Rocking Treasures.. :)

Last year, me and the girls jumped on a last minute holiday to enjoy the sweltering heat of Turkey. As we eagerly perched on the edge of our seats in Thomas Cook, the intense excitement that spilled out of our smiling faces was an emotion that could only be conjured by the promise of sun, sea and shots! However this year, we would have no such luck; our holiday bender was an absolute failure..due to 'insufficient funds' on my part! In other words with minus pennies that sat in my bank account, the holiday became an impossibility; consequently our hope for a 7day glorious piss up was unfortunately out of reach for summer 2010.

So in order to look on a positive angle, i decided to use my weekly wages on charming additions to our new house at Wilton Avenue..my first purchase was one that i will absolutely treasure forever. A few days ago, once finishing my shift that consisted of serving cappuccinos and tuna sandwiches, i took a stroll down Hythe high street. Roaming in and out of the charity shops i stumbled across an old antique shop which captured a range of archaic treats; such as grand father clocks, classic vinyl, plus a pretty Victorian dressing table...to name a few. Although i adored many pieces within the shop, one number stood far above the rest..and that had to be the beautiful white, wooden rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room !!

With the traditional oak flooring and the old-fashioned fire place in my lovely room, i feel that this charismatic chair would be the perfect accompaniment, therefore there was no other option..it simply HAD to be mine :) I never imagined that i would ever become so excitable about furniture! But it seems that this delectable rocking chair has stolen my heart..

To add to the English country house theme of my new room, i popped into British Red Cross earlier today and managed to bag a gorgeous white wicker basket for as little as 50pence! Can't beat a bargain :) Now with my delicious furniture and adorable basket i am slowly building up my room to appear like an 80 year-old's cottage...perfection :)

So with a few more sneaky purchases, hopefully frying in the sun and downing sangria will be pedalled out of my mind with one rock on my lovable chair and a blissful peak at my enchanting basket. And if all else fails..there's always a cheeky sunbed !

Walt 'Horny' Disney..

When heading to cinema earlier this week, we came to the conclusion that the long-awaited new Toy Story film was a must see over all the other options. So we ventured to Ashford where we grabbed a cheeky lunch in the ever so 'stylish' Beefeater just minutes walk from Cineworld. After the meal we excitedly strolled over to buy our tickets; as the opening titles appeared, i couldn't hold back my childish delight as I was always a big fan of Woody and the gang. Embarrassingly, to this day, my Woody doll remains rested on my windowsill at my Dad's house!! Still a kid at heart i guess..

Well anyway, the film was incredible! Far better than i actually imagined; the way that Walt Disney has always captured such a varied audience in his films must be the key to his success. The adult humour weaved into the PG storyline was pure excellence; a favourite aspect of the movie had to be when Buzz transformed into a Spanish Hero, his accidental change of tongue turned him into a Spanish speaking heartthrob and won over the affection of the lovable cowgirl Jessy, with the help of his impressive salsa dance moves! And i can't forget the character Ken, with his 'pretty boy' appearance and the hilarious costume change scene. Consequently, it is a must see for summer 2010.

But once i had watched this follow-on from the original classic, i remembered an intriguing factor i had heard about Walt Disney's shocking 'additions' to many of his forever adored films. This was of course the suspicions of subliminal messages filtered into these childlike stories; including films such as Lion King and Aladdin. So in order to check out these messages for ourselves, we logged onto YouTube to gather evidence on the accusations. From what it seems in a large number of scenes throughout many of the Disney classics, the word 'Sex' has subtly been injected into objects within the background; places like in the leaves, or the shape of clouds..this is where the word will be found. As it is impressively camouflaged, it is cleverly invisible to the eye unless you are aware of its existence. However, Aladdin holds a far more alarming subliminal in a certain scene where he is peering out of the window and very quietly mutters "Good teenagers take off your clothes." (Click on the image of Walt above for a link to this video).

Although these may be just hearsay, after watching clips of each scene i do believe they exist within the films. Which makes me wonder that even the purest and most innocent aspects within this world have the potential and possibility to taint our minds. As children, it is a well known fact that their minds soak up information like a sponge; therefore as they watch their favourite Disney hero's saving the world, they are unaware that they're apparently being corrupted with the idea of sex! So no wonder young girls out there are '16 and pregnant'! Thanks to the King of childhood entertainment, the lovely Walt Disney and his mischievous imagination, we are being subtly encouraged to unzip our jeans and dance the horizontal hula! Who'd of thought it.. Never again will i look at Simba or Hercules in the same way again..kinky bastards !

"Living in Hythe is like Training to be Old."

Cecil Beaton's iconic 1934 'Hat Box'.

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace or the slaves of the ordinary!" (CECIL BEATON). In simple words, don't be afraid to be brave.

As Beaton had a great interest in fashion photography, i can only believe that this aspiring message was directed to style and how the world should embrace individuality and unconventionality in dress, rather than being hesitant to contradict the generalisations in fashion. I am very much a fashion enthusiast; i love reading about it, learning about it, looking at it, buying into it..the list goes on. However, there have been many occasions when i visit a store and i rule off certain outfits due to their outlandish appearance. I truly admire the people who flaunt their fashion extravagance with no concern if others dislike or sneer at the unusual style, although I'm not sure that my little home-town would be ready for 'underwear as outerwear' or see-through fabrics! With a town oozing with OAPs, tearooms and charity shops, walking down the high-street in a maxi dress may cause multiple strokes! I was recently enjoying a nice hot chocolate and a pot of tea with a few friends, the conversation lead onto the excitement of Hythe. Jon gave the perfect definition to our stale home-town: "Living in Hythe is like training to be old." That quote has stuck in my mind ever since. I might as well hobble down the high-street in a woolly jumper and beige flats!

However, as i have quite a quirky and girlish dress sense, i feel i can avoid appearing too flamboyant and inordinate whilst walking past all the Betty's and Albert's shuffling through town. However, recently i have had a desire to delve into the delicious land of jumpsuits! Although I'm only 5'3 and not exactly model height for this unlikely new trend, i can't resist the urge to splurge! There are so many colours and styles that i simply adore, but there is that one fraction that keeps the purse glued inside my satchel...Hythe. I can only dream that one day I'll live in an area like London or Brighton, where the excitement in fashion is far from hidden and is in-fact celebrated. Hythe is camouflaging my passion for fashion! So to take note of Beaton's wise words, screw all the Betty's and Albert's, if we want to strut down the high-street in a cheeky jumpsuit and some delectable brogues..we shall!! No longer will we play it safe; Coco Channel stated: "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." So Hythe, get ready for bras over tees and high waisted hot pants.. :)

Soccer Vs Speidi..

As the world cup kicks off and is in full swing, i thought I'd tune in to the celebratory opening; but after watching hours of African dancing and colourful parades, i decided to divert my attention to a programme of far more importance than the footy!! And that is of course..The Hills :)

The series that follows the drama-injected lives of fabulously superficial Americans has never been so gripping. With Stephanie Pratt's jail sentence for drink driving, Kristin Cavallari's alleged drug problems, Spencer Pratt's obsession with his 'psychic' crystals, Audrina Partridge's constant love affairs, and of course not forgetting Heidi Pratt's outrageous surgery addiction. However, i then began to wonder if your place of residence truly does have a significant impact on the person we become; such as the clothes we purchase or the personalities we adopt.

In the very first few seasons of The Hills, i would go as far as to say that Heidi was a rather normal being! I feel that her once grounded personality simply must have been a reflection of her childhood up-bringing and home-town; the snowy, isolated land of Colorado, as it is far removed from the suffocating world of plastic pressures. Therefore, Heidi was a confident and happy young women, but as she moved to LA the temptations arose as she began to mold her body into society's version of 'perfection.' Watching the rapid deterioration of these characters mental health seems a tad wrong, but the voyeuristic incentives to watch the show is a guilty pleasure that i simply can't resist!

However, regarding the infamous World Cup, i have to confess that i do adore the way in which Britain suddenly turns immensely passionate and patriotic throughout the period. So to show my support for the England boys, i will be momentarily forgetting the lives of Audrina and Speidi as i cheer on the lads! But as soon as the season has come to a conclusion..i can't wait to snatch the remote and escape into the frivolous lives of the Hollywood theatricals that is of course The Hills!!

Brogue Bliss :)

Since last summer i have desperately wanted a pair of tan coloured brogue shoes, but with their high price tag it was always something that i simply couldn't justify; consequently, i have not found the suited pair just yet. Therefore, i have come to the conclusion that 2010 is the year i will bag a brogue!

However, after combing through an array of internet shopping sites, i am yet to conquer the search for the perfect pair of feet friends! Although, hours later i am still glued to my laptop foraging through each brogue shoe; my tired eyes, collapsing into their sockets have began to blur my excitement for this spending splash. So i have decided to put the task to rest and i will hope to achieve brogue bliss tomorrow.

With the latest sock and shoe trend hitting the high street, i have decided that i simply NEED to indulge; a lovely pair of frilly socks are the ideal companion for my future shoes :) I have fallen deeply in love with the geek feet fashion, as i have always been a prominent follower and zealous fan of quirky clothing; therefore this sock and shoe trend is the icing on the cake (the cake being a delicious new pair of brogues!) Now i just cannot wait to hunt and scour through Topshop for their adorable selection of ankle socks; grey, white, black, red..the world is my oyster!

In relation to this recent fashion necessity, it has become apparent that the trend has a very similar resemblance to the uniforms we used to sport at primary school. Thinking about other popular trends of 2010's spring season, hair accessories couldn't help but spring to mind! As i have mentioned a fair few times, i am partial to a cheeky floral headband or an adorable bow clip. However is does remind me of being a young girl, as my mum would place these little treats in my hair just to make me look sweet and innocent (although I'm not sure it quite did the trick!) So are the trends of 2010 rewinding our more mature sense of dress and reversing it back to our childhood days? With socks peeking out of our sandals and flowers tying our locks into french braids..we've now captured an excuse to be immature! We can now act the age we dress!! I say everyone should forget the monotonous routines of adult life and venture to the playground...let the pressures of work or studies float away with one spin on the merry-go-round or a bounce on the sea-saw. Fashion is not just clothes...its what those clothes encourage us to do that make them important :)

Olives, Cheese and Maccy D's...

A few weeks ago, i decided to plan a surprise trip to my home town in Kent; as my friends and family were under the impression that i wouldn't be back until the beginning of June, i felt that this surprise would be a definite shocker :) On my farewell night in Southampton, it's safe to say it was messy, which is all you can hope for when on the chaotic club crawl 'Carnage'. Unfortunately, after a few too many bevvies i was a tad tipsy (lets just say) and managed to lose the battery out of my mobile...the hangover the following day was horrendous.

After lugging two large holdalls, as well as my intoxicated self on the long journey of public transport, the struggle to keep down my jacket potato was a success (thank god), and i eagerly awaited to open the door to see my mum's excited expression. However, she was not in...typical.

Well, when she finally arrived home later that evening, i managed to achieve my goal, as the bewilderment in my mothers face appeared very shocked that i was back. Then Monday came, so i decided to make a few cheeky phone calls to all the girls and encourage them to venture to Soap in Canterbury that night. As i was home for summer, i thought this was a well deserved reason to go out on the razz! My friends were still rather unsure of my exact whereabouts and didn't quite believe that i was back in town..well this was until they turned up to my door ready for a night of pissed up antics!!

As per, Monday was one of those very memorable nights that in fact you cant remember..a classic adventure filled with vodka redbulls, cheesy tunes and many tumbling heels. Perfection. In my enthusiastic state when we eventually climbed into bed, i did not sleep for too long, and was glad to learn that my friend Amy had also woken..the hunt for food had begun. But as we had all camped at a house in Canterbury, the chance for anything edible was scarce; although i did manage to chomp on a few naughty slices of cheese and several green olives. As the rest of the troops rose from their drunken coma, we decided to venture to Maccy D's for that desperately needed quarter-pounder! The nasty stodge was just the thing everyone yearned for; an attempt to raise us from hanging like a gorilla. All in all it was one hell of a night and was great to be back :)

After being home for over a week now, i have enjoyed the relaxation and have successfully diminished the constant hangover that freshers year had delightfully donated to me; however, after my many countless baths and home-cooked meals, i have to confess i am missing the wild lifestyle that uni entails. So i will aim to drag the girls out for a many more crazy nights of flowing drinks and constant dancing..just to keep life interesting :) And they call me a wino...why ??? ;)

Diana...Johnson??

I have recently been told several times, by a number of different people, that i remind them of / look a little like the X Factor runner up, Diana Vickers (you know...the one with the hands!) I'm guessing it's only due to the fact that my curly bees-nest barnet is quite alike her wild tresses; other than that, i can't see the comparason myself. However, i have always admired her style, therefore i feel rather chuffed to even be slightly compared to her. From the very first auditions, i have always hoped that Diana would have won the competition; i simply loved her unique voice and quirky fashion sense..so i voted for her a fair few times (however dorky that makes me sound!) So i was gutted when she lost the battle of the votes in the final weeks.

Nevertheless, after these recent observations regarding my 'similarities' with the 'Once' singer, i was eager to take a brief glimpse at her recent fashion choices. I am a great fan of celebrity trends; people like Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Lily Cole and of course Diana Vickers, never fail to inspire my own style and chosen purchases. I adore the boho/romantic look that such female stars parade; hence the many floral dresses, summery jackets and tanned shoes that float about my wardrobe.

Once i had dabbled on her fashion blog, i discovered a world of clothing treats to feast my eyes upon. I especially liked an outfit that she had sported on an X Factor live performance; it was a sparkly white fringed dress, complimented by a matching beret. Although this outfit is a tad excessive for your usual Saturday night bender, I'm sure there is a cheeky little equivalent somewhere on London Oxford Street...the land of fashion opportunities!

So on my visit to London tomorrow, as i cruise in and out of the alluring shops, i will hunt for a dazzling fringed dress, courtesy of Miss Vickers. Urban Outfitters here i come!! Fingers crossed.... :)