Off on my hols

Tomorrow I'm off to Flamingo Land in Yorkshire, it's a regular thing, we go every year in the Easter holiday.


Here's the outfit I wore for my daughter's 21st not-birthday party on Friday, she'll be living in a foreign land when it is her actual birthday so we had it early.

The dress is fab, bought in the Next sale ridiculously cheap, I'd been lusting after it since I first saw it. Not sure it qualifies for the 'Tall' it says on the label though. I have a black shrug over it so you can't see the pink straps. It is covered in spots of gold glitter. I have to wear a cami under it as I need something more than nipple covers for my generously proportioned ladylumps. I've not been brave enough to wear the tights before but they are perfect with this dress and the party theme was pink. You can just about make out the feather headband I'm wearing, picked up in the New Look sale for £2, love wearing feathers in my hair! Please note glass of lovely mead on the counter.

Sorry about the very unclassy double thumbs up pose, my daughter refused to photograph me any other way.

I shall be back on Friday so see you all then!

Fatigue

The internet is a wonderful place. You can find out anything you want to find out. You can keep in touch with old friends and even make new ones. You can save the cost of a modest laptop and a year's internet connection in one month if you shop wisely. You can lose yourself in blog reading and forum reading, it is effectively a limitless magazine. You can listen to pretty much any music you want for free (except Ghost Dance for some reason, in fact if anyone has a copy of the Gathering Dust album on whatever format that you don't want I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands!).

But sometimes I reach the point where I get a bit fatigued, overloaded I guess and I go a bit quiet. Usually when this happens there's lots of other stuff going on in my life too. Right now I'm tired and haven't had nearly enough sleep recently.

Is it just me or does everyone get like this sometimes?

Before I go, inspired by all the talk of the lovely Strawberry Switchblade girls I'd like to leave you with a picture of the band with arguably the most cheerful hairdos and dresses - and songs actually - in the history of music, Fuzzbox.

Neigh-clace

Some time ago I got the idea for a horse brass necklace from Vix , I know she got the inspiration from somewhere else but I can't for the life of me remember where. I've been keeping my eye out for a necklace I could remake to incorporate the horse brass (which was very cheap from Ebay) and on Friday I finally found it. I added some large black wooden beads to make it longer and hey presto...

The vase was a birthday present from my Mum, bought from a local artist, I love her use of colour.

For those of you asking about my hair, I've not had anything done to it but it does look particularly thick in that photo, it isn't in real life. I'm having it tidied up on Thursday and I'm going to ask her if she can cut a bit of the dark out of it to show the pink more.

Bad pun title courtesy of Fanylion

Last night a dj saved my life

He didn't, but a great song is always worth a mention don't you think?

Last night was Mr Fuzzyfelt's monthly Saturday dj gig in the local wine bar. It is a fantastic place, it hasn't changed at all since the 80s, a lot of the same posters on the wall, the same red and green swirly toilet walls, the same converted Singer treadle sewing machine tables, the same candles stuck in wine bottles and their fairy light collection grows each year and that's never a bad thing!

I tried to get a few pics to capture the essence of the place but since we were in the upstairs room and downstairs was too busy to photograph it hasn't really worked. Here's a little corner anyway...

Here's what I wore

I'm sure I didn't look quite as demonic in real life and the weird eye thing is due to the copious amounts of glitter eye liner I was wearing. I've no idea what the blue thing is on my neck as I don't have a blue thing on my neck! The dress is from Next Runway bought in the sale after Christmas for about £15 reduced from something like £42. It has cut out shoulders, fluttery sleeves and zips down the front and is very comfortable and flattering. The boots were from Primark and a bargain at £12, I have them in teal too and don't wear them nearly enough. The silver tassel necklace was a £2.95 charity shop buy from a few weeks ago.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of days as I have a little giveaway for you...

Honest guv...

...I didn't go looking for my cloak, it found me. It was in the window of the charity shop where I work one day for just £15.




Admire its beauty...

I think it has been hand made as there are no labels. The fabrics are such beautiful quality, thick, glossy black dress velvet and lined in midnight blue and black shot - what on earth is the fabric called? I have a mental block. Maybe brocade? Hmmm, not sure but it is so much lovelier than it photographs. Isn't everything?

Here's a close up

You have to imagine it all shiny and two-tone and nowhere near as sofa-esque as it looks here. A few days later when I was at work I found some blue velvet gloves that exactly match the lining, I was very excited by this.

I've had it for several months now, I haven't worn it yet. Before long it will be summer and I won't have worn it and I want to dammit! I'm not too sure of the length, it is low mid-calf on me as I'm tall and I'm not sure if I should cut it to knee length. Would the cloak police get me if I did?

Opinions more than welcome...

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...

... I simply remember my favourite things and then I don't feel so bad.




If I've had a bad day or feel down I put a skirt on, the more billowing the better. Here's a few of my favourites.





These two were made for me by Etsy seller Chopstix Waits. She uses the most beautiful fabrics and makes the most beautiful things. They don't look nearly as fantastic in pictures as they do in real life, I love wearing them. The one on the right is a very recent purchase, she hand-dyed the fabric, chopped it up into tiny pieces and then overlocked them together very artfully. People have said I could have made this myself but I'm afraid I just haven't got the patience to work with such tiny bits of fabric.




This one is one I made for myself, I apologise for the horrendously tacky way it has photographed. It is made from purple and silver glossy, very smooth spun velvet which has the best drape. I love it but save it for very confident days as it is more than a little 'wahey, look at me, I'm wearing a velvet skirt'!









I've saved the best til last. It's not billowing or even voluminous but it is so amazing I can easily forgive it.

Made from vintage curtain fabric and bought from Ebay as a maxi skirt which I deemed at the time to be too loud (I don't do regrets but this comes perilously close) so I chopped it in half and made two skirts out of one. I kept this one and sold the other for £6-odd which is what I'd paid for it in the first place so technically it was free. I like free things =)

NB All these skirts are full or at least a-line, Muriel makes skirts hang straighter than they are.

What is your favourite comfort garment?

Before I go I'd just like to add a note to my previous post. I realise I was meant to post my fantasy bag but in all honesty I don't have one. I like bags of all different shapes and sizes but none are perfect. I don't generally like 'designer' bags with all the unnecessary and clunky hardware and for some reason I don't like chain straps. I try to always be happy with what I've got, which I almost always am. As for spending large sums of money on a bag, I would like to quote Eithne Farry from her book 'Yeah! I Made it Myself', 'I am not a big fan of brand-new luxe handbags that cost a fortune...for that kind of pirate treasure-chest money, I'd rather go on a few holidays and spend my doubloons on crazy golf and ice cream and wine.'

On coincidences...

I have for some time been planning a 'what's in my bag' post, I love to see what other people carry around with them so I figure someone might be interested in my things.




Then yesterday the lovely vix gave me this award so here's my bag, I love it actually. It's boring black leather, originally from Debenhams bought from the charity shop where I work for £7.50.




And here's what it contains

Pink butterfly purse that I use to keep tissues in, BHF diary, sent to me because I volunteer for them, purple leather gloves, £6 from Primark 2 or 3 years ago, they are beautiful, the leather is so soft and they are lined in pink which peeps through the cut-out bits, rainbow stripy fold out bag, cinnamon tic tacs, poppy mirror, rainbow pen, butterfly purse, Lush Snow Fairy perfume, Lush Honey Trap lip balm, Body Shop coconut body butter in an empty Body Shop lip balm pot, Body Shop lip balm.

And this is my favourite bag, bought from Etsy

Edit - I know I've not tagged anyone with this this award but I will, I'm just a bit rushed tonight =)

This is what I'm currently drinking. I first tried it aged about ten at a medieval banquet and have not forgotten the sweet honey flavour but haven't had any since. I tracked down a bottle at a friend's wine shop yesterday for only £7 and I'm very pleased to report it tastes exactly the same as I remember. There could be a problem in the long term...! So if the tone of my blog is a little mellow tonight you know why!

PS I will post a photo of my cats in the near future just to prove I don't own a raccoon!