Happy New Year!
Thank you for all the lovely comments on my New Year's resolution, 3rd day in & I'm already struggling. To nicer things though, Christmas presents! My sister got me a voucher for Urban Outfitters & so as my last day in Bristol before I headed up to Cornwall with the fam, I headed into town on Boxing Day. I know. Mental. But I am taking my resolution seriously! And so I finally allowed myself to buy 2 things I've been mulling over for a considerable time.

The first courtesy of the UO sale, is this BOY London jumper which I've been admiring from afar due to my mixed feelings over UO doing a BOY London range & also charges £30+ for it. I once came into ownership of a classic vintage BOY t-shirt due to a fleeting relationship, but unfortunately remembered to leave it at his house whilst forgetting to return his phone calls... In some ways though this is better, because it was technically free & much warmer!

The 2nd is the final act of consumer rebellion when I succumbed to that niggling feeling at the back of my head & actually purchased a pair of AA Disco Pants. Mainly because I had 15% off online, but I had to try them on first, so I strode into AA (the quietest place in town because they don't do sales) with the aim of trying on a S M and L and deciding which was best, then going home & using my money off. But I was stopped in my forward planning tracks when I discovered that on Boxing Day only, in the UK only, AA had 20% off EVERYTHING. How's that for fate? And I hate to tell you, if like me you've admired them for a while, but all the rumors are true...they're simply perfect.



Back to presents from other people. The glitter skull is what I had left over after giving the other three to various friends. I also found out that my mum possibly reads Style Bubble as she got me Fashionary which was featured there, it's a sketch book with model outlines & a killer fashion directory at the front. Very awesome. And has killed 2 birds with 1 stone by making me draw & think about making clothes again. My sister got me the biography of Isabella Blow, which I didn't actually want but was really good. It's written by her husband & although he's not the most eloquent of writers & there was a little too much history for me, she was an incredible woman & it was sadly beautiful. The kind of thing I would definitely say buy if you see 2nd hand somewhere. My mum also got me the Bill Baily DVD and the font sourcebook which again has a great directory in it. My font obsession may be getting a little out of hand... And those AMAZING mirror antlers in the 1st photo, now I just need a deer skull like the one I gave Jay for Xmas, hmm. My brother got me a booklet of illustrated football chants and Boutique, which ironically ends with a photo of BOY London.

Full circle. How's that for a comprehensive post? And now a little present for you my wonderful readers. This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's so beautiful that it's been on my iPod on repeat for a week or so now, in fact it's the only song I've listened to this year.

Lua - Bright Eyes




2011 LOVE

This is my mum (& me in the 1st picture) because today she's 60. She is for sure the most amazing person I know. To begin to list the ways would be foolish but you'll have to take my word for it. From helping me, my brother & sister through shit times, to making me laugh uncontrollably to admitting when someone says horrible things about her children how she just wants to hit them. I love that she gets excited about all the weird art shit I do & she supports the fact that I have absolutely no idea what to do when I finish college. She knits me amazing holey dresses & goes on the protests I can't, but ends up buying socks for girls with cold feet, whilst shouting at police men. She's taught me about politics & feminism & books & music. & if I can do something that makes her proud, at the end of the day, I think I'll be alright.

Here's the first line of our favorite song...

Happy Birthday Mum

Image source

I have one & only one New Year's resolution this year:
to buy absolutely nothing new

The only exceptions are food, fabric, underwear & art supplies. For clothes I will buy vintage, charity shop or 2nd hand online. For CDs I will download music (not sure if this counts or not?) or borrow or buy 2nd hand again. Books will probably be the hardest. Not because I don't love charity bookshops, but just because working in a bookshop means I constantly find things I want to buy. But that's it. NOTHING NEW.

I don't need anything that's new. I could just wear the clothes I have for the rest of my life. Of course, I don't want to do that, but there are way's around it & every time I visit that mystical universe that is "town" my heart sinks, I get angry & shaky & very very sweary. I'm a hypocrite, yes. But I haven't shopped in Topshop for over 2 years now & I haven't missed it. Even though 2 of my favorite dresses are from there, I can honestly say that I do not feel the need to walk into a Topshop ever again in my life, so why not cut out everything? I've done a pattern making course so I can make stuff if I can't find it 2nd hand, & I should make stuff really.

The only thing that bugs me is stemming from a trip to Primark I was forced to make last week taking a small family friend Christmas shopping. A velvet skirt I've been mulling over? There. In every colour. For like £5. Aviator jackets, bomber jackets, practically perfect, again every colour & only £15. It's so easy, it's not fair. I am a "head-shopper" as my friends & family have dubbed it, I have a habit of thinking up garments that don't exist anywhere but in my imagination & then spending like a year, 2 years looking for the perfect version of it. Usually I find it...eventually or I get over it. & it fuels my ugly superiority complex when it comes to things like clothes & music. I feel like it was my original thought & I went so some pains to find it, but it's a little soul destroying every time I walk into one of these shops who appear to have a carbon copy of my imagination. Is this just me? Or is everyone ok with this now & should I just shut the fuck up?

Ok rant almost over. Just one more thing: I have realised the more I continue to exist that to do anything I may remotely want to do (whatever that turns out to be) I need money. & so spending my months wages a couple of days after I get paid is not going to work, especially when I'm not at college or when I venture out into the cruel real world. For now the only money earning skill I have seems to be the Saturday girl at Blackwell's & so I'll have to milk this as much as possible until I get that avidly awaited lightbulb moment. I just wish it would hurry up. Hopefully, though, in the meantime this resolution will give me something to fixate on, to strive for & think about. & save me a bit of money!

What are your resolutions?

Photographer: Jessie Craig
Date: June 2010
Stylist: Kate Carnegie
Model: Elena Sudakova
Source: The Ones2Watch

Winter

Photographer: Billy Kidd
Date: August 2010
Model: Luisa Bianchin
Source: I was shot by Billy Kidd

Autumn

Photographer: Sigurd Grünberger
Date: September 2010
Stylist: Keiko Seya
Source: Sigurd Grünberger via Paranaiv

Summer