Adventures in Wonderland

This time of the year is always Alice-themed these days. Or so it seems, anyway.

After weeks of letting it tug vaguely at the corners of my mental to-do list, I've gone ahead and booked tickets for Alice's Adventures Underground, interactive* performance extraordinaire. (I won't use the other 'i' word, because everyone hates it and you know it.) The event isn't until tomorrow, and already I've spent days obsessing over small details - does the 'Black/Red' dress code mean red and black? Red or black? What if I change my mind and decide I want to side with another suit? Should I Eat it? Drink it? Which one will make me big, which one small? What do I want? - until I thought I was going mad. And then I thought maybe that was the point.

I never thought I liked Alice. Having been decidedly unimpressed by the Disney cartoon, cat-less smile aside, I shoved the memory of it to the back of my mind as a child, to only take it out of a dusty brain drawer when Disney's shiny-and-new live remake forced me to. I was equally unimpressed. But I had to admit, something about the Crazy-circus, Creepy-clown concept of it all appealed to me. I mulled it over and had to concede - Alice belongs to the same, dreamy-yet-terrifying-if-you-think-like-really-think-about-it category as Peter Pan.

Once I realised that, I was hooked (no pun intended).

And so last year, I decided my birthday would be Wonderland-themed.

Quite conveniently, Archway with Words festival decided to hold an Alice in Wonderland Fancy Dress Day on that very date, complete with hat-making and flamingo croquet.

     

 

(In case you're wondering, I won at flamingo croquet. Ha.)

(At least... I think I did?)

A certain mad hatter talked us into making giant card hats...

          

...And we got stuck in a house.

Top - Etam

Silk corset - Harmony

Skirt - Topshop

Vintage apron - Absolute Vintage

Cardigan - Jane Norman

Shoes - Repetto

Clock earrings - Warehouse

Clock necklace - Vintage

Scarf - gift from Jerusalem







I want to hear all about YOUR Wonderland events, parties and adventures!

A Time Tourist in Kew Gardens

After being asked multiple times throughout the day if I was a tourist in my own city (was it the camera? the odd clothes? Who knows...) it was decided by my friends that a tourist I was indeed, only of the time-travelling kind. And so I was declared a Time Tourist.

This was my first visit to Kew in a very, very long time (a Time Tourist never reveals her age). The only thing I remembered about it was the large Greenhouse by the pond, next to Victoria Gate - I wasn't disappointed.

I like to think of it as a tropical palace...

 Dancing in the Greenhouse

What I didn't remember, on the other hand, was the Other greenhouse, the one where each room amazingly reproduces an entirely different climate to the next. The sights and smells there are wonderful. Seriously, take a deep breath when you enter each room! You'd be losing so much of the experience otherwise. It's like stepping into a different country altogether.

So tropical the lens gets foggy!

Banana alien

Now, I'm not much of a romantic, but on that day we happened to walk into a small and unassuming glasshouse. The contemplative stillness of the waterlily pond took my breath away. 

~

Making friends with plants

Blouse - Vintage

Leather skirt - handmade by my grandmother!

Turquoise necklace - Oliver Bonas

Affordable Fashion and the CIRCUS

I AM SO EXCITED. In case that didn't quite come across, let me reiterate. I AM SO EXCITED.

THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN.


I'M GOING TO THE CIRCUS!

The Moscow State Circus is in town, and I went to get my tickets yesterday. If I wasn't excited enough by the sheer prospect of it, the trip there certainly made sure to correct that. They've erected a huge circus tent in the forest surrounding Alexandra Palace, and the location is absolutely magical.

I don't know what it is about the circus, but I've always been absolutely fascinated by it. The aesthetic of it, the atmosphere, the music... I don't know, nothing else really ever compares. Even world-class acts like Cirque du Soleil seem a little pale to me next to the fun fair-esque entertainment of the People that the circus endeavours to be. Believe it or not, I am actually jumping up and down in excitement as I type.

I couldn't possibly go check out the circus without dressing up for it, so here's the outfit I put together for the occasion:

And then again, this is nothing compared to what I will wear on the day of the performance...

Top - Primark

Bra with criss-cross straps - H&M

Skirt - numph

Shoes - Baker

Jacket - Collectif

Jewellery - Hutan Tulang

A little silk blouse...

This morning I found a forgotten gem at the back of my closet, a little silk blouse inherited from my great-aunt. I have no idea what period it's from - possibly 40s? any ideas, do leave a comment! - but I have been watching much too much Mr Selfridge lately and thought I would incorporate it into a Belle Epoque-inspired outfit.

Blouse - Vintage

Skirt - H&M

Shoes - Primark

A Very Vintage Valentine's

I know, I know, this dates a little, but I came by the photos while going through my phone and wanted to share them with you. Also, confession number 2: it was only mildly vintage. I just thought the title sounded cool.

Coat - Collectif

Velvet Dress - Collectif

Jewellery - Topshop

I tried to take a close-up of my hair but couldn't get the light right, so all I'm left with is this rather embarrassing selfie to show off my faux-rolls. Oh well.

Despite the fancy schmancy outfits, we had quite the trashy bohemian night, with a Sing-Along screening of Moulin Rouge at the Prince Charles Cinema (THAT is how this movie is supposed to be enjoyed. With singing and mock-crying and shouting at the screen and an audience in show-girl costumes), dinner at Five Guys and witnessing a mysterious break-up scene on our way home. Quite the adventure.

Outfits from Outer Space #3: Halloween

Better late than never, right?

Leaving you to ponder this for too long is potentially dangerous, so here's a distracting compilation of all my Halloween 2013 costumes.

1. Pop Art

This was put together very last-minute for MCM Comic Con, inspired by Roy Lichtenstein's art. Mostly it just involved orange face paint and a LOT of eyeliner. Drawing on those dots took fucking forever.

A very confused Castiel discovers pop art.

2. 50s movie character

After reading this inspiring blogpost, I decided to go greyscale for Halloween and aimed for a 50s-inspired look.

Top - Collectif

Skirt - Coast

Behind the scenes:

Originally, we were meant to go as a greyscale couple, but he flipped out when I brought out the eyeliner and wouldn't let me paint the rest of his face..

3. Last-minute Cruella De Vil

I got invited to a Disney pub crawl in Shoreditch, and was too lazy to go home and change, so I concocted this with what little clothes I had at my boyfriend's... Fun fact: I've owned this faux fur jacket since I was 6 years old and my cousin's bridesmaid. It's served me well.

People kept complimenting me on my 'white face makeup'... I wasn't wearing any. Sob.

4. Creepy nondescript Tim Burton character

Inspired by Emma Pickles' makeup tutorial, I wore this for Voodoo Rock Night. 

Corset - Primark

Skirt - Topshop

Armwarmers - Claire's

Annoyingly, it turned out to be one of those cases where everything looked better during the makeup test than on the actual night.

My eyebrows just wouldn't disappear!

5. ...And a minion

...What did YOU dress up as on Halloween?