La Soiree

Hello darling readers,

As mentioned in my previous post, on friday evening after work, me and Mr Mike headed off for a lovely evening at La Soiree. Mr Mike came to collect me from work, where I changed into my new heels, and we trotted off for a lovely meal at the restaurant at Grace Bar in the West End.

 

This is the outfit I wore:

Red dress, a gift from the parents.

Black felt pillbox hat, a "Trishe Darling" creation handmade by my Nan.

1930's beaded cardigan, a gift.

Belt, chairty shop.

I also wore black tights with red seams, H&M.

And my new Clark's heels.

Oh hai serious face!

For starters I scoffed breaded Camembert on a bed of rocket with cranberries. And for mains we both had a half-roast chicken with chips and coleslaw and BBQ sauce, all washed down with a couple of G&T's. Yummy scrummy.
Next we hopped on the tube and set off for the south bank bog top! When we got there, it was all rather exciting! There was a bar in the first area, so I had another G&T and we bought some popcorn for the show from a proper popcprn machine! This excited me!

 

 

Sorry for the rather blurry images from inside the tent, it was dark and having only an Iphone

(without a flash) for photographs, this was the result!

When we got inside the main tent we were upgraded to the front row, how kind! I was slightly nervous, as I am slightly (and by slightly, I mean severely) phobic of having to interact at shows, being picked on or embarassed! Yes, I am a bt of a spoilsport, it's just a phobia I've had since I was little! So I generally shy away from being on the front row fo such events, but it was all fine and we had a rather fantastic view!

 

Our view of the tent and the stage before the event started...

Now the tent, when we got inside, was absolutely amazing! It was a spiegeltent, which is constructed from detailed wooden panelling, with stained glass windows all around. I literally can't fathom how something so beautiful and detailed can be put up as just a temporary and movable structure! It makes my brain hurt to wonder.

The show itself was fabulous! I highly recommend it, it was a lot of the acts I'd had seen before with the previous show La Clique, but so good and it didn't feel too familiar. My highlight was when one of The English Gents, dressed in his suited finery, did some amazing moves around an old-fashioned lamp post that defy gravity and suspend belief! 

 The English Gents

Oh how I wish all men still wore sock suspenders!

And Captain Frodo, who is a double jointed contortionist dressed in tennis gear and fits himself through tennis rackets whist struggling to balance upon a stool and talk into his microphone...all sorts of hilarity ensues, including the part when he falls of the stage whilst tangled and contorted within both tennis rackets!

You really must go see it if you get a chance folks!

After the show, we headed home. We took a quick walk along the Thames, as I (as much as I moan about living in London) am always captivated by the twinkling lights and calming sounds of the Thames at night.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

Pip pip! xx

Adorable...

Just watch it!

 Mr Mike showed me it this morning at 6am when I was getting ready for work. It's just so adorable!
 Here is the original version, which has a beautiful video...

 

Pip pip! xx

Hello gorgeous new shoes!

Phew, is it really only wednesday today? Roll on friday evening I say!

I am finally in the company of Mr Mike as he returned to our nest after being home with his family. So last night we had a nice takeaway as a treat after a hard day of work (note to self: stop eating takeaways so regularly!) and watched a film on the sofa. Ah the simple pleasures!

I also splashed out on some treats on the net on sunday, one being tickets to La Soiree on friday after work....which is an ever-so-needed nice end to the week! We are incredibly excited about La Soiree, and had been meaning to book tickets for aaages! I am also very excited to have a chance to dress up (not that I'm not generally rather overdress in normal day-to-day life) in a nice dress, heels, and one of the hats/fascinators I made, or one my Nan made. This very much excites me!

 

And talking of dressing up,

...these are the shoes I am going to wear!

Aren't they gorgeous. I know they are a pretty simple design, but yet I am very excited about their arrival! They are nicer in "person" than in the photo, very classic, and as yet (in my brief trot to the cornershop), extraordinarily comfy! 

I have been meaning to purchase some Clarks shoes for a while now, after advice due to my constant inability to find shoes that don't hurt my feet! So when I discovered them in the sale, I kind of just had to have them. They were £39.99 in the sale, which is still a lot for me, BUT fully worth it if it means I can have some (hopefully) comfy heels. I'll have to wait and see how my feet fare after our night out on friday!

Is it possible to be in love with a pair of shoes? 

Because I might well be. 

Now, to buy them in navy? Hmmmm. 

 Pip pip! xx

Post-Christmas bits...

Happy new year lovely readers!

I hope everyone had a lovely festive period! Mine didn't go to plan one little bit. Oh dear!
After months (and I really mean months) of preparation/excitement/anticipation about my couple of days at home for Christmas, when it finally came around I came down so unbearably ill that I missed most of it and spent the hours I wasn't in bed dosed up on various medicines and in Pyjamas. My planned festive outfit only got a brief airing and I berely got to spend any time with my lovely family! Disaster!
Poor Mr Mike too...this year he spent the Christmas period with me and the fam and after all my bigging up of how magical and exciting it was going to be in my house, he ended up having to patiently look after me/fetch me things/listen to my moaning, poor chap!
Anyways, aside from the disasterous timing of my illness, I was grateful to get to see all my fams, however brief, and recieved some totally fabulous presents (which I will document at a later date, when I get organised)!

 

This is the front room at my Dad and Step-Mum's. Boris the boar's head is overseeing the festivities, whilst sporting a rather charming top hat!

 

Now I thought I'd do a quick post to show off the presents I made for some of my nearest and dearest this year, as I've been dying to show off the photos for ages now, but unable to in case surprises were ruined!

 

I embroidered a cotton throw for my Mumma...

 

 

 I did a cross stitch heart and gypsy caravan which I am ever so proud of! 

Underneath the cross stitch it says "Thanks for the holiday * I love you"

My mumma had paid for me and Mr Mike and my little sister to stay in a gypsy caravan for my birthday in October, and it was AMAZING!

 

I knitted my Dad a tweed scarf! I used a gorgeous moss green wool, with hints of

blue and yellow running through it.

The scarf, with my "Rosie Alia" label!

 

I gave my step-mum a beautiful wooden vintage sewing box and filled it with treasures.

 

Here's a photo of some of the bits I put inside the box. 

I made a christmassy green felt needle-holder.

I put together a couple of Christmas food hampers for my Nan and Grandad, and my Auntie, Uncle and cousins. I used wooden fruit crates to put everything in. I think they turned out pretty well!

Anyway, I must dash!

Pip pip xx

Trinket pot.

Just a quick wee post on my lunch break at work...

But isn't this little glass pot lovely? I picked it up from a charity shop for £2.99. I just had to have it, so of course I had to justify it and it's usefulness...it now holds all my bobby pins! It's a pretty way to keep them all safe on my chest of drawers. I love the delicate blue colouring to it, and the art deco patterning.

Now I'm off to eat mince pies and custard for lunch...well, it is Christmas afterall!

Pip pip xx

Ten things...

Hello lovely readers!

My oh my, it's nearly Christmas! Can you believe it? This last week has been sooooo incredibly busy that I am absolutely exhausted! I have a big ol' list of things I need to do before I go home to see my fam for Christmas, but I just can't bring myself to do any of them when I get in after work, so instead, having exhausted my efforts doing my Christmas cards, I am in bed and fighting back the zzz's to catch up on the land of the blogs...

My friend over at My Spare Time Retreat did an nice little post of ten interesting things about her life other than her Gyaru interests.

Here are ten things about me that you may or may not know:

1.

I have an obsession with vintage suitcases and other such cases. I just love them. There's something about the history of a well worn, well travelled case. I have a lot of different battered cases, with different names written inside, and lined in tatty papers. I also have a most fabulous set of cream 1940's Samsonite suitcases in near perfect condition! 

 2.

I am a Visual Merchandiser for Topman! I have a bit of an obsession with Topman collections such as LTD and their collaborations as well as their smart department product (especially this season with their beautiful Harris Tweed collection).

3.

 

I have a degree in Fashion Design, from which I graduated in June. I specialised in menswear for my second and third years an above is an outfit from my pre-collection. It still amazes me that I actually made it!

4.

 

My maternal Grandad is Indian...well, born in Burma (now Mayanmar) but his family were from India originally. My Mumma's maiden name was Sulaiman, which I have always been jealous of not getting to have myself! This is a very old photo of my Grandad, my Mumma and her siblings (Grandad on the far left, Mum is bottom right)!

5.

I have 3(!) middle names.

My full name is Rosie Alia Epithany Arran Johnson.

Alia...an Indian name and the name of my Auntie.

Epithany...from Silas Marner which used to be my Mumma's favourite film (it should be spelt Epiphany, but my silly Daddy spelt it wrong on my birth certificate, oops!).

Arran...as in the Scottish Isle of Arran (not the boys name Aaron, as people often ask) which is where my Mumma and Dad went on honeymoon when they were pregnant with me!

6.

 

I love typewriters. I own three currently. And I like to use them much more than I like to use a computer keyboard...I'm trying to pressure Mr Mike into trying to make me a modified typewriter computer keyboard (It apparently can be done, he found it on a website somewhere). My dream is to have a modified laptop integrated into a suitcase or some such beautiful exterior casing!

7.

 

I love making things, especially for presents! I enjoy making someone I love a thoughtful homemade and personal present...but then so do my Mum and Step-Mum, so I guess I've been influenced by the wonderful presents I have recieved over the years.

8.

 

I have a lot of name-shares and name-coincidences in my family.

My name is Rosie (Johnson). My Step-Mum's name is also Rosie (Johnson too, because she is married to my Dad). 

Alia is my middle name and also my auntie's name. 

Ian is my Dad, Step-Dad and even Mr Mike's Dad's name.

There is also several family members on my maternal side who share names (aunties, uncles and cousins).

This all tends to confuse people rather a lot!

9.

I am inquisitive....and generally a little bit confused!

I am very easily confused, as it seems that a lot of information just seems to immediately fall out of my head, instead of staying in it and getting filed away under "may come in handy" or "need to know". I don't really know why this is, but Mr Mike spends a lot of time laughing at my questions/cluelessness and saying "are you being serious?".

Oh dearie me!

I like to think that maybe it's slightly endearing? Ha ha!

 10. 

 

My favourite thing at the Wellcome Collection is the glass case of old artificial limbs. I think they are beautiful things and I did a couple of projects in uni where research was taken from studying these! I adore the system of pulleys and levers some have, the lacing of old wood and leather ones and the shiny metal ones still made to look like real limbs. For some reason they really amaze me!

I must sleep now, as I'm literally falling asleep on my laptop.
Why not do this post yourself, it would be nice to know more about you all!

Pip pi....zzzzzz
xx

Christmas! again....

Well hello chaps and chapettes!
I do hope you are all swell. I am FINALLY getting around to posting a few photos of my Christmas tree! Hurrah!

 

Now of late, aside from work, my life has mainly been all things Christmas. I have been popping out to get more presents/things for decorating presents...even though I swore I was done Christmas shopping ages ago. It's just too much fun making/buying/wrapping presents! I also, not happy with the amount of Christmas decorations in our nest, have bought more decs and put them up to make it feel really Christmassy in here.
 

 

Magic Mike the robot, and Mrs Squirrel are very happy on their freshly decorated shelf now! 

Here are some tree photos showing off my most favouritest decorations upon it...

 

 

 

What do you think? I adore it, all my lovely odd decorations look ever so pretty, and with my red berry lights too! Oh, I just can't stop looking at it. 

And this lady here sits atop my tree...

She is a doll that was handmade for me, to which I added the hat, felt dress and festive ribbon belt.

I also made some Christmas decorations of my own the other night, whilst watching tv and in need of something crafty to do. I used scraps of green felt, some leftover ribbon I seem to have been hoarding, and some buttons left over from my graduate collection to create little hanging holly decs. Perfect to attatch to some of my presents, and one for me for my tree, of course!

 Now my tree is happy, with all the presents sitting underneath him...

 

Pip pip!

 xx

Adventures and sleeps!

SLEEPS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!

This excites me. Hugely.
I have been so excited about Christmas now for months....and suddenly it's nearly here!
Yesterday me and my dear chum Matthew went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Now Matthew is my friend from work and Christmas partner-in-crime; we have been encouraging each other's Christmas excitement for months (we went to see the Selfridges Christmas department in September, and I bought him a grow-your-own Christmas tree back then too). We wandered up to Winter Wonderland after work, passing by the Oxford Street Christmas windows and gazing at all the Christmas lights.

As we approached the wonderland itself we got ever so excited! We bought some mulled wine as soon as we arrived, which kept us warm as we wandered around the stalls and rides and talked about all things Christmas.

 

I met this lion. He was wrapped up all warm in a rather fetching jacket.

 

I also met this tree, but he was a bit strange, and grumpy about being all lonely and naked.

This Santa imposter lady-doll-thing was both scary and funny in equal measures. 

The cackling laugh began to make me laugh hysterically.

 

I particularly wanted to go on this London bus fairground ride...but Matthew pointed out it was for children.

  

I arrived home to my flat to find my parcel of mixed vintage and non-vintage Christmas decorations that my parents had sent me and Mr Mike had gone to collect from the depot where they were being held hostage!

So I proceeded to watch Kirstie and Phil's Perfect Christmas and listen to Christmas songs by the likes of Elvis, Billie Holiday and The Andrews Sisters...and decorate the flat! My tree now looks much better than it did before and I even altered a doll for the top of the tree! Pictures of my Christmas decorating to follow...

I also got a special Christmas foods delivery from my Grandad Abdullah (via my Mumma)...this included two bottles of mulled wine, a cheese platter and crackers, and Christmas cake slices! Amazing!

 

I do hope everyone else is feeling festive!

Pip pip xx

Christmas!

Well, Christmas is fast approaching....and I can't tell you just how excited I am!
I LOVE Christmas!
I have been getting into the Christmas spirit for a while now (shamefully, me and my chum Matthew went to look at Selfridges Christmas department in September! We have been getting excited since then), and yesterday I finally got my tree put up:

 

Now, I'm not going to rave about it or post a load of pictures just yet, as I am awating a delivery of vintage decorations courtesy of family Johnson; my local post depot is holding them hostage and their silly opening times mean I cannot get them until Wednesday. In the meantime I put a few decorations on it, as I just couldn't wait anymore to get the tree up! It is currently dotted with exciting red berry lights, and decorated with two baubles, some candy canes, a feathery bird decoration, a fifties plastic bird air-freshner thing, and some tartan ribbon! Improvisation skills.

 

I have now finished all my Christmas shopping; I've technically been done for ages but just keep finding little things I have felt inclined to buy for people! I have started the wrapping of said presents and it is all very exciting indeed! As an avid crafter on such occasions, this year, as I used to do when I was younger, I have been printing my own wrapping paper. So, armed with brown paper, a traditional style Santa (you know, like a nice proper Santa where he should really only be referred to as Saint Nick for fear of offending him) rubber stamp, letter stamps, ink pads, tartan ribbon, candycanes and bells, I have set to work....

Now Wednesday is a day I am very excited about....because I am going to feel very Christmassy indeed! I am exchanging cards with Matthew at work, then after work am going to trundle along to my post depot and retrieve my Christmas decoration parcel and redecorate my tree, and then I shall be awaiting a Christmas treat-food delivery courtesy of  Grandad Abdullah (via Mumma). This is exciting. I have no idea what to expect except for, of course, mince pies! It is all a fantastic Christmassy surprise.

Pip Pip!  xx