Happy Campers

I have a number of friends who adore VW Beetles and camper vans; they're so beloved by so many people that they've become cheerful iconic style symbols. I've noticed heaps of camper van memorabilia around over the last couple of years, to the point of me thinking that pretty soon it'll go the way of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' ephemera (tacky variations of which are now blazoned across t-shirts, coasters, posters and cups throughout the kingdom),  however, making something yourself goes some way towards avoiding the tacky-taint. Makes it all personal, like, doesn't it?

I've been nosing about on Etsy lately, hunting for cross-stitch patterns which feature VW-mobiles, so that I can either suggest them to my friends or pretend to myself that I'll purchase and finish one in time for a friend's birthday (realistically, this is never likely to happen, as I usually come up with the idea a week before somebodies birthday, then I have too many other things to occupy myself with to finish it in time, then it either hides under the bed for two years or I have to hand it over half-completed, and really, who needs that?). Anyway, tangents aside, here are a couple of patterns that I've spotted for the avid VW fan in your life.

If you're looking for a full kit, Scootybeth from Georgia, US, has this Lemon Punch Volkswagen Beetle pattern, which comes with Aida and silks for $15 (just under a tenner) plus $4 (about £2.50) p&p. It's bright and sunshiny and kind of makes me think about rainbows and lollipops.

If you don't want to pay p&p and you already have some supplies on standby, why not have a look at this Happy Camper VW van cushion PDF from Pop Soup Supplies, which costs $7 (under a fiver).

Pop Soup will email you the PDF once payment is processed and you can print out and get stitching, happy as a, err, camper?

teasemade

I've mentioned before how I love finding handmade treasures; well today I have spotted the prettiest trinkets for you to peruse. 


Sami Teasdale, aka Etsy seller @teasemade, lovingly embroiders these quaint little accessories, which I am quite besotted with.


This snip scissors ring costs £10. The cool colours make for an elegant adornment to your index finger.

These polka love earrings are equally sweet, and a steal at £14:

Anyone who enjoys embroidery will find this pincushion brooch wonderful. The colours on the print and the delicacy of the design is truly delightful! The brooch costs £15.

I find this scissors love token brooch (£14) equally enticing. The stitching is so fine and the little balls of wool make me smile.

It appears that each item is a one off, as Sami uses limited edition prints in her work. Rather excitingly, there's also a sale on at present. 25% off order at checkout with the code 'TREAT25'. Well now that you know there's even a discount, how could you not?

Christmas decorations

Christmas obviously *just* happened, but if you like crafting your own decorations, you should probably start making them now for Christmas 2012 (or if you're like me, Christmas 2014). I've found some PDF cross stitch kits available from Country Rustic on Etsy which are really beautiful.

I love this Sleigh Bells cushion pattern, the typography is gorgeous. It's wintry and festive without being religious, so it would make a nice gift for anyone.

This Holly design would be perfect for my friend, who is called, surprisingly, Holly...

This C is for Christmas sampler is really sweet too.

All the above designs cost $7 (under a fiver), which is hardly anything, considering that they'll last a lifetime. Plus, the good thing about cross stitch is that it keeps you out of mischief :)

Angelic paper decorations

These sweet packs of Paper Angels from Very Nice Things are quite simply, very nice indeed.

I think they'd look pretty as place settings at a Christmas table, on the tree, or just scattered about the house randomly spreading festive cheer about them in a tiny, angelic fashion.

They cost £10 for a packet of 7, and look, they come flat-packed, so you could either spend a happy afternoon making them all up for yourself or send them as little postcards to your friends! You could be the coolest of your friends with unusual Christmas cards AND spread crafty, festive cheer! Win.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Lego lovelies

I love Lego. I think I inherited this from my mother, Rosebud, who used to get us big Lego sets for Christmas, but wouldn't allow us to play with them until she had built them first. Now my siblings and I have mainly fled the nest, she has an entire room set aside for Lego. Sometimes when I come home I find her sitting in said room, playing building the sets on the floor. She has ALL the Harry Potter ones.

Kookiemonkey on Folksy has made a set of 18 inch necklaces featuring Lego bricks for the bargain price of £10. Perfect little gift for the geek in your life.

I like this little Taxi  necklace, which is made with a vintage Lego brick:

This Fangs necklace has got me racking my brains trying to remember what set it came from originally:

And this vintage i-mac vs Pc necklace reminds me of the old Acorn PC we used to play on in Year 5 and 6 in primary school. There was this game with a turtle, I think it was called Logic or something and it came on floppy disk.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Wreaths at the ready

Winter is coming...Sorry I've been reading Game of Thrones every spare second in preparation for the new series starting on Sky Atlantic in the New Year...yep, fully aware I'm a geek, but whatever, I love it.

Anyway, Winter is coming and now we're in November, we might even go as far to say, comfortably, that Christmas is coming too. I work in retail so I've been ramming it down everyone's throats in an official capacity since September, but it's in November that I start to feel wintry and want to start decorating. So here I am in an unofficial capacity, chatting to you about Christmas decs, because I actually want to. 

See here? This is The Christmas Button Wreath, which I've spotted on From The Wilde.

I love it. It's a From The Wilde exclusive and costs £25. Green and purple is a nice, unusual combo for Christmas, but I like it. It comes in lots of different colours too, if green and purple ain't your thing.

There's also this awesome Brussels Sprout wreath, which I've spotted on Not on The High Street for £29.

I feel this wreath will be received a bit like Marmite; peeps are either going to love it or absolutely hate it, but I think it's light-hearted fun. After all, what would Christmas be without the dear old sprout?

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Cath Kidston gnome jumper

I was a bit over Cath Kidston. !*Confessional moment*! I was starting to find some of the floral stuff tawdry and thoughtless; I was starting to get the impression that dear old Cath just spotted any old print with some foliage on it and thought RIGHT! Let's stick this on everything I can think of and make a shed-load of dosh!

Let's face it, a lot of the Cath Kidston merchandise sits smugly in the posh-upper-high-street-price bracket, reserved, in Nomworld anyway, for birthday presents for very special people. Unless there's a sale on. What? I'm from the North, I have no qualms about wanting good value for money. When I'm buying things for myself, I'm only prepared to pay over about £45 for something if it a. literally makes me ache with longing, b. squeal with excitement or c. makes me look really, really hot. This Cath Kidston gnome blue jasmine jumper ticks two of these criteria (not the hot one. I have big boobs, jumpers always make me look like I'm smuggling galia melons):

I love it. Lots of my besties from my hometown (and, interestingly, even one of my bosses at work) call me Gnome, which stems back to an A level drama class in Year 12 where our rather well spoken and beloved tutor, Mr Jones, tried to call me 'Nom' in an attempt to be down with the kids but just couldn't quite manage it with his absurdly posh accent.

Here are some facts about the gnome jumper: In the Cath Kidston catalogue, it's called the 'gnome blue intarsia lambswool jumper', but on the website it's simply called the 'Gnome Jasmine Jumper'. It costs £65 and it comes with a flock of accessories (naturally, nobody could accuse Cath of not taking a print and ramming it down everybody's throat until they start puking bouquets) such as the matching hat for £25, scarf for £38 and toadstool gloves for £25.

My one qualm about this range is that on the website, the copywriter continually describes this range using the 'Q' word. Yes that's right, quirky *gags*. That word offends me; it's used by people who also think the words 'kooky', 'nutty' and 'wacky'* are appropriate to describe people who aren't Tax Inspectors or Accountants. Or by Tax Inspectors or Accountants when they're referring to themselves on the weekends.


*'Zany' too, don't forget about zany.


I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Leather lovelies

Back in June I celebrated London Jewellery Week by visiting Hatton Garden Festival with my beloved buddy Ellie in search of some new pretties that I could croon 'My Preciousssss' over in my very best (which is, incidentally, pretty lame) Gollum impersonation. It was a wonderful way to spend a sunny Saturday, walking along a street full of British craftspeople, watching them create and talking to them about their work. I guess some people might not do the whole talking part (mon Dieu, you don't speak to strangers, this is LONDON), but me being me, I obviously did. And I enjoyed it too, so there.

It was on this delightful wee free day out that I met a jewellery designer called Amma Gyan; her brand of leather accessories and jewellery, Me, really stood out as beautiful and unique. 

These pretty turquoise and leather dot rings cost £30 and are lovingly crafted with soft Italian leather and gold clasps. They come in red leather (shown above) and plum. If you're not a turquoise girl, there's a gorgeous onyx black dot ring (shown below) and a pearl and tan version available for the same price, and for £21, a selection of gold dot rings.

There are two types of necklaces to go with the ring, if you like to be all matchy-matchy with your accessorisation, the dot necklace, for £56 and the Cleo, for £45.

I also rather like this Natasha necklace. I'm loving the way Amma has casually paired it with a white t-shirt in the picture. What a lovely way to dress up a simple white tee! Delicate yet bold, I think it's really pretty. It comes in white or yellow leather (pictured) and costs £85.

Amma is on twitter @MebyAmmaGyan and she also has an interesting tumblr style blog here too.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Yespresso

When someone mentions Le Creuset to you, you probably either think 'Oh crumbs, I don't speak French, how can I stop myself from looking stupid right now? I'll just nod and look like I'm concentrating.' or you think of bright orange 70s cookware. Le Creuset has actually always come in a multitude of colours since its launch in 1925, but probably the most iconic colourway is that graduated orange.

I'd only ever seen the orange - which is officially called 'Volcanic', according to le website (don't be scared, I'm just making things sound French by putting a 'le' in front of them, I'm not actually writing in a different language - I know, INSANE right?) so I was truly thrilled to discover what pretty hues you can procure them in. 

Take, for example, these lovely espresso mugs - and whilst we're on the subject of espressos, who else dies a little inside when you hear someone say expresso? Hello! THERE IS NO 'X' IN ESPRESSO! IT DOESN'T MAKE IT COME FASTER! Ahem, sorry, these lovely espresso mugs cost just £7.50 from the Le Creuset website and come in 9 different colours, below are some pictures of my personal favourites. 

First up, ladies and gents, we have the Le Creuset espresso cup in 'Cassis'. She's lovely, isn't she? Turns out cassis is just a posh (or French) way of saying blackcurrant.

Next in line we have 'Kiwi'; bright and zingy, strong coffee served up in a Le Creuset espresso cup in kiwi is a sure fire way to kick-start your morning.

Next we have Teal. Teal feels fresh and calm to me. Fresh and calm. Like...like something fresh and calm.

If you're not an espresso drinker, you might just want a normal mug, for tea and whatnot and incredibly, thanks to the combined wonders of product development, charity and marketing, you can get one of those for just £10 AND help save the world, because Le Creuset have a rose coloured line in conjunction with Breast Cancer Care. Yay! 

Hello Rose

The full range is called The Strawberry Tea Collection and it's limited edition for 2011. On average, Le Creuset donates £1.25 for each item purchased and has pledged a minimum of £20,000 to the cause. What are you waiting for?

I things that feel heavy and look sturdy, mainly because I'm extremely clumsy and break fragile objects at the drop of a hat, or rather, mug. Although I distinctly remember struggling to lift a fully loaded Le Creuset cast iron saucepan in my youth, I figure that once the Nommie Dream House is established, a fully kitted out Le Creuset kitchen will be an excellent way of keeping the bingo wings at bay. Move over Madonna, Nom is snapping at your armbands.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Snappy ceramics

I've probably mentioned before something about my love for old school cameras. There is something utterly reassuring about using a proper film camera, a piece of kit that is older than me and doesn't require batteries to make it work. The pictures can be so satisfying, the anticipation of waiting to finish and the develop the film intense and most of all, there's that delicious clunk when you take the shot.  They also look seriously cool, all lined up in a little collection. It's amazing how inventive camera designers have been in the past, creating bodies that look completely different from each other.

I love finding objects created by people who seem to share my delight in camera memorabilia as much as I do. Nancy and Andy of Circa Ceramics on Etsy seems to be just such a duo! This little Lomo Lubitel plate, for example, is completely awesome - you choose the colour, they make the plate, print the design, fire and ship it to you! All handmade and costing just under £20 at the current exchange rate, plus £13 shipping (£7 if you're buying more than one) it's a perfect addition to any camera lover's kitchen!

Not a fan of the Lubitel and more of a Leica fan? What about the little Leica plate in berry red? Or my personal favourite, the Starmite, seen below in dodger blue!

If you're less of a camera fan and more of an audiophile, you might appreciate the little mix tape plate in avocado, or any other colour you might care to choose.

If you're looking for a just a little present for someone, Circa have a sweet range of magnets which cost just over a fiver. Designs include a Hasselblad, a Spartus and a Kiev - no I'm not talking about a chicken kiev, obviously, that would be absurd. 

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Marvellous millinery

We've talked before about my occasional need for accessories which do a small amount of communication, warding off potentially boring conversations and alerting people to my general mood. So I'm delighted to tell you I've found another Folksy Friend* in the form of Janine Basil, who's bringing comically verbose headgear to the aid of millions of speechless women throughout the MARVEL UNIVERSE. And potentially, this one too.

Check out this beautifully twinkly and ever-so-slightly aggressive BAM! fascinator, which costs £85. This is literally amazing. I would wear this A. to a comic book themed party where I could controversially go as The Text and mumble something that sounds vaguely intelligent about Roland Barthes and the death of the author, or in this case, illustrator, or A. wear this all the time. In my house. Outside the house. And whenever I catch my reflection in a in the mirror or window, just shout BAM! at myself. In the house this would be acceptable, my housemates find my mild insanity endearing. Outside the house, this might not fly, so perhaps I'd just shout BAM! in my head.

My other personal fave, because as you may have gathered from previous posts I'm a girl-geek-who-loves-the-chic (er, whatever, I'm speed typing on loads of coffee this morning) is the comic book inspired POW! rhinestone fascinator, which also costs £85. Man I so want one of these. I could pretend to be a superhero all the day long. And who wouldn't want that opportunity in life?

Moving away from the comic book theme, is the delightful Oh La Lah! rhinestone comic inspired fascinator, which again costs £85. I feel I could easily wear this with a nice pair of tailored black capris, one of my beloved stripey tops and black ballet pumps and you know, just have a totally French themed day. I'd eat tarte-au-citron and think about the Eiffel Tower and ride a bicycle and sigh wistfully and say 'oui' a fair bit, which sounds silly but really it's not.

The fascinators come as standard attached to headbands, but you can put in a special little request to have a comb or elasticated headband. Good old Janine's nice and obliging like that. Each rhinestone is carefully glued on by hand, so you know that she must be really quite skilled, a dab hand with the old glue-gun and totally deserving of our patronage.

If you're not into the rhinestones, or you're happy to speak for yourself she also as a lovely collection of crowns, bows and some hilarious zombie-themed 'oopsie-daisy-my-brain-is-peeking-through' headbands too!


* Well, strictly speaking, we're not actually friends, but I have emailed her to ask her permission to feature her work, so maybe, she'll potentially errr, like me for that? Maybe an internet friendship will bloom. Or maybe not. Who cares? This is getting awkward. I'm going now. Buhbye.


I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Cooler than carbonite, kids

There was a time in my (as you're about to discover) misspent youth, that I would idle away my lonely hours in Forbidden Planet, looking at comic books and pining after over-priced toys. Despite the fact that any geek worth their salt will pinch the bridge of their nose and scream in your face 'THEY'RE NOT TOYS! THEY'RE MOVIE MEMORABILIA/ACTION FIGURINES/COLLECTIBLES', they are, actually just toys. Toys for grown ups. Deal with it. I have.

I stopped going to Forbidden Planet because a. I was never given pocket money and b. although I know I dazzle you on a weekly basis with my charm, wit and intelligence, I'm simply not intense enough to be classed as an actual geek, so I got totally bored of having conversations with people who just *have* to prove a point, even if it's over an incredibly minor footnote in the history of The Marvel Universe.

So it's not surprising that I've entirely missed the boat on this Star Wars Han Solo ice cube tray, which costs £8.99:

Now, I know I said that I gave up on the quest to become a genuine geek, due to commitment phobia, lack of funds and unacceptable dress-sense, but when my twitter pal @marcusgalley hooked me up to a link with this, I got ridiculously overexcited. So excited, a little bit of wee came out.*

Look at poor Han! He's DROWNING! Nooooooooo!

Now, I'm hoping that you all get why this is great, but in case you're too young to have seen any Star Wars films prior to Episode I, this product makes a most amusing gift for the true Star Wars Enthusiast, because in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (which is arguably the greatest of the Trilogy, but I do like a bit of the old Episode IV: A New Hope, particularly the bit with The Cantina Band, which is my ringtone, incidentally), Darth Vader forces Solo's old Frenemy Lando Calrissian to trick him into chilling out for a bit in Cloud City, where Vader imprisons Solo in carbonite and turns him over to the faceless and mysterious bounty hunter, Boba Fett (I know, isn't his name awesome?) who sells Solo's ass without a second thought to slimy, slug-like kingpin, Jabba the Hutt. It's a particularly poignant moment in the film, because *just* as Solo is about to be encapsulated (and no-one really knows if he will even survive the carbonisation process - it's never been tested), Princess Leia finally tells him she loves him, after much sexual tension and bickering has been played out on screen. Like I said, it's a VERY POIGNANT MOMENT FOR STAR WARS FANS. This is what Han Solo looks like in the film when he's all carbonised and shiz:

I know, right? Travelling across the galaxy this way makes Sleazy-Jet look like a dream.

In short, this is seven types of awesome and if you buy it for a Star Wars fan, they'll appreciate it massively. Unless they have already been given fifteen of them. If you don't feel comfortable going into Forbidden Planet, you can always buy online, or you could just make them a Han Solo Trapped In Carbonite Cake.

*Actually that's hyperbole, I'm a fully and happily continent member of society peeps. So please don't spam me with offers of Tena Lady.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Mactastic

Do you remember a TV show from the late 80s/early 90s which involved this annoying little Canadian girl called Ramona? I can vaguely remember this irksome child having an absolute whale, splashing about in a puddle wearing this groovy little yellow PVC mac with a hat to match, and red wellies too in the opening credits. I hated that show. I hated Ramona. But I really, really wanted her yellow mac. Maybe my beef with Ramona was all down to a fairly standard case of green-eyed monsterism.

Well, time has flown by, television programs have come and gone from my life, but as it turns out, the desire to be the owner of a yellow PVC mac has not dissipated one iota.

ENTER JOY [stage left] and the Louche Bettina PVC Hooded Mac for the not offensive price of £59*.

Look how shiny it is.

This would be an ideal way for me to wreak revenge as an adult on that obnoxious little twerp Ramona. Now I am in charge of my own wardrobe budget, I can absolutely purchase myself a yellow PVC Mac, and NOBODY CAN SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

*Just in case you were wondering if £59 is a good price for a yellow mac, I did a bit of research Googled it and found this cheeky number on Justers Fetishworld (please do not click on this link if you are of a delicate disposition or at work and value your position of employment) for £61.59 and then this gorgeous Aquascutum number on sale at John Lewis for a trifling £225. As I have not a trifling £225 to spare and don't wish to receive packages with a Fetishworld return address on them, I think the JOY option is the one for me. 

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Bitchin' stitchin'

There's something deliciously comforting about padding around the house in your slippers. Not only do they do a grand job of keeping your tootsies warm (ideal in the UK, when we're often experiencing weather that can be described at best as 'miserable'), but also, doesn't it just make you smile to look down at your own feet under the table and see something sweet covering them up? To see your little toasty toes peeking out of the blankie as you're watching a film? Having lovely slippers is one of those simple pleasures that makes a lot of difference, on par with, for example, having a thoughtful boyfriend who makes you a cup of tea, just the way you like it, every morning (still haven't got me one of those, but I live in hope).

Some people like pink fluffy slippers. Some people like those ones that don't have any heels so they can slip in and out of them at a moments notice. Some people like slippers that are shaped like monsters, or cartoon characters, or bunny rabbits. For some people, they HAVE to be pink, or have a big bow on them, or sparklies. My housemate's slippers are stripey and the same shape as Ugg boots. Slippers are personal like that.

I rather like these Turkish home slippers from Smiling Knitting on Etsy:

These purple heart on grey slippers cost £18.85 (plus £4.41 postage). They also come in cherry red, navy blue and super cute candy pink:

Then there are the pistachio green slippers with pretty cherries on them, which only cost £16.96.

And those of you who have read any of my previous Nomday posts will know about my serious love for all things nautical, so you won't be surprised by my inclusion of these navy blue and white sailor slippers, which cost £18.85:

Don't you think that with those pretty slots in the side, they look sort of like those jelly sandals you used to play in the sea in as a child? I think they're very cleverly crocheted. I certainly couldn't crochet such a thing.

Now I just have to decide which pair are the most Nommie-ish, so that I can order a pair ready for the impending winter (YES, I know it's still August, but retailers are already thinking about Christmas so the approaching Autumn is in my thoughts).

You can order your precise size and wool colour if you so wish and lastly, at the moment, Smiling Knitting is jolly well generously offering 5% off all orders when you use the discount code 'smilingknitting5'; so really there's simply no excuse for having tatty old slippers any more.

 I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

I was recently introduced to the designboom blog by one of the creative team at my new job at Ocado. Basically, they'd seen an article on there about a virtual supermarket in South Korea; and by virtual I don't mean, like, Ocado online, I mean a whole underground station transformed into virtual supermarket, using QR codes to enable passengers to shop whilst waiting for a train. How awesome is that?

Anyway, naturally once I'd read the article, which was, for all intents and purposes work-related, my fingers slowly found themselves edging the mouse towards the designboom shop... I wasn't disappointed. It has loads of supercool presents; presents for you, presents for me, presents for wine buffs, presents for geeks, like, for example, this laptop bag which looks like a Windows 'My Documents' folder. CLEVER.

This costs $30 (about £18.80, thank you Expedia Currency Converter), not including postage. I really want it; I think it will definitely help me in my eternal quest to attract a cute, geeky boyfriend. It totally sends out the right vibes. It's like 'I'm geeky, but also cool', in a non-contrived way, obv. And 'geeky-and-cool-in-a-non-contrived-way' is a rare and attractive combo.

Sadly, I don't actually have a laptop, so once geeky-cool-non-contrived-potential-Mr-Nom saw the contents of my case, he might be slightly dubious about my coolness and geekiness, but I'm sure by that point I would have probably made some good jokes involving innuendo and maybe dazzled him with my smile*, so he'd be trapped in my web like a geeky and cool fly and the Find Nom A Boyfriend Plan would be successfully executed.

*If not my smile then definitely my boobs. Or my aforementioned zebra print onesie.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Threadlessly

I'm in a mopey mood today. I'm tired because I started a new job and moved house all in the same week. On Friday I went and got bosco absoluto, which is rather a silly thing to do when you have to move the other half of your belongings and clean your old flat the next day. FAIL. So today I am mostly feeling sorry for myself and wanting to mooch about wearing comfy clothes, eating naughty things, such as the cold pizza I bought last night and probably a large quantity of chocolate. Ooh, I could really go for a scotch egg, thinking about it.

The humble t-shirt is an integral part of any mooch-situation. Sometimes I like to kick it GAP style in a plain white t-shirt (whilst not wearing any actual GAP branded items because everything I have ever tried on in GAP looks boxy and squat and they can DO ONE if they think I'm going to buy into that look). Other times, I like to wear something that is a little bit more interesting. Threadless is handy for this kind of clothing dilemma.

The good thing about Threadless is that the designs can be applied to girls t-shirts and boys t-shirts and hoodies for either gender too. I think there's even the option to buy designs for younglings, but I've never investigated that option in any depth because I don't have a boyfriend, never mind offspring. The t-shirts are always really nice quality too. Another awesome thing about Threadless is that anybody can submit a design and if enough people like it, they will print it! I think you get a $1000 dollar prize if your design wins. Get your pencils out.

To go with my morbid mood, my first selection is Zombie at Tiffany's, which costs $20 (£12.18, thank you Expedia).

My housemate Helen thinks this is hideous, mainly because she loves the Breakfast At Tiffany's poster so much she has a copy of it up in our kitchen. I think it's hilarious. But then, I am sometimes one sick little puppy.

Speaking of puppies, Satan's Little Helper also costs $20 and features a fun pun and a picture of a doggrell, which I like muchly.

On the cute theme, there's also this Cookie Loves Milk tee by Jess Fink for $18. It comes in purrrrty colours too.

Love this Useful Facts tee ($15) too. Sometimes, knowing some good Facts can really come in handy. I make it my business to know random Facts. Such as, your hair doesn't really continue to grow after you die, your skin shrinks which makes it seem longer. Gross right? Also, white chocolate isn't technically chocolate at all, because it contains no cocoa solids, just a little cocoa butter. If you have nothing to contribute to a conversation an interesting Fact can be a real ice breaker. And when you're hungover, this could be essential.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Brogue bliss

Brogues, brogues, brogues. I know they're all the rage now and maybe in four years we'll all look back and think 'what was I THINKING with those man shoes?' but I love them. I *just* love 'em. They look so sophisticated, daring and just really flipping cool. That's right, I said flipping. 

When I see a pair of brogues that I want, I usually imagine myself wearing them as an extra in Bugsy Malone, casually lounging around Fat Sam's, chewing on a lollipop with my hands in my pockets, ready to splurge gun down any one of you suckers that dares to cross me. I've got a bit of a mean look on my face, like I'm sucking my teeth or something. Sigh. I feel like I'm cool in that little fantasy. So the new season shoes at ASOS, which feature a disgustingly high amount of beautiful brogues that I want to purchase and pretend to be an extra in Bugsy Malone in, have serious designs on the contents of my purse. Or rather, my credit card.  So now my friends, listen to what I'm telling you and listen good. These are the shoes of dreamland.

Look at the state of these Pieces Roska low heel brogues. Grey suede, with a fetching little cuban heel...£35. £35? Yes, £35. They're amazeballs. I think they'd look nice with a mini-skirt and 15 denier tights. Or really thick black tights. Or with some Bugsy Malone style baggy trousers and some braces...

I love this next pair of ASOS MARKY suede traditional brogues. Just £35 spons again and ohmygodlookhowgreentheyare! Is this too Irish? Too Leprechaun? Too Nommie-It's-Not-St-Patrick's-Day? I don't know. I can't decide. Sometimes ASOS has the TK Maxx effect, where you've been looking through so many clothes for so long and your sugar levels are so low and the good bargains are all jumbled up with the bad and you get a little bit hysterical and crazy and come out having spent £120 with a great belt, a good pair of shoes, a nice bag and a zebra print jumpsuit*, thinking DAMN I'm gonna look fabulous tonight!' when actually you just look mental. 

If you like the crazy colour, but you're not down with the suede, these also come in hot pink patent leather and black patent leather (this takes me back to primary school, in a GOOD way). The bright pink is a bit too much for me. It makes me think simultaneously about Pepto Bismol and Rampant Rabbits. And that's just not a very nice mental combo.

And now for the grand finale. These have to come last because the name of the shoe takes a lot of typing concentration, especially after two cans of Strongbow...the Melissa & A Herchcovitch Joy II brogues come in at £60, which, if I'm honest, is more what I'd expect to pay for a good shoe with all of the detailing that goes into a brogue. I mean I'd be shoesy - sorry, choosy - about what shoes I'd pay £60 for, but I'd feel confident that I was getting something that was quality for that price. I heart these so much they get two pictures.

Again with the cuban heel influence! Adds a little bit of leverage, makes the calves look toned, still allows you to feel smart. I honestly can't get enough of black patent leather either. It's so shiny and black and sexy. Those friendly curved toes will make me smile when I gaze down at them. And don't get me started on the perforations. Masterful. This has got to be my shoe of choice, for July at the very least. Might even stretch into September, who knows.

*The zebra print jumpsuit from TK Maxx happened to me. There are a bunch of pictures of me on a beach in Wales on Facebook in it, looking more sheepish than fierce. I also recently tried to wear it at a Naming Ceremony. Both times I've worn it outside the safe zone of my mother's house and a changing room, I've died a little inside.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Wicked weekend bags

The other day at lunch I was having a total mard slight whinge about the fact that I have no one to go on holiday with as all my lovely friends are shacked up or already have their holibobs booked. Obviously the continuous sound of my whining voice pitiable tale of my lack of plans struck a chord with my ever-patient kiwi colleague, who mentioned that she was about to book a weekend break with her boyfriend and a few friends to Budapest in November and would I like to come? Obviously I jumped on that shiz like a podium when Nelly Furtado's Maneater (what? It's my song) is playing and booked it. November baby, Budapest is MINE!

Now though, I have a delightful excuse to scour the interwebs for a weekend bag. I've needed one for yonks but I've never quite found the right one. I'm undecided as to how much I'm willing to invest in this purchase at the moment, so I have selected a mix of scrimp and splurge numbers that I'd love to have your feedback on!

First up is this tropical flower print bag from Asda, which is just £8. I spotted this the other day when I dashed in there for an emergency work birthday cakes scenario (I was desperate and they charge like, I dunno £2 for fify mini flapjacks or something) and thought to myself... 'Oooh! You're a nice size. And I rather like your pattern too, although I think perhaps I might be feeling a bit panicked so I'm not going to outright buy you, but I'm glad to see you're here and so I'll just remember you for the future. Just in case'.

I also rather like this suede Modalu Coralie tote bag from ASOS, which is currently reduced to from £160 to £86 and comes in electric blue, as below, and senape (read yellow).

Also worthy of mention, but not worthy of image as the pictures can't be scraped from the websites without being either minute or highly pixelated are the Perfect Weekend Collection boxy patent leather overnight bag from M&S at £89 (especially in mulberry, I like the mulberry) or the £85 overnight bag from Hush.

Despite liking all of the above very much, I feel that perhaps my weekend bag quest is not yet complete. I have not yet discovered the perfect bag to complement my travel persona (avec massive sunglasses, possibly a headscarf, red lipstick and a slight pout - you know how I like to do things in a totally theatrical manner). So if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments!

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.

Write me, Balthazar...

Isn't it a shame that most of the time the only post that graces your doormat is from EON or HSBC telling you that you owe them money or that you're overdrawn and you'll have to sell a kidney to get through the next three months? I wish more people wrote letters. I wish more things were beautiful for the sake of being beautiful and made me smile. Don't you?

Well. There's this man, right, and he's an imaginary sailor and a pretend photographer. And he's also like... a letter prostitute. He writes love letters or dirty letters or letters full of nonsense or advice. Any kind of letter really. He writes them for you or you can order one for a friend! And he'll even include a beautiful, sensual, original Polariod that he's taken. Paying $5 for the Polaroid is optional, but let's face it, it would be genuinely rude not to reward such selfless kindness with a measly $5. It's not even £5, I just ordered one on Paypal and it was like, £3.26 or something*. Also, you should think about the fact that it will come with an interesting stamp on it, because it's coming from Madison, in the US of A. AND his name is Balthazar...

In actual fact, Call Me Balthazar is a creative duo, a mysterious twosome of the aforementioned Balthazar and his model, writer, stylist and muse S.M. Kubica. Aren't their names cool too? So go on. Be part of a project and make yourself feel special and get an original polaroid, request a letter from Balthazar.

You can also buy photographic prints by Balthazar on the website here or on his Etsy page.

*DISCLAIMER: EXCHANGE RATES MIGHT WELL VARY.

I originally wrote this post for About Your Dress Blog, you can still find it amongst heaps of other posts by me and two other talented ladies there if you'd like to go and have a peek.