Ailyex vs. Dogboyo

:: top from Topshop :: skirt, boots and tights from Primark :: scarf from Lokaah :: bandage from Tesco :: necklaces from Topshop and charity shops ::

I wore this out for a friend’s birthday/party yesterday, after yet another week of physical fuck-ups. My resolutions to play my ukulele and sort my old clothes out were squashed when I managed to fall over in the middle of the road, and am still sporting a wrist support tubigrip thingumyjig. But the sun is finally out, so perhaps I’ll have a non-broken week after all.

:: Smoothie it up
What can I say, smoothies and fruit make me happy, so this week I pledge to make all kinds of deliciousness in the blender.

:: Learn a new song
Having bought picks for my uke (like someone who actually plays an instrument!!), experimented with wonky finger-picking and watched many YouTube how-to vids, I’m really yearning to learn some more songs - Somewhere Over the Rainbow would be cool, John Butler Trio’s Groovin’ Slowly would be wonderful. Even if I butcher them it’ll still be funnage. Now all I need is a musical friend to transpose them for me . . .

:: Give away my unwanted clothes
You know those massive blue bags you use to carry entire bedroom suites home from Ikea in? Well I have one full of clothes I’ll never wear again. Some are just not my style, some eminently unlovely. Hopefully I can find some of them nicer homes via freecycle or what’syoursismine. The very least I can do is Oxfam them.

Have a wonderful week!

Photocredit: 1. Sunrise Clouds over Torrelit (not an HDR), 2. Call of the Raven (formerly Nature’s Special Effects), 3. Morning Glory Pool, 4. Sanctuary Upshot Saint Mary’s Studley Royal, Yorkshire UK, 5. Organ staircase Saint Mary’s Studley Royal, Yorkshire UK, 6. A murder of crows, 7. Reverse Energy, 8. Clouds of Fire v2 / Nubes de fuego v2, 9. Golden Clouds

loving brights at the moment . . .

‘Tis Sunday, so ’tis time for my Weekly Resolutions . . . I did fairly well on last week’s, although 2 and a 1/2 days off sick played havoc with uke practice and eating right. I did alter one of my skirts - a black denim mini that was too big, passed on from a friend. But it still needs a little tweaking before I wear it out. Anyhoo, to this week’s resolutions -

:: New Positivity
This week’s been a bit meh, so I’m promising myself I’ll get up early, focus on the people and things that matter and not get bogged down in negativity. As long as I keep on track, and take time to practice my uke, draw and enjoy myself, it should all be much better.
:: Finish another skirt
I think I’ll tackle this one next. It’s super fun to wear but it’s also too big, so I reckon a higher waist might be just what the doctor ordered.
:: Be healthy
Yup, all the usual - proper food, lots of water, yoga and fresh air. I’m sure I’ll feel muchos better by next week. x

Today, after an all night Guitar Hero/Gran Turismo session with friends, Jan and I ventured out to Camden Market to enjoy a spot of sunshine. Seeing the damage from the fire was quite sad really, but the sun was out and the perfect tonic to our bleary-eyed selves. We feasted on Wagamama noodles and I alloted myself £10 with which to find treats. Here’s what I got:

The shades were from a generic Camden stall. I like their Back to the Future styling, although I might have to go back for a Ray-Ban Wayfarer-style pair in tomato red . . . The bone earrings and scarf are both from Lokaah, a cheap import shop in the Stables Market where I get far too many of my everyday earrings and bangles - guarantee, if there’s a hippy/trendy/Indian-style scarf in Topshop etc. they’ll have the exact same one in Lokaah for £2. Speaking of Back to the Future styling, when Jan and I were watching Back to the Future II recently, I couldn’t help but think that Maison Martin Margiela must have watched said film before creating their wonderful L’Incognito sunglasses, especially the mirror ones. To illustrate - the designer version:

Doc Brown’s version:

To me, that makes them all the more ridiculous and covetable. If only I had an inexaustable bank account and the ability not to sit on all my sunglasses . . .

As there had been very little sleep the night before, I wrapped up in two of my favourite everyday scarves and my new shades.

Red pashmina & sunglasses - random Camden stalls [the former bought 2 years ago, the former, today]
Khaki scarf, black bone earrings & wooden bracelets - Lokaah, a cheap import shop in Camden
Skinny jeans - New Look
Black cardigan & green canvas flats - Topshop
Grey tee - H&M

All in all I had a wicked hangover day with the Mr. and my temperature seems to have normalised. Here’s hoping for a great week ahead . . . x

As promised, here’s the Purl Bee hat I mentioned in Things I love Thursday. I finished it on said Thursday, the 1st of what is now 2 days off sick [not fun]. Thankfully it’s nice and cosy, so it’s been keeping me warm whilst I ride out my not-quite-’flu- just-ridiculously-high-temperature illness.

It’s the Purl Bee’s Rochefort Chapeau pattern and I’m rather pleased with it. I’m a bit of a wonky knitter but this is a great little basic hat pattern and a great introduction to stripy knitting in the round. Previously when I’ve knitted anything with stripes it has involved lots of cutting and tying of yarn, so the Purl Bee’s little Tute was most helpful.

I used half Debbie Bliss Cashmerino (the dark teal) and half charity shop wool (the black) - which sounds horrid but actually ended up being really soft in a Half Luxury/Half Budget sort of way. I already had both, so yay for the budget crafting! I’d really like to make another hat like this - red and white stripes would be just too cute - so I feel the weekend will somehow include a hunt for red yarn . . .

Right now I’m crawling back under the covers with a cup of tea. Happy Weekend y’all!

Taking a leaf out of Gala’s book, I welcome you to the very first Ailyex vs. Dogboyo Things I Love Thursday

:: Daffodils
They’re currently brightening up my kitchen – yay for Spring even if it’s still raining outside!
:: Successful Knitting
I made this hat from the Purl Bee and it actually worked - FYI my knitting is prolifically wonky, so the fact that the stripes line up has got me quite joyful. I’ll post a pic when I’m not all icky and ill.
:: Cheesy Wildlife Docs
I’m off sick so the cheesy output of Sky Three is keeping me sane. Behold the Killers of the Southern Hemisphere!!
:: My Boyfriend
Bless him for pretending that I look pretty even though I’m sick.
:: iCiNG Participation
Gala and the whimsical comments over there totally brightened up my sick day - Happy Thursday deers . . .

In the interests of actually getting things done, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with Gala Darling’s ‘Weekly Resolutions’ and setting myself 3 goals for the week. Presently I’m surprisingly happy with my lot, but my creativity has really slumped since the new year - the only things I’ve been working on is actual work, as in 9 to 5, which is all great for the office, but sucks for lack of drawings, my wardrobe and just about everything else. But this is very fixable, so with a new lease of energy in mind, here are my very first Weekly Resolutions:

1. Practice my uke every day. I’m still butchering Sam Hall, but my mini instrument is seriously joy-making. With a new Absolute Beginners Ukulele tome at my disposal, I plan to really start pushing myself and master a whole song and a few new chords by next Monday.

2. Eat & Drink Right. When it comes to looking after myself, I get by ok, but when I actually make an effort, the difference is surprisingly impressive. So in search of that million dollar feeling, I’m making this a week of healthy deliciousness and at least 1.5l of water per day.

3. Fix up at least 1 skirt. Right now I’m living in my skinny jeans, despite the presence of at least 4 skirts in my wardrobe that are lovely but somehow unwearable. So, whether it’s the black mini, the tattoo print circle or the knackered All Saints one, I’m pledging to have one of offending items up and wearable by the weekend.

So there you have it, my healthy, musical, well-dressed week ahead. Well . . . . (^-^)

I wore this little lot for Easter Sunday lunch at mother’s and was well impressed with Le New Shoes. They were totally comfortable all day - even to trip up to the mini mart for vino - , plus, I didn’t look like a twit.

What I Wore:

Black H&M tee

Gold heart pendant from Matalan

Skull & rose Get Cutie skirt

Grey Primark tights

Lovely new red heels from Faith.

Come 11pm though, I slipped into something a little more geeky, i.e. black tracksuit bottoms and my old faithful Joe Ninety specs. Oh yes.

In view of the bipolar weather we’ve been having, ’tis appropriate that my daffodils opened on the 1st snow day of the year. Outside it was like this:

I especially liked next door’s snow-covered palm trees.

While inside it was like this:

Daffodils have got to be my favourite flower, they’re so springy and Welsh and colourful. I mean, just look:

Lovely. And speaking of colour, I splashed out on these beauties from Faith:

their up-turned witchiness completely slays me.

Yup, cuteness that is literally unattainable, unless Fred Flare change their no-international-shipping policy just for me! Thanks to Gala Darling I’m currently jonesing for the delights of fredflare.com - I mean, how cute is this Forget Me Knot Ring?

or these sweet Cherry Earrings?

They even have Donut Keychains courtesy of My Paper Crane

and a Librarian Pin identical to the ones we had at school!

And to prove that I’m not being a leetle self-centred in demanding an online store change their policy just for little old me, they’d sort out all my present-giving issues too - for my magpie best friend -

and if my ‘Just Call Me Babycham‘ baby sister ever gets her ears pierced -

Voila!

But alas, Fred Flare only ship to the US and Canada. I’m smitten with those cherry earrings though, which led me to the bizarre delights of Terralec Ltd who sell stage props, set pieces and most importantly, fake cherries. Oh yes. I plan to whip up my own UK-based cherry earrings, just as soon as I can stop wanting to buy a ridiculous amount of fake fruit, fake sweets, fake birds, fake . . .

You see my predicament! Enjoy the Easter four day weekend . . . x

all images from fredflare.com