I made this! Double layer stone necklace

I'd been lacking inspiration and hadn't made anything new for a while, but I'm glad to say I seem to have got over my 'designer's block' and have come up with this little beauty.

I see all the jewellery that I make as 'prototypes' as I'm pretty much making it up as i go along and learning on the way. This one is the most technically difficult I've made and I already know how I could make the next one better. But, for a first effort in this style, I'm pretty chuffed.

It's ready for it's debut, worn with a white shirt I think.

"Very nice necklace, no?"  the Boy said. Result.

Update - Inside the 50p Building

Checking out the views from the 21st floor

A while back I blogged about one of my favourite London buildings No. 1 Croydon, otherwise known as the 50p Building. It's a one that divides opinion; you either love or hate it.

Well I love it, so when I read that it would be open to the public as part of Open House London I jumped at the chance to get inside and check out the views.

A bit about Open House London; for one weekend each year, Open-City (a not for profit architectural organisation) works with hundreds of buildings across London to see them open their doors to the public for free. A huge range of buildings are open to view; there are contemporary office blocks, London landmarks, private homes, schools, courts, hotels and palaces....the list can be viewed here. Last year i went to a windmill. In Croydon. It can't get more random than that.

So yesterday me and The Boy visited the 50p Building. They had opened up the 21st floor as a viewing gallery and also the location for a consultation on the development of the area around East Croydon Rail station (hopefully I'll blog on that at a later date). It was a perfect day for it - clear and sunny so the views were amazing. You could see as far as Wembley Arch and Canary Wharf. It's at times like this that I wish I had a better camera....

That's Canary Wharf in the distance...honest.

I love this picture too. Suburb-tastic or what?

Looking East from 50p building towards my street.

If you get the chance, get out today and discover a building in your area. Otherwise, get a date in the diary for next years event.

Reykjavik

Reykjavik was amazing. Me and the boy had 3 days there which was just the right time to enjoy the city, the people and the beautiful, if strangely alien landscape; flat and sparse, hot geothermal pools and cool weather (14 degrees Celsius is the high in summer), volcanic and yet calm.

For a look at the raw beauty of Reykjavik, the boy's blog provides a much better report (and pictures), but for me, the surprise highlight was the architecture. Reykjavik really came into it's own post WWII when there was a mass exodus of people from the countryside and outer areas, and the city began to develop into the metropolitan hub it is today. This means that the overall look is incredibly modern - in London I'm used to historic buildings and architecture spanning centuries rather than just a few decades. Reykjavik was therefore an eye opener to how a city could look if it started 'from scratch'.

Hallgrimskirja

This is Hallgrimskirja - a Lutheran church  - and now one of my favourite buildings ever. I can't say I'm normally that bothered about churches, but this blew me away.

Architectural detail from Hallgrimskirja

We also visited a power station that generates enough electricity and geothermal energy to power the whole of Reykjavik. But I was more interested in the steel and glass viewing gallery and the giant wooden staircase.

Hellisheidi geothermal power plant

Viewing gallery in Hellisheidi 

Amazing staircase in Hellisheidi

Of course, as with all other city breaks, we enjoyed the usual 'sightsee-break for a coffee-food, sightsee-break for a coffee-food' routine, and Reykjavik didn't disappoint on that either.

Open art/graffiti space in downtown Reykjavik 

The Boy doing what he does best

Icelandic Skyr dessert and tea

Overall, a great trip. I'd most definitely recommend a visit.

These boots aren't made for walking

I was only saying in my last post that I much prefer flats to high heels, when I remembered a pair of heels that I have languishing in the bottom of my wardrobe.

I remember seeing them on the Topshop website a couple of years ago, and falling in love. A little racy and fetishy, and edgy (well, for me anyway). At £65 I decided they were too expensive when I don't need yet another pair of shoes...but at £30 in the sale, I decided that I did indeed want - no need them, and so they were mine.

Isn't it funny how a pair of four inch stiletto heels feel comfortable when you try them on in a shop? And how the straps don't pinch when you are delirious with feverish sales panic? And how you proclaim 'I can walk in these easily' as you balance on the carpet of the shop floor and take in your reflection in the magic 'make me thinner' mirrors? Truly amazing.

Obviously, when I come home to sunny Croydonia I inevitably realise the error of my ways. Unfortunately on this occasion, I wore the buggers out to a party, and after developing cramp before I got off the train, I knew they were never to see the light of day again (and I couldn't even take them back to the shop because I'd worn them outside. Stupid girl!).

So at the bottom of the wardrobe they lay, until 'rescued' by The Boy. He had an idea for a shoot - needed a model wearing very high sexy heels....."just a legs shot - no body or face so you'll be fine". Cheers babes.

I think I have found their reason d'etre - to look moody, sexy and wanton, but not to actually be walked in.

Sartorial Saviours

I recently completed a 4 week secondement position at a very interesting office. When i was enquiring about the role, I asked the usual questions about what the job would involve, and who I'd be working with...but also I asked 'What's the dress code?'

Now, in my day-to-day job, I am lucky enough not have a dress code (or at least not one that I pay any attention to, and no attention is made to me ignoring it), but this new place was different, and I imagine, much like most regular offices with a dress code of 'business wear'.

Despite often rocking up to my regular workplace in jeans and a pair of Converse, on closer inspection of my wardrobe, I realised I actually had a few things that would work with the code; smart black trousers, white shirt, pencil skirt...and for a few days, exiting and entering Westminster Tube, I looked the part. But I didn't look like me. So, I started to get a little creative - who said business wear needed to be boring?

I realised I had a few great items, often worn casually that, which with a bit of imagination could work within the new restrictions - my sartorial saviours....

This is my amazing blazer; cropped sleeves, draped collar and a relaxed but smart fit. I used it to in place of a standard suit jacket. Much more interesting.

My sequinned cardigan - a vintage shop find. No one said I couldn't wear sequins as part of 'business wear'...they are subtle, I promise.

The red shoes - love these - they make me smile.

I love silk scarves - my collection started with one lovely find in a charity shop. Now I have so many it's silly.

Belts - I have so many of these too, mainly from charity shops; really useful for making a typical 'office' outfit a bit more personalised.

Black ballet pumps - love the idea of high heels, but generally can't be arsed wearing them. And I can't run for my train in heels.

I admit, there were mistakes too - the dress that was too short...way too short...ah, well.

So, by my last day, I felt much better doing the 'smart thing'. Just another day in the office...

I made this! Leopard print tunic dress

Amazingly, I've completed the dress I started on my clothes making course....and here it is...

I'm really pleased with it, not bad for a first attempt, don't you think? I've already signed up for the next semester and have a pattern for a dress that is, admittedly, a lot harder than this one, which was relatively 'easy'.

Nice no?

The 50p Building

In stark contrast to the type of building I blogged about last time, the 50p Building (or to us it's official name 'No.1 Croydon'), is a bold 1970's skyscraper style building at the heart of Croydon. And, despite my love of Victorian, Regency and other traditional and classically beautiful styles of architecture, the 50p Building is one of my favourite landmarks.

I'm probably causing some controversy here, as it has been voted one of Britain's worst architectural eyesores, but thousands of people can be wrong. 

A little history for you: No.1 Croydon (formerly the Noble Lowndes Annuities or NLA Tower) sits right at the centre of Croydon, opposite East Croydon train station. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 stories and at 269 feet (82 m) high is Britain's 88th tallest tower. If someone was to convert this into flats, I'd be first in the queue (can you imagine? A lift at the centre, leading to each of the pentagon shaped flats? Genius.) Unfortunately, it is actually office space occupied by AIG (their UK headquarters), Directline Holidays, Pegasus and other companies.

The building was refurbished in 2007 including a cleaning of the exterior to rid the smog caused greyness and reveal a gleaming white. As it gets dark, it takes on a new feel - a multicoloured light display illuminates the building as people make their way home or are going out on the tiles.

And why do I like it so much? Ugly? Well, kinda - but it depends how you look at it. You can imagine this being the sign of the 'up-and coming commuter town', towering over the Borough. A time when a concrete tower was state of the art and an exciting sign of modernity. I love that, as it's nickname suggests, it really does look like a stack of 50p's left by a giant. It's a unique design, love it or hate it. I like seeing it on the horizon as I commute back from work, so I know I'm nearly home.

Whilst I do love the Gherkin, Battersea Power Station, and of course, the Eye, I'm happy for those to be everyone's favourites of landmarks of London, whilst the 50p building, is just one of mine.

(many thanks to the Wikipedia entry that educated me so much about this great building)

Welcome to Redcot

I have just returned from a weekend away with my girlfriends in Ramsgate. Yes, it was a random choice for a weekend away, but our location was dictated by the properties we could find (somewhere big enough for 10 of us), so we ended up in the seaside town on the Kent coast. And I'm glad for it too, as we had an amazing time in a place none of us had been to before, and best of all, we stayed in the most beautiful house named 'Redcot'.

Redcot is the house of my dreams; a Victorian red-brick detached house with 5 double bedrooms, two reception rooms, a conservatory and garden (where we had breakfast). It has amazing features - fireplaces in every room, an original monochrome tiled floor in the entrance hall, stained glass in the sash windows...I could go on....

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Me and the girls have decided that hiring a house for a weekend away is the way forward - especially if it's as gorgeous as Redcot. Seriously considering going back there for a winter break....just imagine lighting logs in those fireplaces! The nightlife in Ramsgate was a whole different story; stag parties attempting Michael Jackson moves? Middle aged couples licking each other's faces off? Maybe we'll just get some wine and stay in next time....

All the tools, but not a clue...yet

My clothes making course has now started and I'm really enjoying it. Having a sewing machine and all other bits and bobs for making clothes is all well and good, but seeing as though I haven't followed a sewing pattern since school (which is, shockingly, 12 years ago now...), I am definitely ripe for a few lessons to get me started.

Our first class was a good introduction and reminder of a lot of things I'd forgotten. It's a mixed ability class and there are 13 of us on the course this semester. The group is a good mix of ages and stages of ability and everyone is keen to get advice from our amazing teacher Sue who's been teaching since the sixties, and entertains us with her tales of the art scene in South London in the '60's (teaching David Bowie, working with Malcolm McLaren, hanging out with the Small Faces and The Who.....)

After the first class I was really excited, and armed with our list of essentials, went to the huge Wimbledon Sewing Machine centre to get my fabric and a pattern. I'd been a bit disheartened by some of the patterns I'd seen (why are they so crap?), but found these which I'm very excited about:

I bought two patterns by Cynthia Rowley at Simplicity; one that I would love to make (the dress on the right), and one I think I have a hope in hell of making (the tunic on the left), and I think it will look great in this lovely leopard print fabric:

So, I'll keep you posted with how I get one- hopefully I'll get a picture of me in the tunic on the blog soon...

Bedroom window problem...solved!

A while back (quite a while back now) I blogged about my window dressing trauma. I have a beautiful mini square window in my bedroom - one of two - that is just gorgeous, but was proving a bugger to dress, which meant this:

Well it seems I have a solution - and thank the god of Ikea for that! I had hunted high and low to find something simple, in keeping with the room and decor, and that actually fitted. I hadn't thought Ikea would provide the answer (silly really, as it usually does). And here is is...

Not amazing, just a simple roman blind which, if nothing else, can be a temporarary solution until I can afford to fit customised wooden shutters. Dream on...

Birds of paradise - Homemade wall decals and bedroom update

I've had my eye on some flying bird wall decals from the fabulous Supernice for a while. I've been umm-ing and ah-ing for ages mostly because, as ever, I have more pressing things I should be spending my cash on. So I decided to make some temporary versions for my bedroom, which I would stick to the wall while I decided.

The Boy suggested that rather than plain white birds, I should use (yet more of) my leftover Orla Kiely wallpaper, et voila.

I have to admit I'd neglected my bedroom for quite a while, but with help from The Boy, its now looking a bit more finished. I finally framed and hung my pictures....

....and have now added my lovely bird decals.

I'm quite happy with my my wall now - I really should have taken some 'before' pictures, but I'm sure it won't stretch your mind too much to imagine a plain beige-y (or Caramel Blush 4, according to Dulux) wall. Much nicer. Fly birds, fly!

(You can see the originals at Supernice)

The Joy of Charity Shops: Vintage jumpsuit and old leather wallet

I've had a very good run of bargainous finds recently. My two best recent purchases are an old (sorry, 'vintage') Marks and Spencer jumpsuit and a lovely old leather wallet.

First up, this jumpsuit which I thought was a dress, then realised was not. Either way, my initial reaction to it was "man, that is vile!". It resembes some sort of 1980's fashion monstrosity, but something was drawing me towards it...so I had another look. This time I thought "hmmm...maybe i can work with this".

I gave it a try on - the cross over style suits my figure so wouldn't need any adjusting. However the length was all wrong. Who ever thought that a mid-calf length jumpsuit was a good idea? That would need sorting. Was happy with the fabric - cotton jersey, and in good condition. Ok floral pattern, but the colour is in need of a kick up the arse. A dye job, perhaps....

For £2.90, I decided it was worth a risk and would be a nice little project over the Easter break. I sorted out the length issue, and it instantly became wearable. I'm still deliberating on to dye, or ot to dye...but looking good so far.

My other amazing buy, was this lovely old leather wallet - I think it was originally made for holding your cheque book and cheque guarantee cards (did people really carry around cheque books?)

I thought it was a Mulberry purse from a distance (cue: heart palpatations), and it does look very similar, but at £2.95, I wasn't too upset that it wasn't.

Thinking of making it my new passport holder - what do you think?