It's beginning to look a lot like.....

....Christmas! Only two working days left and then a lovely four days full of festive fun-ness! 

But first.... a quick apology for being MIA in blog-land of late. Life has been getting in the way, (in the best way possible), and finding a spare thirty minutes to blog has become increasingly difficult. My poor camera has been sitting on my desk next to my Macbook, both of whom are looking cold, neglected and generally very sorry for themselves. I have promised to use both more in the new year and have even given my camera a little clean to keep its spirits up.

Christmas and New years both look set to be all kinds of awesome as I share them with the people who mean the world to me. Who knows, I may even get the camera out early and snap a few moments for Limbo :)

In the meantime, I have to share a quick song with you. Not a particularly festive tune, but it is too beautiful not to share. I have been falling for Ben Howard ever since I was handed his EP a year or so ago to review, and now that his full length album has hit the big time I have fallen even harder. 

I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and an even fabulous-er New Years :) 

Stop Motion Wedding

Dear Johnny Depp, when you come to your senses, leave that French chick and we get married....

 can our wedding video look like this please?

Regards, your patient fiance x

Jenny + Graziano's Wedding in Stop Motion | Feltre, Italy from Bayly & Moore on Vimeo.

(found via Jackie Magpie)

Just a minute....November

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Making: Changes. Living in the moment and loving every minute.

Watching: Misfits! Great show, get involved.

Reading: Magazines, (Elle, Vogue, Oh Comely), cover to cover.

Listening: Ben Howard and Peggy Sue - nothing new there, but I just can't get enough of their music :)

Buying: Dinners, nights out, one sparkly dress and a few xmas pressies.

Loving: Weekends! Before I got my current job I worked in retail for a looong time and usually worked every weekend, so having them off now is still such a novelty!

What have you been up to this November?

F&F Spring/Summer 12

A couple of weeks ago I was very kindly invited to the OXO tower at Southbank to preview F&F's Spring/Summer '12 Collection. For those of you that don't know, F&F is Tesco's clothing brand, and I'll admit it.... I had never taken so much as a glance at their collections before. So you can imagine my surprise when I walk into the event and am greeted not only by champagne, fish 'n' chip canapes and cupcakes, but also rails and rails of BEAUTIFUL clothing. 

Bright hues and graphic prints met sleek tailoring in a cocktail of summery loveliness. I'm not normally one for high-impact colour and in-your-face pattern, but the sophisticated cuts of these pieces were enough to get me excited about a technicolour season. 

Sadly this was also the night I discovered my camera no longer focused, (in the process of getting it repaired as we speak), so I have no photo's of said clothes! I do however have a link to Hannah's fantastic photo's from a Bow Dream Nation, and a few of my favourite images from F&F's lookbook....

I had a thoroughly lovely evening and would like to thank Tesco for inviting me :)

Have any of you shopped at F&F before? I couldn't get over the prices! I'll definitely be checking out their dress collection next season, I have my eye on the print dress up there ^^

Outfit : Daisy Dreamin'

The maxi skirt. Simple, chic and an item that has well and truly made it into my 'signature look' pile over the years. Back when it was slightly warmer (ahh, remember those 2 weeks of Summer, that was nice wasn't it?) I wore my daisy print skirt to death. For work I wore it with a plain white tee, a long necklace and tan ankle boots. Now its getting colder I'll be pairing it with Chunky knits and layered chains. Here's how it looked then- as soon as I get my camera fixed I'll show you how it looks now ;) Not bad for a fiver from Primark eh?

Top: Topshop
Necklace: Topshop
Skirt: Primark
Awkward Pose: Models own

Have any of your Summer favourites made it through to Winter?

Fashion Writing Competition

People blog about fashion for many different reasons, some do it out of boredom, others out of passion. For a lot of people however, it is also a way of getting their name out there into the big bad world of fashion writing. Another fun way of doing this is by stretching those writing muscles and entering the odd competition....

Recently Freemans got in touch with me to see if I would spread the word about their latest fashion writing competition, naturally I wanted to keep quiet and enter it myself (mwahaha), but as this is competition is for students, I couldn't! But I know quite a few of my readers are students so thought I'd let you all know about it....

The prizes: The winner of this competition will be published on Freemans fashion blog AND win a shiny new Toshiba laptop! There are also 2 Sony digital cameras and a Samsung camcorder up for grabs for the runners up!

Here's Freeman's guide on how to enter: 

1) Find the perfect party dress for this year’s holiday season using the Freemans.com catalogue as inspiration - think office Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve – and piece together an outfit surrounding your dress of choice. 

2) Tell us why you chose this outfit in a blog style article of around 250-400 words.

3) Email us (studentfashion@freemans.com) your entry with your full name, age and place of study by 30th November 2011.

Let me know if any of you enter! And good luck :)

Stag Sixteen

I always find it exciting when designers from all arena's join together, especially when it's for one amazing cause. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it always promises amazing results, and this November the project Stag Sixteen have brought talent together to raise money for the homeless charity Centrepoint. To read a more in depth piece on what they intend to do, take a look here.

The general idea behind the project is getting 16 designers from the fashion, jewellery and interior world to put their own spin on an iconic stag head. Making each one unique and, (as expected), awesomely stylish, these stag heads will go up for auction on the 16th of November where all proceeds will go to the Centrepoint charity.

Here are just a few, click here to see the full collection!

Charlotte Olympia's stag

Lulu Guiness' stag

Manolo Blahnik's stag

Rob Ryan's stag

I'm loving this idea- my favourite is Rob Ryan's stag! Which one would you bid on?

Just a minute....October

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Making: Lists: to do, to buy, to make....

Watching: The Walking Dead season 2, Uh-may-zing.

Reading: 'A Certain Kind of Intamacy' by Jenn Ashworth, a fantastic book for anyone interested in the mysterious world of human behaviour.

Listening: Ben Howard, Damien Rice, Feist.

Buying: Erm, too much! Mainly drinks, dinners and travel tickets.

Loving: The Rumwong restaurant in Guildford- amazing Thai food who also do take-away! Give it a try if you're ever in the area :)

Me & My Arrow

Those of you who follow my blog have probably noticed my slight obsession with jewellery.... and how much I relish discovering hidden gems (ahem, excuse the pun). 

My latest find is Digby & Iona, a brand launched in 2006 by designer Aaron Ruffs who has a penchant for hidden treasure. The latest collection is called 'Me & My Arrow' and takes inspiration from prehistoric times and ancient tools. Each piece is created with a simple aesthetic, which naturally appeases my minimalist style. I love how fine the pieces are and the dedication to detail, especially the teeny tiny feathers attached to each arrow.

To find out more and to see the full collection, click here. 

But for now, here are a few of my favourite pieces....

Anyone else loving this collection?

Recently

My blog posts have been a little few and far between lately, so as a quick explanation, here's a little of what I've been getting up to when I've not been here...

At Work: 

Settling into my role and getting my thinking cap on. Tweeting, facebooking and blogging. Emailing customers and styling products. Packing orders and drinking hot chocolate. Answering phones and lusting over new stock.

At Play: 

Eating breakfast at Bills and exploring Brighton. Learning how to make cosmopolitans and befriending bartenders. Baking cookies and drinking champaign. Making new friends and laughing with old ones. Going to gigs and swooning over rockstars. Staying in hotels and sampling rum. 

Curling up with someone special and feeling on top of the world. 

Outfit : Weekend Kicks

During the working week I love making an effort with my wardrobe- tailored trousers, skirts and dresses.... so when the weekend comes around I usually have one thing on my mind: denim. Over the years I've acquired a few pairs of jeans and, lets face it, they are a staple in everyone's wardrobe. A couple of weeks ago I indulged myself in a casual look, teaming a ripped skinny pair with white converse and a bobble top. I threw my hair in a top-knot and added some sunnies for a laid back Saturday look.

Top: Warehouse
Necklace: Topshop
Jeans: River Island
Trainers: Converse

Do you have a go-to weekend look?

Creative Sweets

Hands up who uses Adobe's Creative Suite? This one's for you....

 One of my incredibly talented friends Tom O'Malley has combined his expert design skills and quick wit to come up with 'Creative Sweets' wallpapers. Put together on a rather slick website, you can download free versions for your iPhone / iPad OR go old-school and buy yourself an actual print, (I know novel right?), either way these designs are pretty damn "sweet' (see what I did there?!?)

 To see more of Tom's skillz check out his website.

This is just one of many cool projects my friends are constantly thinking up, and I'll be blogging their genius ideas more and more over the next few months, so stay tuned..... 

Do any of you have any super talented friends?

Just a minute.... September

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(really must start doing these in the appropriate month, not a week or so into the next one...)

Making: Brownies and cookies, getting back into the baking habit :)

Watching: Submarine- not what I expected, but was a very good film with a great soundtrack.

Reading: Alek Wek's biography, a fantastic read for anyone interested in fashion and the world of modelling.

Listening: Austra, Ben Howard, Radiohead and Peggy Sue's new album.

Buying: Green maxi skirt, men's necklaces, oh and drinks. Lots and lots of drinks.

Loving: LIFE! I'm so happy right now it's actually a little sickening. I'm one of those happy people singing to herself on the tube.

Song of the week.....

James Vincent McMorrow- where have you been all my life? This song makes me weak at the knees.

Have been a little emotionally slutty with music recently, falling in love far too easily..... I kinda like it though.

Have you fallen for any tracks recently?

Work Wishlist

One of the problems with working in the fashion industry is the CONSTANT temptation. All day long at Question Air I am packing beautiful clothing and sending them off to lucky customers. With every fold of tissue paper my heart breaks a little more *sob*

To make matters worse, over the last couple of weeks I've had the chance to work in one of the boutiques and have tried on, and consequently fallen in love with, several pieces.

With this in mind, here is my current wishlist from work....

Gestuz Short Hero Tunic Dress £150

This is the piece I am most likely to purchase, the fabric hangs so beautifully and I just can not get over the pretty print. 

Goldsign Tender Misfit Jeans £295

A brand I've heard described as 'the cashmere of denim' Goldsign make the softest, stretchiest denim I have ever felt. They fit like a dream and will last forever. A true denim investment.

Oakwood Classic Cape £199

I've always wanted a cape in my life, and I love the heritage element of this one.

Paul and Joe Debra Blouse £270

This is begging to be worn with cropped chinos, heels and an oversized envelope clutch *sigh*

Sam Edelman Renzo Shoes £215

Another pair of ankle boots have stolen my heart- obsessed with the studding detail.

Young, Fabulous & Broke Print Maxi Dress £159

I love a bit of tie dye, and YFB certainly knows how to do it. I want to wear this in Autumn with a chunky knit and block heeled ankle boots.

Do any of you have this kind of work related issue? 

PS Question Air are currently having a 3 day flash sale with some serious bargains! Take a look here if you're interested :)

Backstage

Icons, used to high rise glamour and Vogue style airbrushing, have been captured on the humble polaroid by photographer Anna Bauer. Pausing for breath between shows, designers and models alike are caught in moments of serenity in Anna's beautiful new book 'Backstage'. Here are some personal favourites....

The book will be released in October 2011 - anyone else already have it on their wish list?

Hello Autumn

(all images from here)

We're coming to the end of September and Autumn has officially come to say hello. With the nights drawing in and a distinct chill in the air, I always feel Britain somehow sigh's with relief. No longer does it have to flit between hot and rainy- trying to satisfy our summer fantasies, it can relax and do what it does best....be friggin' freezing.

And you know what? That's fine, Britain. I've learnt not fight with you. Besides, this means I can wrap up in my beloved chunky knits, scarves and boots with no shame. I can drink hot chocolate daily and not feel guilty, (well not much) and I can claim every Sunday a 'duvet day'.

So, make yourself comfortable Autumn, I think we'll get along just fine.

Workin' 9 - 5

Hello all- just thought I'd show you where I've been blogging when I've not been here...

I Spy With The Fashion Eye

It's the blog for the company I work for, Question Air. I would really appreciate it if you guys could take the time to have a peek and even follow if you fancy. Working hard to improve it every day- any constructive criticism welcome :)

Also, speaking of work, I went to London Fashion Week for the first time this season to take some snaps for QA, and I ended up getting papped myself for Stylist.co.uk haha! 

Didn't get the chance to see any shows this time round, but was so cool just to be there and explore the exhibitions!

Does anyone else blog for work? Also who went to Fashion Week?

Outfit : Day One

The first day of a new fashion job calls for some serious panic..... WHAT TO WEAR?! So a couple of months ago when I had my first day, I did some damage control with a bit (ok, a lot) of shopping. I ended up wearing this blue 'Mint Velvet' dress I picked up in the sales with a grey cardigan and black heels. A silver globe necklace from Rock 'n' Rose and a panic stricken facial expression completed my first day look. 

Dress: Mint Velvet
Cardi: New Look
Necklace: Rock 'n' Rose
Shoes: New Look

What did you wear on the first day of your latest job?

say it with a stamp

Have been a little absent from Limbo recently- life has gotten in the way a little! And I'm afraid this week doesn't look much better with work and two gigs to go to.... will be back on top form soon, promise ;)

In the meantime, how cool are these personalised postage stamp pictures?

You do the Math....

For someone that used to struggle with fractions and algebra, I've become incredibly fond of Math. Of course I'm talking about Math Collective- the fashion brand. Basing their collections on deconstructed silk, leather and suede, Math unite modernity and luxury with style.

Simple, clean lines paired with slouchy layers- this collection makes me weak at the knees. And you know what makes it even better? The brand is based in London. Makes me proud to live near one of the greatest fashion capitals in the world. Anyway, enough gushing, here are some of my favourite pieces.....

What do you think?

Any great fashion brands you've discovered lately??