Inspiration for the week

I didn't do my normal inspiration post last week, I'm not quite sure why, but do not despair because it means that this week you get a double whammy of wonderful style images from across the interweb. I don't really feel much like writing today due to a horrid headache so I'll just let you enjoy the style.

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I'm a Festival, I'm a Parade

Dress: Primark

Shirt: Forever 21

Belt: Asos

Tights: Next

Boots: Asos

My friend did a car boot sale to try and get rid of her stuff to start a fund for our trip to Japan. I offered to go and keep her company so I got up, got dressed and rode my bike into town. Yes, I rode a bike in this outfit.

I picked up this dress when I was in Leeds and was instantly inspired to create a grunge outfit with it. Grunge is one of my huge inspirations but it doesn't often show up in my style, mainly because it's been summer. You can't see but the dress is velvet, the tights are polkadot and the boots are my new loves! I paired it with the red plaid shirt to give it some layering as it looked freezing from my window. It turned out to be a really warm day though, followed by an evening of torrential downpour.

Some other photos from the day. She managed to make a bit of a profit and as a result, I'm definitely going to be updating my blogshop  over the next few days. Please check it out as I have a lot of clothes I need to get rid of to clear some space. Reasonable prices for great clothes!

Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks

Dress: Topshop

Cardigan: Asda

Tights: River Island

Socks: Primark

Shoes: Primark

Locket: Gift

Yesterday, I had a long list of things I had to get done. The list mainly remains undone though. I had a day snuggled up under the duvet instead. I had this outfit planned in my head but then when I got around the wearing it, it was too cool to not wear tights and my cream ones were the closest to neutral that I could find.

I finally got into the garden to take some outfit photos again, it felt nice to only have myself to rely on for photos. The backdrop are obviously less exciting but at least they get done. It was my first proper time using my remote as well. It was a lot quicker than my last method of self timer, run, pose, repeat.

I don't know why I always lean to the side in photographs. Anyway, this outfit was really cosy and comfy and I loved wearing socks with my shoes although I'm not sure about how it looks with the tights. This dress has been my favourite since I bought it and it look me a while to post it here because I wanted it to have the right styling. I went through two ideas and I'm hoping when it's warmer I can ride out to a nice location and shoot the other before this summer is over.

Recently, I watched The September Issue. I really enjoyed it, it's such a great subject to make a film about and it was really insightful into the industry as well. I love Grace Coddington! Anna Wintour kind of terrifies me though.

I think I have my holiday wardrobe planned now that I recieved a package this morning.

Copenhagen and Malmo, here I come.

Missed Connections

While thumbing through my latest issue of Oh Comely Magazine, which I am planning a post on, I came across some wonderful art. I'd seen these pictures around on Tumblr and other such places but had never known the story behind them. I really love the concept behind these pieces and they're so beautiful too.

Sophie Blackall from New York creates this paintings based on the missed connections ads on Craiglist. She has a blog and she also sells her artwork on Etsy. She says this about her work: "Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down." (Credit)

I find her work to be cute and romantic and just, wonderful. I get caught up in the stories and the characters that she creates from those few lines people write to try and capture the moment they lost. I find myself fascinated with missed connections ad's in papers so when I saw her work, it was the perfect match.

Definitely go and check out her blog and etsy shop because I think this is a lovely project that deserves a lot of attention.

 

City Middle

Dress: Ark

Cardigan: Primark

Shoes: Below 7

I wore this for a day of relaxing and an evening with friends. It was wildly windy which is why I look mildly dishevelled in all the pictures and also, why I'm wearing tights. Please excuse the sunflares in the below photos, I couldn't bare going out in the wind again to take more.

I've been awful at taking outfit photos recently and I really need to pick up my game. I've worn lots of things I wished I'd captured so I might just have a session of taking photos of all of those outfits. Thing is, my mother has been home from work on holiday for the past two weeks and will be til Monday so it's awkward planning my photo taking around her.

I love the colour of this cardigan against the cream of the dress.

I need to put the finishing touches to my holiday plans tomorrow so I'm all sorted for next week.

Have you got any late summer holiday plans?

Ready To Be New Again

Dress: H&M

Cardigan: Peacocks

Tights: Primark

Shoes: Below 7

Belt: Asos

Bag: ebay

Badge: Etsy

I decided to have a little adventure since my holiday this year isn't until right at the end of summer. I was hoping to go to Brighton or Oxford but the day that was free to go was a horrid, grey and rainy affair so closer destinations had to be settled for. Cambridge was the choice. It's just at the other end of our train line, an hour away on one train, and I had heard good things. The rain did put a damper on the day but a nice walk along the river was involved and a music shop visit cheered me up too.

This is the dress that I saw on ten million bloggers and hunted for relentlessly until finally finding it in Leeds. Then I proceeded to find a polka dot version in Cambridge. Might just have to pop back in to H&M for that one too. I have a lot of combinations for this dress in mind and no doubt, it'll be coming along to Denmark/Sweden with me.

This weekend, everyone is dashing off to Reading Festival or camping trip or back to university and I wish I could be doing every single one of them. I said I didn't want to go to Reading Festival this year as I had many grander festival plans in the pipeline but all of them fell through so now I'm left wishing I'd bought a ticket and cursing the fact I'm going to spend my weekend parked in front of BBC instead.

Still my favourite brooch. Summer is nearly over now and it feels strange how fast its gone.

What was the highlight of your summer?

With Open Arms and Open Eyes.

Dress: Asos

Vest: Forever 21

Belt: Asos

Shoes: Below7

I'm back from Leeds now. It was a hectic and packed trip but it was a really fun time. I got to spend time with some great friends in my favourite place. I only managed to get photos of two outfits which I'm regretting but I was too busy having fun. Rubbish excuse, yeah? I wore this on the daytime of the Tuesday when I met up with my friends in town, got a hair cut and then went to a gig in the evening following by a great night. I wore a different outfit for the evening but this was great was the daytime. Apart from skater dresses are kind of susceptable to gusts of wind. Sorry Leeds for my indecent exposure.

I took a different route back to my house and got a little lost but found this great wall of grafitti. I've seen quite a lot of great street grafitti up there and I think it works really nicely as a backdrop for photos. We managed to figure out where we were and find our way home. I love strange little adventures like that though. 

For the rest of my time in Leeds, I enjoyed a burrito, watched Hot Tub Time Machine, walked around sleep deprived for day, got settled in the new house and encountered plenty of strange neighbours. Apparently it's normal to scream at a dog in the middle of the night and park under someone's open window while blasting gangster rap. Who knew?

My friend was supposed to come back home with me from Leeds but there was a disaster with her tickets five minutes before the train left so I ended up coming home alone. I'm sad she didn't get to come as we had great stuff planned but the upside is I didn't have to get up at 9AM after only getting in at 3 last night. It was my friend's birthday and I think we gave her a pretty good celebration including lots of old faces, surreal stories and a nice sobering walk home.

As you can see, I still haven't quite learnt the art of posing.

Constellations

Skirt: American Apparel

Tights: Next

Cardigan: Peacocks

Top: ???

Shoes: Topshop

Pin: Etsy

I wore this for my travelling up to Leeds and then a day wandering around the shops with my friend. I had to take off my loafers after a while though as they gave me mean blisters so I had to buy some pumps in Primark. I think once they're broken in now though, they'll be okay. I went for comfort with this outfit but it turned out being quite warm so the cardigan wasn't a wise move.

There were loads of people walking past hence these awkward photographs. They were taken outside my new house though which I've come to stay in. Sorry this is short but I'm writing this the night before posting because I don't want to be rude to my guests.

Nail Varnish: Barry M

Rings: Vintage and Miss Selfridge

Watch: Nixon

Inspiration For The Week

I'm writing this while on the train up to Leeds for my mini-visit. I'm going to be there til Thursday afternoon when I'm coming home with my friend, and often photographer, Mel to show her around London. I'm looking forward to being back in Leeds, I really love it and I get to get settled into my new house. Two of my best friends will also be there, one of them playing a gig with his band and one coming up tomorrow to see the gig but staying til Thursday.

I also recieved my present from the Snail and Pigeon Society from Cat which I'm going to blog about properly once I'm home. I've just seen the new theme for this month is Ice Cream so I'm going to do some shopping while in Leeds for my gift.

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Lovely printed dress, wedges, floral, shoulder bag, all my must have items for this past summer.

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These photos had me astounded. Such a delicate feminine look.

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I love this backdrop and the cute dress and hat.

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Wish I could pull off a turban like this, love the retro vibe.

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Yellow is my new found love. Perfect colour for summer.

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Love the neutral light tones, the hat and the sweet little bag.

I think I've successfully packed for once so should be giving you some outfit posts soon.

Summer Inspiration

I recently stumbled across a photographer on flickr known as Shelbie Dimond. I used to browse Flickr a lot looking for new photographers and interesting shoots, for inspiration and for the warm fuzzy feeling it gives you when you grasp on a new piece of art that fills you with emotions. Maybe that's just me? But recently I have been busy with my love affairs with other websites so Flickr has taken a back seat. I was doing some research for a magazine that I'm going to do a feature on once I get back to my scanner in Leeds and I found these wonderful photos and wanted to share them with you all.

All her photos make me nostalgic for a summer I never had. A summer filled with adventures and antics, exploring unknown places, embracing everything and staying up late to savour every last moment. There's just something about the sun drenched images and the characters I build up around them that has me mesmerised. They make me want to crawl back into my childhood and move to the California countryside, race through fields, hold hands and just live life.

All photos were found here. Go and check out the rest of her photography because she's definitely one to watch.