The Devil's in the Details

I love details. I find joy in seeing the small things that were put there as a gift by someone who also appreciates the little things, or the little anomalies that occur in nature.

My mum recently went to Bruges (according to her, we should all go there as soon as, but take lots of money). As well as dreamy Belgian chocolates she brought me a lovely little treasure - a lace umbrella. Belgium is famous for its lace, and you can see why. Their lace is so intricate, so delicate its hard to imagine the patience taken to make it, which is even more amazing given the fast paced nature of our society. I barely have the time to sew on a button I am so busy commuting, computing, consuming, communicating...and here are people for whom pain staking perfection is a livelyhood and an art form.

Its just so easy to let all the machinations of daily life distract you from so much else, particularly thought. Its not necessary to live with that mild feeling of harrasment at all times, but so many of us do. I think it may very well be a big city thing...The rushing, the distraction of media and advertising, the impersonal nature of public transport, the desperate need to get home to a space that is yours. But lately I have been trying to take pleasure in the commute and find the little things - the unusual grafitti that flies past me on the train, people wearing mismatched socks, someone reading the same book as me, a girl still wearing a petticoat in this day and age...

Have you seen any details you usually miss lately...if so I wanna know. Post me some details here!

Mixed Tape

I feel so privileged to have been born in an era with Mixed Tapes. With the more modern conveniences of CD burners and i-pod play lists the making of perfect music mixes has become incredibly simple and easy. It is no longer requires the hours of dedication and perfect timing that was so necessary in the long gone days of the mixed tape.

In the early days of adolescence, as my musical tastes began to sharpen and my Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan tapes got ever more stretched I began to make mixed tapes. I remember pulling our huge beanbag over to a rather archaic HiFi and sitting for hours trying to figure out how to get from Jewel to Nirvana on one side of the tape. There was also the frustration of attempting to make the compilation just the right length – no giant expanse of crackling noise, or cut off songs. Having to wait for each of the songs to play out meant that the creation of the perfect tape could take most of an afternoon, and meant that when finished it was well loved and played until you knew all the words and each syllable of the song went on for a couple of seconds. And so the creation of a mixed tape was a labour of love, especially when it was for another…

So here I am creating a Mixed Tape of sorts – a labour of love. I am going to make it an ongoing feature so watch thus space…

Track 1

Florence and the Machine – I’m Not Calling You a Liar

Florence and the Machine are the most interesting band I have come across in ages. Their blending of instruments along with Florence’s strong but somewhat desperate voice can only be described as haunting. The fanciful, yet somewhat gothic nature of their lyrics is so appealing. Its somewhat like reading a fantasy novel or something. When I pop my headphones in my ears on the tube in the mornings, I feel as though I float through the Underground and to work. I find myself bopping up the escalator, and am honestly at the point where I can’t bare the thought of a morning without them.

The Bird of Tattooed Happiness

I just love this old school Sailor tattoo vibe - adore the fun graphics (not sure if I want to be covered in sailor like tattoos, but do love the artwork). I am wearing a little tattoo bird of bejeweled happiness today. She (this little swallow is sitting on a rose therefore must be a girl bird) arrived yesterday in a very special care package ordered on Etsy from the wonderful iamerica. It was described as a real gem and I must agree... the pin has a 3D look as the fabric has been puffed out and 'pooffed' to make it tactile little piece, and then just for the fun sparkly effect (I'm a magpie!) it has a few Swarovski crystals in just the right spots. works so with the multitude of jewel colours in my wardrobe. I love jewel colours...Sapphire blue, emerald green, ruby red, the purple of amethests...I think there are very few people who do not look fantastic in them. They are bold, striking and some what reminiscent of royalty and I think they all can pretty much go together too. My green cardie, which I thought was on its way to early retirement, got a happy little lift. It was just the sort of thing to cheer me up as I trudged into work this morning after my stirfry lunch leaked in my bag...the perfect grey antidote. I also tried it with my purple jacket, and that worked too - Yay!

The last picture is my tattoo inspired wishlist - all these items are available on Etsy from a variety of sellers when you search 'Sailor Tattoos'.

Roses are...Maroon

My first official post...I'm nervous! Ha ha! Also hats off to bloggers who manage to get an attractive an non-blurry full body shot. I have not been so lucky, so until I get better at this may have to take the outfit in sections - eek! Also decided to head inside before I got anymore nosey neighbours peering out of their lace curtains to see me striking somewhat silly poses in the hope of getting a good shot!

So here I am in one of my favourite skirts. Its a great colour, and at the bottom (as you can see) has the prettiest ribbon detailing, which changes it from a nicely cut skirt, into a romantic piece of whimsy. I have had it for years, but have always had a bit of a problem finding a top to match. White seemed a little too crisp, black a little too gloomy for day wear. And then, by fluke, I realised the other day that at the bottom corner of this lemon yellow top is a little flower in exactly the same shade as my skirt. So yay! I have paired it with pink ballet pumps and my giant maroon rose pendant.

The top is by my favourite designer, Maya Prass. She is from my native country, South Africa, and makes the most beautiful, feminine clothes in all the world. She uses a loads of different textured fabrics, with floral prints and flourishes and always manages to cut her clothes in the most flattering way, complimenting a woman's body! How refreshing to actually have a designer in the world who appreciates curves! Alas, as yet she does not have an online store, which makes my stay in London harder than it needs to be...but maybe one day!

Welcome to my Gypsy Corner of the Big City

What do you do when you are a frustrated creative, thrust into administrative hell by the Credit Crunch? Apparently, you start a blog!

Hello, I'm Hayley and I'm an addict - I'm addicted to New Media, music, fashion and culture. I recently moved to London to start my life, at the age of 25, and instead of landing in some inspiring job in Camden or Shoreditch or another PopCulture Mecca I am now a grey Administrative Assistant, in a grey Building surrounded by other grey souls - the only light in my dull day being the thinking up of ways to end it all with a sellotape dispenser, keyboard or that nasty looking thing that removes staples. During these endless hours I have floated through many fashion and lifestyle blogs, making 'friends' who do not now that the inventive outfits and witty banter posted on their blogs saves me a little more everyday.

So I am making my own hybrid blog - to save myself from drowning in a sea of forms and unanswered emails, to give something back to the world wide web, and to document my own little corner of this place we all call home. Borrowing from my favourite, and most religously read blogs, http://frocksandfroufrou.blogspot.com/ and http://classiccatastrophe.blogspot.com/, I will be posting outfits that I wear, and that make me feel great, on a regular basis, as well as adding my own twist with newly discovered (by me anyway) music, art, film and other pieces of beauty...as well as general musings!

So here you have my first post, accompanied by a mildly amusing retrospective of some of my ideas of fun, quirky and perky dressing, as well as some general sillyness that well help you know me a little better...