Cappuccinos, MW Nails and Catch-Ups

This afternoon i met up with Carly, one of my best girls, for a proper girly afternoon. We went shopping, had lunch, had gel manicures at the brilliant MW Nails, and then gossiped over coffee while admiring our new nails.

I chose Artistic Colour Gloss in Snapdragon, Carly has Shellac in Vogue - I so love these grey nails on her!

The very cool MW Nails - best manicure ever!

PS, Carly works as an elf at Hamleys, so watch out for the chicest Santa's helper!

Finding Cinderella's Slippers

Stella McCartney £400 / Valentino £520 / Nicholas Kirkwood £543 / Kate Spade $325


I'm trying not to write too much on this blog about our wedding plans, as we want to keep things a surprise for our guests. But it's not easy! I can tell you that the planning is going well, we now have the venue, photographer, and legal bit all booked. We have almost booked the catering and bar. The bridesmaids dresses are sorted and hanging in garment bags in my spare room, and (perhaps most importantly) i've found my dress! OF COURSE i'm not telling you a thing about it!

So now I am thinking about the rest of my outfit, veil, jewellery, and SHOES! I am spending a lot of time on the train browsing shoe shops online. Those Valentinos up there, those are the best i've found, aren't they lovely? Shame my budget probably wouldn't even cover one of the bows! I definitely want peep toes, and i love an oversize bow. I would love some glitter, and i'm most keen on gold, rose and ivory colours. A big (small?) problem is that i'm pretty tall, at 5'8, so 10cm is really the maximum heels I can have. I definitely don't want to be taller than the boy! So the Nicholas Kirkwoods are straight out, as are the (sob) Valentinos.

Have you seen any gorgeous footwear in this sort of style? Give me recommendations PLEASE!

But really, come on...

Photo via This Is Glamorous 

How To Remove Permanent Hair Dye: A Colour B4 Review

Well, i have had quite the hair adventure. On monday we have our engagement photoshoot with Chris Barber. So, last weekend, i thought i'd put some colour on my hair to make sure it's nice and rich. I used Live Colour XXL for the first time, it was supposed to be a nice dark brown, and as you can see, it went black. Proper, gothtastic, flat, dull, blackest black. Urgh.

I consulted my friend who is a hairdresser, i tried a hot oil soak, i used anti dandruff shampoo (because it fades hair dye, who knew?) But short of a very expensive trip to the salon it seemed there was no hope. However, my googling kept bringing up a product called Colour B4.  Available from Boots and Superdrug for about £10 a box, found with the hair dye. 

Many years ago, when i was at uni,  had black hair for a while by choice. And when i wanted to get rid of it i had to use a bleach kit, which left my hair white and orange and a bit crispy. I was prepared for this to happen again, but anything would be better than black! I was also prepared to postpone the shoot, thats how much i hated this black hair! 

Here comes the science bit...

Colour B4 is different to those bleach kits, for one, it doesn't contain any bleach or ammonia. Apparently, hair dye enters the hair shaft as tiny molecules, which then swell and take colour as they oxidise. Once they have swelled they are trapped within the hair shaft, so no amount of rinsing will shift them. 

Coulour B4 shrinks the molecules, so that you can simply rinse them straight out of the hair, leaving your natural colour behind. Genius!

It goes on like a hair dye, you mix this with that, spread it through the hair, wrap it in clingfilm and leave it for an hour. It's a bit stinky, but i soon got used to it. After an hour i looked in the mirror - still black. Hmmm. I rinsed it for ten minutes (timed, this is important) and the water ran clear, no black muddy water coming out. Hmmm. After ten minutes i looked in the mirror, it was gone!! Just like that, amazing! There's then a bit more rinsing to do, and another lotion to apply then rinse off to finish. But really, it was all very easy and straightforward. 

After the Colour B4 treatment i didn't colour my hair again, it left it a lovely natural rich and even colour, as you can see. It's not any drier than it was before (it's naturally curly, so always a little frizzy)  I'm over the moon, and can't wait for our photoshoot! Now i'll be able to put these pictures up in our house forever, and see a lovely photo, not a hair mistake. 

How To Make Covered Buttons

Hello! Here's a simple but very satisfying mini DIY project for you. I made these jumbo covered buttons for my upholstery project, which, by the way, has begun! More on that when it's finished, but let me tell you right now, it may be a little while.

You could, of course, spruce up many wardrobe staples with jazzy new buttons. Check out Valentino's Fall 2012 collection...

mmm buttons. Here's how!

You will need:
Self cover buttons - available from all haberdashers, John Lewis, or online. They are available in plastic or metal, and a wide range of sizes. The choice is yours!
Fabric scissors
Strong thread
Fabric - you really only need a tiny bit, so you can buy a fat quarter (this will be PLENTY) or use a scrap. This fabric is leftover from a fat quarter i used for another project

1. Cut a circle from the fabric

2. Sow a loose running stitch around the edge of your circle with strong thread. Do not tie off the thread when finished.

3. Place your button on the wrong side of the fabric, and gather the thread. The fabric will pull beautifully around the button. Even out any gathered sections that have created folds on the front of the button, and tie off the thread.

4. Press the back on, push into place with a cotton reel, et voila!

This really only takes a couple of minutes per button, and gives a perfectly professional finish. A very satisfying project! I know i'll be thinking twice each time i button up my clothes now, wondering if it could get a new breath of life with new buttons. Tribal print sundress with this season's acid yellow buttons anyone?

Are clogs comfortable...or acceptable?

SJP rocking the clog on the streets of NY

Recently, i've noticed a quiet movement across the streets of Soho. Well, quiet might not be the right word. Perhaps clip clopping might be better?

A great thing about working in Soho is that you're right in the heart of magazine land, and, consequently, the streets are paved with PRs, models, stylists and all the super fashionable people that make up that world. I'm inspired every day by different people's beautiful outfits, and my personal style has certainly changed a lot since i worked in East London- namely it's a lot more natty little jackets with jeans and jewelry, and less market stall mash up. Probably a good thing all round.

For the last couple of seasons there have been a LOT of solid soled shoes around, i've noticed a lot of people rocking what is effectively a clog! A clog? In Soho?! Of course, Swedish Hasbeens have been the clog du jour for a while now, but it wasn't until i saw my colleague Linda clopping around in her beautiful fawn ankle boots - with wooden heeled clog soles - and proclaiming that they actually ARE the most comfortable shoes in the world, that i truly became tempted to try it for myself.

I am a very lucky blogger, because the lovely Lotta From Stockholm offered me a pair of their braided clogs to try for myself. I wore them for a sunny day in Cornwall, so teamed them with a full on 70s ensemble of vintage coral skirt and stripy top. I wish it were warm enough to ditch the tights!

The shoes are made of good quality real leather, with a solid wooden base and a good grippy sole. When i first put them on they did feel a bit weird - i'm used to soft ballet pumps every day, and these are definitely not so forgiving! But within ten minutes of walking around the house the leather warmed up and hugged the shape of my feet, and i really didn't notice the 'hard' sole at all.

The wood is shaped like the contours of your feet, so they're actually pretty good for you! I'm planning to wear these with my pink jeans and jacket throughout the summer. Compared to many sandals, i reckon these could face the rush hour stampede no problem!

I'm definitely sold on clogs. Though i wouldn't wear them every day, they are quite heavy and probably would become a little tiring, they are completely suitable for my average commute/walking about.
If you're feeling the clog love, check out Lotta From Stockholm's range.

Accessories by Cleo Ferin Mercury

Yesterday i had the pleasure of meeting Cleo Ferin Mercury herself. She is a wonderful French designer, making beautiful silk collars and scarves here in London. She was kind enough to give me two of her collars, including this lovely raspberry pink bird print beauty..

(there is nothing nicer than wearing a decadent silk collar and sharing a cake with your fiancee!)

Cleo's collections have been featured in Glamour Paris, Look, Amelia's Magazine, Kingdom Of Style and The Observer Magazine, amongst others! All of her work combines the highest quality craftmanship with super cool quirky design, check out a the Brigitte Bardot scarf, part of the Icon Collection

I know, right?! There's also Beyonce, Grace Jones, Calamity Jane, Wanda Jackson and Cleopatra. Girl power in the chicest way!

So, merci Cleo Ferin Mercury! xx

Pinterest Picks: Bring On The Spring

Well, i've been jolly busy over on Pinterest recently (follow me! Littlemisslove) I know there's a lot of hype about it right now, but i think it's totally justified. It's the first time such a simple and easy to use interface has been set up for creating moodboards. I've been using it a lot for collating wedding ideas, from shortlisting venues, to pinning ideas for decorations and hair and other lovely things like that! But of course, i've also been gathering up inspiration for my spring wardrobe, here's what i love...

All images via Pinterest

Well as you can see i'm loving the new season colour pop! In fact i noticed i'd pinned bright pink jeans so many times that i bought these bright pink skinnies from River Island, and i have to say, teamed with a cosy jumper and loafers, they are making me feel very cheerful indeed...

How Long Does A Shellac Gel Manicure Last?

Well, if my experience is anything to go by, weeks and weeks! My friend Liana and i both got Shellac manicures on a girly lunchbreak (Liana is about a million months pregnant, so needs all the girly pampering she can squeeze in!) Our manicures were done by the amazing Jenny at Fordham Soho. Whenever i've had manicures in the past they've felt rushed, the manicurists have been moody, and i've never been that impressed with the results. However Jenny took her time with us, even unboxing about 30 new colours when we couldn't choose! She was really friendly and did an amazing job, we recommend her!

As you can see i went for a mink grey colour. In case you don't know about shellac it is painted onto your own nails like a regular nail varnish. It's then cured under a UV lamp for a minute or so, and is instantly dry and rock hard! No fear of smudging as you get your purse out to pay here. It doesn't damage your nails, and really does last. I kept mine on for about two and a half weeks (i took these photos after about a week, so you can just see the growth at the bottom of my nails) but Liana had hers on for over a month!

All salons that do shellac or gel manicures will also offer appointments to remove it, which are costly. Here's a tip for you, if you use a cheap nail varnish remover that contains acetone and soak your nails in it for 5-10 minutes the polish will easily peel away - but this is not so good for your nails, so do get it done by a professional if you can.

I would really recommend it as an alternative to a regular manicure, it is a little more expensive, but it lasts for much much longer and looks really neat and shiny the whole time. I think it would be especially good for a fuss free holiday or special occasion!

The Perfect Christmas Day Outfit

1. Beret, Hannah Zakari, 2. Camera strap, Union Los Angeles, 3. Sausage Dog Jumper, Dorothy Perkins, 4. Rose Gold Watch, Nixon, 5. Boyfriend Jeans, Topshop, 6. Loafers, Asos


Isn't it nice to have a special outfit for christmas day? Sadly i don't have a brand new outfit this year, partly because i wore a brand new outfit for an early family christmas last week, and partly because we are at my mums in Cornwall, and trying to fit all the presents, coats, wellies and jumpers into one suitcase is touch enough, without squeezing in another outfit! However, if i could pick any christmas day outfit, it just might be the collection of lovely things pictured above. Joyeux Noel everyone!

Hoop-xaustion

Today began with a lazy morning watching saturday kitchen and eating toast, then the boy and i headed up to East London so i could teach a hoop workshop. By the way, what do you think of my new(ish) aztec leggings? I'm a bit in love with them. Actually i'm also wearing my new coat-igan from river island here, it has thick knitted sleeves but the whole body is made of shearling - cream and fluffy on the inside, black and suedey on the outside. Teamed with fluffy boots and legwarmers this outfit is maximum cosy hoopwear!

You can see a selection of my hoops here, a variety of sizes as i knew my class today would be a mixture of ages. I make all my hoops myself, and they are available to buy, in case you're looking for a fun christmas present! Adult hoops are £15 each or two for £25.

Anyway, enough of that, here a couple of snaps from the workshop....

This workshop was part of a bigger dance festival, and it was great fun as i had whole families taking part - at one point we even had a dad-off as two dads got a bit too good! It's always great seeing people who have just said 'oh i can't do that' suddenly doing it, even better to see a whole family having fun together and trying to out-do eachother. There were even a few people trying out some circus tricks! As ever though, the kids had boundless energy...

The first Autumn weekend

Outift: Topshop cape, Accessorize scarf, Forever 21 bag, Pull & Bear boots, Primark jumper, Urban Outfitters knit Skirt

This is a pre-scheduled post, as I am now sunning myself and riding camels in marrakech, weeeeee!

This past weekend was (I felt) the first perfect autumn weekend. No indian summer heatwave, no horrid drizzle, just crisp clear days perfect for jumpers, tights and sightseeing.

The boy and I had a lovely touristy day. We tend to stick to south east London at the weekends, as there is so much lovely stuff to see anddo on our doorstep, and I work in town all week anyway. However the beautiful weather inspired us to don jumpers and scarves and head to Covent garden, just for a mooch around.

 

 

Salted Caramel Laduree Macaroon, dreamy! I also strongly recommend the vanilla...

In the evening it was my friend Kiera's birthday party at Jam Circus. All round a jolly lovely day!
How are you making the most of this seasonal shift?

October Fashion: Is Black The New Black?

Source: celebinspire.tumblr.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 Ok, her shirt is navy, but it's verrrrrrry similar to my new best black shirt. You get the gist!

A couple of summers ago i made a concious decision to stop wearing black. You know, you go through a dark winter of moody black and come out blinking into the summer sunshine looking washed out and tired. So, i banished black, and that whole summer didn't wear any black at all.

Although i have brought black in - a blazer here, some tights there, i haven't ever really gone back to black. I still feel uneasy buying it, thinking i'm doing myself a disservice, and i ought to be jazzing around in lovely bright colours.

Black shirt, £35, River Island


Until, that is, i tried on (and bought) an oversize black military shirt in River Island. Um, hello?! Last traces of tan shown off to perfection, hair looking warm and shiny, jewellery popping perfectly. Black, where have you been all (the last two years of) my life?

Source: weheartit.com via Heidi on Pinterest

OPI Nail Laquer in matte and gloss black 

Pussybow playsuit, £35, ASOS

Hamp Zip Ankle Boots, £80, Schuh

Source: google.com via Heidi on Pinterest

Source: pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com via Heidi on Pinterest

So, dear reader, what do you think? Is black the new black?