de profundis

039.

2009-02-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

i messed up the layout & everything on this old one, sooo...

new blog! :)

i've tried to put most people back on my blogroll -- if i've left you out, PLEASE remind me! i'm very rubbish and forgetful when it comes to these sorts of things!

thank you xxx

038.

2009-02-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

my family likes to climb, and so in celebration of yesterday's sunshine, we took to the hills! hurrah! this is mount skirrid, and the pointy mountain in the background of the picture directly below this is called the sugarloaf, which we climbed up earlier this year. it's kind of crazy but i really love it - it's fantastic exercise and the view from the top always makes me so very glad to live where i do. it's lovely.
the two pictures at the bottom of this post are of keepers pond, which is at the top of mount blorange (yes, really) - the only word in the english language that rhymes with orange! very exciting.

if you'd like to see more pictures, i just got a flickr! it's terrifying. add me, make me feel welcome!
i hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

shirt: vintage
coat: animal
t-shirt: primark
shorts & tights: new look
wellies: faith
hat: accessorize

036.

2009-02-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

we've been having such lovely weather lately! well. lovely for britain. lovely for february, anyway :D i know i promised you i'd show you all of my new purchases (which has been updated to include ANOTHER new dress), so naturally i decided to instead make an outfit entirely out of very old clothes and photograph them in a way that makes them very difficult to see. i'm SUCH a good blogger :D

friday today! my weekend is going to consist of climbing mountains & seeing my boyfriend :D
what about you? have a lovely day! x

top: primark
cardigan: h&m
skirt: tkmaxx
tights: new look
bracelet: claires

EDIT: NOOOOO!

035.

2009-02-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

this is a complete filler post as i'm totally bored - not something i think i've ever been guilty of, before! how exciting. i'm basically just going to ramble about things & expect none of you to comment :D

it is also a new post to show off my new dress! it was £32, which i thought was pretty fantastic, from topshop petite. it's so much lovelier in person - i had no idea how rumpled the skirt looks when i was taking these pictures! it was a tricky choice between this and a gorgeous fifties style floral sundress (of which there are no pictures on the website - topshop, what are you playing at?!), but i think i'll get a lot more wear out of this one.

i've bought lots of new things lately! including a vintage bag, vintage cardigan, some new books & new shoes. i've worn them all already ('cept the books) but i'm so lazy when it comes to doing outfit posts. i'm sure i'll get around to them soon!

the weather has been suspiciously nice, lately, which is made all the weirder by the fact that there's still snow on the ground.. it's got me longing for sunglasses appropriate weather, though - i picked up a few new pairs the other day, including mock-raybans in red, black & white, and the obligatory pair of red heart shaped lolita-style sunglasses that i've no doubt will be all over the high streets in a few months! just like last year :)

anyway! sorry about the ramble :D i'm very bored & i get all impatient and talkative when i'm missing my boyfriend, haha :)

what have you all been up to?

034.

2009-02-15T08:17:00.001-08:00

i hope you all had a wonderful valentines day! i spent it with my boyfriend, it was absolutely lovely :) he's pretty much the best thing, ever. this is what i wore! i was going to go all pink, but, it's not really the best of colours on me! :)

& i apologise for not commenting anybody's blogs or anything lately - i'm planning to do that right after i've posted this! i've been crazy busy lately, but it's half term now so i've a whole glorious week in which to do nothing but watch films & eat junk food & blog :D hurrah!

how did you spend valentines?

dress: new look
jumper: marks & spencer
rosary beads: ebay
tights: topshop

033.

2009-02-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

the looooovely CC recently tagged me to write about 6 things that make me happy! so, making a change from snow-based posts, here they are! :)

baking! i'm really really into baking right now - i've made ginerbread biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, plain biscuits, brownies, muffins, chocolate cookies, chocolate muffins, cupcakes and fairy cakes so far :D i'm turning into quite the little housewife, haha!

old books! i have a big big collection of stunning old copies of books stacked beside my bed - everything from voltaire to dickens to c.s.lewis :) they're so much prettier than new versions and i love the higgeldy-piggeldy type writer text. plus, they're so cheap! i picked up this looovely book of childrens stories the other day for only £1.50 - it's totally charming, with beautiful illustrations and a story for every day of the year! plus, it has such a sweet handwritten message on the inside cover -- "To: David From: Dorothy Christmas 1938". Incredible, huh?

childrens literature! alright, this doubles up with my last one, as well, as this is the inside of the book pictured above! but i love all childrens literature right now, i just think the style and the illustrations and the stories themselves are so perfect, so witty, so clever, so charming, so magical. i've read alice in wonderland (again) and peter pan so far this year, and i just finished the house at pooh corner! now i'm reading the chronicles of narnia :D perhaps it's a bit too late for this, seeing as i'm sixteen, but these stories are so timeless and cuddly :) honestly, if you're feeling sad, there's nothing like a quick trip to never never land to make you feel better!

chloe perfume! this perfume is my faaavourite, i wear it every day :) probably unwise, seeing as it's got a pretty hefty price tag for such a little bottle as this, but it's so nice to feel like you're wearing a little piece of chloe every day. plus, the smell takes me back to summer time -- which is a very nice feeling indeed :)

wrapping paper! bizarrely, i've started collecting wrapping paper as of late? it's such a cheap and useful decoration to keep around my bedroom! haha :)

my bed! i'm sure this one's a given, seeing as i'm only human, but i do absolutely love my bed! it's so snuggly and it's been very very difficult getting out of it in these cold cold snowy mornings! :)

i've absolutely no idea how to tag! so, anybody who wants to do this, just do it! and i do mean anybody -- i'd absolutely love to read your responses.

& even if you don't wanna do a whole post on it, i'd still love to know, what makes you happy?

stay happy! :) x

032.

2009-02-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

i'm sure that if you read other british blogs, you're all sick of reading about how much snow we're having -- but it's SO EXCITING! this is the most snow we've had in twenty years, and it keeps coming :) it's up to my knees, now! it's fantastically beautiful & it feels very very cosy to have frosting up the windowpanes, but i'm starting to miss my friends, and my boyfriend, a lot.

i can't say that i'm not loving the snow, though :D i really think it brings out the best in people - it's so heartwarming seeing families out sledding with children seeing it for the first time. i don't want to get all cliche and deep into this, but it really is absolutely lovely, and all this fuss about how dreadful the roads are is very disheartening. get outside, play! it's snowing!! :)

stay wonderful :)
(and stay warm!)

jacket: muu-baa
skirt & tights: new look
hat (second picture): accessorize

031.

2009-02-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

snow day! school was happily cancelled & my friend megan came over for snowball fights and cake making and photo-taking. it was cooooold :)

fur jacket: muu-baa
knitted jacket: mummy
dress: new look
t-shirt: dorothy perkins
cable knit tights: h&m (as well as four other pairs underneath!)
wellies: daddy :D

030

2009-01-31T05:49:00.001-08:00

today, i got my hair cut! :) i used to have it just like this ages and ages ago (and i do mean, like, 2 years ago!) but i grew it out when everybody else started to have it. anyway, i have returned to my conforming roots, and i'm so glad! i love it, and i don't know why i ever thought to change it! :)

anyway, this is what i wore..

this necklace is probably my favourite necklace that i own -- i think it's stunning, and i found it in a charity shop for only £2! i'm pretty much convinced that it's the key to narnia :)

speaking of charity shop finds, i recently came across a little bag of these beautiful old brass camels for only £1. i'm forever finding beautiful little vintage treasures like these, and i've absolutely nothing to do with them! i'm thinking about setting up an etsy shop to sell them on in cute little goody bags :) what do you think?

hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

skirt & necklace: vintage
jumper: asda
shoes, tights & blouse: primark

029

2009-01-25T04:54:00.001-08:00

last night, i slept over my friend megan's house! this is what i wore :) i have used tiger the tiger to emphasize the black and white theme. appreciate. :D

i've spent the whole morning listening to the jon richardson show & putting off my homework as much as i can :D but i think now it'll have to be work work work for the rest of the day!
how do you like to spend your sundays?

playsuit & spider ring: topshop
jacket: alwear
tights: new look
shoes: primarni
brooch: vintage

028

2009-01-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

helloooo all :) sorry for my lack of posting -- i've been really really unwell lately so most of my weekend has been spent in hospital - which unfortunately does not make for the most exciting of posts! it's also been the reason i've not had time to read & comment all your lovely blogs, which i swear will be top priority when i can sit at the computer for longer than five minutes at a time :D
anyway, i've been looking for a way to apologise to you all without doing a complete 'PITY ME!!' post, so when raquel tagged me with it seemed the perfect opportunity to let you all know that, yes, i'm still alive, and to do something that might be of vague interest :)

1.Go to the fourth folder in your computer where you store your pictures.
2.Pick the fourth picture in that folder.
3.Explain the picture.
4.Tag four people to do the same.

this was my picture! it's of (from left to right) megan, ed, harriet and me. harry is the mouth in the background -- you may have seen a variation on this picture before, as we took thousands in the attempt to get all five of us in! as you can see, poor harry escaped this one. harriet probably wishes she had too.
anyway. yes, in case you were wondering, this is indeed my miley cyrus pose :)
we were stood outside bristol hippodrome waiting to go in and see simon amstell (a comedian who also hosts the british TV programme never mind the buzzcocks), who is much taller in real life.

so yes! i hope that was mildly interesting for you :D i'm sure i'll be better soon anddd yes! i think that's it. so sorry again :) i hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

oh! & i tag whoever wants to do it :)

027

2009-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

like one of my favourites things about topshop.com is the 'collections' section. if any of you aren't familiar (which i doubt :)!), this is a little section where they are kind enough to sum up predicted trends or themes for the coming months, and include links to items of clothing that fit that trend.

since i have spent the whole week in my school uniform, i unfortunatley have to no exciting pictures to show you! but, i was browsing the topshop website today at school (AND BY THAT I MEAN REVISING, OF COURSE) and i thought i might as well show you my take on some of the collections they have up there -- especially seeing as there are some new ones. i'll start with the older winter ones, and then we can all excitedly look forward to summer dressing :D

when i read this description, i was really excited! but in actuality i don't really love most of these clothes and it was a struggle to pick one i'd really really wear in real real life, so i think this is what my alter-ego would wear! :)
i do love that skirt - but, having tried it on recently, it actually looks really weird on me.
sad times :(

by far and above my least favourite trend. leotards don't look good on anybody over size six and just... just no. i never really saw the appeal of this :) this dress/vest/thingy was the only thing i thought i might wear but, really? i don't think i'd pay actual money for it.

i didn't think i was going to like this anywhere near as much as i did! shorts and boots takes me back to this summer, and i actually really like that t-shirt! and i NEVER like printed t-shirts :)

but this was my favourite by far. i'm in LOVE with everything on this page - especially the shoes & the shorts! i keep trying to pick which one i prefer :D

i'm usually far better at winter dressing (which is fortunate, given our truly epic winters and dismal summers here in the united states of kingdom) but those last two collections have got me all excited for summer. i can't wait to take my dog for long walks in the evenings, i can't wait to go on long car journeys to new places with my boyfriend, i can't wait to spend weeks and weeks without homework, i can't wait to drink more diet coke than is feasibly possible and, more than that, i can't wait to not have to wear three pairs of tights at once! :)

which do you prefer, summer or winter?

026

2009-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

"If I have a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food."
- Desiderius Erasmus

jumper & vest: h&m
skirt&tights: new look
shoes: primark

poem - 'i have longed to move away' by dylan thomas
it's one of my favourites. :)

025

2009-01-07T10:02:00.001-08:00

my favourite kind of blog posts are always the ones that AREN'T totally to do with fashion, or anything like that. i adore little insights into peoples lives, little glimpses of how strangers have their days, and i think there's no better look into who a person is than by seeing their bag, or their bedroom, or, indeed their clothes! but having been recently inspired, i decided i might as well do a bag post of my own!

BUT, i rarely carry one bag, and am forever mixing things up - so expect a fairly image heavy post! :)

so! these are the bags that i use most often! from left to right - an adorable penguin backpack from accessorize (kids), a vintage balmain bag, vintage clutch, tweed accessorize bag, nica bag, and a nautical-inspired bag that i got for my birthday, and thus have no idea where it's from!

i couldn't pick a favourite out of these, as they all sort of fit a different aspect of my personality, i think! i love my balmain bag, but never actually use it because it's such an awkward length, and i never use the penguin backpack either because... well, i'm not four :D it's also pretty rare that i use my clutch, as i'm terrified of losing it! my tweed accessorize bag gets used alot, as it goes with pretty much anything, and it's the perfect size for school.

these are a few things i always carry with me! pictured are my phone, my ipod, a shakespeare notebook, two parker pens, and four books! a thomas hardy poetry collection, a moveable feast by ernest hemingway, against nature by huysmans, and, naturally, a picture of dorian gray by none other than my beloved oscar wilde :D

i always carry several books with me, because i never know what i'll want to read! and i'm always afraid that i'll finish one and then have nothing to do! a moveable feast is my current travelling book, so i read that on the bus to school every morning. it makes me look well smart :D

i don't go anywhere without my phone!

a few other bits and bobs! one of my new years resolutions is to start drinking more water, so i force myself to put a bottle of water in my bag every morning. also pictured are some mints, a hairbrush, some purses (naturally, i only ever use one of these), a snoopy keyring that my boyfriend got me, a little bit of make up, an umbrella (this is england after all) and a lovely mirror that my friend got me.

it's becoming increasingly rare for me to wear make up, but when i do it's usually only a little bit of concealer, mascara, and benetint! which is a god-send, by the far. i always carry the keyring with me, as i love it, and i use a different purse pretty much everytime i go out. pictured are two accessorize purses (the clasp ones) and a matthew williamson one, which makes me feel all important and organised :D

mints are an absolute neccessity for me - as i completely loathe chewing gum. it's disgusting - what kind of person thinks to themself, 'hey, i'd really like to chew on something rubbery and tasteless that has absolutely no nutritional value whilst the rest of the world starves! and if it clogs up the paths and makes me look mindless and disinterested, even better!'?

what couldn't you leave home without? naturally, all this stuff doesn't usually fit in my bag! so, on your average day, i tend to only carry a book or two, my phone, my keyring and my purse :)

in other news, i'm thinking of doing some book reviews & things? this was never intended to be a fashion blog, & since i'm not so good at the whole fashion business, i'd like to move it more towards things that i am interested in. what do you think? what would you like to see?

024

2009-01-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

ever since i was little, i've loved dressing up! so, one of my new years resolutions was to find inspiration for outfits in things other than just fashion magazines, or what i could pull out of my wardrobe. so, every sunday, i'm going to have a 'themed' day!

today was the turn of a ballerina, just because i bought this wonderful skirt from new look (£5, down from £22 - crazy, i didn't even know new look sold £22 stuff) the other day, and it's so swishy and things it reminds me of the skirts i had to wear when i did ballet :) and the ribboned shoes help, as well!

also, this hairband has already broken :( i was so sad.

skirt, belt & tights: new look

shoes: topshop

top: primark

hairband (R.I.P): alwear
watch: vintage

023

2009-01-03T02:30:00.001-08:00

6 vaguely interesting things about me!
( I just wanted an excuse to post these pictures, really :D! )

1. If I could live anywhere in the world it would be Paris, and I'd give anything (except for actual effort) to be able to speak French.

2. I really really want to do History of Art at uni, but I know that I'll end up doing just History.

3. My cat is called Lady Tinkerwhatsit.

4. My favourite band is the Libertines, my favourite solo artist is Jeff Buckley, my favourite song is Hallelujah, my favourite book is A Picture of Dorian Gray and my favourite film is Lost In Translation.

5. If I could be anything anything anything at all in the world, it would be a writer. Problem is - I don't know what I want to write! :)

6. From now on, instead of asking usual mundane questions relating to the post, I'm going to ask questions that are a bit more interesting, and hopefully will get you thinking! :)

what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

022

2009-01-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

there! a handful of my favourite photos of 2008 - in absolutely no order, chronological or otherwise. i was going to sort them out but uhh.. yeah. lazy. =D

click on any to see larger :)

anyway! happy new year! hope you all had a lovely night last night, and have a fantastic day today. start as you mean to go on! dress how you want to dress, look how you want to look, read your favourite books, watch your favourite films, listen to your favourite music and have the best, best, best day (:

what are your resolutions?
i'd like to try & learn french!

EDIT: just wanted to share with you all this wonderful quote from one of my favourite authors, neil gaiman (if you haven't read american gods, you must).

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

021

2008-12-28T06:34:00.001-08:00

this morning, i went on a walk! my family is a walking family. it's just something we do - even in december's bitter cold :(

as for the above pictures, the left one made me laugh so much i couldn't not put it up! i promise i don't always look so disgusted by nature.

( also - i couldn't be bothered to do my hair or put on make up this morning! so, ah, sorry for burning your eyes out :D )

a closer look at that coat! i'm sure the buttons will fall off, the arm will rip and the pockets will break within a few days, as is primark custom, but for now i love it.

does your family have any odd little quirks/traditions?

coat & gloves: primark
jumper beneath: red herring
tights: new look
wellies: faith
hooded scarf: river island

020

2008-12-27T11:42:00.001-08:00

obligatory post-christmas post! (:

i was a very spoilt girl this year, as you can see! pictured aaaaaare...
- nica bag
- thick knit grey cardigan from warehouse
- arthur rackham alice in wonderland prints
- gold mirror from my friendddd
- what i can only assume is the peacocks take on the infamous colin stuart studded ankle boot?
- 'lonesome traveller' by jack kerouac
- new phone!
-'gulag orkestar' by beirut
- matthew williamson purse
- illustrated poetry of the first world war
- 'books i've read' book (from my boyfriend)
- 'oscar's books' by thomas wright (from my boyfriend)
- 'the love letters of dylan thomas' (from my boyfriend)
- 'oscar wilde: a life in letters' (from my boyfriend)
- vintage-y paris notebook (from my boyfriend)
- 'a rebours' by joris-karl huysmans (from my boyfriend)
- the complete works of lewis carrol (from... i'll let you guess)

:)! aren't i lucky? my boyfriend was also kind enough to get me michael mcintyre's dvd, a movable feast by hemingway and voltaire's zadig, which i am veryveryvery excited about reading - when i've worked my way through the piles of others, of course! (:

my brilliant friends got me THOUSANDS of books that i would go mental if i tried to list, and lots and lots of cute chinatown sweets as well as lots of other little random things that were absolutely loooovely.

i alsoalsoalso recieved a nintendo wii as my boxing day present (how middle class does that sound?!) and, if you can't tell, a new camera! huzzah! no more grainy camera-phone shots, and i can finally take advantage of the beautiful forest surroundings that i'm lucky to live in (:

anyway! this is what i wore on christmas day.

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas! and if you don't celebrate it, i hope you had a wonderful few days where everything suddenly lit up and the tv was a bit better than usual (:

what did you all get up to? any exciting presents? let me know! one of my new years resolutions is to be a better blogger, so i'd best start engaging with all of you lovely lot now (:

jumper: primark
necklaces: claires (i know, i know, but it was £1)
skirt: topshop
tights: new look

019.

2008-12-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

hello hello hello!! i have been missing in action for a while and for that i can only apologise - terribly. school has been crazy and what with christmas and everything it's been like aaah, hectic (: in fact, it still is, and i really should not be online! but, i am procrastinating. (:

anyway, this is what i wore sunday to go out to dinner with my grandmother. i always wear my fiercest heels around the grandparents - it gives me an excuse to walk slower. 'as you can tell, i have discovered the photographic possibilities regarding the trellis in my garden. perhaps these are not the most appropriate of climbing shoes, but i desist.

jumper: mummy shambles
blouse: primarni
skirt: vintage:
tights: new look
heels: faith

( p.s sorry i haven't got around to commenting everybody's blogs and things!! i will soon - honestly! (: )

018.

2008-11-25T08:40:00.001-08:00

helloooo :) sorry i have been sort of missing in action, lately. turns out, school requires work! who knew?! also things have been kind of weird & shitty lately, and the most exciting part of my week was discovering that whats her face martha from doctor who has my jacket. it was EXTREMELY exciting. not that i ever wear that jacket anymore, but still.

i promise i will get back to reading all of your lovely blogs and commenting and posting and being good as soon as i find my feet again :)

hope you're all okay!

017.

2008-11-15T09:48:00.001-08:00

hellooo! :) today i went shopping, in probably the most colourful outfit i've ever worn! haha, isn't that terrible?
i ended up buying a looovely cashmere jumper & got a start on my christmas presents! mmm i'm all excited :)

i also fell completely in love with THE most gorgeous fur jacket by i think fuse? some random concession in debenhams? ahh, it had a hood & oh my god, it was just so wonderful, but i didn't have enough money on me :( i'll have to go back soon!

that's my dog! :)

jacket: alwear, tights: peacocks, skirt & shoes: new look, bag: accessorize, beatles badge: boyfriend, bracelet: vintage.

EDIT: if you, like me, are more interested in the decorating part of christmas than the presents bit, check out the gorgeous decorations at accessorize! they're absolutely lovely :)
what's your favourite part of christmas (if you celebrate it)?

016.

2008-11-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Mmm, i'm not sure! i'm pretty happy now :) i s'pose i'd quite like to live somewhere far away? still in britain, but secluded. this -- but a bit quieter, i think. :)

2.What is your greatest fear?
CHICKENS. for serious. also the dark.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
mm arrogance.

4.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
ignorance.

5.Which living person do you most admire?
my mother... also possibly stephen fry :D

6.What is your greatest extravagance?
hahah, cheese & tomato panini's at nigels? they've gone up a whole FIFTY PENCE. recession my friends. recession.

7.What is your current state of mind?
thoughtful!

8.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
um, modesty.

9.On what occasion do you lie?
umm, like, life? i lie alot.

10.What do you most dislike about your appearance?
kind of not alot? that sounds really horrible & arrogant, i know, but i've just got to a stage where i've realised that it kind of doesn't matter.

11.Which living person do you most despise?
uh. uh. nick griffin?

12.What is the quality you most like in a man?
humour.

13.What is the quality you most like in a woman?
humour.

14.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
hahahahaha really absurd things like 'yo' or 'blud' or 'wassup'. i'm pretty down with the kids, homies.

15.Which talent would you most like to have?
art.

16.When and where were you happiest?
probably now, i think!

17.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
mmmm :)

18.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
i'd be good at art! :)

19.What do you consider your greatest achievement?
eeeek! um. well i put alot of my self-esteem down to my schoolwork so probably my history gcse.

20.If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
a gay man! PLEASE!

21.Where would you most like to live?
mmm new zealand, maybe? possibly ireland? both places i've never visited, haha. or, actually, stratford-upon-avon.

22.What is your most treasured possession?
probably my moleskines?

23.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
eek! i don't know. i'm not really sure what that's asking?

24.What is your favorite occupation?
writing!

25. Who are your favorite writers?
wilde, keruoac, easton-ellis... in that order. i think.

26.What do you most value in your friends?
humour!

27.What is your most marked characteristic?
maaaad history skills 8D

28.Who is your hero of fiction?
how boring.

29.Which historical figure(s) do you most identify with?
ahh! i don't know. that's very tricky. HITLER. (p.s joke!)

30.Who are your heroes in real life?
wiiilde, mummy, fry.. and my friends :D

31.What are your favorite names?
tom.

32.What is it that you most dislike?
uh, ignorance & nationalism.

33.What is your greatest regret?
mmmmm. i'm not sure that i have one.

34.How would you like to die?
accidentally.

35.What is your motto?
you can if you do :)

1. jude law as lord alfred douglas in 'wilde'
2. stephen fry
3. meeee! :)
4. by salvador dali.
5. eeheeheeheeheeee!!
6. jack kerouac.
7. me & my friends in bristol. we watched simon amstell's stand up! very exciting.
8. jeff buckley.

015.

2008-11-09T05:19:00.001-08:00

sunday morning i always make sure i'm awake by 9.50, so i can make a cup of tea in my winnie the pooh mug and listen to the excellent jon richardson show on 6music from 10-1. i do try to get some work done, but this morning i just ended up drawing a bird and watching it rain. :)

these shoes are from ~~primark~~ primarni, about a year ago? i was scene as hell back then, and i can distinctly remember wearing them with blue leopard print tights, an fcuk top, black denim mini and backcombed fringe-a-riffic hair, haha! and, of course, the obligatory fake lip-ring. pretty hip, i think you'll agree.

i absolutely adore rosary beads though - i've such a weakness, i have huuundreds. but they do break incredibly easily :( well, my £3 for 4 off ebay ones do! haha

the sun came out eventually :)

how do you spend your sundays?

dress & cardigan: h&m, shoes: primark, tights: topshop.

014.

2008-11-08T05:45:00.001-08:00

the next british election isn't for year-and-abit yet ( i miss out on voting in it by like two months :( ), but with all the american election coverage, i figured i might as well do a little post about politics - particularly as it's listed in my 'about me'.

i won't bore you, though, i'll just put up this little quote i found today when cleaning out my drawers.

"once we were hopeful. we believed the system could correct itself: the benefits of capitalist growth would trickle down to the poor; the welfare state would work its magic. who believes that today? as the briefing shows, for all labour's herculean efforts to tackle the problem, the extra welfare billions have barely scratched the surface. as for tickle-down, one in ten british families will be millionaires within a decade(according to the economist intelligence unit), but no one sees that as hopeful news for the underclass. worse still, the poor have lost faith in the system, too. barely 50% of socuial grades D (semi and unskilled manual workers) and E (those entirely dependent on state benefits) voted in the last election, compared with 70% of the middle class. politically, the poor have disappeared. the horrors of knife crime, binge drinking or a drive through their neighbourhoods bring them momentarily to our attention.
then they fade into statistics."

i support labour - always have, probably always will.

british or american, which side of the political spectrum do you lean towards?

013.

2008-10-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

hello hello! :) i hope you all had a wonderful halloween & a wonderful week - i can do nothing but apologise for my immense lack of posting as of late. i've worked every single day this week (including halloween night!). so, i spent my halloween night working & then i watched sweeney todd upon my return - what did you all get up to?

i did have time to see my boyfriend in the week though, which was great :) hence the outfit above! which i didn't actually end up wearing, cos i didn't go home after work -- just went straight there in my work clothes, haha :)

i have been shopping though!

below are two of my purchases! a gorgeous wintery hat and this lovely lovely warm gilet - i've been looking for a way to work some (faux!) fur into my wardrobe & the moment i saw this, i had to have it. well. my mum had to buy it for me :D

and - oh my god - i haven't taken a picture of myself in forever! i used my mummys camera phone for this, as it was too cold to go outside. camera shots are still okay, right? right?!

and, going through the pictures on my mums phone, i found this! haha, meet brother edwards :D

i'm pretty sure i was sneezing, haha!

so, what have you all been up to?

1: big big big mans jumper: george @ asda, coat: topshop, belt: new look, boots: primark.
2: hat: accessorize, gilet: tkmaxx, jumper: ??, jeans: ??.
3: polo: republic, cardigan: h&m, necklace: primark, jeans: ??

012.

2008-10-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

i skived off work today! :o i am just that freaking bad ass, i know.

instead, i went shopping! which i feel is a totally valid excuse, as topshop had a sale -- and though topshop & i have something of a love-hate relationship i will say this for it: when topshop has a sale, topshop has a sale.
i ended up buying a skirt, some shorts and two rings from topshop, as well as a big huge mans jumper from asda (pretty classy, right?), leggings from h&m and some lovely tights & socks from tkmaxx. and, ohmygod, i so nearly bought the most beautiful playsuit in the world from see by chloe, as it was only £120? but i only had like £130 with me and i just thought 'i'll never wear this'. which is probably true. but it was so sad.

anyway. this is what i wore.

it's not the clearest/best of pictures as my camera is stilllllll broken (the shutter won't open, hence why all my pictures are beyond awful & can only be taken when its LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT), so i apologise. also i've given up on pretty backgrounds. photography has never been my forte, and with a broken camera it just seems somewhat silly. anyway - i'm sure you all appreciate my fallen-down basketball hoop and my brothers upside down bike. picturesque, no?

blue&gold jacket thing: river island, cardigan: h&m, shorts & tights: new look, boots: primark.

011.

2008-10-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

firstly, i'd like to apologise for being such a rubbish blogger as of late - i rarely post, i keep forgetting to reply to comments & it's been suuuch a long time since i've had a good look around all of your wonderful blogs that i'm beginning to get withdrawl symptoms :( i promise that i will be good & get back to something of a more usual routine ASAP!

in some vague attempt to apologise i did four things today that are absolutely FORBIDDEN for a sunday: i got dressed, i brushed my hair, i put some make up on, i went outside.

i know.

i wore this yesterday -- i'm in love with this coat, it's my new favourite thing. i look about 4.

i've had the loveliest loveliest weekend ever :) and i really hope that you have too.

jacket: alwear, shorts & tights: new look, bangle: vintage.

010.

2008-10-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

my bedroom.

dress: pussycat london

009.

2008-10-11T04:06:00.000-07:00

i've got a billion and one outfit posts & stories saved up which i really will get around to posting over the next week, i've just been so ~~lazy~~ busy :D

for now though, i'd just like to share with you my newww favourite band (after the libertines of course, as always) - beirut.

i was walking back from my friends last night, and to get back home i have to cross this really old bridge over the river monnow. and last night, it was late and it was dark, and the clouds were all wispy and slate-coloured, with a half-moon illuminating the edges, and the water beneath was black & fast, with the floodlights from the football grounds shining on it. listening to this wonderful song in the crisp october breeze was lovely, and i really hope you enjoy this song.

( admittedly, getting beeped and shouted 'OI OI!!' at by a bunch of drunken guys as i crossed over the bridge lost some of romance of the moment but, you know. you win some you lose some. :) )

008.

2008-10-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

hullooo. right, alas, i've been ill all week &, due to school, the only thing i've worn lately that's been even mildly exciting was what i wore to london on tuesday - but i didn't take pictures, because of the general awfulness of my camera. anyway.

i felt i owed you all a post but this lack of photos, new & general excitement prevented me from doing one in my usual style. thusss, i figured, now was as good a time as any to talk about my love, my idol, my favourite, my inspiration, my sort of everything - oscar wilde. and i'm going to try to be very very good and not use wikipedia or anything like that, so, let inaccuracy ensue!

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the 16th November 1856, son of Jane Francesca Wilde (writer) and Sir Williams Wilde (surgeon). He was born at 21 Westland Row, Dublin, and between the years 1871 and 1874 Oscar attended Trinity College, Dublin, studying Classics. An outstanding student, whose classical Greek was equally as good as his new testament Greek, Oscar was awarded a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford. Whilst here he won numerous prizes for his poetry, his fluent Greek, and created quite the reputation for himself. His attitude, his wit, his frivolity, his fashions (which we'll come to later) and, frankly, his 'camp'-ness revolted Victorian society at the time - particularly a large majority of Oxford scholars.

One of my favourite Oscar Wilde anecdotes occured a few months into his time at Oxford, when he was asked to do an oral exam, where he would be tested on his New Testemant Greek. The piece he was given to read was the Passion (the crucifixtion). As I've already written, he was absolutely fantastic at this, and so read it as well as anybody could - however, when asked to stop, he didn't. "Mr Wilde, stop," they said, and yet he continued. "Mr Wilde, stop," they pressed - and it was only then that he responded. "Oh please let me go on," he said, "I'm dying to see how it all turns out." As you might imagine, a remark such as this was the very epitome of everything that Victorian society loathed.

Perhaps more importantly than the reputation he created for himself (a reputation already famous all over Britain, even though he was just an undergraduate) and perhaps even more importantly than the double first he eventually achieved, is the fact that it was here that he became involved in the Aesthetic Movement.

Perhaps, if I was a clever sort of human being, I would have some sort of plan to this. Perhaps I would decide to do an introduction to Decadance, then Aesthetisicm, before leading onto Oscar Wilde's role in it. However, this is my blog, and I am not a clever sort of human being, and thus we will commence - and I'll leave you to pick up the pieces if you so wish, or to brand me a fool & ne'er return, if you'd prefer. Anyway.

A very loose sort of time, the Aesthetic Movement generally occured in the late 19th century - though, of course, the idea of 'art for arts sake' and living towards and ideal of beauty (defining things by whether they are beautiful or not beautiful rather than right or wrong) had been around as early as the Ancient Grecian times, and has reared its lovely head all throughout history - the Reneissance and Decadance in France being perhaps the most obvious. I won't bore you with the ins and outs of the Aesthetic Movement, perhaps I'll do another post on it at a later date, at some other time when I've got bloody nothing to write about, and maybe one day I'll write about Dante Gabriel Roseletti or John Keats or Evelyn Waugh (who was a man) - or something like that. But not today; so, moving back to Wilde.

From his interest in Interior Design (he often lectured on 'The House Beautiful') to his interest in the beautiful Lord Alfred Douglas, beauty itself and beauty for beauties sake played a huge role in Oscar's life - and this was reflected, of course, in the way he chose to present himself. Whilst the rest of Victorian society was dressing in their outdated black puritan robes, all very conservative, all very 'don't-mention-the-radicals', Oscar would prance the streets in pale-pink suits, velvet trousers, fur shawls, silk britches, long flowing hair, expensive jewels, shiny shoes and well-tailored coats. All very decadant, all very elaborate, all very aesthetic.

Oscar Wilde was undoubtedly an incredible man. When I first heard of him it was probably through Stephen Fry (as most of my favourite things are), and then I read the picture of dorian gray -- in which Wilde's ideas of aesthetisicm remain extremely prelevelant; it is, after all, a tale about beauty (and sin and the faces we wear as masks and other things too, of course).

If you haven't read any Wilde, read Wilde. If you'd read more Wilde, read more Wilde. Although he has has a profound effect on my life in huge ways, this has become something of a fashion blog (though I never really intended it to be) and thus I figured I should link it to aesthetisicm and, yes, fashion. And I can sum up everything I'm trying to convey about Wilde and fashion and aesthetisicm in this handy little quote:

"From the artistic point of view, it is usually a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months."

And there you have it. If Wilde has taught me anything in his aesthetism, his books, his way of life, his way of dress, it is to ignore fashion magazines. They will only make you feel fat, ugly, unfashionable and hopeless. Now, yes, I read Vogue/ID/Nylon as much as the rest of you. I like looking at Lily Donaldson's cheekbones and it looks pretty cool on my bedroom floor. But since Wilde has been introduced to my life it has become incredible clear how incredibly unimportant it is. Now when I buy clothes, I don't wonder if it looks like something from Vogue, if I'll look trendy in it -- I buy the clothes that make me smile, clothes that are beautiful; no matter what I look like in them, no matter if it costs thousands of pounds, or just pounds. I don't always succeed, but when I do, my wardrobe is better for it, and I am happier for it. I try to play with colours and textures, I embrace the decedant and the ridiculous - and whenever I put on my clothes I feel decedant and ridiculous, I am a character, an aesthete, wearing the things that I feel are beautiful, wearing clothes that make me feel beautiful; regardless of how many catwalks it might have been on last month.

anyway. i do hope you'll forgive that mindless ramble about something that i really know nothing about - but as is the case with such a lot, i can only talk about how i feel, not really what i know. i have no doubt that many of you will disagree with this man, deem him pretentious and absurd, and deem me pretentious and absurd for liking him. good. great. :D i want to hear everything that you have to say, i really do! talk to me, let me know what you think! if i've achieved anything, which i highly doubt, it's that next time you go into a bookshop, you might try and find a book about oscar wilde, or maybe a picture of dorian gray - or something like that.

anyway. sorry about that! won't happen again! & i'll try to get back to posting things a little bit more regular, and not so ridiculously inaccurate, now. :)

007.

2008-09-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

ill today :( i'm drowning in a sea of vitamin C tablets, so i just sat outside in the sun and read the book thief. again. was a good excuse to wear my sunglasses though, even if i was too much of a snivelling wreck to go anywhere.

also, those are my school shoes! (:

dress - h&m, cardigan - h&m, tights - new look, shoes - primarni, sunglasses - jeepers peepers.

( & happy birthday, if you're reading this - which you probably are (: )

006.

2008-09-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

i went shopping, as its a friend of mines birthday soon, and i ended up buying for myself a new moleskine (eee!) and a lovely pair of shoes from... prepare to be appalled... primark. :( i know, i know, but they are lovely, and i am weak in the face of inexpensive shoes.

dress - oasis, shoes (my prom shoes!) - new look, cardigan - h&m, brooch - vintage, tights - new look.

005.

2008-09-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

click for all its tartany-heeled-floaty-skirt-costume-jewellery-soft-knits-prep-school-monochrome goodness.

what does your winter wardrobe look like?

pretty much all of these clothes are topshop, river island, new look, dorothy perkins, peacocks. aiming lowwww.

004.

2008-09-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

oh kate, why must you tease me when i am so frighteningly poor :(

all clothes are, of course, kate moss @ topshop.

003.

2008-09-12T09:23:00.001-07:00

autumn makes me unoriginal.

shoes - faith, top - hmv, skirt - h&m, cardigan - h&m, tights - new look.

002.

2008-09-09T08:37:00.001-07:00

if i were pete doherty, i would not give an interview to the daily mail.

thoughts?

001.

2008-09-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

i love lacroix.