Born to shop, Forced to work February 27, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Crafting, Life, Chatter & Politics.Tags: audry hepburn, Fashion, gifts, presents, Shopping, Work
7 comments
I really don’t know what I have done to deserve this, but Gail from work gave me a present today – apprarnetly she saw it, and thought it was “just me” – she couldn’t resist buying it!
It’s so cute – and I have to agree, very me-like!
Born to Shop, Forced to work – now my mantra!! Apparently the lovely looking woman in the hat and cute little dress is me – but a little more Audrey Hepburn, a little less crazy idiot!
I love random acts of kindness!
Todays outfit February 26, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in What I Wore.Tags: Clothes, daily wardrobe, Faith, Fashion, ill, outfit a day, Shoes, topshop
3 comments
I am hoping to build a few more outfit shots into my posts. After all, I really like my clothes collection at the moment.
However, you will have to excuse today’s shot, with me looking rather ill and pale! I came down feeling peculiar this afternoon, and think I may retreat to bed soon – I just feel funny!
My clothes today were all working around my favourite trousers of the moment, which manipulate a kind of jhoppers/harem pants style. They always start off really comfy (they are very high waisted), but end up cutting into my tummy – I have no idea how!
Jacket: New look (years ago), Trousers: Dotty P Vintage (eBay), Shoes: Faith, Top: Topshop sale.
Regression – the personal credit crunch February 26, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Depression, Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants.Tags: Credit Crunch, Depression, exercise, Fashion, laziness, recession, regression
add a comment
Aaarrrggghhh!
Sorry about that, just had to get it off my chest!
The past few weeks have been a blur of immaturity. This means they have also been stressful, hormonal and goddam unfathomable. For some reason I just can’t work out (hence the “unfathomable”, I suppose), I have been having real trouble getting my lazy bottom of the floor (or seat, or table, or bed) to do anything at all. I keep denying the fact that technically, age and context wise, I am a grownup. I rent my own flat, I live with my boy, I work 9-5. Consequently, and somewhat unfortunately, there are some things I simply have to do.
Such as – tidying. Which I cannot force myself into. Good god, last night I ended up crying because I “didn’t want to have to do anything”. I didn’t want to tidy, to cook, to wash-up. I definitely didn’t wan tot go to the gym. In short, I wanted to lie around, eat whatever I craved, drop my clothes on the floor and retreat to bed without having to take a shower.
For whatever reason, it would seem that my ID now rules – I want want want, and that is about it. Which means, worryingly, that I seem to have regressed to the mental age of a greedy id-happy baby.
Forget the credit crunch – I’m in a real regression. For hereon in, I shall make efforts to refill my bank account of maturity (what, you mean you don’t like awful analogy?!) and deposit my laziness somewhere untouchable. I may also try to learn the proper and respectful use of metaphor! Perhaps!
List of things to do (which you may not care about, but which are of vital importance to my laziness cold-turkey)
- eBay my items – and put photos of the gorgeous creatures on here for you all to see!
- Tidy. Dust. Hoover. Tidy some more.
- Go to the gym.
These are my priorities!
School’s… IN?! February 24, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Foodiness, Life, Chatter & Politics.Tags: Fear, friendship, learning, School, shyness
6 comments
Yesterday I went back to school – well, in a sense at least. I had my first “Cooking for pleasure” sessions as per my present from Ben, and this is held at the local college, as a night course.
Me being me, I was incredibly nervous beforehand! I have never been very good at the build up before things that are new, shiny and unfamiliar. I stress myself out over the tiniest things – whether I Will actually find the room. Whether anyone will like me. How I will choose what cookery island to work from. Will I have the right ingredients. Whether I will suddenly develops an even more pronounced complete ineptitude, and accidentally set fire to myself… the room.. god, even the world.
It has been said I am paranoid – I now believe it. And I know really that none of this stuff will really (hopefully) happen – I just build myself into throngs of worry whilst waiting. And being that I am writing this post today, you can take comfort in the fact that I didn’t burn ANYONE last night – or anything!
In fact, it was a success! After wandering nervously up the corridor lined with lockers (a blast from the past if ever there was one – even the must sock smell was exactly the same!) and being deposited outside the door by a very patient boyfriend, I gathered the courage to go in.
The result was something I should have seen coming – a room full of slightly nervous looking people, avoiding eye contact at first and then gingerly trying to form some sort of friendship – all be it temporary. A few cooking related anecdotes later, and all was good!
Why do I do it to myself?!
Here’s what I made – click the link to see the recipe
Ratty Ratty Ratty February 20, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics, Photos.Tags: pet rats, pets, rattery, rodents
4 comments
I feel like doing a post dedicated to my lovely lil pets. We are getting a third rat (with curly hair!) on Sunday, and I thought I would engross you all with some pictures of Storm (the grey one) and Buffy (the little white and grey/brown one).
Buffy loves squeezing into her coconut, which hangs from the ceiling of her cage. We put food in it and she shimmies her way up the cage bars, stretches over to the coconut, and clambers in (VERY ungracefully!). Once in she proceeds to use the freedom from greedy Storm to devour all of the food she can, without having it nicked off her!
Storm is more difficult to photograph – she’s just too darn fast! In the blink of an eye she can zoom across the room and under the sofa – all too often with a morsel of food that she has nicked off us! She is blurry in these picks, but at least you can see a) how fat she is through nicking Buffy’s food, and b) what a lovely deep grey she is.
It’s odd to think that one day Buffy will be almost entirely white – her hair will fade from now on in, and soon she’ll just be left with a hint of her hood.
Aren’t they gorgeous!?
Capitalist society, eat my shorts (or swap them!) February 19, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, Thrifting, Vintage.Tags: capitalism, Clothes, dior, Dress, Fashion, money, swap, vintage
2 comments
I often find it sad that society today is quite so focused on the act of buying. I don’t really understand why the owning of physical items purchased with your own cash is so important – I have always lent more towards the idea of trade – a skill or item of equal worth being exchanged for a another. What one person has in excess being their currency, each persons merit and abilities “funding” their chosen lifestyle. I would prefer to pay in kind rather than exchange meaningless scraps of paper and disks of metal, which only have meaning for the sake of capitalism.
That said, I love money. I like the independence of earning it, the freedom to do with it what you want (within legal limits, of course!), and the ease with which your “wealth” can be calculated and budgeted. As something you can count and pin down, money is invaluable (no pun intended) for planning your future.
However, I have always liked the idea of trading. I have liked the prospect of wandering into a vintage shop and swapping your unwanted items for things you do want, of having a lovely massage in exchange for a piece of writing. That is why I really like the new site that I have just registered with – http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/. It is a chance to finally balance out the world – to exchange with like minded others and to get lots of extra clothes in the bargain.
Check it out, it’s great! Sorry for sounding like a walking advert, but I always get excited at the prospect of swapping – it feels like getting something for nothing, without leaving someone else with nothing for something!
Some of my best picks:
Black and white gold beaded dress
Fancy pants Dior purse and eye shadow:
Mental Ska-ing February 15, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Music.Tags: band, birmingham, Music, Music reviews, pop, punk, rap, Reel Big Fish, ska, Suburban Legends
2 comments
I have discovered a new passion – “cool” bands who are brave enough to actually feature a dance routine onstage!
This Friday I went to see Reel Big Fish at the 02 Academy, in Birmingham. The gig was good – if you avoided the mad jumping teenagers and sweaty aggressive guys and focused on the music, it was definitely worth a good wiggle and a little bit of skanking. Unfortunately as a member of the infuriated “clumsy idiots” club, skanking doesn’t sit well – it needs easy, no-holds-barred movement, and (worse) for your feet to leave the ground without reservation. I, however, cannot even bounce without risking life and limb, and therefore was reduced to my rather less abandoned wiggle and foot tap, whilst the crowd around me bounced and jived.
The reel (sorry, couldn’t resist) stars of the show, however, were the second supporting act. Following an inspiring band hiding rap under the pseudonym “ska” who screamed their way through a disappointing performance, the “Suburban Legends” were a very welcome change. It also helped that their name was punning genius, and I cannot help but respect a band who manages to find a great title amongst the throngs of dullness.
The performance had me smiling from beginning to end. It began with a collection of funkily dressed (think indie style, with waistcoats and sexy ties), absolutely beautiful individuals (see picture of the rather lovely lead singer above) striding onto stage – and rather than breaking out into their first song, they instead performed a robot inspired dance routine! After such a different start (and getting over the fact that the lead singers mike simply didn’t work), they then launched into wonderfully choreographed ska-pop – full of harmonious trumpet and trombone, plenty of tongue in cheek lyrics, and a drummer with a brilliant ability to spin his sticks in between beats. To keep up the entertainment value, certain parts of certain songs were accompanied by specific moves – fake trumpet/trombone battles, robot dances and perfectly timed air guitar. All in all, I was pretty impressed – and bought the CD on the way out (which I have NEVER done before!).
Mon Anniversaire! February 13, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics.Tags: Love, valentines
1 comment so far
Today is mine and Ben’s 2 year anniversary. Of course, most of my friends consider this to be a stupid date, as we so delayed our official couple-dom! Never mind though, it is always nice to have a date that officially celebrates something so easily taken for granted. I want to be soppy for a moment (Please skip to the next paragraph if desired), and let Ben know just how much I love him. I love that we can laugh hysterically together about the silliest things (rat weeing on my head, anyone?!), and talk seriously about the deepest things. I love that he will let me take all his heat when I climb cold and shivery into bed, and that he will barely complain when I put my cold feet on him. I love that he pretends to be fed up of my continual clothes buying, but will still encourage me to purchase, and to keep hold of as much as I can.
Ok, that’s the cringe-worthy stuff out of the way. It may make peoples insides shrivel up in repulsion, but it needs to be said, and it’s all true!
Anyway, I have been thinking recently about how much I miss people. A sit happens my life is taking on quite a rosy glow at the moment – I have lots of plans, lots of places to be. But I9 keep catching myself missing all the people that I don’t see enough of. I have plans with people, plans to get to see them. But some of the guys at uni, and the guys at home – I worry that we might never REALLY see each other again, aside from passing meetings and the occasional coinciding dates.
So, in the spirit of that over-marketed holiday, Valentines day, I would like to extend my love to all of you, and let you know that even if I don’t get to see you much, I lvoe you all 
Skirt Suits February 11, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, Semi-Daily eBay, Thrifting.Tags: bargain, Clothes, eBay, Fashion, Second Hand, Shopping
5 comments
I am aware that this blog is currently becoming more fashion blog than anything else! But bear with me gals – I’m in a phase and it’s great fun! Of course, this has always been part fashion blog – it’s just leaningmore and ore in that direction this week! To the point where I am about to write my second post in a day!
Further to my last post, I have been looking for cheapy skirt suits. Not necessarily to wear as full blown suits (I am easily swamped by too much of the same), but to equip my wardrobe with smart fun suits to which I can add my own “edge”.
I need feedback on this one though! I have found the following – do any of them have potential? P.S I know the colourful Monsoon one is more that a little bit crazy, but I kind of like it!
Jane Norman skirt suit, eBay, currently £4.99
Karen Millen skirt suit (beautiful), eBay, currently £4.50!
Monsoon skirt suit, eBay, currently £4.99
Conscious fashion February 11, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, Inspiration.Tags: eBay, Fashion, style, wardrobe
4 comments
I love my wardrobe. After all, the items have all come from my effort and (most importantly) my purse. My shoe collection holds exactly what I need, and my clothes hit the perfect spot between wacky and sane (for me, that is!). However, I have begun to aspire for something more that a wardrobe that is “good”. I want a wardrobe where every item makes me feel “wow” inside. Not items that need to be in-your-face, but items that express subtlety and fashion-intelligence with every swing of a skirt or step of a heel. I will post my shoes on here soon, as I think my collection is beginning to lean towards this.
Clothes, however, are a different story. I am feeling fed up, in a way that has been building for the past few months. I have draws full of tops that simply arent’ all that great. Now, there is nothing wrong with having the basics – plenty of coloured t-shirts, strappy tops and jumpers, but all by other tops have hit boring. There is really nothing there that stands out – and when I think about it, all I own that really expresses me is my dresses.
Therefore, I feel like setting myself a challenge. A challenge to clear out my clothes draws of all the old and downright boring trash that I haven’t been able to bring myself to get rid of. I will post the best finds (because we all know how items you are sure you have never owned turn up in your drawers during a clean-out!), and all the dregs will either head in eBay’s direction, or to the charity shop, where someone else will have the imagination necessary to do them Justice.
I am, you see, aiming for a work style that isn’t just quirky – like this girl. I want fantastic suits, individual shirts and more than a little flare. I also want some designer items, and more accessories. A it is I have 2 full size handbags (I need to upgrade!), a few boring belts, and not much else.
From here on in, my wardrobe gets a conscious fashion makeover.
