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

A weekend's worth of outfits... and then some

Now it's not quite clear
But I wonder what shenanigans brought me here

'Cash and Carry Me Home' Ghost Poet 

What have I been wearing? Clothes. Yes. But what exactly have I been wearing? I try and take a snap of my outfit whenever I can once the weekend comes around even if I don't post it on here, so here's a selection of what I've been saving or has been backing up my phone more importantly...

Dressed down for daytime:

Topshop dip back vest, Miss Selfridge body chain, Oasis leather jacket, Converse via ebay

Topman MTV jumper, Topshop flag shorts and Converse via ebay, H&M necklace

 

Oasis jeans and Zara shoes via ebay, Topshop tank, Oasis leather jacket, New Look headscarf

Friday night dinner with the girls:

Necklace, trousers and silk front chiffon back tee H&M, Dorothy Perkins yellow belt and Zara flats via ebay

(Too many) Drinks and dancing:

Playboy tee, Topshop shorts and shoe boots (just seen) via ebay, River Island belt, New Look earrings, H&M necklace, charity shop watch and various jewellery H&M, New Look, Topshop and Matalan

Topshop star body, charity shop belt, New Look patent heels, American Apparel disco pants via ebay, various rings, earrings, bracelets and anklets charity shop, H&M, New Look, Topshop, Matalan, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge

So I gave in to the lure of the disco pants. After being a trouser-phobe for so long things seemed to have gone full circle and I have now embraced even the trickiest of trouser trends. Bright coloured denim? Cropped, tailored and floral? Gold, shiny and skin-tight?  Yep, I'm ticking all those boxes. I guess I am now a fully fledged trouser wearer. So what's next? One thing I know is, I draw a definite line at leggings... that's a whole entire phobia in itself. People, please. They are not a substitute for real trousers. 

I'll stop before I go on a fashion rant!

KDx

I try to run but see I'm not that fast

Kid Cudi "Day 'n' Night'

A couple of outfit posts that contrast like night and day.
Last night drinks and dancing:

Topshop dress via ebay, Miss Selfridge earrings, various jewellery from H&M, Matalan, Disney and Topshop and New Look shoes

Today I went to a christening, my first, which is another sign that I am actually growing up. It feels a bit like a domino effect is taking place... 

Topshop dress and wedges via ebay, vintage leather satchel, various jewellery from H&M, New Look, Topshop and Matalan

My nails for the weekend:

Nails Inc 'Caramel', Nails Inc 'Lanesborough Place' (gold ring finger), Barry M 'Bright Red' tips, Rimmel London 'Beige Babe' leopard spots, and Sharpie marker to finish the leopard off

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. First weekend post Ibiza and I think I have finally come to accept that This Is England.

KDx

If you don't believe in something, then you'll fall for anything

Plan B "Lost my way"

A couple of months back now I competed in Miss Worcestershire for the chance to make it through to the England finals, to take a shot at taking the crown as Miss England 2012. In Miss Worcestershire I took the titles of Miss Eco for my Olympic themed Eco outfit, and Miss Charity Queen, for raising the most money for the official charity of Miss World, Beauty With a Purpose. Miss Worcestershire was made a patron for the Acorns Children Hospice; as she was busy competing in the Miss England finals that take place today and tomorrow, I was asked by the event organisers to attend to help with the day distributing medals and trophies to the runners. The weather forecast was bleak and I was advised to wear 'appropriate' clothing, which translates to clothing suitable for traipsing across a muddy field and something remotely waterproof in case there was a downpour. 

I always find it hard to dress when I am given a brief, for instance as soon as someone says lets get dressed up and go 'glam' I freeze up, I don't like to label outfits, I'm more of a 'dress how you feel' kinda girl, which means you tend to never be out of your comfort zone as you are always dressing for you. 

Barrets (ancient!) leather boots, New Look knee high socks, M&S tights (best black tights ever!) River Island skirt via ebay, H&M necklace and sleeveless shirt, Oasis leather jacket, Disney and H&M jewellery

To combat the given brief, I reassessed my thinking and attuned my thoughts to familiar territory to what would I wear if I was going to a beer festival, or a music event say in the current weather. This meant I was able to happily get dressed without hitch at 7am this morning. (Knowing I had at least an hours drive I didn't have the luxury of trying on outfits before I left; a normal weekend occurrence.) 

I had to do a close-up of the necklace I wore to do it the justice it deserves. I had spotted it on my lunch break in gold a couple of weeks back in H&M and left the shop empty handed. Low and behold the necklace has plagued my every thought since, so it came home with my in silver, a) I couldn't find the gold and b) I couldn't not have it at all, so it was silver or nothing. (Keep your eyes peeled for when the gold one makes an appearance on the blog. I need it.)

It turns out I was very practically dressed, which isn't a feeling I am overly familiar with. NB The earlier made comment about always dressing for you, there was no mention of appropriateness, but thats all part of the fun! 

The race is split into three separate races, with them all crossing the same finishing line, a 1km 'Chicken Run', a 5km run and the Half Marathon. All the runners self submit, so it's a great opportunity to really push yourself if you aren't sure of your ability. (St. John's Ambulance are on standby for anyone that pushed themselves too hard!) There were around 1200 runners in all, with about 700 of them opting to run the half marathon, this included dogs and their owners, children and babies in pushchairs-yes one yummy mummy ran the half marathon with her little girl in her pushchair. The fastest 5km run was 19minutes and the fastest half marathon runner managed it in 1 hour and 13 minutes, impressive times even to someone with as little knowledge of running as me.

My duties required me to smile, a lot, and hand out medals at the finish line to the very grateful runners. It was so nice to be involved in something completely different, even though I chose not to go forward for Miss England, the experience has really opened up a whole host of other activities happening that I can get involved in. Who knows, maybe next year I'll knock out a quick 5k when I go. (Highly unlikely, but it's not to get caught up in the moment sometimes!)

KDx

You say that everything sounds the same

The Streets "Let's push things forward"


Sometimes the simplest outfits are the best. Uncomplicated. Guaranteed to work. Functional. No brainers. 

New Look vest and patent peep toe shoes, Miss Selfridge bag, Topshop bra, Topshop Kristen jeans via ebay, River Island belt (just seen), jewellery various (Miss Selfridge, New Look, Topshop, Accessorize, charity shops and Dorothy Perkins)

This by no means should be confused with boring and/or nice. The addition of a couple of bright accessories in the same colour will pull the look together (note: this is not a case of bag and matching shoes-unless it's black it's a bit cringey and too try hard.) In this case I went for red; a hint of a lacey bra, lipstick and a big clutch, adding some pattern breaks the block colours up with my leopard print belt that can just be seen and heaps of interesting jewellery. Dressing up doesn't always have to mean a pretty dress and lots of flesh on display, sometimes you just need to think about the accessories and start with a good base.

KDx

Take me out to the crowd

Frank Sinatra "Take me out to the ball game" Ft. Gene Kelly

The varsity jacket has been one of those creeping trends. Alexander Wang showed them in his Spring/Summer collection in 2010 and it kind of missed the masses the first time it surfaced on the market around 2011. The stores stocked them, they subsequently went into the sale; a trend to be filed away under 'fail' perhaps. However, it would seem as though sometimes fashion can sometimes get it wrong and they quite simply missed the mark and got their timings awry. Fast forward a year or so and it seems to be that their popularity is gathering pace as a streetstyle trend, having spotted numerous ladies choosing to wear their varsity jackets as a casual throw over, or to add some edge to a more formal outfit. The sportswear trend has been evident in a number of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections amongst the likes of Rag & Bone, Isabel Marant (who of course is also responsible for everyone wanting to wear concealed wedge trainers. If you had have said that before I am sure I wouldn't have been the only person who had flashbacks of this awful trainer-heel hybrid catastrophe) and our very own Stella McCartney, which is no surprise seeing as she has designed the official Team GB Olympic kit; which I feel is another coincidental factor in the rise in popularity of the varsity jacket, you cannot escape the pull of the Olympics!

Photos via Telegraph online and Vanessa Jackman

From models looking casual after shows, to bloggers visiting shows and Liv Tyler quite simply looking hot, the varisty jacket works on all occasions. Less formal than a blazer, but moreso than a hoody, the varsity jacket offers a spring jacket alternative to the leather jackets of winter and the plethora of denim jackets this time of year.

Topshop varsity jacket, Levi's vintage skirt, Converse all via ebay, H&M vest and Topshop belt

Jacket as before, Levi's cut off shorts (jeans brought from ebay) Urban Outfitters t-shirt and New Look studded loafers

Here are my varsity jacket outfits two-ways. Both pretty dressed down outfits, so I would like to experiment with a more dressed up look, maybe a pencil skirt and pointed court, or my H&M floral trousers as seen here. Those of you that haven't got to grips with the joys of ebay, you must! This cost me 99p with £4 postage. If that can't convert you then I can't think of many more persuasive sells!

KDx

Anything you need you can find it at the market

Mac Miller "Frick Park Market"

Here's the follow-up post as promised. This really is an easy little diy, no need for a sewing machine, a few hand stitches was all it took.

To get started all you need is one dress, a pair of scissors and an unpicker. This dress worked well to be turned into a crop as it was seamed at the waist, which provides a guide for where to cut it and also means that the top half will retain it's shape, which is what attracted me to the dress in the first instance.

This dress had a side zip, so I started by unpicking the stitches to remove it, having a smocked elastic back panel means that taking the side zip out will still allow me to get it on and off easily.

When removing a zip, once started if you hold the zip and the fabric taught between your fingers, you can easily get the stitches out without snagging or cutting the fabric in the process.

Having removed the zip I turned the dress inside out and cut as close to the seam as possible, for one it meant that if I wanted to use the remaining dress fabric for something else it wasn't dog-eared, and as I wanted this to be a quick little project, I wasn't planning on stitching the bottom at all. The fabric of this dress  is best described as light weight denim, so it shouldn't fray too much.

The seam allowance where zip was removed was sewn together by hand, I used back stitch, but a couple of rows of running stitch would work if that's all you know.

And there you have it, literally that simple. Not bad for a dress that cost 99p! And yes, the labels were still in it. If you want to see the finished crop and how I styled it, the post is here.

On Wednesday, I will finally get to see Jay-Z and Kanye on their Watch The Throne tour, I am beyond excited!! It seemed like an age away when I booked the ticket, but it's come round so quick. I'm hoping to remember to take some pictures and not get overwhelmed by the whole thing, I feel a little giddy just thinking about it. I am a huge Jay-Z fan, and I mean MEGA! I look forward to filling you in on :)

KDx

Don't you drag me down cause I'm living my life

Benga "Icon" Featuring BeBe Black

The Jubilee Weekend Round-Up in Numbers:

Days to enjoy the Jubilee: 6

Street Parties Attended: 1

Bbqs Attended (in the rain!): 1

Scones Baked: 12

Scones Eaten: 2

Blueberry Muffins Baked: 12

Blueberry Muffins Eaten: Yet to be confirmed...

Cups of Tea Drank: Too many to count (ranges from 4-8 cups daily)

G&T's Drank: 'Enough' (I do not recommend a Disarono, G&T mix if you have any sensibilities about you!)

Queens Spotted: Numerous! (I went to GLAS Super Pride as part of Gay Pride in Birmingham over the Bank Holiday, celebrating the reign of the Queen surrounded by queens-how apt!)

Roast Dinners Eaten: 2 (Neither of them fell qualify for the 'Sunday Dinner' tag)

Yorkshire Puddings Eaten: 8

Hangovers Endured: 0 (This one still surprises me)

Trips to the Gym to Account for my Overindulgences: I'm still working on that one...

Well good ol' Queen Liz, she sure knows how to throw a party doesn't she? In somewhat unpatriotic fashion, I didn't watch much/any of the Jubilee concert/floatilla/awkward celebrity meetings; but I am looking forward to catching up on a glut of who wore what, and how much he/she/we/they loved or loathed it. But I thought I'd share a bit of what I've been wearing throughout:

Headband Dorothy Perkins, flowers Accessorize, top Topshop and skirt River Island both via ebay, Miss Selfridge belt,Topshop boots, jewellery H&M, Dorothy Perkins, and Topshop

This was the outfit I chose for GLAS, I thought I looked more like Xena Warrior Princess, opposed to our Royal High-streetness, Princess Middleton. The top was formerly a dress, it was a really simple diy that I will post about later this week. I got it for a steal at 99p on the ebay, which is why I had absolutely no qualms about cutting it up!

New Look vest, River Island skirt and Zara pumps via ebay

For my one and only street party appearance I thought I'd indulge in a little red, white and blue, or in my case....just red. Despite my sunny disposition, the weather didn't match up; it didn't rain (for a change) but I was a little optimistic in opting to go bare legged, I did wear my trusty Oasis leather jacket, but that didn't stave off the leg chill.

Oasis leather jacket, New Look denim shirt, Dorothy Perkins necklace, Zara shoes via ebay, and River Island sequin shorts (just seen) via carboot

A bbq in Britain is never going to be a simple affair, but we Brits do have a love for alfresco dining and all things outdoorsy. (Picnics included) I left my house in the rain, so despite the footwear in the picture I actually made a last minute change for my Zara ankle boots, not that it helped with the bitter cold. When the perfect addition to your bbq would be a pair of gloves and a granny-lap blanket, you know it's time to call it a day. Disappointingly I only managed to snaffle one burger, as good as it was, the decision to either sit on my hands to conserve heat, or eat, wasn't really a decision at all.

Having an extra day off today as work thought they'd throw a concessionary day our way has been spent perfectly by baking with the MB*. We plumped for blueberry muffins. I don't know if it's just me, but what I thought would be a quick google for a recipe turned into a 20-minute trawl; as an American favourite it seems as though everyone wants to add buttermilk, or have you measure everything out in cups. Eventually I came across this recipe on the Daily Mail, the addition of the streusel topping really pepped them up, so my only recommendation would be to make more than stated as there's not much sugar in the actual recipe, the muffins can take the additional sweet topping

Fresh out of the oven

Only two days of work and it's the weekend again!

KDx

*MB is the (lovingly given) shorthand for Momma Bear

The angels never arrived, but I can hear the choir

Fun "We Are Young" Ft. Janelle Monae

The weather has been beautiful this weekend! So as long as the sun decides to stick around, I will be surviving on a diet that mainly consists of bbq-ed meat, Pimms and cider, hardly balanced...

Topshop dress and sandals via ebay

Miss Selfridge skirt, Topshop sandals and denim jacket via ebay, New Look bandeau top and head scarf, River Island belt 

 

Me: Customised New Look crop, River Island skirt and Faith wedges via ebay, Dorothy Perkins belt and Miss Selfridge earrings

 Emma: River Island Skirt and New Look bandeau (I think it's New Look...!)

Those of you that keep up-to-date with the blog will notice that's the New Look smock top that I basically cut the bottom off, I think it's got me back onto the diy bandwagon. I read Geneva's blog daily, A Pair & A Spare, and I am constantly inspired by her creations and the images she posts. Hopefully there will be a few more made by me to come, I think I can expand my crop making abilities.


KDx

The music went and led me astray

Friction "Led Astray"

As I'd wrote about in an earlier post here, I was taken by the idea of a Spring suit,or co-ord and here's my interpretation as worn out on Friday night when we dined at La Tasca for my good friend Laura's birthday. It turned out to be a bit of a double celebration as she only went and bagged herself a new job after unfortunately having to endure an interview on her birthday, but it was all worth it in the end! 

American Apparel black u-back body, Asos floral shorts via ebay, Oasis blazer and Topshop boots

Despite the undesirable weather conditions, I perked up my hands with a summer nail look

I brought this Rimmel Lasting Finish nail varnish in 'Hot and Spicy' for a bargainous £1.24 in Morrison's whilst on my lunch break, admittedly my main reason for painting my nails was that I had brought the colour that day; how can you fail to transport yourself to hotter climes with zingy nails like this? The colour also looks a dead ringer for Models Own 'Hedonist' that has been spotted on numerous bloggers fingers. For my ring finger I used one of my favourite Nails Inc's, 'Lanseborough Place'. I have also discovered an amazing nail art/inspiration blog that actually comes courtesy of the Guardian-so I thank them for bringing it to my attention. The blog is called 'The Nail Saurus' and is written by 21 year-old Sammy from South Wales, you can find her amazing nail creations here. After reading through post after post I have to say my once creative self isn't feeling so advanced right about now, but she has filled me with some ideas and reignited my love for diy nails, so hopefully there will be some to feature shortly!

Right, back to the food. As much as I enjoy La Tasca I felt that being a party they neglected us a little, as they were so keen to serve us our food, which seems like a bonus, we were denied the 'tapas' experience and ended up with a table of soon-to-be cold food as we just couldn't eat it quick enough. In previous visits they had brought a selection of plates out in succession, so you had chance to enjoy them, before they were cleared away and the next lot brought out, hence our decision for choosing La Tasca; you get 13 girls together and they are going to want to talk! So sadly it felt like a lot of food went to waste. The food was as good as I remembered, albeit it in huge quantities, so I can't say I'll be rushing to recommend the party menu to anyone in the near future, just stick to small groups and I'm sure you'll get a more authentic Spanish tapas experience; the La Tasca I know.

Saturday was just spent wandering around town before a girly night in with our very expectant mother-to-be. Truth be known, a little part of me hoped we might be front line for a piece of the action, but the baby's not quite ready to meet us yet, so the wait continues...

Warehouse black and white cardigan, Zara leopard pumps and Topshop taupe leather shorts via ebay, H&M sleeveless shirt and New Look necklace

I'd been after some leather shorts for an age, but the real ones were always too expensive for me to justify for what in reality is so little material, and the fake ones always seemed to air on the side of bondage, anyone for shiny fake leather?! *shudders* The search inevitably continued. As with most things I tend to buy there is no time frame, which I find is the best way to shop; so as I rarely need anything for a specific outing, I can hold out until I get things at the right price, which in this case was 99p, and £3 delivery. Can't argue with that. In my opinion they were more than worth the wait, especially as it's May and I am still able to get away with wearing them with tights and not look like I am planning to lose my body weight in sweat alone.

As with every alcohol free weekend, food comes to the fore. Being hungover doesn't allow yourself to truly enjoy nice food, so a Sunday afternoon spent baking when I would normally contend with the suppressed fat girl isn't an option, so today Momma Bear and I donned our finest aprons and baked. We opted for scones (my tea habit needs some substance so as not to completely drown my insides) We followed James Martin's recipe from the BBC Food website, the only change we made was the addition of chopped glacé cherries because I love them and sultanas are a product of the devil  quite frankly.

Trust me when I say that it was absolute torture taking a picture of my lovingly jammed scone opposed to just scoffing it down asap. A bake I recommend to all. We only managed to get 7 scones out of the '8-10' mixture though, so I would ignore that bit, as if we rolled the mixture out any thinner I think we would have had cherry biscuits.

According to those that deliver the weather, this week we are supposed to see marked improvements. I'm going to do as every British person does at the hint of sunshine and harass all those around me into having a bbq, and at the risk of looking stupid spend a day without tights (I've been gradual tanning in preparation for this day to come so as not to be taken by surprise!)

Willie Nelson has been singing it for years... Bring me sunshine god dammit!

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