Leaving the tag on*

I'm very bad with blog Tag posts. I used to not get tagged at all but then when I did start to get tagged, I'd either completely miss it or just not get round to doing it. This time I have space and time and an uncommon sense of discipline, so I'm going to do this tag that the lovely, and frequently hilarious, Tor of Fabfrocks has given me.

The guidelines:

1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention; add a question of your own.
2. Tag eight other un-tagged people.


What is your current obsession?
At the moment, it's poetry. April is national poetry month and I along with some pretty darn awesome poets have taken a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days. So far it's going pretty well and I've just written my 8th poem but it means that all I can currently think about are airy fairy words.

Do you nap a lot?
I'm not a great napper. I like to be up and about or I feel cheated out of the day. What a bizzare question.

Who was the last person you hugged?
Ben and Emma (Yes, that's two people but they sort of come as a set so it doesn't count) yesterday when I went to meet the gorgeous Maximus Babyus, who just cooed and gurgled and smiled until I was heap of mushy babylovin' goo.

What’s for dinner?
Usually it's eggs or beans or whatever's left over from the night before.

What was the last thing you bought?
Fringed and studded peeptoe ankle boots from New Look.

What are you listening to right now?
Tears for Fears greatest hits. The sound of my teenage-hood. Head over Heels is probably one of my favourite songs of all time and I will forever have a crush on the young Roland Orzabal (though I don't fancy the older one much). Check out the vid... God, I like 'em dorky!

What is your favourite weather?
Sunshine. The hotter, the better.

What's in your bathroom cabinet?
Oh dear, I'm not sure you want to know the entire contents. I'll just say moisturiser, and body scrub and leave it at that, I think.

Say something to the person/s who tagged you.
Tor, you have the rockingest rock chic hair.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?
Right in the middle of the space-time continuum vortex thingy, so that I could be everywhere at once. What? It's not cheating.

Name the things you can’t live without.
Writing. Amazing friends. Good times. My lappie and t'internet.

What is your favourite tea flavour?
There is only one tea and it's builders tea.

What would you like to get rid of?
The 5 day working week. Why can't we just work weekends instead, eh?

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Only an hour? I'd like to drop in my friend Peter in Chicago.

What did you want to become as a child?
Oh lord! Everything. Explorer, writer, artist, archeologist, footballer, ballerina, comedian, singer... the list goes on and on

What do you miss?
Mostly, absent friends and family.

What are you reading right now?
I've got three books on the go at the moment: Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller, PopCo by Scarlett Thomas and Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. I always read more than one book at a time, so I don't get bored during the slow bits and I have a bit of variety.

What's your favourite brand of jeans?
Any that will fit and that I don't have to pay more than £50 for. Because they are jeans, the garb of the masses and should not cost hundreds of pounds no matter what the designers say they will do for your bum!

What designer piece of clothing would you most like to own (new or vintage)?
I would love to own something from Maison Martin Margiela. Or maybe these Berardi boots?

Will you have plastic surgery/botox etc.?
I would rather have full mobility in my face, so no botox thankyoueverso. True beauty is character and expression, the very things that botox erases. Also, am I the only one who thinks that injecting yourself with botulism to look younger is rather sick? As for plastic surgery... I don't know, I kinda like looking like me.

I tag:

Mikkle @ Blogue , Juliet @Fashion Lolita, Rowena @ Rosie Pop , Birdy Moola @ Oola Moola, Wee Birdy

*Don't laugh at the pathetic excuse for a witty pun in the title. Other "winners" included "a-tag of the 60ft woman", "remember the tag-tans" and "tig tag toe", so be grateful is all I'm sayin'.

A room of my own

I've been indulging in a little DIY action today, making snoods from thrifted old jumpers. It's not an original idea. If you want to know about it see the excellent DIY post by Jeanine at The Coveted here. 

When I was buying the raw materials - old woolen sweaters from the local charity shop - to put the snoods together yesterday, the bloke looked at me as though I was half mad but I knew exactly what I was doing, so I put on my stubborn face and told him I'd meet him in the supermarket. Here's one of my snoods, not half bad for £3 and a bit of elbow grease, eh?:




Apart from DIY being a good creative outlet and cheap way to spice up your wardrobe, I also find it therapeutic. It's nice to do something that on one level has your full attention while also letting your mind wander.

I started to think about creativity and originality, why I started this blog, why I write at all and why it is all so important to me. I started this blog mainly because I needed a creative outlet. I've always been creative and I have always loved writing, oh and shoes and dressing up. Once I'd found out about blogging, writing a blog about fashion seemed like a no brainer.

It's been a tonne of fun ever since. I've enjoyed the interaction and insight of fellow bloggers and comments (even the occasional snide one) from readers. I've enjoyed getting up in the morning and thinking: I'd like to write about that, and then just doing it.

It's also been a lot of hard work but mostly it's made me think about the things I want to do and how I want to live my life.

When I was younger, I thought the key to happiness in life is to find the stuff that makes you happiest and incorporate it into every aspect of your life. The problem with this, of course, is that the stuff that makes you happy and the people that make you happy are not always necessarily a perfect fit. And neither is real life.

In my ideal world, I would spend every minute on my computer happily trawling the internet, blogging to my heart's content and never having to deal with messy non-computer-related things like loved ones or bathing or work. Unfortunately, in the real world I have bills to pay, relationships to maintain and a need to not kill every living thing within a 12 mile radius with rank BO. That's just how it is.

So, while I cherish and continue to nurture my own creativity I also understand that there's a balance to be struck and compromises to be made. Sometimes I hate that I have to do this but... that's just how it is. It can be frustrating.

Virginia Woolf was right when she said "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write...". Yes, she was writing specifically about writing great works of fiction but I think it can be extended out to include any writing or any act of creativity at all.

I also think that "a room of one's own" is not just about that physical room but also that room inside your own head that is for you alone. A space to retreat to where you're not bound to any responsibilities or conventionalities, where you can just... be. And if the people you love and respect, the work that you do and the life that you lead allow for this room, you are a very lucky person indeed. But if not, I think it is reasonable as a woman and as a human being to seek out this space, to guard it jealously and to fight like a tiger if it is threatened.

That is why I am thankful for this blog, for this room of my own and for the readers that come to visit me here. It's why I'm happy not to dwell on blog rankings or hit numbers or monetisation and any of a thousand other blogger concerns. Because at the end of the day, I've already got what I want, I just want to get on with enjoying it. I am also happy and thankful that you can come and visit and enjoy it with me whenever you want. I look forward to making your next visit as interesting as the last.

... And all I got was this lousy t-shirt

Last week I went to quite a peculiar launch. It wasn't for fashion or clothing or shopping (well, not strictly speaking). It was for a new generation of mobile phone from the 3 network.

It's called the INQ1 and the main selling point of the new device, as far as I can see, is that it's got widgets that allow you to access social networking and other useful social sites.

Top of the list, of course, is Facebook but it also gives you instant access to skype, Windows Live Messenger and Last Fm. So far, so ever-so-slightly interesting, if your a tech-head who loves their toys. Apparently you get access to ebay too, though I didn't see that in the demo. But, hey, ebay, right? Shopping. Cool.

Still, I had to ask: what the hell was I, a consummate fashion blogger, doing there? Well, according to the PR men I was what they call a "voice", which means that I have the ability to influence opinions online (at least that's what I suppose it means, either that or Simon, I've got the X-Factor!)

I wasn't the only blogger there. There was Kirsty Lee from That's Just My Vibe, along with bloggers that I hadn't met before like Amanda Gore from psfk and Priyanka Kanse from Two Parts Mixer. Meeting these two people alone, was worth a couple of hours of my time.

Now don't get me wrong, I like these little juants that I get invited to. It's nice to be noticed and it's good to see the PR guys cottoning on to the fact that bloggers have a "voice". Besides, a London girl knows not to look a free-champaign-bearing gift horse in the mouth. And because other bloggers get invited too, it's fertile ground for networking and getting know other people.

I also know that there's an element of quid pro quo involved. I'm not stupid. I know I've been invited on the understanding that I will eventually use that "voice" I have, to write about where I've been and what I've seen.

So let me use that "voice" now and say this: it's an interesting enough phone and I'm sure that it has it's uses but... Being a blogger, the first thing I had to ask was: where's the easy access to blogging ware?

Secondly, being a fashion blogger n' all, why was the phone so damned plain? It wasn't covered in swarowski crystals, it didn't come in a variety of customisable colours, it wasn't shaped like a shoe or a handbag. Even the wallpaper was a little dull. So, what was in it for me?

So here lies my dilemma: one of the fringe benefits of blogging is getting access to events like this. But sometimes, it's not a perfect fit. I'd rather have been invited to London Fashion Week or a preview of Topshop's Spring/Summer 09 collection. But that's not happened yet. It will, I guess, with time and patience. For now, I go where I'm invited and see where that leads. It's like a game of Hopscotch, you keep moving forward to get to the next box.

This time I got a goody pack which consisted of a USB disk full of press bumf, a quite decent art print, and a t-shirt that I'll probably never wear. Maybe next time I'll get the red, swarowski crystal encrusted, shoe-shaped, blogger-loaded phone of my dreams. That would make things far more interesting for me. And for you.

Me with my rad new tee and print of the Geisha DJ... sweeeet!

If you're a fan of social networking on your mobile, you can find out more about it the INQ1 here. Be warned, there's audio video on the page so turn the sound off before you click if you're at work.

Could it be time to Chiconomise?

It's pretty much a fact now that the money spending party's over and it's time to batten down the hatches and save, save, save. So what's a girl to do when the going gets tough and she can no longer afford a skinny latte, let alone the latest arm candy?

Why, Chiconomise, of course. Chiconomise-ing is the act of living stylishly for less. At least that's what it says on the weekly emails that I have started getting, chock full of insider offers covering fashion, beauty, eating and drinking out and books and art.

Founded by the fabulously frugal, Phoebe Frangoul and Michelle Dewberry (her off The Apprentice), this weekly newsletter is set to be the frugal fashionistas' worst kept secret. Timely too.

You can sign up for the weekly newsletter at Chiconomise.com, it just might save you a whole wad of cash.

Friday fun

It's Friday and for some reason bloggers are coming out with some really interesting posts today. It's like even blogs got some of that Obama bounce people keep talking about.

Speaking of Obama, fashion magazines and bloggers alike have been falling over each other to write the definitive Obama-win-from-a-style-perspective article. Most of these have been, how shall I say, a little light on the ol' grey matter but this one about Michelle Obama's victory dress from Make Do Style is well thought out and actually successfully ties together style and politics.

Meanwhile over at KoS, Michelle has come over all inspired by 10 magazine and has put together the most amazing photoshoot that could rival any editorial anywhere and she looks so darn hot doing it.

Susie Bubble gets all the best tip offs. Don't believe me? She's telling every London-based fashionista right now about the major thrifting extravaganza coming their way come December 6. It's a doozy!

If you watched Mad Men and drooled over that 50s/60s style, then this video from Blip TV that I found on Jezebel is going to blow your tiny little mind. It's pure retro whimsy.


Happy Friday!

Loving your work!

Here's a statement of the bleedin' obvious: There are an awful lot of blogs out there. Hell, there are an awful lot of style blogs out there. In an ideal world, I want to read them all but I'm getting fed up of scrolling down my endless reader.

I need some order. So I'm giving Bloglovin a try.

If you're interested, you can Follow my blog with bloglovin´

Absolutely fabulous

It's Friday. I've been working all day with a not inconsiderable vodka-induced hangover. So although I would really, really like to, I can't do a proper recap of the night before - which shall from now on be refered to as The Great Bloggers Reunion of 2008 (or GBR08 for short) - right now. I am soo making a t-shirt.

Suffice to say, I had a whale of a time and put faces to loads of bloggers - all of whom are extremely lovely people. Which is great because fashion and niceness - we are led to believe - are not two things that naturally go together. Maybe the blogger negates the fashion bitch in us? Who knows?

Until I get my head back, I present you with the professional evidence that I was indeed there. And so was everyone else.

Unlucky in Tag love

I guess you can call me unlucky in tag love. I don't get tagged much, and the few times I have been tagged, I simply haven't noticed for so long that it's been pointless actually taking part. But it's really nice to be tagged by a blog that you admire. It makes me feel like part of something and, I guess, it's always nice to be noticed.

The lovely Katie at Make Do and Mend tagged me to write 11 things about me. They are:

1. I am afraid of the dark. There be bogeymen, woooo! I used to sleep with the lights on until I realised that it was just easier to sleep with the curtains open. This is London afterall, and light pollution reigns supreme.

2. I don't know my left from my right. Literally. I have all kinds of ways to deal with this but the most useful one is to make the index fingers and thumbs of both my hands into an L shape. Whichever looks more like an L is left and the other is right.

3. I dream of the perfect chocolate cake. I have yet to find it. But, you know, I'm enjoying the quest.

4. I'm a bit of a trash monkey, trash tv, trash magazines, trash books... Trash is my friend. I embrace the trash. It's like candy for your brain.

5. Although I like trash tv, I draw the line at Big Brother. I try to watch it but Big Brother gives me a headache. For reality tv, it is always disappointing how unreal the contestants are.

6. I hate writing on lined paper. All journals should be blank. It should be law.

7. I used to be able to recite the entire script of the Wizard of Oz, complete with songs. I can maybe manage about half now.

8. I have a real fondness of Gilbert and Sullivan songs. My favourite is the Mikado's song from, er, The Mikado.

9. Peanut butter and honey on toast is the most delicious snack... ev-er.

10. I'm a total sci-fi/fantasy nerd. Dr Who, Star Trek, Deep Space Nine, Farscape... Buffy, Angel, Dresden... C'mon! How can anyone go through life missing these seminal works?

11. I love the smell of new shoes.

I tag: Charponnaise - because I'm curious, Rowena - because this break has gone on long enough! and Winona because whatever she writes I know it'll make me laugh like a drain.

Current obsessions and ripping yarns

Sorry guys... the ol' grey matter is not working too well at the moment. But I'm still here just not thinking too clearly and I wanted to spare you from the boring ramblings (which is exactly what I'm doing here - so that's not going to plan).
Anyway, since I can't bring myself to think original thoughts at the moment, I thought I'd share some of the things that I'm currently into and what I'm noticing is bubbling under on the blogosphere:

1. I'm still really into that whole futuristic kinky urban goth ninja warrior goddess thing and elements of it have been creeping into my style choices lately. I'm definitely wearing a lot more black. I bought a beautiful black Afghan neck warmer, which fits so well with the ideas I've got at the moment. I also sent out my over knee leather boots to the shoe-makers to get the zips fixed. I can't wait to get them back so I can wear them with my shiny American Apparel leggings and elbow length leather gloves and edgy tops. When I get my head back in gear, I'll definitely post an outfit or two. Meanwhile check out these looks that I found on Facehunter:

How cool are those leather spats that lady on the left is wearing?

2. The Slow Fashion movement - It's real. It's all about less shopping, more thought, a little creative thinking. It's all good and I hope it lasts. Find out more about it from Make Do and Mend, Observationmode and Charponnaise, who have all done thoughtful posts on the thrifty way forward.

3. Everyone's slashing and trashing their leggings, trews and tights. It looks like ripped jeans and various other bottoms are definitely making a comeback. Blame it on Balmain. Fashion Toast does. Susie Bubble and Michelle over KOS are also doing it. I don't think it's for me ( I remember it from the first time round) but I can see the attraction and, well, never say never!

Michelle, Susie and Fashion Toast let it rip

4. Excitement! - I've been invited to the launch of the House of Masquerade, sponsored by Absolute Vodka. This is what the release says: "The House of Masquerade is an exciting collaboration between ABSOLUT VODKA, acclaimed British illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve and vintage clothing boutique Mint and will be an exciting new space on Shoreditch’s Redchurch Street at the heart of London’s cosmopolitan East End. There will also be live performances from the DJ and performance duo The Broken Hearts."

But there's more: "you can indulge in Absolut cocktails, dress up in Mint’s selection of glamorous vintage clothing and accessories and let your imagination run wild to create the perfect party outfit for the perfect party." My favourite drink? Vodka. My favourite thing to do? Dressing up. Do I like a party? I love a party. Now tell me, what about this invitation is there not for me to like? Exactly. Joy!