Double Denim

I've started a poll (see column on the right, under the picture). This week it's on double denim. A trend that's been going a while. Please vote!

Was going to put

a picture right

here but google

had too many

to choose from.

Seriously go ahead.

Google 

'double denim'.

Musical Musings

I wouldn't say I have conventional tastes in music and I never really know what's 'in'. I mostly certainly never know the words either . . . 

I'm always drawn to music that sounds folk like, particularly from Eastern Europe. Here are a few of my favourites . . . 


Moishe's Bagel





This sounds to me very much like Philip Glass which might also be why the first piece is called Tanz Glassidic?

Next is a local band called The Destroyers performing Out of Babel.

 


Then the The Burning Bush 




I grew up listening to them. All the bands I've seen live apart from the last one. This is a French band, more rock than folk but I love this song Candy Lady by Dionysos.

Mont Saint Michel

I love Mont Saint Michel. To me this is the most magical place on earth. I have only been once and that was for New Years Eve 2009 as a romantic surprise. You can imagine my jaw dropping as we approached it from the distance . . .

If you haven't already noticed . . . I like lanterns and lamp posts . . . 

Narrow alleyways and secret passages.

Paris

This busker was singing Oasis songs, the crowd were loving it!

Pigalle

et voila!

Madeline

Ha! A friend of mine has quite rightly pointed out that my sailor dress ( posted here ) is very much like the dress Madeline wears . . . 

Uncanny, no?

They Only Come Out at Night

Yes a title pinched from a Smashing Pumpkins song but quite fitting for this post set in the night time. I went to Bristol for the weekend - I love Bristol and was expecting to see some stylish creatures out and about. I saw some but not many  - here are those I plucked up the courage to ask to photograph . . . 

Steve and Mark, two handsome chaps groomed to perfection. Mark was very interesting to speak to about his views on fashion. I would love to interview him properly, watch this space perhaps?

Amy Vickery, the only stylish lady I saw that night. Less is definitely more ladies! The dress is pleated and hangs beautifully. It had a black ribbon hanging down the back which I wish I photographed. Sorry for the photographic compostion - I'm no photographer and I had drunk one too many Kir Royales at this point . . .

Lastly my outfit of the night for which I wanted to show my favourite tights. Obviously these are inspired/copied (depending on how you look at it) by the Chanel two tone tights.

The 60's Sailor Dress

Finally the talked about 60's sailor dress is here!

Shame I'm not on Carnaby Street . . .

Edwardian Inspired

I am always drawn to anything Edwardian or Victorian - perhaps it's because I'm a huge fan of Tim Burton? Anyway it's fun - like playing at dress up . . .

The green nails and peep toe shoe boots stop it looking too period costume.

New Favourite

Check out the closet section at http://stylelikeu.com/. I discovered it yesterday thanks to a twitter update on Sea of Shoes. This site is my new favourite and I cannot get enough!

Have a look at Lux Leekley. She really reminds me on a 1920's silent film star. Beautiful eye make-up.

Frida

Mentioning Frida Kahlo in the eyebrow post yesterday prompted me to look at her iconic style and artwork.

I love the way Frida wore her hair in plaits and with ribbons or flowers. I also am inspired by the amount of colour in her clothes. When it comes to summer I like to wear clothes with a folklore edge and hair in plaits. Although it is more Heidi than Frida I suspect . . .

At Moseley Folk Festival 2009

Anyway back to the beautiful Frida . . . 

. . . and some of her artwork. Much of it seems to be autobiographical.

If you haven't seen the film 'Frida', I suggest you take a look.

Let's talk about eyebrows

I have a real thing about eyebrows. Infact it is often the thing I notice first about people, especially women as they tend to do more with them than men. Quite odd perhaps as I have a fringe so you can't really ever see my eyebrows. I haven't always been this way, infact I used to have quite bad eyebrows as a result of over plucking (a commen problem if you were a teenager in the 90's?). My natural shape is thicker in the centre and very thin in the middle to the edge.

I tried to grow them  - I really did but because of the over plucking they never did. So I bought 'brow zings' by Benefit and shaped them like an Audrey Hepburn wanabee. Don't get me wrong, 'brow zings' is amazing and I still use it now but I just wasn't happy with the shape.

After much moaning my housemate dragged me to a little place on Moseley High Street where she gets them threaded. If you're not sure what threading is have a look here.

They take hair from the above and beneath the brow to give an even, elegant arch shape which really opens up the eye socket. I have never looked back . . . . it's a shame I don't have a before and after picture.

However see below for a great eyebrow shape on Jude . . .

If you want to see some examples of bad eyebrows try here. Now I'm certainly not advocating that all of these are bad and I do like a thicker brow but it is certainly food for thought.

I especially love the style of Frida Kahlo and think her thick eyebrows make her even more beautiful.

Perhaps it's less about right or wrong eyebrows and more about the right shape to suit the person . . . maybe I just have a funny obsession with them . . .

Biscotti

No clothes today. It is really murky and grey here and I really didn't feel like doing much. However my housemate arrived back from Madrid today and since I broke one of her mugs whilst she was away I thought I'd bake a treat. Good job I did too as she bought me a beautiful fan.

Two blogs I have reading for a long time (Atlantis Home and Cupcakes and Cashmere) both recently did a post on making biscotti so I got inspired to try and make some.  As they both used American recipes that used cups as a measurement and I don't know how to measure that, I used a recipe from Waitrose online.

As a first attempt I was pretty pleased. I think I would use some whole almonds next time to vary the texure. 

Final outcome. Mmmm yum!

Tribal Tie Dye

I have been making this skirt for what seems ages and I'm hoping to actually finish it this week. As I've said before, I am new to sewing so each step takes me a while to do. Sometimes I look at the fabric I chose and ask myself  'what are you thinking???' but then I look again and I love it. 

I was aiming for a tribal feel as seen here . . . www.runwaydaily.com/.../01/how-to-wear-i-1.html 

 but now I'm wondering if it's going to look a little too 90's. More like something from Saved by the Bell . . .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FifaPMQ73jQ


Even if it doesn't work out, at least I can now do box pleats.

Nautical Victoriana

Every summer I get the urge to create a nautical look. However for a while now I've been wanting a Victorain/ Edwardian inspired sailor dress. Sure there are sailor dresses about but I'm quite fussy and it must have a large white square collar. The closest I have so far to anything remotely like a sailor dress is a lovely 1960's number my friend Chloe gave me ( I will do another post for this). I have a feeling I will end up making my own but as I'm a novice at sewing I may have to wait a while. For the moment I have a few pictures to keep me going . . .