Get High

Wow, I actually took some much needed time out from my hectic as hell projects ( so, so bonkers lately the amount of work I pile on myself: surely it must be a lot easier and less social life consuming not to have and be chasing after dreams? Dreams of which often feel many, many light years away. Apologies to my loved friends who I fear I may of been neglecting over the last week or two, due to all my big dream chasing).
So where was I? Yes my bit of time out, well it consisted of wandering around, in and out of many high street shop's, big deal huh? Well it is a very big deal and very much out of character thing of me to do: as normally the high street gives me a headache and I lose my patience with rude people, and frustrating, annoying clothes hangers... Getting all knotted up, stuck in knitted garments and stabbing my eye, violent sport all that high street shopping.
If I could chose high street over thrift'in and car boots, I will always opt for the latter to get my fashion kick's.
Well that is until recently I'm happy to get high on the high street!

Wow Peacocks what's going on? You've got good, have you been secretly stalking high end fashion designers for a few design inspirations and ideas? Come on now reveal your secret I won't tell anyone.
To say I was surprised by their shoes is a major understatement, I had to do a double take, 'erm I am standing inside peacocks right now aren't I? I mean this isn't River Island or any other high street giant is it?' Such a strange and unexpected experience, to spot a gem in peacocks was as bizarre as I don't know? Seeing an animal belt out an opera tune!
Matalan and Marksandspencer are a pair of dark horse's too, all I ever find in my local m&s store are brilliant quality tights. That's it.
As for miss selfridge, I honestly cannot recall the last time I stepped in to that place? I was almost through and over with miss selfridge as it all became a bit too familiar and predictable 'oh would you look at that, all these items are exactly the same as last month, and the month before that and the month before...OK you get the drift now.

I'll let these items all from the the high street do the talking and illustrate my conclusion.



multi strap buckle shoes from peacocks, £20, a stlye of shoe straight out of the posh pages of Bazaar (jeez that magazine sure knows how to make one feel a fashion misfit).



this black mini eyelet skirt from miss selfridge £28 is simple rock glam at it's best, give me a slouchy tee to tuck in...



yep this will do perfect anchor T-shirt from Matalan, £8...Mmm now I'm lacking fashion tool's to style it up to my own personal taste...

Chunky silver stud belt how you shine, from M&S, £25, accessories, accessories I need to have accessories (I find accessories fun... and addictive!).

ring miss selfridge £5




ring £ 15 M&S
from same as above, £7.50

scarf miss selfridge £15

skinny belt from same as above.

Well I must now return to my sewing machine I've a whole load of over locking to do, not easy when my sewing machine continues to be a bitch and generally drive me up the wall!

TOUGH IT OUT

Topshop studded blazer (yep I'm still dreaming about this item)
ladyluckrules bandit mask necklace.
Stella McCartney Monster T-shirt
missselfridge Faux snake strappy shoes.

black and white rose print leggings (same as above).

Possibly the shortest post I've ever created, due to a dress and printed tee which I'm busy as a bee completing.
Worry not as I don't intend on writing dull as dishwater posts on a daily basis. All these items are currently stuck upon the inside of my wardrobe door, next to a poster of BRMC (yes, yes I remain a sucker for a rock & roll band poster's, thankfully I no longer collect stickers) and a small picture of a hand which I sketched.
Mmm symbolic perhaps? I want to get my hand's on all of the above including some BRMC tickets.

These fashion items are indeed on the dark side, well I did watch lost boys only last night followed by Twilight (don't allow the fact that this film is age 12 put you off, it's a brilliant flick). So similar to The Lost Boys, it's pretty much the 21st century version.
All that vampire action in only one evening, no wonder it's influencing my fashion taste buds: AAAAHHH quickly pull me out from this fierce dark side...

Sprinkle Of Pepper

photos: pepperandpistol s/s '09

I'm still longing after PepperandPistol's spring summer '09 Babylon collection, when a collection is named Babylon it proves rather challenging to erase from moi's memory bank: Oh how the enormous hoop skirt remains, etched in my brain for all eternity.
Now I've done the foolish thing of paying a visit to their website, only to discover their circus inspired autumn winter collection, conundrum most certainly!

I've not seen such a wonderful fashion adaption on circus, since (the now almost 'vintage') Heatherette collection way back when my unhealthy and incurable addiction with sequins and ruffles began. However PepperandPistol's a/w pieces are definitely, definitely a fierce circus contender... Suppose when one half of the Pepper&Pistol due Katrin Wiens created textiles for the likes of Heatherette and Cavalli: the striking similarity shouldn't come as such a surprise.
Silvia Hillmann has a equal influential role in P&P'S designs, with a pretty impressive CV past employment being the erotic and extremely non conformist Boudicca label. This then would explain PepperandPistol's blatant and sharp Avant- garde edge.
Never less I remain both completely blown away and excited by the shimmering bright red 'tiger training' top and classic good old black and white 'circle dress'... As for the 'heart breakers' dress, wow! So playful, yet with a much stronger focus and emphasis on grace, refinement and femininity.







photos: PepperandPistol a/w '09

I feel compelled to jump through hoops of fire, and dance alongside pink elephants whilst balancing on sequin stilts: I must join the circus, at once!

Kick-back

I've had one of them days today, you know having a Sunday approach ( feeling way, way too lazy) towards anything and everything. Even the easiest of tasks such as popping over to the shops to pick up a pint of milk:I simply cannot be asked. For today it is proving too much effort, productive I've not been.
It really isn't ideal having a Sunday attitude when in fact today is- a- Thurs-day, hmm not good, not good at all.
Time is ticking and I've got nowhere really very fast today, I sat and looked at my broken sewing machine attempted to fix it, gave up. So I turned my attention towards my mood board, only to shuv it to one side...next. Oh I know begin editing through that pile of illustrations, that lay unfinished under my bed Mmm, I need to purchase some more pots of ink, I'll get on to that tomorrow.
Well what do you know, it's just turned pm time goes by rapid when your stuck in a rut listening to empire of the sun and lady hawke whilst downing cups of tea, complete with biscuits. Dreaming about having a pet lizard named fluffy, and 'dream threads' I'd be very content to just lay back in...if only I could get my head around spending big pennies on designer tags.
Here are my 'dream' 'doing nothing much' clothes lust list.
I'll opt to seek similar garments on my next trip to Brighton: where there are impressive thrift stores like no other place on earth, or at least in Sussex.

I want to kick back in these...

Tsumori Chisato, water colour shorts, I'm obsessed and fascinated by tie dye and often experiment with plain white shorts, but never have my DIY shorts had such stunning effects as these Tsumori ones! I'll give it a shot though.


This Steven Alan linen rope strap, dress is pure electric ( jeez I must find a new phase, I've been abusing that one since I was fifteen!) I'm a huge fan of Steven Alan's dresses, the colour way's are often what really capture my attention.
Sophmore from openingceremony sure know how to create designs for the inner fashion slob, this zipper vest top is ideal for slouching around in and doing what ever with minimum effort of course.

Predictable of me I know, another over sized T-shirt with a graphic art print. What can I say I enjoy parading around resembling a canvas... and this perks and mini T-shirt, definitely does the job!

I can't chill out without a hat, and this M&S tribal trilby is perfect.
rabbitontherun purple, crop tee,
...oh how I adore a crop top, as long as fabric scissors exist I will always be giving my tops the crop chop.


aah... now here is an item I can actually afford to lay back in ( hell I sure would fail in walking around in these) sky high peep toe's from primark, £18.60 *joy*.

California Waiting

photo from: Old Vogue magazine.

I don't know whether it's the wonderful weather or the back to back OC I've been watching (I know, I know the OC? 'Tis like vintage TV program now... when the OC first came out, I was a teenager back at college getting to grips with essays pattern cutting, and erm... dating ha!).
I can feel myself about to ramble *note to self must not ramble *.
Where was I? Oh yep, so glorious signs of summer and midnight binge outs on 'vintage' OC whilst consuming enormous bowls of fruit salad (I'm addicted to mango) has me dreaming about an exciting adventure. Road trip style, via route 66 blasting out some tunes (me thinks Phantom Planet 'California') and making a camp fire under the glittering stars.
All though this is all simply a fantasy and there for not reality: what do I pack into that red leather suitcase of mine, when roaming across America?


Kicking off the road trip, with this bold red blazer, from next £28




Plaid over sized tunic shouts out: 'I'm- a - going- road tripp'in! From urbanoutfitters, £45




Adding a mythical touch to the casual threads, unicorn crystal print vest top, from same as above, £38



Hey now, I can never have too many T-shirts besides I'm packing for at least two months! Mick tee, from urbanoutfitters.co.uk, £38.



I've opted for a mini skirt, with the hope of achieving some much needed colour to my very pale complexion (I'm always white as a ghost) leopard print mini from, same as above, £25




Trotting around the California desert, in these killer heels may provide difficulties, but to hell with practical... Somebody informed flesh tone shoes, lengthens those pins: Great, pass me two pairs, please! from urbanoutfitters, £50.




Best to pack some flat's huh? Just in case, not to mention perfecto for those beach partys, from same as above£65




I adore these shades so very much, it's unbelievable! from urbanoutfitters, £15



Last but not least I require a large bag, to keep safe the map, sun block and scrap book. Nautical heart bow bag from, moonsoon, £28 aahh it has miniature poms, poms- joy.


Oops I almost forgot to squeeze in my snazzy accessories, you know for all those beach party's of course! Necklace from, urbanoutfitters £16



Studded metal cuff from, same as above, £16


Right I'm good to go! I'll send you a postcard, from my imagination that is.

Got Money In My Pocket

So to my surprise I had some lose change hanging around at the bottom of my bag, only when I say change I mean change: just a few pennies. Or eight quid to be mathematically exact.
Hmm what to do with these dusty pennies, burning a hole ( well almost) in my pocket, the sensible half of moi advised me to use the discovered £8 wisely 'you know very well you need to purchase sewing machine bit's and bob's: and now your able to' where's the not so sensible and fashion hungry sinner within me, had a whole different idea on how to spend that small amount of change, 'To hell with what your sewing machine requires! Consider your own needs, you've been working flat out, have you not? Were you not desperate for a purse friendly frock...discounts are only a click away...go on browse, get lost in the sales'.
Aaaahh a conflict playing out in my confused and static like head!
The sinner did make perfect sense though, and God gave us the likes of supermarkets for a reason (noooo not food): when you need a super, dead cheap fashion fix.



How I was not expecting to find this delightful, Basso&Brooke-esque style lipstick print dress...right up my street and down the road. It was quite convenient and handy picking up this little supermarket retro gem of a frock, because I had £1 to spare from the £7 price tag, sweet. Literally sweet: I grabbed a packet of strawberry laces on my way out.
Now how on earth do you beat that? You can't!
This cries out for my black tights, leather jacket and me 'distressed' (or rather worn out) all star's, oh how I cannot contain the delight!

Much love to the supermarket's...XxX

Treasure Chest At It's Best

A bit of twinkle and sparkle goes a long way, and if I were a rich girl (la-la-la I'm listening to the song rich girl... Bet your delighted you can't hear me sing along aren't you? Trust me if not, you should be!) If I were a loaded very, very wealthy girl with many paper notes to my selfish disposal I'd firstly smell it (not odd at all) in the vain attempt to capture and freeze the special moment, in my mind for all eternity. Once I've sucked up and inhaled the odour of cash, I'd immediately stock up and pig out big time on fancy jewels...jewels that are so delicious you could eat them ( possibly a little hazardous and foolish. Not to mention it would play havoc with the digestive system)
These following pieces of marvelous and unique 'grown up' jewel's I would stuff in to my pretend treasure chest: as all have great imagination, craft and soul poured in to them... and if I'm ever going to own a treasure chest, it must have soul! Why? Well a necklace could be created out of pearl's, diamonds and pure gold, but as far as I'm concerned, if that necklace is lacking soul and most importantly an artistic touch: it won't shine all that bright. Despite all those diamonds it may possess.


Goti Silver feather bracelet.







Haberdash house circus animal's










My little drama silver pierrot







zoe and morgan elephant silver necklace





miss bibi chair

contrary necklace





ericaweiner necklace...stunning and my favourite.


... best get digging: I've a lot of treasure to hide!