R U Mine?

Studded collar blouse: £28.50, Reverse via asos. Skirt: £3, h+m. Necklace: £12; Elsie Belle. Boots: £60, Topshop. Lipstick: Cockney, MAC.

And lazy hair resumes.
Casual Scarlett Kapella/Breana McDow/Nick O'Swagley vibes of "R U Mine?" which I have listened to enough in the past twenty-four hours to sufficiently annoy my flatmates. This look isn't very "me", but it's fun to wear something that can't be taken from a five year old's wardrobe.
Shout out to ma gurl Amy as it's her fifth birthday tomorrow (she's a leap year baby, like she hasn't been letting everyone know), so a few people are coming to visit and go out in fancy dress. Looking forward to the 9am tutorial as a mixer. Be young, be foolish, but be happy.

xxx

ps, I'm currently on the lookout for something rad to say thank you to all my readers as I reached 1,000 GFC members this week! Let's see what I can come up with...


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Jean Genie

My first pair of jeans were from Tammy and had star patches dotted sporadically up the legs; you obviously couldn't get much cooler than me. I had quite the collection, yet when I started sixth form I just... stopped. Perhaps because it was a boys' school (girls were allowed to join in year twelve, I promise I haven't been holding back vital information!), but I went from Converse and skinnies, to heels and skirts, without looking back.
Then, of course, I see my girl crushes wearing them, and everything changes - I'm blaming Alexa.
One of the more affordable stockists of bright coloured women's jeans is Bank. I tend to go there for going out clothes (I have a pleather dress that makes me feel like Daisy Lowe), but their daywear is pretty versatile too. They stock loads of brands (my favourites are Reverse, Lipsy and Dr. Martens) and sell menswear too - perfect for knitwear! Luckily they have stores in both Liverpool and Essex (i.e. Lakeside, home to Joey Essex), as well as other locations around the country.


Here are some outfits I created using my main gal pals for inspiration:


Alexa in Williamsburg
Photo from Daily Alexa Chung

Blonde & Blonde at Bank cranberry jeans, New Look satchel, Wal G at Bank striped top, and Margaret Howell sandals.

Edie in Chelsea

Photo by Viktor Vauthier

Ribbon at Bank patterned trousers, Glamorous at Bank blouse, Dr. Martens at Bank heeled boots, and Topshop trilby.

Cara in Central London
Photo from FYCD

Heaven Sent at Bank stone coloured trousers, Sass & Bide embroidered jacket, Adidas Originals at Bank cardigan, and Missguided boots.

This post is written in partnership with Bank, but all words and views expressed are my own.

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Mulberry Coloured Mulberry Hair

I never attempt to try a hair "do", I'm far too lazy and decide that as long as my parting's straight then I'm good to go. However, the tagline of 'wild school girl living in a forest' called to me, so I had a go at recreating Sam McKnight's look for the Mulberry AW12 show that I saw on their blog. Thankfully it's meant to look a little bit messy!

And a quick hopefully-not-too-gushy thank you to Tesco for putting a little photo of me on their blog, I shouldn't be in the same section as loads of my favourites! Just so you know, the jelly beans went down a treat. Making banana bread tonight - excited. And this is why I shall never be a model, aha.

xxx

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London Fashion Day

Collared tee: £18, American Apparel. Pleated skirt: 99p, ebay. Cardigan: £63, Carven. Bag: £4, charity shop. Burger charm: Luella. Dirty boots: £60, Topshop. Belt: 20p, charity shop. Socks: gift, Topshop.
Outfit photos kindly taken by Ashley!

I'd been planning to go home for my friend's birthday this weekend just gone for the past couple of months. Serendipitously, London Fashion Week occurred simultaneously, so I registered (for the first time ever!) to attend. When I arrived at home just before midnight on Thursday, I was lucky enough to have two envelopes which I hadn't expected: tickets to Bora Aksu and Orla Kiely.

Dressed like a perverted schoolgirl (all credit for that title goes to my friend Sabby), I managed to get to Somerset House via only one broken down train. A complete novice, I found Michelle and Elodie in the queue for Bora Aksu, and we were soon joined by Hannah and Ashley. The third photo is of the show (I'll let everyone else's photos do the clothes justice, I was still rabbit in headlights at this point), illustrating how vast it is. If I was nervous, I dread to think how those tiny models felt walking into the sea of cameras. Outside, we bumped into Olivia, Jazmine, et al., before checking out the exhibition. To end my day (the others stayed for much longer, I went to meet a friend for caffeine), we went upstairs to the Portico Room, which had been transformed into a 1920s style dance for the Orla Kiely presentation - complete with band! The atmosphere was so carefully built, with guests sat at circular tables lining the room, sipping on champagne and devouring nibbling mini victoria sponges. The models as they doing the waltz to swing classics under the golden glitter ball couldn't help but lead me to want the cream, burgundy and mustard hues of the Autumn Winter collection. (I'm choosing not to mention completely fangirling when I said hello to Leith Clark, I prevented further embarrassment by just admiring Orla Kiely herself from afar).

This is a horribly word-heavy account of my day, despite attempting to be concise. To make up for it, I'll be getting the disposable camera I lugged around with me all day developed as soon as possible. A little film "exclusive" for you, as I'm pretty sure every single other person there had a DSLR (and a Mulberry bag!) over their shoulder. 

xxx

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Sweetheart.

Every week between Renaissance and Romantic (capital R!) lectures, my friends and I go to Cuthbert's for cupcakes and tea. I'd pretty much forgotten the significance of today until I saw that most tables were occupied by couples with red velvets, so we disturbed the peace by musing upon how reading English at University equates to holding teaching as your only ambition in the eyes of the majority of the populace.


The only romantic (little R!) aspect of my day involves these heart-shaped doughnuts that I won from Krispy Kreme in a competition they ran on their twitter yesterday. Someone come over for a sleepover and help me finish them??


xxx


ps, the second photo is one I took of the newest Banksy in Liverpool. If anyone wants to see it, it's in the car park of the Pig and Whistle, just off Chapel Street by the Liver Building.

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Tortoiseshell and Indigo

Coat: £63, Topshop. Blouse: £12; Primark. Jamie Jeans: £18, Topshop. Bag: £8, vintage from Manchester. Ballet flats: c/o Le Bunny Bleu.

Some things never change: the wind in Liverpool (my excuse for the Myspace style hand-in-hair pose, I swear). But some things do: I'm wearing jeans! I shan't lie, I'm still not convinced, but when I run out of clean tights these suffice well enough. Anyone else have a real jeans phobia?

Another 'new' thing is that I'm wearing completely flat shoes. This never happens, even my Russell and Bromley "flats" have an extra inch. This lovely pair were sent to me by Le Bunny Bleu, so now I have to stop being short and in denial. They're actually a sort of wine tortoiseshell colour, but the annoying February light doesn't really show that so I've added a close up, starring Ikea bedsheet. There's a store in the strattaz Stratford Westfield opposite Dr Martens that you should check out if you're there.

I'm off to make myself another lemsip as I thought it would be a really good idea to walk home in February at 4am in a sheer shirt. Sure. My duvet (and Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella") are calling!

xxx

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Her fav'rite midnight haunts

 

Striped top: £30, Aubin and Wills. Corduroy skirt: £15, American Apparel via ebay. Socks: Internatçionale. Patent loafers: £15, Russell and Bromley via ebay.

Despite barely having a moment to myself (which means to just sit and catch up on Gossip Girl with a hot chocolate) it kind of feels like I've done hardly anything recently. Since my last post I've finished exams (Victorian literature did not go well. It probably didn't help that about thirty people left to go to the toilet, seriously??), got back the marks of last semester's assessed essays (they were much better), and went to Cambridge for the weekend. But now I'm back in Liverpool and am officially halfway through my degree; this thought has resulted in many a breakdown and existential crisis, so nothing too dramatic.

These photos were taken by Jazzy during a cute lunch date when I was home over Christmas. Making the suburban look rad is our day job.

xxx

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I'm not miserable, it's just me face

Silk blouse; 50p; Gap via charity shop. Cardigan; mum's. Skirt (HELLO AGAIN); £30; American Apparel. Boots; £60 Topshop. Bracelet; H Samuel.

This is what I wore to sit in Costa for four hours reading "Villette" and to spill almond croissant down myself. Flakey. 
I'm just holding out for the end of this examination period so that I can go to Cambridge guilt-free this weekend, and home not long after. My railcard is my friend. It's odd to think that a few years ago it was an adventure to get the train ten minutes down the line to a town I knew well, now I travel across the country on a whim. That's "growing up" for you.


xxx

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Alice in Wonderland at Tate Liverpool

Although I'm currently reading English ("books. You read english... books" I always think of that An Education joke) at university in Liverpool, I studied Art until A Level and I still can't resist a gallery every once in a while.

The Tate Liverpool has had its Alice in Wonderland exhibition since November but a lethal combination of essays, exams (one left!), and going home for Christmas has meant I haven't been able to go... until yesterday. I know, a blogger~ liking Alice in Wonderland is hardly surprising, but knowing there would be some Pre-Raphaelite works there (Rossetti! Hunt! Millais!) gave me a more substantial need to visit and part with £5.40 (Worth. It. It's a massive exhibition too). I thought you might like to see the sketches I did while I was there (Millais, Penrose, and Rackham. Further proof I still can't draw hands. Click through to see it bigger, if you fancy), and a photo of me taken last term standing on the kitchen surface and "proving" I'm tall by touching the ceiling. Maybe it was something labelled "drink me".

And in regards to the Coachella stuff I wrote in my last post, I was going to go, but my friend pulled out due to an internship and I didn't fancy going all that way with people I don't know so well. Thank you for letting me know about your experiences though! To compensate, I've been spending too much time window shopping on the Mulberry website and dreaming of Paris next year.

xxx

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Coachella Dreaming

Jumper; £1.50; charity shop. Skirt; £15; American Apparel via ebay. Shoes; £60; Topshop. Necklace; gift. Watch; gift.

Got a bit lost (a.k.a. got distracted listening to Bowie) when on the way to find my usual spot to take photos, but serendipitously came across this place. Hooray for mistakes! Not so hot on the facial expressions, but you can't have everything.

But yes, important stuff, I'm sure you'll all seen the Coachella 2012 line-up by now, like I did just as I was about to go to sleep last night, keeping me up till silly hours fangirling. (Yeah, I apologise if you follow me on twitter.) I just want to know if any of you have ever been? Or even have just been to America? Might be a bit optimistic, but you know, fingers crossed...

xxx

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This is for girls who dress like awkward boys

Jumper; £12; Primark. Dress; £20; H&M. Boots; £60; Topshop. Necklace; Gift. Rings; vintage/Topshop. Watch; Rotary (gift).

2012 is here! Currently watching the Come Dine With Me: Made in Chelsea special - so much love for Caggie and Binky - proof alone that my taste in TV hasn't improved one jot. For NYE I went to a house party (there was a pool, Michael Barrymore was mentioned many times) and I sincerely doubt any photos will make it here, but I had heaps of fun and little sleep (yet again, no change from last year).

So, what has changed? Well, my hair for starters. Not quite the "Mahogany Brown" advertised but it's pretty cool, if I do say so myself. Outdoor photos at home, much to the bemusement of my mother (Who took the photos? Where did you go? Just why did you do that??).

Other than that, I really can't think of anything else. I'm still the one that turns up to a party with at least three cameras and I spent today breaking up one of the wooden stirrers in Starbucks. Living the dream.

xxx

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