Things that make you go Oooooo (February 2010)

 

Wow this month just seems to have flown by, it feels like only yesterday when I was sending my Valentines out and eating dim sum while watching the Chinese dragons dance. February may be the shortest month of the year but it has still been full of fun finds and interesting events and so I present you this month's edition of "Things that make you go Oooooo"

♥ The World of Chocolate Wonderland - some fun, delicious and amazing chocolate sculptures on display in Beijing, just look at the pictures of the Chinese robes I just can't believe that's chocolate!

♥ Selleck Waterfall Sandwich 

♥ Bookbook - Makes me want to run out and splurge on a Macbook just so I can get one!

 

♥ Japanese Magazine Scans - I've been devouring all types of Japanese fashion magazines this month Mori Girl, Gal, Punk, Lolita, Hime, Decora, Fairy Kei it's so interesting to see all the different fashions and sub-cultures Japan has to offer.

♥ 51 Japanese Characters - Yet another humorous insight to some of the weird, wonderful and amazing people you might find in Japan.

♥ Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Hayo Miyazaki never fails to impress me with his creative and unusual interpretations of our beloved fairytales and if you didn't catch it in the cinema this month it'll be out on DVD in a few days!

♥ Fifi Lapin - I'm a long time lover of Fifi's blog and now that she's hit the big time I'm enjoying all the different Fifi Lapin merchandise you can find, I'm now proud owner of a Fifi Pin and T-Shirt. Please Fifi make some bunny ears next!

♥ Radical Self Love -  It's never too late to learn to love yourself and here's 100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now

♥ Bo Press - Some really interesting handmade book for sale and did I mention that they're all miniature!

 

♥ Advanced Style - When I grown up I want to be as stylish as these guys!

♥ Message-in-a-cookie Cutters - Such a sweet and cute idea. 

♥ Glass Magazine - A new very chic and stylish magazine which is very visually stunning.

 

Shoeaholic by The Fashion Fruit

♥ iSketch - I can easily spend hours playing this

♥ Radioactive Teddy Bear Zombies - LOVE this game!

♥ Picture Me: A Model's Diary - Great documentary showing the real lives of catwalk models, the struggles and their ambitions to pursue an alternative career.

 

Manilatrooper

♥ How to clean your make-up brushes - Michelle Phan shares her tips for squeaky clean make-up brushes and it works a treat my brushes have never been so clean!

♥ Lily Allen Remixed - So happy my girl finally got a much deserved Brit award check out these awesome fan remixes of her latest album It's Not Me, It's You

♥ Bare Skin, Bear Rug - Valentines may be over but it's never too late to throw on some sexy music and strut your stuff, lovin' this remix by Doctor Rosen Rosen

yyellowbird

♥ Violet Le Beaux shares a great tip on how to organise your nail varnishes and how to create cute lacy nails.

♥ Designer Barbie Dolls

♥ Tiny Origami - It must have taken some skill to create something that tiny!

 

♥ Frou Frou's - Some awesome vintage and designer finds here and yes they do ship internationally YEY!

♥ Showdown of the Jewel Thieves

♥ The Haus That Jane Built - Crazy Gaga-esque glasses, love it!

 

Morning Beauty - Jessica Stam by Sølve Sundsbø

Acid Girls - Lightworks OFFICIAL VIDEO dir. Steven Ilous from Steven Ilous on Vimeo.


Watch Kirsten Dunst "Turning Japanese" in Music  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Sweet Dreams from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Love & Hugs
Cate
xoxo

Vivienne Westwood says Stop Shopping!?

Vivienne Westwood's plea to stop shopping for at least six months unless absolutely necessary has got me thinking about our attitudes towards fashion. It may seem completely bizarre for the head of an iconic fashion label to be telling people not to shop when all around us are campaigns for us to spend our way out of recession, but Vivienne Westwood is never one to follow a crowd.

Shop Save Jobs! - Vogue

I must admit Viv has an excellent point though as we've become a society obsessed with throwaway fashions with shops like Primark, Forever21, Topshop and H&M turning over inexpensive fashions and new trends every few weeks we've stopped making sound decisions about fashion and buying therefore not allowing ourselves time to develop our own unique style.

People must stop buying and buying. With so much fast fashion available to us, we are not giving ourselves the opportunity to develop good taste - Vivienne Westwood

I used to think nothing of looting my local Primark every couple of weeks and getting myself a whole new wardrobe and most the time a lot of my purchases remained unworn and went straight from checkout to the bin, sad but true!

Scope Charity

But that was the old me, over the past year I have gone through a complete fashion epiphany. My wardrobe has gone through a thorough cleanse and I have either swapped the clothes I don't wear for something that I will, sold them on eBay or donated them to charity and what is left is a wardrobe which meets my everyday needs.

Vivienne Westwood said in her interview that shoppers should only invest in quality pieces that would last to avoid unnecessary waste and that she herself often wore the same clothes to events and parties. I'm a great believer in this and now look for quality in my clothes, I don't mind spending a bit of extra money on a jumper that I know is going to last me more than a few months and when it comes to those wardrobe staples I shop around and seek out something that has quality and timeless style.

Vintage shopping is also a great way to cut down on waste, and it's one of my favourite pastimes, you can find a whole wonder of fashion treasures in Vintage shops and if you think that all old worn clothes are smelly, disgusting and moth-eaten you would be wrong, a lot of the vintage clothes I own from the 50's are in better condition now than most of my newer buys from the high street!

We all have a part to play and if you engage with life, you will get a new set of values, get off the consumer treadmill and start to think and it is these great thinkers who will rescue the planet - Vivienne Westwood

Buying less also allows us the opportunity to experiment with our existing wardrobes and try wearing things in different ways such as layering, shirts as skirts, underwear as outerwear, customising, the possibilities are endless. There are a plethora of street style blogs and websites out there full of new and different ideas just look around and you'll find some amazing ideas for outfits, quite a few times people have complimented me on my new dress or jumper when in fact I've had it for many years and already worn it several times.

 

Ok so I admit six months is a long time, especially when you see a pair of YSL cage shoes on sale for £400!  but Vivienne Westwood makes a great point about modern consumerism and our attitudes towards fashion. It's a case of putting need over want and really thinking about the purchases you're making, so next time you're out shopping really think do I need this? Is this something I can wear? Does it match my wardrobe? Should I be saving the money for something else? and you'll be making a positive change not just for yourself but for the environment to.

Daily Outfit: 15th February 2010

 

Today I went to the cinema to see Disney's latest creation The Princess and the Frog so thought it would be fun to let my inner Snow White out to play for the day as she is Disney's first lady and original princess after all.

  

  

 

 

  

  

and remember kids dreams do come true but you've got to put the work in to achieve them

xoxo

♥ Headband - Washed Up Mermaid on Etsy

♥ Necklace - Disney Couture

♥ Ring - Vintage

♥ Cardigan - Vintage

♥ Belt - Pacsun

♥ Jumper - Zara

♥ Skirt - Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

♥Tights - Primark

With Love from Me to You

 

   

   

 

It's Sparkle time!

 

Deco & Deco

I've set myself a challenge to try and complete one personal craft project (that doesn't include my Etsy stuff) a month and to try out new and different crafts. Although this isn't my first try at Deco it's one of those crafts I keep meaning to do more of but spend more time procrastinating over.

Inspired by some very glittery and sparkly Japanese magazines I decided my rather bland pill case was in dire need of a makeover so I dusted off the sparkles out and gave it some love

 

 

 

Daily Outfit: 8th February 2010

 After finally finding my tripod hiding in the attic I thought I would get it out, make good use of it and take some decent outfit shots. However the weather decided to spoil my plans so here are some not-so-good outfit shots instead :p

  

 

Black and white is my all time fave colour combo!

♥ Hat - Forever21
♥ Necklace - Tarina Tarantino
♥ Jumper - Forever21
♥ Waistcoat - Primark
♥ Skirt - Fanplusfriend
♥ Tights - Pretty Polly
♥ Boots - Whooga
♥ Bracelet - Zentosa

Bathing with Spiders

 

Relaxing in the bath...

 

I look up...

 

A creature is crawling on the wall...

  

A Spider!

  

Who's watching who?