DOT-TO-DOT

Day two of my Arcadia induction/training and yesterdays doubts and mild I-CAN'T-DO-THIS-I-CAN'T-CUT-IT panic attack were a false alarm and such concerns today proved to be very much invalid...and cue a phew!At five am this morning I secured myself a coffee fix,and headed out the door for the commute,with over an hour or so to spare I convinced myself that today I will smash it with the sheer force of success.Next time/this evening when I board this no 55 bus I it will be post-epic achievements,excuse the disgusting boasting-I owned it,hell I excelled even!Yesterdays girl drowning in (daft) doubt-it's and what-ifs is now nothing other than some unrecognisable highly strung stranger,alas one that makes me shudder with shame and various shades of embarrassment.What was going on inside that busy busy head of hers?
Enough already about yesterday,yesterdays are of no use to anyone,focusing on today.I felt less like an headless chicken of a newbie/new girl,thus there was no errms,ums twiddling of thumbs and in general doing my very best vacant no-one-at-home-impression which dominated and put a downer on my yesterday.day.Today though achievements were mine for the taking:implementing/problem solving/creative solutions via styling,tick tick tick's away and definitely time for a pastel pinkish polka-dot peplum purchase treat perhaps?Actually erase the perhaps part 'tis happening,HA!






images courtesy of Arcadia

NEW GIRL

...I know, I know it's early days I'm only at the start of my Arcadia induction at work but I have horrid new girl syndrome.Constant bombardment of awkwardness,very self-aware of every time I ask questions/ask for help and then ask and ask again,yes I'm entitled to not know everything yet because I'm at the beginning of my training.Alas this doesn't prevent the confident crisis that creeps up and silently taunts me,though I've always considered myself to be a pretty confident-career-go-getter type of girl,could it be that I've been fooling myself?Or has that go getter graduate girl simply gone and where did she run away to?Because I'm desperately seeking for my self-esteem over here,which slowly dissolved due to set backs after set backs,the latest being made redundant from Peacocks.Such unemployment has spiked any career confidence I once had;my new job will see me starting from scratch once more.All previous achievements/modules etc obtained from Peacocks now completely invalid,erased and irrelevant.Going from advanced level all the way back down to I-just-don't-know-dumb with excuse me but I have a question how do I do this/that and the other,is this/that correct?
Intruding,out of my depth cannot cut it thoughts so so stubborn.Unsettling and during certain times today all consuming,as equally distracting as these bright red sore blisters that decorate the heels of both feet right now;the result from my new career girl work shoes.As tedious as the career ladder which these fragile feet of mine try to grip.Blah.Just ignore me,this bus commute is making me cranky,well,that combined with daunting thoughts of tomorrow and the ongoing new girl work induction,all of which are sprinkled with silent sighs.

MAGPIE CONFESSIONS...

... My new job kicked off today,mostly introduction stuff.The highlights?Easy-the best part by far is adopting my new uniform i.e dressing up in whatever it is I want including accessories.The novelty of having a non-uniform uniform will never wear off or wear old,yep I'm one very lucky gal indeed having the opportunity to do some much needed wardrobe dabbling and dress up...finally ditching the traditional,dated and drab depression that is black trouser/skirt suit combo's,bleh.Such strict stuffy style restrictions only enable me to be/act myself.Fashion helps me function,so to speak.A non-uniform uniform does require more time allowance, and general ensemble prep warm up's as with all things involving,erm,clothes conundrums can become common place.The style sensible proactive people plan dressing up details in advance.I on the other hand,much prefer to blag tweak and adapt during THOSE blurry dazed and confused confident crisis clothes moments,ah we all get those correct..?
Those little strange self-esteem style slack (nano)seconds of,'can I really pull this lot off and convince/trick others into believing I know exactly what it is I am doing here.With all these layers,shapes,patterns of colour and textures e-t-c'zz,I am essentially a fashion fraud'sta.Who's fooling no-one with this confusing display of an outfit!
Accessories.I need some on me.They always prove to be the ultimate fashion fixer,I should know this because of my long running magpie tendencies,of which come in fits and spasms.And this morning I relapsed,really rather badly having a complete episode,a bling bang out if you will?I zoomed in on my accessories stand (buckling under the weight of pointy feather rings and owls),swooping up rings,bangles more rings and bracelets.Which resulted in an clumsy incident involving one bus door and a dudes jean pocket *cringe*.I/my faulty feather bracelet firmly attached it's stupid self on to the back of some boys bum,struggling to escape from the situation and embarrassment I attempted to wiggle my wrist out of the bracelet.Failure.As it only made everything much,much worse as I became more stuck and um very much static in the tricky situation as the bus door squashed us strangers together much- too -close- for- comfort-together.
Bring on easy solutions-I want the humble uniform back in my life.Jokes!

'

LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

images courtesy of Evans


...So my Easter weekend has so far consisted of a rather epic book binge,titles devoured so far include several fashion picture-flick coffee book types and Vanessa Diffenbaugh's 'The Language Of Flowers' *this must be made into a movie-READ IT ALREADY.* Having absorbed and digested each and every chapter,each bursting with glorious vibrant and at times dramatic/violent floral blooms.I feel compelled to consume all things colourful clashing and erm,with heavily floral foundations,basically.
I predict this floral frenzy of mine inspired by 'The Language Of Flowers' is probably here to stay and such seeds shall spill over into tomorrow...which I wish was today,instead.As Tuesday morning my employment finally kicks off,whooooo ecstatic,excited and eager to gain back my financial independence!I'm most looking forward to the dressing up part tomorrow morning,as for the last two years my uniform had to include smart boring black on bland black, i.e a blah fashion fun free zone.My new uniform*cough* for Arcadia allows me much more room for expression which helps compensate for my sometimes reserved/shyish moments of mute,alas I will bounce out of bed early bird style,to begin dabbling with some of my floral pieces (see above) if successful perhaps I have a future as a florist,if this whole fashion wheel thingy goes to pot?

P.S...much mwah's for all of your sweet support!Oh & THAT elephant bag was vintage
by-the-by. xXx

FASHION WHEEL DREAMS

Rapid,quick fire post today,just to express how elated I am...I bagged myself that Arcadia job,whooooo!It gets better,my uniform *cough* consists of whatever I want/fancy like wearing.Yep goodbye the norm.No restrictions,no limitations of drab black trousers and white blouse,I'm paid to play around with clothes,I'm encouraged to experiment with style (not that I need anymore encouragement...)and I am elated,excited and little nervous because I'm going to be the new girl,alas starting from the bottom of the career ladder part two.Fashion is a difficult industry to crack,invitations of opportunity are rare.To be involved with Arcadia is amazing and hopefully the beginning of my (sometimes deluded) dreams and I going somewhere after much procrastination and pesky life obstacles...
...cue results from todays clothes shopping,um strictly uniform of course.

photos prettyneons

P.S...Have yourselves a pretty weekend,have an Easter egg on me yeah?
mwa's xXx

SOMETHING LIKE SPRING

What is going on?With the weather,obviously?It's causing havoc with my wardrobe and giving me a serious style migraine-*oh shit I'm aware how very fashion victim that last sentenced sounds,alas the ever rotating weather of-blizzard-to-heatwave back to blizzard again is perplexing at best.Admittedly,yes I should know better,we are in April,and this is England no assuming allowed.Too late though as I did indeed assume,brainwashed by pages of flourishing tropical fashion editorials.Such a tease.And convincing enough to inspire me foolishly and prematurely to cull my A/W wardrobe. Huge,massive error.I must have been drunk on a cocktail of glossy sunshined drenched fashion magazine features,mixed with my own grand delusions which went something like this,'Ahh spring glorious pretty,warm,the birds are out singing and all is sweet,all is sunny spring.'Tis here to stay cull the cable knit cardigans,HA!I won't be needing them things anymore!'I can just hear my mum now- deary me you stupid,stupid girl.So what?I'm a little static stuck firmly inside my Californian festival Leopallooza day dreams...reality check IT'S LUKE WARM.Currently much,much less than luke warm and strangers passing in the street feel compelled to whisper,"Isn't she freezing,she must be bloody freezing?" But what do they know?Shuffling around in their disturbing Ugg boots.I've made my choice of snug vs style and quite frankly I'm sick to death of snug.No longer is snug all cosy and cute;the knitted pom pom novelty has worn off along with kooky knits and Christmas tree's it is now April i.e spring and snug has got to go.
Then realisation hit me hard as I ventured outside the house to run some errands and my knees and other limbs became the victim of frost bite the result of wearing a crop top,shorts,patterned yet not practical polkadot tights (...I was experiencing transparent hosiery withdrawal symptoms alright?).And my Riverisland aztec cardie (of which I'm a wee bit emotionally attached towards),so technically I suppose you can accuse me of cheating and Okay I'm not as hardcore sod-this-cold-snap style smug and confident as I first thought
...P.S mum,tomorrow I will promise to wear a coat!

CASUAL CLOUDS

Do not allow this outfit fool you my readers.I am not sporty at all.Not in the slightest athletic and nope definitely not the owner of any gym like generics,with the exception of bike rides often followed by picnics which quite often include an over iced,over decorated cupcake or two(second thoughts,you can never over embellish a cupcake that's plain daft!What was I thinking?),err yeah right so enough of the cupcaking chatter.Today I'm feeling meh i.e a bit crappy,a bit coldish,a bit cloudish and very casual.Yesterday was all go go go,as my unemployed self had an interview which involves Arcadia-whoooo!!'Tis the home of all my fashion faves.
*Elated*
Post fashion interview dominating doubts interrupted my I've-bagged-this-job attitude diluting down any grand delusions I may of had for a split second.Frantic thoughts of panic punched their way through my positivity(...unemployment is a bitch screwing with ones self-esteem)was it a shambles?Did I ramble on?Oh good gawwd did I digress?I didn't mean to,digressing not my intentions.Bugger flashback informs me I did experience one big brain blip,"So what fashion magazine do you read/which would you say is your favourite?"
Me," Umm err erm er's >BLANK<"
The definition of absurd surely?
Such stubborn and stupid thoughts/doubts can become draining,daunting and difficult to drown out until I received an invite for Arcadia interview part two,phew!And relax,hence the casual curse semi-inspired I suppose?By the eighties 'The Breakfast Club' boxset I indulged in late last night,cue clothes...

photos prettyneons

Wears it from?sweater,riverisland scarf from,peacocks bag & jewellery all charity shop.Brogues from, primark (yonks ago!).

ALL ACCESS

It's no secret that I find most plus size fashion sources frustrating and far too old fashioned,being an average very normal size 12/14 I do get approached quite often by online 'plus size' fashion retailers and most of these make me shudder.I find their slack style attempts almost offensive,their fashion ranges comical and out of touch with the fashion savvy size 12/14 gals.Most of which don't wish to conceal their curves hiding every inch of their skin underneath miles of utterly ugly fabric,long sleeves and floor frumpy frocks,alas very few of these fashion retailers get it.Then there is the one exception of Evans(...yup just one which is pathetic really isn't it?)who totally,completely get it and are in short representing.Their Clements Ribeiro Swan collection reflects everything that is right about 'plus size' fashion(eww how I find that term so so tedious,unattractive and special needish size 14 come on now!Someone please tell me why the need for the plus add on's?).Ditching all the old BS big-girls-want-to-hide-in-their-garments,by introducing silhouettes rather than tents,arrays of pattern/colours/textures TRENDS.Uh huh size 12/14 girls enjoy dressing up and looking pretty too,cue THAT dress (see below) cannot wait for mine to arrive pronto (hurry hurry Mr postman!).Until that dress drops through my door I've had all access to Evans latest summer accessories collection...with these chunky stone rings/bracelets I'm Leopallooza festival ready,um sort of minus tickets and everything.
*Daydreaming*


photographs prettyneons

CLEMENTS RIBEIRO TUNIC IMAGE COURTESY OF EVANS