The first of my Glasgow vintage finds. Actually this was from Edinburgh. After being hugely disappointed by the famous Armstrongs (bad quality, lots of synthetics & people who wanted to buy things to say that it was *vintage* if you get what I mean) & then trekking to find the next shop on my list which was selling off it's old stock with a huge sale; my dad actually pointed this one out. Called snoop or something...something beginning with S, put it was up the road from Grassmarket, to the right of Armstrongs. Anyway it contained much better quality stuff & a nice lady who actually new about the stock. She told me there was a long version of this but they'd sold it, and also helped me hunt out a silk liberty print scarf for my mum, that she'd thought had gone too. All in all amazing. If anyone can tell me the real name of it that would be great! So today I'm taking a leaf out of Gillian Zinser's book & pretending it is Spring & the weather hasn't just got even colder again.



Was also very lovely to see Cate Blanchett making up for the travesty Florence Welch made in Givency Haute Couture at the Oscars last night. It seems I'm in the minority thinking that Welch just didn't do the most beautiful garment in the world justice at the Grammy's, but what do you think? There's something too easy going, too seventies in the block heels, something not enough in her hair. I just think if you have the opportunity to wear a dress that's so beautiful you should treat it with a little more respect. Case in point: Blanchett.

Thoughts?

I'm flying home tonight & Glasgow has been very lovely. I went vintage hunting in Edinburgh too & picked up some gems. It picked back up after I got to the airport & realised I'd left my phone at home. I literally felt as if my arm had been cut off. I didn't know the time, I couldn't text anyone or check my e-mail or connect with the outside world in anyway at all. I had to use a fucking pay phone! My mum drove back to the airport with it & got there just, just as I was heading towards the gate. But thanks to the wonderful customer service of the girl of the desk who wouldn't make the effort, & the fact my mum couldn't contact me & meet somewhere around security. I missed my phone out of one persons laziness. Talk about angry.

Anyway I'll save it for a complaint letter, because I think I am going to be that person. Another great thing has been reading Roger McGough's autobiography, Said and Done. If you like the 60s, good writing, humor & smatterings of poetry then I would highly recommend it. Even if you've never heard of McGough before or read any of his poetry, it is honestly such a well written book that it wouldn't matter. You should read some of his poetry though. To help along the way I chose four of my favourite little verses above. How amazing is that first one? If a little sad. I think I might add it to the "do-i-want-to-live-my-life-with-this-on-my-body-forever/possible-tattoo" file in my brain.

See you back in Bristol

ISSUE±8 OF SWEAT IS HERE

Hopefully if you get your hands on a copy you won't look at it with such confusion as my cat did when I placed it next to her & took this photo on my generic Ikea bedding. There is absolutely nothing generic about this issue of SWEAT though, with pictures from Caroline Browne, illustrations from poorlittlerichchick & my half take on New York fashion week I'm sure everyone could find something for eyes or brains that's appealing. If you would like an issue it's just £1, plus I also have an overrun of some issue 6's so they're only 50p! If you go here, the links are at the bottom of the page. I will wrap it up with love & post it off to you ASAP. Also, I'm doing a fashion only issue next so if you're interested specifically in Menswear, would like to do a trend report on one of the fashion weeks, or would just like to write a whole article about one collection please e-mail me by the middle of March: sweat.zine@gmail.com.

I know I've been a rubbish blogger, not commenting or posting anything of worth, & I'm afraid to say it probably won't get much better as even though it's half term this week I'm going up to Glasgow to see my friend & my dad. Hopefully though I'll get some quality vintage hunting in between walks in the snow covered countryside & come back with tales of wild adventure...

Oh & thank you very much to Haneen of Le Coeur De Le Wolf for awarding me with a Best Blogger 2011 Award. I am well chuffed. & I nominate... GOLDGOLDGOLD, Buckets & Spades, Stoneage Stomp, poorlittlerichchick, Ergy Erg, BFRmag, Scribbles Ink & Thrown Out Pages, You Are So Honest, all of a sudden i miss everyone & absolutelytotally as my 10 Best Blogs for 2011. Phew, it's so hard to choose. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. Anyway, it's only February but I already hope this blog gets a bit better before the end of the year.

Happy Half Term!

Gotta love Tommy Ton & the sick chicks he takes photos of for Vogue. You can view the rest here. The first two photos are backstage at DKNY via Fashionologie, the 2nd two are Rodarte via WWD & the last three are from backstage at Tommy Hilfiger, Theyskans Theory & DVF again from Fashionologie. Ah to be in New York right now... I'll have to make do with my tumblr of pretty photos.

Distracted.

I have started a tumblr! You can find it here. & it will be exclusively full of catwalk photos. No gibberish, no opinions or comments, just pure hard fashion porn. I'm hoping there's no serious copyright infringement & that they see it as the personal collection that it is. But anywho. If you have tumblr & would like to follow, or reblog please do! & it's also something I set up so for the zine I can pick out say colours or trends easier, so once there's more content (ie, been more shows) I'll start more tags & sections for trends etc so it will hopefully be good for collaging, or trend postage. Very exciting.

Also, I got a new tattoo! I got it over a week ago, but it was a birthday present for Jesus, so I had to keep it a secret to reveal it newly healed on Friday night. It was basically, a pain in the ass. No one wanted to tattoo fingers, everyone told me it would fall out or dull or bleed & someone told me (at a tattoo shop) that I'd have to get it done about every month (!) One guy didn't want to tattoo it because it's so visible & I didn't have enough tattoos already... In the end though I found an all girls tattoo shop & got her last appointment until may & voila, there it is, a big fat infinity sign that looks like an 8 on the inside of my left middle finger. I have to admit that I had to learn to love it a little, it wasn't as immediate as my other tattoos, but now I do. & Jesus loved it & he got a matching one on the back of his neck yesterday. Luckily though I guess, if I ever begin to hate him (never, never, never) as least mine will just fucking wear off...right?

Bullshit.

Sorry to vomit love stuff all over your screen but it's only allowed once a year & there are so many good photos to do with it! You can find all of the images here. & I also added the last one to balance it up a little. So whether your valentine is a boy, a girl, your best friend, a new friend or if you don't have one (I'll totally be your valentine!) screw it & lets just look at some lovely love.

Edit: Thoughts on the Grammys, Lady Gaga arriving in an egg designed by Hussein Chalayan = epic & Florence Welch in Givency Haute Couture did not do it justice. Such a shame.

Happy Valentines!

Tomorrow is my platonic soulmate, Jesus' birthday. He's the idiot who wouldn't let me use a proper one, but anyway it feels like the last birthday we'll have together in a while so... (Plus kudos to anyone who gets the reference of what's in the word bubble)

Thank you for picking me up when I'm down. Thank you for shouting at me when I'm being a dick. Thank you for listening too me when I need to vent. Thank you for making me laugh endlessly, tirelessly. Thank you for consistently fucking up so I'm not always the stupid one. Thank you for not laughing at me when I fuck up. Thank you for wearing weird clothes in inappropriate places & trying to grow mustaches at random intervals throughout the year. Thank you for screaming at the top of your lungs anything I have on in the car & being the only person that would rather do that than talk & distract me. Thank you for midnight conversations about antimatter and unicorns. Thank you for knowing when Jack Daniels is required. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for sticking around so long. Thank you for being my 'U'.

I was a loner until there were no friends left
And before someone offered me drugs
You know I was straight edge
And everyone quits til you offer them a cigarette
Before we learn our lesson
Lets see how bad things can get
As we drive past the last exit home I am waving goodbye
And I might be sleeping in the ditch tonight
But it's alright cos whiskey is my kind of lullaby
And I'll drink myself to death!
Or at least I'll drink myself to sleep!
Chainsmoke my way through the gaps in between
My aspirations and my apathy

Happy Birthday

Not sure about the sex stuff or whether this might be a hidden advert for nail varnish, but in still form this video is pretty fucking inspiring. Hello world, I miss you. Had a really shitty weekend being ill ill ill, now I'm writing an essay on Douglas Coupland & considering how I can turn *Exploration & Discovery* into an epic art project - as in, not going to happen. Blah, why are there so many birthdays in February?

Tired.

This album is beyond amazing, just a thought, these Charlotte Olympia shoes are epic.

That is all.

My favorite new piece of armor against the reoccurring cold snap. It's a socially acceptable dressing gown to wear all day! Considering my coatigan is dying from my overuse of it as a socially acceptable wearable blanket, this feels like a new season hobo chic alternative. I do love impracticable amount of layers that leave me looking like a coat hanger with no single garments distinguishable, as well as no true human being. Anyway, it's mohair so it's very very warm & it's maxi & beige so it makes me feel *up-to-date* with all this 70s shit. AND it's 2nd hand Topshop so I'm one upping the bastard Mr Green as well as sticking to my New Year's Resolution.

I feel like I should also explain the cheesy dimple grin of the last photo, rather than just leaving it there like the elephant in the room. Basically I have developed some obsessions with rather weird foodstuffs, mainly being the Strawberry Laces from Sainsbury's that include radish but no strawberries whatsoever. As well as eating the bready things you use for wraps & fajitas, especially rolled up for some reason... Anyway...I can't be the only one who has weird food inclinations. No?

Just me?