MY KIND OF SWEAT PANTS

Black beret week part one;

Eddi is away on the other side of the world for a couple of weeks, I have some commissions to work on, a couple of workshops to keep and Dag is getting some more teeht. But no problem,  I will just clone myself times four and things should be alright.

Oh.

But that means this will be the black beret -or other head-gear weeks, covering a messy head with that thrustworthy piece of cloth for a less on-the-verge-of-a-burnout look. That, and some lipstick and I'm good to go!

 Sometimes people ask how to manage -or rather why-  to take care of oneself (as in dress up, wear make up, fix the hair) with a baby but I don't really get the question, only partly. Yes, in some terms style may alter a bit along with parenthood, but why let go of your personal style completely? If I'm going somewhere it's just as big an effort for me to get up and put on a dress as it would be to put on a pair of sweat pants or pull a plastic bag on me. And flapping on that beret and a quick go with what's inside my make up bag takes no longer than five minutes, one if I have to, with Dag by my side. Or, given the opportunity, it can of course take as long as it has to. In any case it's not something you have to defend.

Related to that I have to point out how great this dress, along wiht the Jeannie dress in the same material, I got from Trashy Diva last fall have been. Trashy Diva is on the more expensive side for some, but in this case it was especially oh so worth it; the fabric is thick and good looking -a jersey knit- while still soft and stretchy. It's like wearing a sweat pants in dress form! That also happen to look good. Because dresses or no dresses, I almost never wear anything during the day that is not comfy. If you can combine comfy and style you have yourself a winner.

Pinterest

To help me with my freelance research I've jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon. I'm going to make a Pinterest board for every freelance brief I do, you can follow me at: http://pinterest.com/beckyloisburns/
Here are the boards so far...

As per usual I am massively behind on blogging. Apparently I'm not very good at sticking to personal targets like blogging every Friday. In my defence I have been extremely busy. I started my new job as a design assistant, moved all my stuff down to London AND got an amazing new flat in a warehouse conversion.

My living room, complete with hammock :)

More exciting news is that I have sold 3 of my freelance designs- 2 in London and 1 in Milan. This couldn't have come at a better time as I have been so penniless recently and was close to giving up on freelance work as it seems to have been costing me far more than I'm earning from it. Hopefully this will no longer be the case! 

Now that I've been living down here for 2 months things are starting to settle down a bit and I feel like I can dedicate more time to blogging updates. Here are a few images of the type of things I've been doing at work

Iain Macarthur's detailed sketches

My interpretation of Macarthur and the lace samples created from my sketches.

Mara Hoffman AW13

Animal print camouflage designs

Pick me up: Graphic Arts festival

One of the perks of being a design assistant is that I have to go to exhibitions and galleries for research!On Friday work paid for me to go to the Pick me up: Graphic Arts festival at Somerset house. Such an amazing experience and SO inspiring!I've added some images from the exhibition below...

Some trends among the illustration included: pop art, neon colours and illustrated animals. Detailed animal illustrations seem to be becoming increasingly popular, this is something I want to experiment with in my own work. Having the opportunity to look around the exhibition made me eager to get back into doing my own artwork outside of work.

I also went to look around the Brick lane Sunday market yesterday with some friends. I love the atmosphere there and am really interested in trying to see if I can create some designs to put on t-shirts so that I can have a stall there. 

"ARE YOU POWDERED TO YOUR OWN SATISFACTION? AND TO HIS?"

 My father in law is renovating a small house on the farm and bough us a fine,big tin barrel. it was full of old newspapers. They were all from 1935.

I am not the one to think something is amazing jsut because it's vintage, but browsing old ads, articles or pictures is of course always interesting. And can be rather funny too.

 Dag was checking out the papers too.

 And noticed they were rather dusty.

Advertisement for Princess Pat Powder and lots of small ads for piano lessons.

But some headlines are just the same as today; about re-structturing and health care...

COLOR SHOT

Deep coral red, olive green.

The lipstick is Zuui and shirt form Fast&Loud.

FROM ONE THING TO THE OTHER

The way things are around here.

One moment I'm doing this:


The next (cleaning up after) this...

SHAE DETAR

Lately I've been admiring the art work and fashion photography of Shae DeTar.

Soft and dreamy, dear I say a bit hipster and also with a touch if pre raphaelite- as well as some Klimt influences in some pieces.

All images from shaedetar.com

TUESDAY EVENING SHOT

Eddi had his daddy-leave -went by in a blink- and we've stayed out a lot in the countryside (as you may have noticed). Now the month is over and he'll go on a research trip to Bolivia for two weeks. We spent the last night in the countryside for a while with ecological white wine and raw food truffels (dates, cashew, vanilla, cocoa and coconut oil) and a pale bit moon shining very strong outside the window.

BABYSTEPS

We've been renovating the country side house now for five(!) months, and step by step in small bits  we're starting to finish things off. Babysteps, but getting there. Even though the whole house itself, in certain ways, will be an eternal project - you know, few houses are ever really ready. But anyway.

Things have happened in the hallway, especially to the floor. But more on that another time.


The bathroom now has a sink. More on that later too.


And the kitchen has been, as you now, in action for a few months already but is still -yes, still- waiting for some last detailing.  Meanwhile my noodles are happily cooking.

BODEN USA

I have a new affiliate for you to shop at; Boden!
I like their timeless, preppy, sixties inspired clothing. Boden also has cute clothes for children and men as well as shoes and accessories.

Now you get 15% off the whole site until Sunday night. Shipping is also free if you live in the US.
The discount is valid wherever you live, but note that it runs on at Boden US only, not the other sites.

Get to the site from the banner in my side bar or by clicking the links below:

WELL WELL WELL...

..if it isn't so that my winter boots have finally gone to rest!

La la la la la.
So it did happen, the extra snow we got  a couple of weeks back plus the nasty rain from a few days back did melt the winter away. It's like everyting suddenly jumped one month ahead, to how it should be by now; the streets are dry (which really is a feeling far more rejoiceful than you'd think if you live in a place where you never experience post-snow time...), the weather is warm(-er) and sunny, I can wear my heels again. Mmmmyes.


My skirt is vintage adn the cardigan is from h&m. I have some jojoba oil in my most of hair (it's good for the scalp if you have a dry one like me) so I made a twist in the back and a swirl in front and covered it with my scarf form BooBoo Kitty.

FLUFF

Here's some random petticoat fluff for you for Saturday night!

THE ARTFUL MUSICIAN

Some of you may remember the giveaway we did last year with the Artful Musician NY?
The Artful Musician is fine arts photographer and musician Thomas Roberts Meyers who creates art prints of music instruments and equipment. You can read more about it here.


He has now opened up a web shop of his own too, Guitar Art Print  with art prints and t-shirts, as well as started selling music themed pendants in the Guitar Art Print- etsy shop.

So, in honor of that not only one or two but three readers here will have the chance to win $50 in store credit!

In order to enter  we do as before; leave e a comment on this post and make sure I will be able to reach you trough it! And as usual: if you share, you get one more entry per share. The give away is open until Sunday, April 28 and the winners will be announced the day after. Good luck!

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Apparently I just am the kind of person that when I really -I mean really-  begin the task of organizing at home, and also should get on with those 522 unread emails in my inbox, start color-coordinating my dresses (and, taking photos of it...) 

Mmmmmmmh, dresses-

But then I sort of started "home-shopping", remembering this and that item in my wardrobe. Very useful. However, the hard truth and it's conclusion is that there is no need to buy any dress ever again!  Ever. (Ha ha!) Well except for green dresses; turns out I don't have any green ones - how did this happen? Nothing wrong with green. Must be corrected! (Ah, what a great feeling; relief).

Now let's just hope for a long and warm and very sunny summer and children that magically stop being messy so that I can actually wear every single one. (Can I get another HAHA?)

PAGEBOY-ISH 360°

My hair is now long enough to start making do's where I fake it short. Which makes totally sense. In some parallel universe at least.

I can't really decide weather life was better (hair-wize, that is) with long or short hair, but I think I'm going to let my locks grow out for some time. Because then, like here,  one can sort of have both.

I have curled my hair and rolled it towards the neck in three thick pin curls in the back, each roll pinned from both sides. My hair is cut round; a bit shorter in the front so after pulling the front back with combs I just let the ends be; tucked them in a bit backwards and put a few pins here and there, then smooth it out in the back. Quick and easy!

My dress in the pictures is Trashy Diva Jenny dress.