Outfoxed... In More Ways Than One

Here I am in the park & ride of my local train station sporting today's outfit, a rather 'foxy' affair.

Dress and rather phallic looking tote bag both from Asos and both featuring foxes.  I didn't purposely co-ordinate honest.  Just a happy accident

Don't I look sulky?

I feel more and more uncomfortable in front of a camera as time goes on.  I hate looking at myself and hate the fact that I hate looking at myself, you know?

Maybe I'm still recovering from the great hair panic of last week.  

It started out quite innocently; I bleached my roots and gave the rest of my head another going over with the 30 vol

It came up like this.  The perfect shade of yellow to tone to platinum, right?  Just buy a light ash blonde box dye and job's a goodun.  Nope, that would be too simple.  I know, I'll just do like I saw in a Youtube tutorial once and mix a bit of Directions violet hair dye with conditioner and coat my hair in it.  It'll tone out the yellow and I'll be left with a perfect cool platinum shade.  Job done.

Clearly not.  Too much violet hair dye coupled with extremely porous hair = bright purple roots and random lavender patches.  Not a good look.

So instead of waiting for it to wash out I hit Youtube again for a tutorial and discovered 'bleach bathing'.  Don't ask!  I have no photographic evidence of the result of this failed experiment.  I was too busy hyperventilating.  Long story short, the purple turned what I can only describe as a light shade of bile green and the rest of it was completely stripped of any pigment at all.  Whiter than white.  Added to that, the texture of my hair after 3 repeated bleachings was that of wet cotton wool

Moral of this story, learn from my mistakes.  Go easy on the Youtube tutorials and, if in doubt, and I never thought I would say this being a lifelong home hair dyer, go to a salon!

I did, and after several hours of repairing treatments and 2 attempts at toning I ended up like this

Not my ideal shade but at this point I was so grateful I had hair left

I'm trying my best just to enjoy my new colour whilst conditoning the crap out of it at every opportunity.  Only, watching ITV's Cilla has made me think fondly of the colour I was so desperate to change...

Don't you just love this shade of red?  And I adore that bob

Sigh... the grass is always greener.  I really should know better by now

In Your Room

I thought I'd share some pictures of my shiny new boudoir - it's finally done - whoop

I finally have a chimney breast wall like a blank canvas, perfect for all the 60's kid pictures and various wall art I've collected 

I had such a narrow space for a bedside table that I had to use my imagination a little.   After some frantic internet searching I discovered the Tam Tam stool.  I'd never heard of them before but apparently they were all the rage in the 60's after Bridgette Bardot was photographed sitting on one.   Read a little more here.  The other thing I like about them, apart from the fact that they look like oversized game counters, is that you can pick them up dirt cheap and they look great.  Fits right in with my 60's theme

Flamingo lights

I found this rather obscure film poster on Allposters.  The clip frame was picked up dirt cheap online.  Not a film I'd heard of before but it looks right up my street.

Best document storage ever

I bought this plain lightshade from Ikea and covered it with an old pillowcase using this tutorial.  I must admit I am rather proud of it for a first effort

Nail varnish and perfume stash against my teal and pink voiles

My curtains in all their glory.  I bought some giant vintage bedsheets on Ebay, wonder webbed them and got my mum to sew on some curtain tape.  Couldn't be bothered with lining them as we already have blackout blinds for when the babs is sharing our room

Close up of my new pink vanity mirror

...which magically opens up to store my jewellery and ephemera

And that would be my massive 34 week bump you can see in the reflection

Next up the nursery…

xxx

Shaken Not Stirred

I thought I'd share some photos of me enjoying a vodka Martini after a particularly long day last week...

 

Mr N mixed me one as only he can

I was trying to be all 'Mad Men' in  my new-old dress, bought recently at a vintage shop in Leominster. The collar is an Ebay purchase 

  I bet Joan never looks like this though

I kept telling Mr N off for referring to our fabulous bar area as a "cabinet".  How dare he?! It's a bar dammit!  I haven't spent all this time pimping it up retro style for nowt 

All I need now is some soda siphons and a pineapple ice bucket.  I'm on the lookout

Anyone fancy a G&T?

Lucy x

Kitschen Goodness & Today's Outfit

You may recall I mentioned a few posts ago that my kitchen was in the process of being beautified.  Well, I thought I'd share the finished results here on my little blog.

When Mr N and I first moved in to our humble little abode nearly 5 years ago the kitchen was one of the main selling points used by the estate agents. The previous owner had not long had it fitted with very popular fake beech effect cupboards, with fake granite effect shiny work surfaces, beigey coloured lino complete with stainless steel appliances.  To top it all off, it was painted a kind of light to mid yellow.  Suffice to say it was HORRID!  Everything I hated and didn't want.  I'm sure it would have appealed to many a young couple buying their first home, it was functional, modern, and neutral (read: bland), but I just wanted something with personality. 

Unfortunately it was a brand new kitchen and there were more pressing jobs that needed to be done to the rest of the house so it took a back seat for 5 long years. 

I'm so pleased with how it turned out.  Even more so with how little it cost us.  The fake beech was painted over with plenty of undercoat and Ronseal cupboard paint in fresh blue and the horrid water stained lino made way for some Alice in Wonderland black and white tiles.  Add a couple of floating shelves from Ikea and we were good to go!

  

Unfortunately we couldn't replace the work surfaces this time around due to them not being a standard depth and therefore super expensive to have specially cut.   Fortunately they don't look quite as bad in the new set up.  I'll have to live with them and with the stainless steel oven and light fittings for a while longer.

I'll just have to add more kitsch

I'm still not sure where I'm going with the shelf arrangement.  It may take me a few tries before I'm completely happy with it.

I was surprised at how 1950's the end result was.  It wasn't really a conscious thing but I'm pleased with it nonetheless.  I embrace the vintage of most eras, but when it comes to interiors, the 1950's through to 1970's usually wins out.

I probably should have picked a pretty polka dot rockabilly number to pose in for my first kitchen outfit shots in keeping with the theme of the background but, well, I didn't.

I'm all about keeping it real :)

Top: Next
Skirt: vintage, charity shop
Witchy boots: Asos via Ebay

Wow, that was a rather photo heavy post wasn't it.  Hope you enjoyed your little peek inside my home.  I just love nosing around people's houses, one of my favourite type of posts to read!

Nearly the weekend - yay!

Lucy x

PS.  I'm up to 15 followers, I'm so chuffed! Welcome everybody xx

The Best Laid Plans...

Like a lot of people I know of, I have been bravely battling this dreaded winter lurgee for the past couple of weeks.   Today was my first day out of my sick bed and into the real world.  Admittedly it was because I had to go to the doctors, but, nevertheless, I was determined to make an effort, get well wrapped up, slap on some make up, and make the most of being outdoors.  One tends to get a little sick of seeing one's pasty, heavy eyed, pyjama wearing reflection staring back at one!

I was hoping to use the opportunity to capture my first outfit post but due to exceptionally poor light and having no photographer at my disposal this plan did not come together.

Instead I will share today's charity shop buys.  I braved the sleet and ignored my ice numbed ears to do a thorough sweep of the local charity outlets.  I must say I was glad I made the effort.

Clockwise from top:-

60's tea set - £1.99
Pair of retro orange vases - £8
Scarves - 99p each
Chintz for the bedroom wall - £2.00
Mini tea set - £2.99
Vintage tablecloth - £3.99

Hope to share some glorious outfits with you soon.  In the meantime, enjoy your weekends:)

Lucy x