World of Butterflies @ the British Museum

Been meaning to talk about this lovely exhibition I went to near the beginning of June. Usually you have to pay for this but I managed to get two free tickets to any exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London. I have been to something similar to this but it was quite a long time ago and it was nice to take my SLR Camera. Here is just some of the amazing colours and closeups of the butterflies

Such amazing Colours

Two HUGE caterpillars

 At the beginning of me and Neil going in I made a friend quite quickly who did not want to leave my side until the very end! You could say he was my personal guide to the butterflies.

The dress I am wearing is one of my favourites from Collectif Clothing Summer 2015 collection. Here is just a little action shot Neil took of me.

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an icon

I have been meaning to blog about this exhibition but I have been a little busy and ill recently.
As many people know Audrey Hepburn is an icon through films and her acting skills. Her most famous being in 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'

I did not know much about this famous icon but I learnt a lot from this exhibition. For example I didn't realise she was a ballet dancer to begin with. The exhibition went from her childhood all the way through to when she died not to long ago. Even from a very young age she was beautiful.

Through the exhibition there was a variety of photographs that stood out to me one of them being a image featured in LIFE magazine.

Philippe Halsman- Taken for LIFE Magazine 1955

There is a series of photos linked with this one, all taken in the Italian Countryside. Her cropped hairstyle and very chic yet informal clothing shows her energy yet elegance from her ballet days. Her stare straight into the camera is very enticing again showing beauty with very little makeup. 

Norman Parkinson: 1955

Another image I fell in love with at the exhibition not just by the stunning tones of pinks but the beauty of the image along with Audreys' iconic stare, again enticing and beautiful. In this photo she wears a Givency dress, her glance responding to modes of femininity during the 50s. Plus I am a 50s girl at heart and this dress is stunning! 

Howell Conant- Breakfast at Tiffany's

A very iconic image of Audrey Hepburn in one of her most noticed roles on the big screen. Seeing the original photo was stunning created with a dream-esque yet sophisticated style of the photo draws you in to Audreys' natural beauty straight in the centre. The rose to the left of her again symbolizing not only romance and love but again beauty.  

If you get a chance go see this exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery, there is a few photos that know one has ever seen even a pair of her ballet slippers she once owned before doing films. It is on until the 18th October. 

Teds Round London 2015

As everyone knows I love the Vintage scene and rock n roll and this event as always is always a fun to go to. Organised by Uncle and his friends this event has been going on for 5 years. This event was no exception great atmosphere and lovely people to be with.

For the event I wore my new Collectif dress I brought when it was 50% of everything! Come on I can ot resist a bargin! But I will try and photograph myself in this dress has I have loved this print for a long time. I also wore my new necklace on the day as well from Punky Pins for everyone that did not know my secret. I got quite a lot of comments on both the necklace and the dress.

As always I had my camera at the ready to capture moments through out the day.

To find more of the photos plus ones from previous years just check out my website 

Life Captured Moments

Trip to the V&A

On my day of last week and with lack of money I decided to go to the V&A. I didn't go see the current exhibition 'Savage Beauty' by Alexander McQueen as I am not really a fashionista person I love my vintage 50s Rock 'n' Roll!

I had a little wander around as it has been ages since I have visited. Well I went in October but that day was just for Horst exhibition they had on. I did not realise they actually had a little exhibition of fashion through the decades in which I came across a coral Christian Dior dress and some lovely 18th Century fabric. (Can you spot me photobombing my own pictures?)

While I was there I did have a little bite to eat in their cafe their. They have a wide variety of food from simple cream tea to hot meals. I had a falafal wrap (I have been into my mezze food a lot recently) which was very yummy with my chickpea salad and homemade lemonade. I didn't realise until before I was leaving for the exit, that there was a free exhibition happening called 'What is Luxury?' This exhibition was very interesting each item dedicated towards a single word. My favourite has to be the 'Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier' by Studio Drift. Dandelion seed heads were harvested before opening into ‘clocks’ and individually applied to LED lights on a metal frame around each light hanging like a chandelier. A item of natural vs man-made (reminds me of a old GCSE product title) This exhibition is a definite must see its free as well and will end 27th September.

After my visit I did pop to South Kensington and picked myself up a bubble tea. I love them and had yet to have one since moving to London! I had my usual Lycee with tapioca pearls. A definite must try.

Southbank Vintage Car Show

Over the weekend there happened to be a vintage Car Show event hosted on Southbank, London. This was something similar I went to a good couple of years back which you can check out: Vintage at Southbank 2011. Anyway, back to this little vintage event. The weather was not brilliant but the atmosphere was lovely! Everyone smiling having a good time looking at all the vintage style cars along with doing a little bit of shopping.

I must say I think I have found my dream car! It was a gorgeous colour

Photo courtesy of my Nan

My Nan actually took this photo for me for this blog as I always seem to have to do selfies and I never feel or look brilliant in them plus the car need pride and place. There was some fun entertainment by two young guys around by the food area, in which we had cheese and marmite crumpets which were amazing. The little group caused quite a stir from the crowd who began joining in with their musical lyrics from the 40s and early 50s. I bet they have some youtube videos so go check them out.

The Carradine's Cockney Sing a long

I did not buy much for myself really apart from yet another headscarf! I know how many more do I need! But I just love the versatility of them and the patterns. Here is just a couple more photos from the event.

Two of my favorite shots from the event plus the gorgeous colour of my dream car unedited

Engine photograph for the men out there

And last but not least I just have to put up this photograph of my nan. It is a lovely picture of her with the London eye in the background. She will probably kill me though for putting it up.

Dress Making

Okay this might be partly to do with the fact that The Great British Sewing Bee has started but I thought I would give it  ago at dress making again. I have made plenty of skirts in the past and one dress a couple of years ago that I don't feel turned out to well but I'll put a picture up of it anyway. (Just found I don't actually have a picture of the final dress but here is the top half)

I thought I would venture again into the world of dress making as seen as a I have at least 4m of Vintage fabric I have had for a few years and have never done anything with! Maybe partly because I was too scared to cut it! I was looking for a vintage pattern but came across this one in a New Look book and thought it was quite late 40s early 50s in style. It reminded me of a vintage dress I already own. 

I'm not going to lie but the dress looks very ill fitted on the model so hopefully I can make mine a little more fitted. Plus the fabric I have will go perfect. Along with the little extras I brought when I was at home. So far I have attached the bodice to the gathered skirt and I am not going to lie my gathers are not really even but it is all a learning experience.

I will post a picture when it is done, I might try and get my friend to help me out on that one though. 

Camden Town

If you was a follower of my previous blog 'Happiness Crafts', then you would find I used to talk about London a lot and visiting Camden in particular. Before I moved to London, I would visit Camden twice a year with my Mum and we have been doing this since I was 14/15; that is nearly 10 YEARS AGO! (I have only just come to this realisation). Back in them years I was a little alternative shall we say and Camden Market was the perfect place to buy the majority of my clothing from. Each year we would go and my style developed further to being, at the moment and probably forever, a lover of all things vintage and incorporating vintage into my style particularly the 40s/50s. Anyways enough of this and back on to Camden.

Since moving here in October the other day was the first day I went to Camden and without my Mum. Usually we would go on a Sunday were it is so busy you struggle to move and can only go ideally in one direction. I decided against going at the weekend and it was quiet completely different to the hype I am use to, but luckily Camden Lock Food market was on and I had a little bite to eat for my lunch. I decided to have a Piadina, which is Italian.

It was so good I could have gone back for more. It had homemade pesto, rocket, tomatoes and finished with melted brie which wasn't too melted making me like it even more. If you ever see this place go to it they do do a meat option to for all you non veggie people out there. While I was eating my Piadina there was also some very hungry looking sparrows.

After my lunch I thought lets go for something cold, crazy I know, and went off and visited one of my favorite ice cream parlour, Chin Chin Labs, who making their ice cream using dry ice and a wonderful arrangement of flavours. The whole place is decorated like a laboratory with toppings in test tubes and beakers back in the day they would serve the ice cream with a medicine spoon as well. Anyways, I had the special which was beetroot with Saffron Meringue and little drizzle of chocolate sauce and all I can say is wow! You had the slight earthy natural sweetness from the beetroot with a little help of warm chocolate sauce with an added crunch from the meringue. I would love to have this again if they ever bring it back!

Taking a visit to Camden wasn't just about the food, I went and visited one of my favorite vintage reproduction clothing store; Collectif. I have a wide range of their clothing and that visit was to be no exception, I picked up a very cute cherry print jumper with a little bow in the sale for £18 (I had seen this prior to the sale) and I also picked myself up a bargain, a pair of cropped high waisted jeans at £7! I don't know how I did it though as they look like they are full price online. Now I am not one to wear trousers/jeans but these were a snap and look great on. I will take a picture soon of this ensemble but for now here is a picture of the items I brought.

I hope I can take more visits to Camden and take one of my besties, Mel with me to enjoy some amazing ice cream!