Wipe the slate clean

Welcome to the third and last installment of the Highland photo sessions.

First off a vintage 70s lurex extravaganza labelled Richard Shops that I bought on ebay last year.

The reason to why I decided to bring this frock was because the colour reminds me of slate and Ballachulish is an old slate quarry village. The shore is absolutely covered with the stuff and I just thought it would go well with the dress. I'm actually quite pleased with how these pictures turned out. I love how the surface of the loch is like a softly rippled mirror for the sky, the combination of grey slate and the rust coloured seaweed, it really appeals to me.

It was absolutely freezing cause it had been raining all day and the sun only decided to make an appearance in the early evening. The wind was still strong and I was having real problems with my wig.

 I got so frustrated with having to spit synthetic hair out of my mouth every few seconds so I tore it off in a huff, scaring the pants off an elderly dog walker in the process.

The last frock we shot isn't actually a frock at all but a theatrical skirt and top set.  I bought it a couple of years ago from a freelance costume designer who was clearing out her clutter at a car boot sale. I couldn't believe my luck that day I can tell you, it is absolutely stunning and tremendously well made.

Incidentally this was the ensemble that we tried to shot in the glen, the one that filled up like a tall ship sail.

Mark had warned me but I was adamant to give it a go anyway. I don't like to be beaten but on this occasion the whipping Scottish gale force winds whooped my ass.

 Here I am struggling to keep the skirt down and looking rather miffed ;)

Photo sessions in The Highlands are fun to do but they do present challenges that's for sure. When we did our session last September the weather was very good but then we had  to contend with the midgies and this time we were just a little bit unlucky with the weather...third time lucky?! Who knows? 

That's all folks!

I hope you've enjoyed these posts as much as I enjoyed creating them.

To sing us out the stunning Icelandic band Sigur Ros, enjoy :)

Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx

Priscilla Queen of the Glen

The second and last frock that we shoot in the glen was this extraordinarily stunning shimmering bronze taffeta creation labelled Priscilla of Boston.

 I'm guessing that it is from the same sort of fashion era as the QUAD frock I blogged about yesterday.

This frock makes me feel as if I've just sprung from the pages of a Jane Austen novel.

Fabulously bust enhancing empire line cut with delicate cream lace detailing to the neckline, adorable ruffle trimmed puff sleeves and a generously swishy skirt with ruffle trim hemline. The fabric glints and sparkles in the sun, fabulous! 

I bought this spectacular frock from a vintage dealer some years ago and have been hankering to photograph it in an equally spectacular setting ever since.

I was toying with the idea of taking it down to King's Bench Walk and doing a guerilla photo session but there are always so many people milling about in that area. Another nice spot in London for a photo session with a historical flavour would be the Pergola in Hampstead Heath. Neither of these places hold a candle to the stunning backdrop that the glen provides though and even if we did had a little bit of an audience on this occasion it's not as if people were walking in front of the camera as is often the case when trying to snap a few pics in London.

In the next post I'll show you the frocks that we shot by the Loch Leven shore. 

It was tremendously windy that day so only a few pics came out alright.

Thank you ever so much for the fab comments you left on the last post, you peeps ROCK!

I'll leave you with an amazing song by Wyldeck, enjoy ;)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Glen of Weeping & winds

As mentioned in the previous post Mark and I headed up to Glen Coe for a wee photo session while we were up in The Highlands.

I had hoped to use the same spectacular backdrop as we did last September but gale force winds howling through the glen made it quite impossible, my skirt filled up like a tall ship sail and my wig was threatening to make like a bat out of hell down the hillside.

So we drove a little further down the glen to the car park at a view point so that I could get changed in the boot of the car without risking going arse over tit in the soggy heather whilst lacing up my granny boots.

Needless to say the people that were there had their eyes out on stalks when I stripped down to my scanties to frock up, not the kind of thing they'd expected to see in a tranquil Scottish glen I bet but rather than driving off in a indignant huff to report me for indecent exposure the cheeky wee sausages started taking photos of us taking photos instead.

The first frock we shoot was a present from my sister Jessica a few years ago. It's labelled QUAD and is from the late 60s or early 70s. I love everything about this frock, its alluring bust enhancing cut, the virginal white lace sleeve trim and the deep blood red velvet. Wearing it makes me feel as if I should be in a classic Hammer Horror movie being seduced by Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing.

The wreath that I'm wearing is one that I made from some magician's rope and a bunch of lace off-cuts that I bagged at a car boot sale a few years ago.

It was a saving grace on the day cause it stopped the wig from flying off.

The evening before we took these pics I somewhat overindulged on my all time favourite ale FRAOCH made with heather and bog myrtle. It is the best tasting ale ever but unfortunately it gives me a rancid hangover, och!

Anyroad it's not about my face, it's all about the frock, behold her splendor ;)

We only managed to shoot another frock in the glen and then we did another little session by the shore of Loch Leven but I've decided to split the sessions into three posts rather than one epic one.

Hope your week has got off to a fabulous start. I'm slowly getting round to catching up with you all and I apologise profusely if I haven't made it round to yours yet. I was a bit scuppered today after having to perform emergency surgery on my cactus that I've had for years, damn you root rot or perhaps more to the point damn me overzealous waterer of plants. Hopefully it will be fine, fingers crossed.

I'll leave you with a hauntingly beautiful Dougie Maclean song covered by Deanta, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

MADE IN SWEDEN

I feel very lucky to live within striking distance of a park. As someone who grew up near nature, living in a city can sometimes feel very stifling. The park is like a sparkling emerald in a sackful of builders rubble and when I go there I can at least pretend that I am far away from the urban jungle.

I bought the frock that I'm wearing today a few years ago from a charity shop in Holloway.

Needless to say I was immediately drawn to its zesty colour and quirky print but after also seeing that it was 'MADE IN SWEDEN' (just like me) I knew that we belonged together.

I wonder how it ended up in England?

The pose in the next pic made me think of Desiree, she always pulls off the best poses. 

If there was a prize for wicked posing, she'd win it every time!

My beloved on his trusty two-wheeled steed...

I love our daily jaunts to the park :)

Soon the ground will have dried off and we'll be able to lay on the grass and watch the clouds drift by, I can't wait!

 Here's a wee happy tune for you to tap your foot to, enjoy ;)

Hope your week has got off to a great start?!

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Shiny Happy People

The sun finally decided to make an appearance in the afternoon and a mass exodus ensued here in our neck of the woods. Houses were emptying at a rate of knots and people were pouring into the park. Sun starved North Londoners are grabbing even the minutest opportunity to bask in the sun. Every single bench was occupied with impromptu picnickers and the boating lake, playground, skate park, tennis- & basket ball courts were all a hive of activity. There were so many people feeding the birds that even the pigeons had had enough. I think it is safe to say "DING DONG! THE WINTER IS DEAD!"...good riddance!

I bought the frock that I am wearing today from the same charity shop that the green maxi from Thurdays post came from and I've had it for just as long.

Once when I wore it, two Swedish ladies started slagging it off to each other after spotting me wearing it on a bus, thinking that it was safe to do so cause they were in London and I wouldn't understand what they were saying. As they were getting off the bus I beamed a smile at them and said 'ha en trevlig dag' which means 'have a nice day'. I wish I'd had a camera cause their faces were priceless.

Today there were no people slagging my frock off though, instead it got a few lovely compliments :)

The guy at the local Afro-Caribbean cosmetics center where I buy my liquid eyeliner & henna even asked me where I had bought the dress saying that his wife would love it.

For me a life without wearing frocks like this one would be a very dull one indeed.

Give me psychedelic prints, a rainbow of colours and one-off vintage pieces and I am a very happy woman.

Speaking of  a rainbow of colours, check out the visual delight I am treated to on a daily basis...

The wig emporium two doors down has expanded yet again, they keep on going from strength to strength, wigs are very much in demand seemingly. This is the one that I've got my eye on...

 WARNING: Posh pinkie in the reflection, who needs a Royal Doulton teacup when one has a camera ;)

Hope you've all had a cracker of a weekend with some sunshine to make you smile..

Thanks a million for all your lovely comments, I'm so sorry if I haven't been around to visit your blog or left a comment in ages, I hang my head in shame. I promise I'll try my best to get around to visit you all before next week is over, you lovely peeps ROCK!
Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Electric Avenue

I'm wild about "tarty textures" and I have a few frocks made from crinkle effect stretch fabric.

I bought this electric blue beauty on eBay a few years ago...

This is pretty much a dream frock for me as it incorporates several of my obsessions.

I love ostentatious 80s frocks that make no excuses for being bold as brass.

Delightfully sluttish textured stretch, ravishing ruffles, perfectly puffy shoulders and an in-yer-face primary colour to boot, it ticks all my boxes!

Vintage 80s dress, Steve Madden boots, layered tights, FROCKTASIA earrings & necklace, a selection of bangles.

Mark & I went to a wee birthday get together at Mike's pad last night. I met Mike when I went out with Leslie a few weeks back. His awesome band Super Full Moon were playing at The Old  Queens Head where Erik was doing a gig too. Mike is a super talented singer songwriter and all-round lovely chappy and it was really nice to meet some of his fabulous friends and have a wee jam too :)

You can check out Mike's band on ReverbNation HERE, they are brilliant!

Here's Mike and Jozef doing their stuff...

  

Today I had my Emergency First Response course at Dive Wimbledon.

I was a wee bitty woolly headed after last nights festivities it has to be said but my hero and instructor extraordinaire Jon pulled me though it, he's such a star!

So in a few weeks my certification will come though and we can start planning for the next stage of our diving education which will be the Rescue Diver Course. I'm really excited and I can't wait to get cracking with it. Hopefully we'll be able to do some dives at Wraysbury in out wetsuits before long but the current water temperature is still a bit too much like an arctic enema for my liking.

Here I am looking ultra glamorous & feeling like a bag of old and moldy ass... 

How am I holding that poor plastic baby? It's probably a good thing that I've never spawned!

Hope you are having a grand weekend?!

Here's Skindred to play us out, enjoy ;)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Nightmare Bear

Last night I had a horrible nightmare. I was stuck in a scenario that was similar to Stephen King's The Mist but instead of being besieged by giant arthropods and tentacled monsters I was being stalked by bloodthirsty zombie bears...

  I must have frowned like a wee grumpoid in my sleep cause when I woke up the normally faint creases in-between my eyebrows had turned into furrows deep enough to plant something in.

Mark often tells me off for scrunching my face up when he's taking photos but I can't help it.

More often than not it's got nothing to do with being displeased, worried or angry. Bright light, reading for a long time & lack of sleep usually does it. 

Curse my frowny furrows of non-worry!

Still I mustn't complain, for a face that has been exposed to the elements and endured the emotional roller-coaster that is life for almost forty years, its holding out not too badly.

I was keeping a beady eye out for any pesky zombie bears in the park, you just never know ;)

We actually bumped into a couple of zombies a few week ago when they were filming up there.

Vintage 70s caped maxi dress, fun-fur jacket, 80s boots, Frocktasia disco-ball earrings, necklace & bangles.  

A frock fit for a zombie apocalypse?

I think I'd probably wear something a bit more like this instead, a super long maxi dress would greatly diminish your ability dodge bloodthirsty bears.

The apocalyptic soundtrack would have to be this tune, enjoy ;)

Friday is within sniffing distance, huzzah!

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Green Day

I bought the frock that I'm wearing today in a charity shop on Peckham High Street a couple of weeks before I got married in 1998. I had planned on getting hitched in it but three days before the big day I found another frock in the same shop that felt more right for a December wedding & one that looked better with hubby's kilt and pirate shirt ensemble.

I remember getting my fishnets tangled up in my boot zip when I was trying the dress on in the charity shop and spending what felt like hours in the changing booth trying to untangle them but to no avail. In the end I had to shamefacedly shuffle up to the counter to borrow a pair of scissors & cut myself free.

Something similar happened to me whilst travelling to The Dandy with all my gear last Saturday. I was wearing layered tights and the bleeding nets got tangled up in my camera bag zip, don't ask me how?! No scissors to hand so I ripped the buggers and removed them once I got to The Oxford, thankfully I had a pair of opaques underneath.

I'm not into the formulaic White Wedding, I've been to a few and it's really not my bag.

After a quick thirty minute "Will you?...I do" session at the Southwark register office, we went for a pub crawl with our guests. People could come and go as they pleased, no sit down dinner (with awkward table partners), no tedious speeches, no unwrapping of yet another frigging toaster, just a bunch of our favourite peeps getting together and having a hoot and a half!

My beloved mum who came over to attend our nuptials and "wedding crawl " insisted that I'd have my hair cut before my special day. Me being a complete skintoid even when it comes to spending other peoples money went down to the "blind barbers" and had my hair absolutely butchered, so my wedding hairdo was an interesting Spock-esque bowl cut. I didn't care though, I was getting married to the loveliest man I had ever met and that blew anything else out of the water. If I would have had to get married dressed in a hessian sack & as bald as a coot, I would have still felt like the luckiest girl in the world that day. 

Vintage 70s maxi dress, 70s suede jacket, 70s boots, Ankh earrings, retro sunnies & plethora of brass bangles.

How about you?!

Did you have a traditional white wedding or did you go with something completely different?

Do you still have your wedding dress and if so have you ever worn it since your big day?

I know that quite a few of you have chosen not to go down the 'getting hitched' road but do you still have an item of clothing from when you first got together with your partner or X, something that you could never part with?

Today's tune is my favourite by Green Day...it simply had to be, enjoy ;)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Brown Belle

I bought the dress that I'm wearing today because of the label.

It's not that the frock was made by a well known designer or is exclusive in any way, I just simply loved the look of its groovy label...

I also rather like the crochet detailing and trumpet sleeves.

The colour isn't my favourite it has to be said but you can't have everything.

Vintage 70s maxi dress, 90s teddy fur jacket, 70s boots, gloves, crochet & soapstone heart earrings.

 For me brown clobber conjures up thoughts of being a kid in the 70s. 

Here are some pics from Swedish mail-order catalogues from that era...

Here's me rocking that 70s look back in the day...

My love for a groovy all-in-one goes way back it seems.

Do you have a colour or colour combination that you associate with you childhood?

Here's Boney M for your listening pleasure, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx