Sweet Nothings

New post on Jurassica Explain It All

2017-12-18T04:10:00.000-08:00

Hey friends! At present I can not link my new blog to Bloglovin', which is a crying shame because I don't want to lose touch with you all!

My latest post is now live at Jurassica Explains It All , take a look around! I've lots to share in the run up to Christmas, including cruelty free makeup reviews, makeup inspiration, tutorials and so many music playlists!!!

And please follow me on Pinterest for lots of warm fuzzies, inspiration and more makeup reviews/ treats for your eyeballs!

Thank you and love, love as always!

Jurassica

NEW BLOG AND WEBSITE

2017-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

HELLO OLD FRIENDS! OH HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU! DID YOU MISS ME?

WELL, IT HAS BEEN RATHER A LONG TIME, HOWEVER I'M SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY NEW MAKEUP, FX, MUSIC & LIFESTYLE BLOG & WEBSITE ARE NOW LIVE! I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE LOTS OF NEW & ORIGINAL CREATIVE CONTENT WITH YOU ALL!

CHECK IT OUT AND FOLLOW ME AT Jurassica Explains It All

SEE YOU THERE!

LOVE, LOVE!

PS YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER & PINTEREST @jurassica85 xoxoxoxo

Oxford Part Deux

2011-06-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to posting this! I hope you find it interesting... there are a lot of photos so I'll try to limit my yabbering! I photographed some of the museum blarb from the exhibits which intrigued me, hope it intrigues you too!

My second day in Oxford we decided to take a little drive and see what we could see! Our adventure led us to Woodstock, Oxfordshire, a sickeningly picturesque little village just outside of Oxford proper, home to Bleheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill.

First we stopped by Harriet's Tearoom for a typically English feast of pasties, quiches, ploughmans and scones. Mmmm!!!!

Then we headed to the Oxfordshire museum... which has some amazing exhibits... a dinosaur garden (!!!) and a fantastically eclectic giftshop. Of course, I was eager to check out the Jardin des dinosaures first!

In the Dinosaur garden there are a collection of real Dinosaur footprints! (I think i've blogged before about my dinosaur obsession!)

One of my favourite aspects of this museum was how interactive it is... there were even hats and jackets to play with in the WW2 exhibit!

These helmets are SO heavy, by the time this photo had been snapped I already had a headache... huge respect for the soldiers who had to endure them for so many hours!

I freakin' love this 1940s army jacket!

The hat is pretty sweet too!

Next up was the Roman room.. which was fascinating... Lots of human skeletons and interesting little tidbits of morbid Roman history (day to day life, traditions involving death and tragedies such as the plague were always my favourite parts of my history lessons!)

I wish I could have taken him home with me!

Interesting fact: Glove Making was one of Woodstocks chief industries! (Click to enlarge and read!)

Of course some taxidermed big game! <3

Oh, and I finally got to see my UV nail polish in action in the "science room"

Now, finally we have arrived at my favourite part of the museum... the kids dinosaur room. And here's why...

Hand sewn dinosaur costumes for (kids) to play in!!!! Naturally I had to have a quick game of dinosaurs before we left...

I was blown away by this hooded cape Triceratops costume... what ingenious costume making!

Part 3 coming soon!

Love, love

PS For more information on The Oxfordshire Museum and upcoming exhibits click here

Thrift of the Week...

2011-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

We're back! Thrift of the week has been on hiatus due to an overwhelming number of thrifted delights during my last stint in LA... far too many to talk about.. followed by a severe drought back in England. But this week the thrifting Gods were smiling upon me!

I scored these vintage frames at work no less... I don't think I've ever mentioned what is it I do for work while I'm in England.. well I work for my Dad who owns a chain of independent Opticians. This week I was sorting through the recycled glasses when I spied some vintage cases, which immediately sparked my interest (they really don't make spectacle cases like they used to!)... inside were these little gems... unsurprisingly due to my fathers profession, I already have a pretty vast collection of vintage frames.. but a few more can't hurt! Plus the sunglasses look fabulous on.. so unusual to find a semi rimless winged sunglass!!!!

For giggles, here is a pic of me in the first pair, before I removed the reading lenses hahaha

Next up are a few things I picked up at my favourite UK thrift shop, located in the grounds of a local hospice.

FYI I have this thing that I subconsciously do when on my way to a thrift shop... which may or may not raise my freak flag haha... I come up with a mental list of items I am looking for (usually hats, well tailored high waisted shorts/ pants/ skirts... hand knits... shirts in good fabrics..and real leather purses) I'd say 80% of the time when I think about what I am looking for... I find it. And, this week was no exception. (I found the glasses the day before, and would you believe vintage winged sunnies were on my to-find list!! Spookaroo!!)

Here's what was my list this wk:

Sleeveless collared shirt

High waisted shorts

Hat (like I need more hats!)

Sunglasses

A purse (to replace the one that died in LA)

This baby was a humble £2.00 and looks pretty rad on... although I can already hear my Grandma giggling at me for wearing it backwards, but I just love the way this style looks the wrong way round!

This wasn't exactly on my "list" (although I am always looking for shirts as I think they are the hardest thing to purchase!)

It's the softest cheese cloth... satisfies my adoration for broderie anglais and has the cutest little buttons on the shoulders. Plus it's just the right cropped length. The perfect partner for high waisted stonewashed denim. £1.75

Speaking of high waisted stonewashed denim.. these shorts were begging me to take them home. They're not vintage.. but pretty damn near perfect. There's a button missing so they were a mere £0.60p ... never worn... with the Topshop tags still on them (incidentally the original retail price was £30.00)

Lastly... sleeveless collared shirt! Huzzah! I love the deep V and the wide collar... the fabric has a nice drape too. £1.70

But wait.. there's one more thing!

Before I hit the hospice shop, I went to visit a friend from my old job who is recovering from key hole surgery (check out her blog here and wish her lots of get well soons!) Anyways, she had recently done some scavenging in her attic and found a whole mess of vintage treasures... and very sweetly gifted this purse to me... my list is complete!!!!! Thank you my love and feel better soon!!!!!

It's chocolate faux alligator with a clasp closure that snaps like a dream!

Well, I think I've rambled on quite enough for one evening, I still have to tackle the remainder of my Oxford trip at some point...

Have any of you thrifted anything exciting lately?

Love, love

Sneaky Peaky

2011-06-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sneak peak of something I'm working on...

Love, love

Dree Part Trois

2011-06-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

3rd Installment From our shoot with Greg Reeves, while I muster up the energy to tackle the mamoth Oxford Part II!!!

*click image to view full size*

30 Day Photography Challenge Part 4

2011-06-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here are the next group of 30 Day Photo Challenge pictures... I've had to omit Day 16 (Long Exposure) due to my limited photography supplies!

Day Fourteen - Eyes

Day Fifteen - Silhouette

Day Seventeen - Technology

Day Eighteen - Your Shoes

More to come soon! As well as Oxford Part II

Love, love

Take 2 - A Trip To Oxford

2011-06-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

First of all, WELCOME to my new followers! Even though my following is few, I truly appreciate each and every one of you, please feel free to introduce yourselves... and thank you for follwing!

Now, on with the show. Last week I was lucky enough to have not one but TWO consecutive days off... so I decided to take the opportunity to visit Oxford, where my LA sister is currently residing with her man.

I'd never been to Oxford before, and was surprised by how close it is, despite living in the Midlands Countryside.
It really is a beautiful city, full of history and countless quaint little villages. We accomplished so much in 48 hours that I have decided to split my trip into separate posts, as there are many, many photos and lots to share... it would be a tad tiresome to digest in one sitting!

And so we come to Oxford, Part One.

Monday, I collected my sister and begin the drive to Oxfordshire... stopping at a couple of little villages on the way, just to make sure they didn't have a plethora of untapped thrifted treasures waiting to be Biddled... disappointingly, they did not. On the way, we came across this fellow...

I knew pigs could fly, I knew elephants could fly, but hey, no one ever told me sharks could fly!(Although arguably they can't land, as evidenced by this photo!)

Finally, we made it to our resting place. Where we sipped on red wine before heading out into the dusky Oxford evening.

Our walk into town led us along the canal and into a field, where we found yet another aquatic fellow who, like his sharp toothed friend, had failed miserably in his aerodynamic endeavors.

In the city centre, we began the night playing phonetic Scrabble (a Biddle invention, full of fun and surprisingly difficult, particularly when you play regular Scrabble as frequently as we do!)...

Phonetic Scrabble!

Next we shared a delightfully English night picnic, washed down with sneaky beers, on the stones step to one of the many historical buildings Oxford has to offer

We ended the night at The Gloucester Arms, where I indulged in another favourite pasttime of mine!

I treated the locals to "Calling Dr Love" by Kiss hahaha

Then it was home to bed to recharge for the full day of sightseeing ahead!

Part 2 soon, with an abundance of photos to accompany it!

Love, love

30 Day Photography Challenge Part 3

2011-06-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Day Eleven - Something Blue

Day Twelve - Sunset

Day Thirteen - Yourself With 13 Things

(yes, my ubderdork stretches to the depths of using 13 tiles to spell "Thirteen Things" ha)

Love, love

BB's 30 Day Photo Challenge Part Two

2011-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Posting on behalf of the delectable Miss Bonneau, here are her next set of photos for the challenge!

Day 5 - From A High Angle

Day 6 - From A Low Angle

Day 7 - Fruit

Day 8 - A Bad Habit

Day 9 - Someone You Love

Day 10 - Childhood Memory

I miss my BB :( But luckily this challenge provides a constant stream of photos so we can pretend we aren't so far apart :D

Days 11 & 12 coming soon!

Love, love

30 Day Photography Challenge Part 2

2011-06-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

Finally up to date with this mini project!

Here are days 5 through 10! *click image to view full size*

Day Five - From a High Angle
Apologies to any Vegetarians out there... I adore animals.. but I'm a country girl... kitties will be kitties!

Day Six - From a Low Angle
I think it's pretty interesting how my low angle photo came out like a high angle one hah

Day Seven - Fruit
This is a strawberry plant from my days of working at the Garden Nursery, that is just starting to blossom again

Day Eight - A Bad Habit
Mmm mmm mmm I love sweeties!

Day Nine - Someone You Love
Edd and I have been steadfast companions since I was 5 and my Mama brought him home from a trip to Texas <3

Day Ten - Childhood Memory
Chinese Solitaire. I wasn't lying when I said I was a SuperDork™. I spent so many hours as a child playing cards and games by myself... this version of Solitaire was one of my favourites. The antique schoolhouse Desk was also a 5th Birthday present, I've spent many hours drawing at that thing! Ahh memories

Hope you like!

Love, love

Summer Goals

2011-06-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Elsie of A Beautiful Mess inspired me to make a list of things I would like to achieve this Summer. Here it is!

1) Ride a ferris wheel. In my 26 years I have never once indulged in this simple joy. This summer I plan to change that

2) FINALLY get my US Work Visa and complete my official move to LA. Having all my belongings in one place is a goal I think everyone would agree to be worthwhile!

3) Play an open Mic night with Bree (this one maybe slightly unrealistic as for this to occur we need to reach several other goals such as LIVE in the same country, write rehearse, practice, practice, practice our material... all of which are already being put into slow but steady action!)

4) Continue to create, sew and sell my sister and I's handmade collection Biddleton! Taking baby steps towards our dream.

5) Share a romantic kiss (preferably in the rain.. but when combined with goal 2 and the time of year, this seems rather unlikely!!!)

What are your Summer Goals? Be sure to click the link above to have a read of Elsies!

Love, love

BB's 30 Day Photography Challenge c/o Sweet Nothings.

2011-06-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

My dear friend is also doing the 30 Day Photography Challenge, however she no longer has a blog, so it is my pleasure to host them on her behalf! Here are the first four...

Day One - Self Portrait

Day Two - What I Wore Today

Day Three - Clouds

Day Four - Something Green

I Love, love these! I am so lucky to have such wonderfully artistic and beautiful friends. I can't wait for to see what wonders the next 26 days will hold!!!!

Love, love

30 Day Photography Challenge!

2011-06-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I was catching up on my favourite blogs when I came across THIS post on Casey's Elegant Musings (I adore this girls blog, she is a real inspiration!) The original challenge can be found here

As i'm currently back in the limbo phase of my waiting-for-my-visa-in-England.. I thought it would be a fun little exercise to partake in. I love the homework element of it.. yes I really did love homework when I was at school. I was the nerdiest of them all.

After reading through the Challenge, it was obviously apparent that the objective of this activity is to broaden your creativity... think out side the box and use each title as a jumping off point for individual interpretation (another aspect of it which quickly drew me in!)

But as the challenge calls for a new photo everyday, and I was slightly late to the game in starting out, there is little time to consider ground breaking, show stopping and abstract portrayals of the stimulus statement... So, a whole new element to the challenge was born!

As i've been so busy (I really need to learn to say "no" when I am asked to work my days off!!!), I haven't had chance to upload and post my first photo challenge photos. So I'm doing them in bulk. Hopefully as the 30 days progress, so will my photos.

Oh! I also don't possess anything that could be remotely considered a good camera. I shot these on my Canon Powershot SD 870

*click image to enlarge*

Day One - Self Portrait

Day Two - What I wore today

Day Three - Clouds

Day Four - Something Green

My neighbours must have thought I was nutty running around the garden hanging up dresses and stacking up our pots and pans!

But this is really fun, it forces you to stop... think.. to take a few minutes out of your day and produce something...and I highly recommend everyone gives it a try!!

More soon!

Love, love

Something I forgot

2011-06-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

It suddenly occurred to me that I neglected to share with you the labeling and packaging my sister and I put together for our Biddleton line. Our resources and energy levels were both severely depleted by the time we reached this stage.. but when a friend of ours (and rockstar.. check out her band HERE) asked us to donate a gift package to a Rock for the Cause Cancer Fundraiser her band was holding, we had to think fast and get. it. done! And that we did!

Here is a sampler...

Set of 3 fabric wrapped/braided bangles with Rosette detail

Single rosette broach

Make up bag/ pouch

We managed to refine them a little before we eventually found a buyer for our collection. Incidentally, if you are in LA be sure to stop by Dust Muffin , located at Sunset Junction where you will find many handmade Biddleton items!

I have so much I want to share with you all today, including a trip to the Fayre and the start of a photo challenge I have decided to partake in!

Later Gators,

Love, Love

Dree Part Deux

2011-05-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Second photo set
Photography Greg Reeves
Make Up - Myself
Styling - Dree (that's us two ha)

I love the oddness and intensity of these...

More to come

Love, love

Hey there pussycat

2011-05-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

My last week in LA.. one of many last weeks in LA I have had... I shot a Sci-Fi short.

Being a HUGE Rob Zombie fan I was awe struck when I realized that we were shooting at the same location RZ used for The Devil's Rejects. I couldn't resist dorking out and taking this photo... especially since it was the Ice Box that I initially recognized

Meow!

I can't wait to see how it turns out :D

Here are some more photos from my final weeks in LA.

Um. Ya.

All clothes thrifted/ donated/ exchanged!

Love, love

Dree Part Une

2011-05-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

First photo set from the shoot with Greg Reeves. Click to enlarge...

Love, love

The Mustard Chair...

2011-04-28T02:25:00.000-07:00

"Here for good time, not long time" - The Autobiography of Bigfoot: Graham Roumieu

One of my favourite books.

Charlie, although our time together was fleeting, i knew instantly that our paths were destined to intertwine. You were a great light and inspiration, providing so much encouragement and enthusiasm, with such a kind and gentle soul. You will be deeply missed. From your departure I take a great degree of inspiration... to venture into the unknown with courage... to create fearlessly and to live fully, free from judgment, without judging others. Thank you.

I will miss you.

- Your friend forever.

Art Update

2011-04-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Just taking a quick intermission to share a new painting/ collage I did last week. I've wanted to do a series of these for some time now, and when a bunch of photo frames fell into my lap I decided fate was telling me to pick up my paintbrush and get goin'!

Now, back to Biddleton label making!

Love, love

Time of the Season

2011-04-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

For changin' my header. Photo by Greg Reeves, Make Up by myself.

Many more to come!

Love, Love

Thrift of the Week...

2011-04-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I've had any thrifting to post about... sewing exhausts all my time at the moment! But here we are...

These 1970s Levi jeans were a terrific find and the PERFECT fit for me. Serendipity. Oh and did I mention that they were FREE? As was the feather head dress ... the blouse was acquired during a clothing swap with my lovely friend pictured next to me in this photo.. the jacket belonged to my elder sister in the 90s and the belt was also a free find.

Clothing Karma truly does exist. I can't recommend enough doing a clothing swap with friends... it's a great way to refresh your wardrobe and give a new life to those items that you just sorta, kinda fell out of love with! Give and you shall receive!

Love, love

PS Be sure to visit Biddleton where you will find all the handcrafted delights my sister and I have been creating over the past few months!

FINALLY

2011-04-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my utter lack of posting! My sister and I have been stitching up a storm... but I can now finally say that we have officially opened our own etsy store!!!

http://www.etsy.com/people/Biddleton

Each item is handmade by my sister and myself, from recycled materials. Please be sure to check it out! New listings every day.

Love, love

Bedtime Stories

2011-03-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a headband I made this week! All materials are recycled

Love, love

2011-03-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

No internet = sporadic posting :(

Bday card I made for my friend last week

and some happy jolly times..

Love, Love