Christmas Decor: Part 1

Christmas is nearly here! One favourite holidays of the year and this year I will be spending it at home in England. Last year was spent in Hong Kong  and it was such an eye opener for me. To kick start the festive celebrations I have been doing some DIY decorating. Nearly everything here is vintage and recycled...   Let's all try to Planet Earth Friendly this Christmas! This year I seem to have gone for a rather masculine, rustic and tonal style for some reason...but so far I'm liking it! Let the Christmas count down begin!

Vintage Christmas tree baubles... don't they look delicious?

DIY advent calendar made from vintage tins.

Vintage brooches... per

fect little stocking fillers!

Present for a gentleman in the making

DIY xmas tree... perfect for a those with a smaller home or on a budget! 

Recycled light bulbs as decorations. 

Old crystals, hand made hearts and old lights make an unexpected

excellent festive display...

The most simple way of gift wrapping without wasting too much paper...Let's do our bit for Planet Earth right?

Quirky Cafe Soho: Kingly Court

A fan of Soho Hong Kong? Well Soho London offers a similar experience with a British twist. Full of cafes, studios, workshops etc I love coming here to relax after a busy day in the city. For shopping, there are a few boutiques that are interesting but otherwise high street brands have taken over places like Carnaby street. I usually head to Berwick street to take a look at their fabric shops and vintage clothes stores. Kingly Court is a three story high open complex full of one-off shops, cafes, lifestyle stores etc. Stop by to learn cupcake making at one of the cookery studios or indulge yourself in a sweet afternoon tea. 

My love for everything DIY... Up Cycling Fabrics

I have been forever inlove with hand crafts. The thought of turning something old and unwanted into something with life and new purpose  excites me. I have collected yards and yards of vintage fabrics over the past years and i wish to someday have a big enough collection to share with others and pass on the beauty of  these high quality prints. Near where i live there used to be a warehouse that stocked all kinds of Uk made fabrics but after the decline in Uk manufacturers... the warehouse was shut down resulting in rolls of left over fabrics. I was lucky to meet a retired designer who was happy to pass on some of the left over fabrics to me...under the condition that i put my heart into making them into wonderful creations and not let them hide in the haberdashery. 

Below are a couple examples of clothing made from these recycled fabrics. Next will be hand made lamp shades... which will hopefully be done by next month so i will keep you updated!

Gatsby...1920s Girl

After falling in love with the Great Gatsby, I was inspired to try out the glamorous 1920s look. Like the movie, i wanted to keep the look modern and wearable, so i took the key aspects of 1920s ravishing make up and upgraded it to a more relevant 2013 look. If you see Carey Muligan's make up on the set of Gatsby, she has a much softer and romantic take on the classic 20s style. I wish i was much better at styling hair, but this was the best i could do. I create a fake bob effect by tucking in my long hair under itself and pinning it in place. My bob wig with the full fringe would take the look closer to original 20's fashion, but i wanted to make this look wearable and not too fancy dress. Next time i will try to create the finger wave effect for a more genuine 20s look.

The make up was relatively simple:

1. Smokey eyes. The 1920s version was very heavy and used dark black pigments to create the smokey effect. I wanted a much toned down version, so i used a dark brown KATE eyeshadow palette darkened with a charcoal grey MAC powder shadow. To add on the glamour, pearl shimmer was used on the centre of my lids to create a 3d effect. No false lashes or eyeliner were used.

2. BLUSH cheeks. The cheeks were always over the top in the 1920s, so i applied ample amounts on the apples of my cheeks. I opted for a slightly peachier pink to compliment my skin tone... which has tanned quite a lot in the past month for some weird reason considering the lack of sunshine in UK. 

3. LIPS...Exaggerate the cupid's bow. The shape of my lips were altered just slightly to fit into the 20s era. My peaks of my top lip were exaggerated and my bottom lips were made slightly smaller by using concealer. This is a much more wearable and day friendly version of the icon lips. The 20s usually used dark browns and reds, but like the new Gatsby, a dark rose colour was used instead to make the overall look fresher and younger. 

4. BROWS. I noticed that the girls in the movie had much thicker brows than the typical 20s droopy and drawn on brow. So to bring the 20s to 2013, i just extended the ends of my brows with a brow crayon to add to the effect.

Accessories like jewellery and hand held fans creates the extravagant 20s look. Lots of sequins, peals and gold. My dress was bought years ago for a new year's party, who knew it would go perfect with my next Gatsby or 20s themed party.

Vintage Dior Brooch...circa 1970... but the design is very Art Deco to me and perfect for the look!

Hand painted fan from 1920s. I love the story and history behind handheld fans. They were used as semophores for lovers...this deserves a post of it's own...  

KATE shadow palette and Blusher palette. Loreal lipstick in Burn, topped with a little Mac gloss in dark plum. I tried my new YSL base under my Laura Mercier foundation for a matt finish. 

Flowers make me happy! DIY head piece

When i take a break from working, i love relaxing myself with a little DIY project. I am desperate for the sun to come out and stay. The weather in UK just can't seem to make up it's mind. To push myself a little closer to summer, i decided to add flowers to pretty much anything i wear! This floral headpiece might look totally over the top but i can imagine toning it down with a simple summer dress. I've seen big floral head pieces every magazine, some costing from $300-$1000+! This little DIY project took less than half hour at most and cost around 20 HK dollars! This was therapeutic indeed! 

All you need is:

thread and needle

2x 20cm fabric or lace

a 20cm strip of cotton or medium weight fabric to sandwich between the lace for support

plastic flowers (i recycled some old plastic flowers and found the two pink flowers at a local dollar shop)

   

Then just sew on the flowers whatever way you want. Remember to put all the prettiest pieces towards

the front. 

Red Hot Florals

The weather in UK is still falling behind. The trees are still bare, flowers are still sleeping, nature seems to be a little lazy this year. It's already May but the temperature reminds me of winter in Hong Kong. To bring myself a little closer to Summer I decided to bring florals to my clothes. Modelling is my 6ft tall friend Ailsa, the sailor girl with the never ending legs! It also happens to be her Birthday today. Happy Birthday my dear friend of 13 years! You are beautiful inside and out and certainly one of the most wonderfully weird people i know! Please don't ever change yourself for anyone!

Oversize Retro Hairstyle!

It's the weekend and time to play! The sun is finally shining through, Spring is fast approaching! This sudden change of weather has inspired me to be a little more playful with my look today. With lazy unwashed hair, what's better than tying it all up in an oversize messy bun. My hair is only a little longer than shoulder length, but i managed to make it look like Bridgette Bardot's beehive with a little help of a comb, hair pins, firm hold hairspray and a 'hair doughnut' made from a pair of old stockings. A video of this finished look will soon follow, but for now, I will enjoy my finished for the rest of the day. A vintage silk scarf tied around the bun, secured with pins finished off the look to perfection. 

I feel rather Pin-Up girl style today actually.... glamorous, kooky and a little over the top...

The Breton Top

It's finally starting to feel a little like spring over in England! I really do hope the snow is gone for good! It is finally time to transit my winter wardrobe into something more playful and fresh. One of my favourite wardrobe piece to wearing during this tricky transition period is the classic Breton top. Pair it with simple skinny jeans and ballet pumps, this look never goes out of style.

The Breton top originated from the Brittany Navy uniform, where people believed that by wearing this distinctive pattern, sailors could be easily spotted in the waves. The Breton top was made famous by Coco Chanel's Nautical collection in 1917 and since then it has become a staple in every girl's wardrobe. Chanel had changed the history of women's clothing, where clothes had previously been heavily fitted and restricted. She gave women a sense of freedom and empowerment to be able to dress the way men did. 

Fans of the Breton top include Audrey Hepburn, Pablo Picasso, James Dean and many more...

This is my version of the Breton top i bought a few seasons back. This adorable Sonia Rykiel cotton top simply goes with everything. It's effortless chic. The cute detachable Eiffel Tower neck piece gives this classic top a little edge and makes it ever more Parisian.  OOo la la.....

School Boy Fashion

This half term holiday my cousin Henry came up to stay with us. Every time he visits, his dear older cousin (me!) always uses him as a 'playdoll' for her latest looks or creations. Since it was the weekend and being inspired by my new school desk, i decided to put together a little vintage school boy look. It sure made him look years younger.. thus making me feel years older! Though he might not look too impressed... i'm sure deep down he loved it! Bring back cute school boys please!

Hollister Shirt

Vintage Bow Tie

Vintage Boater Hat

Jacket TopMan

Disney Couture Jewellery

When you wish upon a star... For Disney fans out there... you should already be familiar with 'Disney Couture' line of accessories. After tidying up my jewellery box, i came across some of my adorable disney charms. I totally forgot about them...some still had tags! These adorable and affordable accessories are just so sweet, it will make any outfit magical! Childish? Maybe... but fun factor?... 10/10!

I'm not sure where you can buy them in Hong Kong, but i know this site delivers worldwide:

http://www.zentosa.com/designer/disney-couture?p=4