Ring! Ring!

This ABBA vid is so cute! You gotta love 'em.

Erin Fetherston

I absolutely love designer Erin Fetherston. Her clothes are so dreamy and feminine, like they were found in a fairytale or a dressing-up box.

Here are some videos which show off the clothes and the whole spirit which Erin conjures up. Those dresses look like so much fun to wear!

Have a look at the new issue (no 7) of the fabulous Lula magazine, which contains some stills from the latest video called Dreamy Wander. I love that red dress!

Design Museum

Not wanting to miss out on the Tim Walker exhibition, which will be drawing to a close sometime in September, I headed up to London a few days ago full of anticipation- I couldn't wait to see the photos I love in real life. The collection does not disappoint! It's much larger than I imagined with loads of pictures I hadn't seen before. There were also some of the props he used for the shoots, such as a giant glove, an oversized camera and a hot-air balloon dress. In addition to these there are also a show case of some of Tim's scrapbooks which demonstrates where he gets his inspiration from; books, magazines, newspapers, all sorts of random things. I just found an interesting interview with Tim Walker talking about the exhibition. 

Fresh faced

images from Lula magazine

Nighty night

Dreaming of the perfect bedroom...

Treasure

Now that I've been making a conscious attempt at reducing my once rather embarrassing spending habits, I'm actually a lot happier and more satisfied with what I buy and what I already own. It's as though there's a weight off my shoulders. I used to buy something one week and wear it all the time, then buy something new and forget about it. I wouldn't treasure the clothes I already owned. They would sit (or hang to be precise) lonely and unloved at the back of my wardrobe. And I wouldn't actually enjoy shopping for new clothes. I would be rushing around, struggling to keep up with new trends, and snatching up 'must haves' which -as I lead myself to believe- would suddenly all sell out. I now realise that half of the joy of buying new clothes is the saving-up part. The anticipation, the feeling you've earned it, makes you really appreciate what you've bought. You'll truly and genuinely love what you've chosen and therefore want to cherish it for life. It's special, it's part of you. That's why I'm determined to spend less, to buy investment pieces that will last a lifetime. Let's ensure there's even better 'vintage' clothing in the future!

I'm currently saving up for a piece from Celia Birtwell's A/W Topshop collection.

Fairytale

Floaty, floral, feminine... and above all fun! 

I like to dress like a fairytale princess.

Re-discover your childhood dressing-up box.

  

The Edge Of Love

I saw the film The Edge Of Love the other day and it really is as good as I hoped. I've been anticipating this particular film for some time now, I don't quite know why, the idea of it just appealed to me. It's supposedly about the life of the poet Dylan Thomas, however what struck me was that the film hardly focused on his character at all; it was centered more on the two loves of his life: Vera and Caitlin. We witness their surprisingly sisterly relationship and the troubles they have to cope with. By the end of the film it is not Dylan who is the hero, but these two young, but strong women.  

Before watching the film I payed a visit to the Dylan Thomas museum in Swansea. This is really worth a look. There are poems, short film clips documenting his life, and a whole room dedicated to the film The Edge Of Love - which includes the costumes worn by Sienna Miller and Keira Knightly (it's great to be able to see these in the flesh, and yes, Keira's dress is teeny tiny, but surprisingly Sienna's could be a size 10/12!) The best thing about the museum is that it's FREE! So you have no excuse. 

Toothpaste kisses

The Maccabees

Lily Cole

 

She & Him

CSS

Here is CSS's video for their song 'Rat is Dead' from their new album 'Donkey'. Love the choice of titles! CSS (or Cansei Der Ser Sexy) are a fabulously eccentric band from Brazil. I saw them perform live when supporting Gwen Stefani on her European tour and they were hot! hot! hot! Lovefoxx, the lead singer has so much energy and a truly unique sense of style (as you can see in the video). The band seem to be going for more guitar-felt sound compared to the electro-pop of their previous album. I'm intrigued to see how the new album will turn out, it'll be a mission to top tunes like 'Music Is My Hot Hot Sex' and 'Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above', but you can guarantee that it'll be fun all the same.

Kooky capes

I really fancy a nice cape! They're cute, snuggly and stylish - and always a sign that Autumn is here. Okay, so it's mid-July, but the weather is pretty unpredictable as usual, and a cape is just the thing to throw on over your outfit. I always love anticipating Autumn, for me it's the most stylish season. Autumn calls for slouchy boots, berets, tights and of course CAPES!






Capes from www.dashingtweeds.co.uk

Lula

Lula is my favourite magazine in the world. Ever.

I wonder when the next one's coming out...

Style Inspiration: Flapper

I normally consider myself to be a bit of a 40's girl when it comes to fashion. Cinched waists, floral patterns and court shoes appeal to me no end - but recently I'm becoming drawn towards the more cheeky and liberating look of the 1920's. Back then, socialites, or 'flappers' as they were known carvorted around London going to parties, flirting, smoking and generally behaving in a rather unladylike manner. This is not dissimilar to today, except back then they did it with a lot more style. (sorry, Peaches!)

So, what does a flapper wear? Well, to my knowledge; drop-waisted dresses with lots of beading, embroidery and fringing, cloche hats, fur coats, long strings of pearls, brooches, and plenty deep red lippy. Oh - and don't forget the gorgeous little bob, permed to perfection.

There's nothing like a bit of good, old fashioned rebellion!

Clowns

As you may have noticed, I've got a bit of a Goldfrapp obsession at the moment. Their song 'Clowns' was played at the end of a documentary on the NHS called 'Life and Death' just now, which showed two girls going through heart and brain surgery. Listening to the song as the backdrop of their tearful recoveries made me appeciate it even more. Searching for it on Youtube I stumbled across this video, I'm not sure whether or not it's official, but personally I feel it rivals 'Caravan Girl' in the beautiful music video stakes. It makes me want to float and frolic around in a field with cows, dressed as a clown. Lovely.

L.A.M.B

Here's a sneak preview at the Autumn/Winter collection of Gwen Stefani's fashion line L.A.M.B. Available in the U.K at Harvey Nichols, Gwen's high-end fashion venture has grown more and more ladylike in recent years, with it's subtle mix of masculine and feminine, jamaican and ska influences, and it's distinctive plaid, leopard, and houndstooth prints. The new season has a quintessentially English quality about it, with a palette of burgundy and bottle green. This rockabilly-style ginham checked blouse would be perfect dressed down with high-waisted jeans (as shown) or dressed up with a fitted pencil and Gwen's signature red lippy.

Sound of Summer

Here are some beautiful summer songs that I love...

MGMT - Time To Pretend
Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl
Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down
Kate Nash - Don't You Want To Share The Guilt?
Lykee Li - Little Bit
Duffy - Distant Dreamer

Doodle

I like a nice doodle. I did this one in my English lesson today (sneaky me!) and I'm secretly rather proud of it. The swirly bit at the bottom is supposed to be the same as my henna tattoo I got at Glasto.

Viva Glasto!

Just got back from Glastonbury and I miss it already!! It was a fantastic - the atmosphere was so friendly and the bands were fantastic and the whole experience was just love-r-ly! From what i can remember (it's all a bit of blur) I saw Amy Winehouse, Jay -Z, Kate Nash, Duffy, KT Tunstall, Shakin' Stevens (oh yes!), Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Black Kids, The Wombats, Editors, Kings Of Leon, The Gossip, Los Campesinos! and Manu Chao. I was a bit disappointed as I really wanted to see Goldfrapp, but sadly I had to go home on Sunday.

For me, one of the best performances of the festival had to be from Duffy. She is such a talented performer and seems to be a really genuine person, which is a nice bonus. Oh, and did I mention she is gorgeous? Well, she is. Here is a video of her performing 'Mercy' - it's not at Glastonbury but I thought I'd put it in because I like her pink jacket.

Caravan Girl

Seeing as my blog is named after the beautiful song 'Caravan Girl' by Goldfrapp, which I choose because I love the magical, free-spirited feel of it (and because everything else I could think of had been taken!), I thought it appropriate to post the newly realeased video!!

Personally, I think it's gorgeous! To be honest, it's not exactly what I expected (I pictured a girl running around in a long, floaty, frilly dress), but I think it captures the spirit of the song perfectly.

See you at Glasto, Goldfrapp!!

Now, let's see if I can actually post the video...

The Edge Of Love

I've been meaning write a post on the upcoming film 'The Edge Of Love' for some time now, and after seeing the new shots from the premier in Edinburgh i now feel i should stop being lazy and get on with it! Starring Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley, the film, written by Keira's mum, tells the story of the life of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. In terms of style inspiration, I love the cosy-chic look seen in screen shots on the beach, with pretty floral tea dresses worn with chunky knits and welly boots, and the glam forties look short curled hair and deep lipstick.

Foot Candy

I'm currently drooling over these rather retro-looking shoes from Biba, the famous fashion house of the swinging Sixties. I can just imagine Twiggy herself tottering around in a pair of these little beauties.

Available from mywardrobe.com

Let Them Eat Cake

Although Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette isn't perfect film-wise, it serves as the perfect music and style inspiration. To begin with, the soundtrack is pure 80's heaven! Classics from the likes of The Cure, Bow-Wow-Wow and The Strokes, which are now pemanently on my iPod, match the film's extravagant rock'n'roll feeling unbelieveably well and are great songs in their own right. The two CDs also contain more traditional pieces on the harpsichord, some, I believe, written especially for the film. These too are gorgeous, although they require a little more effort to get into if you, like me, are not a classical (or is it Baroque?!) music enthusiast.

Moving on to the costumes... oh the costumes!

The film is awash with the most sumptuously divine dresses, although two that stand out are a black ballgown and a pale blue number with a crimson diamante belt (I want that belt!).

The colour palette for the costumes and in fact the whole set, was inspired by macaroons - with pale yellows, blues and pinks contrasting with deep reds and chocolate- yet it still manages to avoid being sickly sweet. The whole image of the film works well in fitting with Antoinette's luxuorious lifestyle (played by Kirsten Dunst) and is with the beautiful camera work and attention to detail is practically a work of art.

Coppola seamlessly captures the spirit of the teenage Antoinette and allows us an insight into a world where desire, luxury and pure fantasy reign.

P.s. Look out for the beautiful actress Rose Byrne who plays a friend of Antoinette.

Pret a Portobello

Pret a Portobello is the new website where you can shop Portobello market fashion without the fuss of jetting off to London. You can even grab a bargain by bartering in the 'Let's Trade' area. Here's my favourites:

Bedroom furnishings

My poor bedroom is in much need of a make-over. At the moment it's in a pretty bad state: completely mis-matched (and that's not in a 'cosy chic' way) with one lilac wall, the rest white, and pale pink curtains which seem to have been there since the beginning of time. Therefore I am currently on a mission to find inspiration for my new improved room, and so far have come across these images. I'm aiming for something both french and indian inspired with lots of florals and a colour scheme of pinks, reds and oranges contrasting with white and pale blue. Think 'Amelie' meets 'A Little Princess'. I'd also like to put lots of different sized vases of varying colours around the room, containing lots of flowers to add a bit of nature!






























Cushion: Cath Kidston






Tibetan cupboard