I have been neglecting my nails of late. Mostly because spoons have been in short supply. I don’t really feel myself with naked nails, so was relieved to carve out some manicure time on Sunday evening.
I really wanted something vibrant & feisty. I think I achieved the desired look.
I’m now in love with my fingers.
I have always walked on the weird side of the road. From a young age I decided the best option was just to embrace my quirkiness & roll with it. It’s a strategy that has served me well. Sure, I still get stares from strangers & folk making snap judgements about me, but fuck them.
I’ve found that confidence in strangeness is the key. Don’t be apologetic or hide, boldness is the way. No matter how odd your views or look there are always like minded folks & the Internet guarantees you can find them. However, you don’t have to section yourself into a little pocket of society. I have friends of all varieties, many don’t really get a lot of my choices, but they support them nonetheless. A frequent occurrence for me is having newish friends confess that their first impression of me was ‘weird af’, but on further inspection they found they liked me. My point is eveyone is entitled to be exactly who they are; people will love you despite or because of your differences.
So, what better way to celebrate my irregularities than celebrating some classic eccentric chicks?
I’m going to kick off with my 11yr old hero, Blossom. Blossom was my fashion icon. I had several floppy hats that I pinned at the front with ridiculous badges. More than that, I felt a kinship with the character. She was smart & quirky & frequently teased by her ‘cooler’ older brother. I think Blossom was my first hint that being weird could be amazing. I’ll always love her for that.
You can’t talk about weird characters without bowing down to Pheobe Buffay. Pheobe was me. She was the veggie, hippie, black sheep of her group. The other ‘Friends’ were continually puzzled by her, but loved her anyway. Moreover her outlandish ideas often held a needed wisdom. Pheobe walked her own path, which was exactly my plan. As a teenager it was so affirming to see a woman like that on the biggest to show in the world.
Ok, so I’ll preface this with saying that Lena Dunham is problematic in a number of ways. I can’t stand her. Some of that bullshit filters through, but there are aspects of Hannah that I really like. I arrived at the Girls’ party very late. I have only recently delved into it & was of course sucked into a box set binge. Yes, all of the characters can be hideous and by the end I’m not sure I actually liked any of them. Hannah, though, had something. She is odd. She makes some horribly bad choices & let’s face it, she gets annoying. Her whiny privilege is not something I aspire to. Even, so, I like elements of her character. I adore her body positivity. She wears whatever she wants & she gets naked whenever the notion takes her. She’s a writer, she struggles with her mental health & she loves a very kooky man. Most of all she is honest (perhaps sometimes too honest). She’ll talk about scary feelings & taboo topics alike. Shame is not a thing to be tolerated in Hannah’s world & I’d like to see those features in more (& better written) main characters.
Now it’s time for ultimate 90’s weirdo, Daria. God, I still love her. Daria is everything. She’s cynical & witty; she shuns all conformity. Fashion is irrelevant, popularity a non issue. Daria & her equally cool friend Jane live in their own world. She finds her cheerleader sister ridiculous. Her come backs are top level. She even has a romance with an older musician dude without altering herself one bit. For your supreme snark & flawless misandry, I salute you Daria.
I’ve had a quiet week blogging wise as I’ve been a busy bee in other areas of my life. I wanted to do a quick outfit post before the weekend takes over. Dinner with my darling bestie and offered the perfect opportunity to get dolled up.
Red lips & they’re real mascara always give me a confidence boost. Tonight I also rocked a velvet tassled dress & let’s face it, it’s impossible not feel splendid in such a creation.
Dress – AsosCurve
Scarf – Gift
Lips – Burberry
Glasses – Red or Dead
Food was so so, cocktails were abysmal, but the company was top class. Which just goes to show that all is well with a best friend in tow.
Have a great weekend.
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I’m having one of those days when life seems determined to subvert my plans. It is, to say the least, infuriating. So, I thought I would vent my frustrations by having a little bitch about the smaller things that get my goat.
If you’re wearing anything with a wizard on it, you might want to stop skip this bit. I’m afraid when I see an adult reading a Harry Potter book I have to suppress the urge to scream. Those stories are for kids. Read a grown up book. Given what we’ve subsequently discovered about the author, supporting her work at all is gross.
Staring. Stop it. It’s just basic manners. I know I’m fat. I know my boobs are enormous. My clothes are weird, but continued looks won’t alter that. Yup, I have scars & piercings & tattoos. Stop gawking. Oh & whilst we’re on the topic quit nudging your mates & whispering too. I see you & it’s rude. Seriously, just stop it.
Carol Vorderman. She’s not a genius. She’s not even likeable. She does morally questionable adverts & her face just annoys me. I don’t have very good reasons for my hatred. I just can’t stand her. No more woman. No more.
Gin. It’s horrid, but only recently has it made my list. Some marketing dept somewhere clearly decided they needed to make gin cool & man alive have they been successful. It is now almost impossible to find a cocktail that doesn’t have gin lurking in it. Events have gin only bars. Everyone in the bloody world suddenly lists it as their favourite tipple. It’s taking over. Go away gin. I don’t want you.
I’m going to wrap this up with my current top level pet hate. Basic bitches. I think my interpretation of this phrase may be slightly different from other folks, so I shall explain. What really winds me up is chicks whose understanding of feminism & womanhood is peripheral. The type of person who doesn’t think trans women are ‘real women’. They love a bit of slut shaming & feel gender roles must be adhered too. This is a girl who conforms, they will mock anyone who dares to be different. Solidarity is not their watch word. They’re basic & more often than not, they’re bitchy AF.
(I’m amused by this meme because Judy can be basic herself)
Disclaimer : If you’re a gin swilling, relative of Carol Vorderman, some of this post is just a tongue in cheek rant.
* Vorderman gets some props for her recent political discourse, but my illogical dislike remains.
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I have been having a lazy, slouchy time of it clothes wise. As such I haven’t snapped too many outfit pics. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been galavanting. It seems a shame not to share some of the moments I’ve captured solely because I didn’t look glam that day. So, here we are, embarking on another week in pictures post. I hope you enjoy a wee nosey into my going ons.
I know a lot of folk find them tacky, but I loves me a mirror selfie. I snap one any time I feel cute or sometimes even when I look amusingly rough. Sushi & Ringo are also always wins.
I can’t recommend Jonathann Coe enough. If you are new to him I’d start with The Rotters Club & it’s follow up The Closed Circle. Once you have digested those melancholy triumphs, mosey on to this mysterious tale.
Drinks with Aidan, hotels with neon stags & my amazing little crazy face pulling niece are all things that bring me glee.
If you haven’t tried Lush’s Intergalactic bath bomb, you need to. Not only does it turn your bath into a blue bliss, but your skin continues to sparkle for hours. Strawberry gloss at Krispy Kreme are also a big hit.
Sometime’s you have to be prepared to do battle. Sabre tooth Tigers will step right out of line if you don’t show them who’s boss.
My last spring coaxing post may have worked. We had a lovely mild & bright weekend, which gave me an opportunity to wear a pretty dress. My little sister got engaged last week. Needless to say I am excited, as are both the mother of bride & groom. So, we all went out for afternoon tea & talked weddings.
Dainty cakes & such a stunning venue called for a little effort. I whipped this beauty out of hibernation and launched operation pretty.
Dress – Lindy Bop
Belt – Asos Curve
Shoes – Irregular Choice
The cakes may have been delicate, but I am not.
I wish Spring would hurry along. Not just because I am perpetually freezing, but also because there are crazy cute pieces filling the shops. Here are a few beauties I cannot wait to get on my body.
Lavish Alice, Diamondoodles (Etsy), Yours Clothing, Simply Be.
Barnes, Asos, AmyBlueIllustration, Simply Be.
Meg Biram, Lindy Bop, Forever21, Feminist Apparell.
Primark, Asos Curve, Asos, Lindy Bop.
As soon as there is the slightest hint of spring in the air I am going to be one chic, flirty babe.
I’m excited about this dress. I know tinsel tassles are not everyone’s first pick, but for me, it was love at first sight. It has had many stares on both it’s outings. I’m fairly certain more of those looks where ‘wtf?’ than ‘wow’. My love remains remains strong.
I didn’t want my shimmering dress to feel lonely so slipped my tootsies in to these sparkly oxfords. They were made for each other.
Dress – Alice & You
Oxfords – Primark
Flower Crown – My own creation.
And, best of all, my arse looks so good in this dress. Check it out. I did at every opportunity!
I had high hopes for Saturday. My darling sister & I planned to visit the costume exhibit at Kelvingrove. As it’s so beautiful there we of course scheduled a blog shoot.
The pouring rain was our first impediment. Rain, especially when accompanied by roaring wind, is no friend to just styled hair. What really scuppered our plans was the discovery that the exhibit closed a week ago. Unfortunately these inconvienances rendered us both grumpy & squabbles ensued.
We pulled ourselves together & ended up getting some good shots. A rainy Saturday in Kelvingrove was too crazy for us, so we repaired to an Italian for lunch & then headed to the cinema. All was well.
As you know, I like to experiment with retro pieces. I love the print & shape of this skirt. It’s just on the right side of mumsy. Pairing it with a simple vest kicks it up a gear. While topping the look with a flower crown adds just a touch of whimsy.
Skirt – Lindy Bop
Vest – Primark
Flower Crown – Etsy
recovering from surprise surgery. So, what do you listen to keep calm when the dr in a&e says ‘we’re going to operate right away’?
First stop was a little John Lennon introspection via The Beatles with Across the universe. This song has always held a calming magic for me. I completely identify with the notion of words ‘possessing & caressesing’ . In times of crisis I often turn to words, be it writing, reading or soothing lyrics. Naturally I got a bit scared when the dr’s started making rapid decisions & letting Lennon’s words drift over me really helped.
You can always rely on Massive Attack for an epic chill out tune. My favourite take a deep breath song of theirs is Teardrop. I love the repetitive, grounding percussion that runs throughout. Repitition is mirrored in the lyrics which further offers a steadying hand. The rest of the musical arrangement feels like being emerged in a hot bath.
Suzanne by Leonard Cohen was the next call up for operation no panic attack. Cohen’s steadfast vocals slowly unraveling a story captures my thoughts & prevents them from wandering into worry. The imagery of the river in the song also lulls me into a gentle place. Suzanne allows me let my breath ebb & flow like a peaceful stream.
Hysteria averted & procedure complete I woke up feeling in need of a boost. Being stuck in a hospital bed, music once again came to my rescue.
In search of a defiant sounds, I of course turned to Robyn. Dancing on my own has long been my just do you jam. When confronted with yet another hospital room, you need a little mental boogie. The song isn’t actually particularly upbeat, but I like the concept of just saying ‘fuck it’ & rocking the dance floor all by myself.
What better way to convince yourself that your emergency procedure was no big deal than singing along to Bobby mcferrin? Any reggae style tune has a sunny bounce, but come one, ‘don’t worry, be happy’ is right there in the lyrics. I have been telling myself everything was ok with the aid of this song since I was kid. It still works.
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