Their Lips Brushed Like Young Wild Flowers In The Wind...

A new dress. Is there anything more frivolous and wonderful as a new dress?

I recently went to London with my younger sister for a day of spending, eating and catching up (with a few musical numbers thrown in for good measure!)

Upon arriving to the famously busy Oxford Circus, my single goal in the (so-vast-it-appears-never-ending) Topshop was to find myself a bikini. I'd seen some lovely ones online, but knew I needed to try them on for a good fit.

Perhaps more on the bikini another day (I found one and it's perfect!) because just as I was making my way to pay, I spotted this gorgeous little white number hanging on the sale rail.

I literally could not believe it was in my size...and in the sale!

Of course I'd seen this beautiful little Victoriana dress when it appeared full price on the website, and had even bid on a couple on eBay (before the price soared beyond logical reason)

So I can truly say it was pure delight to pick one up to take home with me!

It's just the right amount of feminine, and reminds me of 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', Kate Bush in her floatier incarnations, Stevie Nicks and Beatrix Potter all rolled in to one!

The necklaces I'm wearing it with feature charms which belonged to my late Nanna and Great-Grandmother. A lot of religious symbolism going on there! I love their character, uniqueness and sentimental value.

My lipstick is by Topshop (Infared) and my nail polish, (which is also on my toes) is a deep Jade green by Rimmel (Block Your Green)

My head dress is a vintage 1950's bridesmaids hair band. Made from aged silk, it's a gorgeous piece which I try not to wear too often for fear of destroying it! It was definitely made for a child as I have to balance on my head in a very particular way to make it stay!

I suppose it would also be worth acknowledging at this point that I dyed my hair this week! I wanted a change, and this deep chocolatey brown certainly provided one!

Checking to make sure Joshua wasn't about to get mowed down by a lorry as he took my photos!

Also worth a mention are my new shoes found in Primark of all places! I completely love them,  despite the blisters they have induced as I've worn them in! I've been wearing them with everything as they're so versatile. Anything that gives me a little bit of a height boost is always welcome too!

Getting a bit carried away with the Kate Bush impressions...

Also more from my instagram lately, including a thrifty Elvis key-ring I found at the car boot, my latest obsession of crumpets and fruit for breakfast, Spring colours around Brighton and decor from our flat!

You can follow my instagram here - even if you don't have a smart phone!

Plenty more in the pipeline, including some fantastic music I can't wait to share with you all!

Hope you're all very well!

Love Yours Truly, x

Ps. For those who didn't see my tweets prior to this post, how do you like my beautiful new header! A huge thank you to Sam Luck for helping to create exactly what I wanted!

All You Need Is Love...

Lately my days off and free time have been a bit of a rarity. I'm working all sorts of crazy hours and therefore when a day off does show its face I can't help but feel completely torn in knowing how to make the most of it!

Do I rest my weary bones (and my incredibly sore feet!) and have a long lie in, followed by a nap, a sandwich and a snooze? Or do I run around this beautiful city with a crazed determination to see and experience as much as possible?

I tend to settle somewhere in between the two.

These photos were taken on a beautiful sunny day, which I spent with my dear friend Sam, and later once she'd finished work, my flat mate Becca. 

I'm wearing my new favourite trousers from Beyond Retro - they fit like a dream! Nipped in waist, and cropped at ankle length - not bad for £8 eh?! They also have a crazy 80's woven pattern in them too which I love!

My illustrated t-shirt is really old and comfortable! I bought it years ago at Camden market and at some point I chopped the sleeves off a little too low (hence wearing with a t-shirt underneath!)

I love John and Yoko and this illustration certainly does that affection justice!

I'm also wearing one of my trusty H&M mustard cardigans, and dug out this old Topshop bag from the top of my wardrobe. It's really cute but a tad impractical!

Patent shoes and pasty legs...Perfect combination! I have absolutely zero interest in being tanned!

It would be worth interjecting at this point, that my friend Sam is a ridiculously great photographer (you can see some of his work here or follow him on instagram) and has a cheeky habit of slyly snapping away when you're not really expecting it or paying attention! Some evidence of which is below!

Becca and I debating what sea food to purchase...Cockles? Prawns? Jellied Eels? (Certainly not!)

Getting stuck in with our choices! I opted for king prawns and Becca went for crayfish tails...Tasty stuff!

Engrossed in conversation and looking embarrassingly similar on Brighton beach... 

It was then of course time to turn the tables! Here is Sam! 

He's put up with me for ten years now, so clearly as well as being a talented photographer he also possesses the patience of a saint!

We have some exciting collaborations in the pipeline...isn't it great to be creative with friends?

I still have a heap of back-logged posts to get up on here! I also have exciting projects and ideas up my sleeve I can't wait to share with you all!

Hope you're all well!

Love Yours Truly, x

Ps. A huge thank you to Sam Luck for these lovely photos!

Pedalling in Pastels...

The sun came to Brighton! For a few glorious day we were sun soaked (if not a little wind beaten!) and I was determined to make the most of the (inevitable) fleeting blues skies.

After a tasty breakfast, Becca and I dusted off our bicycles (I haven't ridden mine for about a month despite riding it throughout the entire winter!) and took them for a spin along the Brighton seafront for what turned out to be a five mile ride (some very sore bottoms in the flat that night!)

How could we resist not stopping for a few snaps along the way?!

Urgh...First of all let me get over how much I love my bicycle! Swoon! 

Perhaps in tribute to it's gorgeous iris-blue colour, I'm wearing a surprisingly co-ordinated outfit!

The grey velvet t-shirt and blue playsuit (worn as shorts) I  borrowed from Becca (living with girls doubles your wardrobe!) 

I've been feeling a bit 'stuck in a rut' lately so it's been lovely to borrow (and lend!) some pieces to bring a breath of fresh air to my own wardrobe.

This cute little mac was an eBay find, which I'm wearing with a vintage mustard scarf for a splash of colour! It matched beautifully with the pastel-loveliness of the huts!

And my tights are layered up of a Topshop cornflower blue pair, and these greyish-nude H&M patterned pair. I love the effect!

The shoes are old Topshop...As if I wasn't going to be first in line for a pair of glittery mary-janes!

The bubble ring I'm wearing is a mini glitter snow-globe I bought when I was 16 at the V&A Museum in London. It never fails to cheer me up!

I'm also wearing (though you can't really see it because the pesky wind was blowing my hair in all directions!) a homemade lace collar which a reader sent me last year. I have trawled trying to find the email to credit her but to no avail! So if you read this and recognise the collar do let me know! 

And because she looked so amazing, I had to feature my ever-obliging photographer flat mate again!

Just how Orla Kiely is Beccas outfit?! 

Here she is with her own co-ordinating bicycle!

Beccas dress was a recent purchase from Primark of all places! She's wearing it with a vintage silk blouse and my old Topshop white brogues (it works both ways after all!)

One more before we hit the road...

And off we go!

Apologies for the lack of blogging - I actually have a back log of posts all ready to go, but have been too busy working to put any of them up!

So expect a huge surge of posts soon!

Love Yours Truly, x

On Courage...

'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent'

I'm lucky enough to have a Mum who reminds me of this wonderful Eleanor Roosevelt quotation whenever a day has proved too hard, or people too cruel. 

In ten words it completely surmises the respect and pride you should have in yourself, and to not let the seeds of doubt planted by others grow in your mind.

The last few weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster (when does life not have it's ups and downs I know!) and a lot of circumstance that I have found myself dealing with, has been unexpected, draining and not so good for personal morale!

I've sat here for about twenty minutes deliberating what to write, what to divulge and what I shouldn't include, and I guess essentially it's not entirely relevant for the overall point I want to get across.

Suffice to say, that I have had a huge learning curve the last month, and through the highs and lows, I have realised that adversities are much better handled with a smile. Hardships can be laughable with a good friend, and that every now and then, even if it is logically the very last thing you should be doing...you can go and get horrendously drunk and dance to 90's RnB at three in the morning (thankfully no photos of that to show!)

It's hard writing this in a way that doesn't come across as pompous, or preachy - or even (heaven forbid!)...Cheesy! 

But I just think we all need reminding of our own value sometimes - like in 'It's a Wonderful Life' when George realises how different the lives around him would have been had he not existed. You never know when you're someones ray of sunshine, or when a quick phone call or kind word makes someone feel a hundred times better.

Before I continue, I'll take a moment to explain that these photos were obviously taken on Brighton beach, on a cold but bright afternoon walk. 

The pillars that I am standing by are part of the remains of the West Pier, built in the 1860's, after all these years they have stood the test of time!

Also, I'm wearing a very comfy, very non-blog-worthy outfit! The smart shirt is a recent purchase from New Look - tres Annie Hall! My gorgeous antique coat was a gift from Margaux and Alec of The Splendid Suitcase - it's so gorgeous!

My skinny jeans are an old Topshop pair, and my favourite sunglasses (more for wind protection than sun!) were from H&M.

And these little beauties were a gift from Modcloth last year! I adore them!

Someone who definitely deserves a tip of the hat for being my own (as afore mentioned) ray of sunshine, is Becca my flat mate! After finding ourselves in a very similar situation it's been so lovely to have someone to not only seek comfort and hope from, but to provide for to! 

From cooking ourselves nice meals (especially breakfast  - conquer that and the rest of the day will sort itself out!) to decorating the flat (photos soon!) movie marathons, heart to hearts and a few too many cointreau's!

It's the little things that make a difference I suppose!

And whilst I can thank her for her emotional support...

Her physical support (ie. me not ending up on the floor!)

Leaves a lot to be desired! Ha!

So I guess in conclusion, I'm putting the 'look inwards for strength' myth to bed. Sure finding strength in yourself is a rewarding and a worthwhile pursuit. But in contrast, it is no easy task to seek help and support in others to get you through troubling times.

You don't have to have all the answers, and you don't have to be happy all the time.

What matters is that you assert yourself on dealing with whatever adversities you find yourself facing, and enlist the help of the ones you love to pull through.

You'd do the same for them after all!  

And above all, be kind to yourself.

I need to keep reminding myself of that one.

Love Yours Truly, x

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away...

This week I was lucky enough to collaborate with my wonderful photographer friend Emma Speight again. Since she shot these photos  for me, she has had her website completed and launched, so be sure to have a look! Her work is so beautiful, and entirely film based - something always worth noting in this digital age!

That being said, the following photos were taken on my Nikon D40 - I like to throw Emma out of her comfort zone! 

We had just been planning to snap a couple near my home in the late evening sunlight, but as we chased the retreating amber glow, we ended up further and further away...All the time there I was clutching my glass of milk! 

I feel I should at this point explain the milk. For a long time Emma and I have discussed collaborating on a very 'working class' 60's shoot - which I'm sure we will eventually get round to!
I always seem to reference the milk bottles on a door step, cute milk moustaches, striped paper straws - you get the idea...I love the kitchness of vintage dairy! Ha!

So (perhaps to shut me up!) Emma encouraged me to bring a glass with me!



My (extremely short - eep!) mini dress was an eBay find. It's incredible clingy which can be a bit bothersome, but I like the cute ditsy print and roll-neck. It definitely has that classic 60's shape - so of course I styled it with my beloved (but increasingly rare - must try harder!) beehive!

My faux fur coat is from a clothes barn I used to frequent when I was at University - you would walk round grabbing piles of second-hand goodness, which were then priced at til-point in a very offhand manner ('Ummm...fiver for the lot?')

Oh how I miss it!

I'm currently loving wearing 15 denier tights - completely impractical and not exactly the best for the chilly sea-winds, but they make everything look instantly more lady-like and chic!

My cream heels are an old Topshop pair that have danced many a night away with me!

Desperately trying to incorporate this old Granville Road sign in to the photo! If only there had been rows of 60's cars around too! (Modern cars just aren't the same aesthetically!) 

Also, I believe this is the first time I ever posted only black and white photos! Which is a pity in some ways, as the image below was flooded with brilliant oranges and pink hues. 

However I love the retro feel that B&W gives sometimes, and it definitely helped these images flow a bit better!

Thank you to Emma for taking some beautiful shots for me, and for once again allowing me to edit to my hearts content! Be sure to check out her website or tumblr if you want to see more of her work!

More soon! I'm currently having a huge Spring clean  - which I'm sure some of you can guess, will result in another eBay sale soon! I'll keep you posted!

Have a lovely weekend,

Love Yours Truly, x

Painted Ponies...

Good evening my lovelies! Apologies for my slight internet-absence, it's been a mad fortnight!

I have lots of bring you up to speed on, but unfortunately lack the energy to do so, due to a rotten cold I've caught! So instead I thought I would share these lovely photos that my flat-mate Becca took on a finger-numbingly cold afternoon on the Brighton Pier.

Seriously...I can't remember the last time I felt this cold! When is Spring going to show up? Talk about fashionably late!

After sweet talking one of the pier workers, we managed to climb aboard the abandoned carousel (because seriously...Who in their right mind would be on the pier for rides on a day this icy?!)

I'm wearing my new Beyond Retro skirt - another negligee find to add to my 'vintage-granny-nightwear-as-acceptable-daytime-attire' collection! I love the dusty pink colour, and the pleated trim is very similar to this night-dress, which incidentally was also from Beyond Retro.

The soft gold top is borrowed from Becca (originally H&M) and is worn with a new 'Rose Gold' belt I picked up in the H&M sale last week. The fur stole is vintage, and the shell charm necklace is made up from left-overs in my jewellery box!

Detailed with a little 'K'! How gorgeous are these colours together?

I'm also a very lucky girl, as Becca kindly did this incredible french braid halo hairstyle for me! Seriously haven't got a clue how to do this myself, but I love it! It felt so nice to have my hair all tucked up out of the way! Becca wants to practice so she can learn to do it on herself...Of course I've kindly volunteered to allow her to develop her skills on me! 

Who knows, perhaps we can eventually persuade her to give a tutorial for Yours Truly!

Also worth a mention are my blinging gold brogues! I have to say every time I look at my feet I imagine an 80 year old sun-loving grandma wearing them (perhaps like this style icon) but isn't that half the fun?!

Ever wondered what a freezing blogger looks like? Look no further...

I also thought I'd share some of my recent instagrams. For those of you who don't follow me (kerryofyourstrulyx)I try to document as much as I can from everyday life, including DIY, adorable puppies and toddlers, car boot finds, tasty grub and pretty interior decor....

I'll be back in touch soon - I've recently been informed about the closure of Google Friend Connect, which I'm a bit panicked about, because about two thousand of you follow me via that web tool!

But worry not, I'll do a bit of investigating and come back with some suggestions for you all!

Hope you're all wrapped up warm!

Love Yours Truly, x