Garden Party.

Office Mule Clogs.                          

On my unplanned shopping trip last Saturday I wandered into H&M without much of an agenda, but then the new Garden Collection caught my eye. I've been awaiting its arrival since Christmas and most of the pieces are pretty great. Unfortunately they didn't have the beautiful red, ruched, strapless dress I was really after but I did invest in a pair flowing, floral print shorts (for £14.99) which, until it warms up I'm going to pair with black tights and my new £15 Office clogs and then bare legs in the summer and on holiday(!). I also picked up an Organic Cotton fifties style headband and two pairs of sunglasses. I have a bit of a sunglasses obsession; I think I have about 20 pairs. I'm always on the look out for the perfect pair that I will wear forever but as yet I've not found them. These do come pretty close though. They have a sort of 1940's style with a modern twist. For that reason I felt it necessary to buy both a black and tortoise shell pair.

         
 H&M Collection Shorts (Mine are strangely button-less)

I also added to my vintage bottle collection this week with this cute little deer Avon bottle. Avon ones are always the best looking but the worst smelling. They used to make really crazy ones, like dogs smoking pipes and china, perriot clowns. Perfume bottles now are so boring in comparison. Or maybe I just like tat? I'm not really sure.
  Also pictured is the book the chatty train man donated to me and the Garden collection headband.

  
The H&M Garden Collection dress I'm really after.    Christopher Kane inspired Topshop Dress I've bought. 

The master photographer returns next week so outfit posts will recommence. Hurrah!

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Vinegar and Brown Paper.

Hurrah! The long awaited perfect satchel arrived just in time for my lecture at the weekend. It came wrapped in brown parcel paper tied with string, which made it really exciting to open, like getting a rations package or a new knitted jumper from your great aunt you haven't seen in years. I am delighted to inform you that it is exactly what I hoped it would be. I think its going to get even better with wear. To me leather always looks better cracked and aged, it gives it character and shows it's been loved in a way fake leather can never achieve. The 14" was the ideal size, it holds all my A4 size books but isn't too bulky against my child-like stature. I debated for ages whether or not to get it embossed and in the end went for it. I chose to have it blindly embossed though so it isn't too showy or obvious.

The only thing I'm left thinking about now is what to put in the slide viewer on the front. I'm thinking maybe a small photograph or pattern but nothing I've found so far has looked right. It looks a little bare empty doesn't it.

Dining Out.

   
Last week after an aborted cinema trip and a half hearted attempt to go see a band, we settled on a decadent gourmet meal in the local supermarket cafe. It turned out fish, chips and beans with milky tea was just the ticket, espicially when followed with a drumstick lolly and refresher bar. Sometimes the most random evenings can turn out to be the best ones, plus it isn't very often you can get a two course meal for under a fiver.

  I kind of love tacky cafeterias with seats bolted to the gound and food on yellow plastic trays. I don't really know why, maybe it's because they always seem to be the setting for exciting rendezvous in movies, or maybe its because theres no pretention. Everyone there is just their everyday self. Also the people watching is incredible.

  I meant to post these pictures over the weekend but it turned out to be a really busy one. I had a course lecture on Saturday which also turned into an impromptu shopping trip (which I will post about tomorrow). The most interesting part of the day however, turned out to be the train trip home which due to the vast amount of Saturday shoppers meant I had to sit next to the chattiest man in existence. Its not that I don't like chatting to people, but after a four hour lecture (which, to be honest went no where) I was looking forward to quietly reading my book. Anyway, it transpired this chap was the most knowledgeable person regarding literature I have ever met. So an hour later I came away with a great deal of infomation on Barak Obama's autobiography, a list of books he thought I should invest in and a new copy of E.M Forster's A Room with a View. I think I might make a start on it over the weekend if my ever increasing cold doesn't let up.

  I think its time for my 'I'm poorly' cardigan and a large cup of honey, lemon and ginger.

Scents of Smell

The smell of my mother is one I will never tire of. I think the the ultimate smell for me. Though I will never wear it myself its one that I will always keep a bottle of.

             
                                                                                                                                                                                    In my continual search for the perfect scent I've accumulated a fair amount of perfume but I always return to a few favourites which have left lasting impressions. Chanel No 5 is one I wear very occasionally, usually for really special occasions'. The last time I wore it was about 6 months ago to a meal at the Glasshouse with my boyfriend. Its a smell that reminds me of love.


















               
                                                                                                                                                                                         I also love Classique by John Paul Gaultier, its heavy floral scent makes me think of summer walks and hot days in long grass fields. Its definitely one of my favourites.

The Real McCoy Exeter

 Nina By Nina Ricci is one a wear on a daily basis, mainly because its a really cheerful smell. It's sweet without being sickly and isn't to overpowering. Its a really youthful smell so I don't think I'll be able to wear it forever but for now it will do for days out to The Real McCoy.

 Burberry Brit is my all time favourite perfume, there is something about the combination of fruit and wood that really hits home with me. To me it smells like sunshine makes you feel and despite the chav packaging I love it. I try to resist wearing it everyday as I don't want to get bored of it. It holds really good memories of walking through Pittville park in the spring sunshine and sitting on the benches by the lake watching the ducks.


Ever since I can remember I have loved perfume. I have vivid childhood memories of making perfume from rose petals and daisies to give to my ever grateful mum. I'm sure they smelt truely terrible.
 To me fragrance is a really personal and emotional experience. It's not so much about smelling nice but finding a combination of scents that define you. I think someone's scent can leave a lasting impression both good and bad. My mother always wore Lancome Poeme and to me that will always be her smell. I still keep a bottle hidden away, and all I have to do is take a quick sniff and I can remember everything about her. I guess that's why I have such a passion for fragrance, I want to recreate the lasting impression she did. For me fragrance is like music, in the way certain songs are attached to certain memories and emotions certain smells hold particular associations.
 I find the composite of perfume really interesting and when I'm feeling particularly geeky I like to go online and look up the top notes, heart and base notes of different brands and I was lucky enough to be able to complete a course on perfumery at work. I'ts a smelly persons dream.

The Perfect Satchel.

Asos Tuck Lock Satchel

Mulberry Alexa
Clarks Temple Beam Bag
Topshop Leather Buckle Satchel

For about six months now I have been looking for the perfect satchel. I didn't want it for fashion purposes but as a bag large and sturdy enough to keep all of my weighty coursework books in when I go to lectures. I also wanted something to keep my camera in when out and about that wasn't one of those hideous polyester camera bags that scream 'There's an expense camera in here!' I initially tried ebay but everything was either to expense or not great quality, and to be honest I don't really trust ebay. I always think you have to know exactly what you want otherwise you can end up really disappointed. Next I tried fashion websites such as asos, Topshop and even Clarks (at least you'd be guaranteed quality) but nothing really matched up to what I wanted except for the Mulberry Alexa; which at £795 was a tad over what I was looking to pay.

Then while endlessly googling satchel sites I found The Cambridge Satchel company. They make the satchels that kids used to wear to school in the 40's and great leather sheet music bags. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted. They are leather, simple and come in a lot of colours and sizes. I've plumped for the 14" vintage brown leather satchel. Even better is the embossing service they offer, so this week I can expect a very exciting delivery which will literally have my name on it.

The Cambridge Satchel Company 14" satchel.

Foxy Style

Unique A/W 10.
Photo: Marcio Madeira / FirstView.com

I have totally fallen in love with a/w10 collection from Topshop Unique. I don't usually like the Unique range but I think this is just amazing. Its got an Animals of Farthing Wood/Fantastic Mr. Fox feel with a lot of military tailoring thrown in which all sounds horrendous on paper but somehow looks really right. Apparently Katie Grand did the styling which I guess explains the animal hats (I want a fox one), large eyebrows and textured layering. I guess what I like about it the most is that its all wearable. It reminds me of the simplicity of Chloe but with the English quirkiness of Luella (R.I.P) mixed in. I loved Luella and I don't really think anyone has replaced her. I always thought her collections were really original but actually wearable and fun and surely that's what Fashion is all about, having fun with the way you look. To me getting dressed should be enjoyable and about discovering what makes you feel good not whats 'cool'. I defiantly think a pair of those shear-ling boots would make me feel good, and the khaki short suit, and some of those socks, and a fur hat. I'm not sure about the eyebrows though.

Talking of Fantastic Mr. Fox...




I think it says a lot about a film when you want to have the costumes of an animated character. Everything about the foxy world looked so appealing, which is totally ridiculous as it was just like the real world only much smaller. I think maybe the scale is the key. I've always loved miniature things, I always wanted to be a 'Borrower'. Sad but true. But to say I enjoyed the film is an understatement. It was one of my favourites of last year and will most certainly be a DVD purchase very soon. I love all of Wes Anderson's films, but I think this might, for me, even top Darjeeling Limited.