Last Friday I came across this pretty red dress at Dorothy Perkins. I’ve never actually shopped much at Dorothy Perkins before, but I saw this dress in the window and knew I just had to try it on. Of course: they didn’t have my size. They had the same dress though in cream and grey, and I managed to try a cream one in my size on. Pwetty! But I wanted it in red.

On Saturday I was staying cozy inside with my pyjamas on, while Cristiano went out in the rain to do some shopping. An hour I get a phone call that he’s found my red dress in my size and whether or not he should get it for me? Yes, yes, yes (I have the sweetest boyfriend).

The dress fits great and I’m even thinking of getting the cream one too. The belt isn’t the prettiest, but that’s easily fixed (although I don’t own that many belts, so will have to do some shopping for that). Btw, I (and a lot of other people on Google) had no idea what a ‘Ponte Dress’ is. I finally figured it out: it’s a certain way fabric is knitted that makes it firm yet a little stretchy.

The Red Belted Ponte Dress is available at Dorothy Perkins for £32.

Just a quick post to let you know that Threadless is holding a holiday sale today! All tees are only $9!

Here are my current favourites (but they’ve got loads more on their website):

I Be Au Sm:

Fringe:

Alien Autopsy:

Check out more cool tees for only $9 on the Threadless website!

I’m really in a Halloween mood, even though I have to stay in today to catch up on some work. So no dressing up and trick or treating for me this year (to be fair, I’ve never really celebrated Halloween before, so it’s not as if I’m missing out this year, cause normally I wouldn’t do anything anyway). Despite that though, I couldn’t resist thinking of costumes and wondering what I could put together if I had to do something last minute. So here’s my short list of last minute outfits (most of these are somewhat based by clothes I own, and which I could pull off last minute if I wanted to).

1. Lara Croft – Tomb Raider

An obvious place for me to start, especially after I got the remark last summer that I was in full-on Tomb Raider style. All you need is a simple black or brown pair of shorts, plus a black or brown tank top (although white and teal are also possible depending on which game/movie you take). Add a pair of sun glasses, boots and your outfit is complete. For extra effect, add a fake gun, gloves, and a little back pack.

2. Echo – Dollhouse

How simple can you make it? The dolls when in the Dollhouse walk around in what are basically pajamas. Loose fitting pants and a simple tank top… tada! You’re done. Now just walk around with a vacant look on your face.

3. Max – Dark Angel

I’m not even sure most people will get this, but I used to love Dark Angel (until it got cancelled… by Fox… of course). Max had a lot of different type of outfits on Dark Angel, but half of the time it was leather pants (or trousers or whatever you call it here in the UK) plus a neck high zipped jacket. Don’t forget to add the barcode to the back of your neck!

4. Steampunk

You might have seen my tweets yesterday when I realized I could use my bridesmaid dress as the basis for a steampunk costum. This is the dress I got, but anything brown and kind of long and flowy should work for this. There are a lot of ways you can go about putting this look together (there aren’t any real steampunk costume rules, I assume, it just has to be a bit victorian inspired). I’d try adding a leather vest or corset over the dress, or if you can find it a white high collared old fashioned shirt with ruffles. Add extra props like goggles or a parasol.

5. Chuck – Pushing Daisies

Again a tricky one, cause there are so many possibilities. Chuck on Pushing Daisies always had very colourfol combos on, and the main thing you have to bear in mind is to keep it as vibrant as possible. Most of the time she’d layer clothes in the same colour; for example, a bright red dress plus a bright red coat (although any colour would do). Most of the dresses were 50s inspired (although it depended per week). Add sun glasses and a head shawl to complete the outfit.

Bonus: Elle Wood – Legally Blonde

It’s not really a ‘geeky’ outfit, but I thought I add it anyway. To create the Elle Wood look, just take anything pink! Oh, and you have to be blonde (or get a wig). Extra points if you can arrange a chihuahua.

I’ve got a major weakness for boots; if I hadn’t such weird difficulties with finding comfortable shoes, I could guarantee my entire house would be overflowing with boots (no, that’s not true. Given the choice between, let’s say, a Nintendo DS and a pair of boots, or even 12 new shiny books and a pair of boots, the boots won’t win.)

I blogged about the online store DUO Boots more than a year ago, but when I saw their latest collection I couldn’t resist writing about them again. Some of these boots are just sooo gorgeous! The great thing about DUO though is that they offer calf-fitted boots. So besides just giving your foot size, you also get to specify your calf width for the perfect fit.

Here are a couple of my favourites:

Olbia – Classic, elegant knee high boots with pointed toe and leather covered heel. Colours: Black leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 9cm. Zip: Full-length. £145

Madeira – Opulent over the knee boot with an asymmetric toe and a covered platform & heel and button detail. Vary your look with the optional turn down cuff. Colours: Black leather, Teal suede. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 8.5cm £245

Rochelle – Captivatingly sleek stiletto heeled boots with front panel detail and neatly rounded toe. Colours: Black leather, Cocoa brown leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 9cm. Zip: Full-length £145

Jesolo – Stunning crinkle patent leather boots with covered platform sole and heel. A beautiful sleek silhouette with minimal detailing and a flattering front seam. Colours: Jet black crinkle patent. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 9cm. £205

Toscana – Stylish asymmetric toe knee high boots made from soft suede and glossy patent leather with suede covered buckled straps and button detail. Colours: Black suede & patent leather, Amethyst purple suede & patent leather. Lining material: Leather. Heel height: 9cm £215

Mallorca – Kitten heel leather boot with flower corsage detail. Colours: Black leather, Conker leather. Lining material: Fabric. Heel height: 6cm. £145

They’ve got loads more different styles (and flat shoes too) on the DUOboots website. I still can’t decide which pair I should get for myself; I’d love one of the more ‘funkier’ ones, like the turquoise Madeira or the red Mallorca, but I don’t think I have enough clothes that will fit with these. The more practical me is saying to go for the Jesolo: a simple black silhouette plus not a too thin heel. Which pair are your favourites?

If you’re interested in getting some, you can get free shipping when you enter AW09 at the checkout. Offers expires: 30.09.09

I should have blogged about this sooner, but I’ve been so busy lately. I got some great entries on my Find The Hidden Treasure contest last week, that I had to share a couple of them with you.

Zain:

Hidden Gem: Ambala Sweet store. Something about syrupy sweets and a sunshine ky make a miserable me a little happy. Unfortunately, I’m nowhere near the sweet store and the weather is overcast.

Judith Lewis:

my hidden gem: The Chocolate Society Shop on Elizabeth St. If you don’t know about it, you’ll never find it but they have the BEST chocolate cookies I’ve had in a long time and my favourite chocolate brownies. Their chocolates are fab too!

Genevieve Hassan:

My hidden gem in London: If you’re a die-hard meat eater, you’ll never have considered Food For Thought – a small basement vegetarian restaurant in Covent Garden. They serve the best dessert in the world – the “Strawberry Scrunch” – a crunchy biscuit base with fresh cream, bananas and strawberries, plus they give you a HUGE portion! I challenge anyone to find a better dessert.

Emma Persky:

My Hidden Gem:

If I told you then it would no longer be hidden! Oh well, there are lot’s so I’m sure I can reveal one of my favourite to you 🙂 But which one…

Hush. Yes, that’s the name of the restaurant. Why (the name that is)? Because it’s hidden away in a small courtyard at the end of South Molton Street so innocuously that you would never, ever find it, unless you knew it was there. No signposts or glaring neon signs point the way, and that’s jut the way they like it. You know a restaurant (and upstairs bar) must be good when its bursting at the seams even though it receives no footfall traffic.

The cuisine is modern british with a hint of french influence. My favourite dish being the “Gratin of Macaroni Cheese with (or without) Bacon” as a started. Enough to share, but so good you’ll regret that decision.

Oh, and did I mention that they have a wine list to die for!

sheilaellen:

My Hidden Gem in London has to be The Orc’s Nest (6 Earlham Street, WC2H 9RY).  It’s a treasure trove for anyone who’s into games – board, role-playing, cards or otherwise.  Packed full of the essentials to get you started, plus extension packs and ephemera.  And despite the bold yellow and black metal frontage and stunning Orc’s head logo, it’s surprising how many people walk past without ever noticing it’s there.

The winner of the contest was Judith Lewis with her chocolate store gem (I’ve got to visit that shop sometime!), but she couldn’t make it to the event. So the runner-up Emma Persky joined me last Thursday to the Joy Store to do some treasure hunting.

The event was pretty interesting. There were cupcakes and champagne for all the blog writers plus winners, and we got to see a shiny new Ford Ka (I loved the colour! It was almost Miss Geeky red, but slightly nudging a bit more to the pink side). We all had to find 1 Ford Ka miniature in the store, which we could exchange for £60 worth of Joy Store vouchers. Sweet!

Finding the miniatures wasn’t hard at all, so we got to spend 2 hours trying on clothes and picking out what we wanted for free. I ended up with a black zipper dress (still not completely sure about that dress though, the shoulders are a little bit too eighties) and a silver grey dress with gathered sections. I really liked the style of the Joy Store, but almost all the clothes I tried on didn’t fit me. Guess I have a slightly different body type (wide hips, small shoulders and waist) than what they design for.

Still, I had a great time (who wouldn’t with free champagne, free cupcakes and free dresses!). For the rest of September, every Friday every Joy Store in the UK will have miniature Ford Ka’s hidden in their store. If you find one, you can get a £10 voucher, and some of them will even be for a £100 voucher!

These skirts are just so cute! I wish I had the skills to create something like this:

Via Design Crush

I’m adoring these Giuseppe Zanotti zip-fastening ankle boots:

Turns out though they’re £690. Eek!

Via Shoelust

There’s a cool contest going on, run by Chris Cardinal and Threadless.com. The idea is to turn one of the Threadless T-shirt designs into a cake! To check out all the rules etc head on over to Threadcakes.com.

Here are a couple of amazing cakes some people have created:

Compare with the original design of “I Wish I Were”

Compare with the original design “The Apple”

Compare with the original design “Long Journey”

Compare with the original design “Catburger”

Compare with the original design “She Doesn’t Even Realize”

Compare with the original design “Capistrano Spring Break”

Compare with the original design “Camouflage”

There are loads more in the Threadcakes Gallery, but these were the best ones so far (in my humble opinion). The contest is open till August 3rd, so expect some more amazing cakes in the following weeks.

Last year I blogged about the Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Dresses; some of them I loved, but others were just plain hideous. I’m not sure when these newest dresses were released, but I’d thought share the latest additions to the line.

Now one thing I just don’t understand is the ugly backdrop of all the photos. Unlike the previous batch, the quality of these photos just aren’t up to scratch, and the colourful backdrop really doesn’t help showing off the dresses. I still think some of these dresses don’t have anything remotely “princessy” or “fairy tale” about them, and certainly don’t have anything to do with the characters they were inspired by.

Cinderella

Once Upon A Time…

Not so long ago, one girl dreamed of going to the ball and finding her prince. This famous fairy tale begins with a single wish, an exquisite dress and the dream of a lifetime.

Today, the timeless Cinderella tale comes alive with classic glamour. Silk tulle and duchess satin make these gowns fit for a true princess. Stunning touches of scattered crystal and silver threading sparkle and shine like the midnight sky.

Sleeping Beauty

With a single kiss, Sleeping Beauty’s dream comes true. She finds her prince, falls in love and discovers that she’s already a real princess.

Here, this classic tale is retold in regal fabrics of satin, chantilly and netting. The theme of pretty romance rings true with beautiful touches of crystal and pearl embellishments — perfect for any princess.

Luminous, radiant, graceful, harmonious

Snow White

The Fairest Of Them All…

The first to show us that true love lasts forever, Snow White finds her prince and claims her kingdom.

This collection captures her gentle grace and beauty in exquisite silk, chiffon and satin. Beads, pearls and lovely appliqués tell the story of sweet elegance and enduring love as this fairy tale comes true.

Jasmine

Follow Your Heart…

A new world awaits Jasmine as she follows her heart and finds true love. Here, fairy tale wishes take flight and happily ever after becomes the greatest adventure.

This enchanting collection reflects Jasmine’s bohemian spirit. Gowns drape in chiffon and satin. Exotic details include clustered beadwork, appliqué lace and just a touch of wanderlust.

Ariel

Love Changes Everything…

…As Ariel soon finds when she places her heart above all else. Willing to cross oceans for true love, Ariel discovers the world beyond the sea all that she dreamed it to be.

This romantic collection pays tribute to Ariel’s oceanic home with touches of pearl beading and underwater imagery.

Silk cascades and drapes for a sultry look that transcends time and two different worlds.

Belle

The Heart, Like a Rose, Blossoms When Loved…

Open and true, Belle sees beyond the surface, making all that she casts her gaze upon beautiful. Guided by her heart, Belle finds her prince, breaks a spell and claims her destiny.

This story continues in stylish sophistication with ribbon and bands of satin. Here, taffeta and tulle blooms pay tribute to Belle’s gracious spirit. With elegant details like scattered beading and lovely lace, this fairy tale lives on.

I think my favourites are the second Cinderella dress, the second Sleeping Beauty one, and the first and the third Jasmine dresses. I really don’t like the Ariel and Belle dresses, while I just loved those lines in the previous collections (the Ariel Collection 2 and the Belle Collection 1).

Check out all the dresses at the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings website.

(Photos courtesy and copyright of Disney)

During my trip to the Netherlands last month, I finally visited the optician again to get my eyes checked for the first time in two (maybe even three) years. It was a bit of a surprise how much worse both my eyes had gotten; I’ve now got -4.00 in my right eye and -4.50 in my left (with a cylinder of -1.75 in both).

I got a complete new set of contact lenses, but didn’t really want to shell out +£50 for a new pair of glasses. I mean, 90% of the time I’m wearing my contacts anyway, but I do need a set to wear during the evening. Wearing contacts the entire day and staring at a computer screen, means (with me at least) that by the end of the day my eyes are dried out and I need to take my lenses out.

I kind of gave up on getting a new pair of glasses and thought I’d had to live with using a set with the wrong strength. But then I stumbled on an offer from SelectSpecs. For only £5 you could get a set of full rimmed glasses: frame, lenses with UV Protection, Anti-Reflection, and Scratch Resistant Coatings, add to that £3.50 for shipping, and for £8.50 you’re done.

I ordered the following pair (the Jacranda design) this morning:

Of course, the downside is that I wasn’t able to try them on and see how they fit, but for only £8.50? It’s a much better solution than keeping on using my current glasses with the wrong prescription, or buying an expensive pair which I won’t use that often. I’ll let you know how the quality of the glasses are once they’ve arrived, but they seem pretty okay.

I’m not sure how long this offer from SelectSpecs is going for, but even then their normal glasses are pretty cheap compared to other places. Check out their website for more details.