My feather collar ruff.

Isn't it COOL! I found it last week whilst on my lunch break in Camden Passage (a lovely backstreet of Islington full of little vintage shops and stalls) and it cost me £20, which I was more than happy to pay as I wanted a very similar from ASOS last year that was £40. 

I've no idea what I'll wear it with/to (i'm kind of terrified of all the feathers falling out) but I'm sure I'll find some occasion. Or maybe I'll just wear it around the house like some ridiculous of Queen of Sheba, who knows...

  

Mememe...

Hello, bloggers! The ever lovely Irene has tagged me in an about me post, so here we go...

1) What is your favourite fashion magazine?

Probably Elle. It's one of the first 'proper' fashion magazines I ever really bought, and I may be being a bit biased but I feel they're always pretty much dead on with everything, especially obtainable fashion; stuff that can be applied to everyday life, not just on the runway.

2) Who is your favourite singer/band?

Oh man, I love The Smiths and Morrissey. Just lyrical genius and I do not care what anyone says about them/him being depressing and all that crap - there's humour in there. Besides, who doesn't love indulging in their misery?

.

Other bands I love are She & Him (i wish i was zooey deschanel) and The Killers (i wish i was with brandon flowers)

3) Who is your favourite YouTube guru?

My favourite YouTube guru... Now, I don't really watch YouTube tutorials much, but when I do I normally tend to watch Pixiwoo's make-up tutorials. She's so talented, she's just brilliant.

4) What is your favourite make-up product?

Liquid eyeliner. I just feel so naked without my cat flicks. Lipstick comes a close second; I have way too much lipstick.

5) Where would you like to live?

Where I live right now; London. To me it's the most amazing city in the world, and moving here has been one of the best things I've ever done.

6) What is your favourite film?

A Clockwork Orange. Or...

(500) Days of Summer. Brilliant storyline, brilliant cast, brilliant imagery, brilliant soundtrack. Again, wish I was Zooey Deschanel. Total wardrobe envy during the whole of this film.

7) How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Oh too many. I've got brogues, dollies, heels, boots, ankle-boots, wellies, slippers, you name it. (although I still don't have those sam edelman clogs, damn it)

8) What is your favourite colour?

I don't really have a favourite colour, but if pushed I'd say navy blue. I love vintage, nautical, public school-boy style. Navy blue just sums it all up brilliantly to me.

Tag!

Georgia
Lauren
Indigo
Amber Rose
Victoria

1960s

Later this evening I will be back in my hometown of Bournemouth at a 1960s themed party.

I've pretty much got my outfit sorted, so right now I'm just collecting together a bit of inspiration for hair and make-up and am enjoying myself far too much. I bloody love the 60s, it's easily my favourite era - so many of my fashion inspirations: Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Edie Sedgwick, Jane Birkin, Mia Farrow, Sylvie Vartan, Twiggy...

It's frustrating to know I'll look nowhere near as good as any of them, but I'm damn well willing to give it a try! Now, where's my hairspray...
  

Uniform...

Finally, time to blog! It seems this whole having a job lark takes up a lot of spare time.

Yesterday I chose two pieces of uniform for work, here's what I got:

and

I chose the first one because I'm a sucker for anything nautical, and the fact it's very figure flattering also swayed me; it's pretty cinched in at the waist and then kind of drapes around the stomach area, which is never a bad thing!

The second dress was more of an investment. I don't really own anything too 'formal' and I really loved the style. Also, as I'm only allowed these two pieces for now, I reckoned it'd be a good dress to choose as I can team it with various tops/shirts underneath and not get too bored.

Plus it has a brilliant fish-eye corset type back, regarde:

I would have chosen the lovely leopard style dress I've been lusting over but sadly as my co-worker Libby has it, I can't; we can't "advertise" the same dress. I know, right? Gotta get in there fast...

  

My First Day

Hey gang, how are you all? Enjoying the lovely weather? (For those not in the UK, the weather here is GRIM)

So I just got in from my first day working in Whistles and I'm pleased to say it actually went really well. Everyone was lovely, The Smiths AND She & Him were played (this is only ever ever a good sign in my books) and I fell in love...

Sam Edelman clogs. I'm a recent clog convert (Chung did it!) and I've been keeping an eye out for a nice pair a while now. Sadly these babies are £135, which is far too steep for me, and sadly, as they're a brand, the proper staff discount doesn't apply to them either.

However, in slightly better news, I may have finally found my perfect leopard print dress!

Okay, so they call it "Pebble", but it's good enough for me.
    

Cake and Job Update

The cake went down a treat! (geddit?)

On another note, whilst we were celebrating with said cake I received a phone call about an interview I recently had, and I'm pleased to say that starting Saturday I now work for the clothing store Whistles, hurrah!

   

Emma's Any Occasion Chocolate Cake

Today is my friend Nadia's birthday, and so I've baked her a cake.

Now, I'm going to share the special secret recipe with you all, because it's just too good not to. And I'm nice. And I trust you. Keep it to yourselves though, yeah!

I warn you, though, this cake is not kind to your waist..

You will need...

• 200g caster sugar
• 200g softened butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 170g self-raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 30g butter
• 30g cocoa powder
• 3 tblsp honey
• 200g dark chocolate

Now...
1) Preheat your oven to gas mark 5/190 and butter the two cake tins
2) In a large bowl, beat together the 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 eggs, 170g self-raising flour, 30g cocoa powder and the 1tsp baking powder until you have a smooth, soft batter.
3) Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and smooth the surfaces before baking in the oven for around 20 minutes.
4) When baked, take the cakes out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

For the chocolate icing...
1) Heat 200ml double cream until it begins to boil, then turn down the heat and add 50g butter, 3tblsp honey and 200g chocolate broken into pieces.
2) Leave the mixture for 5 minutes to melt, stirring briefly. Once the mixture has melted, leave to cool for a while.
3) Once the mixture has thickened slightly, ice the cakes and place them together!

Easy peasy. Let me know if any of you give it a go!
 

L'officiel Shoot

In relation to my earlier post, Ooh La La Alexa!, here are some of the beautiful photographs from the L'officiel shoot.

I love the hazyness of it all, and the Willy Wonka glasses are brilliant! The shoot has also reminded me of my need for a leopard print dress... It's been on my list for months now, but they're near on bloody impossible to find unless you're wanting a tight fitting River Island-esque one, and no one needs that. Anyone know where I could find a nice floaty style smock one?