Zig Zag

Dress: Bl-nk chevron dress via Anthropolgie
Boots: Free People
Bag: Maje

I literally couldn't think of the word for chevron for ages then, it's definitely not 'zig zag' as this really clever and witty and thoughtful blog title likes to think. I swear there's something wrong with my brain sometimes, it always appears to stop working when I really need it, especially around the time when I have to introduce people, everyones names just literally fall out of my head, it's so embarrassing, even people I've known for years, like why that happens I don't know, it's like a total brain freeze. Anyway, completely off topic here, not that there really was a topic to this post, more just a nice rambling one. Mainly to declare my undying love of maxi dresses and especially this pastel rainbow dream one, this is definitely one to cheer you up on any bad day. It's lovely and floaty and silky and I just love the shape of it and the sleeves, oh and the gold braiding to the front, what a total DREAM of a dress.

 These were again shot in Lanzarote, in case you're wondering where this location is in Brighton/London, it's not! Having just booked flights to Spain and Italy for next month, I'm itching to bring this dress out to play again, because lets face it the weather is still *just not quite there* yet, and I'm also itching to drag my summer clothes out of retirement from under my bed. What will be in the boxes? what will I have forgotten about? (my memory is honestly terrible, I couldn't even tell you what I did last Monday). I've also got a wish list a mile long of everything I want to buy for my summer wardrobe, (mainly cute maxi dresses) and also slip on sandals as I realised when on holiday in Lanzarote I seem to have absolutely none of.

Honestly I feel like my head is going to explode from all the inspiration I've being seeing recently on instagram and pinterest that I might just have to go lie down in dark room to recover. But I'm absolutely loving feeling inspired again and feeling more positive than I have in a long time. YAY to that.
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Spring Romance 💐

Snakeskin Flares: Catonine*
Broderie Anglaise Blouse: Zara
Wicker Bag: Roboty Ręczne*
Boots: Matisse

Photography: Fordtography

The very first thing I noticed when looking at this blog post was omg I'm not wearing any vintage. A rare thing for me indeed. I'm really feeling snakeskin at the moment, I'm the kind of person that gets obsessed with things very easily (and quickly) you know when you can't stop thinking about something you just have? Anyone else suffer from this?

 I blame wishfully looking at this crazy expensive python printed Chloe skirt the other week that started this new obsession, I've now ordered a snakeskin phone case with my name on it from eBay, some more snake boots from Free People, I've got a least three snakeskin bags I've ahem *borrowed* from my shop, and now I've added these amazing snakeskin flares to my collection. These are so comfy, and come to think of it this blouse looks very Chloe-esqe too.

Another one of my obsessions is of course wicker bags, this one being more of an unusual colour and shape than what I've seen around, I've become a woman on a mission to have one in every single shape and size I can think off, 6 and counting.... I've taken to carrying this one around in my arms like a baby. In actual day to day life most people I've met with it can't actually believe it's a bag and I have to open it and show them. My new favourite thing to do.

 I literally wanted this outfit to look as warm and spring-like as possible, I've taken to dressing like it's Spring even if it doesn't feel like Spring in some sort of desperate attempt to manifest warmer weather. I'm just too impatient and bored of waiting. I've got all my summer clothes that I'm desperate to dig out from under my bed, I've got such strong urges to sit on Brighton beach and have drinks with friends and float around in seventies maxi dresses and not 5672 layers. Winter, I'm OVER YOU.

If in doubt, add flowers.

Trying (and failing) to Keep the Balance

Dress: Faithfull
Boots: Free People (I am in desperate need a new pair, these have holes in! Free people please bring them back in my size!) 

No one ever said it would be easy did they, being an adult? No one ever said how hard it was going to be either. Trying to find the balance between working (what used to be three jobs) and trying to have time for a social life or even a day off was just becoming too much. I decided to leave the Asos insider role at the end of Feb, and last month took a break to Portugal with my best friend (where these photos were shot) because it was all becoming too much. I literally needed to leave the country to get away from the stress.

As much as I love having my own shop the work that comes with it is just immense. If you're not at the shop, you're buying for the shop or talking about the shop or planning for the shop, or sorting out stock for the shop, or paying bills for the shop, and it can become very overwhelming at times. Especially when I'm trying to fit blogging in around this. I've not had a proper time to sit down and write a post since the beginning of March. I'm not the kind of person who can just sit down and pour my heart out, I really have to be in the mood to do this. Even today I've still not had a shower, I'm in the shop for a half day at 2:30pm and I still have products to edit, measure and upload for the website as well as two email accounts worth of emails to get through. There are not enough hours in the day!  I'm just not finding the balance at the moment, and if I'm ever not working and just watching Netflix or something, I feel guilty for not working. I guess I actually still have three jobs in a sense because the online store, the brick and mortor and my blog, two out of three are a 24/7 job too. 

As much as I still love what I do and I'm so proud of myself at how far I've come since selling denim on the internet years ago, I can't stress to you enough how important it is to not get burned out or overwhelmed with everything. Honestly, I'm the first person to be guilty of that. I'm a perfectionist, I want to do everything myself, I have a hard time letting people in to help me, and I beat myself up if it doesn't turn out exactly how I thought it would. If I have too many things on at once I shut down because I become too overwhelmed, and that's what happened last month.

I really needed that trip away. When I went away I was literally just like fuck it, I'm going, nothing is that important that it can't wait, and it wasn't. And it did put a lot of things into perspective. Sometimes you do need to take yourself out of a situation to see things clearly. Life is too short, as cheesy as that sounds, it's so true. And although it's overwhelming at the moment with massive changes and trying to manage everything and I know I'm not getting the balance just yet, I will, and it's ok, not to be ok. It's adjusting to the next steps in my life, now the shop is finally ours we can figure out managing it in a way that works, and learn as we go.

FLARE STREET

Cosmic velvet collection flares: Flare Street*
Boots: Matisse

Photography: Kaye Ford

Aren't these flares just magical? Created by a collaboration between one of my favourite illustration artists Harley and J, and Flare Street, the whole limited edition collection was heavily influenced by the pop artist icon Peter Max and the cosmic 60s artwork. And they also very convientantly matched the decor in Bobby Fitzpatrick perfectly. I couldn't have picked a better location to showcase these dreamy flares. Not only are they super comfortable but they are ethically made too, all the way from Australia using quality fabric that is sustainably printed there.

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but of course life got in the way again, I've found it so difficult to just find the time to sit down and write a post recently as there's been so much going on, plus winter. But today is the day we finally complete on my vintage shop in Brighton, which means it's officially ours! I can't wait to finally start decorating and making it our own. A dream come true finally realised this year, it's taken some serious time (and stress) to get there but it's finally come true!