Heartbreak Hotel

It's been a phenomenally long time since I wrote here last. Life has been busy. Also I can't lie the current political climate has put me in a bit of a flump, and left me feeling less inclined to blog. It seems strange writing posts about clothes when everything is in turmoil. However, I feel very strongly that everyone could probably use some good vibes right now and blogs can be a great way to skip reality for a few moments of the day! So I guess what I'm saying is I'm still here, trying to make you smile/think!

Last weekend, having felt very flumpish over Christmas, my ma and I held a giant January jumble sale to raise money for the Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank. Now more than ever it feels really really necessary to DO stuff, be it big or small, to help others. A proper old fashioned jumble sale is a dying breed so it felt good revive something and make some cash for a good cause too (we raised £344 in total - yahoo). Food banks do amazing work, and they get NO government funding (mainly because the Tory's will not accept that over half the population have or will use one in their lifetime) so they are entirely reliant on fundraising and donations. 

Our friends and family were incredibly generous with donations of clothes, money and food! I picked up a few great things including these leather biker trousers that my friend Holly donated. They are actual motorbike trousers but a size 10 so they fit like a dream. I feel like a second generation Elvis in them. I'm yet to find the right occasion to wear them at so for now dancing around my living room to Heartbreak Hotel is their destiny. 

Trying to capture Elvis' insipid expressions is pretty tricky but luckily my brother and I spent a lot of our youth prancing about to Mr Presley so I've got in a lot of practice in down the years.

Source: 1

Source: 2

It feel strange dressing as an All-American hero after the last two weeks. I don't really want to give the orange being any time on here but suffice to say what he is doing is terrible and I'm fighting as best I can here in England. I've only visited the States once but it was my favourite of anywhere I ever been. Inspiring on a level I can't even put into words. There is so much good in America, and it makes my heart break to see it being destroyed. I will keep protesting, and writing (WRITE to your MP and ask them to stop the state visit)!

 I recently joined a group called 'Let's Get Busy' which is aiming to give the left a new space to speak and act. So far I've been to one meeting, and it felt SO great to be amongst other like-minded bodies and talk how we might pro-actively start fighting back! Everyone needs to get out there and get busy, get helpful, get empowered! We've entered a new era now, it's no longer optional to speak up, you've got to get shouting before it's too late!

Outfit Details

Leather trousers - jumble sale

Denim jacket - nicked from my brother

T-shirt - painted by me (others can be found HERE)

Postcards from Europe: Germany

I haven't felt much like blogging in the last week. My last post (pre-birthday and brexit) seems a lifetime ago, an awful lot has happened since then. I was starting to feel rather hopeless and helpless about everything (as I'm sure many others were and still are). A change came along when I saw a beautiful project started by my friends over at The Glorious Art House, they always have a way of bringing cheer to a sad situation. A few days after that fateful day they began Make it Write, a project that encourages people to have a positive voice during these tough times by sending a postcard to an office, cafe or home in Europe. The postcard can include a friendly message of solidarity or hope, a picture or just a happy memory. I felt so inspired reading about it; it gave me a little solace to know that I know so many wonderful people and LOOK they aren't giving up, and I shouldn't either! I am still European, I love Europe. I was born there, without the EU, I would not be here. SO to cut a long story short my mum and I put every country in the EU into a hat and picked 14 each. We are now going to each make 14 postcards celebrating each state, and at some point in the nearish future they will travel to The Glorious for a small exhibition.

Here is the first country of my 14: Germany. I had to start with Germany. I love it; the Bavarian mountains, the golden trees in Autumn, the delicious Lebkuchen, dirndls, castles.... We also said goodbye to our German friend and housemate last week so it seemed fitting to begin with it. 

The hat was customised by my mum for my party last week (she came as the EU flag), strangely I realised when I was editing these that they look very 4th of July with the red, blue, white and stars -completely unintentional!  

Aside from Brexit I had a very odd week. Firstly because I somehow I ended up in a press frenzy re the dress in my last post and ended up appearing in the local newspaper and then also the Daily Mail (pls pity me). Anyway in a bizarre set of circumstances I am being paid, so I'm putting the money to good use and have joined the labour party. I like to think there is some karma in the world, haha.

The other odd, but very nice, occurrence is that a man contacted my brothers and I to say he wanted to donate some our fathers books to us that had recently come into his possession. He wants nothing for them, and I cannot tell you what a delight it is to have such a kind act of generosity after such a dismal week! 

I feel that I am coming up for air, and lots of good things are happening. Holding onto the good stuff is very important for us all right now. I hope you are all well, there will obviously be more to come from this series so keep your eyes peeled...

Linking with Visible Monday and Judith's Hat Attack 

Outfit Details

Dirndl - Vintage shop in Berlin

White cotton smocked top - Car boot 

Crochet choker - Made by my mum

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Small World

This is an exceptional story, one that I've been so excited to share since it unfurled a few weeks ago. On the May bank holiday my brother and I took the train to Brighton to spend the day with our cousin Esther. We did all our favourite Brighton things - bought rock, visited the pavilions and wandered the lanes. We spent an awful lot of time in Snooper's Paradise (those of you who don't know it, it's a sort of mecca for vintage lovers, crammed to the roof with wonderful oddities), and it's posher counterpart Snooper's Attic. I nearly always find something wonderful within it's rails. This trip was no exception, having wandered about downstairs we scaled the stairs to the attic. There are always SO many frothy and delicious concoctions it's hard to focus in on any one item, I generally just wander about in a haze. However, this time my eyes leapt towards a beautiful green and red dress with a sort of French lavender bag print. I was instantly drawn to it, soft worn cotton, it looked like the sort of dress I had been searching for some years. I'd seen some a little like it in Camden Passage during my second year of university but didn't have the funds to meet the prices. I inspected the price tag, £32.00, not too bad but did I want to blow my budget for the day on one garment? Throwing caution to the wind I went to try it on, it of course was the perfect fit, length, colour. For some strange reason I decided to put it back and have a think (I always think it's good to do this, and then if it's still whirring in your mind an hour later dash back!) I was feeling exceptionally drawn to it, and kept thinking about it as we wandered about. I really rarely buy items from vintage shops, I'm more of a chazza/car boot girl, so it has to be pretty moving for me hand over the catch.  I did what I always do when I'm in a flummox re clothing purchases, call my mum! She didn't answer, I called her husband Steve and he did, phew, she was in the supermarket, 'could you pass the message on'. At this point we had migrated to Oxfam books. Within 5 minutes, mum had telephoned back and said YES are you mad GO GO GO, and I had clambered back up the stairs and purchased said frock. 

Fast forward to me arriving back in London that evening and sending my mum a photograph of the dress, here is the conversation that ensued:

Excuse are exciteable chatter but we truly were both SO amazed (in fact I still am). My mum also sent me the following photograph during the conversation that her friend had recently unearthed (that she had never seen before!):

Mad right! Even odder is that (as I make reference to in the above conversation) I had some weeks before been watching a dress on ebay by the same designer, Susan Small, for one reason or another I forgot to bid and thought no more on it. It came back into my mind after inspecting the label of the green dress, and I ventured onto ebay to see if it was still about. It was! I sent a photograph of it to mum, and low and behold she also had that one - both given to her by a dear friend in the 1990s. Of course I had to bid then, and I won (no other bidders at all!) The strangest thing is that Susan Small's other garments from what I can see are not very attractive at all, lots of polyester, none of them bear the slightest resemblance to these two dresses so it makes me feel near certain that these are the actual dresses my mum owned!

Of course given its resemblance to Provencal lavender bags I had to give its first outing in France. On arriving I quickly realised it would be far to warm to wear it so I instead donned it for a quick shoot on our last day. The garden at our villa was the perfect setting for it, kumquat and lemon trees perfectly fitted my dream of being a French farming girl.  Sadly my hair does not match that dream, it was particularly warm this day and it descended into a fuzzy mess. 

I love owning garments that have intriguing stories behind them, do you have any strange stories surrounding items you've bought? I'd love to hear about them if you do!

In other news tomorrow is my birthday and the referendum, what a delight! I'll be dressing up and partying my way through - it's only way I can feel any joy at the prospect of having such a momentous occasion happen on my birthday. I'm having an Eu themed party, and I've spent far too much time painting my ensemble (I'll be sure to take some pictures). Of course I'll also be voting, and I hope those of you who can will be too. See you on the other side, hopefully.

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European

An extremely speedy set of pictures taken in between the rain storms today. It's just over a month until my birthday, this year it falls on another important day: The EU Referendum. I was pretty sad when I heard it'd be on my birthday, it could tarnish the day forever more! Nevermind I thought at least I can have a very well themed birthday party. So on the 23rd having crossed my paper I'll be munching on European snacks and celebrating all that is great about the EU with all my favourite people. I'll also hopefully be celebrating the near arrival of my Irish passport. I've been meaning to apply for dual citizenship for years so this has given me the incentive to do it. I'm really hoping we decide to stay, there are a multitude of reasons why. There are so many great things the EU have bought us LIDL for one! Cheap and easy travel! Al fresco dining! The working time directive! 

Either way my Irish passport is a very useful item, and I treasure the fact I am in the lucky position to be able to hold two passports. If we do decided to leave, there is a strong possibility that I'll upsticks back to Ireland.  

The outfit inspiration is all my favourite souvenirs from Europe: a Portuguese apron, a German brooch, Turkish slippers and Italian silk scarves. My costume for my party will be a little different to this, hopefully I can take some snaps that I can share with you all. It's going to be pretty mad (lots fake fruit and vegetables are involved.)  I've asked all guests to dress up so fingers crossed! 

If you haven't signed up to vote, and are eligible to do so, you can still do so in time to vote in the referendum. You have until the 7th of May, sign up here!

I'm off to London for a week with work this Saturday, and then off in France, and then London again so this'll be my last post for a while I think! Hoping to get some great snaps in France. I'm off to Saint Paul de Vence so send me tips if you've stayed there or nearby! I can't wait, it's my first time in the South of France! 

Outfit Details

1970s dress - Vintage Kilo Sale

Embroidered souvenir apron - Salvation Army

Souvenir scarves - belonged to my Great Aunt

Brocade slippers - Istanbul

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