Belle Vintage at The Courtyard Bazaar

Yesterday I headed out to check out Belle Vintage's stall at the Courtyard Bazaar, a vintage and handmade goods fair just off of Canterbury High Street. I was absolutely freezing, and I felt so sorry for Ella having to stand there in the cold all day, but it was nice to have a bit of a chat and a catch up, and to have a chat about how her store was going, now Belle Vintage has launched online! 

The bunting the courtyard had been strewn with made me smile; bunting is one of those things that just makes me happy! 

I absolutely adored the box of vintage buttons and pins; they have always held some bizarre fascination for me! You can also tell how bitingly cold it was from the lovely red shade of my fingers! 

It was really great to have somewhere to check vintage out for a change, because in Canterbury we only have two, very small and not all that great vintage stores - I'd checked out the bazaar once before and I was so excited when I found out that it was coming back! 

What is the vintage shopping like where you live?

Weekly Love - Week 55

+ The people at Vice Magazine are absolutely mad. Ever wanted to see what happens when you cover a model with thousands of live ladybugs? 

+ 10 O'Clock Live - it's no Have I Got News For You, but thank god there is a good, funny current affairs parody show back on air...

+ Should I Work For Free? (via Gala Darling)

+ The silver lining of waking up an hour early on a Sunday morning - the opportunity to watch the Andrew Marr show from start to finish!

+ Clemence Poesy for Marie Claire USA. She is so beautiful...

+ Lunch at The Hutch, a new vegetarian restaurant that's opened up in Canterbury. I'm not a veggie, but I don't eat red meat. The food was all locally sourced, and all tasted incredible!

+ Carrie has created a fantastic video to teach us all how to do our hair in a beehive! I've already tried it and I'm already in love!

+ Working on a very exciting new project with 5 other British bloggers - I just want to jump up and down thinking about it!

+ Photos from the secret underground catacombs in Paris - wow - I wanna go down there! (via Gala Darling)

+ Having brain function explained to me over bbm on a Sunday morning. Also, scary bbm discussions about the future!

+ This week another one of my friends has launched a blog called I Looked Twice, her first post featuring some really beautiful photographs of Scotland! Be sure to check her out and to follow!

+ Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/ Summer 2011 - I love the big beautiful skirts!

+ Bureaucrats, naked people and Nick Clegg. (You had to have been there!)

+ A must read for anyone interested in Facebook, Politics or both.

+ Planning a super exciting post for Tuesday - my 2nd blog birthday - including a gift for you all!

+ Eminent Brand Name: What To Do When Your Brand Is Coveted - a must read for all website owners.

+ Writing about politics. Some of you may have seen Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britian on Wednesday night - a very provocative topic to which I retreated to Echo Blog to write about. 

+ I play the guitar, but hardly ever and compared to my other instruments very, very badly, but I wish I played it enough to justify buying one of these - a hole punch type thing to make a guitar pick out of any plastic material!

+ Trying out Benefit's new blush at the makeup counter.

+ Gem talks about friendships online. 


What have you all been enjoying this week?

Product Review: Lush Frog Prince Bath Ballistic

This week the lovey Gina from the Lush press office sent me the Frog Prince bath ballistic from their new limited edition Valentines collection. I was in half a mind not to use him and actually keep him inside the Lush bag he came in on my desk; all the time he was there my room smelt absolutely incredible! 

Really, he's just your average Lush bath ballistic but shaped like a frog, and did I mention that smells absolutely incredible? The scent reminded me a lot of my favourite Lush bath ballistic, the blue one that smells like the sea and is full of seaweed (I can never remember the name of it! *edit* the lovely girls at Lush tweeted me to tell me it is called 'Big Blue'!) He's supposedly scented with jasmine, rose, sandalwoods and neroli; all I could think of was how great he smelt rather than picking out individual smells!  

His bright red lips, however were a lovely surprise because they did not fizz up and dissolve as quickly as his body; they made a nice soft piece of soap that turned me bright red before I washed it all off. 

Once all the excitement with the soap kiss was other I noticed this floating in the bright green water next to me - once I had 'kissed' the frog I really did get my prince! 

Even better, he's only £2.75, and looking at the rest of the collection I can't wait to try the 'It's Raining Men' shower gel (it's scented with the same scent as Lush's 'Honey I Washed the Kids' soap - my all time favourite Lush soap!) and the Magic Mushroom bubble bar which apparently will fill my bath with frothy bubbles scented like strawberries and vanilla cream - I'm there! 

Diet Coke & Nails Inc Blogger Collaboration

Recently my some of my fellow bloggers and I were sent a lovely package from Diet Coke containing the four amazing new shades of Nails Inc Nail Polish from their recent collaboration, along with a retro style glass bottle of Diet Coke and a great selection of gems and rhinestones to decorate it with!

I got going with the rhinestones and pearls, finishing it off adding a few dots between the gems with the 'Caramel' nail polish, and using all four shades and a flower stencil to decorate around the Diet Coke label. I used to study art so the opportunity to get crafty after so long really made my Saturday night!

Now, when I think of a Coke bottle, even glass ones I imagine most of it being clear so I can see what's inside, so it was slightly off putting to discover that my bottle was completely silver. I soon got the bottle looking vaguely normal with a little (!) bit of black permanent marker, so thats what happened when you noticed tat the bottle looks a little different!

Also, on a side note how cool is the retro bottle cap? I obsessed about that for quite a while!

(left to right: two coats of heather grey, caramel, denim, plum)

As for the colours, they're all really nice, but I think Plum is going to be my wear now colour, and Heather Grey, the nicest in my opinion will become my go to colour in the Spring/ early Summer! I'll also wear the Denim for one offs, but the Caramel will make a great everyday neutral. 

These shades are all exclusive to Diet Coke, so to get your hands on them all you need to do is buy 2 500ml bottles of Diet Coke in selected Boots stores!

Weekly Love - Week 54

+ I got Pinetrest - such a great new inspiration & virtual pin board driven social networking site! If you want a invite, let me know and leave your email address in the comments! I have actually become totally addicted. I never really 'got' Tumblr, so this is even more exciting for me than the day I discovered We Heart It!

+ Lunch at Canteen and random ramblings around town with my friend Tristan makes for a good Saturday afternoon.

+ Be sure to check out Kokopelli Blu, a blog one of my dearest friends has started!

+ Finding out that not one, but two universities actually wants me enough to make me an offer!!! One of which means that I'll be able to move to London in September! 

+ Sugar and Spice explore why blogs may be becoming more popular than fashion magazines.

+ Going to see The King's Speech with Helen - such and incredible film - Helena Bohem Carter and Colin Firth are such incredible actors, if you have time you must go and see it!

+ This amazing husband & wife blog team and their beautiful photos as they travel the world...

+ Kristina shares the secrets to successful fashion blogging with us all!

+ Benefit lipgloss in 'Life on the A list'.

+ What should you wear to a fashion industry interview?

+ Interpretive dancing down corridors to 'Mine', 'You Belong With Me' and 'Better Than Revenge' by Taylor Swift!

+ Antonia explores how people don't like talking to people they don't know on the phone.

+ Reading Shakespeare. (Though, this photo is of my Paradise Lost text - the annotations are much prettier!)

+ Moet champagne in pretty pink bottles you can cover with your own graffiti. 

+ The very sudden and very high possibility that I'm going to get an unexpected short holiday break to Cornwall this year. I have not been since I was about 9 years old! 

+ My lovely blogger friend Lauren's new photography company - Smitten Pictures!

+ Some days it's starting to be quite sunny and not too cold - Spring is on its way methinks.

+ This week I wrote a piece for Mookychick about my love for vintage books and my new business venture, Pilgrims Proverb.

+ I am a photographer so therefore I need one of these lens bracelets in my life asap!

+ Finishing all my January exams.

+ Be sure to check out the 'Her Style' section of the new Lime Republic website that yours truly has been writing copy for!

+ Eating lots of different types of Christmas chocolates.

+ They're talking about personality conflicts between bloggers over at Independent Fashion Bloggers.

+ For those of you who were wondering I decided to name my satchel Charlotte - I'm glad you all like her! Also, thanks for all the fantastic advice as to what to do about my allergy to her!

+ My first review for Judging Covers - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

+ Drinks with the girls.

+ All new episodes of some of my favourite shows, including Lie To Me, Pretty Little Liars & Grey's Anatomy!

+ You can now get Lomography notebooks. Did I mention that it's almost my birthday?

+ Former Labour MP's sitting in the House of Lords are filibustering to try and prevent the May referendum on the Alternative Vote. I don't agree with what they're doing, but filibusters are my favourite political entity. Now, if you did not understand a word I just said just move on and mark me down as a total politics geek! Guilty as charged.

+ Claire has written a lovely post about the Lush bath box she won in my recent giveaway!

+ Cait teaches us how to print our own tee shirts.

+ Watching the sun go down outside my dorm room window.

+ Cecilia Cheung stars in a both fun and breathtaking photo shoot for Harpers Bazaar China.

+ Munching away on my caramel Hotel Chocolate giant chocolate slab.

+ Teen Vogue interviews Lucy Hale - I absolutely love her! Anyone here watch Pretty Little Liars?

+ Dahlia, my recent London dress find which I must order from sometime! (via A Million Dresses)

+ Listening to Katy Perry's first album, 'One Of The Boys' - the whole thing is incredible and it just never gets old for me!

+ I want, no, need some of these cushions in my life!


What have you been enjoying this week?

Love Letter To My Satchel

I did not include this in my Christmas haul because I thought that it deserved a post of it's own (and it had not yet arrived!), but my main Christmas present was a 15" purple leather satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Company.

I must say I'm totally in love with the purpleness, the handy little carry handle and just generally how great it is. The front pocket is even the perfect size for my purse, and my 15" Mac Book pro just fits, and will probably fit a bit better when the bag has been worn in a bit.

I took it up to London with me last Wednesday and it was so handy having it slung over my back without having to worry if someone was going to be able to get into it to steal my purse!

The only problem I can find with it is that I'm allergic to it. Yeah. You heard me right. The leather interior, whatever they've used to treat it with when I brush my hand across it I'm left with a sore red rash for about an hour. I'm very much hoping that it will go away over time!

I have this unexplained urge to name her, and so far the names I've come up with have been Lola and Charlotte - does anyone else have any other ideas?

Outfit Post: The King's Speech

On Sunday I went to see The King's Speech with my friend Helen (who was kind enough to take these photos!) I must say it was one of the very best acted films I have seen in a very, very long time and if you have not already I urge you to try to go and see it! Colin Firth's performance was absolutely sublime. 

Mulberry Dress - Primark | Black Blazer - Vintage Jaeger

I have a big thing for the dress/ blazer dress/ cardigan combo and that's usually what you'll find me wearing! I paired this with black high waisted leggings and some brown leather boots!

Black Leggings - Topshop | Oatmeal Scottish Wool Socks - Celtic | Soft Brown Leather Boots - Jones Bootmakers

Have you seen the film? If so what did you think of it? If not, do you have any 'go to' outfits or combinations you always find yourself turning to? 

My Dream Home

On Saturday night I was chatting to one of my friends on Skype about our dream homes to live in sometime in the future. We had quite a similar idea of our ideal place, but it was such a fun conversation, and after reading Rachel's post about her dream home I decided to share exactly what my ideal home would be like with you all! 

The Kitchen

The one thing I am 100% sure I want in my kitchen when I grow up is an Aga. We've had one at home as long as I can remember and its what my mother taught me how to cook on. Once you've got used to cooking on an Aga, just like using a Mac Book, there is no going back. They will also keep the room nice and hot and toasty in winter. 

My dream kitchen, apart from being very large is very similar to my one at home that my Dad designed to suit my Mum; white wood everything with black marble work surfaces and a worktop island. I'd want all the accents to be in blue too and a big scrubbed wood kitchen table, but I'd also want a breakfast bar! 

I'd want all silver cutlery and all the plates to be white enamel like the ones we have in France, but I'd want all the mugs to be Penguin Classics mugs. I'd also want all the cushions on the chairs at the kitchen table to be Cath Kidston, and I'd like a white enamel Duralite toaster. I have a strange obsession with them, and my Mum and I really want one but my Dad says they are too expensive. 

The Living Space

The living space would have to be almost totally open plan, but with a separate library. Obviously. Packed full of books, lots and lots of books! I'd also want lots of window seats full of comfy cushions and a snooker table because since my Dad got his I can't imagine not having one in the house! Also, Wifi everywhere and a speaker system I can wirelessly play my iTunes library and Spotify out of. 

The TV Room

This was my friends idea, but thinking about it a home cinema system would be absolutely perfect and amazing. Again, with lots of comfy chairs, cushions and bean bags! 

The Bathroom

A giant Jacuzzi bath is a must, and the whole room has to be kitted out in beige marble with orchids in the windowsill. Also, separate glass bowl sinks and and big glass walk in shower. This is what comes of both my parents being property developers and spending a lot of my childhood wondering around bathroom showrooms with them! 

The Bedroom

One thing I have always wanted is a four poster bed so that is an absolute must. Saying that, if I find a really pretty ornate vintage one I probably won't say no to that either! Apart from that I'm not too fussy about what I have as long and it's a light coloured room, I would have a massive white painted dressing table, a floor length mirror, and... a walk in wardrobe! 

How would you describe your dream home?

Confessions Of A Shopaholic #1

1. Topshop Faux Sheepskin Flying Jacket - At first I really was not sure about the sheepskin jacket trend, but since seeing my friend Ally wear a gilet version of this jacket practically everywhere and I fell in love. I really love this Topshop version and I think it would be perfect to take me into the spring. 

2. Burberry Buckled Suede Ankle Boots - These are the one thing on this wish list I know I'm never going to get, but a girl can't hope but to dream! I really want the perfect pair of high heeled black ankle boots and these are just beautiful. And they're by Burberry. I'm obsessed with Burberry. 

3. Little Fille Alice Headband - Ever since I saw them featured on Emma's blog, I've been slightly in awe of Little Fille's headbands, and as a hairband girl myself I've fallen just head over heels with this two way black and rope one - I really think I need this in my life! 

4. Benefit Slant Powder Brush - I've had this brush on so many wish lists because I just have not yet got around to justifying the money to buy a blush brush yet, because the one I got free from Clinique *still* (supposedly) has some life left in it. I absolutely love Benefit makeup brushes though and I really recommend them. Their fluff shadow brush is amazing and I use it every single day! 

5. Topshop Mink Knitted Swing Tunic - I actually tried this on on Saturday and loved it - it fitted well, looked great and is seriously me. It will also lighten up my seriously dark wardrobe!  The only reason I did not buy it was because I absolutely fell in love with one of the green Peter Pan coller dresses on the same trip and brought that instead! 




What is there in the shops at the moment that you just HAVE to have?

Weekly Love - Week 52

First, I want to announce the two wonderful winners of my Lush bath box giveaway! Congratulations to:

Carrie & Claire

I've popped you over an email so it would be lovely if you could email me the address you want your bath box sent to I'll make sure its on its way! Thank you to everyone else for entering, and I'll try and have another giveaway soon! 

+ The most beautifully packaged soaps on the planet. It's my birthday in 3 months *hint*!

+ Watching a ridiculous amount of The West Wing.

+ My new passport arriving - the new ones are so pretty! Next stop, American visa...

+ 'How to be a little French sexpot like Mademoiselle Roitfeld' by Kimberly over at A Bit Coquettish

+ My lovely, comfy extra long high waisted new Topshop leggings.

+ Starting a brand new black Moleskine 2011 diary.

+ I got Formspring if there are any questions you want to ask me...

+ Rus Anson photography. Wow. Just wow.

+ Creative Recreation Shoes. I love the ladies Viana shoe in rust!

+ People entertaining me by bbm-ing me while they're really drunk. You know who you are.

+ New Year lychee cocktails, nail painting and watching The Devil Wears Prada with Kathryn on New Years Eve. She also brought a honeycomb smash cheesecake. Amazing.

+ Amy Claire Thompson takes a look at 'What Makes A Blogger?'

+ Listening to way too much Taylor Swift.

+ I love Mulberry and I love Tim Walker. Which means I'm totally in love with their new ad campaign! 

+ Using a tree shedder. Yes I am cool.

+ I'm rather fussy about what beauty blogs I read, but I'm so happy to have found Jessica Rose's beautiful blog Star Violet Beauty.

What have you all been enjoying this week?

Lifestyle Notes: January 2011

A New Year means new beginnings. New jobs, new starts, and though it doesn't mean new schools those who have applied to university will be hearing from the institutions who have yet to get back to them about their application. I've given up on making New Year's resolutions because I never keep them, but recently I've been thinking of the little things you could do to make your New Year just the little bit more sparkly!

Plan a journey to somewhere you've always wanted to visit.

Travel broadens the mind and is excellent fun to boot. Why not give yourself something to look forward to this year by planing a trip to somewhere you've always wanted to visit. I've actually been to Paris before, but it was only a day trip around some of the more prominent art galleries, so this July I'm planing to head off to the city of lights with my dear friend and former Lipstick Royalty staffer Eileen for a couple of days. We're going to celebrate finishing school forever - what a perfect way to start the rest of our lives!

Send some hand written letters.

In a world where we are all are glued to our laptops, iPads, Blackberrys and iPhones I think we have all forgotten what it is to receive a lovely hand written note in the post. So, write someone a letter and hope someone writes you one back!  

Learn to bake.

If you don't already know how to, knowing how to bake is one of life's most essential skills, even if you don't think it's important. Imagine being able to give homemade and beautifully decorated cupcakes as gifts?

Throw an old fashioned tea party.

Actually, I don't think I've ever been to one of these. That's the problem. A very big problem. Which is why people need to throw more tea parties, with the cakes you're learning to bake. Hopefully enough people will throw them that I'll manage to get invited to one. That, or maybe I'll throw my own...

Start a Moleskine notebook.

I love my Moleskine half to death and I don't know where I'd be without it. We come across so many different things in our lives we wish we could have written down but we didn't have a pen or paper, leaflets we wished we'd picked up... that's why I always try and carry mine with me so I never forget a thing! 

Read the classics.

In case my starting an online vintage bookstore wasn't enough of an indication, I absolutely love old books. This does not just extend to the book being old, I absolutely love old stories; classic literature. Stories like Oliver Twist, Alice In Wonderland and Pride and Prejudice are tales that everyone should read at least once in your life. Just because a book isn't in the top twenty or it doesn't jump out at you from the 3 for 2 when you walk into Waterstones, doesn't mean it won't be a really, really, great story.

Call instead of texting.

When was the last time you heard someone's voice instead of just seen the words they typed on the screen of your phone, Blackberry or iPhone? I can't actually remember when I last did, with the exception of elderly family members. So, for 2011 for once in a while try calling, instead of texting or bbm-ing someone.

Not exactly New Years resolutions, but what are you going to try and do this month to start your year off on a high?