Snippets of Shiny Thoughts | Colourful London Fashion Lifestyle Blog

Made in Kingly Court

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:23:00 +0000

A clever ring tool that Abi and her interns use to close metal jewellery loops properly

Things British - Abilu Creations
As I mentioned in my last post about Kingly Court, I've been finding myself in the Carnaby Street gem-of-a-secret-courtyard a lot recently! On one of these occasions, I was invited down to visit some of their Designer/Makers who create cute one-off designs for the shops in Kingly Court. This really interests me, I find it of huge importance that we support local, regional and national brands and independent makers to prevent us importing so much as a country and to aid our local economy and keep skills alive. (I know, I buy too much ASOS..) The point is I was really fascinated to see what's being hand made in the area.

What better shop than Things British - a fantastic concept whereby the shop rents out shelf space to indie designers of all levels to help them get a foot up into the real world of having your own shop. When I was in there learning all about how stockist Abilu makes her jewellery, two graduates walked in enquiring about having their own shelf. Fantastic! Abilu was fascinating. She gave us a brilliant talk about up-cycling old jewellery and the nifty tips and tools you need to DIY! I just ADORE this necklace which is stuffed to the bim with fun stuff!

KNITTED CACTI!!!

All the Fun of the Fair!
I just adore this shop! The little cove of treasures is filled with everything you need to be able to knit, sew and make sweet things but if you don't have time for that, do pop in to buy some pre-made bits or beautiful stationary. Everything in there makes wonderful presents if you want something unique! I didn't actually realise, but they also sell online - take a looky.

But that's not all, the girls also put on little workshops that comes with a good cuppa. Me and my friends made amazing pompoms that I wore in the post below. I absolutely love it! No more cardboard rings, oh no, All the Fun of the Fair are stocked with the latest in pompom making technology - Plastic! Pop in and see what's on offer :)

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Snow Angels and Men

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

If you live in the UK and have been in hibernation for the past 3 days, you may not be aware that it in fact snowed. Yep, white stuff everywhere. The tricky thing for me when I'm freezing is what to wear without looking like an overloaded snowman. I'm the pathetic sort and really feel the cold so I'm always piling on the layers unattractively! Before the aforementioned flakes fell, I was offered a pair of jeans from Angels and Men asking me to 'style' them. Seeing as I pretty much never wear jeans (well not decent ones anyway) I jumped at the chance to see what the jeans fuss is all about!

Turns out I am now living in them... I didn't realise, but they come with a surprise soft insulated layer of fabric inside (Fleecetec-Duothermalate don't you know) which makes them so blooming nice to put on and importantly means I'm not the slightest bit cold on my legs. I'll be wearing these a lot but just have to work out is what to wear on top! You may remember this Jumper from my falling-in-love-with-Cos post which I'm wearing every day too.

My accessory of choice was our Cat, Oscar who made perfect striking poses in the snow while trying to 'catch' snow that we threw at him haha. Endless fun - Happy Snowing everyone!

Jeans - Angels and Men / Jumper and 3 part Ring - Cos / Shirt - Holly Fulton / Rucksack - ASOS / Balloon Brooch - Tatty Devine

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A Tea Drinking and Hat Wearing Sort of Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Atelier Millinery

Kingly Court
I've been spending lots of time around Carnaby in central London lately - not that I'm complaining! It's a lovely, inspiring place to shop, work and chill out. Whether taking snaps for a job, filming for a personal project or meeting up with friends, it's to the cute tucked away Kingly Court that I've been heading. If you haven't been - you must because I know you'll love it! There aren't many places in London where there are hubs of truly indie and creative shops where you can have tea, make a hat, have a massage, buy baby clothes, an accessory for yourself and ensure it's all handmade, customised or Made in Britain.

But in Kingly, exploring and discovering these places is all part of the fun! That's what me, Daniela and Sherin did the other day. We delved into Atelier Millinery on the first balcony over-looking the courtyard where the wonderfully friendly Milliners eagerly told us about some brilliant workshops they hold. Eyeing up cute birdcage bow headbands and fascinators, I'm very tempted to go and make the head accessory I've always wanted! From reading their leaflet, they offer 8 different courses starting from just £50 - isn't it brilliant that shops give you the chance to say "Oh this? I made it!"

Camellia's TeaHouse

Naturally, after all that fun hat-trying-on, we neeeeded tea! So up we went again to the top floor to the newly extended Camellia's Teahouse which I love visiting when I want to get away. It's so calming in there and I absolutely LOVE smelling the 'Tea Wall' and chatting to the super-friendly Lubna, a qualified Homeopath who started the tearoom from her love of mixing medicinal tealeaves together. Today, she still has her various blends mixed in the UK. Try the deliciously moist carrot cake and Turkish Apple Tea- too good!

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Scones, Sugar and a Huge Glitter Bow!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Bake-a-Boo Tea and Crown and Glory Bow
One of my favourite indulgences is going to tea. It's completely unnecessary, bad for your insides (all the sugar and what not) and ends up taking all afternoon. But when you need a more exciting lunch than usual, want to meet someone for natter or need a bit of girly time, then going to Bake-a-boo is the answer. I went there almost a year ago last for my birthday and realised how amazing it is to take photos in! (They also do gluten free teas!) Co-owner Zoe is always friendly, chatty and encourages you to snap away, why would you want to hide such a pretty place?! It was the perfect saccarine setting to show you my new hair accessory - How can you miss this big bow!

When Sophie of Crown and Glory emailed me to ask if I fancied one (um YEAH!) I eagerly told her that I was so pleased to have an entrance back into my lost world of hair accessorising. Why do I not do anything with my hair anymore? Laziness. I used to put in coloured clips, ribbons, little clip in beads - fun fun fun! Thank you Sophie, I will now make a conscious effort to try and add some fun to my mop! I you like this bow, which is wonderfully sturdy made from thick, glitter coated denim and only £10, you'll probably also love this star headband too which I adore!

Pink Lace and Velvet Polkadot Top - Mulberry / Green Cardie - Lacoste / Stripey Leggings - Ebay then DIY adjusted / Platform Trainers and Scarf - ASOS / Black Rucksack - Vintage Carven Paris / Keyring - Louise Gray on ASOS

Thanks Carrie for the photos ;)

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'Cos: it's Colourful!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Yellow textured pannel jumper - Lovely fuzzy boiled wool!

Strangely, I saw this ring on my Liberty colleagues hands as she put it back on in the toilets and thought how awesome it was, next thing, I spot it in Cos and obviously snap it right up!

3 Part ring, Two-tone necklace and Jumper from Cos

Cos is my new found love. If you know Cos, this might come as a surprise - "Yeah Lucy, how did you not know?!" Yep, last week was my very first visit to the store on Regent Street and I couldn't believe what I'd been missing! Firstly and most importantly, the colours. Cos know how to design, merchandise and package around a colour scheme. Whether popping neon orange, deep yellow or bright turquoise, they're all offset beautifully against a range of tonal greys with enough space to breathe and look fresh. This is what gives the store the feel of a high end boutique so it came as a very pleasant surprise to see the price tag!

Next thing, the design of the pieces. Each item is simple and constructed with pannel or pocket details with innovative textiles and a Scandinavian feel (It's Swedish so makes sense!) I love that I could mix one of these bits with something more wild and kitsch. As soon as I walked in I grabbed the yellow jumper above for £35 in the sale, when else would I find such an interesting textile in a sporty shape so cheap? I can't wait to wear it with other sporty styles this summer! Here are my favourite things from their website. I reeaally wanted the huge pink scarf, only £25 and a suede coin purse in turquoise. Next time!

Thank you Carrie for sending over my snaps!

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Colour Mix: Pink with Minty Turquoise

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Angora mix Jumper - ASOS / Hair Scarf - River Island / Leggings - Topshop / Box Bag - AWear.com / Shoes - Office

Pink and Turquoise!

You may gather from this post that my new colour obsessions are minty turquoises and bright cerise pinks - I just adore how they go together! My love of pink is hardly something new, I've always sported it whether a flash of it over my chops or a full on leggings and cardie combo. Turquoise, however is a new addition to my favourite hues list. It's so fresh for spring! I know it's been on the catwalks a lot and I think the first time I saw it was in Missionis Autumn Winter show. I think this is why I think it's acceptable to be wearing this ridiculously summery attire when it's raining and grim outside - I'm climate inappropriate!

Here are two outfits that I plan to wear when the sun stays up! I really want to steal Carrie's turquoise bag, it's perfect! The shorts in the second look were also seen in my last post after I bleached and died them and the waffle jumper was straight in my basket after seeing it styled amazingly on Late Afternoon - I love what Liz wears and I'm happy to say, this was my first Blogger to Basket purchase!

Minty Box Bag - YesStyle / Socks - House of Holland / Shoes - Jaeger / Denim Shorts - DIY Topshop / Jacket - ASOS / T-Shirt and Bow Ring - Mim (France)

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noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Macbook Proooo!
At last, at bloody last I've been able to toss my crappy Acer Aspire to the side after 3 painful years of slowness and plugging into the mains. It was a stressful journey getting to this silvery slither of metal because I just couldn't make my mind up; could I justify the spend when I haven't got a job?
After too much deliberation and asking everyone for their option, a fruit-shaped angel fell into a site called Ebay and after clicking £720 away, she was mine. Just 3 years old, all 15.4 inch and not a scratch on her, she's my new best baby and cor am I pleased! If you feel in the same position as me, try and find someone who knows a bit about laptops to help you find a second hand one. I was lucky enough to stumble up on this Buy it Now ONO so that was perfect!

Here are some other bits that I've been bought or have splurged on recently and love:

My best friend Carrie bought me this Elf Brush pack and palette for xmas and I'm so thankful! I love the feel of the foundation brush and I was in dire need of proper eye tools. I adore the colours too.

As soon as I saw these on ASOS, they were in my basket! I've wanted platform Converse Style trainers for ages. Though there are cool ones on ebay and YesStyle etc, my monster sized feet wouldn't fit them. Although I rarely buy anything so plainly coloured, it's probably best as they'll go with everything!
Warning: They will hurt the front of your feet a bit because the soles are inflexible!

Another gift from Carrie - This adds to my cute frogs collection which is expanding beautifully! Plastic, green, frog-based, fuels my obsession for organisation and tidying = CHECK!

I'm becoming more and more weak when I see the colour turquoise or mint. Need everything to be that colour! Lucky I stumbled across this Dylon cold Dye in my local pound shop, my boring shorts and white T-shirt have got a makeover! If you love this colour too, my next post will be featuring it with my other fave colour - bright pink!

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From London: Designers for the Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0000

Malene Oddershede Bach

Fearne for Very.co.uk

With London Fashion Week a month away and being bored of the weather in London getting colder instead of warmer, I've been thinking about what fashion options were presented to the English capital last fashion week for the warmer months. I personally keep dressing in pastels in the hope that it will spur the seasons to speed up! In September I remember spending most of my time at Vauxhall Fashion Scout seeing young designers shows and perving over how they were made afterwards!

I'm fairly proud to have spotted two designers who graduated from my university over the last two years. They are Malene Oddershede Bach and Manuela Dack, both of which I saw at their graduate shows too so it's lovely to see them progress! I also really liked Very's collection with Fearne, (the last one she'll do) particularly the hair, make up and glasses! I'll be taking tips from those 70s gals! I can see a bit of the Mulberry girl in the yellow outfit, that lovely pleated sheer skirt and leather gloves - I'll see if I can conjure that look. Lastly, that rucksack and those trousers are made for each other in my world! Look out for my most favourite colour combo of the moment in my next post!

Manuela Dack

P.s Thanks to you all who answered my blog survey - it was so helpful! I'll pick a winner of the Barbie shoe earrings soon! :)

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Fantastic Plastic! Plus Mini Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Pinkie and Brains!

Doh?!

Oversized Chain Necklace - Next / Strawberry Charm - Claires Accessories / Barbie Shoe Earrings - DIY (See end of post!) / Green Plexiglass Cuff - House of Flora / Measuring Tape Bracelet - Kitschen Sink

SMILE! Me and my best friend Carrie decided it would be a fun idea to do posts on something that defines us and then photograph each other with those objects. If she popped into an accessory, she'd be a felt beret and promptly roll down a hill, whereas I would go shiny and pop into a piece of brightly coloured plastic! For as long as I have dressed myself, I have always loved and worn plastic - round my neck, in the form of tacky little objects, and as 'wrist junk'. I love it! It's become a bit of a joke too, when I meet up with my fellow Plastician and homie Fiona, we usually greet each other with excitement over spotting the other persons' newest addition to the plastic collection!

I've split up the majority of my hoard into three rough 'looks', probably most appropriate for a nineties/nu-rave-is-vintage themed party. If there's one thing that disappoints me about my plastic collection is the lack of pieces from the classic acrylic connoisseurs that are Tatty Devine, among a couple of other sweet jewellery brands. This needs to change. Best start saving my pennies for fruity pieces like this!

Featured Throughout:

Walking Dinosoars - Gift from a lovely boy from Hawkin's Bazaar (RIP *sniff) / Coloured Glasses - Urban Outfitters / Pink Bow Ring - Mim (France) / Beads in Hair - From some crazy Hair Braiding Kit when I was 12 / Jumper - Topshop / Leggings - ASOS

Big Purple One

Purple Bumbag - A Children's Shop when I was 8 / Blue Fish Bracelet - Watch Strap from Octopus £5 / White Necklace - From Liberty's Hula themed party at FNO / Cloud Necklace - Kitschen Sink / Music Note Earrings - Tatty Devine / Skeleton Key Necklace - Peepshow Collective

Spectrum and Specs!

Monkey Ring - DIY / Heart Ring - Miss Selfridge / Rainbow Beads Necklace and Bracelet - Claires Accessories (for my 18th b.day Rainbow Party) / Christmas Light Shades Necklace - DIY / Aztec Necklace - Lazy Oaf / Lime Watch - Next

Mini Giveaway!
If you fancy giving Shiny Thoughts some feedback then please take this short survey here - And if you like the Barbie Shoe earrings I made in the first look, I have a similar pair to give away in lilac to one of the respondents! Please just make sure you mention a means of contact in the first question! Thank you!

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I Heart Kate Spade!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +0000

Bag - Kate Spade / Shorts and Jacket - All Aboard Vintage / Shoes - New Look / Coat - Topshop

All pieces from the KateSpade.com and background photos from their Tumblr that I've saved as inspiration!

I'm hooked on Kate Spade!
Over the last week, I've been knuckling down on my latest project - to make a series of short clips that would be set into a fashion-based British television programme. I've been heavily inspired by Kate Spade and their adorable, vibrant, modern graphics. My tale with Kate Spade goes something like this: When I was 14, my mum gave me a Kate Spade bag for Christmas. I didn't know she'd bought it from a charity shop until I sussed her out and was disgruntled that she hadn't worked out that the brand made good bags that I'd like for herself.. (up on looking back, good find mum!) She clearly had no idea and just thought it was a nice bag. Kerching! I wore it everywhere - loved it! One day in the school changing room, a love/hate kinda friend proclaimed loudly 'Oh, nice bag Lucy', to which I naturally replied 'Oh, why Thank you so much!' *chuffed smile* It turned out that she was laughing at me and attempting to be sarcastic. I quickly put her back in her place informing her that her attempt was an incorrect definition of sarcasm. Bitch.

My absolute favourite video!

Fast forward to last month when Bestie and I were out xmas shopping. That was when KS came back into my life. I spotted the Covent Garden store - it's colours and streamers pulled me in on a hot current of air. I was in love and gladly signed up to the mailing list. I'm happy to receive their emails if only for their graphic design! Please do take a second to watch their videos, they're so cute and inspiring. My current thing is to trawl their tumblr, which is tres me. Here's their website too!

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Home Alone? Bake a Pink Velvet Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:16:00 +0000

I've been home alone for the past 3 days as I wait for my house-mates to return from their Christmas holidays. There was nothing better to do that to bake them one of their favourite cakes for their return! - ~~Red~~ Pink Velvet! (It's not like I have 3 weeks worth of work to catch up on or anything!)

My New Phone!
I also thought it would be a good excuse to put my new phone to the test by seeing if I could take blog photos on it! I'm part of a UK focus group for HTC whereby I'm testing and trialing their amazing new phone - the Sensation XE. As you can see, it has a wonderfully large screen, perfect for us Bloggers who are pretty much attached to our computer screens most of the time and want one that we can actually read blogs on! HTC asked me to show off my 'skill' - do I even have one?! So I made them a mock blog post but then why not share with you too?! In this post I've used the camera and it's Depth of Field setting which you can cleverly change the diameter of. I then edited it a bit using Androids Photoshop Express and then tweaked them a bit more on Photoshop on my comp. Do you ever use your phone for blog pictures? I pretty much never do as I'm scared they won't be good enough!

To the cake! Here's me making 'Pink' Velvet aka Steak Cake (If you don't add enough food colouring, it looks like meat!) using my Bake-a-Boo book which I paid £20 for along with Tea for Two at their North London tearooms at Bloggers for Japan last year. I can't believe I've not baked from it yet - naughty. The most difficult thing about this particular recipe was tracking down the illusive Buttermilk, which resulted in a trek to Waitrose. But I've come across other recipes that don't use it if locating it is a pain in the bum.

Needless to say, the house-mates were very pleased with their offering - success!

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2 Party Dresses to Cheer up Your January!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:54:00 +0000

Velvet Heart Cut-Out Skater Dress

Bow Bracelet - Mimco / Necklace and Clutch - Grandas / Heels - Dorothy Perkins

I never do 'Shopping Sprees'. Pretty much never. But then I broke my rule and just did! Ooopsies! No, I didn't have the money and Yep, I kept the tags on some pieces thinking innocently 'ooh I'll take it back if my purse says so later'... hmm. The store in question had to be Topshop, which really doesn't need any more publicity as we all know how amazing it is. But it's so darn tempting! My and my good friend Holly casually stepped foot in it before Christmas. It was just for fun to try things on, plus we found a 20% off voucher in the god send that is the free Stylist magazine available on the London Tube. Then, oh dear, we both walked out with this dress! Plus a jumper, Tshirt, necklace and the dress below...

My excuse is that I've already worn this dress 4 times in a month including Christmas and New Years! - now that's worth the fifty quid! I truly found the perfect winter party dress. I think it was the nod to Luella with the heart cut-out, the colour and the fabric that made me feel appropriately right out of Elf. This cheeky little number below however, will probably be worn less as the lining really rides up (I'm sure you can tell), but hopefully as it gets milder (pff) it might see the dancefloor a couple of times! Hope you're having a good start to the year. If you're feeling blue. Go for it, buy a party dress and get being silly!

Sheer Electric Blue Flocked Lightning Dress

Aztec Necklace - Lazy Oaf / Mustard Clutch - New Look / Lime Heels - Next

p.s I took this post as a chance to test out my new Flash that I was given for Xmas! I think I set it a bit too high, lots to learn!

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noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:32:00 +0000

Bill's Cook Book / Jalouse and Vogue Paris Magazine / Mulberry Book / Sukis Address Book / ASOS Scarf / Mini Chalk Board

It's been wonderful being at home for the holidays and I'm certainly making the most of it! New Years Eve was a highlight - having lots of my friends from 'back home' round to make yummy food and drink to the new year. I couldn't have been much happier! Between the lazing about and making my mums birthday presents (designing some nice business cards from Moo), I've also been setting my mind to writing my dissertation. Luckily the research project is really interesting, and how could it not be when you're writing about Mulberry?! I'm concentrating on Mulberry's current success and trying to analyse the reasons behind them. Perhaps you noticed that I asked for Mulberry's new book for Christmas in my wish list? Well, I was very lucky and was treated to it from my parentals - Tip: If you say something will help you in your studies - that may just help! ;) The book is very image heavy, which is lovely, but luckily it also contains key info about how the brand started and grew which has been super useful. I particularly love the behind the scenes images of the Somerset factory and all the show preparations that you don't see.

Here are some of my favourite things that I received this year including some French magazines, some adorable hand made bunting with my name on and a cosy scarf. Thank you! I hope you're all having a lovely end to the festive holidays. I best get back to work!

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Christmas Sunrise over the Walled City of Saint Malo

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:17:00 +0000

Quelle Belle Aurore!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I have a bomb to drop - I've not opened or given any gifts yet! They're still sat there, waiting under the tree at home which we've just got back to. Madness maybe, but my parents, brother and I always celebrate our own 'fake Christmas' after returning from France each year where my extended family lives. I quite like it, it helps you not take the idea of the day too seriously.

Instead, us 4 took the opportunity of being awake since 5am from an over night ferry trip to look around the harbour town of Saint Malo (on the west of Brittany) to capture the town at its prettiest - at Sunrise. I last saw the walled town about 8 years ago when I visited my best friend, and from what I could remember, it was magical with the best arty shops. It did retain it's charm indeed, but this time, we spent more time up in the air than on the cobbled streets! Walking the whole perimeter of the wall is fantastic at dawn - Oh the skies! So many colours and dramatic, ever-changing cloud structures. One of the most arresting moments was seeing the sunrise reflected in the sodden sandy beach. Speaking of the beach, check out what my brother drew in the sand! - recognise it?!

We also made a friend - this sweet Seagull (Claude probably..) would not stop following us and kept posing for photos! Visit the town for incredible chocolate sculptures, French high fashion, quality shoes, patisseries and cafes.

For more, see my Flickr!

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Happy Christmas with my new Dinosaur T!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Ho Ho Dino!
Happy Crimbo everyone! Hope you're all cosy and tucked up somewhere with loved ones having fun. Don't forget to be thankful not only for gifts and amazing food, but also for having family around and somewhere warm to live - we're all very lucky beings aren't we! And so, with it being xmas eve and all, what better way to celebrate than with the most festive creatures of all - dinosaurs! yeahh. Up on sighting this T in Topshop, my friend Holly would not let me leave the till without it. I had planned to secretly take it back without my dino-fetish friend knowing. But. then. this happened and I fell in love. Ooops! I'm gathering quite a collection of rainbow-colours on black Ts but why complain, they do seem to go with everything. Plus, if I have to convince myself even more. The T-shirt even teaches me about the critters featured on it! I also dug out these sweet green ribbon shoe clips that were popular back in my dads day! In summer I clip them to pink sandals and now I'm trying to find the best way to wear them in winter. Does anywhere sell shoe clips these days? Lastly, my other great purchases - Cosy woolly socks and this super cosy spotty hat, both from Asos. I was desperate for a really slouchy beanie (I have a massive head ok!) and finally this is the one. I'll sshh now, have a great day!

Q ~ Which of these dinosoars was the first to roam the Earth?

A ~ Edaphosaurus (Is that actually even a dinosaur? Apparently so..)

Dinosaur T-shirt - Topshop / Slouchy Beanie and thick grey Tights - ASOS / Flats - Vans / Fleecey 'Sheep' - Next / Velvety shorts - Rokit Vintage / Bag - Powerpuff Girls Yeah!

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Walking in London's Winter Wonderland!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:09:00 +0000

What could be more wintry yet cosy then Winter Wonderland in London I ask? Not much except maybe xmas morning in your PJs by a fire! Winter Wonderland is a heart-warming fair that opens up to the public for free in Hype Park each year. I can't believe I've never been, but after a little shopping waltz on Oxford Street, it was easy to just saunter down! One thing I'd recommend is going in the middle of the day whilst everyone else is at work (lucky you if you're off on holiday!) At weekends I've heard it's a stampede so pop along when you can sweep into a Bavarian bar and casually order a Chery Mulled Wine! - Warning: They're strong!

I loved the German 'village' most with all the cute wooden chalets and huuge swinging BBQs where they roast Hot Dogs. Next up, the lane of boutiques with some lovely hand-crafted wooden pieces. If I was up for being silly with a bunch of friends, I would have jumped into the fun houses, but this time I just stared in awe at how amazingly detailed they were and stupidly occupied brain space pondering how on Earth they are dismantled and erected from site to site. A bit of Santas magic probably..

p.s I've spent all afternoon dressing my Tree! Late I know but my family thought they'd 'wait for me' (i.e I put everything up! hehe)

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One Week Left! - Shopping at St Martins Courtyard

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:22:00 +0000

Indian Style Christmas Dinner at Dishoom

Egg Nog Warmer and Shaved Ice Cooler

The White Company Decorations, adorable!

Lowie Hand Knitted Pop up Shop

Mary-Janes at Pretty Ballerinas - Want!

Cute Designs at Joules

One Week to Go! (till Christmas/potential disaster day that is..) If the last for words just made you have a little heart-attack because you're supposed to have bought gifts, then don't fret! Just try this one sweet, festive area and you'll be fine! Last week, I was invited to go down to St Martins Courtyard in Covent Garden, London to be shown exactly how wonderful the area is at Christmas - you really can get something for everyone! I know that phrase is an over used cliche, but if you only have a few minutes on the clock, plus need a good old lunch or dinner while you're out there, then it's perfect I think. What a wonderful opportunity it was too - sometimes you need showing around your own home city! There are still so many places I don't know very well!

St Martin's Courtyard is mainly tucked away behind Jamie's Italian or down a cute alleyway next to Cos and holds a perfect handful of beauty, fashion and lifestyle shops. I would ever normally think of stopping in Melvita and having a quick, organic hand-exfoliating treatment, nor having a ten minute massage in Relax. But now I've given it a try, it sounds like a blooming brilliant idea for a refresh stop in between trotting about with bags like a headless.. turkey?! Talking of trying new things, it was my first time in the subtly Indian resturant Dishoom too and I didn't realise it's the only one in existence! We had lots of little dishes of nibbles that turned my mouth into a cavern hot enough to toast a pizza in. But aside from that, it was divine! How's you're xmas shopping going?

Amazing Hand Massages and Skin Moisture Readings at Melvita

Beautiful Plants, Gifts and Workshops at Covent Garden Academy of Flowers

London Community Gospel Choir Serenading!

Hedgerow Fizz's at Bill's Cafe

P.s While you're down there - pick up a copy of the St Martins Courtyard magazine - it's so pretty with a gorgeous photoshoot - I was impressed!

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Spend a Little - Get a Lot!

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Christopher Kane style Galaxy print T-shirt, Ethical Goodone Jumper with cashmere, Pink Topshop Leggings, New nude Rare dress, Topshop Miu miu style skirt.

Black sequin Zara Cover-up, Tee and Cake at Topshop Maxi Dress, New Urban Outfitters Nude Camisole, New Paprika strapless dress.

I just thought I would give you a big Hello and heads up about the lovely bits and bobs I'm selling over on good old Ebay! Maybe you're tired of xmas shopping for other people and want to treat yourself or need something for New Years, either way so take a peek! Most items are size 12 (they're too big for me) with some at 10 and 8 too. Those of you who follow me closely will know I heart Peter Jensen very much and am SO sad to part with these beautiful bunny print pumps but alas, they really are just that bit too small! The shoes, along with a couple of dresses and a top are brand new and rest have been barely worn - Hope you like them! Some things are ending in 3 days so hurryyyy! :)

Green wrap-top dress, Peter Jensen Bunny print flats, Love at Topshop Bralet, Topshop Yellow Polka Dot Skirt,

P.s - So sorry but I'm only selling to the UK

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Winter Warmer - Home Party Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:07:00 +0000

It's that time of year here in England where we start stepping outside and proclaiming 'Bloody hell it's got nippy!" and spend silly amounts of money in gifts to show how much we love and value people. Yet despite the cold and no pennies situations, we're still filled with excitement and merriment - Well I am anyway! No Bah Humbugging in my house! Last night felt like an opportune moment to start decorating and baking some sugar-enriched treats and we invited over some friends to help warm our evening that little bit more. We scoured the house for every candle we could find and I 'splashed out' on a pack of baubauls in our local charity shop. I was happy to stumble across a perfect pack of long, gold Christmas candles which we let trickle down old glass bottles, just like we have at my French Farmhouse.

It was super cosy with the addition of lots of beautiful paper snowflakes (tracing paper looks best!) and a cloved orange that Carrie made. I set to baking some cute recipies including Mincemeat Palmiers, Peanut butter fudge and Cheese straws all on the BBC Food website and my little brother got set on one heck of a chocolate fudge cake. With two cauldrons of Mulled Wine and Mulled Cider set to heat, the evening was set to be a perfect Winter Warmer!

Are you decorating and getting into the spirit too?

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Portfolio: Fashioning Things

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:57:00 +0000

What I 'do'

This might seem a little strange to you to post this on my blog, but why not show you a bit of what I 'do'? Plus it's related to Fashion and an area that I love: Object styling. This is my most recent personal project where I went out and tried to get as many different sorts of fashion people to open their homes to me and show them their most important and loved objects. The project manifested as a series of A2 prints plus a series of 'Lookbook cards' with the stories on the back of each image. Here's a little explanation of it followed by the personalities - I really hope you learn a new little snippet about the people behind fashion!

p.s My role was doing everything other than picking out the actual items ;)

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What better place to read all about the Liberty windows but from Maxine who develops the themes? You can see them on her Blog. Maxine also frequently contributes to Liberty's website and The Liberated Press.

See Elizabeths sweet Website where she'll soon be launching her first online shop!

Andrea runs Pfeffer Pr who represent awesome labels like Goldie London and Draw in Light

See Louie's bold, strong and fun shots over at his Website - You'll love him! Catch his updates on Twitter too.

See Alexis' awesome styling work on her Website. She also manages to keep up a fun Twitter, Blog, Tumblr and Facebook - phew!

I'd love to get this project published in print so that's my next step, watch out, you might see it in your weekly supplement! hehe

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Dear Santa... Love Lucy

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:45:00 +0000

1 - Capturing Couture leopard and Yes Style Camera strap in blue are so cute, I've always wanted to customise my otherwise plain Canon 550d although I did pop a keyring on it ;)

2 - Amazon Sukie and Book Depositary Pretty Ugly Address Book because I love to keep addresses and my current book is full of tip-ex! I've yet to find one with nice big spaces to write in, normally they're so cramped up and I don't have that many friends!

3 - Asos houndstooth Scarf - so cosyyy.

4 - Wildfox caveman baggy Jumper because it's got an adorable graphic design on the front that reminds me of Jeremy Scott!

5 - Louise Gray for Asos Denim crop top I've longed to have for the past year! It's now super cheap at £20. I'm not so lucky with denim, I've lost my favourite New Look one so maybe this would make up for it!

6 - Topshop heart court Shoes that I was in love with straight away! I'd wear them with a dinosoar print black T

7 - Kittyjunkies Diaries or any cute A5/A4 diary to replace my brilliant Dodo pad - I have to write times and dates on paper!

1 - Net-a-porter Converse glitter trainers that are also sold in Liberty - saw them and fell in love!

2 - Asos Ponti Deep Lapel Blazer in Raspberry which is pretty perfect after unsuccessful pink blazer hunting recently!

3 - Ebay Mini Chalk Board either for writing shopping lists/house milk duty or to write cute titles on.

4 - Topshop zebra Wedges, again immediate shoe-lust up on viewing in store!

5 - Gogo Philip earrings sold in Topshop. I probably prefer the long pointed rhombus versions but these are cool too.

6 - Indie, Jalouse, Frankie and Nylon magazines are some of my faves!

7 - Shampalove at Topshop Galaxy dress plus there's an even nicer one in green in store too.

8 - Amazon Mulberry book which is beautiful for one and useful for my dissertation 2nd (but really that's just an excuse!)

9 - Amazon Speedlight Flash would be so useful since I currently borrow my lovely housemates and that's no fair on him :P

Wishlists, wishlists! Don't we love them! They don't pop up much but at xmas and birthdays they're a good excuse for me to show you all the sorts of things I'd love to buy. Maybe you'll get some ideas for similarly minded people. This looks like I'm asking for a lot (I wish!) but really I'm lucky to receive one or two beautiful items which I'm greatly thankful for and really I'm supposed to be saving up for a Mac - eeek! Happy xmas shopping everyone, don't go too mad! ;)

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Watermelon (wo)Man

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Tshirt - Lazy Oaf / Shorts - Levis from Charity Shop / Socks and Earings - New Look / Watch - Next / Shoes - Kickers from Schuh / Silk Scarf - From market

Firstly, a nod to how really bad this title is! It's a tenuous link to the popular culture reference - Jazz player Herbie Hancocks Watermelon Man song, which is always a mandatory staple of the Jazz cover-band.. It doesn't really relate to the post, only that I like both the song and amazing watermelon themed outfit I'm donning! Sadly, being late November and all, it was pretty hard for me to acquire a real watermelon to pose like a loon with. Instead, I popped on these cute £1.99 socks from New Look and made the most of a manicure by Boom Nails at a Motel Rocks event so that I could have my fingers matching! (can you spot mine in their blog post?!)

My new Lazy Oaf T-shirt is the main bit of the outfit so pairing it with something a little less BAM is what I advised myself. I got out the old charity-shop found black Levis which I made an amputee and matched it with my stolen-from-kids look Kickers. I've made up for the lack of colour on the bottom half by making sure my surroundings are super colourful! This is my friends house which is painted several lovely bright hues - I should probably set up camp here! Thank you Lazy Oaf for gifting me this amazing T for being one of their Brand Ambassadors for their 10th Birthday Party. I love receiving lazy Oaf things in the post as it's always wrapped up with cute stickers and fun lookbooks! <3

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Waltzing around Portabello

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0000

A Walk Out West (London, that is)

Today my good friend Alex and I went for wander out towards the west of London in the area of Portabello which is famous for its vintagey Market. I'm really quite bad a bad Londonite (well, pretty much), as this was only my second or third visit to the area. The time before, I was on a mission to tick off a list of certain shops like Matches and The Cross for a project. You can see how long ago that was as I posted about it before and man, it looks practically vintage! Anyway. You, lovely reader, may well know a lot more about this place than me but this is what I found today and I'm pretty sure I'll be going back! We came across this lovely cafe above, called Charlies but ended up eating at Gourmet Burger Kitchen.. hey ho.

I finished the day by visiting the Museum of Brands - just my thing! It was full of amazing products, ordered chronologically from Victorian to now. You can see how much packaging design has morphed with tastes and technology - do visit! Plus, it's right next to Temperly. Hope you also had a marvellous Sunday too - My best friend had a tiny tea party!

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A Skate Date

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:05:00 +0000

Skatey Skatey, Sip Sip!

Last Sunday, Carrie and I were invited down to the beautiful, iconic Somerset House (where LFW is held) for a bout of Ice Skating just before it would open to the public. We were kindly asked by the lovely Katie Antoniou, stylist and fashion button-pusher who styles Gabby Young and who had helped create the adorable promo vid that I popped into my last post. It is such a beautiful scene down there, it almost makes you gasp! A stunningly huge baubalued Fir tree and mock-cabins fame the rink in the centre. There's Tom's Lounge where you can sip amazing mulled wine or Tiffany & Co. Hot Choccie (both in my case!) ... mmMm. Tiffany don't just make hot chocolate these days but jewellery too! You can have a little nosey around their pop up shop next door which is lined with sweet and chocolates jars and in the centre lies what they do best - beautiful silver and gold pendants and these adorable little purses!

It was so wonderful to get back on two slabs of metal again, I hadn't skated in about 4 years but really enjoyed it again - it feels so nice to glide! Me and Carrie were miffed that we couldn't take our cameras onto the ice to take photos, wouldn't it have been lovely to catch shots of us falling over?! (Actually we both managed to stand firmly on one or two feet.) In hindsight, seeing my canon in little plastic pieces smashed on the ice wasn't such a good vision. So here we are pretending to skate afterwards - just add ice!

Polka Dot Knitted Hotpants - ASOS / Cashmere Tshirt - Pringle (via charity shop!) / Shoes - Kickers via Schuh / Furry Gilet, Scarf and watch - Thanks to Next / Minnie Mouse Bag - Had since I was little

I've just found out that the Somerset House Ice Rink also put on loads of fun classes and sessions. From club nights to group dance sessions - You can do lots more than just go round in a circle! Take a look on their website at the video to see all the fun.

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Autumn Melting Pot

noreply@blogger.com (Lucy) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Cuddly Reindeer jumper at Matalan

Awesome party outfit at Next (To try or not to try the bra under jacket look?!)

Adorable cosy iPad covers at Benetton which I'm using as a clutch!

Autumn Exhibitions!
Power of Making at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 6 Sept - 2 Jan. Plus - it's free! Quick hurry over to Ghosts of Gone Birds until Wed 23rd at Rochelle School E2, London. It looks so cute!

Hot party shoes and Jumper at New Look - I've been looking out for the perfect metallic cover up for a while!

Autumn Homies!

Battery Powered Bunny Lamp £8.50 at Rockett St. George. Reusable Tea Cup £12 at Rockett St. George. Gordon Door Stop £28 at Hunky Dory Home. Seagulls Day Bag £125 atAnorak. NooDoll Ricemon £13.50 at Rume. Paper Wreath £12 at Laura Ashley Home. Pipi Lampshade £12 at Habitat. Rainy Day Cushion £57 at Rume.

Cosy colours and textures at Jaeger

What I've been wearing to cheer myself up when it's chilly and grim! Hype it on LookBook here!

Tshirt and Rucksack - Lazy Oaf / Coat - Topshop in last years sale for £20! / Socks - ASOS / Scarf - Urban Outfitters / Shoes - Kickers / Shorts - Vintage

This is what I'm up to tomorrow! Take a look at this adorable video that my friend helped make - Don't you just love the old mans voice?!

Have a lovely Autumn Weekend.

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