Carole Lombard

I love Carole Lombard even more than Marlene Dietrich!




Unfortunatley they only do a few of her films on dvd. They need to release a boxset like they have with Dietrich, Doris Day, Marilyn and Audrey Hepburn.

If Jennifer Aniston can have one, Carole Lombard deserves one!

Imagine a bumper boxset of Gable and Lombard and all their films! it would be awesome!

2 Year Anniversary

Yesterday was my 2 year anniversary with my boyfriend. I met him at university 3 years ago, It feels like so much longer though!
Here are some of the nice pictures I have of us from the 2 years.

Its a shame one of us has a drink in hand in most of the photos! but that is student life! We are both nearing the end of our degree courses, time to grow up and join the real world. I am excited!

Yesterday we went out to Tgi's for a meal then to the cinema to see The Ghost, it was pretty good, I am still a little confused by it though...as always!


Benjamin you are my best friend and the best boyfriend I could ever want. I love you :) x

Oreo Fairy cakes

This was an experiment with oreos!
I made normal fairy cakes with a bit of coco powder to give them a slight chocolate flavour.

I then made butter cream icing and added 3 oreos. You can either wizz them round in a blender or put them in a sandwich bag and bash them with a wooden spoon :P The icing will go a bit grey because of the white icing sugar and dark oreos so add a bit of coco powder to the icing as well (if you want!)

I then used the remaining oreos to decorate the top of the cakes. They were pretty good!

pin up style

I love the cheeky pin up style of the 1940s and 50s. I think its because they're naughty but nice.

Gil Elvgren images are so much fun.

I love the pastel hues and the coy faces the girls pull.

I also like the themes that run through a lot of pin up art and photography like 'cowgirl' 'housewife' 'sailorgirl' 'motorist'


Its something that has been done again and again in pop culture. Here are my favourite examples:

CandyMan by Christina Aguilera. Christina made the perfect pin-up and I loved all the videos from her album 'Back to Basics' I want her stylist!!

here are some beautiful photos of her as a 1940s sweetheart.

this last one is my favourite, I love her 1930s style hair and the glamorous floor length dress.

A more recent example would be the comic relief video for 'Just can't get enough' by The Saturdays.

They go through sailor, cowgirl, girlfriend, housewife, cheerleader and more all in one video!

to see pictures and interviews with some real life pin-ups go to:

http://www.queensofvintage.com/category/gossip/celebrity-gossip

look out for Fleur de Guerre, Bernie Dexter and Zoe Scarlett.

Newport's Banksy?

Just some funny little bits of art that has popped up in Newport.



Its fun I like it.

Toile

I would KILL for this Vivienne Westwood dress worn by Dita Von Teese!

Its gorgeous!! I also like the fact that she is wearing the Marie Antoinette Louboutins with it. Its nice to know that some stars wear a pair of shoes more than once!

This whole outfit really appeals to my 18th century sensibilities.

Photography Book Auction

My course is holding an auction of photographic books to raise money for our final year publication.

We have an amazing list of signed books and rare prints on offer kindly donated by photographers such as Broomberg and Chanarin, Martin Parr, Stephen Gill, Josef Schulz and Richard Long.


visit this blog for further information on making a bid and a complete list of items for sale:

http://www.photoart2010.co.uk/


(it is possible to make an absent bid if you cannot make the event)

Enjoying the Sun!

Two days worth of outings for you here.
A visit to Castle Coch and a sunny spring day at the park.

Castle Coch was a ruin until 1871 when the 3rd Marquess of Bute the Castle's owner had it rebuilt to be used as a summer house. Keen on Medieval history the Marquess had it done in the Gothic revival style. It looks like its straight from a fairytale!

This is looking up from the round courtyard.

Most of the decor was tacky and looked a bit odd because it was medieval in style. However the drawing room was marvelous! It was very over the top but I liked the gilt edges and all the animals and plants painted on the walls and round the doors.

I loved this cheeky fox (my favourite animals)

The Marquess also owned Cardiff Castle and lived there most of the year, that is also refurbished in a medieval style (I havent been in there yet, but its fairly obvious from the outside)

On Saturday I went out to enjoy the sun with my boyfriend and his cousins, we went to the park.
Roath Park in Cardiff has a beautiful lake for boating on and an awesome tropical flower conservatory! Its a proper Victorian leisure park!

The botanic gardens bit was so much fun, saw some lovely plants, one was called the Swiss cheese plant (think it was because of the holes in the leaves?)

there was also a pretty koi pond with lots of fishes and terrapins.

here is me, wearing that dress, again haha.

Swimsuit Fever!

It is that time again where we look to the summer holidays and think 'what do I wear by the pool?!'

Although vintage styleclothes are readily available on the highstreet, swimwear is a different matter. So I have complied a few online places to grab a unique vinatge inspired simming costume for your holidays!


First up are from Modcloth (these are most definitely my favourites!)


Pretty Pin up Polka Dots :)

I love the highwaisted breifs with this bikini, and the tropical pattern is very 1950s.

I love the emerald green one, I might have to purchase it!

for more styles, clolours and patterns go to:
http://www.modcloth.com/


Dolly Dagger

cute swimsuits for the perfect British summer (a chilly one!)



visit:
http://www.dollydagger.co.uk/?gclid=CImYqMTx-6ACFVBc4wodITMEAQ

Pinup Girl Clothing

These costumes look great, they remind me of Bettie Page!


Lots of Rock Chick patterns such as leopard print and nautical styles.

For the full range look at:
http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/bikinis1.html

Topshop has a nice hawaiian print tube swimming costume, the pattern is every bit 1950s but is on a more modern shaped piece.


Find it at:
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556&catalogId=19551

For Luna

Another fantastic site with costumes from What Katie Did amongst others

A lovely suit with a skirt.

another rockabilly style.

http://www.forluna.co.uk/

I don't know about you but I can't wait to hit the beach! remember your sunscreen!! x

Antiques shopping and the Beach

I went to The Pumping station in Cardiff yesterday, I didn't take many pictures but it is worth a visit. There is so much there!

Vintage clothes and hats (the biggest vintage hat collection in south wales)

Furniture, books, memorabilia and collectables, dolls house stuff etc. I had fun sifting throught the shelves of stuff and trying on the vintage hats. I really want a nice floral tea set, I saw some lovely ones there but I have no money at the moment (its all had to go on my final prints for the exhibition!).


I love these dial phones, my nan had a mustard one when I was little I used to play with it :)
They have a lot of garden things like benches and statues look at this hideaous thing! £540!!! scary!


We wne to a little rocky beach on the way to Barry Island, I found a tiny fossil, but it was on quite a big rock so I didn't bring it home. I love fossils :D



Barry Island - Ive lived in South Wales 3 years now and I had never been to Barry until yesterday! haha this is my sister with me.
We had an Ice cream and walked across the sand :)

Polyvore

Ive seen a few examples of outfits made in Polyvore so I had a go myself.



here is a 1920s flapper inspired party outfit (complete with martini!)

and here is a vintage swimsuit and beach outfit




Polyvore is good fun, if you like fashion and creating outfits or you like scrapbooking this is a neat way to do it.

http://www.polyvore.com/

Those Red Shoes

You are probably more than aware of my Wizard of Oz obsession by now. A huge part of that is my lust for those ruby slippers!

Anyway I found a nice pair in primark today, by no means as magical as Dorothy's pair, but I like the Mary Jane style and the cute bow.


I saw this pair on ebay a while back and I am kicking myself for not buying them now as I haven't seen a pair since. They are by Irregular Choice, which make some awesome shoes.



these ones are a bit more glittery and a similar style to the ruby slippers.I am going to keep looking for them!

Easter Antics

This will be a mixed bag of stuff that happened over the last week.

I spent this Easter weekend with my boyfriend and his family in Oxford.
I went to visit the wind turbines in Faringdon again and photographed them for the last time. (my final edit of images has to be handed in next week).

While I was there we went for a walk round Blenheim Palace.
The weather was a bit cold and dull but at least it was dry!

thats me and Ben on the right and Ben's brother and his girlfriend Brooke on the left.(I'm so freakin' short!!)
I don't think its the most attractive of stately homes I've seen, but it certainly is impressive! check out the hand dug lake!


We also went to see Shutter Island, it was a really good film! I totally didn't get the twist until the very end, even though everyone else said they did :/
I liked the yellow dress Michelle Williams wears throughout the film, its gorgeous! I love that tropical pattern.


I will leave you with one of the images I took whilst photographing the wind turbines at Westmill. This was taken at sunset.


I'd like to say a huge thank you to my lovely boyfriend who has driven me to the wind farm several times, helped me carry my equipment and waited with me in the cold, rain, wind and dark. Ben you are wonderful. x