Milk and Lots of Sugar

Sweets, shoes & lights

2012-02-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I went into London to meet my friends who are working at LFW & to get a FW buzz too

But no, I chose a day with pouring rain and ending up with make-up all over my face. Luckily we did manage to go to Somerset House for a while but then opted for a hot drink in a near by cafe :)

Before all that we spend a over £25 all together on these sweets in Covent Garden, it sure is a Sugar Sin.

And quickly bumped into another cute little sweet shop near by! [Hope and Greenwood]

Love the colours of this outfit, very complementary to each other, even her hair! 1st thing I notice is the shoes, I want/need them all.

After I ventured to Carnaby St on my own and came across this beautiful lighting, almost like curtains.

I didn't want to leave but I've now reluctantly travelled back to uni.

Glitter hearts

2012-02-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

It seems the connection with Valentine's day overall is food in my opinion.

Chocolates, cakes, all things nice & indulgent. But it's also my dad's birthday so that always makes it special too!

I decided to make some cupcakes for my friends :)

Few glitter hearts, arrows, gummy lips...

Think they liked their little surprise :)

& Some treats we got last week at a bake sale in the uni design building, hope everyone had a lovely day!

Americana

2012-02-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

My friends & I love dressing up for the hell of it cos if you can't do it at uni when can you?!

Last Monday night we decided to go out with a 'American' theme & everyone looked amazing dressing as a NFL player to a Hooters girl, so much fun :)

Snacks kindly provided by the girls before we went out, some sweeties & popcorn!

I did a last minute dress up as a 'Diner girl'!

My make-shift rollar skates with my frilly socks, do you like them?

Slice of pie

2012-02-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

Haven't baked something in a while now, not sure if it's just down to pure laziness.

Then again this was a easy enough recipe to do anyway! Marshmallow pie! I'm definitely going to make it again, it taste so good! Next time I think I'm gonna add a layer of chocolate too :) also so glad the snow decided against staying up north :)

The new Tatty Devine collection came out this week, Check it out. Small achievement but I did a lot of the arranging [shwooshing] & cleaning (skulls were the hardest to clean) of the jewellery for this photo shoot during my summer internship with them :)

Also recently got these wedges..pure Acne Atacoma fakies! Not even real metal, but instead of spending hundreds of ££, I only paid £26 so I really don't care haha

Lost in lace

2012-02-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday my class all went to Birmingham to see the 'Lost in Lace' Exhibition.

I didn't really know what to expect but I was quite amazed - so below are a few pictures I took inside the exhibit. (it's on until the 19th Feb if anyone was interested! & free entry)

Stop at the service station equals McD sausage, egg & cheese bagel, perfect in the morning :)

My favourite from Chriharu Shiota [See how it was made here]

After, a group of us went window shopping at Selfridges & went to Ed's diner where I had a cherry coke float. Yum

Mag exhibit

2012-02-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to the Design building to see the Fashion Communication's magazines.

Both second & third year work was out, but was mostly interested to see what I have to do next year. Looks like A LOT of work! Some of their photo shoots were amazing!

Second year's mini magazine module.

Loved this illustration idea next to the photo-shoot from 'Rage Magazine' created by Sophie Steward.

Earlier that day I got a big mug of chocolate with whipped cream & those twisted marshmallows.

Need to get myself some of theses instead of the normal mini ones I get :)

Mainly food

2012-01-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

Last week Hannah came up to stay in Newcastle with me for a while!

We (I know I'm speaking for her, but I hope she did) had lots of fun going around town, just lounging around, ate a hella of a lot of junk & watched 'The Help' too [recommend it]. My room felt really empty after she left.

Add em' up and what do ya get?

Had to show her my fav little cafe :) - never-ending tea

Most amazing sweet shop, inside there are so many more of these jars filled with sweets! I was actually hoping to apply & get a job here (because it would be perfect for me) but no vacancies. Oh well, I can dream.

I was here

2012-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Coached it back to the north last week but was still working for a deadline, bleh.

Good news (erm for me) is its all handed in now, yay! So now I'm just gonna chill out until next week when I start my new modules plusss my friend is coming to stay for the weekend! :)

Work all done with my fingerless gloves worn in my cold house

Made red velvet cupcakes with Jes, yum-ee

Then watching Beyonce whilst enjoying our cupcakes & a cuppa, perfect combo.

Lotta pink

2012-01-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

As promised a few photos from the lil' party I had for my birthday

We decided to decorate our conservatory with any material found, balloons, fairy lights, floor seating etc & then surprise everyone with it later. It wasn't the plan but everything sort of turned 'pink' so just went with it. Ermm so enjoy?

Quick brainstorm of ideas beforehand

Small sweet & snacks laid out to go with our 'Cakes &Cocktails' theme/ Home made party hats at the end

-make your own cocktails-

Light pink lemon cake I made :)

Bam! and that is that.

The day came

2012-01-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

I turned 21 on the 4th (sobs), makes you realise each birthday that there's no turning back.

But morbid thoughts aside, me & my sister decided to organise a party to have beforehand, just something small with a few friends which is definitely more my style.

The Invitations I drew for my special guests :)

And in a air mail envelope sealed with wax, stamped with a penny [so simple!] Then secretly posted in person.

Photos of the actual gathering to follow :)

'bout 10 days ago

2012-01-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ah the Christmas post - overdue, t'was a lovely hectic time to spend with the fam.

I know everyone is on the 'New Year's resolutions' bandwagon but maybe I have too much to list?

My prezzies

Christmas meal, Iraqi style!

Decided to make Jamie Oliver's 'Epic hot chocolate' & Waffles on boxing day.

Think we did the hot choco wrong, didn't turn out how we wanted it to but next time..

They really don't lie about eating non-stop over the Christmas hols!

Christmas elfs

2011-12-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas is soo close & I was pretty bad on the getting presents front.

Yeah. I think I'm gonna have to give out a lot of I.O.Us too. However, this week I happily helped out at Tatty Devine with their mass Christmas orders - I was a lot more productive. It was nice to be back even if it was only for a few days & see everyone again :)

Home made Christmas cake was brought in!

My tatty ring I brought :) [Robots in disguise tear ring]

Oh but I did go to Westfield in Stratford to try and do a xmas shop but had to stop for a milkshake...you know, priorities. I got strawberries & cream with white chocolate and Lillie got Rocky road with chocolate. So worth it

Merry Christmas!

Fairy lights

2011-12-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Yay back home & I've already highlighted all the films I want to watch in the Radio times!

Felt like drawing something yesterday, but got bored so its not finished...thought I'd share it anyway

1 more week

2011-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Not long until I'm back home in a nice warm house eating my mum's home cooked meals :)

And Christmas time of course! Not gonna lie, I haven't been doing anything very exciting but I did go to see the coca cola truck last week! Ah & the weather is getting worse too [please don't snow yet..touch wood]

Christmasy music at Starbucks to get me in the mood & I'm not a major fan but their caramel hot chocolate is yummy as

New riding boots - Managed to scuff them up already [£20 including p&p on ebay]

The other day I got my top piercing done (again..) Yay! hopefully next week I can get a hoop earring for it :)

Faded pink

2011-11-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

At last! I got round to developing my newest film camera that I got over summer

My replacement after my little Olympic trip broke :( tbh not a lot of them came out as I got too eager and shot a lot without enough sunlight...whoops, but I like the colours of these:

Also a bonus that I bought this new camera for only £1.99! Bargains, I love you.

[photos done additionally for my photo shoot]

Sneaky peak

2011-11-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

For one of my modules at Uni I have to create a photo spread for a magazine of my choice.

I chose Lula magazine! So I'm sharing some of my behind the scenes shots, well okayy really it's just quick photos I took of the accessories I used for the shoot..

I will eventually get round to sharing my chosen photos for the mag...when I've actually completely finished editing them!
Although not in the mood to work.

Halloween

2011-11-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hallooweeen! One of my favourite days purely because it's an excuse to dress up!

Decided this year to be a dead/evil (er you decide) bride, basically gothed it up a little. Best part is seeing everyone else all dressed up & get creative, don't think I saw anyone that wasn't when I went out!

Got 'Till death do us part' drawn on as a chest tattoo.

Cupcakes I made, a little bit rushed...

Me & jack, mmm blood shots with some jelly sweets

Hope everyone else had a good one :)

Bejeweled

2011-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Second year of uni has BEGUN...Ok it started a few weeks back but you get me.

I have a lot of work that should be keeping me busy but I just need to get more stuck in. I've also been trying to make my new house more homey so hopefully I'll take some pics of it when we're nearly finished, it's cute I like it :)

Showing you my tackylicious card I made for my friend Lillie's 21st (Check out her blog!) - I added more beads/sequins etc after & photoshopped this image [our little joke].

And this little monster is Colin, I made him in my uni society :)

Inspo

2011-10-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

Title: slang for inspiration..thanks urban dictionary :/ really don't know why I keep saying this word and who the hell I got it from? It's a bit annoying.

My main point is I had to share these hair clips, they are so cool! I don't think I could personally pull them off but I do admire them :)

Dinosaur, Stegosaurus, hair clips! [Screen shot from 'Girls just want to have fun']

I took this sneaky photo at fashion week of this girl's skeleton hand clip! I've also seen it on The Milk Club's blog, it really suits her :)

Glitter boots

2011-09-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Who hates Mens day at fashion week? Exactly, no one does!

They save the best for last ha and actually saw a lot more recognisable people there, biggest of all was Kate Moss!! Everyone working with me were still buzzing after she left and it was all we could talk about. Definitely the perfect way to finish my work experience.

BB (from dirty sexy things) modelled in the James Small show. Nice shorts BB

Literally my only photo that wasn't blurry of Kate Moss & Jamie Hince at James Small's show.

& In love with these glitter gold army boots used in Kathleen Kye's show, what do you think?

Flower tops

2011-09-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

I realise I'm still going on & on about LFW buutt here are a few more photos I took of my favourite womanswear shows I managed to see..

Bit gutted I missed one of the craziest fashion shows with Ziad Ghanem at VFS as people were calling him the new Mcqueen and I always like a dose of OTT fashion. Check out some of the photos of the show from the VFS blog hereee.

These headpieces were beautiful as were the embroidered netting [Elisa Palomino]

Backstage photo - Inbar Spector's dresses were amazing, reminded me a little of Viktor&Rolf. Another designer, Georgia Hardinge, had the most wearable collection, most pieces were flowy & the model's hair was styled uniquely.

Also Pandemonia watched a few of shows shows at VFS so I managed to get a snap - must be boiling! It's weird to think someone is under there lol

Lèvres scintillantes

2011-09-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

One free morning my friend Jes and I checked out the Chanel exhibition at Harrods!

I hated that no photos were allowed inside but we had a really good tour guide who explained everything & told us some stories I won't forget. I completely recommend visiting, it's inspiring :) Later we both tried some new Chanel lip-glosses [Ooh la la] & had our photos taken in their photo booth!

Result of the photo booth ♥ Background is also my photo of Lola's cupcakes at Harrods

I chose a red velvet cupcake mmm - yeah my face was horrible in this photo so I made it disappear

Later that day whilst working at VFS I managed to watch more shows - I like this headpiece [Dans le vie]

Abbey Lee Kershaw

2011-09-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Got a little bit slash a lot starstruck when I saw Abbey walk out after John Rocha's show

Think I annoyed her tbh by the way she looked at me...maybe because I invaded her personal space a little bit, oops sorry Abbey! She still managed to look stunning though!

Looking right at me, wooow (and below)

She manages to have such great style too...how jealous are you of how tall & lean she is, ahhh

Around the corner

2011-09-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

Finished a shift early on Saturday so headed to Somerset house so see what was going down

My friend Jes had been talking about Olivia Palermo all day [she has a major girl crush] after she'd been spotted in London but we didn't expect to actually come across her! It was actually perfect timing, we arrived at the courtyard, turned a corner and she walked out the BFC catwalk space!

She happily let me take photos of her (mine above) and said ''Hey guys, you having a good day?"ah she was so sweet.. I couldn't talk

A lot of crazy/amazing outfits around LFW, lovely rich red fur coat/ Nadia from FrouFrouu, always love what she wears :)

Vauxhall fashion scout

2011-09-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

During LFW I'm volunteering with Vauxhall Fashion Scout working as Front of house!

Its quite tiring but its becoming more enjoyable after the first day was done & the shows actually started. I get a chance to see most the shows which are mostly up and coming designers :)

Love these glasses. [Eudon Choi]

My favourite from the Graduate showcase was Charlotte Barry, especially love these shoes!

mmm hummingbird cupcakes backstage

Masha Ma's collection was my favourite at VFS this weekend :) Head harness is so striking

Cake fail

2011-09-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my last day working at Tatty Devine! Really sad to go :(

For my last week I was also given the opportunity to help out with the photo shoot of the SS/12 collection. I had to make sure everything was perfectly clean & laid out nicely to be photographed. Can't wait to see them on the website next season...really wish I could tell you what the new designs are like! Anyway, I wanted to bake something special to say thanks but after trying various times I failed miserably & decided to buy a lovely cake instead:

Ended up getting the cake from Albion, they even wrote a message for me :)

All my attempts. I just didn't want to give a rubbish cake & most of them tasted horrible. My sister made Mr lobster there.

What I brought during my time there! - Crystal shards ring/Moustache ring/ Gold pyramid necklace.

AND me and my banana necklace! :)

Til death do us part

2011-08-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

So I watch a lot of food channel programmes (too many it's embarrassing) & it only feeds (pun) my love of all things sweet.

There's The Ace of Cakes, Cupcake wars, Kid in a candy store, Cake Boss etc etc but my favourite show at the moment has to be Choccywoccydoodah! Sometimes when I watch these programmes I tend to criticize & think I could create a lot better but with CWDD their skills are crazy good. In my opinion their layered/themed cakes are one of the best & if I ever get married I am having my wedding cake done by them! (shotgun?)

Found the place while I was shopping, pretty exciting when I first pasted it! - So many lovely rich paintings all over the wall.

Treated myself to a White Chocolate Truffle Milkshake mmm

Just wow, carved chocolate cherubs

Above is a drawing I did of one of their cakes in the shop, hope you like it and like me, are very hungry now :)

Moustache shop

2011-08-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Surprised to find out the weekend I chose to go down to Brighton was Gay Pride!

Really had no idea but it made my trip more enjoyable with all the buzz of the excitement and seeing everyone dressed up. But either way Pride or no Pride it was good to catch up with a couple of friends & basically chill out

Some of the people I came across, amazing outfits ha

Pretty windy day so we mostly sheltered behind parked boats - wearing my Lazy oaf top :)

And of course I had to included a standard food pic : We dumped anything (edible) on our pancakes...like pieces of jam doughnuts mmm

Fab Fifties

2011-08-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

I was invited along with the Tatty Devine team to help out with their Rosette craft workshop!

It was all a part of the Fabulous Fifties event at the Museum of London. Everyone looked amazing, arriving all dressed up from head to toe in their 50's gear and had their hair done in full blown pin-up style [so jealous of this].

[photo taken from here]

Don't be fooled by this photo, this was taken at the end of the event, there were actually queues of people waiting to take a seat so they could create their very own 'measuring tape rosette' = Big success! Loved the decor too!

My very own Rosette brooch I made ^ easy to make once you get the hang of it :) I wish I took more photos of the event & of my outfit but I was too busy that I lost track of time.

Did anyone else go?? I'd love to hear about the rest of the activities at the event & please share any photos/blog posts about it too!

Maroon anchor

2011-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

First month at my work placement has floowwn by & I've decided to stay a bit longer :)

Realised I haven't actually mentioned where I'm doing it at: Tatty Devine! I really like getting an insight into the brand that I've been a fan of for years & see the workings of the studio where they hand make/design all the jewellery. My job is mostly to handle all the mail orders and do the packaging which I don't mind doing, I like keeping busy & get to see all the stock! But I also got a chance to make some jewellery (which is easier said than done! So I completely appreciate all the effort/end result.)

My name necklace that was made for me! Like it?

Jessie J wearing her own tatty devine necklace

One of the best things about this internship is the lovely people who work there, amount of tea/cake I've consumed and the yummy home made lunch I get. The photo above is a good example :)

Hi Ben & Jerry

2011-07-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Where can you get lots of yummy ice-cream? At the Ben & Jerry's Festival of course!

Me & my friends enjoyed our Sunday by munching on different flavoured ice-creams (Caramel chew chew was my fav of the day) & listening to live music - what an amazing combo. Perfect weather too, although I got sunburnt...anyone else go??

Showing our love - also I'm wearing my new pineapple print shorts, I felt very summery in them :)

Felt like everyone had brought a blanket & picnic prepared, must remember next time

One of many

The queue was crazy for the helter skelter!

mmm chunky chips

Maximo Park / Earlier in the day we watched 'Little Comets' do a set too & although I've heard of them, I'd never listen to their stuff. To cut to the chase, I really enjoyed their songs & hope to listen to their whole album soon!

This song particularly puts me in a good mood, hope it makes you dance!

Sky puddle

2011-07-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

I managed to catch the end of Lazy Oaf's sample sale on Sunday!

As other Londoners know, it poured & poured & pou...yeah you get it, it rained, but I was determined to go. There were so many things I wanted it took ages to make my mind up. Ah I love their stuff!

Only just noticed another shadow graffiti, look to the right bottom corner of the photo [like my other post]

Gathered change for a 30p buttered bagel (who said London had to be pricey?) Also love that I can see the sky reflected in the puddle

So I bought a black 90's sleeve t-shirt, nice & baggy just how I like it, and some abstract mitts - they're a bit big but for £1 I don't care!

I realise I'm a few years late when people were raving about them but this month I made time to properly listen to Mumford&Sons's album and now it's just on repeat. One of my favourites that I'm sharing above is 'White blank page'. So lovely
X

Baby Fayre

2011-07-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, I came across a really small summer fayre in Islington.

It reminded me of my primary school fairs days & my love of doing tombolas! The last few tombolas I've done in the past I've kept winning things...I never win the best things but thats not the point lol, this time was no exception.

What I won, mini chocolate eggs! Yay! Which was confiscated when I went into the O2 academy, boo! Won a bag too but had no space to keep it...basically didn't keep anything :(

Cute table set out at the antique fair :) So neat.

B-boy champs

2011-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to see the National B-boy Championship 2011 in Islington .

Although the break dancing was really good, I preferred watching the popping battles [Some were amazing!] At the same time, I couldn't help but look at everyone's clothing, all crisp with a hip-hop edge. Mainly pristine caps/trainers teamed with bold baggy graphic tees all around. You should know by now that I love my graphic tees :)

[link]

Most my photos came out blurred...I really must get on with my new years resolution & learn more camera skills

Some Hip hop styled inspiration from Tokyo. It's so striking & bold, can't actually explain how beyond-amazing Japanese style is, they have no fear and go all out! I ~~want~~ have to go there and maybe work there and maybe live....OKAY I won't go further into this subject today haha [link]

Routine cows

2011-07-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a longer route to my work placement each day so I can see these cows.

Small graffiti cows I mean, not sure why I like them so much but they are so simple & cute. It could just be that I am just easily amused like I've said in my about me :)

I've seen similar work around London but can't seem to find out who the artist is, if anyone knows please tell me!

Super cow / On friday at my work placement, they had a 'lemon' theme lunch do to celebrate a birthday - home made lemonade, lemon macaroons, lots of lemon cake & muffins, lemon fudge etc mmmm...

Came home to more cake made by my sister as a surprise, not complaining. You can never have enough cake!

Also, Beyonce 'Best thing I never had' is new a favourite song after seeing her performance at Glasto on tv, amazing!
Oh and you can now Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

Deer & picnics

2011-07-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

Finally finished working at Wimbledon this morning & can't wait to have more free time!

Managed to actually get last Sunday off which I completely needed after having a work sleep work sleep routine and went to Richmond park with a few friends :) Hopefully I'll have more picnics this summer

D'aw

Entered in an young refugee art competition recently & illustrated my take on how some refugees are demoted when they immigrate.

Okay now I'm going to bed to attempt to reverse my nocturnal state due to my night shifts!

Wimbledon season

2011-06-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

I've been working night shifts everyday at Wimbledon during the Championships

It's not a glamorous job at all but when you need money you do what you need to do! I think the thing I needed to get used to the most was having lunchtime at 3am..anyway here are some bad quality photos I managed to take:

Uniform / Snacks & one of my favourite songs at the moment [Chase & Status - 'Time' Feat. Delilah]

London view in the morning

When I came early for my shift - Henman Hill, Roger Federer on the screen.

Standard tea to get me through the night

Managed to get in Centre court to watch the Andy Murray & Ivan Ljubicic game!!

Best thing to have when I've finished my shift at 8am! :)

Not so bright-on

2011-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Headed down to Brighton on a drizzly & foggy Wednesday afternoon

Even though the weather was grim, it was nice to hang out, wonder down the lanes, going into cute shops, discover new graffiti work and go to the chippy of course! :) Here are a few photos from the day:

Cotton candy lollies from Cyber Candy

I know I look like an idiot, but hey - after we had to go & sit under the shelter behind me for some time because of the rain

Love a portion of chips & a cuppa, watching the photo develop.

I will get this next time it's a sunny day!

Vintage Madonna

2011-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't usually add pictures purely from another source, but I had to put these.

There are different elements about these photographs that I'm drawn to. In general, I like how masculine items are made feminine and how a touch of colour/pattern/texture makes it stand out overall (or even mixing it together). Enjoy!

Sasha Pivovarova by Inez & Vinoodh for Vogue Paris June/July 2011

Down Town Girl - Sasha Pivovarova channels vintage Madonna looks for the June-July issue of Vogue Parish. Wandering the streets in layered ensembles from the likes of Dries van Noten, Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs style by Joe McKenna - Sasha is a true chameleon in Inez van Lamsweede & Vinoodh Matadin's ultra cool photographs. [Link]

These black & white photos are so striking too

This week

2011-06-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

A collection of pictures to sum up last week...well a little.

I actually watched 'The Kings Speech' the week before but so glad I finally got round to seeing it. Definitely recommend! Could be because I'm bias - pretty sure I've already mentioned how I'm a big fan of Colin Firth, he did not disappoint.

Love the Wallpaper in the film ^

Yeah so I stupidly chose these shoes for Thorpe Park on Wednesday. Soaked.

After watching a film with an american diner I made chocolate chip pancakes - great with a dollop of ice cream.

Brought 2 Motel dresses off Ebay!

Sometimes I get quite competitive on Ebay and treat it like an online game. I do the whole 'wait for the last 10 seconds' thing, then when I win I realise I don't actually want the items that much & I'm actually dealing with real money. My money.

[In this case I do really like these dresses :) ]

Four men

2011-06-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some news which has come to my attention all this week.

On Tuesday, four young Iraqi human right activists were finally released after being arrested for participating in peaceful demonstrations.They were beaten up, abused and were put in a detention centre with criminals/terrorists. However, Iraqi authorities covered up, claiming they were detained for carrying fake identity papers not for voicing their views.

Another prime example of the corruption which still lies in the Iraqi government.

[Edited by me, Image from New York Times, Link]

Jihad Jalil -''It was not an arrest, but an act of kidnapping. Plain-clothed security agents arrested us and hit us in full view of security forces present near Tahrir Square, and they shoved us into ambulances. The first day of our detention, we spent nearly 10 hours in the prison yard, under the scorching sun, while being handcuffed and with our heads covered in black bags. This continued for 3 days.''

Every time I hear about things like this, which is unfortunately often, I personally want to do something to raise awareness/ help in some way. Hopefully I will think of something this summer.

Graduate fashion week

2011-06-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Helped out my university a little at Graduate Fashion Week 2011 on Sunday :)

A few of us helped out in front of house and had to check in agency models for the show! Later we spotted James May from Top Gear whilst showcasing his new menswear collection [although I wasn't keen on it at all!]

Stupidly forget to check the name of the designer/uni but wanted to share this clutch, beautiful in its own way

My university had a large section in the exhibition area! [Northumbria Uni link]

Hair done by Loreal and Make-up by Rimmel.

Favourite backstage photo / Sneaky photo through door window

A group of us had to put a leaflet & vitamin water on every chair. Long!

All my goodies I came home with :) always makes me happy!

Certain people

2011-06-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

Saw Darwin Deez last Thursday with my friends! The band was really good, some fans..not so much.

I understand every gig people obviously get excited, I do too sometimes, but I strongly dislike annoying girly groupies that flick their hair in my face every second & block my view...tbh I am short as well. OK rant over.

Found this gun charm at the gig

From what I could see, in between songs they had funny dance moves/routines :)

Love these polaroids my friend took! It was kinda funny when we realised we had the 'gents' sign above us, ha [Photo: Sarah E]

Midnight snack

2011-05-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, literally around midnight, I got so bored so I decided to bake some cupcakes!

I had all these plans to put pretty designs on them but after waiting for them to come out of the oven all my enthusiasm went & I just wanted to eat them...sooo I dumped mini marshmallows on them :) [ Oh & Yes I tend to go sleep very late]

Later I watched ''The secret life of bees'' again which is a quite sad but sweet film, I recommend watching it. [Print screen image]

My main point of mentioning this is basically because in the film I noticed her cute sleeveless shirt, I really like how the collars are buttoned down & the general casualness of it. Definitely a summer trend in my opinion, don't you agree?

Sun equals park

2011-05-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

It was a nice day weather wise on Wednesday so me & my parents decided to go to the park, as you do!

We went to Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon because my parents said they had randomly discovered it a few years back & thought it would be the perfect time to go. It was quite beautiful.

Ah the sky! [Cannizaro house]

I like reading all the memorial benches

Our secret little area..

[My hair isn't greasy, promise!]

Paths everywhere! / Went to Toby Carvery after & my rents shared a Raspberry Eden Mess for dessert [above]

I opted for a hot chocolate fudge cake with ice-cream! Yum

I like ending my post with food.

A little trip

2011-05-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

For the last full day in Newcastle before I travelled back home I decided to go for a random day out.

We went to a bus stop & chose a destination. Spontaneous trips are always the best because you have no expectations on where the day will lead so it can only be good! In the end I went to the beach where it was nice & quiet!

House watching when I'm on the bus.

If I lived near a beach, I like to think I would always go on walks there.

And it was nice watching people learning to surf :)

Time to show off

2011-05-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I helped out with Northumbria Uni's graduate fashion show at the Baltic on Thursday & sat in a show too.

Without being biased I really do think all the designs were amazing, you can see all the work that has gone into making them as they were at such a professional level. Here are a few photos I managed to take:

[Designer : Jennifer Smith]

The large space at the Baltic was filled with clear chairs stacked in rows - the models zigzagged around them. There were also 3 huge screens with film projections & a live video feed.

My course friends (above: Kathryn & Megan) actually modelled in the show, they looked amazing! Check out their joint blog

I ♥ Fashion UK [link] :)

[Designer Lesley Elizabeth Ford]

I like these accessories :) [Designer : Clare Murray]

Love this collection, I want these tux dresses! [Designer: Lauren Wroe]

This is my favourite dress from the show, the all over red styling is genius [Designer: Lauren Wroe]

Just a couple of snaps of me in my team tee overlooking the Quayside.

Geordie girls

2011-05-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

The first ever Newcastle Fashion Week started this week & I decided to get involved with a few events!

First I went to a talk from Wayne Hemingway (co-founder of 'Red or Dead') on Monday which was really motivating! Then on Tuesday I went on a Shop Crawl , think 'bar crawl' but with independent shops. Each shop we went to gave us various discounts: always good!

Only figured out later that Hemingway was in charge of lots of vintage events I go to/want to go to : [link]

One of shops I went to 'Trickle' had lovely tops, bit pricey for me but definitely given me some ideas ;) They also gave us some jasmine tea when we went in.

What I loved most about the shop crawl was discovering new shops! This shop, Deep, is probably a new favourite now :)

Bought a new vintage-look shirt (I might do a shoot with it when I'm home) / 'Made in Newcastle' store

I got a free goodie bag with the shop crawl! Mostly given to me by Made in Newcastle- Vitamin water, umbrella, postcards, DIY craft kit, keyrings, stickers, a bangle, tote bags etc.

Today (Thursday) I helped out with Northumbria Graduate fashion show! So new post on that next.
Some of the events that might happen next year for NFW sound exciting too.

Born to be free

2011-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

And my first year at uni is done! In some ways its sad & it feels like it's gone way too quick but at the same time...it's officially summer time now!

I really want to be productive in my break as well as enjoying it so fingers crossed I succeed - and hopefully I'll also make the most of Newcastle Fashion Week starting this week too!

After my deadlines this week my room is a complete mess! Just a load of magazine cut outs & crap everywheree

In the design building at my uni they have put up fashion design's work, I think it looks pretty damn good!

Went for a meal yesterday to celebrate two of my course friends birthdays at 'The Living Room'. I had Cannelloni mmm

It was quite classy & the details were lovely (and the music)/ 'White chocolate bourbon biscuit cheesecake with strawberries''.

and I was catching up with 90210 the other day (in sync with UK TV) and saw Naomi's t-shirt dress, I love it! definitely going to try to recreate this style in the summer. studmuffin does it so well too:) [Print screen image]

Awrite Scotty-land

2011-05-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

My weekend was pretty awesome! To celebrate one of my closest friend's 20th a few of us trooped up north for a gig in Glasgow then partied on in Dundee!! [where she studies].

Before the gig we decided to go to Frankenstein in Glasgow for a spot to eat. I've never been there before but it's quite original with entertainment on request, sound effects & yummy cocktails - I'm really bad at describing things but it was basically all Frankenstein themed :)

My friends had Dr. Frankenstein cocktails, mmm

So we went to see the band 'Twin Atlantic' in their home town, Glasgeee! They were A-mazingg live!

The venue...It was very sweaty inside if I'm putting it lightly lol

Hellooo Sam McTrusty. [Photo stolen from Tala - because my SLR was banned :( ]

Their new album 'Free' came out this week & I only got my hands on it a few days ago but now its constantly on replay - my personal fav is the mellow tune ''Crash land''. Love their accents.

Finally a last snap of friend's living room lights - I just liked the different coloured bulbs :)

OK now I should really do my uni work seeing as the to do list is longer than my arm, eek

Day to remember

2011-04-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Awwwhhhhhh - think that sums it up! It was lovely to spend Friday watching the royal wedding on TV and just like everyone else, waiting for the reveal of THE dress.

After it all I felt pretty gutted I decided against venturing into London for the atmosphere because it looked amazing [everyone was in a patriotic mood] so decided to gatecrash a street party I heard about nearby instead!

Perfect designer to make such a beautiful dress

Taken with my hand-held camera hence the fuzziness when zoomed.

I thought it was lovely how this lady in a wheelchair was just observing the atmosphere & listening to the live music

And only realised later that my cardigan had the union jack colours

Enchanted tea

2011-04-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

As special treat for my sister's birthday a few of us went to Kensington to see the Enchanted Palace & enjoy a spot of Afternoon tea! Snazzy stuff.

Yeah well apparently I can't hack it as a classy lady because I was so messy at afternoon tea it was embarrassing. Safe to say I won't be dining with the royals any time soon...

Nice & sunny before the freak thunderstorm.

My sneaky photo of the Vivienne Westwood dress :)

Afternoon tea at the Orangery (FYI: service is wayyy too slow) - I chose to have Chocolate tea, yeah you heard me!

Bought a necklace & ring at the shop, for historic items they were so so cheap, I kid.

Little bow cake

2011-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

It was my big sister's 23rd birthday recently! I didn't actually get her much due to lack of funds but I hope she appreciated it all the same :)

So I made her a Victoria sponge cake with a bow I made out of icing, 'Wreck this journal' and this card from Lazy Oaf.

Can't wait to see how the journal turns out! I'd want one too I like seeing how other people have ruined their journal - check THESE!

Hopefully I'll find something more I can get her too.

You lazy oaf

2011-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well helloo, on Thursday I ventured to the little launch party of the brand Lazy oaf's new 2011 collection in their shop on Carnaby Street.

To be honest it was a 'pop in pop out' situation because the shop is so small, but it was nice to see their new stuff & get a cupcake!

I want this tee (link), saw it on a shop assistant & it looked so summery

Gutted I couldn't get free 'Wah Nails' because the waiting list/queue was ridiculous! One day :(

Apple cupcakes :) has cream inside too!

Bought this card from the shop for my sister's birthday...I think it's perfect. Haha joke.

Oh Regent St looks so cool with the flags lined up all the way down! and randomly in the day we stood by a crowd waiting for Pixie Lott at Swarovsji Crystallized store...but didn't wait long because she was gonna be in there a while. [Link]

Bright time

2011-04-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here are my Tuesday snaps! Went to Brighton with my friends because..well we wanted to!

That and one of us was going back to uni the next day (booo way to early for her to go!). The sun was definitely smiling, it really was the perfect day to sunbathe on the beach & have a cheeky shop! And of course I took loads of photos - enjoy :)

Standard Pier.

Amazing antique shop with little gems - it was never ending

Loved this ceiling in the upstairs of this little vintage shop ♥

Just cute as.

You'll find some of the best graffiti art in Brighton - there's me below to show the scale of it

End of the day, sun setting by the Pavilion..

Origami it

2011-04-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share this photo I took - shows that it doesn't take a lot to be creative & anyone can be creative.

Saw this man on Brighton high street and he seemed to make these by memory, selling his creations for some change.

I'll upload some more photos from my trip to Brighton soon :)

Triangle bunting

2011-04-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Went into central yesterday for a little shop...and came back with nothing...but it was a lovely day anywhoo :)

It was a cloudy day but still quite humid, especially in the tube, and was probably a perfect day to shop! Oh and my friend saw Ravi from Hollyoaks [meh] & I think someone from Britain's next top model - clearly I was in my own world when we walked passed them.

Love her style from her blue hair to her shoes! [Took this at Camden Town]

Retro sunglasses ♥ BL Knee patches [Took this on Portobello Road]

And it begins! You'll see these particular faces all around!

Notting Hill is beautiful, I bet everyone wants to live in these houses, I know I do.

Holey moley

2011-04-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

I own cheap throw-away tights which end up laddering way too easily. When it gets to this point I like to amuse myself & to encourage it.

I went a bit OTT but think it looks alright even though I don't think I'd have the guts to actually wear it out like this at the moment - depending on how you style it, it could look trampy!

The end result.

Really want to do this some day - DIY embellished laddered tights [link], 2BitchezDeep's give lots of DIY ideas & collect the best EXTREME fashion images/items, everything I love!

Ah if only I could afford these tights from Bebaroque & Les Queues de Sardines

Sometimes pattern tights can really make an outfit.

Oh Mister Darcy!

2011-04-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Finished this book on Monday, 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies', and it really does give a kick to the original.

I've always liked the original & the film (I ♥ Colin Firth) but its good to mix it up - the author, Seth Grahame-Smith, uses about 85% of the actual text and adds zombies! Why the hell not!

I won't give away too much about the storyline even though I think it's a bit obvious :)

Actually found out about this book when I saw a calendar dedicated to it, so I went & looked for it.

[Book, Ebay, £3.80]

It's pretty descriptive & parts are a little gory - text above, just lovely.

''It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains''

Drawing I did of one of the illustrations in the book ^

Overall a really good quirky book! There were rumours a while back that it might be made into a film soon with Natalie Portman as Elisabeth which would be amazing, guess we have to wait & see. Gotta get round to reading the sequel now.

Mama day

2011-04-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

I was home for Mother's day on Sunday, ready to show the love. But she is the hardest person to get something for in any occasion!

Definitely not in a bad way, she's the most selfless person in the world and never wants anything in return. My dad is the same, always saying they don't need anything - which makes me want to get them something more! To be honest I should make her feel good everyday and I will work on that :)

haha love this photo of me (far right), my sisters & my mum ♥...mostly because I just love our 'Minnie Mouse' fur coats! I miss those bad boys. That and our youth spend in McDonalds, having little parties there lol, good times! Balloons are just a bonus.

I couldn't get her much but I made her a card & cake!

It's true & that's saying something.

Oh I sea

2011-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Went to the South Shields beach on Wednesday for my friend's birthday! It was a laugh & definitely want to go back near summer time :)

Nice to branch out to different places, because it feels like I've hardly been anywhere in Newcastle since I moved here for uni. Anyways I took a lot more photos than I thought I did - as usual - and constantly forced everyone to pose for me...sorry guys. Here are a few I took:

Imagine it being quite creepy at night [towards the lighthouse]

The real beach.

This little shack is cute ♥

Yum/ Yes I still like to play the 'run away from the sea' game.

The sand was lovely & it liked to stick to my shoes, apologies for my creased leggings - it's annoying me too haha :)

Who cares?

2011-03-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've been soo boring recently, literally just doing work - OK lie, most the time I just sit in my room doing nothing and I've managed to watch A LOT of films! Thank youuu online movies.

Yes but work. Got quite a few projects going, recently I've been tackling an essay on 'Celebrity'. Fun.

Did this for a one day project at my foundation, seems fitting for this post. Can't remember what the 'peace' stands for just remember it taking ages. Who cares anyway?

Hopefully I will do more exciting stuff when I go home for Easter, less than 2 weeks, and take more photos in the sunshine!

Just had to.

2011-03-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I'm sorry, I know I've already posted this but it was bugging me that everything on my blog was clustered together.

You'll soon realise I'm a perfectionist, it's a bit sad really but thats me. Also thinking of changing my top blog image just because I get bored with things too quickly, what do you think? I'll probably be changing things around subtly all the time lol

Saturday (12th) evening I went to a screening of 'Son of Babylon' (click for trailer) following its win at the British Independant Film Awards. I feel quite strong about it being Iraqi myself and its so moving, check out this blog post for a bit more about it.

This is a drawing I did of my sister quite a while ago!

Check out & follow her blog Little t. :)

Well in my day

2011-03-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd show a selection of photos from my 'Fashion Photography' module from last term. I chose the theme Old fashioned.

I edited them to look like they were taken using film, focus on the background as well as the garment and think about the lighting.

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook [above] Inspiration/ Location/ Testing/ Location

Lit & Phil library, Near Newcastle station.

Assembly rooms, Newcastle.

Bandeau Tail Dress, Topshop, £60

I sneakily took this dress back after the shoot...Can't believe it's reduced to £5! No wonder it's out of stock.

My model was amazing, she's definitely photogenic! The colours come out differently on Macs/PCs so may have over done it but overall quite happy with the outcome :)

Weasley jumper

2011-03-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

There's always mixed views about Harry Potter, I personally love it so I thought why not do a little post...

The other day my flatmates even did a spontaneous HP quiz in the middle of the day..we must of just got on the subject, well I won the time I wasn't question master :)

This is my very own Hogwarts tee - although I need to summon the courage to actually wear it out (one day) right now its my PJ top.

I'd be so grateful if someone made me a Weasley jumper, I've tried knitting in general and I'm crap. You can get this book for instructions! Cheers!

These HP tattoos are just awesome.

[I open at the close/ I must not tell lies]

When I get a tattoo I want it to be a white one, I just love how subtle & delicate they look...however I've heard a lot of tattoo artists refuse to do it & you're more likely to get a bad reaction than black/coloured ink (can reject the skin etc). Hm.

[Deathly Hallow sign]

You can find more HP inspired tattoos here

Lovely jubbly

2011-03-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ah we've had snippets of sunshine but then it disappears again replaced with fog, what a tease. Hopefully it will stick soon!

I'm starting to leave all my work to the last minute again because I'm just feeling unmotivated, however students at my Uni have set up a little bakery/savoury sale in the design building. Cheers me up a little, so cute & yummy.

Reminds me of a picnic - I fancy having one soon

Bought a bag of pick'n'mix sweets & pizza bread, £1 I think?

Just finished reading 'Lovely bones' by Alice Sebold. I personally think its a pretty good read & really makes you think about life after death. Watched the film after & I was surprised on how close it was to the book - obviously there are lovely detailed moments in the book that was missed but still good. Recommend reading the book first!

[Book - 60p, charity shop, Film - borrowed]

Johnny Cupcakes in Landan

2011-03-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

I had been waiting for this weekend for a long long time (my first blog post!) for the first Johnny Cupcakes store to open up in the UK at Fouberts Place just off Carnaby Street!

I've been a fan for a few years now since my friend Ismail introduced me to the brand so I came down especially from Newcastle - where I study - to witness the opening, show my support, get my hands on an exclusive tee & meet the man himself again :) There was a massive turn out and it was a huge success!

[Link]

My sister & I started queuing at 10am and the shop opened at 1pm, but we didn't get in until nearly half 5 (7.5ish hours). It was well worth the wait though and just a great atmosphere to be around!

[Crumbs&Dollies]

Amazing shoes worn by a German fan who flew over for the opening. Jeremy Scott bear trainers [Link]

Got this jumper as a Christmas present 2 years ago, I love it :)

My goodies! 1 new tee, 2 badges, sweets, so many leaflets, a 'saved by the bell' card.

'Do more of what makes you happy' - A great philosophy to live by, I need to do this.

I got a small men's top because they ran out of women sizes but I prefer it like this!

All credits (I'm not a thief) go to my sister for giving me the idea to do this. I just took some photos of a selection people queuing up that were reppin' their JC tops to show past designs. Maybe I should have taken more but I was a little shy, so thank you for those who allowed me to take their photo :)

Bring on the 1 year reunion & 10 year anniversary coming soon.

p.s. it doesn't sell cupcakes, just clothing etc haha

Chocolate Oreo bear

2011-03-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I went to Manchester to celebrate one of my closest friend's 20th birthday!

We partied, sang, danced, ate a lot of yummy food & overall had a lot of fun! It was just nice to see some faces from back home too and chat away like we do :)

This is the chocolate bear Oreo cake we made her! Mmm

Our (me&my sister's) present wrapped for the birthday girl & the card I drew

This was a late birthday present I received [Lula Mag & I ♥ Cake cupcake cups] So cute!

Pages I love in my Lula mag - The writing & imagery is so lovely

Cute little shop we came across with all things nice and random - from a goose lamp to party bag treats :)

Rubbish photo but I wanted to show this flyer - Free paper...yes I am easily amused.

I bought: 2 hoop earrings for my upper ear piercing [£1ish each], Bouncy ball from toy machine [20p], Retro oval earrings from lucky dip! [50p] - just little bits&bobs!

On the night out on Saturday, wearing my new tights [Right]

Can't wait until the easter when we're all back from Uni and I get see all my friends again down south!

Float ya Coke

2011-03-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

A little catch up / summary from last week - my weekend was a lot better but I'll leave that for another post :)

This makes me look lazy&boring (probably because I am) but I was feeling pretty ill at the beginning of the week and saving my money so I didn't go out/ do much. Sucks to be me joke

My flat-mates made me try a 'Coke float' because I've never had one before. I thought it looked disgusting but it was surprisingly good, I can imagine it being refreshing in the summer! [Basically coke & a scoop of ice-cream]

Chip butty with chicken mmm

I was catching up on Gossip girl, how amazing do these goody bags look, give me one! I spy Viktor&Rolf (print screen)

[Sorry really rushed sketches]

1. New sketchbook £3.50 Paperchase, I hate starting a new one, feel like I'm ruining it.

2. Limited edition Cookies&Cream Friji, it was only 54p in Morrisons! Yum

3. Just finished 'Devil wears Prada', don't know why it took so long to read - not that it's bad, guess I've just been busy. It's quite different from the film, I should of read it before I watched it but oh well :)

Orphan boy lie

2011-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

For one of my modules at Uni, I have to create my own imaginary fashion-based P.R. agency & can publicize/promote anything or anyone I want!

I decided I wanted my agency to represent young fresh designers/brands with a unique edge & get them noticed. I'm thinking of focusing on a British graphic-tee brand I'm already a fan of! [One of the three below]

Orphan Arms/ Boy London / Your Eyes Lie [links]

I've known about this brand for a year or so - There weren't many places you could get their items other than their website but I actually found out recently that they are now selling a few tees on the Urban Outfitters site and ASOS, exciting stuff!

These are the 3 t-shirts I own from Orphan Arms [above] I always wear them :)

Close up of the raw print of one of my tees

I'm still yet to own an item from Boy London, but I love their B&W clean cut look - quite like one of their sweaters. They are sold in Urban Outfitters too!

Me & my sister have been big fans of 'Your Eyes Lie' since we came across their little shop in Camden a couple of years back (although now the shop has gone there, not good) but now they've been selling their items in Topshop! So they've done really well for themselves :)

This is the purple tee I bought ages ago from YEL, just so you know I'm no bird hater I just liked the design. On the right is the tee I aim to get soon - bonus being that its on the sale!

If you've never seen theses brands before, remember you saw them here first ;)

Sometimes eye lash out

2011-02-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

Finally got these fake eyelashes in the post the other day, all 10 pairs of them...for 99p.

I know, its crazy.

However it did take around 24 days to arrive (as it is sent over from Taiwan), I almost forgot about them to be honest - but it was like a little surprise. And of course it was found on Ebay, where most good deals are found!

I don't normally really wear fake eyelashes but I wanted to try them & not pay loads at the same time.

The lashes might be a bit long for me so I might trim them. Oh & they are quite soft!

I thought I'd present them a bit differently...

Hand-creature? Should of really taken the written notes off my hands...couldn't be bothered to edit them off either, sorry!

This is what people might think of me so do a picture of it? Yep :)

Enjoy!

P.s. It doesn't come with a glue, but if you always get lashes you probably have one anyway. (and postage cost varies, mine was 15p)

Beyond words

2011-02-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

So another post containing another project I did during my Art & Design foundation year, it was a 3 day project titled 'Beyond Words'.

We were partnered up & were forbidden to talk out loud to each other. Our task was to explore a unique way to communicate without talking!

We initially looked into paper planes (testing the best design above) because when we discussed ideas , we had to write notes and sometimes throw it to each other across the classroom to communicate. But it was too obvious.

Then went into secret messages & codes - exploring it to the max - we tried/made different ones & checked if the other person could decode it correctly etc process of elimination.

We decided on the 'Morse code' & thought about places or items we could hide them in. We thought clothing would be the best idea as it would be disguised as stitches - Morse code stitches.

We each bought a shirt & made them have a conservation between them, if that makes any sense. The shirt below is mine & it had all the answers corresponding with the other shirt.

So this was my photo-shoot, styled like a undercover agent, mysterious and B&W.

Can you see the subtle stitches? [Click the image]

Both our stitchings were different, kinda like a identity or handwriting...I wish I had a photo of hers.

Tell me if you have any questions :)

Jump shadow

2011-02-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was looking back at old photo albums on Facebook and made me really want summer...NOW.

Last year my sister, friend & I went for a last minute holiday to Corfu for a week. One of the main highlights was a day trip to Corfu town, it really was beautiful. So here are a selection of my favourite photos taken on my film camera:

A few seconds after this photo was taken the cat got quite vicious.

So happy I caught this jump :)

I loved the traditional railings & wooden window shutters. Photo on the right is probably my favourite, we found these boxes abandoned on the side. I can imagine using this as an inspiration for a photo-shoot.

I love this little accident ♥

Just bought a flash head this week [for £5] No more waiting for the sun to come out - and in north east England, you have to wait for a long time. Also means more photos to come?

Cookies & Bunnies

2011-02-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

I feel like I didn't get up to much last week, mostly just catching up on TV series/programmes & being as lazy as possible really.

Although recently I did get round to changing the buttons of one of my jumpers, taking in other's opinions from another post!

I think it looks better :)

I got these cute little detailed gold buttons from Debenhams (sorry about the blurry-ness)

To force ourselves out the flat a few of us went out for a nice meal on Sunday at 'The Slug& Lettuce'. I just had to show my dessert which was:

COOKIE CUP EXPLOSION:

A cookie biscuit base, filled with chocolate brownie, marshmallow pieces and chocolate honeycomb, served with vanilla ice cream.

Yum. Bonus was that we got 50% off our main meals because one of us couldn't get our first choice of meal, not that we minded, and desserts were 241...us students do like a deal

andd I brought tickets to see 'Twin Atlantic' in Glasgow [6th May] with my closest friends - can't wait because we all go to different universities so it's another chance to see them! I understand they aren't everyones cup of tea, but hear them out :)

I love their Scottish accents!

I discovered a cute quirky blog not too long ago called 'See Me Everywhere'. Check it out! Looking at her older posts I found that she has the sweetest bunny ever, so the other night I felt like drawing the photo [above]

Lame Game

2011-02-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

My sister actually gave me an idea to recreate the Gnome Polaroids in 'Amelie' [One of my favourite films] for fun when I went away, so I thought why not!

I actually found theres something called the 'Traveling gnome prank' when I looked into it, you learn something everyday.

I took photos in different places in New york, then used photoshop to put them on Polaroids [I didn't use a real gnome, just printed out]

[top] 1. Public Library 2. Grand Central Station 3. Disney Store [bottom] 1. Times Square 2&3. Central Park

In the film Amelie wants her dad to do something more in his life, so steals his beloved gnome. The gnome is photographed by famous landmarks to show him the places he could discover himself if he traveled/left the house.

What I brought: Standard 'I♥NY tee'/ Faded grey anchor sweater, Forever21

Plain 3/4 length sleeve baseball top, Forever21/ Embroidered waist skirt, Forever21

You can clearly tell I liked Forever21 :) Aparently They are opening stores in the UK now, I think they're is one in Birmingham. [Link]

Black bow Suede flats, Urban Outfitters - Kimchi Blue [$9.99]/ Brown baby satchel, Flea market [$5]

The flea market I went to (where I got my bag) was on 25th Street, near the hotel we were staying at...Me, caught looking at some woolly jumpers, as usual. [Photo taken by Jack.C]

And finally a little something from Marc Jacobs! This cute little Skull necklace :) We happened to visit the store on Bleecker St when there was a launch party going on for the collaboration with Playboy too.

I ♥ NY('s style)

2011-02-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

I've organised myself a little bit now & decided to dedicate my post on NY style. There were a lot of stylish people around, although most the time I wasn't sly/quick enough to snap up a photo.

Thought I'd uncover the headquarters of Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia below too, It was actually amazing & huge! I'd love to work there one day..

Love this 'pull-up sock' look with 3/4 lengths/suit combo ♥ [Lower East-side]

Fur was all around - Though some people looked like they've been swallowed up [5th Ave]

These girls were wearing identical clothing but I think it works! Black on black [Outside Apple store] The mustard snood is looking cool too! [Lower East-side]

Headquarters of Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia - Took us ages to get there because the driver didn't know where he was going, cuh

There were multiple buildings for different brands within the company - It used to be a Navy base, so they've kept most of the original structure; Showing their positive outlook on recycling

After the tour, they gave a talk about the goings on of the company & personal stories of how they started out which was pretty inspiring. We were each given a goody bag of mini catalogs & cookies during the talk too :)
Oh and they are allowed to bring their dogs to work!

(Above: old layout) Although I liked the pinkness I changed my background so I could make my photos bigger as a few people suggested, like it? :)

Icing on the top

2011-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

I'm backk! I had an amazing time in New York!! I will definitely be doing the next few posts about my time there :)

The journey back did tire me out though, I have been up for roughly 30 hours (planes & sleep don't mix) but trying to get my sleeping pattern right by staying up...I thought this would be a good distraction

This is a quick post based on Valentines day..even though it's almost over. All these photos were taken in NY and they like doing it big:)

I love the colours in this photo :)

Heart pizza ♥

I queued up for ' Magnolia Bakery' on Bleeker Street as they're famous for their yummy cupcakes & being in an episode of Sex & the city!

I got the Barbie cupcake which was especially done for Valentine's day, very pink! [$3.25] 'Ken wants Barbie back'

It was chocolate inside and as you can see, the icing was so thick with loads of spinkles! It did get a little sickening because I had to eat it quick before I checked out the hotel.

Here is a screen-shot proving it was on Sex & the city :) Click the image for the clip!
Yum.

X

P.s. Sorry I haven't made my photos bigger, my background is proving to be difficult to adjust the width. I will keep trying, meanwhile just click for a bigger image :)

Black to black

2011-02-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

Soon the UK will be behind me. Well for the week, as I'll heading to New York in the morning for the first time :)

Can't really explain how I feel because doesn't really feel like I'm going at all, sometimes it only sinks in when you're on the plane...Even though its a slim chance that I'll get really close to NY fashion week, I'm secretly hoping, but also can't wait to SHOP haha. We will be going into the Urban Outfitters headquarters in Philadelphia too so overly excited about that too!

Standard note taking on my hand - the morning rush, forgot a few things & another excuse to go shopping really.

Really needed some boots but I gave up looking. I'm glad, things always turn up when you're not looking for them! got these boots from Peacocks for £16, they were £25 but they had a £5 off deal & with student discount I got more off :)

Had to be done, in preparation for the plane journey...everyone loves a 3 for £1 deal

Refer back to the title of this post - I started to realise whilst packing that I'm becoming a bit of a goth with all my black clothes, I guess they are my safety net.

How have I under-packed? maybe I'm savvy in this department...ah well buy more there to equal it out ;)

My drawings of my little family of cameras.
Top left has never been used, purely because I'm too lazy to get a 620 film but sure does come in handy for hiding things (well I've blown it now), just found out recently top right camera is broken (r.i.p) might get another one because it cost the same amount to fix as it is to buy it again.

Bottom cameras I'm taking to NY - the Olympus trip is the easiest film camera to use by far, I love it, I desperately need a flash for it though so I will get one as soon as I'm back. Then theres my SLR, the baby, my whole family chipped in to buy me it for Christmas 09, was all very emotional - I'm keen to keep learning how to use it properly :)

I hope to be back with lots of pictures for this blog next week! Bye for now!
X

Set fire to the rain

2011-02-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm a little bit in love with Adele's new album '21', my favourite song being 'Set fire to the rain',

Especially when the song picks up. I tend to play a song or album over & over until I get sick of it, like a little faze. The main point is I think this song is lovely and you should check out her whole album out!

Always playing it on my ipod/itunes

Actually bothered to make some scones (with raisins) this week, with butter & raspberry jam making a winning combo. Something to accompany my daily doses of tea :) Oh how British of me!

New item! Bought this Topshop dress off ebay for a rounded £10 (thats including postage) , I really like that it is sheer and it's floaty-ness! Looks good with a waist belt too.

A close-up there of the cross at the front..I was going to share a photo of me wearing it but I didn't look my best, if I'm putting it lightly.

Oh oh oh and I'm jetting off to New york this Tuesday (8th) with my class, I've never been & don't think it's really sunk in that I'm going...but of course I'm excited! [not trying to rub it in btw]

Although I want to see & go to a few of the main attractions, I'd quite like to know if there's any hidden gems in the city? - the places that aren't as publicised! So if anyone has been before or lives there I'd be soo grateful if you let me know, I really want to make the most of my trip and get a ~~feel~~ bite of the big apple!
Thanks!

Model or dress

2011-02-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well hello there, this is another post showcasing my work I did for my Art & Design Foundation year...

Just to say that I actually specialised in Graphic design in my foundation as I didn't want to be a 'fashion designer' but explore the jobs surrounding the fashion Industry and it was the right choice for me :)

So for this project (either 3 or 5 day project? Can't remember) we were each given a plain book each and our task was to transform it. We could do anything, wish I went crazy with this project but I needed to make it slightly fashion based for my portfolio for the fashion courses I applied for.

As the book I was given reminded me straight away of a glossy magazine I stumbled across a thought about the amount of advert content especially in Vogue. This idea developed into looking at if people actually look at the the clothing or are they distracted my the model & vice versa.

So I cut out the model's silhouettes on the pages and had light shone through as my final presentation!

Some of my research/practise with the cutting knife, so fiddly![above]

Robert Ryan was my main Inspiration! Just amazing, I'm sure most people have seen his work

What goes around comes around

2011-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

I went to my first vintage fair in 2011 on Sunday - which was another 'Affordable Vintage fair' set up at my Student Union in Newcastle.

I didn't actually buy anything there, not that there wasn't lots of lovely items! It was partly because I bought something in the morning from Ebay & I should be budgeting...doesn't hurt to have a little browse though! There was a lot of cute jewellery there so I thought I'd base my post on them.

Give me all of them!

All items in these pictures above are from 'Dolls & Molls' , you have to check them out! Their items are cute & unique..I like their business card too, 'Quirky jewellery to make you smile' :)

After my day out I came back to a nice cup of Thornton's original hot chocolate, it's pretty rich but it has little chocolate drops too (see it slightly in the photo). One of my flatmates brought it back from home and said she didn't want it so I wasn't about to say no.

If I've inspired you to have a cup of hot coco, you should check out & follow my friends new blog 'Covered Skin' whilst doing so, she's pretty amazing! ♥

Suddenly everything's right

2011-01-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

After some consideration I brought the shoes I wanted from Debenhams [Faith] and I love 'em!

First I thought they were too high and that I was going to fall & break my ankle but my policy with heels are 'if you can jump in them, you can wear them' and I could. They were pretty comfy too :)

Ha, I didn't pay that much, only £22.50 in the sale

Can't really see the width of the platform here -got the high knee socks from Peacocks for only £2

My drawings of my 'I wish' shoes, especially love the DSquared2 bone collection ...Anyone should feel free to buy me them :)

Buttons & all things nice

2011-01-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've always really liked little components, even though a lot of them can be overly tacky!

And I always end up collecting them even though I haven't got anything to use them for, most of the time I just like browsing - which I did here at Grainger market in Newcastle.

Lots of lace - just what I like to see

I think that is a pretty good deal ^

This is one of my jumpers (also in another post), I really don't know whether to change the buttons, they seem a bit chunky & plain, do you think I should change them?
Honesty is the best policy :)

X

Candy Striped

2011-01-26T06:09:00.000-08:00

In my Art&Design Foundation course (last year), for the fashion module we had a recycling task.

We had to go to a charity shop and buy a piece of clothing so we could completely change it. I brought a candy-striped men's shirt.

These are all the variations that I could think of in the time limit we had...which is above

I hope you like them :)