the edge of seventeen

I know I only posted yesterday but I'm going to forget to post these until next year or something if I don't put them up now. Also, I hope to have lots of new posts from Halloween tonight and my birthday tomorrow (eep - I am currently on the edge of seventeen and feeling like Stevie Nicks). I can't quite get over the whole 'seventeen' thing - it sounds way too old for my short and odd little self.
Anyway, a few weeks ago I went to Swanage for the weekend, as my family has recently rediscovered the Dorset coast and so tend to try and get down there for a little holiday as often as possible. I also am ridiculously obsessed with coastal towns - I love the British seaside and all it's shabby, windswept promenades, candy-floss smelling piers and noisy arcades. The Dorset coastline is a somewhat calmer and more peaceful coastline compared to the busy-ness of somewhere like Brighton, but I think that's what I like about it most. I spent the time strolling along the beach, eating in cute seaside cafés, and doing the obligatory charity-shop crawl (you just have to take advantage of how much cheaper they are outside of London!)

I wore my new favourite shirt from Beyond Retro that I am quite literally obsessed with, with a skirt from American Apparel, coat from Topshop and my usual Deichmann shoes and Rokit bag. I also braved red lipstick again (which I love but continue to get all over my face/teeth when I wear it out).

Swanage itself was really pretty - we stayed in a hotel that looked like a sort of castle, and had the cutest grounds and a greenhouse. There was also a good charity shop which had jumpers and roll-neck tops for £2, and a second hand bookshop I spent about three hours in. We also found a café on an old train carriage, which sold the most amazing cake (as you can imagine we went back on the second day we were there as well).

Sorry for the quick little post, I will improve (I have so much film to develop you have no idea). Have a good weekend and a awesome Halloween tonight...I am dressing up as Wayne from Wayne's World so I'm sure it will be an entertaining evening!

you always were the one that knew

So it's half term at last. I don't think I can say it's exactly been a 'break'...with essays due during the week, exhibitions to see, people to meet and about eight pages of art to do, the holiday has certainly been busy. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing though - I quite like having things to do, and going to bed feeling as if I've spent my day actually being productive (something I can't say I am all the time during my usual school weeks). 

The holiday started for me with a noodle-eating and American-Horror-Story-watching evening in with my friend, then a trip down to central London the next day to go fabric shopping for some christmas bits and bobs I am making for the family. I wore the cosiest, cutest white shift dress from Superdry, with the brightest red Beyond Retro cardigan and my now staple Rokit bag and Deichmann shoes. I wasn't sure if Superdry would really have anything that suited my style, but they definitely proved me wrong when they sent me this number. I loved the shape and cute detailed neck of the dress, and was amazed that it came from the high-street considering how vintage it looks. In other news, I have recently discovered red lipstick, and am loving wearing the brightest one possible to clash with my pale skin, and am also loving 90s-esque high ponytails, which I have also recently discovered and have started to wear most days.

In other news, I saw the Gothic exhibition at the British Library (which is so helpful if you're taking A-Level English) and then on Tuesday met up with some of the awesomest girls (Hollie, Ophelia, Theo, Ibe, Agnes, Dani, Harriet) and spent the day strolling through Soho and China town. I used up almost a full disposable so there will be a separate post just from that day.
Also, I was sent an amazing Casio Sheen watch to review! The Casio Sheen collection are a range of light, sleek and slightly smaller and less in-your-face watches for women, with Swarovski elements to make it that little bit more than just an ordinary watch. I loved the light weight and clean, sharp finish - it was a huge change from my usual scratched, once-gold-coloured slip-on watch that I've been wearing for the last three or so years. I love the range and would definitely recommend one, even possibly as a christmas present for a parent or friend.

 

So that concludes my very short post, I have a few longer and more interesting ones on the way (I will organise myself at some point I promise). I hope you have a lovely Halloween and weekend, and thank you again Casio for the watch, and Superdry for the dress!

guess I'll feel the same tomorrow

I can't believe it's already October - I've been so caught up in the novelty of starting college, having a new routine and new freedom that I've completely lost track of the weeks. To me it feels as if summer has only just ended - I am still not used to waking up in the dark most mornings, wearing coats and knitted jumpers, or spending the days inside instead of lazing around at the park in the evening sunshine. I've ended up in a bit of a rut with my clothes, as everything is too summery to wear for school, or just doesn't fit the kind of mood I'm in at the moment. The worst of it is, I only realised today that it is my birthday in just over a week, and I will actually be turning seventeen...seventeen. SEVEN. TEEN. That number just seems wholly ridiculous to my 5ft2, whimsical and often immature mind, and I am currently living in a state of complete denial.
Anyway, the lovely Amy of Mod Dolly recently asked me to be the resident blogger for the brand, which means I will be styling a Mod Dolly dress each month and writing a little bit for their blog/website, which you can find here. These are the photos from the first post, where I am wearing the Hanna Check Skater dress.

The dress itself was so perfect - made from the softest, but most hard-wearing check material, with such perfect finishes that it's almost impossible to believe it was made by hand. The colour was also a favourite with me as I am really into very 60s mod / autumnal colours at the moment, so I felt very complete and satisfied in my new baby.

Whilst shooting we found a car that matched the dress exactly, and despite it not being in the best position to photograph we couldn't help but take some anyway. I wore the dress with my Deichmann shoes, Rokit bag and coat from Topshop. I also enjoyed getting to wear a pair of super cute fox ears from Crown and Glory...I feel like our mutual hair colour means we have some form of spiritual bond, plus when I was in primary school I once told my teacher that when I grew up I wanted to be a fox. Pretty apt hairband for me, really!

The one thing I am pleased about the approaching winter is the fact I can wear my new coat out more often - I've been craving a Topshop coat for years and I finally found the perfect one. It is so cosy and I could literally stay in it forever.
Anyway, I hope you all have a good weekend!

would you stay if she promised you heaven

Hello - I hope you have all had a good week! Here are the rest of the photos from the Miss Robin magazine shoot with Ailera Stone. There are quite a few but I thought I may as well share them all, as not all of them made it into print. We shot primarily on digital, but there are also a few film and polaroid photos scattered about as well.

I wore a Beyond Retro shirt and dungarees with Rokit shoes. Ailera and I improvised the hair with some gold ribbon I happened to have in my bag. It was the first time I'd actually changed outfit on location for a shoot, and so that might explain how huge my bag is as it was literally stuffed full of possible options. It was fun to do but I can imagine confused the members of the public who kept seeing me run in and out of the museum toilets in different clothes each time.

Another first was the fact we actually changed location for this shoot too - starting in the Natural History museum, we then made our way through central London to Covent Garden, stopping in a few antique bookshops on the way, and accidentally crashing some sort of roller-blading marathon. We then shot around Neal's Yard for a while, which was perfect as there are just so many different backdrops to use. It was such a great experience and such a good idea - why hire out studio space when there is so many wonderful places in London that you could use instead?

For the last outfit we found the Astrology shop in Covent Garden matched the outfit perfectly, so spent about twenty minutes flipping my hair around outside and receiving some odd looks from passers by. Covent Garden is a fantastic place to shoot as everything is old and interesting, it's always busy and there is always something unusual going on, however you do have to put up with a few tourists looking at you weirdly (but then again, you get that anywhere).

The second outfit was a Beyond Retro shirt, Camden Passage market dungaree dress and accessories as before.

Anyway, that's all of them! I had such an amazing day with Ailera, and loved the way they came out in the magazine (which you can buy here). I'm going away this weekend so should be back next week with some more of my usual posts, but in the mean time you can see my first post as resident blogger for Mod Dolly here. Have a lovely weekend!