Wednesday, December 26, 2012

2013: Resolutions

Normally my resolutions are things like, 'eat more chocolate,' or, 'stop spending money,' but as this is my first New Year with a blog, I would like to dedicate a couple of resolutions to it!

These are resolutions for building content, traffic, and gathering more readers - because I love you guys!

But also, things I intend to do - so please! Call me up on them when I forget. (because we all know I will...)



To improve my social media 'presence':
I currently have Facebook and Twitter (you can follow me over there > )
and I really notice the difference when I post a link: people click on it.
But I love photography too, so Instagram would be a good site to join (I think) and Pinterest seems great generally for sharing.



Take part in IFB:
Independent Fashion Bloggers is a great resource, and actually the reason I am posting this right now (normally my resolutions would be in the New Year), but this is only my first time taking part in an IFB project.
This post is for IFB Project #76 , but I really can't wait to do more!
You will see a lot of these in the New Year!
Blog MORE!
I love to blog, I really do.
I love taking photos, writing and doing stuff I wouldn't normally do.
So next year, I want to blog more; maybe twice or three times a week.
Interact:
With my readers, and with other bloggers. I would love to do features, link to others blog's, or maybe guest post.
Anything! 
Post etiquette:
I have begun a little early with this one, but I need to sort out the design of each post. I plan to give each post a title picture, and include visuals of some form with every post.
I was also thinking about starting a feature, whether it is item of the month, or a favourite song. Any ideas?
Blog design:
I definitely need to work on the overall look of my blog - maybe even a complete revamp!
It is coming, little by little, but I would love some tips or ideas - feel free to comment below.




Reader involvement:
Maybe I should start a question poll, and post the results each week.
Or a reader's feature, where readers guest post once a month on their favourite item.
I would love some help with this one (as it's all about you) - don't feel afraid to post ideas or comments. I created a whole page for this - You!



These are my resolutions; what are yours?

Thanks to IFB for their project ideas and inspiring me to do this, but also for just being such a great resource!

xx

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Vintage from The Clothes Show

With my textiles group I was lucky enough to visit The Clothes Show, which is a huge yearly high street designers event, with catwalk , stalls and freebies .
My trip was on the last day, Tuesday 11th December, which was truly the best day to go as everything was on sale (and you know how I like my sales!)
As so much happened and I don't want to skip a single piece, I have decided to split it across several posts - and this one is dedicated to vintage!

There were MILLIONS of stalls of every kind - beauty, clothes, accessories, vintage, shoes and more!
I bartered hard (okay, so just a bit) and won a couple vintage pieces for my efforts.
But although I couldn't buy everything I saw, I did take photos of them all!

First up, Bottle Green Vintage.
Some beautiful items, all unique and great quality. Also well presented - suitcases, dressers and hanging rails were decked out in vintage. I bought a lovely coffee-and-cream clutch-come-shoulder bag for just £5, when it should have been £10. It caught my eye inside the bargain suitcase! But the best comes when you don't expect it, and with each purchase came a free tote embellished with the Bottle Green logo and a lovely scarf. I received a block-flower patterned scarf, and my friend E a green 70's style bordered scarf that I forgot to photograph. I will ask her to send me a picture and maybe stick it in the next post!
Bottle Green Vintage sell on Asos Marketplace and also pop up around London in various different markets. I really recommend checking out their stuff as the lady who ran the stall was very nice and let me take photos, but also the prices are very decent for excellent quality products!



I have always loved hats (despite owning very few) and lo and behold, a beautiful stall selling beautiful hats appears in front of me! 
Lizzie Lock Millinery creates hats using traditional techniques, and my, are they beautiful! I know little about the price of hats, but these didn't seem to be overly expensive considering they are individually crafted - but still out of my price range. I wanted every single one of them!
Lizzie Lock is also on Asos Marketplace, but based in Brighton. They don't just sell hats but all head-based accessories, like earmuffs, clips and mini-hats. (I'm sure there is a proper name for them, I just don't know what it is!) The ladies who ran this stall were also very nice and let me take photos, and we had a nice little chat about you guys and my blog!


There were just too many fantabulous stalls, stands and shops to take a photo of each, but I did pick up a lot of business cards and a copy of The Vintage Directory, which you can find online or in many vintage shops.

There were definitely too many stalls to explore - the place was HUGE! Every high street brand you could ever think of was there, from Rimmel to Punkyfish, as well as lots of standard market type stores. You could spend as much or as little as you wanted. (If I had it my way, I would have bought it all!)

There were three catwalks - one of which was a Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model catwalk, with the contestants actually there doing many shows throughout the day. The main catwalk was run by Suzuki and inside a theatre filled with seats and heaving with people, but I think I grabbed a pretty good spot (aside from the giant pole.)

I can't wait to post some more, on all of the goodies that were so cheap on the make up stalls, the main catwalk show, and my very own catwalk experience!

I will be posting lots of photos on Facebook and Twitter - so follow me at the side to see them (because they mightn't all make it to these pages - and you wouldn't want to miss out on that!)

I know it was over a week ago, but I am still buzzing and can't wait to share it with you!

Watch this space for more!

xx

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Nails Nails Nails...

So...
I might have gotten a leetle bored in class, and maybe have started doodling, and then designed, coloured and scanned in my doodles.
Or I might not have.

Ok so I did, and I was thinking of many different nail designs (not all that I have the paint for) and realised I actually only have ten fingers and toes. In come the marker pens! This is just a little random post full of ideas and tips!

These designs look really hard to do with just normal nail varnish, but investing in a couple coloured nail pens is definitely a good idea. Just Essentials, Models Own and Rio all do nail pens of various colours, but loads of stores do cheap own brand varnish - just make sure you top it with a decent no-chips coat. Maybelline, Essie and Rimmel all do decent top coats, although they aren't always cheap.
But if you aren't the arty type, don't worry, as companies like Sally Hansen produce nail foils - varnish free designs that peel, stick and file to fit.

Nails are a really easy way to accessorise your look, and can glam up anything. Take care of your nails by cutting and filing them regularly, eating iron-rich foods and using nail balms.

Get Creative!

xx

Saturday, November 24, 2012

5 Winter Make-up Tips!

As tans fade and coats get thicker, our make-up changes too. Here are my top five for you to try - say hello to the winter you!

Bold Lips!
Summer is for soft pinks, but winter is time to get serious. Berry colours work really well for strong lips, and deep rouges work especially if you have darker skin. Careful not to go to dark though, or you could end up looking washed out and pale.
Moisturise!
The cold air is so much drier than the hot summer, and walking out of a hot room and into the cold outside a lot can really damage your skin. It will dry and flake, make up won't adhere as well and your skin will get oilier - spots on the rise!
Bronze and Gold!
Smokey eyes are considered the ultimate party look - but charcoal eye shadow is just too dark for winter. Try creating the same effect with a shimmer bronze, or gold works well for paler skin. Leave out the black Kohl and replace with a glitter liner for fantastic eyes.
Naturally Flushed Cheeks!
If you want to add a bit of colour to your pale wintry face, try adding a bit of natural blusher in jewel tones. Place either from the apples of your cheeks (the bit that wrinkles high on your cheekbones when you grin) and sweep up towards your temples, or brush into the hollows of your cheeks for a naturally flushed look.
Clear skin!
Either buy a new foundation for winter or don't wear one at all - the same summer shade makes you look like you applied fake tan: only to your face!
You will need a paler colour as your tan fades to save yourself from looking like a traffic light, or just stick to concealer and natural skin. Much less fuss!






I would like to thank a reader for suggesting the idea for a winter make up tips post, I really do love all of your suggestions, and if you have anything you would like me to review, post or research, let me know! Comment on the You! page and I will see what I can do!

xx

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Meaning of Life... (almost.)

Well, I just don't know what to write!
How are you? This might be a bit of a slow conversation, as you would need to comment (please do) and then wait for me to reply. 
Which might take a little while. 
Cos I'm feeling lazy. 
But I'll pre-empt your reply and say 'Glad you're feeling good and having fun reading my blog, I am feeling good too! What is your favourite bit of my blog? Just curious...'

I have found some amazing sites, which I would like to share with you!
First off, Shabby Blogs, which gives out stuff like this :

For FREE!


Number 2, Her New Leaf - also found somewhere at the side of the page ------->
who gives out stuff like this:



also for FREE!

as you can see, I am  in the mood for prettying up my blog.
I have already started with some tabs at the top of the page. aka the Home, About Me, You,  and DIY Fashion pages... which I am always adding to (and attempting to make work.)
Please please please visit them, as there is some interesting stuff, maybe you will discover the unknown, or the meaning of life. (It all lies here, in my blog.)

Good luck exploring! Me xxx

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Promises Kept

Once upon a time, long long ago, I promised you all some photos (and stories) from a fashion pilgrimage to Italy, namely Amalfi, Capri, and Puglia!
So here we have a promise kept, and some lovely photos from my trip!

Top left: while waiting to catch the venicular from Capri to Anacapri,
I saw some touristy bags , and while I wouldn't necessarily buy one,
they certainly looked good lined up on the hanger like that.
Top right: The miu miu store sign: I went in to the ice cold boutique and
 the assistant looked at me like I wasn't miu miu worthy. Which I'm not.
 So I walked out again, and immediately boiled over. How could they
sell furs in there?!
Mid right: Some unique diamond earrings which caught
my eye (although I'm sure they cost a zillion euros.)
Mid left: The (then) new range of swarovski crystals and gems. It's so hard
to take a photo of shop windows!! And this guy stood in front of the
store for like a million years!
Bottom right: at the very height of Anacapri are some
beautiful gardens, overlooking the too-clear water in the bay below
(with all the rich people in their giant yachts...)
Bottom left: Last but not least, the Gucci sign, and learning my
 lesson form miu miu, I did not enter.

Up top: The Valentino display for their A/W 12 collection,
Down below: The D&G storefront (and although you cant really see
 it, the purple dress on the right is AMAZING!)
Like my dad said: it's like walking through the pages of a Vogue magazine.

Top right: Just the Boss store front
Top left: A beautiful hat display outside of a unique boutique, I would love to own a million hats like that!
Bottom right: In a slightly more touristy store, a bag display
Bottom left: Well, you guess! Their store is actually huge, and I went in and acted like I owned it all,
and even braved picking up a leather purse (a zillion euros... slightly too expensive for my budget!)

Some more artistic photos, on the left, a beautiful (and famous) view, from the Villa Rufalo in Ravello, taken by my dad (thank you), in the middle, an old-style cruise ship that rocked its way into the harbour while eating my breakfast on the terrace of the breakfast place (also beautiful, by the way. Italians just have style.) On the end is just a photo I took while passing somebody's house, these are genuine chillies hung out on the wall to dry, and not for tourists. Sweet, I thought. 

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Winter Chills

I consider my birthday to be the official start of winter - and thus I never end up with any summer clothes for presents. But my friends and parents equipped me with some pretty handy cold weather gear, featuring a lot of chunky knit and faux fur; I love it all!
So as a bit of a birthday brag but also to show you how I kitted my self out for the chilly times ahead, here are my favourite celebratory pieces....


B gave me these earmuffs, they are soft 
and furry against your ears!
The matching soft wool gloves holding a star (which 
happens to be affixed to my (purple!) bedroom wall)
My feet are always sooo cold in the winter, I could wrap them in warm
stuff and still be cold! But I find that a hot water bottle will
 dampen the chills: especially when faux fur covered to mimic
 a teddy that will warm your heart.
A close up of my lovely TU earmuffs and H&M snood
My Nana gave me these wellies (as well as the lovely
not-quite-sheepskin gloves) and you must admit that these are
 the epic-est wellies in wellie land (if that exists).
K saw these and was like - OMG, I want them!
And then I realised - I HAVE CHEETAH PRINT PJ'S TOO!!
I have decided that these are the only items I can wear to future
festivals - you see a girl in these with a tooth brush
 and an oversized coat - you know that's me.
 Stay warm! x

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Blue Sky Bag

The other day my mom made a blind with a really pretty sky blue cotton, so when she was finished I stole the scraps and made a bag! I did this without a pattern (which I am pretty proud of) and by eye.

Here we go:
I decided to make a 3D bag as opposed
to a tote bag, and these are the pattern
pieces I cut out.


Using an ancient electrified Singer machine
(not a machine that sings, it's a sewing machine)
I sewed the main body of my bag together.



That created corners like this...

...That looks like this when turned right side out!

Hemming the top, I was ready to add the
 final piece... The back / flap.


I also created a long shoulder strap,
just by hemming and turning inwards a
long, 2" piece of fabric.


I added decorations (some free badges
 I picked up at the Apple store!)


Sunday, September 30, 2012

Top - to - Bubble skirt!

This top was given to me by a friend as it
was too big for her, and thus for me, but
being as creative as one is, I decided to make
 something of it!
I cut the sleevey section off, leaving just a circle of fabric
that would fit over my waist.





Along the dotted line, I turned the fabric over
 twice and made a hollow hem, without
sealing off the ends.


I machine stitched the hem.
Taking a piece of elastic that fits around my waist,
I put a hairpin on the end so that I could thread
it through the hem easily.

I tied a knot in the elastic and pulled it tight to my waist.
I could have left it the way it was as an a-line skirt, but I
decided to turn it into a bubble/pumpkin skirt,
or whatever you want to call it.
I did this by sewing a large dart into both sides
of the skirt, or I could have made several smaller darts.




Et Voila, a one-of-a-kind bubble skirt,
handmade and cheap!
Skirt Shifter x

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