Leather Top – Vintage Topshop, Garter – Sonia Rykiel for H&M, Dress – Pearl Lowe for Peacocks (Take 10 Challenge Item), Black Vest – Gmarket, Shoes – Topshop thru ebay, Leather pants – ASOS, Watch – Casio via ASOS.

Moi, Adele (Molto Curiosa), Saskia (Not Just Medical), Sarah (We Shop Therefore We Are), Sherin (Hi Fashion), Sabine (Psynopsis), Vicki (Magpie Girl), Jen (A Little Bird Told Me), MJ (Dreaming Spires & Old Car Tyres), Nic (Vint Junky)

Our third instalment of the Take10 challenge, a 70’s purple dress from Peacocks… it just keeps getting better, doesn’t it. You can read that last bit normally or with sarcasm glasses on, I mean it in both ways. It’s a pretty thing, sheer and all, and it’s about 60% less raised-eyebrow than the black lace vest so it is indeed much better; but it’s just.so.purple.and.frilly.and.girly. I categorize purple with clowns and period pains – always there, smirking at your life. At least you get to beat a clown with a bat at your 12th birthday party and they forgive you because they’re paid by our mothers. You also get to beat your period pain with a bat, THE MIGHTY IBUPROFEN BAT. So give me a weapon to beat this dress up with. Sorry Peacocks, this is not personal –  just being a neurotic blogger with one too many ?? before getting dressed.

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Thank you piggy Ellen for the photos!

Sweater & Geometric Print top – Courtesy of Urban Outfitters, Dress – Primark, Khaki top – Uniqlo, Bag – Vintage DIYed, Socks – Tabio, Shoes – Anarchy Street

Thank you Jill for helping with the photos!

Here’s a peculiar situation – this blog was about DIY and cutting back on spend-spend-spending yet you’re seeing new items on me in every outfit post. Oh hypocrite me. There, I wrote my own mean comment – beat you to it, HAH. I’m finding myself not knowing what to do with little or no time to finish personal/DIY projects, while free clothes arrive at my doorstep every day. I’m absolutely thankful for the gifts, and I don’t mean to brag – I just wanted to acknowledge that the blog has indeed changed a lot, and so I’m installing a leash. It’s like a horse gone rogue after having one too many free carrots from the stable kids from the farm next door. Pull some potato cart, why don’t ya.

Please feel free to leave constructive criticism about the blog at any point in time, the comments are always open, I always read them. I’m somehow blessed with a civilised and engaged readership, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Clothes from ASOS Black collection for Christmas; Last photo: Holding Paul & Joe Nail Polish (001) & Gold nail wrap by Nail Rock

I was so smitten with my gold nails by Nail Rock that the manicurist (Mike!) applied for me at the ASOS Christmas Bar the other day, I was doing spirit fingers on the bus all the way coming home. If only I’d known I’d have to peel them off one by one like fresh bandaids after the mistake of displaying fingers to le boyfriend. He whined ‘They remind me of Russian grannies gold teeth, take them ooooooooff’ so I stuck all ten of the pieces on the refridgerator. GRANNY GOLD TEETH GRANTS NO ENTRY TO FRIDGE.

Thank you Jen for inviting me down, brilliant idea with the pick & mix for beauty samples!

Edit: Animal magnets arranged by le boyfriend, sadly he has all power over fridge…

B/W Photo & Last two photos by Laurel Dailey; Jen the Style Crusader in last photo

I went to International schools growing up in Warsaw, and Quiksilver & Roxy were the uniform of the rich kids and those with diplomat parents. I personally sported ragamuffin-wear in highschool, as a rebellion against the wave of surfwear washed up at the schoolgates 8:50 every morning. A truly befitting prelude to one of those CSM lifestyles and attitudes, come to think of it. No wonder everyone assumed I had braces and played the Saxophone. (Correction, alumni: I had braces and was in the rockband) You can probably guess what I thought when Beth invited me down to the Zetter Hotel for a Quiksilver collection preview – I wasn’t dreading it though, it would bring a waft of nostalgia, at the least. I never knew I’d ever come to say this, but Quiksilver has grown up, I actually found myself enjoying a lot of the pieces. Gone were the iron-on hipster graphic tees and the cheesecloth tubetops, there were silks and wools. I AM SERIOUS. It’s like the beach got colder, or the girls moved inland – but that’s exactly what London is, isn’t it.

Thank you Beth for inviting me down for the dress-up and Laurel for the wonderful photos.

Shirt – Courtesy of Stunnz.com, Leather Skirt – Vintage, Sheer socks – market, Pumps – Kate Kanzier, Bag – Cado, Bracelet – COS

Thank you Jill for the photo!

I refuse to smile for pictures until my broadband problem is resolved. Hrmph! (If anyone knows how to reason with this kid in me, please, pass the monkey bars and tyre swings – she’s hiding under the slide, that one rocking back and forth muttering in a funny language.)

On a completely different note, Nowness were so kind to feature a few of my world flea market picks on Sunday, check it out here!