown, SoMa...and of course the Golden Gate Bridge.

on mission and dolores. totally one of the coolest streets in the whole of SF. if i had to choose somewhere to live it would be here.

going up the twin peaks, for a view of the clouds.

now i honestly thought that these were only in movies, and only super cool schools had them, but...i was so happy to see them EVERYWHERE!

i think you all know what this is...

the trams in SF are cool, although the actual tram lines have a ridiculous long queue...why wait 3 hours to get on? its cool to see the dudes turning the cars though, and there's always something going on in the square by where they turn (near the massive shopping centre on Market street)

So, in conclusion, I loved SF. I wish we'd had more money to do more stuff there though...it would have been awesome to go to the Napa valley and to take a long drive in a VW campervan down to LA (now i'm just getting carried away). But seriously I would love to go back there and see more of California, and go to the places with awesome names like Eureka and Sausalito. LOL.

Oh, and I would seriously hop on a plane just for Bristol Farms, where I had some amazing chilli and sourdough. Which happens to be located in one of the (if not THE) biggest shopping centre in the US.

Bring on the big apple!

aloha hawaii

2009-09-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hawaii was a pretty cool place to be, it's very hot and it's very holiday too...like so many hotels and chain restaurants. I must admit that it was a big shock coming into Honolulu from Fiji, as the two are parallel opposites in terms of what kind of holiday you can have.

Honolulu is very commercial and mostly full of ugly concrete 90s buildings, not many redeeming features. But, there are some definite plus points: the Ala Moana shopping centre, all the top brands you could want to shop at ever (honestly, from Forever 21 to Chanel it has everything!), and fireworks and entertaining on Waikiki Beach.

Go to the north of Oahu however and you will find some really pretty (and not fake) beaches with great surf and a chilled atmosphere. I could totally holiday there. Especially as it's near Fumi's, the amazingly tasty shrimp farm...get the butter and garlic shrimp for $12, its the best takeaway shrimp ever I promise.

Then the East coast is a total movie area...think Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates. There's beaches everywhere and they are so proud of all the locations that films have been shot. Go to the Macadamia Nut Farm and gardens and taste some of the delish macadamia nut coffee, as well as the cinnamon roasted nuts. Mmmmm. And try some noni lotion if you haven't yet...

I was well looking forward to New York at this point, and checking out mainland USA...bring it on!

fiji fiji fiji

2009-09-14T03:51:00.000-07:00

i was so sad to leave australia, but it had to be done...fiji was calling!

i had an amazing time in fiji! it is such a beautiful place, with really lovely, friendly people :) we did so many cool things, and saw some gorgeous sunsets...really really stunning.

actually the evening that we landed we saw this gorgeous sunset on the beach in newtown:

we went to a little island called south sea island...you can walk around it in 5 minutes. i snorkelled off the beach over the reef and saw some spectacularly colorful fish. and we had a barbeque lunch and relaxed in the sunshine.

we went down to the coral coast and went horseback riding on the beach. it was amazing because the beach was almost totally empty...really tranquil and calm.

we were told to go to the local mud pool, and so we went...it was difficult to find, but worth the effort. the sabeto hot springs are beautiful! i covered myself in mud and then washed off properly in the spring outlets. how relaxing :)

if you ever get the chance to go to fiji, don't say no!

the land of the boomerang

2009-08-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I have been totally loving being in Oz. It is such a beautiful place, with the nicest people!

We are currently in Brisbane, about to head off to Fiji!! We are totally fretting about spending too much, and about spending too much time shopping...it is a form of sightseeing right?

So far...I've bought some lovely goodies at Jurlique, bought some gorgeous heels at Zoe Wittner and am now wondering about a belle Country Road bag and a belt too. Underwear from BNT, or a cardigan from Supre. Hmmm.

We are definitely going to have to buy another suitcase :) Tim-Tams and Australian Honey need to go somewhere. Anyway, we are totally looking forward to a nice beach holiday in Fiji and then Hawaii.

Anyways here are some pictures:

- Underwater at the Great Barrier Reef

- At Roma Gardens in Brisbane

- Eating a hotdog at the Farmer's Market in Brisbane

Australia

2009-08-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am in Sydney now...well actually slightly further north in Erina. Its beautiful and warm, even in winter. Watched some pelican feeding in The Entrance today...

And then went to Copacabana...and I wrote this in the sand for everyone to read. Silly moment. But cute eh? That was also the day I wore my Topshop sweater that says I Love You on it. People do look at me strangely...

We went to Haven Beach in Terrigal for fish and chips. And then I went out and checked out the surfers on Manly Beach. Loads of them.

Cape Town, South Africa

2009-07-31T05:03:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm in South Africa! i hope you are all well and feeling good.

It's really beautiful here! We have enjoyed a city tour as well as a tour of the winelands :) we drank 17 different kinds of wine, and were a little tipsy coming back to our hotel. thank goodness for some excellent tour guides who know everything about this amazing place!

there's some delicious food and an amazingly large shopping centre on the V&A waterfront, which is where i'm writing this to you from...

there's a million different roadworks and building works being done for next years 2010 world cup that's taking place here. it makes getting a taxi twice as expensive (though it's still cheap) because of the number of diversions.

anyway, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch were really beautiful, with amazing architecture and the surrounding mountains are a stunning backdrop.

anyway, the style here is very european, and this mall has a havaianas shop that i'm just about to go and raid. those turqouise flip flops will be mine.

the picture is taken from the pretty bo kaap area, and you can see half of table mountain on the right...

next's new autumn line

2009-07-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love Next!

My favourite things about any of their season collections are the shoes, boots and jeans. Their jeans fit me perfectly, even the skinnies, so I think I'm up for a couple of pairs this coming autumn. Plus this time they have a whole range of different leggings, and I love the denim ones.

The chunky black ankle boots with studs are a slightly more feminine version of DMs which is definitely a good thing. And their runway collection blue and black suede peep toes are t.d.f!

Oh, and they have this black dress which is quite utility (it's in the central part of the picture). It looks like the perfect layering dress :)

Check it out at www.next.co.uk/Autumn

brighton and birthday

2009-07-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

sorry its been a while since my last post, but so much has happened since my brother came home! the last week i've been in brighton at a conference, which was awesome...really really good :)

we went for walks on the beach and did some shopping in between meetings. the shopping in Brighton is AMAZING. no jokes. its a really good mix of designer, vintage, individual and highstreet. i fell in love with a brand called people tree, its an ethical clothing store with some simple shapes, with organic, fairtrade materials. check it out, its gorgeous.

my friend took this picture of me in front of the brighton pier, the old one. i kinda like the funky close up angle, but i have realised how much i dislike my old sunglasses. it has been my personal mission for the last week to find a new pair i really like (ones without prescription lenses).

and then i had my birthday, which was a fun time. i was so tired from the week in brighton though that i was a little cranky (not usual for me. i'm not good with being tired.) i had a couple of friends round in the evening and we watched "bride wars", entertaining but not amazing.

then i watched "from dusk til dawn" today, which is an amazing movie, with a totally unexpected twist. watch it if you haven't seen it and are in for some hilarious horror comedy :)

yesterday i did a little shopping and found my new glasses. wayfarers, in fact, from john lewis. and i bought this shrug from republic. my necklaces were a birthday gift from an incredibly fashionable friend of mine.

out for a bit of a dance

2009-07-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

I went out with some of my friends for a bit of a dance and a drink this weekend. it was so much fun! we went shopping the day after, and did some good sales shopping. i will post pics of my new purchases soon!

This is a pic of me in the Jack Wills changing rooms, which were beautiful! i didn't buy anything there though...i can't decide whether i love everything there or the opposite...hmm.

It was a really good weekend...and i am back with more posts for you! thanks to all of those of you who have subscribed, it makes me smile :)

my brother's home!

2009-07-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

at least for two weeks my brother is home from Morocco, for a holiday. :) i haven't seen him since february so i was so glad to see him again when he got back yesterday!

people say that we look alike. they also say that he looks like prince harry. hmm. i say they are probably both true. what do you reckon?

what i'm wearing: topshop dress(ebay), h&m leggings, accessorize flip-flops

i love dresses, yes i do

2009-06-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

dresses are the ultimate feminine, sexy clothing choice, yes?

i have been trying and trying to build up a collection of dresses over the past i-don't-know-how-long. and i'm not doing a bad job! i've got 2 dresses coming in the post from ebay :)

go and check out my video about my dress collection, where i show everyone a bunch of dresses from my wardrobe! if you like my channel, please subscribe, its totally free, and would mean a lot :)

this was going to be a post about all the different bloggers i read daily, and my favorite "dresses" posts, but i started browsing and stopped at strawberry koi, who has the best taste in dresses ever. so i figured i didn't need to go anywhere else. plus i spent all my time browsing through her photos, and lost track of time, so there wasn't time to look at anyone elses!

aya at strawberry koi rocks vintage on her amazing blog. all the photos are gorgeous, and its such a great blog to read as well.

what i wore + what i'm listening to...

2009-06-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

diamond rings - chipmunk
bulletproof - la roux
shake it - metro station
heavy cross - gossip
new in town - little boots
untouched - the veronicas
release me -agnes
i sing i swim - seabear
musicology - the funk groove connection
bluebird of happiness - mojave 3

there's my top 10 songs for june!

Bay Skirt, Jones B Shoes, Primark T, Hat via Ebay, Accessorize Earrings, Random Bracelet, Buxton Bag

summer workday outfit

2009-06-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

i know its boring. but, this is what i wore to work today! it was so so soo hot.

Wimbledon Sunglasses, Accessorize Flip-Flops, Topshop Linen Trousers, Jack Wills T, DKNY Watch, Vintage Carnelian Necklace

catwalk style

2009-06-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

ok. so i still can't decide on my favorite collection from the aw09 catwalks. its tooooo difficult. here's some more of my favorites:

Tracy Reese - i love this collection for its knee length socks and its mix of silk and wool. oh and the cute little beanies.

Vivienne Westwood - she is fashion. a little crazy at time, but her draping is insanely good, and i love the big messy hair that went down the catwalk.

Akris - dresses + tights = love. plus the entire collection was a gorgeous array of chocolate, black and wine colours.

Balmain - rock chic all the way. so much sparkly black went down the catwalks this season, but i love how balmain did it

DKNY - red and lots of it. structured tailoring all the way.

Chloe - its like vintage couture. beautiful colours and amazing cuts. a lot more hardcore than chloe usually is.

let me know which is your favorite...

can i change my mind?

2009-06-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

i actually think i prefer the matthew williamson aw09 show to carolina herrera, the details are stunning. I love the dresses in the middle of the video, which have a central silver panel, and a bodycon style. put you hands up if you wish you could afford anything from this collection...

carolina herrera aw09

2009-06-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Absolutely stunning right?

Carolina's shows are always elegant and feminine, and she always improves. Loads of silk, fur, sparkle, cinched waists, 1940s references, chic updos, cigarette pants, dresses, neutral makeup, tailoring, intensely deep colours and black tights.

june topshop loves

2009-06-23T00:41:00.000-07:00

I trawled the entire Topshop website, and this is everything I love on there at the moment. I wish I could buy all of it. That would be an amazing wardrobe reshuffle!

jumpsuit style

2009-06-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

i love this jumpsuit so much. i was really hesitant when i first got it, as it's quite a statement for me, but after wearing it for a day, and walking the dog in it...i really do love it! its super comfortable, it feels like wearing pjs. i'm going to have to experiment with what i wear with it though, as loads of my stuff just looks plain strange with it :)

Oh, and if you can't remember where it's from, check my previous post about sale shopping! bargain (it was only £2!)

Hope you all had great weekends!

wedding + anniversary

2009-06-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

i went to 2 b.e.a.uitful occasions yesterday. celebrations of love. the first was a wedding, and the second a wedding anniversary. in order to look spectacularly appropriate, i wore this yellow dress ensemble.

great plains dress, accessorize belt, red herring cardigan, bay earrings, f&f ballerinas, next brown ring, matalan flower ring

here's a picture of my super stylish cousin. oh my word. i didn't manage to get a full length shot of her, but i can promise you it was super trendy! her hair was really beautiful too. (keep telling yourself alissa: i'm not jealous, i'm not jealous, i'm not jealous)

my cousin wore: topshop dress, urban outfitters cardigan (that she borrowed from her boyfriend), dorothy perkins flower hair grips, handmade necklace

a walk with odin

2009-06-19T03:15:00.000-07:00

Odin is my brothers dog, he's a super cute chocolate brown cocker spaniel, but being flown out to Morocco soon... :(

I took him for a huge run around one of our favorite places nearby, an old settlement/fort, with gorgeous views of the countryside.

he's now in need of a bath, because he ran in so much long grass its got stuck to his coat. he was so worn out, he was breathing really heavily. its nice for dogs to get so much exercise. plus he met up with a couple of other dogs and had a good sniff on the way round.

i took my lovely wimbledons on the walk too :)

it was a gorgeous morning, and the sun was in both blue sky and clouds, on and off. there was a small breeze because the place is quite high up...it was relaxing.

next shoes, topshop leggings, next dress, new look jacket, m&s bag, wimbledon sunglasses

i love the sales

2009-06-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

i went shopping yesterday. i wasn't supposed to...but i couldn't resist. clothing store bay trading closed yesterday, and all its stock was super reduced, like super reduced.

for only £7.50 (!!!!!!!) i bought these 4 things, which should have cost me £80:

oh and the very reason i went into town: my prescription sunglasses, which means i can now see in the sun without having to wear contact lenses. they're wimbledon frames, which are simple, classic and chic (in my opinion!)

online vintage shopping

2009-06-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a post by Isabelle at Bohemian Musings, which lead me to Spanish Moss Vintage. All of the clothes on their site are beautiful, as well as unique. And not ludicrously expensive either...check them out.

what i wore today...stourhead.

2009-06-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

finally, a proper outfit post! mum and i went to stourhead, and it was absolutely beautiful. stunning.

part of this national trust property was used to film pride and prejudice with keira knightley, you know the scene where elizabeth and mr darcy get all angry with each other and he tells her that he loves her. its raining and its beautiful.

we finished the day with strawberries in the car. yum yum yum.

today i wore: h&m dress worn as skirt, topshop vest, zara cardigan, topshop leggings, m&s bag, accessorize belt, f&f shoes

macaroons...french style

2009-06-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

So, on Thursday, which was supposed to be a working day, I went shopping with my mum. We stopped for tea and pastries in a cute french style cafe. Yum.

I got a delicious cherry pastry, and mum had an apricot danish. Both so delicious :)

I decided that it was about time I tried a macaroon, and so I bought two. One pistachio macaroon, and one raspberry. There were 95p each, bargain! I was not disappointed, I love everything with almonds in it!

h&m dressing room

2009-06-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

i love h&m. i went on their website for a quick browse, and found the dressing room again. unfortunately there are fewer things on the site, but you can edit your person, so it looks like you, and you can see what different things look like.

of course its no substitute for actually being in a dressing room, but it is fun :)

I went to matalan yesterday too. and there were a lot of shoes that were absolutely amazing. after my neutral shoes post, i found two gorgeous pairs of neutrals. Each pair of shoes cost between £16 and £20. Wowee!

The wedges were the most comfortable, and the black zips the most uncomfortable. I think they are all beautiful, but I know heels will just go towards the back of my wardrobe, because I am already nearly 6ft tall without them!

Which is your favorite pair?

Neutral Shoes

2009-06-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

These shoes are gorgeous, and neutrals go with everything too.

Givenchy Lace Front Platforms

Burberry Prorsum Patent-Leather Shoe Boots

Marni Patent Woven Platform Sandals

Stella McCartney Mesh Basket Sandals

These are all found on www.net-a-porter.com . I love that site! Yes its all designer, and expensive. But its also very very beautiful :)

Street Chic

2009-06-08T01:26:00.000-07:00

I love love love love watching these...

Having a great day so far. Had a superbly early night, and woke up pretty late too. Awesome. I feel rested and ready for the day. Got loads to do today, prepping for some kids drama and then actually running the club. Woah.

I have been watching Elle's Street Chic Episodes all morning, as well as some of my other favorite youtube channels. I love these episodes for spying real wearable fashion style.

Hope you are all having a great day!

danny roberts tshirt

2009-06-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

oh my word. if you haven't heard of this superbly talented artist, you have now...danny roberts is such an amazing artist. his portraits are phenomenal. check out his blog igor and andre for loads of pictures, and to buy prints. and you can now wear his prints, by buying this amazing tshirt from his store (thats £25 worth of pure beauty)

he's done a whole series of fashion blogger portraits, which are stunning too

he's done portraits of beautiful magazine covers too...

apartment loves

2009-06-05T00:20:00.001-07:00

i love apartment therapy. i am addicted. i dream of living in every single house or apartment. i have saved 243 images from their site already, so i can print it into my interior design folder for future use...

i love glass, and the way it catches the light, and the different ways people use it in their homes. retro chic is amazing. but my favorite looks are those that are messy and undone. clutter is beautiful. i keep trying to tell my mum that, but she won't listen.

oh, and my most favorite interior design feature...exposed brick. i need some in my life. it reminds me of new york apartments and thats not a bad thing, right?

i can't wait to have my own house so i can fill it with reclaimed, antique, second hand goodies. as well as some things from ikea (of course! how could i not, i have swedish blood)

talking of interiors, i recently watched the series kirstie's homemade home on channel 4. and even if it was a little frustrating at times...i wish i had the opportunity to learn the skills she did. bring on the quilting, glassblowing and knitting! i hope she brings a book out, so then i can glance at the lovely photos.

tm & beautiful umbrellas

2009-06-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

These fashion fots of Taylor Momsen are absolutely beautiful.

oh and next time i go to london i just have to go into james smith and sons umbrella shop...and get myself one of these bad boys. but i can't decide which kind of handle i should have?!

Greek Style

2009-06-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

In Santorini:

Gap Coral Halterneck, Zara Black Shorts, Birkenstocks

In Folegandros:

Promod Dress, Accessorize Flip-Flops, M&S Leather Bag

In Paros:

Ebay Topshop Dress, Topshop Extra Long Leggings, Next Gold Sandals, M&S Brown Leather Bag

In Athens:

Next Dress, Accessorize Earrings, Vintage Bracelet

What I Wore at the Airport/On the Plane:

Florence &Fred Jacket, Accessorize flip-flops, Topshop Leggings, BYoung Dress

Greece!

2009-05-29T01:48:00.000-07:00

I am posting this from a little internet cafe in Paros, Greece. Its such a beautiful place, and reminds me a lot of Sweden at times.

We went up to a little beach called Santa Maria this morning, which was breathtaking. The greek islands are quite touristy, but less so at this time of year.

We started our journey in Athens, which I was totally disappointed with to start, but at one point we took a left and everything got more beautiful and so much more impressive (cleaner too...nice!)

We then flew to Santorini, and stayed in Oia overnight. It was beautiful, and the sunset was spectacular. But, there were still too many tourists at even this remoter part of the island.

From there we took a ferry to Folegandros, my favourite island so far. It is small, but full of lovely local people, and some really delicious food. Our hotel was super amazing, with a gorgeous view and luxurious pool. One of the days we rented a quad bike and went round the whole island. Scary at times, because to get to any beaches there is quite a descent...

We are now in Paros, from here we will go back to Santorini to fly to Athens, where we will stay for a few days before heading back to England. Hopefully we will go to see the Parthenon up close...its still impressive from miles away.

I have loved trying all the different foods on offer here. So many delicious things to eat. The only thing I haven't plucked up the courage to eat yet is octopus...maybe tongiht. I will let you know!

ebay finds...

2009-05-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

These were my ebay finds. Unfortunately the topshop shorts are too small...but everything else is super cute. i will be wearing the innocence dress as a nightie probably because its a smidge too small, what with me being sooo tall and all.

by far the best bargain is the levi's skirt, so nice. i can wear that all times of year, with anything. +it fits like a glove.

there's still a couple of things to come in the post. but they won't be arriving now til after I get back from Greece! I leave tonight, how exciting!

we are heading around the greek islands santorini, foleghandros and paros as well as going to athens. WOW! i look forward to showing you some photos of me on holiday!

pre-travel shopping list

2009-05-20T01:14:00.000-07:00

If you can read this, well done. These are my scrawly notes written super fast whilst I tried to remember everything I had to do that day. And now, I am going to have to do the same for tomorrow...

american apparel, i love you

2009-05-19T03:27:00.000-07:00

can you find me one person that does not love american apparel? i've only ever met people that don't know what it is...

the perfect basics. always chic and stylish. wear it with pride. i can't wait til my skirt comes in the post!

i love looking at their "coming soon" section to see what the new stuff is going to be. Right now there's a printed nylon tricot tank dress that looks gorgeous. And the stores too...they are soo colourful, and its super easy to find everything. The first time I ever went to one it was in Cologne (Koln) and I was so excited to go in there. I still am.

i adore that they have an organics range too, how eco friendly! its pretty basic stuff on there, but maybe the range will increase with time.

and one day the circle vest in galaxy will be mine..

carried away with ebay...

2009-05-17T00:04:00.001-07:00

i am totally addicted to ebay again. its one of those things. i have zilch money, so i reckon that maybe i'll spend less if i buy stuff on ebay, and I do. but because i buy so much i think i probably spend as much as i would regularly. but i do get waaaaayyy more for that money.

i only hope that the stuff arrives before i head off to greece this week. i bought a bunch of dresses and some cute necklaces....and come cardigans and an american apparel skirt. oh dear. i can only hope that they fit, or that they're too big so I can take them in.

anyway, i will give you some pictures when it arrives, hopefully!

current blog loves:
chic heroin
fashion on edge
happy because

meanwhile if anyone knows of any amazing cheap vintage/thrift stores in the south of the uk, please let me know! i am dying to find a gem somewhere so I can shop shop shop (not that ebay isn't enough!)

i am really trying to use my sewing machine more and more, but I don't seem to be getting far. i need some nice fabric, and some excellent buttons and trimmings. i spy a trip to London coming. the little S town has only one fabric shop, which is really only made for making curtains or pillow cases.

italian markets are shoe heaven!

2009-05-16T05:18:00.001-07:00

I have just come back from holiday, and it was so exciting to be in Italy again! Its such a beautiful place, and the style is seriously trendy.

Most of the holiday was spent laying by the pool reading or trying to dunk my brother under the water. Which is near impossible because he's so hench.

Anyways, I think the stuff that I did end up packing was pretty good. Check out the video of that on Youtube. There were a couple of things that it would have been good to have with me though.

A strapless bra would have been brilliant, as well as another pair of linen trousers and some extra shorts. More dressy dresses would have been a bonus, as I didn't feel smart enough at dinner time. A hat would have been excellent to keep my head from burning, but I still can't find one that I really love...

There was only one day that we were allowed to go shopping in nearby Siena. And I was weirdly enough the only person not to buy anything. Apart from a postcard to my mum. I am remarkably short of money at the moment, especially with all the holidays.

BUT. My sister-in-law and I went to the market, which turned out to be this huge shoe fest really. Serious rows of shoes and handbags at amazing prices too. Unfortunately the italians don't really have many size 8s, so I gave up quite quickly on looking. But my sister-in-law was determined to find some lace up heels. And found some gorgeous ones too.

After checking out the market and the Duomo, which was truly spectacular, we met up with my sister-in-laws family, some of who had gone to Il Ponti Pelletteria and bought themselves some fantastic bags. A turqouise crocodile handbag was my favorite. Stunning. It would go with anything.

Of course the other truly inspirational thing about Italy, apart from the views, are the Vespas. Oh how I love them! Check them out + all the accessories too on the Vespa website.

Bento Lunchbox Love

2009-05-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I have just discovered the most beautiful things. Bento Lunchboxes!

I have found these on ebay at Blueberry Land , Sweet Deals and Yingka in a whole bunch of different colours. They do cute straps and thermo bags for them as well. I think I need to start a collection.

To Beanie or Not to Beanie?

2009-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am currently trying to decide what to wear to the airport on Saturday, and its so difficult to decide. I want to be comfortable, yet stylish. Don't want to spend ages taking my shoes off and customs, as well as not wearing too much with metal so I bleep when I go through the detectors.

My cousin suggested taking an oversized beanie, so I can look ultra-chic and have a warm head too. This makes sense for an early morning too, as it will make me feel like I am still in bed. But somehow it doesn't seem to say I am going on holiday somewhere nice and warm, does it?

So, the other option is a shemagh (square scarf) and an alice band. This is perhaps more suitable for a sunny summer holiday...So this is what I will go for I reckon. Keep checking back to see what I went for.

Meanwhile, here's some queries about which hat to get...please leave me a comment and let me know which one you prefer.

Boohoo

2009-05-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

I have just found this amazingly cheap website, after it was mentioned on Gok Wan's Fashion Fix the other evening. Here are a few of my favorite things:

Oh my word, and pretty much all of these things are under £30 too!!!

The shoe selection is intense, beautiful and varied. So on trend, they have patent peep-toe sling backs, 3-inch buckled strappy trainers and 5 inch studded gladiators. It makes me wish I was shorter. But, having said that, they have some fantastic flats, in loads of bright colours and metallics too.

Their sunglass selection is to die for. Every current copycat look you could want, retro, wayfarers, oval frame, neon, large frame, oversize, aviators, sqaure frame, studded...plus each pair is only £8.

I love their leggings as well. Snow wash, wet look and rayoi print are the ones on my wish list right now.

I have not ordered from them yet, but they are sure to get some money out of me in the not too distant future.

(Oh, and I forgot to mention the 75% off sale they have at the moment!)

River Island Shorts - Yum!

2009-04-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have found the perfect pair of shorts!

This has been a personal mission of mine for so long. Although I am quite slender, I always reckon I have a fairly big bootay...so hotpants are a no go, and most shorts are a little too tight around the back, hmmm, not attractive.

Anyways, so as I am short on money as well (like the pun?) I thought I would have a look on ebay, as I figured it was probably a good time of year to find shorts there. And I was right. I always like it when that happens!

There were hundreds of pairs of denim shorts in a 10, like loads. And several of which I actually would consider wearing too! I bid on 3, and won 1. Woo!

Anyways, so they are the most amazing fit ever. They are in dark denim, which is going to continue looking stylish forever, and are so well fitted at the back I can't even describe. Hey well I'll try: there's a sewn in panel at the back so that it actually is fitted for someone with curves, plus its got more fabric at the back than the front, so it actually finishes just at the top of my thigh under my booty.

Plus its got a cute zebra print inside, studs and pocket details that are subtle, not in your face. And the material is really soft cotton denim, not hardcore at all.

I hope there'll be loads of photos of me wearing these on holiday in a fortnight....stay tuned.

New York Style

2009-04-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

alissa loves by alissaevelyn featuring Kate Moss jackets

I am a huge fan of Kate Moss jackets from Topshop, I have last seasons navy jacket, and am longing after this 50s black version!

I am also currently trying to work out what outfit I am going to take with me to New York this year...its so exciting choosing something to wear. But so daunting too; after all NYC is the world capital of fashion!

What I have decided is to make sure I have something comfortable to wear for the first day of sightseeing, and then to shop for new outfits for the other days. A little risky, but I would rather buy more in NY than buy before I go.

New Loves: The Outnet & Yumi

2009-04-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ok. Confession time. I have just come back from holiday in Cornwall (where we had remarkably good weather...perhaps all of C's sunshine for the whole year!) and I bought two new dresses. One from a cute boutique in Padstow called Fusion, and another from Yumi - or yummy as I have come to know it...the clothes are so delicious!

St. Ives has a couple of cute boutiques with new design stock, as well as the usual surfer stores. But there are two important stores, Cath Kidston - its so huge! and Yumi - again so huge!

The only other Yumi store I have ever been to is in Bath, as well as checking out their collection on Asos.com. I love how individual Yumi is, and how cult the label has become. The dress I bought is so cute, its a dark floral print mini with a scarf/tie like detail.

My cousin bought a marked down silver coat. Wowee! So perfect. It had a paint stain on one shoulder, which she managed to take it with just 20 mins worth of warm water scrubbing. Total bargain, it looks so perfect on her too.

And to my surprise when I got back home from my hols I got the email saying that outnet.com was now online. For those of you that don't know, or haven't heard this online portal is the ultimate in online sales stores. It is the net-a-porter sales department, but permanent. You can find all top clothes and accessory designers like 3.1 Philip Lim and Bottega Veneta.

Haven't bought anything yet...but maybe soon!

Cornwall!

2009-04-08T00:12:00.000-07:00

I am going to Cornwall with the family tomorrow, and am currently trying to figure out what to pack. As always I have checked the weather report for the coming week, and all I can see is rain; the only variation is the difference between whether its light or heavy rain!

This is kind of to be expected, I only hope we see a little bit of sunshine at some point! Thats why its usually better to go ABROAD on holiday, where sunshine and heat is slightly more guaranteed...! I am so sure that we'll still have so much fun :)

So my packing essentials for this holiday are:
- a raincoat - one I bought in Topshop last year, its got a waist drawstring and its dark navy blue. I don't reckon raincoats are ever going to be sexy, but this comes pretty close.
- Caudalie grape water - I can only hope it comes in the post today, so I can actually have it for holiday. This is so nice to spritz whilst travelling in the car for ages, or after having been sat for ages.
- Chocolate Raisins & Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans - Snacks are super important, especially when there is so much rain. These are my favourite things to nibble atm, I just can't get enough!
- Herbal Teabags - I am just recovering from a cold, so it's super important to have some non-dairy drinks available on holiday. Nettle, peppermint and chamomile are my current favourites. Yum!
- Next Skinnies - my new skinny jeans from Next fit so perfectly, I won't be leaving the house without them packed in my suitcase!

I hope you all have a fantastic Easter! Don't eat too much chocolate...;)

London Style

2009-03-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

So I went to London yesterday evening, and oh my word! I love London so much...I wish I lived there.

Me and my family went to Garbo's, a Swedish restaurant that serves amazing food! I had avocado and prawns to start, followed by Swedish salmon with dill potatoes. Yum! We had a Princessetorte for dessert, its the most tasty birthday cake ever...it has layers of sponge, with cream between....its probably more cream than anything else actually :) it has marzipan topping, and this one had marzipan roses on too!

I always find it difficult to decide on what to wear to London, so I just wore a grey dress I had from Gap, a green wrap cardigan from Topshop, leggings (again from Topshop) and some cute flat petrol suede boots from Clarks.

I kind of wish I had worn something more dressy, but at least I was comfortable! Turns out we didn't even walk that much, so I could've worn heels, but never mind.

We drove past so many amazing stores, which I so wish I could have gone in. Plus, a whole bunch of places that I have never properly visited. Like Big Ben, the Palace, Hyde Park...and I wish I could stay at the Dorchester one time (it is at its cheapest £215 per night, and thats without tax too).

It was not so exciting to go to London when there were so many tourists, as the style ratings drop way down. Its goodbye to the super heights of couture and hello jeans, trainers and pac-a-macs.

Well, at least the views didn't disappoint. The view from Waterloo Bridge is incredible! I wish the taxi had been going slower so I could have properly looked at it. I think I need to spend a week in London to do everything I haven't done yet (it's going to be a lot of fun deciding on outfits to take with me for that!)

Anyways, if you haven't been for a while, then just go. There's such an amazing vibe there, it is truly worth every moment of your time!

ASOS bags....and a bit of Lulu.

2009-03-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

I am loving the bags you can buy on Asos at the moment, so this is an ode to them. There are many, many , many gorgeous bags on there, so check them out....

Bags are an important part of any outfit. At the moment I am carrying a Marks and Spencer grey quilted tote, which gets so many compliments and goes with absolutely every outfit. I only seem to change my bag every time I buy a new one, or need one in a different size. The bags are usually BIG, but I do have a small saddle bag (again from M&S!) and some cute clutches.

My latest bag purchase - apart from the grey marksies one - is an absolutely fabulous Lulu Guinness clutch, which was an absolute bargain.

What's In My Bag...

2009-03-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

There are so many fashionable Youtubers out there who are sharing the contents of their bag with you! It so interesting to see what other people have in their bag, and although sometimes it seems like bragging, it is genuinely intriguing to find out what things others use on a day to day basis.

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Summer Sandal Dilemma

2009-03-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hiya readers,

So, the new Next directory for Summer 2009 has come online, and so as a dutiful shopper, I browsed through the entire selection.

There's so much stuff in there that I want this season, I am torn between two pairs of almost identical black skinny jeans, one pair are ankle grazers (am not sure if being nearly 6" means that the cropped look should look amazing or hideous?!)

The next question is between all of the different pretty sandals they have in stock. All totally gorgeous, and given I am travelling to both Greece and Italy in about two months time, I need to be prepared. As well as taking my Birkenstocks and some Accessorize black flip-flops - the only place to buy flip flops from in my opinion - I thought some pretty sandals might be in order.

But...which ones to buy?

There are the incredibly cute gold T-bar strapped ones, which would glam anything up, wouldn't they?

And then, there's the white pair of patent jewelled sandals, which just seem to say stylish, chic and WEAR ME!

Go onto the Next website to see about a million other pairs of shoes which are all fabulous, and the heels this season are incredible as well!

Asos Charm Necklace

2009-03-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is totally gorgeous, and will go with any outfit. Super stylish and very uptown. Perfect to pair with a very minimal outfit, something monochrome, or just one simple block colour. Its so cute, it would probably go with anything. I love Asos for lots of unique finds, for different clothing styles too.

Teaming it with a black jumpsuit would be so on trend. As well as some chunky black heels, in mock croc. Or how about mixing it with a black wrap dress and big leather boots for winter, as well as a pair of cable knit wrist warmers (I got mine from Jack Wills, preppy and a sexy colour).

Don't forget some light day makeup, as this bold statement necklace needs some definite contouring and defining. A little bit of kohl eyeliner, some foundation, Nars blush and glossy lip balm.

Taylor Momsen Celeb Style

2009-03-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing pictures everywhere of Gossip Girl's Taylor Momsen looking super trendy.

She seems to love a rock chic kind of look, mixing flirty with hardcore. A bit of leather with a bit of chiffon. She has gorgeous hair too, which is why she always looks totally up-to-date. If you want such a chic look, get a good edgy haircut with a fab colour. Oh, and don't forget the eyeliner and some nude lip gloss which are her staple makeup essentials it seems!

Janet Mayer/PR Photos

This outfit that she wore to the Fall 2009 Fashion Week in NYC was amazing. The shoe boots are awesome, and I love that she is always out with her gorgeous pale skin, not wearing loads of fake tan like some celebs. I would be so worried about wearing this dress though, not only is it super expensive, but its white...a recipe for disaster. Well done Taylor for not ruining your dress!

The fashion week front row were all amazingly styled and preened this year. Its great that its always cold at Fashion Week so they can layer up, and have so many more style options to choose from. I am completely in love with winter generally, as its such a chance for hats, gloves, coats, cardigans, and my favorite thing ever...boots!

Current Loves

2009-03-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

These Marni sandals are so gorgeous that they needed their own set. These trendy shoes are my total love of the moment, and paired with a vintage print dress and an up-town pussybow coat, I think these shoes get what they deserve...style. Wowee, this outfit is expensive, but you can totally recreate this look from the highstreet, just keep an eye out for slinky fabrics and clever prints that look more expensive than they are!

current loves - by alissaevelyn on Polyvore.com

My Manoush

2009-03-05T03:19:00.000-08:00

My-Wardrobe are a serious favorite of mine, and they just got in stock this gorgeous dress by Manoush. The Jardin de Eden print is fun, and timeless. I love the way they styled in simply with some gold flat sandals and some aviators. It gives this girly look a bit of sophistication and serious style power.
I can't wait to try this on, and take it with me on holiday as the perfect cover up, city seeing outfit.

First Fashion

2009-03-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Hi readers!

Its great to be starting a new fashion blog, I can't wait to post regularly and keep you updated with my favorite trends. I will be posting some great pictures and videos hopefully, including some images of my favourite clothes, new purchases and key looks for different seasons.

In my spare time I write for different websites and publishers, as well as shopping and travelling, of course!

I hope you like my posts, and you get inspired by them.

xoxo