Diversions

Bright objects hypnotize the mind

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000Z

The husband refers to my habit of knotting scarfs at the back like this as doing a John Wayne. You just wait until my Lone Ranger badge arrives. I get hopeful every time I spot the postman.

Not that I have an insane Western fascination going on in my clothing choices or anything.. nope. Cowboys were certainly not the theme this Tuesday - I am not sure I can say the same for Rainbow Brite :D Oh Starlite.. your awesome was only rivalled by Jolly Jumper..

Happy weekend!
Hope there is a glorious sunset to ride off into where you guys are tonight ;)

bubble beret, button earrings & skirt: etsy
coat: tesco
scarf: present
violent pinkness & cardi: h&m
pumpkin tights
shoes: office

Post title from 'A Word with You' by Elizabeth Bishop

Bananas

2012-02-23T20:52:00.001Z

Up until the middle of last year I didn't wear nail polish at all but now I view my collection rather like crayons: I wouldn't want to make do with just a couple of colours.

So since I am now officially a nail polish fiend I thought I'd share how I store mine:
In a metal box with lots of bananas on it.
And because I don't like searching for my favourite shade of blue, I put a little drop of polish on each lid, so I always know where the one I am looking for is hiding.

Are you a fellow collector, how do you store your nail polish?

Let's colour!

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000Z

No digital masterpiece I know, just a couple of cheerful little doodles. A little shaky but surprisingly fun to do.
Originally I had added laser beams shooting from my eyes, but after backing out of that one I just figured:
Let's colour!

I might just make this into a regular occurrence.. Anyone care to join me in doodling on the occasional outfit photo?

Keeping inside the Lines is Boring Tuesdays?
Felttips Taste Nice Wednesdays?
Fingerpainting Thursdays?

Nah, I am not great at keeping to a challenge calendar. But if you end up joining in my colouring frenzy, no matter what weekday, please share a link in the comments! I'd love to see :)

hat: present
jacket: tulle via modcloth
sweater, brooches & skirt: etsy
ring: present
tights (dusty green and sky blue layered): welovecolors
mittens & flats: primark

District 13

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000Z

If you enjoy fast paced action in general and parkour in particular you should definitely watch Luc Besson's District 13 & sequel District 13: Ultimatum

Both movies are set in a Paris ghetto of the not so distant future. Walled off and overrun with violence, drugs and of course organized crime, Banlieue 13 is home to Leito (played by David Belle, founder of parkour), who takes on a local drug lord in a bid to keep his home turf clean. He finds himself teamed with an undercover cop played by Cyril Raffaelli, who's stunts and fight choreography you'll have seen in many a movie.

Awesome parkour it's hard to believe didn't involve wires or computer generated effects, great fight sequences and cinematography, baddies who make rational enough decisions and to top it all off: No cheese. Everything you could ever hope for in an action packed movie.

So screw dubbing, suck up the subtitles (that is, unless you speak French) and watch it already - You're in for a treat :)

beret & belt: eBay
coat: primark
blouse: All-Mighty
cardi: h&m
skirt: waterlooplein market (altered)
boots: corral

Perfect sense

2012-02-18T08:00:00.000Z

So, I thought to myself,.. how could I improve this image?

Add a G I A N T cat to go with my skirt. That's how.
My reasoning is sound. You know it makes perfect sense ;)

But forget about the cats for a moment and check out my new jacket:
I complimented a most awesome colleague on it last year and when she had a wardrobe clear out recently, she put it aside for me. So loving the big collar and cuffed sleeves. It's cosy warm as well.

Happy Caturday I guess!

hat: tesco
outer jacket: present
inner jacket: zara via time enough for drums
t-shirt: glasto
skirt: vamos threads
mocha tights: welovecolors
brogues: office

Naked fat guy with a bow and arrow

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000Z

Here is what I wore on Valentine's.

The other half and I don't really observe Hallmark Appreciation Day and that's why it was a real surprise to return from my lunch break outfit shoot to find a secret admirer with my husband's handwriting had left a rose for me at work. It turned me from my usual unromantic self into a right sappy sap for the rest of the day.

Now, this dress..
When I first came across it on etsy I instantly favourited it because of the amazing embroidery but I had this sinking feeling that it would be quite baggy on me. "Easily altered for sure" I thought to myself brooding over the listing time and again. But you all know my prowess as a seamstress is nothing to write home about, so with some heartache I eventually removed it from my favourites.

A few days later I saw Michal sporting a similar dress and was so smitten I only went and searched etsy for embroidered dresses again. Well, I bet you can guess the first search result. Needless to say this Pretty went right back into my ♥ and soon enough it ended up in my basket.

I concluded that if it really did make me look like a potato sack I'd just have to use this opportunity to learn how to take in a dress. Luckily my seam ripper won't go anywhere near my blue wonder. It's clearly home made and the work is so lovely I'd loathe to add my own clumsy stitching.

Are vintage purchases an emotional roller coaster for you too?

As for my scalloped nails, I followed Jill's tut found via Elycia's blog. I am definitely going to give it a go in lots more colour combinations :D

Somehow every day this week so far has felt like a Friday so I am pleased it's nearly time for the real one :D Whatever weekday it feels like, hope you have an extraordinary one!

beret: eBay
cardi: Asda
coffee cup ring: DIY
button earrings: DIY
dress: BlytheHopesVintage on etsy
tights: welovecolors
brogues: office

On time

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000Z

I got up early last Wednesday to catch photos at dawn but the sun never rose to the occasion. Didn't all day. Luckily, on the weekend I got a chance to take some more photos in the sunshine.. so here is what I wore last Wednesday, and for a little piece of Saturday ;)

When I set eyes on this skirt at Waterlooplein market during a holiday in Amsterdam I instantly fell for the bold print and rich red colour. I was so loved up in fact that I barely registered the fact that it was so tight it cut my intestines in half and made me look distinctly sausage. Oh no, I sucked in my stomach, held my breath, took one look in the mirror and insisted to myself: This is a perfect fit.

Eversince my Mary-in-law gave me her sewing machine last year I've been edging my way towards replacing the torturous waist with an elasticated one. After a number of failed attempts (huh, you're meant to stretch the elastic before you sew it in.. DOH!) followed by hours of zen seam-ripping, I finally succeeded.

I know this is a five minute job for many of you but to me it is a momentous achievement that makes me bristle with pride :)

I keep remembering Everybody, Everywear challenged a day too late (uhm, my dog ate my outfit?) but not this time. Here is to pink and red. Forbidden* combinations are the best :)

*Seriously, just how boring are "fashion rules"?!

Click the image below for another pink and red outfit:

hat: tesco
ear & fingerring: buttons (DIY)
fingerless gloves: present (handmade by my Mom)
coat: present
(I've had it for over ten years but I rarely get to wear it because it just doesn't get quite cold enough around here :) )
crochet blouse: etsy
skirt: waterlooplein market (altered)
tights: welovecolors
boots: sheplers (corral)

More snow

2012-02-12T08:00:00.000Z

If you're wondering how to do zig zag nails, check out Kaylah's tutorial. Just remember to cut those tape strips thin enough to fit your nails. But if you end up with too wide ones, don't worry, that's how you do nails just like mine ;)

After a number of grey days and disappointingly flat outfit shots the sun finally made a glorious appearance.

It felt like a millennium went by as I waited for lunch to roll around, but eventually it was time to lock my computer and head across the road for outfit photos :)

I accidentally shot my blog right between the eyes on Friday evening (I panicked when my post element disappeared and reset my template). I've been spending some time fighting it out with my layout since. I do this in short bursts only. Once upon a time I considered going into programming but I swiftly found that not only am I the queen of the endless loop, but even the most menial of coding turns me very swiftly into an ill tempered monster. Stef SMASH!

I had added a number of extra variables to my standard template (I use blogger's Simple) way back when. This allowed me to configure most anything via Template Designer > Advanced rather than messing with my template directly. It was most awesome and I miss that. Why Blogger added a neat tool such as Template Designer but scrimped on the menu options available I'll never understand. I guess I should just get over myself and invest in a ready customized template. You guys got any tips on that?

Anyway, If you're thinking of having a play with your Blogger template, I'd recommend this method. The link is specific to adding a background colour to your sidebar, but you can use the same method to add any old variable you please and you only need to edit the code once. Future changes can be made via Template Designer.

Just don't be a Stef and make sure you keep a copy of the finished product..

beret: eBay
button earrings: DIY
blouse: Hi (debenhams)
dala horse brooch & skirt: etsy
jacket: tulle (modcloth)
tights: welovecolors
gloves: primark
boots: present (legero)

Procrastination workshop postponed

2012-02-10T08:04:00.000Z

This is one of the final few trips in my outfit time machine. I wore this at the end of October last year.

Lucky me, the days are almost long enough for outfit shots before or after work now. March 25th, when British clocks go forward, is circled with a great big smiley face in my calendar.

What with the freezing temperatures I've been reading a little, watched District 13 (awesome!) and am slowly but surely getting through the dreaded sewing pile.

Considering just how loooong I let various bits of hemming, button replacements and seam repairs accumulate before I tackle them, you'd think I hated these tasks. I really don't, but until I have started I always think I do. Once I get going I really do enjoy myself but the prospect always appears daunting and inspires record breaking stretches of procrastination.

I'll have to call the Guinness Book of Records guys about that.. some day.

Happy weekend!

cardi & kerchief: primark
brooch: ark cambridge
bangle: vintage fair
dress: camden market
fleece tights & satchel: eBay
brogues: office

Odd socks

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000Z

I was very studiously hiding the fact that I was wearing odd socks in these photos. I am still following a no-tights policy on my right leg where my tattoo is healing, but was unwilling to give up the extra warmth of woolie knee highs on the left. As soon as my leg wear wasn't particularly weather appropriate I was really glad of my maxi Dirndl.

I took these during my lunch break on Monday, not far from where I work.

A few people around the office commented on my odd socks and when I showed them the reason I got to see a few cool tattoos in return. Rather than the "Did it hurt?" and "How long did it take?" queries i got last time, people wanted to know what my Mom's reaction to my new tattoo was. Well, she hasn't seen it just yet, but when we spoke on the phone, Mom said: "But this is the last one, isn't it?" And you know, I think it probably is. Probably ;)

I'll be sure to show you my new addition soon :)

Meanwhile I am hoping the cold snap will snap out of it soon so I can take part in this month's EBEW challenge. I am crazy stoked as soon as I finally succeeded in my first alteration project and can't wait to wear my new and improved red skirt..

Dirndl & blouse: present
cape sweater: market stall

Slide-shuffle-slide

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000Z

Cambridge is quite the winter wonderland right now. Cars skid along the streets and motors rev impotently as wheels turn on the spot. Snowmen (some anatomically correct of course) hold court in front gardens along every street and strangers have a natter about the weather as they shuffle-slide-shuffle along the pavement.

Ten centimetres is more than enough snow to make the severe weather headlines in England and bring out that particular brand of jovial neighbourliness only minor catastrophes seem to inspire :)

I really wanted to take some photos out in the snow but my new tattoo is still making like major sunburn so I am a bit stiff legged and happiest in warm places where there is no need for tights. So instead here is something I wore back in November :)

Seeing all these old photos sporting previous hair cuts makes me even more glad I finally found a do that suits me. My hair has always been a pet hate of mine so I am pleased to bury that old hatchet.

Have a great start to the week you all!

beret & denim jacket: eBay
dress: h&m
top: etsy
belt: from another dress
tights & scarf: primark
brogues: office

A damn fine cup..

2012-02-04T15:45:00.000Z

Since I've been getting into wearing finger rings recently I thought I might as well get a few adjustable ring bases from eBay and make some myself. Here is the first batch :)

When Austria switched to the Euro I kept a few old Schilling coins. I'd planned to make them into pendants but never got around to it so I figured a ring is just as nice :)

My doll house miniatures often double as pendants but when I came across this ring on etsy I knew I wanted to make one like it. Of course the beverage just had to be coffee. Black, no sugar.

Here is how you can make your own:

You'll need miniature crockery and a ring base of course, super glue, PVA glue or clear lacquer and chalk pastels in the colour of the beverage of your choice.

Scrape a little bit of the chalk pastel into a fine powder using a knife. Add PVA glue or clear lacquer and mix into a smooth paste.

Pick up some of the paste with the knife and let it drip from the edge into the cup.

Once it dries it is probably going to take on a concave shape (if you know of a magic lacquer that doesn't, please share your secret). Repeat the process once or twice to get an even layer of "coffee".
Once everything is dry, use the super glue to attach the saucer to the ring base and Bob's your uncle.

Happy weekend!

PS: My new tattoo is everything I hoped for and is healing well and as of today we are motorised once more!

Low flying shower curtains

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000Z

Well, my hair has turned into a surefire way to date my outfit photos. I wore this back in October when foam rollers were my friends and it was still pretty warm outside.

While drafting this post our shower curtain came down like a roll of thunder.. again. Cheese on a stick this place is falling apart! I am seriously considering gluing the rail to the wall. So much for my DIY skills. Thinking of glue I am currently waiting for a bunch of knickknacks glued to adjustable ring bases to dry. I am looking forward to sharing those with you guys :)

Above are a couple of gadgety phone photos: My coin purse from Blue Q and my gadgety phone case from Tinder & Bloom featuring The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

I took today off work for my appointment at the tattoo parlour and to shop around for a car.
Hope you have a good one too!

cardi: primark
brooch: decoylab/etsy
blouse: present (tulle via modcloth)
skirt: anabelfuzz/etsy
pale yellow tights
brogues: office

Hiatamadl

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000Z

I am pretty sure I'll wear this dress a lot more often if I just get my act together and take up the hem a little. It's just at that akward spot where my calfs are at their widest.

Reminds me of a song by Hubert von Goisern:

"Koa Hiatamadl mog i ned,

hot koana dickn Wadln ned,

i mog a Madl aus da Stod,

was dicke Wadln hot."

which roughly translates to:

"I don't want no shephard girl

got no big calfs

I want a girl from the city

who got big calfs"

What, you weren't expecting lyrical wisdom, were you?
I guess I'd prefer the shepherd girl approach myself, so I think the hem is coming up a tad.

February is coming :) I am excited for warmer weather, shopping for a car and casual glances at the property market. Bring it on 2012!

cardi: primark
brooch: present
buttons: etsy
dress: Bettie Page
crochet tights & olive tights: welovecolors
brogues: office

Matryoshka doll

2012-01-29T11:12:00.000Z

Just four more days with a plain, pasty white right lower leg. After that it's going to be pretty colourful for the rest of my life.

Getting a tattoo does bear some resemblance to marriage, no? Okay, it's a pretty poor comparison considering the only similarity is permanence. I am really looking forward to getting my second tattoo, but my mind does do little loop de loops every time I try to evaulate what sixty year old Stef might one day think about twenty-nine year old me's more permanent choices.
See, if fourteen year old Stef met with my current self I know she'd be outraged at what she's turned into. I was a Little-Miss-Know-It-All back then (some might argue there is no change there, but I sure got rid of the inconveniently placed stick).

Isn't it intriguing how swiftly we feel estranged from our own past ideals, goals, reasoning and decisions? When I think back to my school days all I can do is shake my head and console myself that it led me where I am now. My early twenties on the other hand I am pretty pleased with (they were fun at the time and hold up well on internal replay too). Even so, these recollections feel just as distant as glimpses of that persnickety, prudish teen I once was. Like watching highlights from an old movie with the volume turned down.

Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see where life takes me from here ;)

This whole sentiment that our selfs are variable is what inspired this tattoo I am getting on Thursday in the first place.

If you ask me personality is not singular, unchanging, set in stone. I am not only thinking of personal growth over time but also different aspects/parts/ego-states of yourself that co-exist and when combined make up all that is You.

I am a home body who wants to explore the world. I am an introverted extrovert. I am laid back and confrontational. It just depends on the situation and the frame I am in.

You can catch hints of what I am getting at by thinking about what defines you as a daughter, a mother, a professional or a friend. The situations we find ourselves in bring out different sides to us and sometimes you might find that you're not merely adapting to a particular role but that these different aspects of yourself even extend to seperate hopes and dreams, wants and needs. Well, I am over simplifying a little but it gives you a rough idea of what I mean.

Subpersonality theory is a straight forward enough concept but it can be hard to feel your way around, not least because it just seems silly to think of yourself in the plural.

As odd as it appeared at first glance, this framework has really helped me to feel more at home in myself. It's a big enough deal for me to inspire a tattoo, even.

*Linking the subpersonality theory article on wiki just gave me a right giggle. There is a picture of nesting dolls on the page. It took me months to feel my way towards a non-creepy, pleasing visual representation of the concept and there it was right in front of my nose all along. In wiki we trust.

hat: primark
jacket: tulle (modcloth)
brooches: etsy
violent pink crop sweater: h&m
dress: tara starlet
orchid pink tights
boots: present

Old Saint John

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000Z

Vicky and I explored St. John's College one January weekend with the North wind stinging our faces and sunshine drying the puddles left by the incessant rain that had been drenching Cambridge the previous week.

I adore that little apple brooch :)

This is how I find out my clothes need mending. Check out the missing and droopy button.. or wait - don't. Better just ignore all that ;)

In the background you can see the Bridge of Sighs built in 1831 by Henry Hutchinson. Myth has it that it isn't named for the covered Venice bridge but for the sighs of students crossing it before exams.

Nearly the weekend you guys! I can't wait :D

Stag Beetle Love It

2012-01-25T15:54:00.001Z

Unfortunately (you already know where this is going..) our visa application was unsuccessful. An error in one of our forms led to our visas being denied for clerical reasons. Doh!

As a little pick me up I made an appointment to have my tattoo done (Anna & Mara of Dutch Door Press gave me the go ahead to use their print :)) and on the way home we stopped at the Chinese Supermarket for a bag full of sweets that will probably not survive the day. The Strawberry Yan Yans pictured are already gone but I showed enough restraint to snap a quick picture first. Squirrel your best friend.

What might be

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000Z

As this post goes live the husband and I are in London for our Diversity Visa Interview at the US Embassy. No doubt we'll be feeling light headed as we cross the threshhold into the sovereign territory of the U.S. right in the middle of London, England :)

Unless it is a flat out NO! we probably won't know whether our application for a permanent visa was successful for another four to six weeks but after today it really is out of our hands.

I swear, over the past couple of weeks I've wanted to tell you guys about my visa butterflies Every. Single. Day. but with some difficulty I reigned the urge in until now.

Eversince we found out we'd been selected for further processing last July I've been trying to play it cool. I made every effort to convince myself that our application would most likely be rejected and frankly, it might well be but then again.. and it has been getting harder and harder to shake this thought over the past couple of weeks: It might not. We might be moving halfway across the globe within the next six months. Starting over from scratch. Finding our bearings not only in a new country but on a different continent.

Butterflies have taken permanent residence in my stomach. Quite like a sore tooth you can't help but keep tonguing, the thought of what might be has been on my mind almost constantly. Only it is a joyful, bubbly, scary-exciting kind of sore.

Of course I would like nothing more than to succceed and get my hands on a green card but whatever the results, going through this process has been beneficial for me in a myriad of little ways.

It has reminded me that I am not bound to the direction my life is currently headed. That even the most extreme of life changes are never out of the question. Not that I dislike my life right now - not at all. It's just that I've gotten a little myred in routines. I am a creature of habit me. It is all too easy to forget that while a well played-in, secure day-to-day routine is reassuring, just every once in a while you need to get out of your comfort zone to feel alive. Jump into the unknown head first. Take opportunities as they arise, go out on a limb every once in a while.

From taking a different route to work, over trying out new foods to.. well, taking a chance on the Diversity Visa Lottery.

The whole process has also brought home to me that the things you own really do end up owning you. I know, I know - this quote is getting old but it is true. Ridding myself of accumulated trinkets, thinning out our tightly packed book cases and burrowing our way through reams of old paperwork wasn't easy but with every paper shredded, every box of books and dusty keepsake carried to the charity shop we felt a weight lift off our backs (well, literally too I guess - hardbacks are hea-vy). But seriously: I feel lighter, so much lighter now.

If we do leave for the US this summer we've got a lot more stock taking ahead of us and I bet I'll be feeling like a helium balloon by the end of it ;) I can just about imagine getting to a point where I can fit my life into a couple of suitcases now. That would have been an impossibility a year ago. Frankly, we could hardly fit all our stuff into our tiny home and at the time we didn't even realize how suffocating that really was.

And last but not least, the prospect of escaping future loooong, grey, damp winters has made it ever so much easier to keep a smile on my face through this one. I hope I can keep that positivity up if we stick around for the next English winter ;)

I can't deny we'll be inredibly bummed if our application falls through but there will be much excitement ahead whatever happens: If we don't find ourselves venturing across the pond we'll be moving locally, buy a car for weekend trips and go on a holiday abroad this year.

So here goes.
Keep your fingers crossed for us ;)

earrings: present
dress: heartbreakers (modcloth)
cardi: primark
brooch: decoylab (etsy)
scarf: present (pass me down)
belt: h&m
pale yellow tights
boots: eBay

Tangled in those dreams..

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000Z

I am reading The Steel Remains (more from Richard Morgan - fantasy this time) and listening to local radio stations of places I may never visit - but that's a story for another day.

I've been fighting the urge for an extreme spring clean. I find myself appraising everything in our house that isn't bolted down and assigning it to one of three categories: sell, give away or throw out. Apparently there is little space for keepsakes in my mind right now. Don't worry - I am not acting on the impulse just yet ;)

I came across Beach Fossils the other day and I was immediately hooked on this Brooklyn based band's lo-fi sound. Desert Sand is my current favourite and the post title is from Daydream. Mind you, I actually enjoy everything I've heard so far.

It's a habit of mine to keep new finds on repeat for days.. weeks sometimes. Thank goodness for headphones, right? If it weren't for my musical earmuffs I'd be driving the neighbours crazy with my repetitious listening.
Beach Fossils by Stef on Grooveshark

Got any recent musical finds you care to share?

hat: supermarket (tesco)
mittens: primark
denim jacket, sweater & skirt: vintage/second-hand (etsy & eBay)
brooch: decoylab (etsy)
sky blue tights
brogues: office

Scapegoat

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000Z

This is all Kaylah's fault!
No, not really. But I did see this cat skirt on The Dainty Squid first, which by the way is a firm favourite of mine and a frequent source of wardrobe-and-brooch-raid longings. When Kaylah featured this skirt in her Friday Favorites last November I decided I'd been good for long enough and splurge went my interwebs. I reckon if impulse shopping made a sound it would be gooey just like spluuurge.

Erica of vamosthreads was kind enough to add a little extra length to accomodate my tree trunks. Check out the pretty parcel it was mailed in too:

I came across Australian born/UK based comedian Brendon Burns on TV the other day and ended up spitting the coke I was just about to swollow right back into my glass (gross, I know - but when it comes to stand-up I guess it's a mark of distinction). His act is incredibly offensive in a manner not unlike South Park: Insightful, brash and a little crude while all the while poking fun at bigotry in particular and society in general.

Remember how I've been rolling the thought of getting a second tattoo around my head eversince I got my first one last September?
I knew where I wanted it to be placed, what I wanted it to signify for me personally and that I wanted it to be colourful. Other than that I didn't have the faintest what I was looking for, but I figured I'd recognize it when I found it. And I think I might have. Found it that is. I've asked the artists' permission so if get a positive response from them I'll tell you more about all that :)

Happy weekend everybody!

hat: primark
earrings & sweater (JUMPER! ;)): present
skirt: vamosthreads
boots: present (corral)

Carbon Dioxide

2012-01-19T08:00:00.001Z

The post I drafted and scheduled yesterday has disappeared from my dashboard and I can't face rewriting it right now. Words don't exactly come easy to me so I feel the loss keenly. (In other words: It's my pity party and I'll cry if I want to)

Instead of my ramblings, here is a double outfit shoot with Vicky I'd squirrelled away :)

Mind you, there is one quick story I just have to share:
Strange smells have been reported by some of my colleagues, so facilities have been searching for a gas leak in my work area for over a week now.
I am crazy about Mama clear rice noodle soup and it's been a working brunch staple for me recently. It was only today, as the Carbon Dioxide Sensors were beeping all around me while I scooped up a noodle, that I put two and two together and realized the "gas leak" is really my soup. :D
I dare you to top my crazy story. I dare you! ;)

Back up your blogs regularly guys - and have a most awesome Thursday!

Instant nostalgia

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000Z

Yes, that dress again ;)
I felt like posting something current so I shouldered my tripod and froze my socks off at lunch yesterday. I hadn't taken outfit shots since Christmas so I got all excited about "getting back on the horse".

I am so crazy in love with this dress but I am sure you've all worked this out long ago. I think this is the fifth remix in no more than a month :)

And of course my new Gadgetyphone got a look in as well - Retro Camera by Urbian is my favourite "instant nostalgia" app right now. Isn't it peculiar that while so many of us aim for crisp, polished imagery in our outfit shots, we keep our more personal mementos purposely blurred around the edges?

Sure, we're mimicking the tangible, touchable, faded and fragile mementos of our parents and grandparents: Collected in albums, hidden like treasure in dust covered boxes and framed on our walls.

But could it be the crisp, precise focus and accurate representation multi-mega-pixel snapshots have to offer simply jars with our need to embellish our own past? Even second rate compact cameras boast a depth of focus superior to the human eye. Is it any wonder that these crisp, clean photos all too often recall evidence, appear clinical and cold? They make plain the unreliability of our own memory, whereas a real or faux Polaroid leaves us room to play, to reminisce. It's an emotional thing I guess :)

On that note: If you could have total recall, do you think you'd want it?

That's more than enough lyrical waxing for a Monday night. Have a glorious Tuesday and keep snapping happy!

Let it begin..

2012-01-15T09:44:00.000Z

Here's some ancient outfit history - I wore this all the way back in early November 2011 but it feels pretty current because I am sitting here in the same t-shirt and cardi as I write this.

I can't wait to get shot of my Christmas paunch. Wearing only my loose fitting clothes is getting boring but as soon as I don't want to stretch my tighter garments, most of my wardrobe is out of bounds right now. It's a January tradition of sorts for me. Harrumph

The days are getting longer and I couldn't be more excited :) I've still got about a month's worth of outfits stashed away but as soon as they're all posted the time lag between outfit and post is going to get a lot shorter again.

Of late, I've been crazy into The Drums, Jasmine tea, seaweed and all things wasabi. That and I am incessantly playing with my new smart phone :) More of that little device another day..

Happy weekend :D

hat & cardi: primark
jacket: zara via timeenoughfordrums
t-shirt: glasto
skirt: anabelfuzz (etsy)
boots: legero (present)

Crunch!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000Z

These were taken on an October lunch break.
I put my glasses down while taking a picture against the light and by the time I returned to review the shot I'd forgotten all about them. CRUNCH! underfoot and bye bye specs. Sellotape was my accessory of choice that afternoon. Thankfully I had a spare pair at home so I got to take my time over finding the perfect replacement :D

I have quite a history when it comes to the destruction of glasses. See, I am the dictionary definition of clumsy (I knocked myself out with a paper towel dispenser once, it's a knack). Since I started wearing glasses some 27 years ago, various pairs of specs have met their end on my face, under my bum and feet. Imagine my parents' sigh of relief when those bendy frames came out even a medicine ball in the face could not harm. (WhoooshTHUD! The reserve bench was my special place during Phys Ed).

One pair met it's untimely demise slipping right off my nose and falling from a first floor window whe I leant out to wave to my best friend. You gotta tighten them little screws, kids.. He distracted me from the distorted, blurry world I was stuck in that day by taking me on a date. The friend in question is now my husband so that all worked out pretty good. We got two wonky eyes between us :D

As for my most recent spectacle destruction: I got two replacement pairs online. The only difficulty was conning my optician into relinquishing my PD measurement. That's the distance between your pupils and you wouldn't believe how protective opticians are of this info. The measurement isn't included in your sight test, it is only taken when you buy new frames. So if you ask for it they know you're taking your custom elsewhere and it is common policy for opticians to behave like angry toddlers on such occasions. After being refused the measurement by a snooty bossy boots I refrained from turning into the Hulk my very own self and instead returned to the store lateron to find a trainee behind the counter. I felt a little guilty taking advantage of the only helpful employee in store but the company (Specsavers on this occasion, but sadly most opticians will refuse this info) they sure as hell have lost my custom for good.

coat: primark
cardi: present (lana moden)
bubble beret: softspoken (etsy)
snood: DIY
earrings: present
bracelet: market stall
blouse: modcloth
curdoroy skirt: next via eBay
mocca tights: welovecolors
shoes: office

Ancient Aliens

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000Z

I came across the South Park parody before I gaped slack jawed at the original.
It's a tragedy I don't booze because this History Channel gem would make for a brilliant drinking game. It would appear Occam has lost his razor and proudly twirls his stately beard. It's grown so bushy aliens nest in it. If you were to believe Londo Mollari's stunt double the sky is blue because of.. aliens. I bet aliens fathered Einstein and invented the ice cream sundae.
If in doubt: Aliens.

The husband and I are rather taken with yelling "aliens!" a split second before one of the "ancient astronaut theorists" invariably reaches the same conclusion. I have to warn you: If you really listen to what passes for reasoning in this laughable series you'll give your "recent bullshit analyst" self a raging ulcer.

However, if you like a drink or fifty I can't recommend it enough. In the unlikely event you don't forfeit before the end of the episode you'll most likely wake up in a hospital bed having had your stomach pumped. And you know why that is, don't you? ALIENS!

Could it be a coincidence that a well known and intimidating organisation that passes for a church some places but is officially recognised as a malignant cult in others advertises on the same channel? Call me a conspiracy nut, but personally I really don't think so. So much for Xenu's ancient exploits.

I remember when Project Chanology went down I discovered a deep felt respect for the 1337 pubescent ass burgers who populate 4chan. I used to pass a Scientology centre on a daily basis. Complimentary theton measurements were offered to me every time I looked just a little sullen.

If there is one thing I believe in it is the freedom to believe whatever the heck you like or for that matter, not to believe. What disgusts me about this cult is not the concept of an alien overlord who will take home his chosen people and leave behind the rest of us subhumans, but the coercive scare tactics, policy of disconnection and overt preying on vulnerable people. That an organisation with a track record such as this is classed a church and exempt from tax in many countries really gets my goat.

Of course, while I am writing this, I wonder whether I have already said too much. My stomach churns as I worry if a light hearted post like this will suffice to mark me a "suppressive person" and render me a target for attack. And doesn't that just say it all?

I guess the only wisdom I have to offer is: Always check your sources. Don't ever just take some imbecile's word for it simply because he got his mug in the media. Oh, and drink responsibly.

And if you're still in doubt: Aliens. ;)

hat & coat: primark
snood: DIY
jumper: very
dress: charity shop
fleece tights
brogues: office