Take-out in Couture

BRUNCH WITH WONDERBRA

 

 

I had brunch at the Wonderbra offices yesterday with some other bloggers: Sherin, Annemarie, Amelia, and Sophie.  We will each be guest blogging for Wonderbra for a week during the month of July.  I am really excited about this--I think it's going to be a lot of fun.  It was a summer-themed brunch--with fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, and bacon sandwiches (I don't eat meat, but if I did I would be all over those, they looked delicious.)  Of course, I came dressed in the least summery outfit imaginable--head to toe black and brown.  Perhaps I was in mourning because of the seemingly endless grey sky that has enveloped London for the past few weeks? 

We heard about some of their new products, including this Glamour Sense set which is coming out in September (pictured on the screen above).  It's got a really cute "Boardwalk Empire" vibe to it and it was my absolute favorite.  Brunch was also a good opportunity to meet a few new folks and share fake tanning stories (remind me to tell you about my sixth grade fake tanning catastrophe sometime), among other things. 

Afterwards, I did some wandering around Camden to look for prizes for the caption contest.  Rain was coming down in buckets, but at least it cleared up nicely by the afternoon.  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but one of my favorite things about living in the UK (besides the freebies in magazines), is that you can have a completely genuine conversation with someone about the weather.  In other places, it would be polite small talk.  However, here, where the weather can change dramatically within the period of an hour, it can actually be a topic of interest.  Keeps you on your toes, anyway!

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PS--I did a short interview with Milana from FashionStyleAdvice a short while ago.  You can check it out here.

 

 

PHOTO DIARY : BATTERSEA

 

Rain, brick, a yellow door to match my yellow raincoat (Jaz took this photo), various glimpses into her room (I love how every little corner looks like it's own little still life), paint peeling, Jaz on route to the car boot sale.

I had the most wonderful day with the beautiful Jazmine of Jazzabelle's Diary, who kindly showed me around her neighborhood thrift shops and took me to my first Battersea car boot sale.  Car boot sales are awesome, by the way. I loved rummaging through the different piles of clothing, accessories, and assorted objects in search of treasures.  I even bartered a pound off the price of a pair of dresses.  (I've never bartered for anything before, so this was a small accomplishment.)  It was raining, so the car boot turn-out wasn't as great as it would be on an average sunny day.  Regardless, we braved the rain and found many good pieces for this project we're working on with Sherin for Brit Magazine.  Of course, I snagged a few great gems for myself too. 

A big thanks to Jazmine for being such a wonderful hostess.  I really had the most perfect day.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend too!

 

 

 

PHOTO SHOOT IN HYDE PARK

 

 

As I've been hinting in some of the previous posts, Sherin and I are working on a very exciting new project right now.  We spent a really fun day shooting with Jazmine, Daniela, and the girls from Wardrobe Magazine in Hyde Park yesterday.  Athough you'll have to wait to see the final photographs, I snapped a few shots with my camera and Sherin and I took a little video footage.  I edited the film footage together to make this silly little film that.  I think it captures the mood of yesterday's shoot perfectly.   Hope you guys like it!

The nice people over at Jon Richard gave us some jewelry to use in this photoshoot, such as the two gorgeous necklaces pictured in the photographs above.  You can catch a gimpse of it in the film too. They seriously have the some of the most incredible pieces.  I am absolutely obsessed with my wooden Betty Jackson Black ring!

POLYVORE SETS + CONTEST

Hey guys! 

Lately, I've been playing around on Polyvore. I heard about it a few months ago via a contest on Hi Fashion and I also read a really interesting article about the site in the New Yorker a while back.  However, I had little time to explore it further until now.  What a clever idea it is.  It makes mood board/collage-making so much easier (at least for somewhat technologically-challenged people like me!)  My Polyvore creations are basically mood boards, but outfit-based. I like to draw inspiration from classic stories and imagine what modern day versions might wear, what kind of objects they might surround themselves with...without being too literal, I hope!   I am a very visual person, and while I prefer to work with my hands (and then scan in my creations), I do find the site pretty easy to navigate and user-friendly.  

Here are some of my recent book-themed creations: 

 Oh, if you want to add me on Polyvore, you can find my profile here . Please send me a link to your sets, I'd love to see your creations!      Speaking of...

Polyvore is currently hosting a giveaway!  A blogger and one of their readers can each win $1000.  It's easy to enter--all you have to do is use my mini editor (see below) to style your own fall favorites.  I've loaded the editor with 100 of my fall favorites--shoes, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, bags, even some images of my favorite models right now.   Pretty simple, right?   For more details, click here.  Happy styling!  Can't wait to see what people come up with.  

Powered by Polyvore

I HEART: "P.S.-I MADE THIS..."

I adore "P.S.-I Made This.."  The site features a serious of DIY projects with a step-by-step guide.  I think that these projects are really inspiring.  Also, for the most part, they are really cheap: no expensive materials or tools needed here! Since I am moving soon I have been thinking of how I can decorate my new apartment (which has a lot more room for decorating than my current place).  Of course, as a graduate student I can't spend much on this type of thing, so these projects are really helpful.  Not only are they great ideas, but they have reminded me to think about what I already have and how I can reinvent those things. 

Here are some of my favorites:

I love this pom pom necklace.  It reminds me a bit of some of the necklaces that they had  featured in the  J.Crew Spring/Summer catalog a couple of seasons ago.

These pieces look incredibly easy to make.  I have quite a collection of saved jam jars, bottles, and cans.  I think that this will be the first of the projects that I try.

 

I really like the map-print catch all.  While I have a feeling it could be a bit trickier than it looks, I  haven't worked with Modge Podge since summer camp, so my skills might have improved since then.

I also really like this "Favorite Things Jar."  Great for an entryway table or a desk.  What a great conversation piece.

 

SOURCE: All images from http://www.ps-imadethis.com

BALLET SHOES AND SOCK THEORY

Sherin and Leia over at Hi Fashion are having a give away for Sock Theory socks and tights.  Anyone can enter.  All you need to do is comment on the post saying how you would style a pair of the tights that they featured.  You can read more about their contest here.  I've been entering a lot of contests these days, for some reason I feel lucky these days, even if I haven't won anything yet.

My favorite socks by far are the Lacey Lace-up Slipper socks.  They come in white as well, but I prefer the black ones. They're also pretty cheap, only $8.00.

I took ballet lessons when I was younger and I think that must be the appeal:  They speak to my inner ballerina!  (Even though my inner ballerina was fairly short-lived.  I ended up stopping my lessons in elementary school once my parents discovered that the only thing I really liked were the performances.) 

I thought of a few different ways to style them on Polyvore, which I hadn't had time to play around with before.  It was pretty fun, although a bit frustrating at times : I kept hitting the back browser shortcut key on my computer and having to start over!

Dress: Topshop, Perfume: Chloe, Ballet Shoes: Lanvin, Lipstick: Chanel Hydrabase Lipstick No. 79 Rose Paradise, Bag: Timmy Woods, Stackable Rings: Chanel. Shell Earrings: Accessorize.

Dress: Diane Von Furstenberg, Pumps: Miu Miu, Wristlet: Gucci, Necklace: Vintage Chanel 1980's gold tone Circular Signature Logo Centre Necklace, Bracelet: Manchette Firenza, Scarf: Hermes, Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour #19 Gabrielle, Eau de Toilette: STELLANUDE by Stella McCartney, Jacket: Chanel.

4 OF 200 LITTLE PROJECTS : GET INSPIRED

I've been looking forward to this post, because this fourth project is all about creating a workspace that inspires you.  I have held a fascination with work spaces since I  first told my dad that I  needed an office at age 6, much to his amusement.  Although I was not granted an office, of course, I was gifted with my first tiger maple bonnet top Secretary desk from his company, Eldred Wheeler.  It's beautifully made and I love all of the different drawers and compartments.  The best thing about this secretary, however, is that there are five "secret drawers" built in the desk.  They are hidden behind visible drawers and underneath.  I won't reveal the specifics of their locations, though, they're secret!

SOURCE: Eldred Wheeler

Now that I rent, my ability to customize my apartment and more specifically, my workspace, is very limited.  In my current flat, my workspace doubles as my dining room table. Since I eat my meals at my desk, and often entertain others for dinner as well, I am pretty much forced to keep the space tidy.  All of my pens, pencils, and other supplies are carefully organized in recycled jam jars.  I have a recycled folder for some of the newer magazine issues, besides my filing cabinet.

The filing cabinet is, by far, my favorite thing about my work area.  I bought it at Rummage, which is an antique store that just opened in St. Andrews.  They have some treasures among the rubbish (I'd like to think that I inherited my Dad's eye for antiques), although the objects that I do like are usually a bit overpriced, which is my only complaint.

I am really looking forward to my move in two months, since my new apartment has a dining room and a separate office for me.  It can be frustrating to work in such a conflicted space. I am looking forward to having more space to sprawl out my things, although hopefully my end result won't resemble Sophia Coppola's workspace (see below.)  I'll revist this project again then.

I'll leave you with some images that I've collected of workspaces that I envy, admire, or just generally find interesting for some reason or another.  If you have anything that you'd like to share, email me.  I'd love to see them.

1 OF 200 LITTLE PROJECTS: FINDING A SUITABLE SKETCHBOOK

Recently, I've found myself completely overwhelmed with to-do lists.  I decided that I need to set more time aside for creativity, and immediately ordered two project books from Amazon. I am looking forward to seeing what inspiration these books will bring me. The first is "Doodles" which is a Taro Gomi coloring book. I read about his books on Sea of Shoes, and I loved the way that they facilitate more interaction and creative thinking than the average coloring book (ie "Draw a pair of complaining slippers.").   

 

 

The second book is "200 Projects to Get You Into Fashion Design" by Adrian Grandon and Tracy Fitzgerald.  I love working on DIY projects and made some of my own clothes during college, mainly by cutting up t-shirts or restructuring old clothing that I no longer wore. Last year, I remade a £10 dress that I found on the sale rack at Sam Thomas, simply by switching the back to the front and cutting a good twelve inches off of the hemline--a dramatic improvement, I think.  Other than this, my creative endeavors have been rather limited as of late.   I think that I need a little push.

 

In order to jump-start my creativity, I've decided to work on one task from 200 Projects each week. After I complete the project, I'll make a post about it.  If any of you decide to work on any of these projects, I'd love to see what you come up with!

And that brings us to...

Task No. 1/200 : Find a Suitable Sketchbook  

The first of the tasks (or "workouts," as the book calls them) is to find a suitable sketchbook.  The sketchbook functions to serve as a springboard for ideas and a place to store visual information, relevant notes, and analysis as I work on the forthcoming projects. While finding a sketchbook seems pretty straightforward, different kinds of notebooks work for different people, and I think that it's interesting to be aware of that selection process. 

    

 I am a bit of a Moleskine addict, so this first task was pretty easy for me.   I write my fieldnotes in red (ruled) notebooks, which I plan on numbering on the binding with stencils when I've completed the series.  I carry the black (ruled) notebooks with me wherever I go as "catch-alls" and they contain quite the assortment of things: lecture notes, recipes, phone numbers, doodles, notes from readings, etc.  For a while, having such diverse information in one location bothered me, but once I decided to no longer rip anything out of my notebooks, that problem seemed to resolve itself. 

 I decided to go with a large hard-covered black plain notebook for the 200 project series.  It's 13 X 21 cm, the biggest one that I could find. I am happy to say that the next project is a lot of more creative, and I'll work on it over the course of the week.  I'm looking forward to it!