Layers

I know everyone reads free magazine, Stylist, and has seen this already, but here it is again because I really enjoyed it. All about layers - which have always been good friends of mine, as I really feel the cold. First and second pictures are my favourite.

Night Pine

Rosa took me to see an exhibition by Ryan McGinley today, at the Alison Jacques Gallery off Oxford Street. I'd not come across McGinley's work before and was really glad I went. Its a small exhibition, but I'd recommend dropping by if you were in the area... I liked these two photos a lot: 

 Taylor (Rushing River), 2011

Night Sky (Pine) 2010

I've been avoiding photography exhibitions a bit since overdoing it with my third year dissertation. These McGinley photographs were a good way of easing myself back in, especially because they couldn't be more different to the stuff I was looking at, mainly Walker Evans

Marina

I was browsing in a charity shop today when I kept spotting these personalised labels sewn into hand made cardigans, that were 'made with love by Marina'. They were an acquired taste, but I came fairly close (sort of) to buying them, purely out of a want to support Marina and her knitwear venture in someway. Sadly, when I googled 'Marina' cardigans back at home, all I could find was a correction of the spelling, and hundreds of Merino wool knits instead.

Collage

I wrote a post about Tessa's collage skills earlier this summer, with her CD cases. Her talent doesn't stop there - here is the card she made me for my 21st birthday

 Its looking quite shrine like in my room at the moment.

Urban Leopard

I really enjoyed a more unusual display in Shepherd's bush market yesterday - this leopard print cape hung under the tube bridge and next to a fruit and vegetable stall.

Other feline related spots - this hat in a £1 shop. So very odd, I feel sorry for that little cat trapped under the cellophane.

The lights have gone up in the market which is always so exciting. I appreciate the understated decoration, which could not be more different in comparison to where I work:

There is something pretty great about an over-sized reindeer made out of fake grass and covered in fairy lights though, I do admit that.

Red Bricks

I caught the Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston train home yesterday evening after visiting Daisy

and her rabbit, Serge, obviously.
It was nice to be back amidst the red brick

But I had forgotten how much colder it always is up North.
Time to dig out these bad boys

Which I didn't remember all being of the purple/grey/oatmeal family. Daisy was buying some of this thread for a project she's working on at the moment - I'm now kind of regret not getting some for snazzy repairs to my well loved chunky jumpers.

True to form I wore Daisy's clothes pretty much throughout my visit. She has the best wardrobe, have a look here.

Baby

I stumbled across a very odd shop last week while in Hampton Court visiting my Grandmother

It claimed to be a vintage shop, but really I think that was just code for old stuff that no one wants. It was the baby hanging from the awning that I found most strange.
Looking at my bedside table, I fear that when I'm a proper grown up my house might look a bit like the above

I don't really seem able to throw anything away. Going to have to be very strict and avoid at all costs bungee-jumping babies like the one at Hampton Court.

Devon

I can't seem to get enough of the west country, as I have just spent a few days in Devon.
There was a floating staircase on the beach:

and beautiful views in poetically names places, like this at Hope Cove

and I pretended to be on my own photo shoot for a bit

but truth be told, my place is definitely not in front of the camera

I also watched Music and Lyrics (second time round - embarrassing), when I realised it was probably time to return to the big smoke and be sociable as I was finding Hugh Grant way too funny...

Definitely a bad sign.

Daisy in 7days

Daisy is my style goddess, and ever since our first meeting I have been admiring and equally borrowing her clothes.  I am off up north to see her soon and am very, very excited. Here are her 7 days:

Day 1

Tartan Dress - £3 shop in Manchester
Cardigan - APC
Jacket - Topshop
Boots - DMs
Day 2

Top - Topshop
Jeans - Goldsign
Shoes - flea market in Normandy
I always end up wearing a lot of black. Also, I am obsessed with socks so I like it when they show, bit tricky in the winter though, end up with freezing ankles.
Day 3

Shirt - flea market in Normandy
Old shorts
Jacket - as before
Day 4

Skirt - Josie picked this out for me in the £3 shop! Its one of my favourites I've fixed it so many times.
Necklace and badges from Preston flea market trinket stall.
I go through phases of wearing the same jewellry and I'm quite attached to my Virgin Mary pendant now.
Day 5

Skirt - Topshop
Jumper and boots - as before
Coat - Daisy's Grandmother Rose's.   
The coat is amazing, don't think you can really tell from the photo but its navy blue and kind of fluffy.
Day 6

Another coat of Rose's. This one is woolly/fluffy too.

Shorts and jumper - Flea market in Normandy

Day 7

Jeans - Topshop

Jacket, jumper and boots - as before

I like how the jeans are a bit shiny and feel like I could ride a motorbike in them.

Thank you Daisy!

Coming soon...

Daisy does 7days of outfits for me... Can't wait!
Here is the last edition of 7 days: Tessa, as well as links to others.

Woman in Black

I am not an all-in-black kind of girl, even if some days I wish I were, in a chic Parisian sort of way. Winter is finally here though, and black is hard to avoid, especially with footwear...
My new favourite item in my wardrobe are these jodphur boots, bought while in Cornwall:

I don't see them being off my feet for long this winter.
I do miss wearing my old DMs these days though, too scruffy for work but close to my heart all the same. They saw me through many a rainy day in Manchester

These would be more than ok for work

I found them in my Mum's wardrobe and carried out some repairs to the bows. They are from when she lived in Madrid twenty years ago. I LOVE them.

Cheers

 

A busy day at work was met with a picture perfect Gin and Tonic at home this evening.