Monday, 26 January 2015

Preparation



Hello! Just a very quick post today. We are knee-deep in prep for my ma's wedding on Saturday so I gotta get back to making 100 profiteroles and pesto (not to be eaten together...!) 

These photographs were, despite their sunny appearance, taken in October. It was an unusually bright Autumnal day. My mum and I spent some time trawling the last car boot of the season and picked up some marvellous bargains; a great gold hand-painted pot and curtains with a lovely daisy pattern which reminds me of the Swiss mountains. The flowers are my favourite in the world; anemones. 

We took the pictures for my feature in Little Thing magazine, they're probably my favourite of the set. I'm particularly keen on the orange, pink, red colour way in my ensemble, it was also a particularly lovely day so I feel like they beam good vibes. For the more observant among you, you may notice that the dress & shoes featured in my last post too. I promise that the next post will feature a completely original outfit! 

I have lots going on these next few weeks; first the wedding and then prep for Gilding the Lily at The Glorious in Exeter, it'll feature new work from my mum and I and opens on the 13th February (just in time for V.day!) I still have several canvases to resin, prints to make and so forth so I may be dipping in and out of bloggyland. However, I'll be shooting for another project next week so those photos will definitely make it up here. Hope you all have a very happy week! Please think of me running around whisking, mixing and chopping and say a little prayer to whoever your chosen deity is.

Linking to Visible Monday











Outfit Details

1960s cupid tapestry top - vintage market sale rail

Wooden orange beads - car boot sale

Dress - Penny MacBeth

Pom pom headdress - Penny MacBeth

Bavarian folk dancing clogs - car boot sale

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Wednesday, 21 January 2015

The Folly



Hello! This is my first post of the new year (!), that feels a little odd to write as it already seems that we are well ensconced in 2015. Anyway January has been busy. My mum is getting married next week so menu planning has been on the agenda (with the exception of a roasted pig, for the meat eaters among us, we are cooking it all!). Puddings, salads and cakes have been filling my brain.

I've also been filling my brain with thoughts of the magazine that I am putting together with George & Josh. I posted about it some time ago now but finally it's forming up into a conceivable project! We had to have a slight re-brand/name change before we even really got started due to the new University of the Arts London magazine being called Artefact (and seeing as I studied there that just wouldn't do to keep it). Nevermind! We're now The Folly (a much better name I think). We've also changed tack slightly since I last wrote about it.  Each issue will explore a different medium. We've had lots of great submissions for our first issue which is exploring short stories and I've even written a story which is a bit of a first.

We're now onto my favourite bit, putting it all together! We've been taking notes from some of our favourite publications of yesteryear. I have several copies of The Saturday Book (I'm also always after more if you spot any..), a wonderful collection of miscellany. Articles range from photo diaries from Japan to a story of two otters that live under an American ladies bed in West London. I have prized the first two I owned for many years, they originally belonged to my dad and I've carried them from house to house. Whilst at university it occurred to me that such a publication really should be re-visited. It manages to be silly, serious and wonderfully surprising all at once. 

We also been studying 60s & 70s issues of Ambit (which is still going) and various other poetry pamphlets and magazines from the 70s that we own. What I love about them all is the amazing typography and slightly wonky typesetting! I can only hope that we can turn The Folly into something as delightful. 

I've always hankered after running a magazine. Since we were very small my brother, George, and I have manufactured mad little magazines (now I guess they'd be called zines). We started with Arte-Attacks, a magazine for our toys that had been nibbled by our dog Arty. It offered advice and support to help them recover (I warned you we were barking). Later on The Ladock Times, a pastiche on our then village magazine. Thus this project seems to play to many of our shared interests. We both have magpie tendencies and have always love collecting together stories, pictures, poems (etc etc) to share with one another so it only seems right to share these with everyone! We are of course always wanting more submissions, if you have a short story that's just waiting to be published of you just want to know more about the project / contribute to future issues email thefollymagazine@gmail.com

I put my ensemble together thinking about what I'd wear if I was the EIC (editor-in-chief) of an up and coming magazine (which I guess I could say I am..). The dress was made by my mum and features my face on the skirt (all EIC's have got to promote themselves #personalbrand). The necklace was also made by my mum, the EIC must always have a watchful eye on all staff and contributors... 
Glasses are also a must. I'm not sure I've ever worn mine in any of my posts before. I can hardly see a thing without them but really dislike wearing them as I feel they make me look a little too serious.






The other very exciting thing to happen which is not unconnected is I had my first feature in Little Thing magazine. It's a very sweet magazine based in China. They have had lots of people contribute to them who I love, including Natalie Lete, so I was very happy when they asked me to do a 7 days of style. I'll post some more of the pictures later this week but here are the magazine spreads. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to translate the captions but an English translation booklet was included! You can buy copies of the magazine here



I hope you are all well. I have lots of posts planned for the next few weeks, including lots of wedding pictures, so no more long pauses!

I leave you with amazing funk from Cymande

Linking up with the scarf Share-in-Style






Outfit Details

Dress - Penny MacBeth
Headdress - Penny MacBeth
Bracelets - Penny MacBeth
Necklace - Penny MacBeth
Russian scarf - charity shop
Bavarian folk dancing clogs - car boot sale

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