Out with the old, so long 2012!

Before you can read me, you got to learn how to see me 
'Free your mind' En Vogue

In an effort to start a-fresh and return to the blogosphere with some sort of focus and regular timetabling of posts I thought I'd clear out all the posts that didn't make it, the outfits that didn't appear and the bits of usefulness that didn't seem post-worthy.

What you didn't see me wearing:

Cast your mind's back to when the weather was sunny and it felt like summer for all of 5 minutes...

New Look vest, charity shop belt, Miss Selfridge skirt and Topshop sandals via ebay, Matalan necklace

Topshop Maxi and sandals via ebay, Dorothy Perkins belt, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, H&M and New Look jewellery

Back in September I posted this on tackling the trends, with a focus on military, here is the outfit exactly as I had planned to style it:

YMCA charity shop knit, Levi's cut-offs, Mark and Spencer ankle boots via ebay and H&M necklace

I posted this about the amazing tea party my friends all threw for me on my news of my departure to London. the sophisticated antics of afternoon tea were followed swiftly by drinks and dancing, with this being my outfit of choice:

Topshop chain detail vest, River Island skirt, Office shoes all via ebay, River Island necklace and Matalan earrings

My love in with trousers continues:

Left: New Look vest and shoes, AA Disco Pants via ebay, charity shop belt, Topshop earrings
Right: AA bodysuit, Twentyeighttwelve by S.Miller jeans, Miss Selfridge Necklace and New Look earrings

A little bit of nail art:

Nail art using confetti (lots of topcoat needed to stop the corners catching on the stars! Needless to say it looked prettier than it was practical)

What I've been eating:

 My favourite sushi place at home, Woktastic

Tempura squid and the best 'peanut butter chocolate stack' ever. (Tastes just like a Snickers)

  

Baking in the new flat a slightly odd looking  (but damn tasty) Victoria sponge and a banana and walnut cake

Afternoon tea

   What I've been seeing:

Beautiful flowers from my flatmates rents for our new home

Anthropologie London

 Bizarre memo in Costa in London... actual 'LOL' moment

Although I have been living in London for a month, my foray into real London life starts tomorrow when I start my new job in Central London. I will officially feel like an adult.

KDx

Welcome to London

Changes in my life

You will see in time

'Changes in my life' Adrian Eftimie

The transitional post.

"Hello London"

A lot has happened since my last post, it would be hard for it to not have in all honesty, judging by the amount of time that has lapsed since then. So let's kick things off by getting the apologies out the way. I am sorry for neglecting my blog and I solemnly promise not to do it again. Now that things are a little more settled I am hoping that some sort of routine will resume shortly. (This kind of commitment so close to the festive period is going to be the ruining of me.) 

First thing's first, this post is coming to you from London, yeah, that's right, my new home! I have now been an official resident of London for a little over a week, and things have moved at a quickening pace. I've managed to secure a job in the city, which means I am going to need to up my work wear to compete with those chic tube-hoppers I have already seen at a passing glance. 

Fortunately for me, I have been able to ease myself into my new surroundings as I don't start work until January, which means I have had plenty of time to explore what the South East has to offer me. So far this has included Lewisham, New Cross and Blackheath, which I am sure upon re-visit will feature in their very own posts.

As for the flat, those of you that pay attention to detail will note that just after a week I have referred to it as home. This fact was definitely cemented by the 'Baking of The First Cake.' (Banana and Walnut made by doubling up this recipe to satisfy some hungry flatmates.)

Now that I feel I have bridged the gap between then and now I can start to blog about the fun stuff again. I like to think of this blog as a series of connected posts, for the most part, a bit like a story, so as text heavy as this post is, I think it was needed.

KDx

Outward bound to London town

A king without a throne

A heart without a home

'Holdin' on' Monsta

So last weekend I was in London, this weekend my feet were firmly back in the Midlands... but not for much longer after putting down a deposit on a flat to rent in London. Those of you that follow me on Twitter will have seen my tweet of relief at securing my new postcode for the foreseeable future in South East London. I am soon to be a resident of SE13. To say that I am beyond relieved is an understatement! 

After my first viewing, in an estate that needed a map like a bad holiday park for you to navigate, complete with it's very own 'you are here' sign, I wasn't very hopeful that the big dreams of London, and my budget were compatible.

A few long days of viewings, tube hopping, east to west and back again, a little north and south, 2 new house mates found via the internet (think internet dating for flat mates) and it was all worth it. The Midlands will only have me as a resident for three more weeks, as I move on 1st December. 

It wasn't all strictly work and no play in London though, being in London for the weekend before Bonfire Night meant I got to see this beautiful sights on my way home Saturday evening.

Battersea Bridge

Even a simple taxi ride home (albeit it a massively extended one due to the traffic) throws up sights to behold in London.

I also managed to squeeze in a little shopping trip, as a reward for finding a home, I'd like to think. As I am still without employment I only allowed myself to buy items in the sale, any reason to make unnecessary purchases necessary. As expected, Topshop came up trumps! The purchases? A lace insert cross tunic I had my eyes on when it was full prices, truth be known I ordered it online when it went in the sale, but they only had it in a 10 (a size too big) and a tall-which I thought would be fine...how wrong was I!? It looked like a sack! So after finding it in a regular 6 I thought I would try it on expecting the opposite of the first one to be true, but it fitted perfectly. Being a fan of a designer collaboration, I snapped up a '2nd Place' Ashish vest for half price, here's how I wore them both.

Oasis leather jacket, Miss Selfridge necklaces and earrings, Topshop cross tunic, Asos Chelsea boots via ebay

H&M hat, Ashish x Topshop vest, Warehouse jeans and Zara ponyskin pumps via ebay

In a bid to become a better shopper, I am making a conservative effort to wear what I buy at the first opportunity I have, if I don't I will either a) forget I have brought them, or b) realise I genuinely didn't need the items in question in the first place. Mission accomplished. If this week had been an exercise in task ticking, I would have a seriously healthy looking to-do list.

So back on the story of my little adventure, the next hurdle to tackle is the small task of finding a job... a full-time job in itself it would seem.

KDx

Tea for two, and two for tea

Day will break and I'm gonna wake
and start to bake a sugar cake

'Tea for two' Doris Day

I have been keeping a little secret  that has caused my blogging self to go seriously awol. But there is a reasonable explanation for my disappearance from the blogosphere. Come to think of it, reasonable is probably the least appropriate word in this instance.

I quit my job. Well, as dramatic as that sounds, not entirely true, I handed in my notice, like any responsible adult, worked the 4 week notice period and am now officially 'without employment.' The reasons for this? Boredom and unfulfilment coupled with the overriding feeling of '...there must be more to this provincial life.' (I can seriously relate to how Belle felt in Beauty and the Beast felt right now). So the plan? To move to London and make something of myself. That's as far as the plan goes... there is no job in the pipeline, however, I am making progress on the home front. All baby steps. 

Dramatic announcement aside, the amazing people, that are also known as my friends decided to give me a send off to end all send offs. Last weekend being the last weekend I knew I would be at home indefinitely. 

So what do you get for the girl that (on her own submission) has everything (and then some.) A tea party with more cakes and treats that I could eat in one sitting, sadly.

They baked, they brought and they assembled. Everything was perfect from the vintage china, the setting, the copious amounts of tea and most of all the company made for a great afternoon. My hardened exterior was temporarily broken.

So not only do my girls know how to put on a wonderful spread *ahem* they surprised me with a hamper full of all the essentials and some of my favourite bits.

The hamper included 'London' tea, a vintage cup and saucer, a mini cupcake baking set, champagne flutes and wine glasses, flumps (way beyond an obsession) towels and then there was this...

My super talented friend Hannah is an illustrator, she often whips out things like this on a whim, in between her other daily tasks such as being a mother and generally an all round delight. More of her work can be seen here. 

So what next? I am currently in London looking for somewhere to live, and then I guess I'll get a job...Simple right?

KDx

I'll keep the dance floor warm

Jessie Ware "110%"

It actually felt like May this weekend, the sun was out and I had the pleasure of spending my time in London; East Putney to be precise. My friend recently made the big move to the big city and the long awaited time had come for me to see her in her new surroundings, the end result has left me feeling  a little lack lustre about being back up in middle England-I want to stay and play in London forever! The fact that she lives right by the Thames and overlooks Wadsworth Park definitely had nothing to do with it. 

We spent Saturday pub hopping in the sunshine- it was deceptively colder than I was led to believe, the English  weather has a habit of doing that I find. 

Oasis leather jacket, American Apparel long sleeved body, Miss Selfridge skirt and Marks and Spencer boots via ebay, River Island belt, and River Island bag via British Heart Foundation

First a note about the bag, bargain find of the week, £8.99 for this almost new River Island bag from British Heart Foundation; charity shop shopping is a favourite lunch time filler for me. The outfit picture was taken in the first pub we went into called The Normanby, the interior was made up of odd bits of furniture that were all available to buy, I can imagine that could be quite lethal after a few too many drinks and thinking that the sofa is so comfy that you should literally have it at home, could make for a very expensive round... 

Inside the Normanby, the table in the front was a bargain at £150!

The Normanby was followed by the Coat and Badger, before we went to The Boat House on the Thames and enjoyed our 4th and 5th Aspall. East Putney has some really nice pubs with heap loads of character, if you're in London and want somewhere new to explore then it comes highly recommended. I picked up some flyers from the pubs along the way, 1) To jog my memory once I'd gotten home and 2) I just loved the old man swishing his vino!

Saturday night revolved around getting dolled up, drinking and dancing. We started in Leicester Square before heading off to Chinawhite in Central London. 

Topshop leopard body and River Island skirt via ebay, Dorothy Perkins belt and shoes, Miss Selfridge earrings

If you noticed that there's something slightly amiss in this picture, then you would not be wrong, Saturday night was the first night I'd ever gone out sans glasses, I've been wearing them for 12 years or so, admittedly reluctantly at first, but I now own around 20 pairs. I even wear contact lenses on the weekends so I can wear cheap 'fashion' glasses to give me a different look from when I am in my glasses all week at work. I am tempted to wean myself off glasses gradually, I think it's a comfort thing, like a bit of a barrier, me against the world in my glasses! It's a feeling of being a bit exposed without them, anyone would think I'd gone out without any clothes on the way I am talking. If you don't wear glasses then all this has probably gone straight over your head! As for Chinawhite's it was a really good night, we were very well looked after in there, which is why I had no problem falling asleep on the train back home! Sadly no celeb spots to report!

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend only five more days until the next one...

KDx