20131212

Space Cadet Style & Born Pretty Watch



Pearl Cat Ears - ASOS 
Petite Nasa Badge Print tee - Tee & Cake
Holographic Skirt - Topshop 
Pink LED Wristwatch* - c/o Born Pretty


S'up bloggerverse (slang for the blogger universe as I've recently heard). I've finally taken some outfit photos in my new room with my fairy lights (which have since stopped working *sad face*) although what to do with myself as the self-timer flashes away is still an issue. These photos below make it painfully clear I don't know what to do with my arms, although I've found a great use for them recently as it turns out they make excellent watch holders.
I love my new wristwatch from Born Pretty, it's pretty quirky but not too overstated and tells the time by lighting up LED dots diagonally across the watch face, which alternate between a.m. and p.m. The wrist strap's made from pink rubber, which is surprisingly comfortable and sets quite a statement. It's awesome cuz it makes me feel like a spy / super trendy space cadet. And what would a space cadet be without her NASA tee?  Which is another recent purchase of mine that I'm over the moon about (ooh space jokes, nobody saw that one coming ¬.¬)
I've never had an LED watch before, nor have I seen a design quite like this. It kind of has this retro vibe, like how people in the 60s though the future would look, which is what inspired my outfit today. If you're maybe looking for a new watch or even a gift for somebody else I'd definitely check out the Born Pretty website - they have a great range of affordable women's watches and a really cute selection of bracelet watch styles, so if you find something you like you can use my code LORNAC10 at the checkout to get 10% off, what a stellar deal! (okay I'll kill it with the space puns now).
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20131125

Earphones




Razzle Dazzle Jumper - Topshop 
Accessorize Butterfly Earphones* - c/o Three Mobile 

"OHAI something's different about you! Did you... buy new clothes? Yes that's it, nice." 

There are few landmark moments in a persons life, for a lot of people this means anything from learning to ride a bike to having their first child. I like to think I've hit a milestone since turning 21 came with acquiring my very first touch screen phone (I came fashionably late to the party I know). Aside from not being able to get through a text without using autocorrect, I think I'm becoming somewhat of a touchscreen wizard. It's so cold outside now I refuse to take my gloves off to answer the phone so I've been using my nose instead (I don't think any one's sure what to make of that, but I like to think it's up there with the other great ideas of our time, like the invention of the wheel, and toast)... I also have instagram now which is pretty exciting (@citylightmaverick) along with downloading a tonne of other apps, including Shazam, which is now my favourite thing ever - no more bothering my brother with "hey bro, what song goes da-da-da-daaa nana-nana-NAAAH? Yeah, you know the one!"

Something else I'm loving right now are these super cute butterfly headphones I received from Three Mobile recently. They're a great size and have a built-in microphone for if you're taking hands free calls, which was something I didn't actually notice at first and when I did I'll admit, it blew my mind just a little. It's up there with owning a coat for six months and discovering it has pockets you didn't realise were there before (something that's definitely not happened to me, more than three times). They're also the kind with inner ear cushions which are ideal for stopping sound escaping, so when you're on the bus pretending you're not secretly listening to *insert embarrassing band name here* nobody will be any the wiser, mwahah. Also, this may be coincidence but so far, unlike all my other headphones, they haven't once magically tangled themselves up in my pocket. I swear it's like there's an invisible pixie-sized cub scout living in my bag practicing complex knot techniques every time I put my i-pod down (that's right mr pixie I'm onto you ¬.¬) Anywhoo, if you're looking for some new earphones these get a thumbs up from me. They come in a range of designs and are available online and at most Accessorize stores, for a bargain £12.00, pretty cute right?

20131025

George @ Asda A/W Blogger Event












I went to the George at Asda blogger event on Carnaby Street last night. The team put together an amazing evening showcasing the new A/W clothing line and party pieces from their online exclusive range, G21. I'll be honest I'd never heard of G21 before but after seeing that burgundy velvet and tulle dress it's a name I won't be forgetting. I want need that dress in my wardrobe, like now. The detailing on some of the pieces were just amazing, far beyond what you'd expect for the price. In terms of trends; baroque's back with a bang, alongside some snazzy sequins and iridescent, um, everything. There was an definite element of Gatsby-inspired embellishment on some of the pieces, which is all over perfect for the Christmas party season.
The George guys were kind enough to let us try on some of their winter knitwear to take a group photo in - so I now know what Christmas jumper I'll be buying / living in for the next three months. It looks like one of those over-sized vintage / stolen from my deffinitely not imaginary boyfriend jumpers that everyone will be wearing soon.
It was so much fun I literally felt like a princess; being surrounded by so much sparkle, having my hair done by a professional stylist whilst the caterers plied me with more cake than Marie Antoinette. Oh aaaand there was a chocolate fountain, oh yes, a chocolate fountain. Although I think I ended up wearing more chocolate than I did eating it.  Eh I have my clumsy moments, but I hold no ill will as it lead me to one of THE GREATEST scientifc discoveries of all mankind; chocolate and pretzels are an amazing combination - I should really copyright that before someone else does... wait, what do you mean they're already a thing?! Uhh this is like heat sensitive nail polish all over again -_-
Anywhoo I had an amazing evening viewing the new winter pieces, everything was so well put together and the caterers / cocktail crew were just fantastic, thanks everyone and thank you Siobhan for inviting me!

20131024

Twenty One Candles







Hey guys it's been a while! I've been doing a live project for Banana Republic which is taking up a lot of my time but I've got quite a few exciting posts lined up so stay tuned (she says in a 90s kids TV show voice). I've been at the George at Asda blogger event this evening and taken like 10294043 photos (90% of which are of the chocolate fountain :3)
I also turned 21 since I last posted, which is err, crazy. I have the face of a child which has it's pros and cons since I get ID'd absolutely everywhere (I can't buy sharpie markers without my passport -_- seriously). But I actually had THE BEST birthday cake ever ever everrrr, check it out...


Anyone following me on instagram will have seen these already but even though my birthday feels like ages ago I still can't let go. My mum made it herself, she's so talented - the horses are made from icing and everything (people kept asking me if they were edible and yes, buuut I wouldn't recommend it as they're pure icing and all your teeth would fall out). But yeah my birthday was amazing, I'm thinking of doing a video post on things I've got recently as I did a massive birthday haul so if that's something you'd be interested in seeing lemme know! Even if it's just one person I'll do it haha, ooh also I finally have somewhere to live in London again, yaaay! New room tour coming soon...

20130921

OOTD: No place for heroes


Crochet Open Back Skater Dress (worn back to front) - Chicwish Embellished Ankle Boots - ASOS Silver Necklace & Bracelet - gifted. 

I spent this afternoon enjoying what's left of the sunshine in my new dress from Chicwish (it's more of a 'going out' dress but I was so far beyond excited when it arrived I couldn't take it off). Hmm but what's this? Oh that's right, I'm wearing it backwards - which was totally intentional and not the least bit by accident ¬.¬ yeeeah... Universe: 237989 Me: 0. On the plus side now I have two dresses in one, not like I don't wear enough black dresses already (what am I saying? a girl can never have too many LBD's). I also took some photos to show what it looks like 'the right way' round, I love the subtle way the crochet peeks out, one thing I don't love though is how gross my hair looks up, blaaah, c'est la vie.


20130918

What I Used To Wear

Last month the beautiful Ellie over at "Ellie's Favourite Things" did a post like this and in true blogger style I thought I'd try to make it a trend and do one too (you're welcome universe). One of the best, and sometimes worst, parts of blogging is having a visual diary to remind you of how your style's changed over the years so I thought I'd look back to embarrass myself and show you what my style was like between then and now.

I was one of those unfortunate girl babies who looked like a boy so my mum would put giant bows in my hair to end the confusion. However, this way of thinking was lost 3 years later when my brother was born and our mum decided to dress us like twins. Being a girl this never worked in my favour. She was never gona put my brother in a dress, so up until I turned 7 it was all shorts, polo shirts and corduroy trousers (with matching hats ofc). By the time I was thirteen I'd hit the obligatory teen emo phase, or as Ellie accurately called it "discovering the black section in Claire's Accessories". I was always in jeans and had an extensive collection of fingerless gloves which went with absolutely everything. We'd listen to heavy rock music, hung around the stone lion statues in the square and idealized Kurt Cobain, we were cool. 

In school I used to have plaits and wear glasses with an oh-so glamorous nose guard, which as you could guess made me reeeally popular. The plaits were generally how people would identify me since from the age of six to sixteen that's how my hair would look EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. It got so out of hand my friend Amy drew this little comic strip in my year book demanding I lose the plaits before college or she'd burn them off with acid (this was a joke... I think). The colourful hoody phase came about when I was about 15/16; whilst school ruled my weekdays I spent every weekend at the ice rink, wearing leg warmers and skater-style dresses. Coincidentally most of my clothes were from New Look (as I didn't realize any other shops on the high street existed :P). By the time I started college I was already addicted to Gossip Girl and started dressing like a combination of Jenny Humphrey and Blair Waldorf. I called it my vintage phase as I'd just discovered the joys of thrifting in charity shops and wore a blazer with practically everything cuz I thought it made me instantly sophisticated.

Eighteen came with the indie throwback phase, I was trying to go for 'girly grunge', which to me translated as wearing hobo boots and floral dresses beneath an over sized denim shirt. Dip-dyed hair had just become a trend but me and my friend Abi were too chicken to actually go through with doing it permanently so we started spraying the ends of our hair pink(ish)/purple with this really cheap colouring we got from Superdrug. The colour was barely noticeable, it smelt like strawberries but made my hair feel like straw so that didn't exactly last long... Eventually I took the plunge and got my hair dip-dyed blonde and I absolutely love it!I figured the colour showed up best over black and that's when the all-black-all-the-time phase kicked off (hmm, can I really call it a phase if I'm still in it?) It wasn't even intentional, I just love wearing black... and topshop, oh topshop. 90% of my wardrobe is from there, which some people would frown upon although I don't know why, I just love their clothes and I like to think they love me too - although maybe not as much as my mum loved making me wear this...


Aha I actually look like a doll ^.^ Soo that's my style chronicle so far, if you've got any embarrassing style stories of your own or fancy doing a post like this I'd love to see it, literally anything would make me feel better after looking back over the dreaded nose guard days *shudders*.

20130723

HOW TO: Galaxy Nails // Pylones ring




I love anything and everything galaxy related (from stars to chocolate bars... ooh now I want chocolate, damn it brain). Anywhoo, I did a Galaxy Nails how-to forever ago and felt like trying it again (with purple instead of blue this time so it's totally different okay ;P) I was inspired by this image of the Carina nebula [via]. I decided to use Barry M nail polish as they're quick drying, well pigmented and come in an amazing range of colours, plus they're really inexpensive which is always a win.
Sooo quickfire tutorial time; I started with a clear basecoat, painted all my nails black, then sponged some purple ontop about halfway down the nail. When that dried I dabbed some pink polish onto the edges to create a more tonal effect and finished with a coat of glitter. Eh voila!
I always get compliments when I do this but it really isn't too complicated, just a little time consuming waiting for the polish to dry between layers. I also find it useful to do a coat of clear afterwards to preserve it, or sometimes add a second coat of glitter.
The specific shades I used for this were; Barry M' 47 black, 302 fuchsia, 303 bright purple, and Rimmel lasting finish in "disco ball".

I also wanted to show you this ring I bought from a little shop on Carnaby Street. It has tiny fragments of enamel encased inside a glass cube. It's made by a French brand called 'Pylones', who also have a similar range with coloured ink trapped inside. Check them out on their website here.

20130706

OOTD: Reclaimed Vintage Varsity Jacket


Vintage Varsity Jacket - ASOS (mens) | Burgundy dress & Tights - ASOS | London belt - Topshop. 

Not the usual photo layout but there was so much clutter in the background I had to go portrait, blaha, sure you all wanted to know that...
Anywhoo I just received this awesome varsity jacket from ASOS mens. I got it in XS which is still massive (cuz it was designed for men after all) but I prefer my jackets over sized so it's cool. It doesn't look as it was pictured on the website at all, which was confusing, but I think the thing about reclaimed vintage is that they source old recycled fabrics so nothing's ever strictly identical, which is kinda cool when you think about it. The thing I love best about this jacket has to be the tapestry print sleeves; they make me look like I've macho man arms though which I should hate but idk, doing years of figure skating's given me super toned legs and arms as limp as spaghetti, so this way I can at least look like I have muscle when in reality I can't even push a door open (yes, it's actually that bad). Anywayz I think this jacket's a great way to wear florals whilst avoiding the typical summer floral cliches, as it's a little grunge but still casual enough not to fit under any one style. My mum thinks it looks like something Oliver Proudlock from Made In Chelsea would wear. If you don't know who I mean check out his blog - I really wish I knew of more male style bloggers out there. If you are / know of any good ones leave me a link in the comments as that would be wunderbar.

In other news, I'm performing at the fringe festival next month - which I'm super excited about, so I've been busy learning lines and stuff for that.
I've also started writing music more, which is something I don't really talk about to people as I know I'm no good (and I'm not being modest here) but eh I still love it, even though I probably drive my family and anybody within a mile radius crazy, ew yeahh... 'til next time guys!

20130630

Follow me on bloglovin'

 
Agggh, hey guys, soo Google reader effectively dies tomorrow and it would be absolutely ace if you followed me on bloglovin' to keep up with future posts. I don't know how badly it's gona affect everyone but I guess it's better to be safe. To everyone whose already followed me on there thank you so so much, I love you and I promise this isn't the end (of blogging... the universe may still cave in on us and whatever but if it's any consolation you can blame the economy or something.)

Soo anyway for more terrible puns ands awkward wardrobe poses go ahead and click the link below, or if reverse psychology's your thing then do absolutely anything other than click that link, go on I dares ya...  
 
 

20130508

Nothing seems as pretty as the past though



Romwe pullover & chiffon vest, Missguided wedges, New Look perspex collar necklace, Topshop leigh jeans, Fluro Cambridge Satchel, Storets raincoat.


Polyvore is my go-to procrastination station - my brain's like "Hey any chance you're gona do that cwk you've been putting off for over a week now?" And I'm all like "Brain, please, I've got more pressing matters, like eating biscuits and making polyvore sets full of clothes I can't afford, gosh." Obviously got my priorities set straight (she says as she slips into education limbo)

Apparently it's spring or summer or something, I really can't tell since it's freezing outside. This is just my pessimistic outlook for summer dressing... a jumper? Yes, trust me. But I also thought about trading it in with a light weight raincoat on the off chance it got warmer and then rained. So it's functional fashion, yaaaay. I tried on topshop's version of the clear raincoat last week, and you all know how much I love topshop, but honestly I've never been more disappointed. I tried it on with bare arms and it just clung to me really awkwardly, the sizing's off so whilst it was really big around the body the armholes / sleeves were really tight so I couldn't move my arms properly. For a plastic coat it's just not worth the money. Sorry topshop, I still love you, but as for the coat, it's a definite thumbs down.
You can get the cambridge satchel's from ASOS I think, which is great cuz I just checked and it's on sale now. I thought for someone like me who practically lives in monochrome, working in this summer's fluorescent colour trend is probably best done with accessories, and this particular one makes an ace statement piece. There we go, every cliched sentiment in the fashion handbook.

20130427

AW13 | Christopher Raeburn Vermin Bags




I've been obsessed with bags that resemble animals since first seeing Mandy Coon's bunny bags and not forgetting Giles Deacon's metallic dinosaurs back in 2010. I was so in love I even had a dino bag of my very own specially made by a family friend.
Soo continuing on with my fashion week posts, another designer whose show space I was lucky enough to roam around in was Christopher R to the A to the E to the B to the... yeah okay I'm not a cheerleader - Raeburn! *woot*

My favourite thing about Raeburn is that he takes into account function and design sustainability; limiting material waste, most of which is recycled from other sources. For this collection his utilitarian and military aesthetic drew inspiration from the Maunsell Sea Forts, which were small fortified towers used as coastal defence against oncoming air-raids back in WWII. With the contrast of natural and brassy colours I had the bizarre mental image of human Daleks; kitted out in quilted teflon uniforms, roaming inside the aforementioned sea forts, being all err, mysterious and sinister and stuff. The collection has absolutely nothing to do with Dr.Who, but I guess I'm nerding out from Saturday night TV withdrawal. The electricity in my flat has gone and my laptop's just about to die so who knows what I'm talking about, uhh okay byeee.

20130420

LFW AW13 | J.JS Lee + Liam Fahy @ Topshop showroom





I went backstage to the Topshop showroom at London fashion week last month...
Was I meant to be there? Nope. Did I let that stop me? Nuh-uhh.
 
Nobody would be surprised when I say that when it comes to fashion it's not what you know but who you know, (it sucks but it's true). I went to Somerset House to do streetstyle, armed with an unusual optimism and a zillion business cards, which I kept handing out like they were M&M's (a bad metaphor really cuz when I get a bag of M&Ms I don't tend to share). I ended up befriending a girl interning at an online fashion publication, who was lovely enough to lend me her press pass so I could go backstage and look through the showrooms. I was so excited it took all imaginable self-control for me not to victory knee slide my way in air guitaring like the hero of an epic 90s highschool film, cuz apparently that kind of behaviour's frowned upon at the f'row, who knew?
Anywhoo, the topshop showroom at Somerset House plays host to the new season offerings by recipients of NEWGEN designer funding. In the past this has included the likes of Alexander McQueen, Meadham Kirchoff, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Marios Schwab and Erdem to name but a few. There was so much to see so I'm going to spread these out over several posts...

My favourite collection of the day was by J.JS Lee - the boxy cuts and 'fragile' marked clutch bags won me over in an instant. I'm not usually all that into minimalism but the structured wool shapes and cute as a sugarmouse colour scheme were a stellar combo. Lee and her team used South African weaving techniques to create the fabric, embodying a wavy, slightly fluffled effect, and coloured the fabric using natural dyes inspired by a palette sourced from wild flowers. The collection was inspired by the idea of travelling nomads, which translates conspicuously into the collection as I imagine such clothes would fit seamlessly (and stylishly) into various cultures around the world. Lee also designed a range of footwear to accompany the pieces, including cut-out brogues and white leather wedges featuring strips of the same wool as the garments - striking the ideal balance between function and fashion.

The boots at the bottom were also a favourite of mine, designed by Liam Fahy. I think they're awesome cuz they remind me of those trainers you'd get when you were little which light up when you walk, you know the ones? Yeahhh... I never had a pair. Because of this I feel I was deprived as a child. Anyway the light's are powered by teeny tiny camera batteries which flash in relay. I'm not sure how they'd fair in the rain to be honest, I don't imagine getting an electric surge to the ankle would be too much fun, but the best trends are made to shock you after all *oh harhar*

20130329

OOTD: All we know is falling





Skeleton Tee - Topshop | Chiffon Skirt - Missguided | That infamous Primark Parka [that everyone and their gran seems to own] | Assorted Jewellery

FERJGVFNVFJSZICX whaaaat?! Is it a ghost?
No, but this t shirt makes me look dead cool right.
Oh yeeeah, I'm back and the puns are worse than ever.

Hey friends, soo by now I've probably earned the rap of worst blogger in the history of the whole world ever ever everrer... I've been away from the blog for quite a while, which fuels all number of questions such as; where have you been? what are you doing? and are you gona get a haircut any time soon? *just sayin* The answer to these is, um, well, and yes, I've had my ombre re-done since taking these but by the time I get round to taking newer ones my hair will probably have grown back out to the same length, agh such is life... This part of my garden reminds me of the magic maze (magic hedge sounds waaay less dramatic) in Harry Potter during the Triwizard Tournament where it tries to, I duno, 'eat' Fleur Delacour, anywhoo I'm nerding out but that's what crossed my mind with the second photo. Mm wow, cool story bro, so anywaaaay...

I still hate uni, and it hates me so it's a mutual kind of hate, but I'm getting used to it. I've been acting more outside of uni though, which has been so much fun, I actually can't even begin to describe how happy it makes me. I'm back home for a few days and then it's off back to London again, busy busy bee. I've even started taking a contemporary dance class / module which is completely random, but since I hate my course so much I've been turning up to other people's classes. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this but nobody told me otherwise so yeah, that's happening. I'm just trying to make the most out of being in London now and not let the whole "whaaat, I can't do that!?" mindset stop me. Geez I'm sounding way too optimistic right now, it's scary.