A February Giveaway...

You could win:

A Cheap Monday tote bag, perfect for stashing car boot sale finds

A pair of colour-blocked Happy Socks

A Gogo Philip magnifying glass necklace

A Margaret Howell notebook to write down any blogging ideas you might have

A Zara Taylor cameo ring

A Smashbox Blusher

A sachet of Teapigs green tea

It's been a long time since I've hosted a giveaway and I've finally amassed a few things that I thought would make a nice prize for someone to enjoy this month.  The occasion is simply a big pat on the back for your continued support and comments and hopefully I can continue to write about the things I love for a while longer yet. As per usual you just need to leave a comment on this post to enter (with a way I can contact you) and I will choose a winner on Monday 13th February to send it to.  I'm also willing to post internationally to spread the happiness far and wide, so good luck!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening! 

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What Kristabel Did

I finally treated myself to a Tatty Devine name necklace at long last, it's so nice to see my moniker immortalised in acrylic!  The Selfridges pop-up was the culprit and now I want to go back to order even more colours!  My new jumper will be introduced to you properly in due course....

The month of January really has flown by and even though in my head I feel as if Christmas was only about a week ago, on paper (or screen in my case) the reality is rather different.  The events in London have started up again with aplomb and although it's exhausting at times making the Bakerloo line dash to often catch the last half hour, I never forget how fortunate I am to have access to such things.  The post title is cliché at best, but it truly sums up a few things I've been to and organised in my own time (plus I've always wanted to use it)!

Remember when I said I wanted to catch the Dazed and Confused exhibition at Somerset House?  I hadn't realised that it was free and rather small, so would have been a perfect place to visit one evening after work, but luckily I managed to catch it before it finished last weekend.  Five rooms showcased some renowned editorials, with my personal favourite being this one featuring Chloe Sevigny in 1996 in some clothing that doesn't seem a million miles away from what we wear today.  There were a few issues I recognised but many more that I was previously unaware of, so hopefully the book won't stay on my wishlist for too long.

I've been meaning to join in with some of the Chinese New Year festivities for a while, but this year we finally managed to get ourselves to Chinatown for some lovely dim sum.  I'm trying to convince my Mum to make the trip a weekly tradition, à la Winnie.

I stopped by the Very showroom briefly to have a peek at their SS12 offerings and fell in love with this print.  Hurry up summer!

I can't believe it's been almost three years since I got my first pair of Dr Martens with some uncertainty.  Now they've become the most natural things to put on my feet and I'm very much obsessed with each new variation they unveil.  Their latest campaign is really nicely shot and was on the most amazing USB stick shaped like a 1460 boot, which I then promptly lost! 

I can't believe I'm almost the same age as the Kipling brand! 

I never really associate Polaroid with sunglasses but saw some lovely styles at their press day, as inspired by bygone eras.  I got to choose a pair and went for the 70s Donna style, they might be my largest shades yet!

I finally got to try out another Hollow Legs recommendation along with Winnie and Mel, the highly calorific Meat Liquor.  It's always tricky to find nice yet reasonably priced places to eat in Central London, hence me sticking to chains like The Diner and Vapiano all too often.  Even though there is often a queue to get in, the food is worth the wait (I had in fact been craving buffalo wings for almost a year) and you are guaranteed to feel full for several days.  Definitely worth a visit if you've given up on any hope of a detox.

What have you been up to recently?  I have been soldiering on, despite the Arctic weather and lack of feeling in my fingers!

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Miscellaneous

Here's another Berlin post for you!  Some of my favourite posts are when I can share my travels, which I wish I could do more often. I really appreciate each time I go away and this recent visit has spurred me on to act slightly like a tourist at the weekends and make the most of what London has to offer, until I can next escape.  Despite the cold and persistent rain, a change of scenery was just what I needed and Susie was the ideal travelling companion (there was never any awkwardness when gazing into our laptop screens simultaneously), with plenty of laughs provided along the way.  Although some parts of Berlin may not necessarily be considered pretty in a traditional sense, there is a certain mismatched charm about the architecture, graffiti and multi-coloured buildings that I couldn't stop photographing.  I think I'm more drawn to imperfections and was envisioning several small projects in my head that may or may not come to fruition.

Coat - H&M

Jumper - A.P.C

Skirt - Vintage

Boots - c/o Zalando

Necklace - Pema

I am usually rubbish at packing for trips and usually end up sick of all my clothes within the first 24 hours, but luckily the cold made everything simple, all I wanted was warmth!  The jumper + skirt combination served me well and I thought it was perfectly apt to wear my beloved burgundy skirt that I'd bought during my last trip to Berlin.  I've worn it so much in the past 6 months and I'm really glad I decided to pick something sensible to buy that day.  This is what I wore for a desperately needed brunch at Café Einstein, which I would never have known about until someone recommended it to us at Bread and Butter.  We didn't get around to taking arty pictures of the food as we were famished but be assured that it was delicious and is well worth a visit if you're planning a trip to the city.

I had been hoping to find a few companions to my vintage skirt in some of the charity shops and flea markets, but alas it wasn't meant to be.  The nature of vintage shopping is always a bit uncertain and the stock was so drastically different to my July visit, consisting mainly of scratchy jumpers and heavy coats.  I'm sure I will regret not looking for a bargainous piece of unique outerwear later this year, but I was strictly in Spring/Summer mode, hoping to find some nice pencil skirts or cute blouses to wear.  Despite not finding much in the way of stand-out pieces (luckily I didn't go home empty handed after visiting the Humana store at Frankfurter Tor), I enjoyed having a good old rummage and finally getting to see the Mauerpark flea market on my penultimate day.  As per usual I was drawn to all of the clutter and jumble, including the most perfectly kitsch cat patterned bags, which I'm regretting not buying.  I've been seeing cats on everything recently, I think it's a sign!

Coat, Jumper - H&M

Skirt - Weekday

Tights - Topshop

Dr Martens - c/o Spartoo

I was determined to make the most of Weekday during this trip, as I always have serious envy when browsing their non-transactional site.  Please hurry up and do a Monki so that I can enjoy the pared down Swedish aesthetic all year round!  I always seem to visit when it's between seasons and there's a serious clearance sale, making me determined to find something that isn't too expensive.  I picked up this schoolgirl styled pleated skirt in my default shade of grey and need to attempt to not look like a ten-year-old girl each time I wear it.  My outfit would have almost been in one colour if it weren't for the black jumper and red Dr Martens!  I also bought this very dramatic dress, which reminds me of something by Complex Geometries and swishes about when I walk like some kind of train. 

I'm looking particularly happy after a huge Vietnamese meal and Susie is doing the typical blogger 'gazing into the distance' pose

I'm not sure if I'll be visiting Berlin in January again (my poor toes) but it definitely isn't my last trip there!  I'm determined to resurrect more of my A-Level German and discover some of the areas just outside of the city.  Have you got a favourite European city you like to visit?

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Forward Planning

It seems as if my mind is in a constant state of flux, wondering how to incorporate a select few SS12 trends into my already overflowing wardrobe, whilst also coveting the AW12 Pre-Fall collections from afar.  I like to think of it as Trend Multitasking, the art of using and taking ideas from the 'wrong' seasons to incorporate into your life now and making do with the resources we have available at the moment.  You might have the urge to wear a jumper with a grid like pattern as seen at J.W Anderson and Jonathan Saunders, but end up having to compromise with some other garment alluding to this until the High Street kicks into gear (or a canny sample sale arises).  I was prepared for a lot of clothing envy at the AW12 Bread and Butter show in Berlin last week and being drawn to so much that wouldn't be in store for another 6 months and a potentially massive shift in what I might be wanting to wear.  I knew what to expect from my visit last July and since then I've gradually incorporated a few of the brands and trends into my wardrobe.  Despite the rainy weather, I was determined to come back and get a glimpse of what might influence me later in the year (or ten minutes later that evening).

Once again, I was drawn to the merchandising details almost as much as the clothes, with each brand taking the effort to make a layout that reflected their vision for the season.  There were plenty of interactive elements such as a customised luggage tag available at the Fossil area, live knitting demos at the We Are Knitters stand and the chance to get paint-happy on a Mavi t-shirt.  I picked up plenty of lookbooks in order to form some sort of physical inspiration board and have posted a heavily edited version of what I've seen, to keep some sort of element of surprise for when these all go into stores.

With regards to clothing and accessories, I was definitely drawn to some of the more exciting colour combinations, especially with the reworked Breton tops seen at Saint James and 90s clashing brights at Motel.  I am now a full converted Happy Socks devotee, who have created the perfect mint polka dot pair of tights and a really exciting range for later in the year.  I also discovered a bit more about the brand Friis and Company, loving everything from their flatform shoes, to their insect inspired jewellery.

 

As you can see, my preferred shoe styles of choice are pretty consistent with plenty more chunky heels, flatforms and mannish details to keep me amused.  Brands of choice were Carin Wester, Cheap Monday, Dr Martens, Vagabond and surprisingly Bensimon.  I'm not quite a trainer devotee yet (those Isabel Marant sneakers have passed me by, I'm sorry) but I'm definitely welcoming the sheer amount of colour choice when it comes to their footwear.

Some silly snaps taken in the photobooth with Susie, perfecting the art of the smize. 

I know that AW12 trends might not have crossed your mind yet, but have you seen anything here that catches your eye that you might want to wear now?  If you want to have a closer look, I've popped a few more pictures on my Facebook page, so comment on anything you like!  I am prepared for a huge influx of brightly patterned socks and flatforms this year!

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