Shades of inspiration

(photos from 5 inch and up and Yvan Rodic)

I want grey and taupe nails and matte brown berry lips.

p.s. how cool is that man shirt with camel coat?

xxx

Dennis the Menace

When I wear this cardigan (first shown here) I commonly get referenced to Dennis the Menace, which I think is very fitting because I think this look is a little bit cheeky. Following on from my last two outift posts (here and here), I am obviously continuing to be influenced by fictional characters from my childhood. To add to the whimisicality of it all, I added these super sweet heart print tights and red bow in my hair. I never realised I was so girlie until I started this blog, which is ironic because I am always drawn to editorials and looks with a much harder edge.

Bow in hair: Gina Tricot

Cardigan, top and boots: Primark

Gold ring: House of Harlow 1960

Red and black rose rings: Dublin boutique

Heart print tights and skirt: H&M

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend - I went skiing in the mountains with friends from England, which was mental! Last night I went back to sewing class and my project is coming along nicely - not long now until I can show you all.

xxx

New flash! I want to be this girl!

(photos from StockholmStreetStyle)

Bianca Balti - breathtaking beauty, red lips, fur, sequins, studs - so many details made to look so simple and chic. What's not to love?

<3

Little Bow Peep

After watching Alice in Wonderland (highly recommend it!), I wish I was a fairytale personified and on that vein rocked this super cute dress yesterday. I love the colour and the bow and button detail on the front. The dress does all the talking and needs no accessories which makes for an easy life :) I wore it with my patent Mary-Janes for extra super sweet sugar-coating. I felt so girlie and glam at the same time - it was a good day!

Dress: Primark

Shoes: Kurt Geiger

What's your current fashion inspiration?

Hope you're all having a lovely week!

xxx

Lady-like

Finally time for another outfit post - sorry I haven't been better at blogging but you know how life is. I've been pretty busy with my new hobby, sewing and have really been making headway with the project I am working on - I am really looking forward to showing you. It's like a whole new world has been opened up to me and I am suddenly drawing loads of sketches of all the things I want to make, some probably a little ambitious considering what a novice I am but aim high I say!

But I digress, back to the outfit....I wore this to work the other day and felt very elegant. I think it has a lovely vintage feel to it. I am wearing the skirt I wore here and the House of Harlow 1960 ring I showed you here. I love the fullness of the skirt - I just saw Alice in Wonderland and wanted all her costumes. I added a studded belt (worn backwards) and my favourite wooden wedges, which I can no longer wait to wear. The snow is finally melting so the summer clothes are coming out to play! I am trying new things with my hair since it is in such a state - i just can't decide whether I want it long or short anymore - what do you think?

Top: Warehouse

Belt: Primark

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Bertie

Flower ring: Topshop

Tortoiseshell ring: House of Harlow 1960

Thanks for reading and all your sweet comments and emails. I hope you've all been doing things you love and being with the people you love.

xxx

p.s. sorry for the bright flash in the last two pics - I just really like the way my nails look in them! Vain much?! lol!
p.p.s. just noticed I have a hair across my chin in those 2 pics as well - oh well, no photoshop for me so it must stay! Who's perfect anyway?

It's in the bag - part 3

 

Following on from my last 2 posts, I just found this great site Fuck Yeah!What's in your bag? if you want to be totally nosey. Feel less guilty about carrying around so much crap with me. LOL!

xxx

It's in the bag - part 2

 I spent hours last night trying to write this post and it just kept screwing up. I just gave up in the end, I hope I'm more successful now!

What I wanted to do was follow on from yesterday's "It's in the bag" post, in honour of Tweetmybag.com and their fabulous Rebecca Minkoff giveaway. Since I'm more often than not carrying around two bags, my lust list for new bags is constantly growing and I wanted to share with you some of my current bag crushes:

(photo from The Purse Blog)
Givenchy Nightingale - the perfect size with the perfect amount of slouch.

 (photo from StockholmStreetStyle)
Mulberry Alexa - reminds me of a school satchel but this ones not suitable for kids!

Chloé Paraty in black python - so luxurious and classic, I want!

 (photo from The Purse Blog)

Any one of the bags from the Chanel Coco Cocoon collection - smooshy, sporty and reversible - yes please!

 (photo from Mulberry.com)

Mulberry Ruby Bayswater - the greatest girlie twist on my beloved classic Mulberry Bayswater, can't decide which colour I love more - can I have them both please?

How gorgeous are they all? Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to own them all. What are your current bag crushes? Let me know...

xxx

It's in the bag - part 1

You guys may have seen my tweets from "Tweet My Bag", which is this great site that, in the words of the website itself "features a fabulous Rebecca Minkoff bag daily and offers a day-long 25% discount to Tweet My Bag users who upload their handbag pictures to the website and share with Twitter and Facebook friends. In addition, Rebecca Minkoff will be giving away a handbag each week to the most stylish, active tweeter/Facebook sharer from TweetMyBag.com." It's a fab site and there's no better incentive to join and start uploading your favourite bags than the possible promise of a gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff bag! The site has been promoted by two of my favourite bloggers Keiko Lynn and The Glamourai , check out their sites to see their fab Rebecca Minkoff bags.

Since I have a massive bag obsession, I have been uploading all my bag pics to the website in the hopes of winning a fab Minkoff bag (you can check out my looks here). So, in honour of Tweet My Bag, I thought I would do a "What's in the bag?" post and show you all my most treasured possessions that I drag around with me all day and everyday.         

In my first bag (yes I carry more than one bag around on a daily basis, but I'll get to that in a minute), which is usually one of my smaller favourite like my Chanel (seen here, here and here) I carry all my "essentials"....
1.  Compact mirror in the shape of a heart that my boyf gave me - it has his name for me engraved on it and is my talisman
2. Ballmania lip balm - I suffer from intolerably dry lips so this is vital plus it has SPF 20 so keeps away those harmful rays
3. Smythson Fashion Planner leather notebook - my mum gave me this for my bday and I carry it with me all the time so I can jot down all my outfit ideas and inspiration whenever they come to me. I am a list-making maniac so always expect to see my surrounded by notebooks and bits of paper covered in probably very illegible writing
4. Pens - black, blue and red, for list writing obviously
5-6. Pocket tissues and anti-bac gel - to ward off unwanted germs and H1N1
7. Black aluminium card holder and business cards
8-12. Keys, mobile phone, wallet, gum, hairclip - essentials, no explanation necessary
13. Mini pink torch - because the light in my corridor always goes (and I never replace it) so this makes finding my keys a lot easier!
14. Nail files - because I hate broken nails, not least because they tend to be the most deadly assassin of all my tights!
15. VW Beetle USB key - the lights come on when you plug it on - how cute! For keeping and uploading all my blogs and inspiration pics of course.   

Bag no.2 is usually a large tote big enough to hold any work I need to carry around plus a spare pair of shoes to change into once I am indoors and I can rid myself of my ever-so practical rubber boots (much better for navigating the icy pavements of Norway than any of my heels). This one is my Coco and Lolly tote, also seen here - don't you just love the animal print lining? In it I carry...
16. Hat and gloves - to keep me toasty warm
17. Even more notebooks - I have different notebooks for different lists, when I come to think about it I think I might have some sort of list OCD!
18. Metallic pink Coco and Lolly make-up bag which contains my MAC Studiofix and matte bronzing powder, YSL touche eclat concealer, 2 mascaras (these are my must-haves and I have one for the top lashes that adds volume and length and one for my bottom lashes which just adds length), eyelash comb, lipgloss, blusher, nail varnish and top coat (to touch up chipped nails), tweezers (to keep my brows in shape even when on the go) and more, even smaller hair clips (I seem to have a bad hair day nearly every other day so I constantly need help!).

So, as you can see I never travel light but everything I carry I consider vital for my day. 

Let me know what your bag essentials are and link me to your in the bag posts. Oh, and remember to check out TweetMyBag.com and upload your entries.

   
Good Luck!

 
xxx

Want. Need. Must have.

How are you all? I hope you have been having a wonderful weekend - mine has been so relaxing. I finally cracked out the sewing machine my boyf got me for Christmas and started on a project that I am really looking forward to showing you all. I am not a very patient person and I know that my mum especially was a bit dubious of me embarking on such a hobby. I tend to be a bit faddy and start things but never finish them, for example I haven't been back to hot yoga since I blogged about it here, oops! But I haven't once got stressed with sewing even when I've had to unpick it all and re-sew it, which is quite unlike me (perhaps the yoga's not needed anyway!). Instead I find it quite cathartic and I'm really enjoying learning via trial and error. I hope I sustain this enthusiasm; I'm going back to sewing classes this week to pick up some new tricks....so watch this space!

As well as sewing, I've also been thoroughly abusing my credit card via online shopping. I wasn't going to show you all the things I've bought since the last time I did that here and here only a handful of my purchases actually looked any good on me and most had to be sent back. But I suppose that it's the tight rope you walk with online shopping and I am not deterred but determined!

As seen in many of the 2010 autumn/winter collections, I am very happy in the knowledge that harem pants are not going anywhere so given the fact that ASOS are still continuing with their amazing clearance sale I just had to scoop up these 3 bargains. I don't imagine that all 3 pairs will look great on me but there is no harm in trying. I'm not planning on keeping them in my wardrobe until the autumn though, I plan on teaming them with cute crop tops and/or floral bustiers and chunky platforms during the spring (see below).

(from left to right, ASOS Wrap Front Tailored Trouser £38.00 NOW £15.00, Tailored Peg Trousers in the style of Fearne Cotton £32.00 NOW £20.00, Vila Tailored Jersey Trousers £35.00 NOW £24.00)

 

Because of my love for prints and all things beautiful but outlandish, my wardrobe commonly lacks the basic essentials so I also bagged these 4 crop tees from ASOS. I got them in all 4 colours since they were so cheap and basic tees like this never go out of style. I opted for the cropped tee because I am so short in the body that proper tees often drown me and cropped tees actually stop at place just below my waist, which I prefer.

(ASOS Basic Cropped Tee £10.00)

 

I love playsuits and after blogging about the one on the right here, I finally got up the guts (aka bank balance) to purchase it. It's got a gorgeous low back and I think it's tailored cut looks so chic. I've got a few special occasion coming up soon and it would be perfect for them paired with my House of Holland mock stockings and some supersized chunky platforms - I really hope it looks good on me. As for the one on the left, the same rules apply really, great tailoring gives it an uber chic feel. Plus, this one was massively reduced and a complete steal. I think I'll wear this one to work although it would also look amazing with some skyscraper heels and lashings of jewellery....perfect for cocktails with the girls....mmmmh!

(from left to right: French Connection Belted Long Wool Mix Playsuit £100.00 NOW £30.00, Warehouse Halter Tailored Playsuit £60.00)

So, they were the things I bought...now onto the things I want....I realise there is a lot of black in those purchases, which if you look back through my outfit posts, is quite unlike me. Hence my love of these beauties...once again Topshop has not let me down and I can see myself wearing outfits just like these two in the not so distance future...

Outfit 1:

I think this polka dot trench is a great twist on the classic trench and will be perfect for spring. It's so pretty and if you click on the link you'll see that at the back it has this super cute bow detailing. This is the item out of the 3 that I definitely almost maybe think I am going to buy - I spotted in Topshop a while ago and liked it then and as time has gone by I've re-visited it many times on the website and think that my liking is growing closer and closer towards loving. I love this floral playsuit, think the cut out detail is fantastic and I would definitely wear a print like that with the spotty trench, but I'm not so sure that this particular cut would suit me so with this fab print in mind, I am going to keep on looking. With these two pieces, the icing on my feet would be these fabulous wedges - nude, ribbon tie gorgeousness! I am a avid wedge-wearer, not least because they often sort out the problem of achieving statue without needing to adminster anesthetic to the balls of my feet. But again, even though I think these shoes are beautiful, I'm not entirely sure how much wear I personally would get out of them and since I am really trying to cut down on wasteful consumerism...for now I am going to keep on window shopping.

Outfit 2:

Just to highlight the versatility of the trench and wedges, here they are again! This time, I think they'd look great with these cropped chinos, which are very in keeping with the neutral pallette that was prevalent in so many of the 2010 spring/summer collections not to mention a closet classic. Just to add a bit of "me" and my penchant for mixing and matching prints (see here and here), I thought I would wear this with something like the leopard corset or the floral bralet. I already own a few similar corset-like items that would go well but what I am actually looking for is this floral studded corset that Grazia's editor at large blogged about here, but that I cannot track down anywhere...

Despite the fuzzy pic I can tell that this will be a very welcome addition to my wardrobe!

Wow, I think this has been one of my longest posts to date - hope you liked it! Let me know what you think will look great for spring or things you can't wait to get your hands on.

Have a lovely Sunday,

xxx

How to: apply false eyelashes

I've figured out how to embed videos to my blog, and I said here that I would show you how I learnt to apply flase eyelashes, which I love. This is the best video I found to teach yourself how to apply false eyelashes. You won't get it right the first time, but practise makes perfect!

Let me know how you all get on - good luck!

Have an excellent Friday

xxx

Put your pretty dress on....wear pearls round your neck....And all the pretty princes will see you

 

Yesterday, I was searching through all my old photos on my computer and found some of a little black dress that I love. I decided not to blog about it here but posted the pictures on my Chictopia and Lookbook profiles instead. You can see it here and here. I wrote on my Chictopia blog that "Sometimes life is complicated enough so when it comes to my wardrobe I often adopt the philosophy that simple is best and that’s why I love LBDs in all shapes and forms", but after I wrote that I thought that this philosophy doesn't just apply to LBDs for me. Whenever, I am shopping, whether it be in store or online, I am immediately drawn to the dresses and now I own hundreds. I was worried that this complusion meant I was getting stuck in a rut so I tried implementing a "dress buying" ban on myself but now when I think about it - what's wrong with loving dresses? They are the simplest outift to wear, often requiring little to no accessories and thus very little effort, yet can make you look and feel fabulous because of their easy elegance. Like I said, life can be full of complications even at the best of times and fashion should be fun, so what is easier than throwing on a fab dress and heading out the door to get on with your day? Don't get me wrong, I love accessories and the finer details that make an outfit "zing" but life infrequently lends itself to decorating yourself in the manner presented in fashion editorials and even blogs. So whilst I will still definitely accessorise to the max when the opportunity and time presents itself, when I am in a rush and running late (as I so often am!) I'm no longer going to feel guilty when reaching for one of my tried and tested dresses. Long live the dress!

Dress: Primark

Pearls: ASOS

xxx

p.s. is there anything in your wardrobe that makes you feel fab the minute you put it on?

NYFW

Yes yes I know I am already "late" with blogging about NYFW and you've probably already looked through the collections and picked out your favorite pieces, but since I think of this blog of somewhat of a mood board I'm still going to post my favourite pieces from the collections. After all, this blog does have "in my time" in the title!

L.A.M.B

Harems, drapey grey tops, chunky boots, leather and knotted belts - well done Gwen! Great, sexy yet wearable pieces. I want them all.

Proenza Schouler

I've loved all their previous collections and my feelings were no different for this one. Loved the colour pallette of gorgeous jewel hues, loved the sheer insets and strokeable fur trims. Babydoll dresses and chunky shoes = i want! And the icing on the cake - suspender stockings - the thigh's the limit!

Rag and Bone

Capes, shrunken jumpers and man shirts, cosy knits, thigh's on show, tweed and plaid just work should be a visual oxymoron but they are harmonious. And just in case my fairy godmother is out there, please please please can I have some of those knitted knee socks and chunky ankle boots with straps - that's not to much to ask is it?

Thakoon

More lovely harem pants and ankle boots I am lusting over. I want/need that ruffle skirt and fur trimmed hood jacket. Will def be incorporating a little bit of Thakoon-appreciation into my autumn wardrobe - doesn't it just look so pretty and poetic?

Alexander Wang

Although I didn't love this collection as much as his last, A.Wang still put together some great pieces. I adore those velvet dresses with draping details and sheer panelling - perfect for Xmas celebrations. His tailoring is superb and I'm glad to see another designer who bringing attention back to that frequently underestimated body part - the thigh!

Charlotte Ronson

Velvet, harems, grey tweeds, lace, a classic camel coat and a pop of blue - seen elsewhere I know, but that doesn't stop me loving them and I think Miss Ronson did an excellent job putting these pieces together. I will be buying some boots just like those and tucking my harems into them with pride!

(all images from www.style.com)

Even though I am getting well and truly sick of this winter, the recent autumn/winter collections have given me a reason to look forward to wrapping up warm! I've also picked my favourites from LFW and MFW and can't wait to show them to you all soon.

xxx