Day 21 | Parrot Day

After yesterday's 'brownies fail' day. I thought I'd go for a more jolly combo today. So I've dug out my parrot tee and accessorised by picking out every colour in the bird! I only wish I had teal shoes to finish this whole thing off in style.

That's a point - WHY haven't I got a pair of teal shoes? 

The bobbles are on the wonk - and really they should be rewound - but I was up late this morning and I've got a couple of reports to get done so while I'm home alone behind my desk - I'll struggle on with my droopy doo. I will have to rethink before I pop out to the shops later.

In the meantime - I give you Crazy Colour Lady!

Today I am mostly concerned with Anastasia's awful new single from her upcoming Album - the first in five years. I'm not happy Jan. I've always wanted to look like Anastasia - mainly her abs and major leather fetish if I'm honest. Girl has a good set of pipes too - and I won't have a thing said against 'Left Outside Alone' but despite wanting to like her latest offering after her battles with illness and brave double masectomy - I just don't - it's awful -there. Bite me!

The Dress: Inside out - so sorry for the ironing ones - it really is quite crumpled and could do with a few
minutes with the pressing machine. Not gonna happen! Bazinga...

The Rest: Brightly coloured parrot tee - chariddy shop, yellow 3/4 sleeve cardigan - oasis, purple tights, M&S, acid green knuckle duster, purple silk scarf with yellow tag.

The Shoes: Multi stripe, United Nude.

The Doo: Wonky Bobbles with hair flowers orange and purple and some clips. To be re:done.

Eyewear: Blue Sunnies - Ted Baker (although these are a total affectation today - it's dull and cold)

Day 16 | Because I'm Happeeee!

Happy International Happiness Day! Last year March 20th United Nations declared International Happiness Day - and this is the 2nd. Bhutan has the goal of gross national happiness over Gross National Product. The idea that happiness is measured as much, if not more - by our connection with each other, time to play, meditate and contemplate and our opportunities to make a difference,  as it is by the amount of cash we have in our pockets isn't new. But it's definitely having 'a moment'.

Here is The Secretary General - Ban Ki Moon's message on IHD.

For me happiness is simple to articulate but damned hard to practice without mindfulness. I try to bring my authentic self into every encounter I have. I also try to meet every challenge I face with the best I've got at the time. If I had a mantra it would be -  'Be kind, be generous and be grateful and loving.'

So today I dressed, wholly for my own happy amusement. There's pink AND red AND purple. There's a shit tonne of plastic fantastic and a huge silk flower. There are sitting down shoes, and Poble's Bobbles! My absolute fave hair style. Which iPodge isn't particularly fond of but for my money SCREAMS Luli!

And after all that's who I is...

I shall be donating in support of the bonkers Jo Whiley - I am in awe of her achievement and I'll be watching Davina too. I shan't be posting a 'no make-up' selfie. In fact I spend my life without makeup - and I rarely drag a comb through my hair either - most of these pics of me are sans-slap! So there'd be little point and zero trepidation...

If you are joining in the spontaneous Slap-off- Selfie initiative - then please remember to include information about how to donate and details of how your pals can take part too
. I think it's a cool tool to raise funds - but ya gots to ask!

It's also the Spring Vernal Equinox today - So Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The Dress: Washed and worn conventionally

The Rest: Lace thermal vest with lace peeping. Red cardigan, with puffy sleeves. Plastic pink and purple knuckle dusters. Mad pink plastic, rose bracelet. Vintage pink beads. Huge pink corsarge pinned to beads. Purple, thermal tights. (toasty). Orla Kiely Black Flower Bag with red handles. Tescos!

The Shoes: Office - red suede, peep-toe. I wrote a story inspired by these but it's too smutty to publish here! They are proper sitting down shoes.

The Eyewear: Purple plastic - lord knows if they have the right level of UV protection but as they're a complete affectation today - lets not worry too much huh?

The Do: Poble's Bobbles - with extra purple pizzaz!

Be happy.

Day 15 | Caped Crusader

Hello!

I've had to accept that the weatherperson  iPodge read or heard was fibbing when he/she promised 10 days of sunshine - or it was in fact a voice in his head. There have been a few late night programming - you can't always rely on him to stay sane when he's lost in code.

It's flipping flippety leave your flip-flops in the cupboard cold today. So I thought I might have a go at styling a cape. I can't say it was 100% successful. I wanted to create some structure using the bodice. there is a tiny little frill around the empire line - that I figured might stand up if I folded the bodice in on itself and popped the whole thing over my head.

We- ell... what do you think? I like the overal 'feel' of the outfit - I was hoping for a chic 60s - frenchy look - then I remembered my very, very old - and much loved RED or Dead shoes. So the whole thing took a turn for the silly. Frankly there's no getting away from the fact that I'm wearing my dress around my neck!



Still red lippy is always a joy and my hair is in a lazy chignon - after watching Hair last night on TV - I gave it a red hot go. I'm not convinced by Hair as a program, but I was a bit brain-dead last night so I slid into it after the marvelous Great British Sewing Bee. Which I totally heart.

I'd be fibbing if I told you I'll be wearing this all day - but while I'm indoors it works perfectly well - and it's toasty too! I will pop the dress on properly when I go shopping after lunch.



The Dress | Worn as a cape - or more accurately a weird poncho!

The Rest | Gap 3/4 cream trews. Charridy Shop buy. M&S thermal vest with lace under a brilliant black jumper bought years ago in Sussan - which is an Antipodean brand. Betty's ring.

The Shoes | Red or Dead Vintage

The Eyewear | Boots own - black and white.

The Do | Backcombed the crown (badly) and smoothed the lot into a twist, secured it with a massive black plastic claw. So it looks great from one side and a smidge chavvy from the other!

Overall Mark | I'm going for a cheerful 5/10 - If I do this when I'm 70 - I think my friends and family might think I have Alzheimers.

Day 14 | Librarian Chic

Good Morning All,

I've got a skypey doo-dah booked with Orrstraliar this morning  - so this will be a blogentry of two parts.

Part the First:

Here's me rocking the librarian cardie look. It's a delicious, soft, heather colour and there's pockets! I love a pocket.

I convinced iPodge that we could turn off the heating - in anticipation of a full on Sproinging of Spring. It has not happened and this morning I'm feeling a bit chilly - but I daren't admit this. So I have cunningly popped a vest on under my dress and layered it over my trusty 3/4 trews and two scarves. He'll never know! If you don't tell...

I've included a snap of Betty's ring - for the glorious Peta - who is the callee - I'm making that a word... of today's Skype. Amazing to be able to speak with my friends and family all around the globe. Skype is perhaps one of my favourite innovations of the last decade (or has it been longer?).

Betty gave me this ring for one of my big Birthdays - I can't remember if it was 30th or 40th - surely I've had it for a very long, long time! The stone is a Cairngorm - found near her Scottish home in the Highlands. Her unbelievably talented husband designed the setting and had it made for her - and although I never met him - I am sure I would've loved him just as much as I adore her.

Peta with clog and poncho!

Peta is still offline - so we might squeeze this in before we settle in for a cuppah and a yarn. It's been a while. There'll be much to share of kids and life and plans and art and makey doings. She is one of my heroines this girl. A fine beauty, a talented artist and a Ranger! How cool is that...?

Not any old Ranger - an Australian Bush Ranger - this girl is one of the few women in Aus who are trained and fearless enough to hang under the recon-copter - flying over bush fires. Directing ops on the ground. Making sure the firefighters stay safe & don't get hemmed in.

She's the toughest, cutest, sanest chick I know - and and and - she's bloody gorgeous too!

Here's to Peta and Rangers and Firefighters everywhere - we Librarians salute you x

The Dress: Worn over a vest - nanna style!

The Rest: Heather cardi with pockets. Cream, 3/4 trews - Gap. Purple Silk scarf - as before, multi coloured Ikat style scarf - picked up on travels. Betty's ring, purple knuckle duster.

The Shoes: Bruno Magli, purple flats. Scored for a song in TKMAXX

The Eyewear: purple, Prada.

The Doo: soft waves. courtesy of Poble's Bobbles, Percy & Reed - Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm and plaits overnight. Most of the hair chalk has now washed out. I think the rest will fade more gently.

Day 13 | Ungovernable!

Hello!

We are battling to stay focused while our sparks drills seven bits out of the kitchen walls. After over a year of living with just 3 operational sockets - I finally got around to finding a new electrician to sort out the half done job of our previous guy.

He did a perfectly adequate job - but he left a lot of things un-done, with no real explanation. Frazzled and a bit intimidated by the whole magical-electrical thingumy - I paid up and sent him off to his ski-ing holiday! So today is the day it all gets sorted. Fully chased in wiring, conveniently placed, working sockets and a light over the dining room table! Hooray...

Our new electrician is a lovely, gentle, herbal tea drinking soul - who has listened. We are here all day so we can keep an eye on the progress and make decisions as we go along. Which means the job will be done properly this time - but it does make for a noisy working environment and yet another impromptu lunch in a cafe! I KNOW - I lead the life of Riley's luckier sister!

It's chillier today - so I've popped my little black wonder dress on inside out and layered it up with a tshirt half nicked/half gifted to me by an Aussie Pal. If I remember correctly it was part of an Arts project done by the uncompromising and fierce Anj - who gave it to the awesome and truly ungovernable Megan - who gave it to me... It remains one of my faves - the lettering is crazed and the colour is a bled out black - but we all need a bit of lovin' when we're old and tatty ay?

To dial up the ante on the whole ungovernable thing - I've added high fashion tights and a pair of engineered shoe/boots from United Nude. These babies were designed by an architect and they are the most comfortable cuties in my shoedrobe. It's a word! You can't say it's not...

The Dress | Worn inside out with an unzipped gap at the top. Without iPodge to help dress me I am flumoxed with this sticky zip.


The Rest | Ungovernable Slogan Tshirt - gift. Tights I think these are Alexander McQueen - bought in a Harvey Nicks sale a few years ago, eyewateringly exxy even with 70% off! Still cool as icecubes huh? Pink plastic rings, Tiffany bracelet, grey school cardigan - Gap (charity shop buy years ago).


The Shoes | United Nude Fold Mid - Bright Mix (bought in New York - present from iPodge - he's a keeper!)


The Eyewear | Charity shop £3.00! Pilgrim - Danish Design @£45 - £90 new. Hello Bargain Cuties!

The Do | Poble's Bobbles - most of the hair chalk has already washed away. So the two weeks advertised is pushing it! I'd say I've got two more washes before all trace has gone. Which means you either do it yourself or have it done at the hairdressers when you've got something fancy on. Or you can use ordinary chalk to colour it for one wash - or if you really like the effect - use a semi permanent dye.

It was a lovely experiment. I like it a lot - so I'm contemplating getting a semi-on... Oh no I di'nt!

Oh yes I blinking did!

Day 12 | Swinging My Pants with Orla Kiely

Yoo hoo! Super Saturday proved to be a bit of a let-down for the Englishman in my life. The sun is shining in the SW on Slumpabout Sunday and we have been out and about in it. Podgey went all northern and abandoned his jumper going about  bare armed!

Really iPodge -  take heed of the old saying ' the wise gal ne're cast a clout til' the Summer Sales are out... ' This applies to chaps too you know. The man who ventures out without his pully in the Spring time - will be shivering and whining by the time you're walking back through the park at sundown!

The lovely day was too much of an opportunity to debut my new ugly/beautiful shoes So I've gone for a monochrome riff with little splashes of mismatched colour. Red handle, jade knuckle duster, mauve sunnies... Pink lippy - oh yes and and and.... Purple Pony Tail!

Loving my new hair. The blowdry fell through overnight - unusual for a Charlie doo - but it did take a bit of a battering in the construction this time! So my hair is a bit crunchy today. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like without the benefit of a swish swoosh!

I've prepped the kitchen ready for the sparks who is due tomorrow morning. His partner is about to have their first baby and she's due any minute NOW - so we're bracing ourselves for a delay. I've got a little pressy for the newborn and the mammie. A little bit of luxury - after all her hard work and before all the rest of the hard work!

In the meantime - I've found a place for all the kitchen tchotsky that accumulates on the surfaces. Lord I would NEVER be able to have a pristine, empty counter, kitchen. Imagine having to remember where EVERYTHING is!? I'd have a nervous breakdown trying to find the salt for my egg!

No I'm dreaming of a concrete counter-top, fronted with recycled scaff boards - the kind of kitchen you can make a mess in without having a hissy fit about crumbs and coffee spills.

I digress... of course I do.

The Dress: Worn conventionally without anything underneath. It's Sunny today.

The Rest: Black ballet cardigan - Gap. Black and White graphic patterned long skirt. Primarni. Stainless Steel cutwork heart on leather string. Present from iPodge - Milan. Betty's ring (which is a Cairngorm stone found by her husband in a setting he designed for her too. Given to me for my birthday. Treasured. ) Jade, plastic, knuckle duster. Boots.

The Shoes: White placcy, ugly, beautiful gladiators with rubber soles. Pradamark.

The Eyewear: Purple plastic fantastic sunnies. TKMaxx sale - they were £3.00! I MADE myself walk away from a perfect pair of red, cats eye sunnies - French Connection. Spotted in Boots and they were perfect for this outfit. Too exxy for an impulse buy in new hair week!

The Bag: Orla Kiely, jute bag for Tescos! I collect them.

Day 9 | Purple Peril

Greetings! It's freezing again... here in the South West. Today is Bakery Thursday. Which means the men of the house get to scoff baked goods. Pasties, Bakewell tarts, the chocolate bus and amazing, fresh, six seeded, organic bread. Lucky them.

Me? I don't pastie...

Today I am channeling lady-like daintyness - complete with lace around the collar and cuffs of my thermals, pointy, pointy shoes and ickle pearly buttons on my cardy! Layers are the key to keeping warm - I can reveal that my knickers are colour-coded purple too... this doesn't help the thermal count - but it makes me feel great.

I'm wearing what my grandmother would call 'sitting down shoes' -  they are the perfect combination of cute and treacherous. A fairly old-school pointed toe - stiletto designed by the Rock and roll designer John Richmond. Purple, sexiness all the way up and all the way down.

The Dress | Worn right way up - under a button up.

The Rest | Thermal vest with lace trim. Purple, lambswool cardigan with little grey buttons. M&S purple tights under black circle lacey tights. Pink, plastic, roses bracelet. Vintage, pink beaded necklace. Wool, silk scarf - fancy french label. Wide waspy belt with a bow - Peacocks! Betty's ring.

The Shoes | Purple & Silver, leather, stab heel stilettos - John Richmond (Vintage)

The Eyewear | Purple Prada

The Do | Unbrushed and undone. Today was supposed to be lovely new hair day - but my hairdresser's little man is poorly - so that's me flaunting my grey, badger stripe for another few days.

Day 7 | Sporty Spice

Good Morning! Super quick run-down today. I had thought I might try an outfit inspired by the gorgeous Afterglow Maverick Sabre, the standard poodle who won Crufts 2014 - however I can't find the huge furry faux, astrakan hat - integral to the ensemble.

I may celebrate Ricky (hyuck hyuck) later on in the project. For now here is a picture of the most elegant hound in town!

So having ditched the Poodle idea, I've gone for practical today. Tuesdays are TAZZMATTACK! day - me and iPodge work out with kettle bells and a lot of huffing and puffing twice a week. We were lucky enough to work with an amazing personal trainer who's innovative, fiendish workouts we still follow - even though she has abandoned us to pursue her dream to open an architect studio with her partner!

Our nickname for her is Tazzy - and so was born the TAZZMATTACK! - Twice a week you'll find us flinging kettle-bells about for 30 gruelling minutes of hardcore HIIT/resistance training. Use it or loose it mates...

So here's me with what is essentially my LBD - slung over my workout gear! Which will make it all the more
easy for me to dive into the session later. Sometimes low-maintenance is the way to roll.

Bend Ze Knees!

The Dress | worn to disguise the fact I'm basically slobbing about in my gym-gear all day!

The Rest | grey lycra 3/4 leggins with integral key pocket. Grey Vneck tee - ancient. Grey/orange, ruched hoody with thumbie holes (I heart thumbie holes) both by MPG.  Ridiculously expensive running socks  orange and white (to match trainers - natch) bought at the same time - with the intention of taking up running. NOTE: I do not run. EVER...

The Shoes | Orange/white (ahem) Mizuno trainers - bearing the legend Wave Inspire 4.

The Equipment | 8kg York Kettle Bell - I would go up to a 10 but the 8 is orange and it matches all my workout gear. So what's a girl to do?

*note I am also wearing a sports bra which matches the grey outter wear perfectly. Racer back - soft cup, medium hold. These days - the old lady norks need a smidge more support. Just telling it like it is.

Day 5 | Biba Diva

Blurry Rock Diva Shot. Or not! 

In every wardrobe lurks the perfect little leather jacket - no? Mine is this little corker - coveted and lusted after for many months. I have photographs of me in the nude/beige and the black version taken in-store, long before I landed my own. I have no shame  in matters of fash-on. In fact last year when considering my finances and thinking very, very hard about my shopping habit - I hit on my version of Chiconomics.

I realised that the shopping, searching, trying on and catwalking it about in the changing room part of the process represents a very high proportion of the overall 'happy' measurement when buying clothes.

So!  Thinks I. What about I give myself all of that excitement and fun - and none of the guilt? 

I could document how cute I look in an outfit - without ever handing over the moolah at the till. This my friends proved to be a perfect way of indulging my love of shopping without troubling my bank account, and while finances have evened out this year - I still take little changing rooms selfies to add to my collection of 'Clothes I Don't Own'.  Genius!  No no... No need to thank me - my little gift to you x.

I appear to have lost the top of my head and my leg in this photo - Podgey is no Bailey.

Ah ha! The missing leg...

To the details! 
After yesterday's Breaking Amish remodelled for Fixing Up the Shedish - I headed for the glam of a pair of 70's inspired platforms and the aforementioned Biba jacket. (I finally scored an almost brand new one on Ebay and saved myself over £200 smackers - the power of visualisation my friends.)

The Dress: Worn right side up and right way around!
The Rest: Uber soft, gunmetal, scoop neck tee with cuffs - Whistles. Most excellent beige Biba leather jacket worn with the cuffs unzipped. Ancient but fantastic, greige lace tights. Betty's ring, green knuckle duster and green perspex, printed bangle. (Present from sister I think).  Gorgeous semi-precious stone necklace on burgundy ribbon, Harvey Nicks - bought with birthday cash from generous FatherOne a few years ago - in a sale. It was eye-wateringly fancy and expensive even with 70% off! Can't now remember the designer...
The Shoes: Fave and much loved Ted Baker platforms - green faux snakeskin and suede.
The sunnies: Gucci - natch!

Live by the Heel - Die by the Heel my friends...

I'm giving myself a hefty 7/10 for this - I felt very cool. We bumped into Dino - the owner of a little Italian restaurant and deli supplies business while we were out and about - and an appreciative up and downer from a stylish, Italian chap is worth a few points I'd say.

Off to catch up on the Rugby - no spoilers...

Podgey = Proud Englishman
Luli =  Gobby Welsh Bird

Result = Loud sofa-shouting action come match day!

Here's one of those in-store pics. You can see the jacket and the sunnies better. Also my much loved, now long gone, blonde hair...

Day 4 | Breaking Amish

Inside Out For International Women's Day

Sliding in at supper-time with today's pics and a super quick run down of my first weekend outfit. I had intended to do something really dramatic - but I woke up tired and grumpy so I went for easy and simple. Luli does Amish. Well if we ignore the zip - and the buttons and the fancy undies!

I didn't get a detail of the shoes with today's tights - I was in a rush, and now I'm deconstructed after a day in the garden fixing up the shed roof! (I've swopped the cardigan for a comfy house cardy and my shoes for my duvet slippers - which will feature in an 'at home ensemble' - somewhen.

I really, really did wear my dress while slapping bitumen on the shed roof - I tucked it into my knickers and put an old fleece on over it and NO there isn't a picture. The poor neighbour was beside himself with trying not to stare at my knees!

I do have a pic of the shoes - taken a while back, with purple tights. This will have to do...

I plan to learn to use photoshop during this project - so I'm hoping the photographs get a bit better and I can develop a 'style' for the blog. I will also start to use iPodge's better camera. It isn't super, uber fancy - I'd have to borrow the teenager's kit if I want to get totally professionale - and that is never going to happen.

I was dead pleased with this little outfit. I realise now - that you can't actually see much of it - but you get the idea. It's a good job I filled up on a huge brunch because I am woman without clue - as far as supper goes - I'm hoping iPodge will let me get away with a rock cake and some chocolate.

So the details:

Dress worn inside out - I meant to unpick the label - but I didn't get around to it. Bite me... Lovely white and blue cotton striped button up shirt with smock/pin tuck detail - gathered under the bust. Charity shop find. Ballet wrap cardigan also from a charity shop. Brilliant brown/grey/black needle stripe tights. Betty's ring. Pale tan, punched brogues from Clarkes with a tan handbag, scored a few years ago from a charity shop. Beautiful cutwork heart necklace - a gift from iPodge, bought in Milan. (Swank - swank...) You can't see it!

Hair: Poble's Bobbles
Eyewear: Gucci

Day 3 | China Girl

Nǐ hǎo! 

I struggle with this little chinese jacket. It's a beautiful dark green and orangey red. Free from restrictions with my little dress up project. I've pulled it out of the closet and I'm rather pleased with the result. 

I found it in the wonderful vintage shop Billy Jean (now sadly gone, and replaced with yet another shop for expensive toddlers.) It came with a very odd pair of trouserswhich I sent to the charity shop. I wish I'd kept them they'd have looked cute peeping under the skirts of the LBD!

When I came downstairs - iPodge greeted me in traditional Chinese 'kowtow' style and I felt very ladylike! 

I'm going to set up a camera on a gorilla tripod over the weekend. This little adventure is all about learning and playing - and I'd like to learn more about the camera - so next week, I master the timer function!

Details below!

Day 2 | Kimono My House - I wanna give you candy ...

Lets just say we're not starting at the beginning. Yesterday, while thinking about Lent - in a completely 'non-religious but everyone'll be going on about it so I'm going to' loop - I wondered about having a little seasonal challenge.

I thought - I might give up wearing jeans for 40 days.

Then I thought - I might wear the same dress for 40 days and have fun dressing up.

Then I thought - Ooh er... I'm not entirely convinced that's all that practical. 

Little Black Dress Challenge 

I mentioned the '40 day in the same dress notion' to my chap - who here, there and everywhere shall be known as iPodge. He smiled a distracted, indulgent smile and I took that to mean - he's perfectly sanguine about the whole enterprise.

So this morning Day 2 - I figured I'd pop the dress on again - and dig about at the other end of the wardrobe. No pressure. One day at a time...

I  remembered the excellent Uniform Project of a few years back - which is perhaps the dormant trigger for my little adventure. I loved the creativity and daily inventiveness of Sheena - the gorgeous, stylish chick behind the UP. I am also constantly inspired by the wonderful style of the women featured on Ari Seth Cohen's blog Advanced Style.

This little venture is way, way more modest.

To please myself, I plan to wear the same Little Black Dress for the 40 days of Lent. Using it as a challenge to 'dress' every day and re-ignite my love of clothes, and colour and pattern and daftness. I've spent the last year in stretchy jeans from Tescos - which just won't do... It really is time to dump the dull.

So in celebration of style, of clothes and of fun. I'm wading in. 

I'll pop a daily selfie here and on instagram - I'll bore my friends on facebook rigid with yet another one of my daily photo projects (I'm already having fun with the 100 Happy Days Project) and if I can remember how to set up the RSS thingamajigger - you can keeps tabs and share your thoughts too if you like, or not, as you wish.

There's no fundraising element. I'm just having fun with my wardrobe and documenting it.

I'll have to recreate Day 1 later - for completeness sake...

A word about perfection and productivity 

I promised myself today that this month would be about having a go - without being afraid that it isn't perfect. Worrying about whether there is worth in a thing or not - is the enemy of creativity and productivity. Who cares? I don't have to take pictures and post my outfits online. Of course I don't - but I'm going to. Because I'd like to have a go.

So here I am - having a right old go!

Be fabulous!

Luli

Day 2: Fenn Wright Mason Kimono Jacket, Alpaca & Merino fine knit asymetric cardi (worn as scarf), grey thermal tights, grey suede booties with grossgrain ribbon | Kurt Geiger. Wide elastic, bow belt worn upside down and back to front, ultra fine 3/4 sleeve tee (unseen). Acid green plastic knuckle duster. Black and White reading specs.