Tuesday 9 October 2012

Bernshaw & Beret

The other week Lady Gaga stepped out in the iconic Versace safety-pin frock  that was originally worn by Liz Hurley at the premiere of  'Four Weddings and a Funeral'  in 1994.
In 2008 this frock was voted "the greatest red carpet gown of all time" and it certainly did great things for Liz.
Lady Gaga is a bona fide master when it comes to dressing for attention and I really dig her trademark outlandish style, however I'm really happy that she didn't team the dress with a meat hat or a taxidermy headdress :)
English label Bernshaw made a replica design of the Versace dress and thanks to eBay I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of those a couple of years ago...
I haven't as yet had the opportunity to wear it to a social occasion, it it deserves a proper occasion.
I will be celebrating a biggie-burfday in a couple of years so I may hang on to it until then ;)

Our PADI certification cards for Peak Performance Bouyancy and Navigation specialty diver came through the post today, only two more to go and we've clocked up five.
Half way to becoming Master Scuba Divers, yay :)
We still have to log twentyish more dives and do the PADI rescue diver course but that won't happen until next spring, unless I stumble upon a pot of gold or something.

Today's Ensemble:
 Vintage 50s velvet jacket, 60s day dress, 80s boots, beret with vintage brooch, patterned tights.

Mark thinks that I look like Michelle from 'Allo 'Allo! in my beret...
Listen very carefully, I shall say 'zis only once :)
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx


Saturday 6 October 2012

One Step Beyond

Gloriously sunny afternoon, blowing away the cobwebs and getting over a particularly vicious bread hangover.
We've been trying to avoid eating bread for a while but last night we ODed on the stuff... 
pizza, garlic bread  and apple pie and alpro custard for din-dins!
Hubby and I both felt well sick afterwards and my stomach took on balloon like proportions...like I was carrying a bread baby or something.
I don't get that horrid bloated feeling on our normal veggie & legume based diet, thank goodness.
The preferred cure for a bread hangover is a right old Madness inspired run around in the park...
Doctor Marten shirt & boots, Frocktasia tie-dyed skinny Tee & necklace, badass buckle detail mini skirt, spanking spandex leggings, Faux-Wayfarer sunnies & 50s gents felt hat.
It works every time :)
Hope you are all having a fab weekend!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx



Friday 5 October 2012

September on speed and Odd Lovin'

What the heck happened to September, eh?
'WHOOSH'...that's what happened...like a rat out of an aqueduct!
October entails a trip to B&Q to get draught excluder tape & tea-lights,  an hour or five up in the loft swearing like trooper whilst trying to locate hats, gloves, woolly scarves and other cold weather related clobber & paraphernalia. 
It is also usually the month when my hot water bottle 'Gino the Giraffe' makes a reappearance in bed and he brings with him at least another duvet, thermal PJ's and bed-socks for my poor frozen feet. 
I take to wearing outdoor clothing indoors & favor wigs to keep my loaf warm.
Don't get me wrong, I love this time of year...the coziness of dark the evenings, rooms lit up by tea-lights and candles, hearty soups and roasted pumpkin.
Soon the park will be on fire with colour and for a few weeks we will be treated to natures very own art display. 
I go for long walks along the urban nature trail near our house, it smells divine, just like the woodlands where we used to go mushrooming when I was a kid.
It would be so lovely to live near a forest, I'd get well into foraging then...
berries, mushies and wild veggies.
One day we will leave this dirty city behind us and to be truthful I am very much looking forward to that day.
I sorted out my wig collection earlier and was reunited with my turquoise cartoon cool wiggy-woo, as soon as I put it on a little dress-up session ensued...
Super funky vintage 60s psychedelic floral dress, lurex tights, Demonia heels, cartoon cool wiggy-woo
Fabulously ladylike vintage 50s leaf print dress labelled 'A Russell Stuart Model' & a gorgeous vintage patent clutch from  Odd Lovin'
Whilst on the subject of  Odd Lovin' I was super lucky a few weeks back when I won their giveaway... 
I don't actually buy make-up very often cause I always get stuff from my mum as pressies so I never really need to but I have to say that these Lily Lolo mineral make-up products really impressed me...
 The vegan friendly eye shadow is lush, the colour is called 'Deep Purple' and it certainly is that.
This is now my favorite eye shadow and I have no doubt whatsoever that it shall remain so for the foreseeable future...sorry FACE Stockholm but I may have to dump you!
Odd Lovin' vintage is the brainchild of Malmoe based stunner Tuva Minna Linn...
"She writes poetry, drinks sweet sherry and listen to 70s records. Tuva Minna Linn is the creative spirit and vintage lover behind Odd Lovin’. Ever since childhood she’s been inspired by clothing, always mixing, trying and falling in love with something new. Her heart beats for the 70s and just the sight of a Ossie Clark dress can make her cry."
Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, she's also a wonderful wordsmith and fabulous stylist to boot.
Here are four of my fave garments from the Odd Lovin' shop...
High Flyin' Bird vintage caftan dress
Soul Sacrifice vintage Indian hippie dress
Somebody To Love vintage embroidered boho dress
What The World Needs Now pre WW2 Japanese Houmongi kimono

Wicked stuff I think you'll agree and if you happen to live in the south of Sweden you can even pop along to their showroom to try before you buy...sweet as!

Have a cracking Friday y'all!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx


Wednesday 3 October 2012

The Frocktasia Sale

The FROCKTASIA sale is now on, with loads of reduced items in the shop :)
Like this awesome dashiki print dress for a mere £15 or this stunning handcrafted Moroccan leather bag for £30...
 No less than thirty frocks are up for grabs in the sale, none of which cost more than £30.
This sassy vintage 60s dress with sheer chiffon sleeves & lurex trim was reduced from £35 to £30...
Camo is the print of choice for the fashion army this autumn. 
Topshop are currently punting out a Camo army jacket for £48. 
The Frocktasia version is not only kinder on the pocket at £35 but also unique with its hand painted SMILEY on the back. 
Bags of bags and most of them with a price-tag of £30 down from £40.
The wicked Frocktasia 'Grumpy Suns' earrings are now £20.
Another Frocktasia handmade item that is up for grabs in the sale is this goth-tastic chiffon rose crown headdress for £25 which will look awesome teamed with this 90s dead-stock Ralph Lauren velvet dress that has been reduced from £40 to a bargainous £30...
I think there is something for everyone...
a magnificent motely mix of unique handpicked vintage garments,  brilliantly bohemian genuine leather bags and wicked one-of-a-kind handmade accessories :) 
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx


Tuesday 25 September 2012

The things you own, own you!

Now that I'm concentrating on trimming down my vintage collection instead of perpetually adding to an already crammed setting, I'm actually starting to find stuff again.
Stuff that I'd forgotten I had bought or perhaps worse still stuff  that can't even remember ever buying, oh dear!
The sign of a proper hoard addict, someone who has stuff in their wardrobe they have no idea how it got there, crazy!
I am also being reunited with "old friends" that haven't seen the light of day for ages. 
Many have been skillfully sandwiched away in a far away corner of the wardrobe or folded up in a storage bag up in the loft.   
It's like a blanket of heavy snow slowly melting away in the spring sunshine & revealing long forgotten about little daisy buds. 
Perhaps a little needlessly florid but that is exactly how it feels.
I'm happy the snow is finally melting, I'm happy to see frocks wing their way out the door and for each and every one that flies, I'm feeling lighter.
That's the whole thing, I woke up one morning and thought to myself...
"Shit man, I am being imprisoned by my possessions, even if I wanted to move today, I couldn't cause of all this STUFF"
...and that really scared me!
So instead of doing my usual ostrich act and burying my head in the nearest pile of vintage clobber, I have taken some steps in the right direction.
Besides my Frocktasia on-line shop, I'm eBaying, Gumtreeing and will be car boot selling too in a couple of weeks.
After being inspired by wonderful Vix's vintage fair post, I've even been eyeing up that avenue today.
I will not rest until I have made a big dent in my stockpile and in the meantime I suspect I shall continue to unearth forgotten about buys galore and be reunited with "old friends" like this vintage 80s glitter bow print prom dress that I bought when I lived in Edinburgh in the 90s and this DIYed goth bride veil made for a Halloween do in a South London pub that I worked in many many moons ago...

Getting rid and letting go, feels so incredibly cathartic & liberating...
I never thought it would!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx



Sunday 23 September 2012

Hello I am Inga, from Sweden!

I've just had the laziest weekend ever & it's been bloody grand!
Besides an hour long compass training session in the park yesterday, I've pretty much based my hours around sleeping & eating.
 Slumbering in bed, snoozing on the sofa, catnapping in the kitchen, nodding-off in the bath & dozing on the balcony (whilst stargazing & trying out our cosy new sleeping-bags).
Sometimes my body and mind just needs to switch off for a couple of days and when that need arises I don't fight it, I don't feel guilty about having a seemingly unproductive weekend, I just let everything go, roll up like a little hedgehog underneath my duvet and drift off cause I know that once I have gone through this process I will feel completely rebooted.
I've had lot's of fantastical lucid dreams too which is always nice.
Last week whilst having a root around in my vast amassement of  vintage clobber, I unearthed a pair of kick-ass cyber goth boots that I bought a couple of years ago.
Now when I'm not buying so much anymore & perpetually bringing new stuff into the house every weekend, I'm actually starting to find stuff around the house that I really love and want to wear.
These boots ROCK...they are chunky as hell and made by DESTROYER, how very apt.
I also found a pair of spangly lurex hot pants from my clubbing days; just as well they are stretchy cause my derriere is not as dinky as it once was.
On my last car boot sale jaunt I picked up a new wig, when I put it on my husband told me that I looked like a stereotypical Swedish chick ;)
 
The beastie boots...

Last week I added thirty vintage frocks to my Frockfest  album on Facebook.
I've plenty more to add and I'm hoping to do a FROCKTASIA store update this coming week too.
I'm looking to add autumn stuff like vintage coats, more jackets and shapeshifters.
Here are all the frockfest dresses...
Now that I've had a good weekends sleep I'm raring to go...
Monday...bring it on!
Hope you have all had a fantastic weekend :)
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx



Monday 17 September 2012

Underwater Love 2.0

My passion for getting dressed up in vintage garb, donning wigs and a face full of slap is pretty well documented here on my blog but this is only one of my many passions.
A more recently added love of mine is diving, no slap & no wigs involved in that.
The attire you don CAN be snazzy, however any sensible diver would choose comfort & fit over style any time.
When keeping yourself comfortable, warm and dry is of paramount importance, looking good takes a backseat.
However saying that I really rather like the action woman silhouette that a snug neoprene wetsuit creates and as for the drysuit it makes me feel a bit like an adventuress about to explore another galaxy, ready to endure all the excitement, adventure and really wild that I will encounter.
We did our PADI open water diver course back in February here in the UK, the water temperature back then was +4 degrees Celsius, it was bitter.
 My life flashed before my eyes several times whilst kneeling on the training platform trying to preform my skill tasks  but I survived to tell the tale and managed to bag my open water diver certification.
This weekend we were going for our advanced open water diver certification and after the diving we did in Egypt I was so much more comfortable below the surface this time around.
On Saturday we went to Wraysbury, which is where we did our open water diver course. 
I have to admit that I was a wee bit apprehensive at first, thinking back on the watery stone cold grave scenario of February but after seeing the lake surrounded by lush leafy trees in the blazing morning sunshine my mind was soon put at ease and I couldn't wait to get in. 
 We did two drysuit dives and one navigation dive. 
One of the drysuit buoyancy skills involved an underwater egg and spoon race, which was hilarious to say the least. 
The navigation dive was crazy. We got lost and had to surface, descend and repeat the skill again. This was because a group of other divers who were doing a search and recovery dive a bit away from us kicked up so much bottom silt that we had virtually zero visibility, it was like swimming through pea soup. 
We will be doing two more navigation dives when we continue with the navigation specialty course at the end of the month and hoping to do a bit of compass practice on land before then. 
On the Sunday we were doing our deep, wreck and PPB dives at the national dive and activity centre outside Chepstow. 
So after our day at Wraysbury we went straight to Victoria to catch a coach to Bristol. 
We got there just before eleven at night so we had to take an excruciatingly expensive taxi "to" the dive center. 
The taxi driver didn't know where the dive center was so hubby and I jumped out and walked around for half an hour to find it, just as well Mark had stuffed a couple of torches in the bag cause it was pitch black...all good fun though. 
We slept in one of the wooden wigwams on the NDAC site, they are only £40 a night for two people but you have to bring your own sleeping bag.
In the morning the other Dive Wimbledon crew arrived and after brekkie we kitted up for our three training dives.
The first dive I was a little bit apprehensive about because it was the deep diver one but after the briefing I chilled out for a moment away from everybody else and tried to visualize doing the dive before actually doing it and that really calmed me down. We went down to 27 meters and swam around an aircraft at the bottom a few times, ascended and preformed the all important safety stop  at five meters for three minutes and then surfaced. I was a bit scared that I would freak at the bottom cause ascending rapidly from that depth is potentially fatal but I was surprisingly calm throughout the entire dive.
The second dive was the wreck dive and we went down to explore a double decker bus. We didn't go inside the wreck but when we do our wreck specialty dive there will be a wreck penetration option, hubby is keen but I'm not that bothered about going inside stuff, I'm happy poking my head in to have a look but who knows as my skills get progressively better I may be looking for further challenges?
The third dive was delayed because unfortunately a couple of divers had an accident on a deep dive (40 meters) and had to be taken away in helicopter to a recompression chamber. It certainly puts things into perspective and makes me want to adhere to safe diving practices rigorously and checking my equipment prior to diving even more closely. The most important thing though is to keep calm, yes, of course things can go wrong but panicking makes things a whole lot worse and as you never dive alone there is almost always a way of dealing with an emergency without bolting to the surface. I panicked back in February whilst trying to perform the mask remove and replace task and had to be brought back up to the surface by my instructor, he held me down so that I wouldn't bolt and then slowly brought me up whilst trying to keep me calm, what a star!
The third dive of the day was a peak performance buoyancy dive or PPB as it's called in diver circles. We descended to a training table did a bit of hoovering and then swam back to the exit point exploring the area, we swam around a troop carrier maintaining neutral buoyancy and spotted several gnomes. You can bring your own gnome and add to the family and I am definitely doing that next time we go.
After the last dive I was so shattered I could hardly get back up steps of the pier, exhausted but very happy and guess what I jumped in as a open water diver and emerged as an advanced open water diver...huzzah!
An absolutely fabulous weekend was had and I can't wait to get cracking on the four specialty courses that we've got left, diving is so much fun and I love it!
If anyone in the London area is thinking of learning how to dive I couldn't recommend Dive Wimbledon highly enough, the instructors are ace, they are very engaging teachers, meticulously organized and make you feel very safe when you are diving.
Here's a few snapshots from our awesome weekend :)
I hope from the bottom of my heart that the divers involved in the accident  yesterday pulled though and will have a speedy recovery.
Have a great week y'all!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx