week in outfits: day 1

I call this one the 'pouting orphan'

you're really not pulling off the jacket-on-shoulder look, Sophia...

See! I can look normal! (Occasionally)

jeans/uniqlo, shirt/topshop, faux leather jacket/warehouse, boots/deichmann

Here, my friends, is what I wore on Monday. I'm really loving being able to wear more autumnal garments - like my favourite all-purpose khaki shirt. I could definitely fit in with the rows of soldiers that lined the streets about a year ago for Luxembourg's royal wedding. As my Mum put it, they were so 'working the military trend'.

P.S. I sincerely apologise for my horrifically bad posing and facial expressions. Being that annoying cheerful and optimistic person most of the time, it seems ironic that I'm also afflicted with chronic bitch face...

P.P.S. Just noticed the stripy tan line on my arms in the last picture. Lord help me and my tanning skills.

isabel marant x H&M

photos from vogue.com

You knew it was coming...An addition to the sea of blog posts about Isabel Marant x H&M. I'm desperately trying to think of money-earning strategies, short of robbing a bank, ready for the 14th of November. Whilst I perhaps won't be camping outside the nearest H&M through the early hours - come on guys, it's a school day - I definitely will be emptying my piggy bank (am I the only person that still has one of these?) in haste. And so the internal debate starts: is it really worth buying plain white t-shirts, trackies and sweatshirts just because they're designed by Isabel Marant? Basics aside, my favourite pieces are depicted above, though sadly I might have to constrain myself to just that gorgeous black lacy dress. And a belt. And perhaps a skirt. I guess I'll have to go without phone credit for the next few months.

P.S. Would anyone be interested in seeing 'a week in outfits' for next week? Mine, obviously. This may exclude the weekends since I spend them in highly unattractive jersey-based stretch garments.

embroidered pouch

ignore the scrawl, it was a good idea in my head

Another DIY for you - and one I'm quite proud of, if I do say so myself. I decided to take inspiration from some ethnic style embroidered clutches I'd seen on Pinterest (here and here) and embroidered my own design onto some of the gorgeous pink raw silk I purchased a while ago. I then stitched the embroidered piece onto some canvas - actually a canvas tote bag I got from a local craft shop for about a euro and then cut up - and sewed it into a little purse. You too can recreate such a pouch with the help of the easy-to-follow tutorial I used, found here.

Me being me, I forgot to take photos during crafting - but however much I'd like to give the illusion that the process was effortless, truth is I spent countless evenings hunched over my embroidery hoop like a little old lady, cursing as I sewed the fabric to my trousers and stabbed myself repeatedly with the needle (by accident, I hasten to add)...Far from snapshot-worthy!

the raw ingredients (I chose a different kind of polka dot print in the end)

polka dot lining

check those sexy french knots

greece #2

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then surely 9 must be worth 9000 (can you tell I'm doing A level Maths?)

greece #1

Late last night I returned from lovely Corfu. Most of the relaxing holiday consisted of making the superhuman effort of moving from lilo to sunbed and back again (in fact I was so lazy that at one point I was heard to say "I want to turn onto my back, but I can't be bothered" - you can tell how chilled out I was). Despite this extreme physical exertion, somehow I still manage to feel tired today. I feel this might have something to do with the fact that my body is having to adjust to a temperature half of what it was in Greece and it may perhaps also be my subconscious avoidance strategy for trying to avoid the stack of maths work glaring at me from my desk as I remain firmly planted in my comfy bed in a sweatshirt and fluffy socks (yesterday I was wearing a bikini! I can't cope!)

Anyway, enough of the wallowing (it could be worse - I don't start back at school for a week yet): here are the first lot of photos of my trip, a small selection of silly, blurry iPod snaps to whet your appetite...

beautiful beaches

view from the balcony/me walking on water

more scenic views

sand and shorts/shadow/blue sky selfie

harbour at agios stefanos/finally found a coke with my name on it....in Greek (made my holiday)

arm party/hotdog or leg?/sunbathing

at aqualand waterpark/reddest watermelon ever

pinspiration

all images from pinterest/tumblr

Some late summer inspiration before I head to Greece on a loooong awaited holiday for two wifi-free weeks! Side note: see the pink skirt in the last picture? I tried to make a pair of shorts in that same colour and fabric, but unfortunately they ripped whilst I pulled them over my hips. Poof went my self esteem...In fact it's probably just as well, as they definitely would not have fit after I return from Greece, 5 kilos heavier, and with a feta phobia caused by over-exposure to Greek cheese. Oh, the joys of holidays!

Follow me on Pinterest here!

head to toe

blooper...

Some things about this outfit...

1) The top is a complete Marant rip off. I LOVE you, Zara

2)  When you spend too much time in Zara during the sales, you purchase scary things, like leather-look trousers that are too short for you. I could've regretted it, but methinks this was a good purchase. Firstly, Isabel Marant does cropped leather trousers, and secondly, my granny likes them, so at least that's a start!

3) I have refused to take these boots off my feet since I bought them. I was so glad when I found them half price - after a search for something that looked marginally like the Marant Dicker boots at a more-than-marginally smaller price - that they flew out of my hands and across the shop floor mid-happy dance. They are luckily so far unscathed. 

4) So happy to have found a hat that isn't too big for my ridiculous tiny head! It's love...

5) Can I have a medal for having mentioned Isabel Marant in 4 out of 5 bullet points? Thanks.