Hats off to you Piers!

Oh my goodness I have just come across milliner extraordinaire Piers Atkinson.  I'm in love (again).  I would go into great detail about this genius but you can google him for that I am going to show some of my favourite of his pieces.  If you ever thought hats were boring and just for the mother of the bride feast your eyes on these.  I have an afro so hats are hard to wear but the head dresses are amazing!

I would wear them all.  Prices range from £85-£380 and the pictures are from the Piers Atkinson site and Net a Porter.

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High fashion v High street

I am often surprised at how quickly some looks run from the catwalks to the high street and then other times I get very frustrated at knowing exactly what I want and not being able to find it at a reasonable price ie not hundreds or thousands of pounds.  If given a choice I will always opt for the quality version over the cheap and cheerful version but I am a realist and also not stupid (most of the time) and not a millionaire as yet so finding high street versions of fabulous designer dresses like from Victoria Beckham makes me happy.  It is not an absolute copy.  It has the essence of the VB dress I love it.  Have a look and see what you think. Victoria Beckham vs Boohoo peeps.

Victoria Beckham £855

Boohoo £20

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Slip sliding

I love all seasons fashion wise because I love fashion and a change of season means adjusting your state of mind and embracing another fashion alter ego.  Well fashion bunnies we are on the cusp of change spring is a coming!  If you've been paying attention 4.30pm is no longer pitch black and I personally no longer feel the urge to only drink red wine and hot chocolate. Sadly we are not there yet and the reason for my saddness about the cold is my almost addiction to slides. Not the kind you put in a projector or the kind you sit at the top of and scream your way to the bottom. I am talking about the shoe or for better want of a word slipper kind.
Last summer I happened upon a look that was so wrong it was brilliant. To my knowledge it originated in the USA amoung those very cool looking bad boy types. You know the ones your mother told you to stay away from but you just couldn't help yourself? The look usually worn with baggy shorts and an even baggier Tshirt vest or jumper for me is very alluring.

On one of my regular Instagram sessions I happened upon a shoot from Adidas using "Socks & Slides" as their caption and a love union was formed.  I was obviously not the only one as a number of high end designers have come up with their own version of the very attainable look.
Now I have my very own Adidas slides and I think for now I am happy with these to make a 2014 appearance when the wind and rain and sub zero conditions have truly vacated the country (for a while at least. I know wishful thinking) but you feast your eyes on these beauties and hope that the daffodil patch near you also pops up a pair of sliders.

CHLO&EACUTE £560 available at Net-a-Porter.com

CHRISTOPHER KANE £210 also available at Net-a-Porter

SEE BY CHLO&EACUTE £170 Net-a-porter

ISABEL MARANT £280 Net-a -Porter.com

My ADIDAS socks and slides around £20

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Reality Rant

Those who know me well know that I am  sucker for reality Tv.  I watch EVERYTHING.  I recently did a big catch up on Geordie Shore.  For some reason I love this programme and this troubles me as these young people are an absolute mess!  Most of the females on this programme at some point have prided themselves on being a slut/slag and most of the boys (two out of three) spend the majority of their time pulling girls.    Now this I'm sure is what most guys of their age are doing but they openly say that they want them for sex and that's pretty much it.   Every night there are different young girls.  I would say ladies but that would be pushing it as they are all happy to sleep with these guys obviously on the telly as they are followed by cameras all night and then be filmed doing all of the sex.  Granted you do not see the faces in the act but you usually see them being put in taxis afterwards and in the club before.  The most worrying thing for me is to my knowledge and I know this is not extensive I have only heard mention of safe sex and a condom once!  This I find atrocious.  We live in a very sexualised time I know and I myself have been in a video or two that is highly sexualised but it all seems so callous and throw away.  The following for this programme is huge.  You only need look at the reaction the one of the girls Charlotte who won Celebrity Big brother.  If you had not known her previously you probably would not have been very impressed with her behaviour but she has a huge following of young people that were not shocked at all as it has all been seen before and much worse.
I realise I am ranting.   It would just be nice to see different types of young people represented on Tv.
I do like the characters don't get me wrong and essentially they seem like nice people taking full advantage of a great opportunity put in front of them I just wish there were some more programs with young people doing some constructive things to.
In my early twenties I partied but I was also trying to build a career and experience lots of different things. I am by no means a saint or the best role model but my life and antics are not broadcast to thousands of people.  Come on powers that be come up with another concept that doesn't involve the super rich starry eyed or, well actually I haven't a bad word for Towie as they all seem to do something under all the weaves and lashes.

Current cast.  Picture from Mtv site.

Rant over I won't bother going in on Miley, that's so yesterday!


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All Change

I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth people I have just had my head down.  This year more so than others has been all about change.  When people ask me what I do I no longer say " I am a dancer" even though it is the first thing that comes to mind after working as a dancer for 13 years.  I have been on courses,  I've played intern and assistant which has been very interesting indeed.  I am finally off of the starting block for career number two and I am very excited/nervous.
I have set my sights high and I am going to go for it.  Let's see what the world has for me ey?!

I shall leave you with two things:

1) Go for whatever it is you want to do.  Obstacles are there to be quashed.

2) My presenting showreel.  Now I'm no Holly Willobooby and I don't have Simon Cowell money backing me but you have to start somewhere right?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15s4Ogf5ezk


Oh and I now teach Zumba so if you need to get fit while busting some serious moves come down to Push Studios in East Dulwich.

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Spartacus is nowhere to be seen!

I just had to do a quick post about these beauts.  The Tom Ford gladiator heel.  Seen here on Rihanna and on Jennifer Lopez for the cover of Februarys' Bazaar.
I personally love them, they scream fashion drama to me and I love a little fashion drama but I would suggest that you don't wear them in strong sun light especially if you are fair as the tan lines from these could be a night mare!
Enjoy your shoegasm.

Gold Tom Ford Gladiator heels.

Rihanna instagramed a photo in the Tom Ford Gladiator recently.  She can defiantly rock pretty much anything!

Jennifer Lopez in Tom Ford Gladiator for Bazaar cover looking like a super hero.

What do you think?  Would you wear them? Or do you think they're way to much?

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Lets do this!

Hey beautiful people!  I have spent the last couple of months plugging away at various things in a different directions .  It's all very new and exciting and daunting also but you have to try right?  So as it is all about change and new things I thought to myself "lets to this!" and I booked myself up for a half marathon.  Am I actually crazy? And not in the "she's so crazy" way.  In the WHAT THE HELL way.  The most I had run before I signed myself up was approximately 2.60 miles. A half marathon as you will know is 13 miles.  I have a long way to go!  Thank goodness for the internet and friends giving me the information I need to become a better and faster runner.  I only have to add 10 more miles to my best.

So being the person I am half marathon training obviously means new sports wear!  I must say I didn't go over board just a new pair of running shoes and a few high impact sport bras.  I mean it's an investment right?
The catalyst for me signing up for something so drastic and so not me was going to support a friend who was competing in the Miami Pro competition.  For those of you that have never heard of it it is a body beautiful comp where competitors train for months at a time on pretty much each individual muscle in their body.  This takes extreme dedication, maximum weight training and a strict diet and I was so impressed.  I personally wouldn't want my body to be as muscly as most of the women in the competition so I sought out a different challenge that would push me in a different way.

Along with the start of my training I have decided to eat as clean as possible.  This takes quite a lot of planning especially if you will be away from home.  It's so easy to grab something out and about but generally the content is so far off clean eating it is astounding.   The weekend is the most testing when a bottle of wine is thrush into my world and then all clean goes out of the window and beautiful burgers fly in in its place but no ones perfect.

Anyway this is just a quick post as I have to go and do some squats!  It's all so addictive.
Check out the pics.

Nike Free 5.0  These bad boys will get me across that finish line and if not my feet will look great.

The boys at Miami Pro strutting their stuff.

Close up, one for the ladies!

Clean eating mixing an old and new school diet.  Tilapia, rice and peas, asparagus and beetroot. 

Preparing a clean lunch.  Sweet potato wedges to be roasted,  mushroom  stir fry.

Friday night trying to stay clean with these gorgeous teas at Ping Pong (didn't really work)

 Shall keep you all posted.

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