1950's Velma day

Not only does the lady on my shirt look a bit like Velma from Scooby Doo - wearing this, I kind of looked like Velma, too. Maybe with a Mad Men sort of twist? I've never even watched the show, only seen pictures from it, so technically I have no idea. I also have no idea why I'm suddenly going all monochrome; normally I'm all about the crazy colour combinations.

 The skirt (and its little friend, the matching stripey blazer) are hand me downs from Åshild, and so is the black belt . Since the skirt has no pockets, the belt was the perfect solution to my pressing "where to tuck my tissues" issue. It's a bit loose, unfortunately - makes it look like I don't have a waist, but I do! Honest!

Look at that sheepish grin! Yes, there is a brain under all that hair... somewhere...

Black and blue day

Victor and I ventured back into Chinatown today, this time with Angela in tow, to watch the performances at Trafalgar Square. Chinese dancers and opera singers who can hit notes you and I can only dream of. The bits we actually managed to see were pretty cool, gorgeously synchronised dancing girls in green long-sleeved dresses swishing across the stage like reeds in the wind, a downright gorgeous male ballet dancer in a solo act, and a fifty-something lady opera singer - and lion dancers. If it hadn't been for the several thousand other members of the audience who prevented you from walking at anything faster than a crawl, or the narky crowd control people with earpieces and high visibility vests who say things like, "Can you move over there, please?! Thank you" it might actually have been a downright pleasant experience. (I responded to the crowd control lady with "No, thank you" - then had to duck and hide behind Victor - not easy! He's shorter than me! - when she whipped her head around. Ah sarcasm, it will be my undoing.)

Check it out, I match the decor! I should've worn that blue eye thing on my head or something, to make my outfit less bland. This close-up is intended to show off the ruffle detail on my shoulder, which was the main reason I bought this shirt. I also have it in red, sad little creature that I am.

Here's one with the trusty black cardi as well, since I wore that on top for most of the day, and only took it off to show off the cute shoulder bits.

On a weirdly funny side note, I have noticed that the elbows of this top are starting to wear thin - and fair enough my elbows are shaped a bit funny/pointier than most peoples', because the bones are sort of placed strangely. (That makes me sound like some sort of mutant! They're just slightly odd.) But I'm not one of those ambitious go-getter "people with sharp elbows", right? So it's not like it's an appropriate metaphor. I think this says more about quality control at Zara than it says about me being a pushy little cow. Definitely.

Bright-eyed singalong day

Victor and I went out for Yum Cha today, and on the way we encountered some very persistent Chinese Christians. Young, glazed-eyed and bushy-tailed, they sang their way up and down Oxford street - literally - they went a certain distance, then crossed the road and walked back on the opposite side. So we ran into them twice, and I noticed that the one who seemed to be the leader - he was playing a guitar while he walked, which I admit must take some co-ordination skills - was kind of wearing the same thing as me. Well, his black shirt was long-sleeved, but you know. We almost had an "Oh, snap!" moment there.

Yes, that's the same  pink Fat Face shirt I wore just a couple of days ago. Rest assured, I washed it first.
I think the husband might have figured out what I've been doing. Here's hoping he won't tease me too much...

Floral vintage day

The husband and I had a special date-night tonight - he was treating me to Japanese first, then I was treating him to Cirque du Soleil. So that was the perfect excuse to wear my new dress that I probably shouldn't have bought. (Let me elaborate: Cath Kidston ain't cheap. Well, some of the stuff is, but never the dresses. Unless they're on sale.) Yes, when I got their new catalogue, I was all relieved because I didn't like any of the new bags and thinking I wouldn't be spending any money there... and then I saw this dress, and thought, "Oh damn."

I bought those lovely royal blue tights long before I caved in and bought the dress - just in case, you know? The match the buttons and trimming purrrfectly. F.Y.I, I nearly froze to death to take this picture.

 This last one was taken on the back stairs at Royal Albert Hall. Isn't he cute? Especially when he doesn't really want to have his picture taken?

 Oh, and I just have to post a picture from the show - I didn't take it, I'd never want to endanger the performers - it's from the official website. This was my favourite act - Native American rollerskating on a giant tribal drum.

 In other news, calamity strikes the sutra-scarf! Turns out that the wool they'd had delivered at Liberty's wasn't the same kind of blue - it was paler, and twice as expensive, and just didn't look right. But, the sales lady was one of those alternative ladies that I seem to sync really well with - she had at least five necklaces on, and the most awesome pair of royal blue horn-rimmed glasses - and she told me about how, in this book she had at home, there were pictures of ancient sutras where the important bits were written in red. Then she dug out a gorgeous ball of red wool, and told me she wouldn't let me buy the blue - "Get this instead!"
I've started knitting with the red wool now (saving the last bit of blue for the end of the scarf), and it actually looks kind of okay.

  Angela will ask her Japanese teacher for help to write a note that says, "Please imagine that the red bits are extra powerful spells written in yokai blood."

Delerious flu day.

Yes, I seriously went outside like this in February. You see, I thought it was nice and warm outside. After a while, I realised, "It's not warm at all. I have a fever."

Then I used my cute Eiffel Tower brooch to pin the front of my jacket closed. I got home, curled up in a blanket and spent the rest of the evening practising my wheezing cough. If coughing were an Olympic sport, I'd be perfect for 2012. I'd just have to, you know, stay sick until then. Just as well it's not, really.

Those are yesterday's accessories btw - the (surprisingly practical) brooch is from Accessorize, and I made the earrings. They were dead easy to make, but I like them, and I think I've made the same pair for at least two people - be nice to me, and I'll make a pair for you, too. (After the 30 for 30, obviously.) I think the two feathers cost me a total of 50p, so that's hardly a financial setback.

Preppy Japanese Day

I say preppy because the shoes are preppy. They're from this Americana store we found in Portugal, of all places, when we went there for a friend's wedding last September. One of the wedding guests had lost his luggage, so Victor and I were helping him shop for new clothes at the local mall, so he wouldn't have to show up at the wedding in a tracksuit... and there they were, these super-cute little green flats with diamonds and love-hearts on them, going, "Buy us! Take us home with you!" And since I'd had to throw out my last pair of cute flats just a week or so before (green Cath Kidstons with polkadots! Worst quality footwear ever, since both soles snapped in half, but man were they cute), the preppies got to come to London with me.

Anyway, I look at the only non-blurry photo of me and think; Why is it I only have stupid hair in the non-blurry photos? Why did the camera cut off the bottom of my shoe? And, I kind of look like I walked into a UniQlo and asked the shop-assistants to dress me. Even my scarf is from a Japanese store (now closed down). I'm heading so far into Wapanese territory here that I might as well start finishing my sentences with "desu"... well, maybe I would if my shirt had anime characters on it instead of flying fish.

...see what I mean? I'm making it look like everything I own is from UniQlo. This coat is pure awesomeness though; it's helped me survive even the Norwegian winter; I've practically lived inside it since mid-November. It's light-weight and super warm, and the hood can be pulled off with a zipper thingie. (Good thing too, since the hood is so deep that it obstructs my view when I cross the road!)

30 for 30, here I come!

I had a few resolutions at the start of this year, I won't lie to you... a couple of them, I've actually managed to keep, like the one about wearing dresses more often, and getting used to wearing heels (the bane of being tall is that I used to try and make myself shorter - so I used to only wear flats, ever). Styling my hair every week, that one went out the window, and so did the one about reading at least one classic every month (I haven't even finished the Prologue of The Scarlet Letter, for God's sake!) - the book one was the one that really surprised me, but I guess I've been busy... But it's made me think that I do want to go through this 30 for 30 challenge and at least succeed at that!

Here are my items. I don't have very many of the outfits planned, so this could get interesting - but I have a general idea of what to combine! However, my brown boots have gone and let me down; the zipper's broken on the left one, so those won't appear until I've had them fixed. (And no, paying for my boots to be repaired isn't shopping. At least, I don't think it is...)

                                        

So yeah, that's 10 tops, 3 skirts, 3 pairs of trousers, 1 dress, 4 cardigans, 1 sweater, 2 blazers, 1 warm coat, 3 pairs of shoes and 1 pair of boots (with a second pair currently out of commisson).