somatic style

Online dreaming...

2011-10-07T13:22:00.002+01:00

Excuse the poor editing, but after a morning spent dreamily adding thing after thing to my Topshop online shopping basket I needed to organize my thoughts a bit. It is incredible how expensive things are, but pretending money is no object can be quite fun. I might actually get that ring...just want to size it up in real life first.

Two words: Glitter boots. (Those Baxter model jeans look really baggy in the photo but I highly recommend them. I have a blue denim pair and they fit like a glove.)

More of a spring look, but I loved this dress. It's not as expensive as it looks, but I need to curb the desire to buy it. I have way too many pretty pastel pink dresses and not enough places to take them to. The bone earrings seem like a pretty perfect accessory to toughen up a really girly look.

I've always preferred silver to gold, but I have started to appreciate really good gold tone accessories. I have that green ring, it was only a fiver and it's not massive like most rings these days. I couldn't decide which of the necklaces I liked best for this collage. I reckon the ring one would be uncomfortable to wear, but having boobs would make the tube and chain one look funny. Like when you wear suspenders and they go to the side of your boobs. Ah, girl problems.

Changes

2011-09-23T08:28:00.000+01:00

I've just discovered the new updater. FINALLY BLOGGER! Big pictures and easier posting (hopefully) here I come!

This picture is one of hopefully many to come of my recent trip to Barcelona! It was fantastic and I want to go back as soon as possible.

Peek

2011-09-22T18:01:00.009+01:00

Here's a little peek at what I'm planning to wear for Gavin's birthday party next weekend. Looking forward to seeing some old friends I haven't seen in a while! Also looking forward to trying to make my hair as big and 60s as I can muster. Considering that I have very fine Scandinavian hairs, it will be a challenge. Hopefully my "bumpit" that I got ages ago will help out.

Wishes

2011-08-19T11:01:00.001+01:00

Wishes, originally uploaded by balloons and bowties.

Some autumn inspiration completely from Topshop. I find I can get lost looking at their online shop. Everything is just so great!

Tumblr tumble

2011-07-21T12:08:00.003+01:00

Please visit my tumblr - galaxy of neurons. I try to update it frequently with pictures that I have saved up over the years in my inspiration folder.

http://www.galaxyneurons.tumblr.com/

Space Dress

2011-07-12T10:57:00.003+01:00

If I was in the Jetsons this would be mine. I am however not in the Jetsons, so to own this I would need either a very pretty bra or some gravity defying boobs. And an astronomical night out!

Frock 'n' Roll

2011-05-27T20:37:00.004+01:00

About a week ago I stumbled into one of Reading's only descent vintage stores; Frock & Roll. It's a small shop located on my regular route between my house and the town center, so I have no excuse not to go in on a more regular basis! Prices vary around 12 - 30 odd pounds, but the quality definitely makes up for the higher prices. I have yet to find a piece of clothing with any defects. The shop is very cosy and it carries 50's to 80's clothing, all hand picked by the owners. It really is a lovely shop and the owner is very friendly and always ready to help out if you need some advice. Now, to my latest purchases!

First of all is this amazing 70s dress in an emerald green with blue, black and silver stripes. It fits incredibly due to the bias cut and the fitted waist. I am planning on wearing it when my brother leaves school next month. It reminds me a bit of the latest Prada collection too, which was scattered with stripes and bright colours.

This 60s dress was a bit pricier, but once I put it on I just had to have it! It has a velvet bodice, with a velvet ribbon fastened with a rhinestone belt. The skirt is made of this stripey gold, silver and black "furry" material. It's hard to describe, but it is covered in threads, which gives it a really cool texture. I'm not quite sure when I will get a chance to wear it, but it's pretty incredible. It makes me think of something Chanel would make, very classic but incredibly glamourous at the same time.

I am very happy with both dresses, and will definitely be stopping by Frock & Roll in the future!

Growth spurt

2011-05-27T10:47:00.002+01:00

As soon as spring sprung and the season of frost was officially over me and Gavin rushed to various plant sales and garden centers to fill our rather grey basement flat "garden". Here are some of the plants we are carefully looking after at the moment.

A tomato-less tomato plant

Three strawberry plants that are really thriving

Some incredibly vibrant Petunias.

As you can see from the before and after there's quite a difference since the flowers bloomed! In the background of the first picture you can see a path leading up to a wooden bucket. In there we have coffee cups and small pots containing more flowers which are now blooming. I think that when you live in a place so distant from nature it is important to surround yourself with as much as you can! (As long as you remember to water all of it!)

A Galaxy in progress

2011-05-22T12:09:00.005+01:00

I love those old photos of women sitting on the moon, and seeing Caitlin Shearer's latest painting has inspired me! I am finally putting this framed box that I have been saving to use. I bought it last year when I went to visit Gavin in Nantes. It's been sitting around on a bookshelf ever since, emptily mocking me. It's going to be fiddly though, as I am planning on making use of the 3D potential of the box. I'll post pictures when it's completed.

Jonsson's Jewellers

2011-05-03T14:59:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I went down to the local Hobbycraft to see if anything caught my eye. This time it was the jewellery section, with it's many sparkling beads and different clasps. I was instantly inspired, and collected a bit too many things in my basket. Some woman even came up asking if I could help her as I looked like I knew what I was doing! I had to tell her the truth, that I was really as lost as her, but figured it couldn't be as hard as it looked.

When I got back I instantly knew what I wanted to make, which was a long galaxy inspired necklace with these blue sparkling beads and amazing gun metal star beads. I set to work with my new tools and was quite pleased with the results.

Long gun metal chain necklace/wrap-around bracelet with marcasite stars and blue goldstone beads.

I then gave bracelets a go. I am really happy with my double chain shooting star bracelet. It hangs really nicely and doesn't look too homemade, which was my main concern when starting off.

Double chain, snowflake obsidian and marcasite shooting stars on chains

I also made a very simple red coral bracelet which works very nicely with a summer tan and a plain bikini. Now if I ever actually get a tan or venture out in a bikini is a whole other story!

Red coral bracelet with toggle clasp

Spring Colours

2011-05-03T12:27:00.005+01:00

Last month I bought an early birthday present for myself. It's a perfect Miu Miu inspired tan leather bag that fits all the various things I like to lug around with me. I managed to lose my perfect gold clasped purse during my Birthday celebrations. Typical me to be so clumsy, but at least I rediscovered my pale blue wallet.

I am just back from a weeks trip to Sweden where I spent my actual birthday and Easter. I also spent the last few days of April trying to walk in these lilac Clarks shoes I bought last autumn. They have a slightly raised heel so are comfortable, but they still cut into my heel a bit. Ironically the anti-blister gel pads I put in the back managed to give me blisters. So now I have been using them for short trips across the road for milk, or hanging up laundry in the garden, to get my feet accustomed to them.

This picture is also one of the first I have taken with my best birthday present ever. A new DSLR, as my dad's old one had stopped working. I spent about 20% of my trip to Sweden taking pictures closer and closer to the squirrels who come to eat old bird seed in our garden. Those pictures and many more will hopefully come as I try and get this blog going again.

bag- Topshop
wallet - Topshop
shoes - Clarks

Elle Fanning - Rodarte

2011-04-05T20:19:00.003+01:00

This makes me want to paint pretty blonde girls with barrettes in their hair, and some version of their blue and white china dress.

Elle Fanning: Rodarte's Muse on Nowness.com.

P.s. Elle Fanning is 12. Seriously.

Wishes.

2011-03-17T11:51:00.004Z

Topshop have stepped up their game this spring. I'm loving the sheer back on that nude gemstone dress. I also like their embellishing, such as the sequin made flowers and the beaded scallop design used on the cream and light blue dresses. But most of all I so, so, so wish I was a superhero right now. I would prance around the top of skyscrapers dressed in pale yellow tights and that pink little number with the chiffon cape. Unfortunatley I am no superhero, and I do not have £120 pounds to spare for that limted edition dress. Anyways, surely all their dresses are "limited edition"? They rarely bring them back once they have sold out, only the more plain best sellers seem to return in different colours.

A Progress Report

2011-02-23T10:59:00.004Z

'Crystal Lara' is my latest painting. Here is a little look into what images I used to make this painting. When I do a realistic painting, or a painting based on a specific model or piece of clothing, I always use a reference photo to make sure I get the look I want to achieve. I usually don't try to make the picture too realistic as that is not what my style is about. I have in the past and I do, every now and again, attempt realism in portraits. My general opinion is that there are so many artists that can do that so much better than me, so I focus on making each painting mine instead of hyper-realistic!

Museum Madames

2011-02-03T15:52:00.006Z

While in Sweden I visited Nordiska Museet, which had a show on about 300 years of fashion. The actual fashion exhibition was alright, but I felt they didn't go into enough depth, and show enough variety for each of the decades/centuries covered. We ended up wandering around, looking at most of the other shows too.

The swan came from an exhibit on different table settings throughout different centuries. I can't recall what year this was meant to represent, but the crystal hanging from the beak of the swan caught my eye. It's so beautiful, it doesn't look like food! Well, until you see the cooked torso...odd.

The text was another thing that caught my eye. It's about wedding rings and the bit I liked reads "The ring is placed on the left ringfinger. From there, it is said, a vein leads straight to the heart." It tickled my heartstrings anyways.

I love the vintage photography, especially the little girl putting on her sock garters. Both the cat and the little girl in two of the pictures seem to have been possessed when the pictures were taken.

Break Down, Down Time

2011-02-03T11:41:00.011Z

Here's a little break down of an outfit I wore about a month ago. I love this bow belt. I've been trying to find one similar to a bowtie for years. I spotted a couple on a street style blog where the woman had a navy belt similar to this one, and it started an obsession! I even tried to make one myself. It didn't turn out as nice, but I still have it.
This jumper from Topshop is so lovely, but I was worried the gems would look a bit tacky. Thus the all black. These short sleeved jumpers aren't very practical but I can't help but fall for them. It's similar to wearing cigarette pants/rolled up chinos with flats/brogues (blister alert); So pretty, and in some ways sensual. Like a dress flashing your lower back or a vintage jacket designed with sleeves designed to show off your jewellery, it just shows a bit of the vulnerable body.
p.s. I love the tiles in our bathroom, and can't help but take pictures in there!

Dreams of Free Time

2011-01-02T14:32:00.003Z

These pictures of outfits by tinytoadstool from dadaya perfectly show the types of outfits I long for when I'm working. At my current job there you can't dress too fancy as everything is always at risk of getting grabbed, ripped or spillt on. I am happy that we can wear what we want (as long as it is appropriate..) but I am just too protective over my clothes. I have lovely t-shirts and cardigans and trousers that would work fine at work, but I don't want them to get ruined. I purposefully wear cheap and ratty clothes that I don't care about. Unfortunatley this leaves me feeling cheap and ratty. I feel like a tramp when I wait for the bus/train. I sometimes have to sleep at work which leaves me with a huge tatty backpack and a sleeping bag, adding to the effect. On my days off I am usually too tired to make any effort, so unless I have to leave the house I will usually remain in comfortable, boring clothes.

When spring comes, I hope to find time to wear beautiful bouncy dresses, short skirts with knee socks and vintage blouses which I have a minor collection of these days. I want to use the gorgeous clothes I keep stocking up on but never have occasions to wear. Perhaps one of my New Years resolutions will be to at least once a week dress like all those gorgeous girls and bloggers that inspire me so much.

It's cold outside.

2010-12-22T16:43:00.002Z

..and inside by the looks of things! I'm back in Sweden and it's been pretty cold, as you can tell my the ice on the inside of my window. Gavin has been stuck in Reading due to all the snow in the UK, but should finally be arriving in about an hour! He's celebrating Christmas with my family this year, which is going to be really fun. I'm grateful that he's willing to celebrate this holiday with me away from his own family. Christmas is so special to me and I love all the different traditions, and the food of course! Hopefully it will all be worth it in the end and we'll have a lovely Christmas Eve.

Wishful bidding

2010-11-26T10:49:00.004Z

Here is my current ebay bid list:

1. Marcasite dress clip
- I love marcasite as a replacement for more sparkley stones. It always looks very classy and has the perfect vintage look to it. This dress clip is perfect for adding that special touch to a blazer pocket.
2. Marcasite "F" charm
- I am forever searching for initial jewellery. When Accessorize came out with a teensy sterling silver letter necklace I was heartbroken to find they didn't even produce an "F" necklace. Apparently not enough people's names start with an "F". Hot chocolate and mint's Diana has an amazing set of initial rings which I can't seem to find anywhere!

3. Gold tone amber pendant
- Amber goes so well with autumn shades, and I want to wear it with my elbow patch jumper (see next post) and my maroon maxi dress.
4. Amber ball claw pendant
- Thought this was pretty cool, and once again amber is such a nice colour for autumn.

5. Star brooch

- Vogue´s December Star issue has gotten into my head, especially after I lost my perfect golden star brooch on a night out. It was the cherry on top with my military jacket and I want a replacement. The one I am bidding on is much fancier, but I have pretty much given up on it as so many people are bidding.

Obsessional Art

2010-11-12T11:38:00.004Z

I stumbled across Liza Lou via a post by GodammitI'mMad on obsessional art. She spends years covering things in millions of glass beads. She even gave herself acute tendinitis whilst covereing an entire kitchen by hand over the course of 5 years. I find it fascinating that someone could spend that much time and energy on something so, dare I say, pointless?

It reminds me of art by Yayoi Kusama, the fascinating woman obsessed with spots. It's art bordering on insanity, and in Kusama's case is did in fact lead her to choose to live her life in a mental hospital. I personally love Kusama's spotted art, and would love to see some of it in person.

Another interesting artist who's art developed along with his mental health problems was Louis Wain. As his schizophrenia set in his paintings of cats grew more and more obsessional through intricate patters, but also more frightening. I really find mental illness expressed through art to be very interesting, showing the capabilities of the human mind and body. Whilst I am not aware of whether Lou has mental health problems, her art remains very overwhelming.

Siri in the Stars

2010-11-11T15:12:00.004Z

I love the star sign photo shoot for the Stardust December 2010 issue of Vogue. My absolute favorite is Virgo, it's so dreamy. I love the sequin leggings used for Libra. I had to include my own sign Taurus which, for once, was not protrayed by a woman with bull horns and brown clothes. Very refreshing!
Scans via lovelornunicorn.

Dear Santa..

2010-11-07T13:40:00.004Z

Here is my Christmas wishlist from Asos.
I've been good, I swear!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

xoxo

Frida

Class of 2010

2010-11-01T14:25:00.006Z

I've just realized I never shared any pictures from one of the most important days of my life; my graduation! This summer I graduated from the University of Reading with a Psychology degree. It was an incredible day, which started with me stressfully moving the last bits into my new flat and cleaning the old one out. My family came down from Sweden to visit, and after the ceremony, hat throwing and cheers, we went out to a nice meal to celebrate. It was some seriously good food! All in all I had an incredible day, and it still makes me smile to think about it. Thanks to my Dad for the great photos!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T14:07:00.005Z

For Halloween I was Pippi Longstocking and Gavin was a scarecrow. (Note the framed photo in the background that belongs in a spa. I'm not into the terrible decorating of this house, but am too lazy to do something about it...) The hair was a big hit with people grabbing and commenting all night. I got everything from "Wow that is some strong hairspray" to "You've got handlebars, VROOOM". Someone also thought I was a natural redhead, and trust me it looked just as fake as in the picture. It only took 3 hits with the shampoo bottle to get the orange out. Overall I am super impressed with myself, as I got back from work at 9 and got ready in about 30-45 minutes. Unfortunately this meant I forgot to get a proper picture of my full outfit!

I would post pictures of all my friends awesome costumes, but feel funny about doing it without them knowing. Silly semi-secret blog. Let's just say there was a cute Minnie Mouse, a witch or two, little red riding hood, a penguin and an body paint addict who chose to go as the Hulk (previous costumes: devil, smurf & Barney).

Check it out! Pacman about to enjoy an alcopop! I spotted him after people cleared the dance floor at late o'clock.

Pondering

2010-09-29T17:38:00.005+01:00

Alexa Chung for Madewell. I know, it's been around the blogosphere and back, but I have been on hiatus and want to have my say!

I love it. There are so many basics that I feel I have tried to find for years now without success. It's depressing that Madewell doesn't exist in the UK. As may others have said it consists of copies of those rare vintage gems you find every once in a while (or if you actually are Alexa probably every other day). I love the looks, especially the peter pan collar blouse and dresses, the tapered trouser and especially all the high waisted shorts looks.

The only problem is that the weather is only ever appropriate for about 2 days all autumn. Who actually wears short-shorts without tights? If it actually is that warm then you wouldn't be wearing layers like scarves and cardigans. Maybe it's just me who gets freakishly cold if my limbs aren't covered to the same level...Alexa sure doesn't seem to get cold with her super long and lean legs. She doesn't even have the same protective fat layers most of us have ( on purpose to keep warm of course..)

Either way I will attempt to try ankle socks, rather than tights, with shorts, if only just to the shops to get more milk! And while we cannot get any of these pieces here, I'll just get my designer-collaboration fix in November from Lanvin vs. H&M.

Autumn Wish List

2010-09-29T17:22:00.004+01:00

Too many trips to topshop.com has lead me to saving too many pictures on my computer. An actual trip to the Oxford Circus Topshop provided me a chance to look at all the items in real life. The bug necklace was unfortunatley sold out. I did try and find the peter pan blouse but that too was sold out.

I ended up coming back with a pair of beige shorts, some 70s jeans from the sale and a deep red maxi dress. I want to get the maxi dress in tan as well, it is so perfect because it looks fancy but it feels like pjs. Perfect for someone who lounges around in their pyjamas on days off like me.

I also tried on this incredible asymmetrical-lacey-rhinestoned-khaki-crop mystery, and a pair of chinos but decided against them for now. I will probably cave in and get them later.

Back...

2010-09-20T19:40:00.004+01:00

It's been a while since I last blogged, and summer has officially turned into fall. While I spent most of my summer graduating, moving in with Gavin and having fun I finally had to face facts and spent the rest of it slaving away in a call center. I thought I was never going to get out, the walls were closing in and it was getting harder to breathe.
Today all that changed. Today I got offered an actual psychology related job. I took it.
Who cares that it's getting colder? Things are actually seeming lot brighter.
(picture found via lolita)

Shirts, Skirts & Socks

2010-07-15T15:03:00.003+01:00

Now that the summery heat appears to have been replaced with rainy winds I have started planning (and dressing) for fall. I do hope fall is hot enough for these leg baring outfits. Too bad I don't have a "school start" to shop for. Don't you non-school goers miss buying new pens and notebooks for school? Maybe that's just me; I am a huge stationary geek.

Girl Crush: Anaïs

2010-07-12T11:39:00.007+01:00

This is one of my new favorite bloggers. Anaïs runs "The Time is Grey", a blog following her daily life, thoughts and outfits as she lives and works in Japan. She has an amazing sense of style, very simple but always put together. Her long fair mane perfectly tops off all of her perfectly colour/tone-matched outfits. The top picture is basically my dream outfit for these hot summer nights. I'd kill for her figure so I too could wear those gorgeous highwaisted trousers in the bottom two pictures!

Creepy Crawly Short Shorts

2010-06-08T22:56:00.007+01:00

This was from revision time, as a random form of procrastination. I love these cork heeled wedges I got when I went to London at 15. I never really wore them until now, when I realized they are like the most perfect summer evening shoes. And I wanted these H&M shorts since the first time I saw them but I didn't think they would suit me so I never tried them. Then one day in London I spotted them in the size below me, but tried them on anyways. Turned out they fit perfectly! I love the row of golden buttons and the folded hems, and the comfortable high-waist.

An icey summer

2010-06-07T23:04:00.005+01:00

The cleverest shoes matched with some of my favorite spring pale hues. Hannah Menzies, I officially love you. (found via Stylebubble)

Polkadot Passion

2010-06-05T13:26:00.001+01:00

The third dress is my summer ball gown. Not quite sure about what to wear with it yet. If only I could find a nice plain purse, a nice pair of bright red low heels and some lipstick to match.

Setareh Mohtarez

2010-06-03T13:00:00.001+01:00

Some pretty incredible pieces by Setareh Mohtarez, found via the incredible Luxirare.

I love the backstage pictures best, the first dress looks almost alive!

Inspiration x 4

2010-05-30T18:12:00.003+01:00

I know what I did last summer..

2010-05-30T17:43:00.009+01:00

Around this time last year my housemates and I took a little trip to London, hung out in parks and fed some perplexed geese and ducks. I love summer, and I wish we had a large garden like in our last house. We used to bbq and have parties outside quite often. Our tiny "garden" in our current house doesn't even have grass!

Me and Gavin also went to Brighton (note the weather was not quite as good..) last year. It was great fun though, one of my best mini-holidays ever. Brighton is one of my favorite cities in England, it's so great and has something for everyone. I love going to Snooper's Paradise to look around all the monitors for cool vinage finds.

In Brighton we stopped by a shop which has lots of international candy. I had to get this lemon flavoured blue kitkat. Upon trying it when we got back neither me, nor Gavin was impressed.

I hope that this summer will be just as great as last year, and it seems like it will be. Most of my friends have tickets for Reading Festival, and Gavin and I are going to visit France this week, and hopefully we will get to Sweden towards the end of summer. We might do some weekend trips to London, Brighton and random places in the UK too. This all depends on if we get good jobs of course haha!

2010-05-30T11:14:00.003+01:00

I'm back from the dark side of exams and into the slightly less dark side involving job-hunting and appartment-viewings. And now that Gavin is back everything is pretty much fluffy and pink, even though it is a bit hard adjusting to having to share a room sometimes. We can't wait to move in together and to make whatever place we get ours! Until then we are just spending out days watching quiz shows and films as well as going out every chance we get. On tuesday we are off to France to spend a week at Gavin's parent's place which should be pretty cool. Then it's back to the stress of finding out my final university grade! (My hair has gotten really long, considering cutting it and getting bangs soon...hmm)

Lens flare

2010-05-06T16:17:00.004+01:00

I love sunglasses, especially vintage cat-eye ones. So it was no wonder that I fell for the amazing Alexander Wang silver tipped ones. I'm really hoping H&M or Primark make some cheap knock-off version of them which I will shamelessly wear all summer with cutoff denim There is a current knock-off version by NastyGal, but I just can't see myself spending $18 + shipping, for some that haven't quite caught my heart. I just don't like them in white! Black would be so much more versatile and less crazy looking.

The Prada sunnies also caught my eye and a search for some clear frame glasses started. Now I am waiting for these 99p rose pink deadstock vintage sunnies from ebay to arrive. Perfect for a nice flowy dress and a picnic in the sun. Let's just hope they aren't too small and give me headaches!

Time is running out

2010-05-01T12:35:00.003+01:00

This is saved in my "To do" file, as something I was going to try and paint at some point. It reflects how completely glamorous revision is. I've got 1/7 exams done, and I'm finished for good on the 21st of May. Hopefully that is a good enough excuse to explain the severe lacking in posts lately. I'm officially on hiatus (until I need a procrastination break).
Will be back soon, I promise!

Eenie meenie miney moe..

2010-04-28T15:13:00.004+01:00

Trying to pick between which essay to write and memorize for my only first seen-exam. Animal consciousness or how tv/video games ruins the learning of language in children. At the moment I'm thinking animals, mainly because the question is based on a male chimp that actually planned rock-throwing attacks on spectactors at his zoo. That ape don't take shit from no one! Here is what I am wearing whilst I try to pick.

I'm old.

2010-04-25T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today I'm old enough to take a plane to America and go to a casino. Not that I would want to do that. A cocktail in New York would be nice though. Enough dreaming, I'm spending my birthday desperately trying to pack enough research and theories into my brain to pass one out of many coming exams. I am however looking forward to opening my bag of presents that my family had me pack when I went back to England, and the obligatory phone call from them of course! Here are some birthday-related pictures I have collected in my inspiration folder. I'm gutted I couldn't find the best one, a painted bear with a birthday hat!
(all but one source unknown, picture 2 by scarborough fair)

Birthday Party!

2010-04-23T22:38:00.004+01:00

For my animal themed 21st birthday party I dressed up as a dalmatian with my best friend Panda. Not many of the boys dressed up (as you can see in the first picture..) but a few did and it was all good fun anyways. I did manage to convince some of them to let me paint cat whiskers throughout the night though. I love costume parties and making costumes, and since it's my last birthday as an undergraduate I figured I could still get away with it. One highlight was finding a monster in some left over guiness foam. Can you see it?

All in all it was a great night, I did pay the price the following day though. The last photo was at the end of the night. I wanted a photo with him, not sure why. I don't even care that much about politics, he just has such a creepy smile. I heard they had to train him to learn how to smile. It shows.

Cherry blossom girl

2010-04-20T10:18:00.005+01:00

As I mentioned in the previous post the cherry trees were in full blossom when I was in Paris. This lead me to take way too many photos of cherry blossoms (although all but the picture of Gavin were taken by him.)

Back in Town

2010-04-19T10:29:00.003+01:00

I'm back from the best week ever! Paris was amazing, all the cherry trees were blossoming and I got lots of cool vintage pieces to add to my overfull closet. The best part was spending an entire week with just Gavin, getting the quality time we need after a year of him teaching abroad.
Tomorrow is my 21st birthday party, then it's time for hardcore revision, a few weeks of exams and then I am finished with my undergraduate degree! Once I have graduated I should have an appartment with Gavin to move into, and hopefully a job.

This is a crazy year really.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

2010-04-11T22:07:00.001+01:00

I got this ring for my 18th birthday. My mom got for her 13th birthday from some relatives and decided to pass it on to me. It's one of my favorite things, because when she gave it to me she jokingly said it was the smallest diamond in the world. The band is made out of white gold, but it's the teensy diamond that gets to me. It's small, simple but very special to me.
And to be honest, who doesn't want to own the smallest diamond in the world?
(I realise it isn't Friday, but this is my favorite thing for last Friday then)

Paris!

2010-04-11T22:01:00.005+01:00

I'm going to Paris tomorrow.
(The picture wasn't staged, one of my necklaces above my planner happened to cover the eiffel tower I had drawn )

Crystallized

2010-04-09T23:48:00.004+01:00

When I went to London with Gavin for our 2 year anniversary/valentine's day combo weekend we had to go window shopping in some of the richer areas. The Mulberry window (first picture) was my absolute favorite one. I can't remember which designer the second picture was, but I liked the paper maiche animals.

I spotted Prada at the end of the road right when we were about to turn round and forced Gavin to come with me so I could drool over the crystallized bags. I knew when I saw them that I had to try and make my own version of this. I didn't know if I would find cheap enough crystals to do it with, but luckily Swedish hooby shop 'Panduro' had loads left over meant for Christmas trees!

Since I love my "steal-me" bag so much (persplex and clear plastic) and Prada had done a few clear plastic bags with the crystals I wanted something similar. I started off making a big brooch out of the crystals which I glue-gunned together. I had coincidentally just gotten one of those free make up bags, but it had the brand printed on it. That luckily came off with nail polish remover, and after that things were easy. I added the metal eyelets and got some of those jewellery stick-locks (?) to attach to an old strap I had lying around. Since it's a brooch I can add it to a different bag when I eventually do get robbed for flashing my things around!

The last picture is a peek at my new ball dress for the summer ball. It's by Ida Sjöstedt and it's pretty weird but dreamy.

Randoms

2010-04-06T18:57:00.003+01:00

A banana that begged to not be consumed, and a lobster I spotted in a car window. Best decorative-car-toy ever. I ate the banana. Sorry.

Colours

2010-04-06T18:22:00.007+01:00

On monday I am going to Paris to meet up with Gavin for a wonderful, hopefully sunny, week. The last time I saw him was 6 weeks ago when he arrived with all these wonderful macaroons, the best in Nantes! They are so pretty, I like the white vanilla one with the poppy seeds on it best. I can't wait to see Paris again, and to see Gavin again. I miss him so much!

Glad Påsk!

2010-03-26T21:07:00.012Z

Ok, I haven't posted for a million years for a reason - my laptop has been in the shop getting fixed! I did however get it back a few days ago, but I have just been trying to relax and enjoy some family time. Now, to catch up on two missed "Frida's Favorite Friday"s I thought I would share some of my favorite vintage evening bags! I have a minor collection of these, including a few more than those shown. I rarely get to use these bags, but I do love their petite elegance and glamour. My favorite is the beaded one because it looks like stingray leather. The gold one was a cool carboot sale find that turned out to have a matching purse inside. The last picture is my latest bag, that I had to get because I oddly enough already had a matching headband.

I'm baaack

2010-03-24T08:53:00.004Z

I've been a bad blogger, but I have excuses! The past week I was working on my dissertation, celebrating 2 years with Gavin (♥) and travelling back to Sweden. I got my bound dissertation in, had a lovely skype video call with Gavin and got back to Sweden (which is still friggin' snowy!) in one piece! And now to do some relaxing retail therapy in Stockholm. I will be back to blogging properly by tomorrow!

Oh and here is hover cat:

Coin Laundry

2010-03-14T00:50:00.002Z

An really awesome music video for Lisa Mitchell's song "Coin Laundry". She's so cute!

Spring has not quite sprung

2010-03-13T19:44:00.003Z

I actually saw the outside of my room today. Unfortunatley it was spent in the library working on the "D" word. I did not wear this though, that was yesterday. I like the single daisy clip cuz it makes me feel ready for spring! I'm going back to Sweden on Saturday and I cannot wait! Unfortunatley I will be leaving this nearly-warm weather for snow, ice and cold. Boo!
Today I wore a kick-butt gorilla t-shirt from the H&M kids department. It makes me happy. I bought it before the whole Christopher Kane-craze with gorilla prints though. He totally stole my look.

Frida's Favorite Friday

2010-03-12T14:45:00.008Z

This is my life at the moment, sitting huddled up in a jumper attempting to write a bit on the ol' dissertation, but getting distracted by films, series, blogs etc. Anyways, I thought I would start a little segment on this blog called "Frida's Favorite Friday". I have alot of stuff (note picture below, the red bag is stuff I am getting rid off..I should have about 4 more of those really..). I have a really hard time seperating from my things because I treasure alot of it. So I thought I would share some of these things with you guys! This first one is something I have shown ages ago. It's a original 1930s necklace made from some of the first plastic! The woman who sold it to me told me it was her mother's, who had gotten it from America. Pretty cool ey?

That blue belt used to be my mother's from when she was a kid. I paired the blue with black and brown. That reminds me, I once told my friend to wear her brown shoes with her black outfit and my other friend went "OMG, you can't wear brown and black together!". It made me laugh. Of course you can!

Don't Stop!

2010-03-12T14:04:00.004Z

An amazing stop-motion film by Ithyle Griffith and Angela Kohler, featuring Alison Sudol. I love the ocean bit, and the part where the hair becomes a tree. It makes me think of a painting I did a while ago (see picture), but now I want to do another one! I can't wait for next week when I go back to Sweden and leave all this work behind! Then I can paint every day if I wanted to!
(video found on daydream lily)

300th post!

2010-03-10T14:01:00.002Z

To be celebrated with the new She + Him video "In the Sun". I love her dress in the hula hoop scene! (found out about it from Gavin)

Sheer Sheerness

2010-03-09T16:30:00.007Z

Today I decided was the perfect day to try out my new creamy pale converse and my most delicate polkadotted sheer tights. The socks came in a pack with polka dot yellow, solid light pink and these stripey grey for just £1 in the sales. My hair no longer looks this wavy and nice, it was simply the results of un-doing a bun I slept in. I love the teeny scarf I found during a car boot sale, and I am happy I finally know what to do with it! I can't decide whether I like or hate this skirt. It's the perfect colour, but when worn with something tucked in it looks really unflattering.

And all of this was just to avoid working on my dissertation. Shame on me!

Buzzz

2010-03-09T16:19:00.002Z

The other day I was dressed a bit like a bumble bee. Just like my key chain.

My favorite is grape soda

2010-03-09T14:28:00.003Z

This was my favorite beach towel for ages, but unfortunatley it got this black stain on it which just won't come out. So I decided to preserve the stainless parts by chopping it up and making smaller hand towels. All I had to do was fold a paper square which would cover each cap, leaving enough room for the next towel. I then outlined them and cut them out. This was followed by a quick zig-zag around the edges and a stunt in the washing machine to get rid of towel lint. Each towel has a bottle cap on it! I ended up saving quite a bit of it, and got like 10 towels out of it. The last picture was from when my friend gave me some chocolate coins and one of them was the Swedish ten crown. I got way too excited about that coinkidink! (hah just noticed you can't spell coinkidink without the word "coin"...oh god shot me now.)

On my mind today..

2010-03-08T01:43:00.012Z

Twins in miumiu, intriquite sequins and naked lady collars. Also a crazy facehunted fur. (Miumiu pics via VainandVapid.)
Today I also tried to learn to hula from youtube. Sometimes I think I can definitely learn how to dance again, but I tend to fail miserably. My 20 year old body does not move in time with my 13 year old dancing able mind. I guess I will just have to keep relying on my so-called 'robot' when out and about.

Get me outta here

2010-03-06T15:21:00.003Z

The other night I procrastinated by making a star cluster hair pin. I was going to make a headband but they always give me headaches. I also love hair pins and use them most days, so I changed my mind. (I wore my new topshop playsuit with mustard tights, which worked better than it sounds)

Today is a beautiful warm, sunny and springy day but I am trapped inside working away on my dissertation. So far I have managed to screw up the analyisis so often I don't know what's what. Hopefully I have written it up alright, making partial sense of an incredible mess! I've got about 1,300 words out of 5-7,000 and it's just the results section! To anyone not doing a science degree my dissertation is on an experiment I have been performing over the last year. It get's written up like those reports you did in Biology class. Abstract, introduction, method, results and discussion, the most important section being the latter. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze out the goods before the 18th which is when it is due to be bound. On the 20th I will be leaving for a snowy but spring-ready Sweden. I cannot wait to get away from all this stress and to spend time with my family again.

Hello? Anyone out there?

2010-03-05T01:03:00.005Z

It's late at night. I keep thinking about an earthworm I saw today in the road. It made me think of when I was quite young and it rained. The following day I would go outside to play and find earthworms everywhere. My mom told me they came out because they liked the rain, but when it stopped raining and the sun started to dry the ground they would get lost. Many worms died because they never made it back to the moist earth. So I would run around picking these worms up and putting them back in the grass. To this day seeing a dried up worm on the side walk tugs at my heart strings.

On a different note, I was wondering about you guys. I mean I know there are some nice people that do read my blog and who do occasionally comment. But I think there are more of you out there. If it is just one single person it would be nice to hear a little bit about you.
Where are you from?
What do you want to do when you grow up?
(note: everyone can grow up more, no matter how old)
What are your interests?
What would you like to see more of on here?
What do you want less of?
What is your stand on worms in the street?

Whatever you want to tell me would be intersting. Although if it turns out I have no readers I would probably keep going. It feels nice to share things you are interested, even if it's just an electronic diary. Sometimes a girl has to vent about these things, because trust me: living with mainly boys (and a girl would I never see) does not lead to many compliments on shades of nail varnish or a new hair do. Lovely as they are they are too busy playing Call of Duty or watching football, and even if they weren't doing that they would never notice anyways. Most boys think fawn, beige and butterscotch are all just "brown", right?

Shelebrities

2010-03-04T23:02:00.003Z

I promised the picture that excites me still, it's Keith Murray with Gavin and I! We spotted him before the We are Scientists gig standing as a lone figure over his iphone and mustered up the courage to ask for a picture. He said he could take it since he had such long arms. They are really funny guys, and I'm so happy we got a photo with him. The next day we went to Brixton to see if there was anything going on for the NME awards and when we left for the tube again we spotted them. Gavin literally gasped and instinctively started walking towards them like he knew them. Then he realized he didn't actually, and turned away. It was too cute!

Oh Really, Orla?

2010-03-03T23:20:00.003Z

It's The bag. The bag. Scallops, an across the body strap, soft leather and the perfect avokado green! I love it so much but I do not have £304 to spend on perfection. In real life I would get the beige since it would go with everything. Oh woe is me, I'm already pairing it with outfits in my head. While we are fantasising the rest of the collection looks pretty cute too. The make up is making me long for spring and blushed cheeks.

Pastel Galaxy

2010-03-02T20:11:00.007Z

Is it wrong to want a whole collection of moon brooches to wear all at once? The large gold tone moon recently joined my favorite man on the moon and my DIY-ed star hair pin to create my own little galaxy of accessories.

One mind, an infinity of thoughts

2010-02-28T18:10:00.004Z

When Gavin came back to England he made a trip to his hometown where my x-mas present from my parents was waiting. It didn't fit in my luggage so he had to drag it all the way to England and then to Reading for me. (Sorry about that!) But, now I finally have it and with it a scanner! I was so excited to try it out, but when Gavin left for France today I was just really upset. I spent the entire morning reading my latest Frida Kahlo book; I've got three now as she is my favorite painter. I ended getting so inspired I had to paint literally anything! I was sketching so much that I decided to just jump right in and rather than properly plan anything it just happened, and I liked it.

It's not as good as it could be since I was more concerned with taking my mind of things than really perfecting the sketch beforehand. I kind of like how it turned out though, it's on a small canvas and the clouds and bits of space continue on the sides, and even on the back. I also included a doodle-painting I did a while back. The yellow on her bra isn't really that strong, guess yellow is just one of those tricky colours. It never comes out strong enough on paper, but in the scanner it's so bright! I still like it though, inspired by all the pastel hair editorials for spring.

Londontown

2010-02-24T23:04:00.004Z

Yesterday the wonderful Gavin swept me away to London for a small We are Scientists gig followed by a 5 star hotel in Chelsea. Needless to say it was all epic. The pillows in that bed were huge and the best I have ever slept on. There were also two tv's, wall to wall, incase conversation dwindled. Luckily everything was amazing, despite the rain and the typical male refusal to ask for directions when trying to find the place! The gig was also incredible, Keith and Chris are really funny and kept bantering with each other. Keith was also a bit wasted and broke the drumset at the end of the last song. An awesome suprise photo will be up soon - I'm soo excited about this one but it's on Gavin's camera so it must wait!

Anyways, to the webcam picture featured below. Today we were meant to meet up with my best friend since she studies in London. We spent the morning wandering from Notting Hill to Knightsbridge where I got to pose outside Chanel as a big dork, and drool over the crystallized Prada bags (I need to find some big fake chandalier crystals and gluegun some old bag to a state of glory!). I can't remember where it was exactly, but in one of the H&M's I stopped by to see if they had any Sonia Rykiel left. That they did, but when I realized the crystal sweater was not in my size I looked down in misery. Only to spot a pait of patent leather wedges of perfection! I had to get them and literally was squatting in the shop while putting them on. That's what happens when you buy shoes from a clothes shop, they don't have seats for when you try them on. Either way I stood up and could look Gavin straight in the eye. Bare in mind he is about 6'4 so that was awesome. The best bit about these shoes is that I can walk in them! And they are comfortable despite being so damned high. I love them! So here they are, in all their glory.

Prehistoric Perfection

2010-02-22T15:51:00.006Z

I love this! Sexy girl-scouts, frilly badgers and mushroom pickers. And all in the form of cave girls! Probably one of the first topshop unique collections I have actually had any interest in. (I'm just not into neon.) I really want that mushroom print on something and the girlscout shorts and socks! Maybe not the unibrows, although the models are working them. (click on the middle set of photos for a closeup of the brows)

Electric

2010-02-21T23:03:00.001Z

Some things I have done during some days that have passed.

2010-02-19T17:36:00.006Z

I've been really busy lately working on my dissertation and enjoying my little free time with Gavin who has come to visit. Here is a little run down of a few things I have done lately.

♥ baked delicious chocolate chip cookies
♥ purchased a nice blue tunic from the Zara sales
♥ wore them with sequin hotpants
♥ recieved some Valentine's day bunting from Gavin
♥ wore unusual necklaces
♥ finally found a clock pendant
♥ turned a silver star into a hair clip

Vila i Frid, Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T17:37:00.013Z

I found out from Gavin today that Alexander McQueen has apparently died from committing suicide. This is unbelievably sad as he has for 5 years of my life been a huge inspiration, in my love for fashion and especially in my art. I never thought there would be a day were I couldn't look forward to the next McQueen collection, but I guess it's here. Here are a few of my favorite pieces by him, including a painting I did last year based on his designs.
R.I.P., you will be missed.

Spotty

2010-02-09T12:30:00.002Z

I am currently broken, suffering some random undefined allergic/viral reaction leaving me covered in spots. I like polka dots, but not this much dammit. So for now no more photos until I am all better. Except this piece of art. Yes that is a swede, because I am Swedish and that is my nickname in England. Sexy ey?

Hairy

2010-02-08T11:58:00.000Z

Many times I wish my hair was a bit more fun. I keep trying to cut it to get those perfectly side swept thick bangs I see everywhere. But my hair doesn't do that. I get one bit of hair hanging down in my face while the rest usually ends up behind my ear. Sometimes I dream of cutting a full fringe. Once I even built up the courage to do it, and the damned hairdresser said no. After that I never let a bald man cut my hair. To be fair he was extraordinarily shite. He asked me to brush my hair myself after the shampooing. Come on! That should be the first thing you learn at hair-dressing school! Anyhoo, rant over.

This is what it might look like if I did. And when it grows out it would become that thick side swept bang I always dreamed of.

Lace me up

2010-02-07T11:01:00.003Z

This girl is one of the most stylish people I have seen on any street style blog. I have posted about her before, I'm sure. But when I finally found a large lace top (to replace the perfect beige one I lost in a bidding war) it instantly came to mind. Haha, I quite liked this outfit but now that I have pictures of me next to her I suddenly feel really childish. Oh well.

Sushi Sushi Sushi

2010-02-06T22:13:00.004Z

One evening we finally ordered sushi that we had been lusting for that entire week. Gavin nervously dialed and perfectly delivered the French order. Somehow he was still suprised that it arrived when it did! It was delicious though, my favorites were the salmon rolls. I love the seaweed! Growing up in China you could get portion packets of seaweed for your lunch pack. My friend's mom was from Korea and made the best salted seaweed ever. It's nothing like what you can order takeaway from Chinese restaurants. (Gavin stuck his chopstick in the sushi in the bottom picture so he wouldn't drop it, haha!)

Red and Blue

2010-02-06T21:59:00.009Z

Some more Nantes coming right up. Here is me on the nicest day (a preview of the spring weather we've been having here lately) in one of my favorite vintage finds. It was originally about 4 sizes too big and long, but that was easily trimmed and hemmed off. I am also wearing my new lovely oxfords. you can't really see them though.

The first photo was taken through a window as Gavin was worried his landlord might think he was weird. Because a random girl standing on her own looking into a window isn't weird at all. Needless to say no posing was performed.

A picture an hour

2010-02-05T17:15:00.020Z

10 am - remain in bed despite not falling asleep that night

11 am - breakfast in bed

12 am - get dressed for the day, slight hangover

1 pm - Clean up the mess of dissertation stuff on the floor. Fun? Not really.

2 pm - Photobooth photo from last night gets a spot in the frame

3 pm - To the shops to get cheap Ben & Jerry's for movie night and gummi worms .

4 pm - Watch Big Love.

5 pm - Find We Are Scientist tickets have arrived

6 pm - Cook creamy chicken pasta

7 pm - House hunt. Morgan road perhaps?

* * * *
8 pm - 10 pm - Watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and consumed previously mentioned B&Js
* * * *

10 pm - Sort out things for first dissertation testing the next day

11 pm - Brain feels Dead, so go to bed.

A happy mess

2010-02-03T23:28:00.000Z

How one might look after attending a band night, followed by a houseparty with mysterious fruity popsicle punch. Quite content really. I love this top, I got in at NafNaf in France. It's actually a bit too big but I love the little circles so much I had to have it!

Shrimps, Shramps, Shrumps

2010-02-02T13:00:00.003Z

When in France eat Vietnamese! We made our own vietnamese shrimp wraps one glorious evening. It was super delicious, but quite filling. Maybe it was the 20 minutes of getting the shrimps de-shelled that made it a bit much really haha. One can only have shrimps in their presence for a short time interval, preferably right when it's served until it's in your stomach.

Watkins x Dorothea

2010-02-02T09:27:00.004Z

Liselotte Watkins is in my top five artists. I love how she captures so much with simply lines, but also creates amazing textures and life using smaller details. I hope to one day own a piece myself, but it is very expensive. Needless to say I was thrilled to open my Swedish Elle my mother sent me (along with masses of chocolate and liqorice which I have eaten dangerously fast) and see this spread. My new favorite model Dorothea Barth Jörgensen illustrated to perfection! Look at the eyes in the first one! What a dream to be illustrated by Liselotte.

Biscuit Factory

2010-02-01T22:38:00.005Z

When I was in Nantes we went to the old biscuit factory. It had been transformed into a biscuit tower museum/funky concrete bar/gift shop thing. It was one of the most disney looking places I have seen since China! You get to go up the tower for 2 Euro and check out the not so glorious view. But hey, who cares when it looks that cool from outside ey! I was pretty excited..as you might be able to tell. Gavin was not as excited but did enjoy the non-alcoholic coctail we had in the concrete bar downstairs. So much so he finished it in one go!

Polka dot it.

2010-02-01T13:48:00.005Z

New paintings, cup-a-soup in a polka dot mug and nice clothes for pointless occasions. I love my moon brooch btw, it's my favorite. 50p at a car boot sale. Can't wait for summer, so I can go to the huge one by my house before it shuts down for good. Haha the last photo makes it look like I am flashing someone on webcam. (I'm not trust me!)

Both the top paintings are using mixed media. The first one has pink tissue paper and the one of Gavin has wrapping paper I stole from the pile at Christmas. I knew I wanted to use it when I saw it under the tree! I am using it once more, on a self portrait.

Chanel - Spring 2010 Couture

2010-01-30T15:02:00.007Z

I don't care how much work I have to stress through next week, I have to paint somethings from this collection. The hair! The shooooes! Oh and I totally just ordered some wonderous lavender and old pink coloured fake hair to make my own clip in extensions out of. Very crazy, but I feel like this coloured hair thing is going too far, I need to try it out! So excited now, thank you Karl. You da man. (Side note: doesn't this collection have an Erin Fetherston vibe over it?)

Nananana

2010-01-28T22:20:00.001Z

Does your food ever talk to you? No? Guess it's just me..

Bargain Master

2010-01-27T22:19:00.001Z

Bad news for anyone who hates good news

2010-01-27T10:57:00.004Z

Remember this? Well I painted it for a anthology a group of students at my uni were making. And guess what; it got picked! My friend said it was one of the favorites and it was one of the top choices to be in it. "It" being a friggin' book! I'm just ecstatic right now, even dissertation problems can't bring me down! I never thought I would have a painting published in a book. What a dream come true! The book is going to be called "Sqib" after one of the poems inside, and I think it'll be out in some bookshops by summer. I'm definietly getting my hands on a copy, and if it is reasonably priced, perhaps one for the parentals. Btw I am working on a few more paintings, and have a few mini-ones completed. I will post them all when I have a bit more time for painting. I am also considering re-starting my comic blog (if you click on my profile you will see I have two blogs) after some pure middle of the night crazy was scribbled down on a scrap paper last night.

To sum up everything I am feeling right now: Woop!

Horsting and Snoeren

2010-01-26T22:18:00.005Z

I loved the preview photos of this editorial so much I went out and got this copy of Dazed and Confused. Viktor and Rolf are my kinda guys. I mean, every season they blow my mind except perhaps for the massive clog/curtain rod collection. I love this completely different take on the prom dress, is it moth-eaten and broken down or just crazycakes futuristic? Either way, my favorite picture was the photographer Josh Olins' photo in the contributors section where his head is peeking out of the dress. Insanely cool!

Four.

2010-01-26T22:08:00.005Z

Doves in a tree, a garden, and a boyfriend next to a tree nearly as tall and lanky as himself. I liked that day. Much nicer and calmer than today. We sat on a bench and kissed for a bit. Just sat there and watched everything breathe. I noted that the branches on the tree above us looked like lungs. They even had tiny twigs sprouting like the alveoli at the tip of each branch. Just like lungs. Our own respitory tree.

Don't ever forget to look up

2010-01-25T16:00:00.009Z

One of my favorite things about France is the buildings. Everything is just a bit sweet, detailed and old fashion beautiful.

Three.

2010-01-25T11:55:00.005Z

Day Three, we proceeded to see the famous mechanical elephant (Nantes is the home of that giant robot girl that everyone keeps posting videos and shedding tears at the beauty of). Turns out it was closed. Either way it was a lovely sunny day and perfect for strolling around. We ended up going to the old biscuit factory, which you will hear more about later.
And to show how much I have to get undressed for these outfit shots, Gavin snapped one of me mid-reveal. By the way, the third photo was by his camera, I stole it from his blog. It's a damn good photo even if I am monkeying around. (All photos of me are by Gavin, rest are by me)

Lost in space

2010-01-25T11:14:00.003Z

In the beginning of December I purchased this top from Topshop to celebrate having gotten through all my tough essays in time. Unfortunatley it did not arrive by the time I had to leave for Sweden, even though a package with lesser items arrived despite being ordered 2 days later. Now, I figured it would simply arrive late while I was away. Imagine my shock when it hadn't arrived in January when I came back from Sweden. I really, really, really want it. I called topshop who said they would send and email to the courier who would let me know what had happened. This did not happen. So I waited a week for that email, but finally called again. This time they said they had to record of me even calling so nothing had been done!

To end a long story; I find out by tomorrow morning if I definietly will not recieve this silk, sequin spotted clown collared mint green dream. To be worn with poofy skirts as much as with jeans. To be laughed in, danced in, creative in and to definietly suffer some wear and tear. Perhaps a drop of wine, or a hole from a snag by a tree. Perhaps some mascara ridden tears would stain the collar, but then equal parts laughter would bubble up from the poofyness. Let's just say my fingers are crossed.

Frivilous whimsical wishes

2010-01-25T00:00:00.006Z

Here is a collection of whimsical things I love but can never have.

I have considered making my own sea cookie brooch but I would have to find a mini-LED and battery holder. Also the necklace which releases soft sparkley dust from the mother of pearl shell is so amazing. I want to make one, but I need a teensy drill and a tiny funnel! The real spiderweb necklace is incredible. I also love the watch belt, it's genius! It reminds me of a photo I once found on Stockholm Street Style of a girl with a massive bowtie belt over her trench coat. And it was a proper bowtie too, not just a girl bow!

Sea cookie brooch, pussy willow earrings, powder shell necklace (comes with a miniature funnel to refill the dust with) by Stephaniesimek. Watch belt by Kirrily Johnston (found on Studdedhearts). Spider web necklace by Dollybirddesign. The galaxy quilt is by Stellarquilts. Fake fox stole from TV AW10 (found on Studdedhearts). I can unforunatley not remember the name of the etsy maker of the frilly collar.

Two. (ish)

2010-01-24T13:01:00.005Z

I can't remember which day is which, but let's say these are all from day 2, despite Gavin's t-shirt changing. This day consisted of cheesy baguettes, sitting in his tiny kitchen with my legs on his, trying on equally unsure but still awesome purchases. I love his wolf-jumper, it reminds us of the animal print things Bret McKenzie wears. And of course, lots of sneaky kisses, highly recommended films like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", way too many episodes of "Arrested Development" and the coolest microwave popcorn ever. It folds out into a box!

Boeuf Bourguignon

2010-01-23T13:00:00.000Z

After a full day of castle-viewing, walking around, shopping and general gallivanting we needed a hearty French dinner. What better than boeuf bourguignon?
Here is a general recipe, but just follow the pictures really.

Brown the cubed beef
Place the beef in a bowl and fry the onion in the juices until they have browned
Add the beef to the onions
Add about a table spoon of flour while stirring
Add chopped vegetables (we used mushrooms and carrots)
Add herbs and spices of your choice (mixed herbs is fine) and salt and pepper if needed
Pour in about 2 cups of red wine (depending on how watery you want it)
Stir
Optional: add some shredded ham
Boil softly under a lid for 1.5 hours, checking on it every now and then

Have a gorgeous boyfriend serve it up, then enjoy!

Those ribbons are tied, tied and tied

2010-01-22T18:27:00.001Z

, originally uploaded by mariehochhaus.

I love this flickr-user, she's amazing! And now I'm regretting not getting this dress in the sales. But I did get my dream cotton-candy dress instead. It's gorgeous, but needs the perfect backdrop before it can be photographed properly.

One.

2010-01-22T15:31:00.009Z

Day one in Nantes we visited the castle. It was very cool, surrounded by a mote and a wolf-free wolf-pit. I braved the cold and took some outfit photos as well. They were a bit rushed since people kept showing up randomly which was a bit embarassing.

The photos of me are taken by Gavin. He has some awesome ones on his camera which I need to steal. He tried taking a similar one to the one of him peeking out of the wall, but I was too short and you could only see my hair haha! I'm no rapunzel yet though. That reminds me, I got to meet one of Gavin's friends who had hair that reached her knees. Crazy!

Back

2010-01-22T09:07:00.003Z

I'm back, after a very complicated mess of a journey involving several late/broken trains and liqorice candies. I have a 3 hour seminar, but after lunch I will hopefully have the strength to muster up a post about what a awesometastic time I had. When I am away from Gavin I feel like there is something wrong. There is this vacuum in my tummy, pulling me into nothingness. I miss him so much, so having a chance to see him again was incredible!

BRB

2010-01-17T18:59:00.001Z

in Nantes until Thursday..

Nudes x 5

2010-01-13T16:50:00.008Z

So, nudes ey? I have loved "nude" as a colour for years now, and have a small collection of clothing in this colour. The Elle I got yesterday was packed with different shades of this "non-colour".

I thought I would do another post on how to wear one item in five different ways, so here goes. This time I am wearing a nude-pinkish t-shirt I found in tkmaxx. I also tackled the underwear as outerwear trend, which is something that can be done very tastefully. I would wear a skirt over the last outfit, as the sidepanels are in mesh. But the photos are from the front so who cares!

Friday

2010-01-13T11:32:00.011Z

On Friday I am going to France to see this man, who hopefully will not be too enganged in internet activities while I'm there.

We will probably not go to a Costa, where I will order popcorn and he will order coffee. He will probably not try to sneakily steal some of my popcorn and accidentally get one in his nice chocolate star.

We will probably not find his coffee is swearing at him as a response to the degrading popcorn incident.

But we might eat at KFC, depending on if they have one in Nantes. Yea that's right, I like popcorn chicken. And despite his sad looking face he does like KFC too.

Not-so-high kicks

2010-01-12T12:07:00.002Z

This makes me chuckle.