Bathing in Beauty

As you can tell by the title, or perhaps not, I have just been swept away on a surprise holiday to Bath for 6 days! I have very little time to write this post, as I am leaving again tomorrow, this time to Spain! Again, I will let the photos do the talking, and will add just a couple of observations:

♥ Bath is stunning. No elaboration needed.
♥ Listening to seagulls and walking around the pretty town centre whilst drinking a cold kiwi smoothie is an experience which must be repeated very soon.
♥ I have never, ever seen so many good looking boys in one place. I don't usually pay that much attention to boys, but there were so many I couldn't help but notice! Best guy-spotting destination? Waitrose.
♥ I found out that I really like holding tarantulas. The opportunity sprung up in Longleat Pet Corner and it was just the loveliest feeling, the spider was so light that it felt like a gentle flock of dandelion fluff resting on my hand.
♥ The Roman Baths after which the town is named must be visited after dusk to fully grasp their true haunting beauty.
♥ Lacock village is now on my list of dream home destinations. The most cosy, perfect-looking place ever; I bet if I came back in Winter everywhere I would look I would just see picture postcards.
♥ Feeling like I was in Hogwarts when visiting the cloisters of Lacock Abbey, and imagining the faint outlines of the message about the chamber of secrets blood red still visible against those ancient walls.

As I know a lot of you will ask, the shopping in Bath was actually very good; even though the shops are scattered around the centre and are not positioned in one line as they are in most places, it's a much nicer experience! The only downside was that the shops closed very early, most at around 5:30, so we had to come back a few times to cover everything. I searched on the internet before we left for vintage shops we could visit but, surprisingly, there wasn't much information. Because of this I didn't have high hopes for the vintage but still kept a lookout - and found not one but three lovely shops! There was an absolute treasure trove of a shop called Jack & Danny's, packed to the brim with absolutely hundereds of clothes. Everything was expensive but I did buy a pretty Cacharel skirt from the 20p table outside the shop, which you will see later. On the day we were leaving we were having one last peek around the shops when we found a small market completely by accident, which had really nice, reasonably priced vintage stalls! My mum bought a beautiful floor-length floral dress for £10 (alas, only for her size 0 frame) and I got a pretty blouse for a fiver, which will be perfect for back-to-school.


While I was in Bath I also played Sartorialist and took some street snaps of the most exquisitely dressed couple! We were just going past Waitrose when my mum spotted this lady and her husband walking on the street, and when I looked over my shoulder I just knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I walked away without taking a photo. I darted across the street before they could escape and asked if they wouldn't mind me taking a photo for my blog; fortunately they didn't mind at all and now my only regret is that I took just two photos! What made me completely fall in love was the fact that every little detail was cared for in her outfit, so many pretty accessories and it just all worked together so well! I have so much admiration for people who dare to do these things amidst crowds of people withdrawn into their shells, refusing to let their true selves run free for fear of judgement. I ran off after my family and completely forgot to give them my blog address and kept thinking what a shame they will never get to see those photos, but fortunately the most awesome thing happened! On the last day we were shopping, I popped into a vintage shop called Vintage to Vogue for a quick browse, and in comes the very same lady looking just as perfect as she did that day, so of course I explained who I was and gave her my blog address, if you are reading this sorry it took so long to post the photos and please keep on dressing so beautifully!

This post is slightly late as I couldn't upload the photos in Spain for some reason and thought it would be unfair on you to do a holiday post with no photos! I just got back home and now sifting through all the photos we took, so much to do and so little time!

P.S. I got this pretty ring in the Miss Selfridge sale for only £2, and must say from that day I don't mind giant pearlescent flowers growing on my fingers. On one condition, though. I cannot be bothered to water them.


~
C&A Blazer, Freecycled
Shirt, Freecycled
Skirt, vintage
Oversized Hairbow, New Look
Pearls, vintage
Bracelet, gift

Just a quickie...

To the lovely lady who I photographed, I haven't uploaded the photos yet as I only just got back home from my holiday in Bath, but I will do so very, very soon (probably later today)! So much to post and so little time, off to help mum unpack and then I will get back to everyone who e-mailed and commented while I was away! :D

The River Flows in You

I must admit that this post took much longer than anticipated as I took literally millions of photos on holiday, especially taking into account that we only went for a week! Oh but what an amazing week it was. Tunbridge Wells really is one of the most extraordinary places I have visited, the photos speak for themselves...(yes I did take the non-outfit ones ;)) Such beautiful views and such variety too, it was wonderful! As much as I have tried to be selective, there are so many photos, including outfits, that I think I will split it into two posts (if not more). The highlights of my trip included:

♥ Being unable to fall asleep on the last day because of singing along to every single song that the ABBA tribute played at a wedding held at the hotel
♥ Evening wonders around the hotel grounds
♥ Feeding a wild deer (my favourite animal) right out of my hand.
♥ Visiting Hever Castle, where Ann Boleyn lived
♥ Visiting the ruins of Scotney Castle
♥ Feeding ducks, fish and other creatures including myself at various places
♥ My mum giving me a pretty pair of vintage earrings at the beginning of the trip and my dad trying them on at the end.



When we got back there was a big disappointment waiting for me in the form of an email which I will not talk about, and a big package waiting to be picked up at my local post office. It was from the lovely Natalie over at Buzz Paradise; I was absolutely thrilled to find that I was one of the lucky bloggers who won the Ma Dame campaign which I posted about below, and when I received the package I could hardly contain my excitement! Inside was a bottle of the Ma Dame fragrance in crazy cool packaging, a campaign folder with a CD and an absolutely divine set of earphones with a built in MP3 player! The best bit is that they already had a fab Martin Solveig tune on the memory card so I could literally turn them on and start bopping! My favourite toy now, I just cannot put them down. The fragrance launches at the end of August and the 43ml bottle is exclusive to Debenhams, thanks again Jean Paul Gaultier and Buzz Paradise!


On a side note, the black blazer I am wearing in the photos I picked up for absolutely free thanks to my local Freecycle! It's a really nice length and it fits me perfectly, how cool is that? I really like the look of Ralph Lauren blazers (oh why do they have to cost so much?) with the crests, and I thought it would be so awesome if I could put the Hogwarts crest on it using an iron on patch. I'm unbelievably excited about this, haha.



How is everyone's summer so far? Has anyone seen any meteors yet?

~
C&A Blazer, Freecycled
Striped overzied vest, Red Herring
Belt, vintage
Skirt,vintage
Plimsoles, Jaeger
Watch, gift

Haunt Me

What is it that I love so much about Lula? The other-worldly shoots? The dreamy poetry? The beautiful clothes? No, I cannot pick just one thing. Everything is divine. How often do you find a magazine that, once opened, must be devoured there and then, a magazine that whisks you away, even if only for half an hour, to a place you thought only existed in your dreams and where you can forget everything. Even yourself.

My brain would be damaged beyond repair if I suddenly lost such a treasure chest of inspiration.

It is, therefore, with great relief that I can tell you that Lula mag is not ceasing to exist! After reading about the rumours on Susie's blog, I decided to give Lula a call and ask...At first I thought I got the wrong number and the person down the line was just playing a joke on me, so I hung up, but then they called me back and said that it was Lula. They were really nice and said that the magazine will most definitely continue to exist and that it was other magazines, most likely 'Love', that might soon be folding.

Despite never having a Lula in my possession, I remember the only time I saw it quite well. I remember, with a slight chuckle, how I copied names of designers and shops from shoots into my phone, to make sure I didn't forget to check them out later because I loved the clothes so much. Particularly inspiring was this photoshoot with the girl clad in dark victorian outfits, so inspiring that I yearned to recreate the outfit right there and then.

~
Bowler hat, Topshop
Pearls, vintage
Cameo neckalce, vintage
Victorian dress, thrifted vintage
Long sleeve top, Primark
Ribbed tights, Elle
Shoes, my sister's
Skull ring, thrifted

Leaving to stay.

She was someone who liked to read an awful lot. Sat in her room all night, wondering
How is it that I cannot be part of that world?
How is it that I have to sit here, pondering
Looking out of my window and seeing stars form them all, all those who I read about.
And as I look away, they disappear, dissolve into the night
Why cannot they stay with me?

And one early morning when she woke up,
the sky was a shimmer of blue.
found pearls in her hair
And a note by her bed
It told her:
"Your Dream has Come True"

She ran outside, disbelieving, and the Book opened before her eyes
Told her all its secrets,
Glowing from inside,
as the pages turned themselves.

"Are you ready to join us?" cried voices from within the Book
in a mesmerising chorus of echoes, echoes
And she cried in return, but her voice got lost
In the dance of a myriad speckles.

She put on her travelling shoes,
but in her heart, she was still a princess.
Switched robes for a cloak and crown for hat
Took with her a map and a compass.

The voices were howling, the wind picked her up
As she bid her castle goodbye
That day was the last; will she ever be back?
Perhaps we will know it in time.

♥
I am so happy that now I have time to go back to blogging and reading, amongst lots of other wonderful things. The poem was inspired by a book I am reading at the moment, 'Inkheart', where a man finds out that he can read characters to come out of books. I think, if I had any special powers, I would love to be able to enter any book as any character within it.

The past two weeks have been good, my induction days for sixth form went well and I am actually rather excited to start in September! Then I became very ill and spent two days in bed feeling absolutely terrible. Luckily, I recovered pretty quickly. While I was ill I watched Atonement for the very first time, which was very inspiring. If you get the chance, watch it!

I have also been doing lots of shopping; my local H&M had a huge sale and my prayers of finding a grey cardigan were answered as I discovered the one that I am wearing in the photos. It was a mere £7 and goes with absolutely everything! I was unsure of how to wear the blue pinstripe dress for a while, which was a real shame but it seems to go with the cardigan so perfectly! My next point of obsession is this dress from River Island, which is absolutely required in my wardrobe, haha. I can already picture a multitude of ways of wearing it but sadly it is not online or in my local store, there is one on eBay but it is a size 8 which I doubt I'll fit into...


One last thing: I am absolutely thrilled to have been amongst the lucky few who won the Ma Dame campaign that I blogged about below! My package from Buzz Paradise hasn't come yet but I will show you what I won as soon as it arrives. Thanks so much Buzz Paradise!!

Please stay tuned as in my next post I have some more super exciting/relieving news :)

~
Cardigan, H&M
Blue pinstripe dress, Whistles (Bicester)
Pearls, vintage
Creepers, my Dad's

P.S. Do you like the new header?

This time Baby I'll be Bulletproof.

I can only hope that this time I will be posting much more, seriously. Three months of freedom, ahh this time I really shall have no excuse but to update as often as I can. I honestly have so many things to tell you. I cannot wait.

~
Beret, Accessorize
Dress, H&M
Belt, Vintage
Tights, Elle
Bag, Primark
Creepers, my Dad's :)
Skull ring, thrifted

Ma dame...c'est une grande surprise!

I am extremely excited right now because I have been offered a chance to take part in solving a most difficult case...A case which involves working with the utmost accuracy to unsolve a captivating mystery. I am, of course, talking about Jean Paul Gaultier's fragrance, Ma Dame. To celebrate Ma Dame's 21st anniversary, Jean Paul Gaultier has invited a mystery artist whose favourite art, apparently, is the 'art of surprise'! A handful of bloggers (and their readers!) have been offered the opportunity to guess the mystery artist with the help of some clues by Jean Paul himself. It's almost like an online treasure hunt and super exciting!

Here is the first clue I have been given:

The rest of the clues are in the video at the bottom, highlighted in pink. Many artists have come across my mind to be honest; at first, I thought it may have been Pink, but I noticed that the video was almost from the point of view of the mystery guest and the reflection in the mirror was male. So perhaps, because of the numbers 1234, Feist and DJ Martin Solveig sprung to mind because they both have songs named 1234. Besides, the video showed a record and headphones which remind me of Solveig even more. What do you think?

Jean Paul Gaultier Maison de Couture: What's happening?
by JPG_MA_DAME

Exams are almost over (just 2 to go!) so I promise I will soon do a long post uncovering my ventures this month. I have until the 22nd of June to figure out the "guest star" so please if you have any ideas do help me out! There just might be something in it for you too :)

Untouched.

I surrender. To you, to the world, to the starlit sky.
The violins are broken, shoved in a corner
The mist is everywhere, outspoken

Never, never, never.
They won't touch. They won't regret. Silver strands of our spiderwebbed love
Slipping away, slipping away...
I surrender. Forever. To you.

♥

Leotard, American Apparel
Mustard Cardigan, Tu
Skirt, French Connection
Tights/necklaces, gift :)

♥

This week I have had two Humanities exams which I think I did not fail, which is a good sign. I have had a tiring week and it is very soothing to come back to my blog, and now I am writing this post while listening to Dustin O'Halloran's Opus 23 and my eyelids softly reminding me that they would like to close soon.

Bunny T-Shirt, Topshop

♥

Two weeks ago I have had a good attempt at curling my hair; for the first time in my life, I put hairspray onto my hair to keep it in place as I was so tired of my curls disappearing before lunchtime. I would really like to style it differently but I don't know how; most days it is just a long, frizzy mess which I usually just put in a bun. I will probably have it styled for prom which brings me onto the next point - I have a prom dress! No, I cannot believe it myself too. Words cannot describe how guilty I feel after spending an entire day on Brick Lane with my dad waiting patiently while I searched for a dress and tried on a few, only to return with nothing; he doesn't do shopping and only came along because mum wouldn't let me go on my own. I tried on a gown in Rokit but it was in absolutely dismal condition and they wanted £215 for it, so we did not buy it. I longed to stay there longer as it was my first time in a place where there was so much vintage in such a small place, and everywhere I looked there were gorgeous dresses, but sadly not ballgowns. What is both more upsetting and a relief is that the next day we went into a shop 10 minutes away from where I lived and found an exquisite dress which I knew was what I was looking for all along, and it was incredibly cheap. I will show it to you next week after I have my prom, for I am just a little bit superstitious :)

You may have noticed the title of the post, well I am currently in love with this song by the Veronicas - isn't the contrast of the beautiful strings part with the rapid lyrics just so echanting?

I have many more outfits and news to post but for now, a very good night to you and may you all have the dreams of your dreams. Farewell, and be sure to be back.

The Dress, the Bag and the Bird.

Broiderie Anglaise Dress, thrifted vintage
Tights, car booted vintage
Shoes, my mum's

Yesterday at skating has been exceptionally good. I fell over a lot, which was very good for me because it meant I was trying, and now I am very pleased with my axel. Today, however, a bad attempt turned it all around; I fell straight on my hip and it is now insanely painful. Still, this dress mum had bought me turned it all around.

This afternoon a neighbour's cat named Sophie struck a small fledgling under its wing and made it bleed in front of my very eyes! It was so sad; luckily the injury could have been worse from what I saw. My mum, my little sister and I were all fussing over the tiny bird that couldn't yet fly and we called the RSPCA. They said that we should put it in a box and take it to a local shelter or vet, but it ran away before we could, and disappeared. It was very upsetting; I truly hope that the poor little thing will survive! I really do sometimes hate cats, even though it's nature but it is still unsettling when it happens before your very eyes :'(

Oh, and I gave myself a little treat and bought an adorable bag with owls. It is remarkably cute and I couldn't wait until it arrived, plus it's a very good size and all of my school things actually fit with no problems (at last). I've had so many compliments already.

This is it so far, it is now unfortunately revision time as my first GCSE is in only two weeks! Before I forget, please please can anyone tell me anywhere I could buy a good prom dress? I have searched high and low and I just cannot find something stunning enough to wear; I wanted a princess ball gown but they all look very tacky on the websites I looked at, and there is nothing vintage of the sort on eBay. Any ideas would be most welcome! Oh and do, of course tell me about your Easter - I love to read :)

Ever vast and ever free, this is how she came to be.

I am sorry that I took such a long break from blogging (again). I've missed it so much and now I am so glad that I have some time to catch up. I have news. Many, many news. So many, in fact, that I'm afraid I will forget something. Sprinkled in between the news are recent outfits that I never got round to posting.

Very warm Easter wishes to everyone, I hope you all have a great time.



I have taken lots of exams recently, and so far I think I did okay. I was really happy to find out that I got an A* for the first Science module, it was such a relief because I felt that I didn't do well at all when I sat the exam! I also sat a 10 hour art exam and just about finished my final piece, which is how I wanted it to be but I wish I could have just an extra half an hour to add some more finishing touches. It looks better in person than in the photos, you cannot see the way the cover shimmers because it is coated in so much glittery nail varnish (I think I used up my whole bottle!).

After I empty-headedly left my flute somewhere at school, it got stolen, so it was very difficult to prepare for my Grade 4 exam. Needless to say, it didn't go very well as I had a borrowed flute but I hope that I at least scraped a pass. Time will tell!



Cardigan, Tu
T-shirt, Punkyfish
Skirt, thirfted vintage
Pearls, vintage
Heart necklace, gift from Israel

As you have probably guessed from the above, I had absolutely no time for blogging. It is good that I have some now. It's early to celebrate, though, as the bulk of exams is fast approaching.



Cardigan, Cath Kidston
Jumpsuit, Primark
Rabbit T-shirt (underneath), Topshop

At last, some fashion-related news - I bought a wonderful little black dress for a black-and-white themed party, and it turned out to be a fantastic investment. It was the day of the party and I was running out of time when I went into H&M after trying out about a dozen different black dresses in various shops. The dress itself seemed ordinary, but when I wore it it fitted like a glove, and I figured it could be dressed in so many different ways. I originally wanted to return it because I was only going t wear it for 4 hours and £25 is quite expensive for me. Having thought about it, I decided to keep it and it proved very useful because it is such an effortless solution if I don't have anything fancy enough to wear. This is what I looked like the day of the party:




During the previous half-term my family went for a regular visit at Bicester village, one of the loveliest places I have ever shopped in. The houses always look so neat and homely, you just want to live there! The shops are all designer outlets which means that they sell stock from one or two seasons ago, all for a lot less (but still not always accessible to me!). There is even a Luella, but unfortunately they never seem to have pretty dresses. We usually buy odd little things, but that time was lucky and my mum bought me the most beautiful dress ever! The blue and white stripes reminds me a lot of Alice, or maybe Wendy Darling. It has detachable straps which is a big plus! We also popped into Cath Kidston and saw a lovely cardigan which we bought too; as you can see it goes absolutely perfectly with the dress. Needless to say I felt amazingly lucky.

I seem to have been showered with the most wonderful gifts of late. My mum has been spoiling me with lots of lovely things. Ribbed tights, the cosiest vintage argyle sweater, pearls, books and today this clutch bag. Sometimes I think I don't deserve it all. Oh, and she had bought me another dress, this time in a charity shop, and I am absolutely in love with it. I hope to show it to you very soon.

Hairbow, vintage
Pearls, vintage
Sweater, vintage
Dress, Influence

Another bit of news - I have been accepted by an acting agency! I'm not sure how good it is in temrs of credits, but their website looks very professional. I hope I will get some work because I need money to buy things, haha. Whilst we are on the subject of acting, I went to see another West End show! This time it was a reward trip from the school; we saw Gareth Gates as Joseph which was truly amusing. Not in a bad way necessarily, but the way he breathes when he sings is so peculiar, and the giggles at the back were at their peak when he came on stage topless! My favourite part was the sets; they did such an amazing job with what I think must have been no less than 10 different sets all switching around.