What's your's is mine and what's mine's me own!

I don't think there is a Mum of teenage daughter's who doesn't at some point face this universal problem. For quite a while now daughter number two, Middley aka Budge has had her beady eye on my wardrobe, my bags and my shoes! She did borrow , and I put those words in the loosest of contents, a couple of pairs of my winter boots last year - when they were returned after she had out grown them, well - lets just say I am still two pairs of winter boots down!
Lately she has taken a shine to my clothes and bags - oh and jewelry too - infact anything of mine that I don't throw myself across and yell "Noooooooo!!" at the top of my lungs at, because you see although I love my daughter's dearly and I am flattered Budge really loves my style - she is absolutely shockingly terrible at looking after my clothes, shoes and bags!!! Many a time I have lent her a bag, only to walk in and find it sitting in a puddle of spilt milk on the kitchen table, or a dress which she has spilt food down and left a small stain, or totally annihilated a pair of boots due to wanton lack of care - Arghhhhhh!!!
I have only one pair of jeans left in my wardrobe at the moment due to child theft depletion. I will often find them rummaging in my wardrobes looking for certain key items, and it's not unknown for me to catch them walking out with one of my tops on. Me - I am waiting for the day that they out grow my wardrobe, being that I am only 5ft 2" - Diggy has passed me in clothes now. Whilst Budge is still growing through my wardrobe - now I just have to fend the last of my pieces from up and coming little Pickle!

Secret Agent Man.

As a kid and still to this day I love to watch Sixties tv programmes such as Randall and Hopkirk, The Avengers, The Prisoner...........but today I the song that is stuck in my head Johnny River's 'Secret Agent Man' for the hit Sixties TV series,  'Danger Man'.

It was broadcast between 1960 and 1962 and then again from 1964 to 1968, starring Patrick Magoon as secret agent John Drake. In the United States the programme was billed as Secret Agent. Working for Washington as a N.A.T.O agent later becoming British intelligence MI9.  John Drake is sent all over the world on , what else of course, but daring secret missions.
Like James Bond, Drake had an array of gadgets only his were more believable than Bond's because they were actually on the market at the time, boosting sales and predictably there was always a woman to lay his charm on and woo.
Amazingly it seems from looking at Amazon,that all eighty six episodes can now be attained on dvd.

I know the acting can be seen as wooden, the sets and lighting bad, but I love that kitch style and oh man the fashions. I love to watch the fashions. That James Bond tight suit look with crisp white shirt and tie. The black and white filming helps give it that noir film feel that I grew up avidly watching in the school holidays. The dresses and the hair. Flawless makeup teamed with cute little off the shoulder elegant casino numbers, chic spotty classics and crisp suits all carried with a subtle air of sophistication.
If you haven't already watched them as a series....do, they're out there now just waiting to be discovered....go on, you know you want to really.

My Ten Commandments.

Betty Grable.



Audrey Hepburn.



Are you an Audrey or a Betty? I love Audrey Hepburn's style, but I could never have her body. My figure will never, no matter how much I try and loose the weight, ever be boyish or elfish. I am sadly at best a Betty Grable kinda girl. Booty and all!

Some things in life, you just gotta accept. But your mind always seems to want what it can't have. I long to wear clothes that suit the boyish figure, and it took many years of bad buying experiences and frustrated dressing room moments to finally realize that it 'ain't ever gonna happen. EVER! No matter how much weight I lost - even at six and a half stone I was still stuck with lumpy bumpy bits!

So, with this in mind I was flicking through a magazine when I came across an article about someone's ten fashion commandments. Reading them made me think how each woman shoud have her own ten commandments to follow, as we're all very different in shape, size, style and fashion. Why would we all want to be lumped in as one?!
So here's mine.............

one :
Thou shalt know thy shape. 
Every woman should learn their shape and accept it. Other wise there will be tears before bed time, believe me I know! Learn your shape and learn to love it, be you - according to Trinny and Susannah there are - pear, apple, hourglass, vase, bell, coloumn, cello, brick, goblet, cornet, skittle or lollipop! Or if you go the Gok way - Juicy girl, booty babe, petite girl, sexy broad, curvy girl, bellyssimo babe or slim and sexy.
It all boils down to the same thing with three little rules. Know your shape, love it and dress for it.

two:
Thou shalt have a kick-ass wardrobe.
If I can't have my dream walk-in dance about in your underwear and swing several cats tied together sized wardrobe, I make the most of what I've got! Always look after your clothes, shoes and bags and they in turn will keep you looking fabulous for many years to come. Never, not even in the throws of mad all consuming passion disgard them carelessly across the floor to be kicked under the bed and gather dust for eons to come or the dog to pinch. Always follow the care wash labels, never store them scrumpled up in a plastic bag at the bottom of your wardrobe with piles of tat balancing on top of them.
If it's been a while - sort out your wardrobe. Start to make piles of  those clothes that just don't fit, are too worn, have never been worn and you just plain hate! Then either donate to the charity shop, use as rags or re-vamp with sicssors and a sewing machine. I tend to go through my wardrobe every year. Does it still fit, will I make it fit? Are the most important quesions I ask myself - if not it goes.
I have one outfit in my wardrobe, just the one (apart from a few fabric carrots), that doesn't fit me and that I wore many years ago. It's the ultimate fabric carrot. The Holy Grail of clothes - and one day with enough determination - I will wear it again. That is my end of fabric carrot goal.

three:
Thou shalt treat everyday as a red carpet day.
I see no point of having that fabulous expensive dress hanging in the wardrobe that you have never worn or only worn once?  Wear it NOW , I say! It will only sit there year after year and you'll be saying "Have to find somewhere to wear that 'one day'". Girlfriend, 'one day' never comes, unless you make it happen, because by the time that 'one day' has never arrived because you've either had another kiddie, gained a few lbs, lost the confidence, it's out of date or you simply haven't got the nerve and omph to be bothered any more and go for a good old stable comfortable number instead.
Simple fact - dressing up in glam clothes makes us girlies feel special, attractive and sexy! And if we feel all that and a bag of chips, we ooze those feramones that Mr hubby sniffs out! Got it, wink wink. x Otherwise, that gorgeous expensive dress will end up in the charity pile or will stay hanging lonely in the back of the wardrobe, occassionaly brought out and admired only to make us feel guilty for never having had the nerve to wear it. Mr Hubby will then constantly nag about how he/you spent a lot of money on it and he's never seen you wear it. Odds are that if you wear it out, he's more likely to buy you more because you get use out of it, rather than pay for something you'll never wear or it will ever see the light of day again. So book up that fancy meal, theatre tickets or ladies day at Goodwood and wear it!
Unfortunately I am an hour glass figure and for me that means that my shape doesn't do casual dress very well. Infact the hardest thing for me to wear is jeans and a slouchy top. Something I dearly desire to one day strutt with confidence. So I have a lot of evening dresses, that I make sure I wear as day wear!

four:
Thous shalt have style icons.
We all need style icons. People we find irresistable and drawn to. Women we admire and would love to be. It can be anyone or a whole mixed bag. Punk, chic, hip or way out there! As long as they are a sounding board for you to build your wardrobe and own style around - who cares who they are. This could take a while, I have lots of icons that I admire, for lots of different reasons.
My fashion icons are Coco Chanel :  The lady who introduced and designed the LBD (the little black dress). The main stable of any womans wardrobe. I must have about fifty LBD's all different styles, lengths, designs and eras. The little black dress desreves LBS (little black shoes), along with the LBB (you got it, little black bag).
Just hearing Coco's quotes can send a positive shiver down my spine and make me power up when flicking through my dress rail. "A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous" C.C, or "The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you" C.C, and I love this one "In order to be irresplaceable one must always be different" C.C.

Mary Quant : Wonder woman of the Sixties and inventor of the mini skirt. The woman who brought quirky fun to fashion. Black mini, black tight, flat mary jane ballet pumps and tight bob - what a style. One of my absolute favourites. Cute little flower logo, instantly recognisable as a brand. What a woman. Then there's the daisy collar mini, long sleeved dress, black tights, black boots, pale lips and big black eyes. Always a winner. So iconic. So classic. So cute. Ditzy little block dresses that get revived year after year after year.With classic quotes such as -   "A woman is as young as her knees".    

Clara Bow.

Louise Brooks & Clara Bow : Two women who have influenced me since I was a tiny dot. Long since gone, but their style and images live on to inspire. Clara Bow, she who was the inspiration for the cute, sexy little cartoon character Betty Boop. It's those big eyes. Her make up, is flawless. Tousled wavy hair, but impeccible brows, lips and liner.
She makes the headscarf look sexy. Her style is that of Mary Janes, long skirts, and a fox fur draping over her tiny shoulder. A drawling, lazy style that oozes sex appeal. It's as if she hasn't even tried or noticed. She simply is. I love her quote "Clara Bow is just what life made her, I guess".

Louise Brooks.

Lousie Brooks for her iconic images and sassy attitude. She has a smirk and raised brow that almost dares the viewer to make a snittish comment, before she'd wipe the floor with you and her dry witty comment.
The ultimate fun girl, she has cheeky gall down to a T. Flirtacious and risky, yet her image is flawless. Clean cut lines, even down to her hair. Minimal chic. I couldn't think of anyone more tres chic then her. Her best quote is "A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world".

five:
Thou shalt dress to impress.
A woman should always dress for herself, but occassionally it doesn't hurt to dress to impress her man or after several years - you won't have one. It's true - all the oomph will have fizzled out and gone. Every so often wear that slinky number (with or without knickers, the daring part is up to you!). Put on heels and make up and make an effort. Even if you've been married years, the human beast still needs attraction to their mate. Get dollied up, go out together and make him remember exactly why he hunted you down and proposed in the first place.
A very wise woman called Coco once said "As long as you realize men are like children, you know everything there is to know". Meaning, they like a bit of attention every now and then. It may be very sexist of me to say so, but it's true - men like to see a bit of eye candy every now and then. It's just male nature. They can't help it bless 'em. So I make Mr happy once in a while - I just so happen to like dressing as a glamour puss every now and then. x

six:
Thous needeth choice.
Repeat after me ladies - "You can never have too many shoes, bags or coats". Variety is the spice of life so they say and how true that is when it comes to clothes and accessories. Don't get stuck in a rut. Try out as many different fashion styles as you can and rotate with glee. You don't have to be the same person everyday. I LOVE to dress in different periods of clothes. I actually feel more comfortable in them than most of those on todays market. The only problem I have is finding the clothes I desire. I have to hunt them down.
Not only do we women need choice in the outer clothes we wear, but also in the under wear department. You could have on the most gorgeous dress, but if your bra isn't up to the job of support all people will notice is your saggy bristols. Period. You have to lay a good foundation to build on, which means a wide range of bras - balconette, strapless, wonder, lacy, sports, t-shirt - they all do a different job for a different reason. Corsets and body cons are life savers - especially for that special cinched in little number. I'd rather wear a boned strapless corset, which has added scaffolding, than risk it with a small wrap around strapless bra that could ping at any moment as it tries desperately to defy the laws of gravity!

seven:
Thous shalt be worth it.
We are all worth it. That new pair of shoes, that new blusher or lipstick. It's all about honouring yourself. If you believe you are worth the attention, then you are! No one's gonna do it for us better than we can do it for ourselves. If we make the effort and give the time to us, we are the ones who benefit. I alway like to think of Mum as the hub of the home. The sun that all the planets revole around. How many times have you heard the saying - "If Mum's happy than the homes happy" or "If Mum 'aint happy, no one's happy. If Mum's happy everyone's happy". I really believe this is true, we as mother's are involved in everyone's lives, and help run the home smoothly. Our mood affects and sets the tone for the whole household, although we may not realize it. Yes, we Mum's are that important!

eight:
Thous shalt totter on heels.
At least once in a while every woman, I think, should wear minimum four inch heels. It helps posture and makes your calves look fabulous! Plus they make you sashay like no-one's business. I love my heels and regularly mix them with flats throughout the week. I couldn't just wear flats, just as I couldn't just wear heels. I've got to mix them around. The highest heel I feel comfortable in is six inch, and then I have to know my route. How far have I've got to walk in these? Over what terrain - cobbles, up hill, flagstones, polished floor? These things have to be considered if I don't want to end up on my arse, with huge blisters or walking bare footed by the end of the evening - which adds another equation to the list - wearing stockings or not!?

nine:
Thou shalt have a mantra.
Every woman should have a mantra to say to herself inside her head or out loud. I believe all women should have a mantra to cling to even if it's something as simple as "Lipstick, mascara, smile".
Mine is "Less is more". Meaning I do not need a ton of make up plastered on my face, a neck full of bling and a row of knuckle duster rings on display. I am a little person, I need not swamp my frame with nik naks. Either I will wear a necklace or ear-rings, not both together, they fight for attention. A bracelet or ring - never at the same time on the same hand - my wrists, hands and fingers are simply too small to accommodate it all. There is always the old saying of  'if  in doubt, go without'!
I am the same with makeup and skin routine. I use bog standard baby wipes to cleanse and bog standard cocoa butter - all over - as a moisturiser. Head to toe. As for makeup I will never have tarted eyes and blousy lips. It's one or the other. Normally I only wear lipstick, mascara and eye liner. That's it. Once a year, maybe, maybe I will wear a foundation, maybe. The less I put on my face the fresher it feels, otherwise my skin feels like it is suffocating.

ten:
Thou shalt find a signature scent.

The secret of success here is to find a perfume that you feel describes who you are. Your personality, your out look and moods. It took me a long time of trying perfume's to find one that I fell in love with. I'm not very keen on flowery scents, infact most flower scented perfumes will make me sneeze? Nothing that smells like food please - I will be drooling all day and gain 20lbs by the end of the week.
Instead, am drawn to musks. The low base note scents that wafts to the back of your nasal pallette. Those solid smells that evaporate slowly. I only use Obsession by Calvin Klein. It is one of those perfumes that you cannot smell very strongly when you first spray, but it uses the oils and glands in your skin to give a deep rich scent about thirty minutes after application. Which is why I use so little of it and a bottle lasts me a whole year.
The musks are a much darker scent, which I feel suits me. I LOVE the smell, but I am not a light airy person who can waft about on the on the summer breeze. My tonal colouring is much darker, so a low musky scent tone seems to fit me better.

Christmas Hints.

It's that time of year again when the kids start to think of Christmas lists and Mud Boy will turn to me and whisper, "what do you want filling your stocking?" with raised eyebrows, wink wink. I say the same as every year -  "A big wad of cash, so I can go shopping, -  failing that perfume and clothes". xXx
As with every year I have to resort to leaving very small subtle clues around as to what clothes I would like for Christmas, otherwise I'll just get guitar bits. As much as I love Mud Boy and I really, really do, he is like most men - totally clueless about woman's clothing, and in all fairness why should he 'get it' - he after all doesn't wear them!
So when Christmas jogs around the corner, it's us women who have to either buy it for ourselves, wrap it and act all surprised on Christmas day or give strict instructions, via picture and location, as to exactly what it is we require from the big jolly man in a red suit. Here's my first hint of the year.............

Not too subtle, but one can't afford not to get it right!
On other Christmas news front Budge last year asked for a live giraffe and a penguin on her list, this year it's a small mouse lemur from Madagascar on her list! The others always have something normal on their lists, but not Budge. Never Budge. x

Just a mild vinatge obsession..ever so slightly.....

I am a vintage fashion whore and that includes photography, which I will drool over and stroke lovingly when I find an outfit that I dearly covet. It isn't a pretty sight - it is an addiction - and the only cure is vintage shopping - hours and hours of vintage shopping therapy. I think I am nearing that point of obsession and need a session of retail therapy soon. Good job I have a vintage shopping excursion with a dear friend booked for the end of the month! Which is why I have clothes and lists on my mind so much at the moment. I am busy compiling a list to search for.

Cocopana dancer 1953 - the eyes, the gloves.

The dress.

Dress!

40's bathing costume - glasses.

French Chic.

                                                                   

Chic Fur.

EVERYTHING!

Really, I have thousands of these kinds of pictures on disc - thousands! I am compiling them to cover my bedroom wall in them. YES, REALLY !! Every so often I print ten off ten or so and put them in a box, and then they will be pasted on my bedroom wall - ALL OVER! Floor to ceiling. My OWN wallpaper, my OWN design, my OWN idea. No one will be able to copy - it will be my OWN inspirational sanctuary - espeically in my walk in wardrobe. I can't wait!!!!!

Rainbow Coats.

Even though Mud Boy tries very hard to convince me that I don't need a whole range of coats in every material, length and colour under the sun - I know that I do, and being so utterly convinced of this fact often makes us at logger heads about the simple fact of exactly how many coats a girl actually needs in her wardrobe. Mud Boy says three coats at the most. I say as many as will possibly squeeze in my wardrobe until it's time to get a much larger or even two wardrobes. I really don't think we shall ever agree on this simple fact of life.
Which means, that yes you've guessed it I am on the hunt for several new coats. I know the word several may seem rather vague, but I would like a green velvet coat - but it has to be the right shade of green (more Granny Smith apple than courgette), a burgundy coat (Mud Boy hastens to point out that I already own a red coat, yes, but red is not burgundy - there is a huge colour difference), and a mustard coat (not custard, canary or banana yellow but mustard - think Colman's). That's all I'm looking for coat wise this season. Just the three. I may only find one, but I am hunting for three. Each has to be a different style and material.
Mud Boy just rolls his eyes in his head like something from the Exorcist and carries on polishing his beloved guitar, of which I might add he has more than one of. Are they not the same I ask you? He likes guitars, I like clothes - this season it's coats to be precise. Same difference to me. x

They call her mellow yellow.

It's not a colour I would usually wear, but lately it has seen a revival from the 1940's and it goes surprisngly well with red. I am talking about the new autumn colour mustard. I haven't been able to tear my eyes away from  it. The colour seems to draw me of late like a moth to a flame. In bags, shoes, dresses and coats. It's everywhere. Mellow Yellow.
Not only do we love this song but for us as a family Donovan's 'Mellow Yellow' lyrics have a special meaning for us. I feel the Autumn seasonal colour therefore must be mustard. It will go with red, orange and brown - perhaps even some dark greens. I am getting excited just thinking about it!

All that Bio-Digital Jazz!"

"You're messing with my Zen thing man". I am by very nature a visual person. It is how I absorb information the best, it is how I learn, create and assess the world. Visual imagery stimulates me. This morning I have just watched the movie, Tron the Legacy. The costumes are to die for, the CGI amazing and Jeff Bridges digitally remastered - mind blowing. It will open up so many future opportunities. I still maintain , as I have done for the last ten years or so, that CGI will one day bring back actors and actresses from beyond the grave. One day we will have a new film involving James Cagney acting alongside the likes of Bruce Lee. Imagery and trickery will become that good, we won't know the difference between reality or fantasy!

The thing that caught my eye most about this film are the costumes. The leather and those boots! I want a pair of those black and orange boots! This kind of clothing is more than visual, it is luminous and I say that because they reminded me very much of Vera Wang's bioluminescence couture 2010 collection. Bioluminescent jellyfish and creatures from the BBC's Deep Blue were the inspiration for Vera Wang's transcendental collection ‘Into the Deep‘. I have never seen electroluminescent look so chic.



My Fav!



Ms. Wang artfully balances fashion with technology by creating breathtaking luminescent patterns from custom EL panels glowing from inside structured white gowns. Will this be the fashion of the future? Clothes, shoes, bags or jewelery with battery power packs? Certainly food for thought..................................

A Chinosiere Day With BIG Red Lips!

I managed to power walk my way through Brighton to the Royal Pavilion, without stopping at a single shoe or clothes shop along the way! How's that for will power!!

The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence of the Prince Regent, later to become King George 1V when he was aged 49.  It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for the Prince. It is built in the Indo-Saracenic ( a British Gothic - Indian style built in India by British architect's), prevalent in India for most of the 19th century, with the most extravagant style, (and I have always loved this word! ) chinoiserie interiors ever executed in the British Isles. Chinosierie is a French term signifying 'Chinese - esque' in style. Considering that none of the designers, artists, craftsman, architect or indeed the Prince Regent himself had ever been to China. All was done from objects brought back from exotic trips to the far east.

I love the Royal Pavilion or Brighton Pavilion as I commonly know it. I love it's eye line on the horizon, I love the sheer extravagance of it and the total originality as it stands out bold as brass like a sore thumb in it's surroundings.

It was the Prince Regent who made Brighton fashionable during the Georgian period. He was a great patron of the arts and donated many collections to this country after his father's death and his death that we are most grateful for, including the British Library. King George 1V was born 12 August 1762 and died the 26th June 1830, just ten years after he was crowned King. He served as Prince Regent during his father King George 111 relapses into mental illness (maddness). People at the time called him a fat, idle and lazy King who squandered all England's money. He was characterized in all the papers as being nothing but a big fat whale. And although he was an utterly useless Monarch who led an extremely extravagant lifestyle at the expense of the country, but I can't help but  rather admire him as a man of impeccable taste. He certainly knew his stuff when it came to design be that in art, architecture or fashion. Of course he took a lot of pointers off the stylish Beau Brummell, until they fell out with Brummell uttering the  famous phrase -"Alvanley, Whose your fat friend?!" at a masquerade ball in 1813, when George 1V snubbed him.
  I even find it amusing that he hated his wife, Caroline of Brunswick - (whom his Father forced him to marry by blackmailing him and paying off his gambling debts), so much he banned her from his own coronation and claimed that "she smelt because she never washed her knickers!!" Consequently they only had one daughter, Princess Charlotte, and he continued to live with his beloved mistress, the widowed and Catholic Mrs Fitzherbert, whom he stayed with for the rest of his life.
George IV's heavy drinking and indulgent lifestyle took its toll on his health and by the late 1820s he was mostly bed bound. His taste for huge banquets and copious amounts of alcohol caused him to become obese, making him the target of ridicule on the rare occasions that he did appear in public. He suffered from gout,arteriosclerosis, dropsy and possibly it is thought porphyria (like his father - which is thought to have caused his maddness). He would spend whole days in bed and suffered spasms of breathlessness that would leave him half-asphyxiated. He died at about half-past three in the morning of 26 June 1830 at Windsor Castle; he called out "Good God, what is this?" clasped his page's hand and said "my boy, this is death."

But enough of the history behind the Palace, what about the Palace itself! Well, we decided to make use of our wonderful ARTFUND pass, so we gained entrance for FREE with free audio tour guides! One fo my favourite words when finding places of education and history. As intended the moment you walking into the Palace you get the immediate WOW factor! The whole Pavilion is sumptuous in design and feel. Everything is over the top with added bling - yet all extremely tastefully done. One thing Georgie Porgie (Yes, he of nursery rhyme fame) had was class and an eye for stylish detail. He brought everything together with his keen eye for quality and taste. 
My eldest daughter was blown away by the Banqueting Room, I think we all were. The dragons that adorned the walls, ceilings, fireplace and furniture were equisite. The Silver Dragon holding the Chandelier was the Queen of Dragons, resplendant in her shinning scales.

Sadly photograpghy wasn't allowed inside and I couldn't flaunt their rules long enough to get a good enough picture of the dragon ceiling.

Each room was just as splendid, and full of mannequins with regency costumes along the way for the exhibition 'Dress for Excess' fashion in Regency England. It is an exhibition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Regency Act (the Parliamentary act that allowed George to act as Prince Regent and gave birth to the Regency period). The clothes were divine. Elegant, simplistic and to die for gorgeous. It was like walking into Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet's dressing rooms. I wanted to try every single one on, but had to make do just looking at them from behind a fancy gold braided rope. I will admit that I was leaning over so far at one point, there was a chance I could fall.
The music room was one of the most divinely hand painted murial walls I have ever, ever seen!! The sign before we entered said : 'Please remove stillettos before walking on the carpet' - the shag carpet was that deep!!
The bedrooms weren't as OTT as the downstairs, but the metal bamboo staircase up to them was very novel. I was fascinated by the secret passageways for the servants to disappear down and when you walked down them, they had a delicious energy all of their own.
Our youngest girl loved the kitchens and the massive range. Did you know that at his banquets the Prince Regent would have 32 courses served!! The jelly and blamange moulds ranged from tiny weeny scallop shells and castles to huge monstrous copper things that you could wear as a helmet. Another fact I learnt today was that the Prince Regent was the first to have and serve ice-cream in this country, and the first steam table with piped steam to keep dishes warm before serving. A sort of hot plate of today. He even had his bath plumbed to the sea so he could bath in sea water at the Pavilion to save him the bother of going down to the seafront. He certainly was a trend setter and fashionable mover shaker with his ideas and quirky 'must have's'.

Cherry red lips Mwahhhh!!

After a brief walk around the protected gardens we wandered into the Brighton Museum and Gallery. Home to artist Salvador Dali's famous Mae West's Lips sofa, which I couldn't wait to show the girls, as I haven't been here since I was a student many moons ago. They now even have a mini sofa to have photos taken on! As you can tell from the photo below the girls couldn't understand my bubbling excitement at the Big Red Lips sofa. I have always loved and desired this sofa and stood for a good minute in front of it demanding to have my photo taken whilst passing German visitors frowed at the mad little lady unable to contain herself took to hopping on the spot in the black and white spotty dress!

Tribal spirit costume.

We got to see one of my favourite designer's chairs - Rennie Mackintosh, trace the history of Brighton and see authentic Punch and Judy dolls and stands, travel through the world in the World Art exhibitions and see a tribal spirit costume - which absolutely fascinated me!

The upstairs fashion show through time was torturous as there were so many costumes that I would love to wear, including a Regency and Chinese inspired white dress by Zandra Rhodes, an Ozzie Clark little yellow number and a very delicate 1940's ballerina embroidered chemise - topped off with lots of period shoes, especially red ones! My embarrassed youngest did have to pull me off the glass at one - no, I will be honest here, several times today - as I plastered myself in front of certain items of clothing and the words "Must have dress" puffed out from my lips.

I want Gok Wan as a brother!

I adore Gok-Wan! I love his optomistic positive view of the female form in all it's shapes and curvy sizes. Why am I raving about Gok, because there has been a glut of his re-runs on tv of late and I've managed to record some on the planner and even wade my way through watching and deleting a fair few in the midnight hours.  It's enpowerment that he hands back to the women as they discover their own inner and outer beauty for themselves. It's a priceless gift to give someone.
However, being resourceful we have both found at the same time a source of cheaper irregular shoe fix ......ebay!!! This is a dangerous situation to be in .......... I really ought to step away from the shoes......but in all honestly could you!
According to Gok, an hourglass figure shouldn't move past the 1950's period of clothing styles, and I have to tend to agree with him. Back then, they knew how to cut clothes for curvy girls. How to hide and accentuate curves in all the right places. Today, I have to look very hard for clothes on the rail that fit - and I have to make sure they are copying a 1950's, 1940's, 1930's, 1920's cut. Nothing new has been invented for the curvy girl. Sorry to say it, but it's woefully true.

A naturally curvey girl cannot wear anything but structured clothing and structured underwear - because that's where all the support comes from. You gotta build from the inside out! Nothing baggy will do - you'll end up looking like a lumpy sack of potatoes. Honestly. It needs to be nipped and tucked in all the right places. Following your figure exactly. This is not for the faint hearted and is a terrible shock to most curvy girls that they will have show off, those parts that they desperately long to hide from the world. Talk about giving a girl a complex!
But in order for clothes to work you have to think 1950's glam, Parisian Chic, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and in modern terms, the only curvy designers out there today are Roland Mouret (not that I can afford any - but a girl can look and dream - sigh ), Ben De Lisi and Roberto Cavelli (He who dresses Posh Becks - yes her! As much as I dislike her personality, you've got to admit the woman has style - even if it was handed to her on a plate by the world's top designers - meow!).
For me the worst items of clothing I can wear on this planet are jeans (or any trousers really - I don't care what Gok says on this point - trousers are a no no for me!) and a polo neck! I barely get away with wearing jeans by dressing them with the right tops that cover and nip in the right places - just - and not all the time, I often get it horribly wrong. And no polo necks - not ever, even if it's freezing outside - it makes me look like I have monoboob syndrome. I have to think very carefully about every piece I buy - it has to follow the curvy rules. Which haven't changed in style and basics since the lovely 1950's golden curvy era. Perfect for me in more ways than one!

Blowing in the breeze......

I love these washing line bags and want to make one as a cushion............one day.