This post isn´t too much about fashion. But often dressing up for me isn´t about fashion at all, but setting a mood. We had a lot of left over food after yesterday´s lunch which lead to the idea of having a few beers today. This again lead to the idea of poker night. So we made BLT sandwiches, bought chips and set a table. I figured the most obvious thing was to slip into a glamorous dress, so I did, and just chose red nails and lipstick to go with it. So far I´ve only gotten one bad hand - and I found a heart shaped potato chip! Could this mean good luck in both love and games?

Dress: Secondhand
Brooch: Secondhand
Tights: Secondhand
Shoes: H&M

In case you haven’t noticed the link at the bottom of the blog, I have a photo journal over at Phiary. I put up a lot of the same pictures as I do here, but also some other ones and I have hunch there will be even more in the future. You can check out the diaries of lots of great photographers too.

I was so sick of staying indoors because of the rain, and after the last needle on the sewing machine broke, I ended up just sitting there. I figured it was best to get out for some fresh air. My husband and I got dressed to take a walk in the rain. We ended up at a huge empty building that was being renovated. It was all dark in there. Rooms with odd paintings on the walls and stairs leading to nowhere. The windows were shutting and opening due to the wind. It was really scary.

Trench coat: H&M
Belt: Secondhand
Umbrella: Secondhand

There was a sale at our local grocery shop so we bought heaps of yummy food and set a big table for lunch. We finished with a little glass of port.

Skirt: Secondhand
Shirt: Mango
Bow tie: Secondhand
Brooch: Gift
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs

I got an ugly prom dress secondhand today as I liked the color and the ruffles at the bottom. I thought I could use it to make a skirt. An elderly lady in the shop obviously didn´t think it was as ugly as I did as she shoutet at me “Oh, you got that dress? I´m so happy! I looked at it and thought that I would have gotten it if I was young!”.

Then I got home and cut it to pieces. I am extremely impatient when it comes to these things. I hate using pins and measuring stuff, so I just took a plunge and hoped for the best. The sewing machine was giving me a hard time and the fabric was hell sewing, so I got really annoyed. My husband came over and asked “How´s it going my little flower?”. Now I was the one shouting “Shut up! Please go away!”.

Silly me forgot to take before shots of the dress, but the skirt didn´t turn out at all too bad in the end. A little ruffle for the ruffle crazy.

The dress was originally so big it kept falling down despite the sleeves. It had a drop waist ruffle hem. I cut the skirt off, hoisted it up, ruched it together in the back and added a zipper.

I woke up this morning with a lot lighter mood and planned on wearing my new dress along with a vintage fur coat. I jumped in the shower and got ready. Then I looked out the window - it was pouring. The day didn´t at all end up as planned, just much better. We started with breakfast at Hotel Havana. They have the best sandwiches in the world, no doubt. Then we took the tram over to the west side of the city and went to Tonica. The women there for some reason love my husband. They keep finding him stuff and giving him crazy discounts. He bought an Yves Saint Laurent blazer that he got dirt cheap. I felt a little left out as I didn´t find anything at all. I had my eye on a feather collar, but it was Tonica´s personal belonging.

Then we continued shopping other places and I got some things intended for DIY projects, as well as another pair of shoes at Zara. Now I can forget about the ones I was waiting so patiently for, but it´s no biggie.

We took the tram over to the east side of the city where I got some more craft supplies. Yellow taffata that I am going to use for a D&G inspired dress and some other things. After that it was dinner at Punjab Tandoori. Lamb Karhai and a beer for a few dollars. Yummy. I was so stuffed afterwards it felt like I rolled my way home.

This evening, unless I hear of some fun party, I´m going to spend working on my DIY projects.

I can´t get my mind off ruffles.

Sweet and innocent from John Galliano og Giles.

With a twist from D&G and Givenchy.

Magazine clippings from British Elle.

Dress from Sisley I wouldn´t mind having for myself.

I am feeling quite dull these days and far from creative when getting dressed. I keep rewearing old outfits, but instead of doing the exact same thing twice, I try to at least add a little twist. My mind is set on spring and all my ideas hover around looks suited for a warmer weather. Today however, it started to snow again…

Skirt: Secondhand
T-shirt: American Apparel
Necklace: H&M
Bow tie worn on necklace: Secondhand
Makeup bag used as clutch: Secondhand

I got a new dress today and celebrated by getting Chanel´s Hydrabase Rouge Noir lipstick. It´s a nice change from my Barcelona Red and gives a more dramatic look. I believe it´s cutting the bangs that is making me wear lipstick so often all of a sudden. My eyes are hidden under my hair and no matter how much eye makeup I wear, it hardly makes a difference. Lipstick however…

Two silly pictures today, excuse my pose my pose on the last one. We shot so few that it was either this or the one with my ears peeking out of my hair. I had long forgotten about my sequin skirt as it ended up in the back of my closet. I thought about it the other day and when a friend of mine brought it up I figured it was about time to wear it again.

Skirt: Actually a top from Gina Tricot
T-shirt: American Apparel
Necklace: The Paraphernalia I wear so often but still haven´t learned to spell right.
Shoes: Zara

It´s wet and cold outside and I am still bummed about the fact that winter came back when I least expected it. I thought to myself that the best thing I could do was to put on a pretty dress and some nice heels, but instead I went for the easy solution. I threw on a comfy, warm cotton dress, and these…

The piggy slippers my mom made me for Christmas. So in case you think I wear heels all the time you´re mistaken, these are worn frequently too, even though I guess I am stretching it a little by categorizing this post “fashion”.

There are so many things I want yet too little money in my bank account. I am desperate for a pair of Ann Demeulemeester boots and there´s a pair of shoes on Zara that I also desperately want, that has still not come to Norway as far as I know. I need to save up for those things and buying little things here and there really doesn´t make it any better, except for being some sort of comfort while I wait. Today I stopped by Zara looking for the shoes I originally wanted and I noticed these heels on sale. Just one pair left and they were in my size. Now, I have a lot of shoes, a lot of black shoes too, but when it comes to actual wear, I usually opt for my stripper heels and I am getting a little fed up with wearing the same shoes all the time. So I grabbed the Zara heels before I got the time to change my mind. They weren´t expensive but in the long run it really does make a difference.

By the way, they came with an extra set of heel taps. It so rarely happens while I really think all shoes should come with an extra pair, especially stilettos as they wear down so fast.

For a while I´ve been fascinated by what I really don´t have any good name for - zippers and/or ribbons made into a pretty much useless garment. I started with the Acne grid skirt that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I contacted Acne as I wanted to get a hold of one for my own, but I quickly learned that it was only a showpiece whereas only one was available for stylists. In other words, it would never end up in my hands.

Then today, while browsing eBay I came across a rather interesting Helmut Lang piece. It´s a top made out of ribbons and a giant zipper. It is just as useless as the grid skirt, but if you look at it more like an accessory than a garment, it makes a little more sense. It would be that little extra worn over a dress, a skirt or a pair of jeans, and can completely change the way a garment is perceived.

And, like in an old spring show of Ann Demeulemeester, it´s really more like an odd piece of jewelry than a garment.

After realizing that I would never ever own the Acne grid skirt, I started thinking of making one of my own. I never really got as far as buying the needed supplies, until today when I saw the Helmut Lang top. I could have placed a bid on it, but it just happens to be that I for some strange reason purchased a giant zipper like that on eBay not long ago. My original plan was to wear it more as a necklace, but after trying it in front of the mirror a couple of times, it ended up in a box waiting to be used for some future DIY project.

Anyway, this is my plan for today, creating something like both the skirt and the top. We´ll se how far I get as I bought all the ribbons that were left in the shop and I still don´t have enough. And who knows, it might end up as a major disaster, but it´s fun just having a project to work on.

H&M used to be the ultimate shop for me, I stopped by at least once a week not to miss all the good stuff. Then it something changed and I usually only got my thrills from secondhand shopping. Just this morning, on my way to work, I thought about how I rarely stopped by H&M anymore, how I usually never found anything in particular when I did, and how I maybe should just stop going there all together. Then, when I got home, I saw a picture of an H&M dress I liked. It´s the same print as I´ve already got a shirt and a bikini in, and the dress looked like just perfect. Floor length but not floral as I have trouble finding florals I really love. I ran off to H&M with a feeling of excitement, afraid that it would already be sold out. The dress wasn´t there. As far as I can tell it hasn´t come to Norway yet. But even though I didn´t get the thrill of finding the dress of my dreams, I found a nice little frilly white scarf. Nothing too special really, but it reminded me of the images I picked yesterday with the soft shades and suddenly spring didn´t feel too far away after all. Only that was a little thrill in itself. Now I just hope I snatch the dress too before it´s all gone.

The rings had to go when I went outside and discovered that huge cocktail rings didn´t go well under mittens, and mittens are a must now that it´s snowing sideways.

I´m going all black today. I guess the weather is still getting to me. Instead of colors I am wearing a set of rings that mean a lot to me. The big flower ring is one that was given to my mom by her parents, that my mom gave to me, and that I will give to my future daughter someday. The ring with the ruby is the engagement ring that my dad gave my mom. And of course my wedding ring. The rest are just from various high street shops. Now I am off to H&M to track down a dress that I want. I am also planning on getting a dark red lipstick, like my nail polish. I wear so much lipstick these days that I need some variation.

Dress: Secondhand
Bag: Vintage
Tuxedo belt: Secondhand
Rings: Various gifts and shops