Discover...knitting!

I think I'm gonna knit away the wait till sales (Jan 15th, tic...toc...)
Have been watching this video on youtube and remembered how much I used to love it. It's wonderfully stress-controlling and one of the most rewarding diy activities. (if you are going to watch it, be warned, after minute 6 the content is kinda irrelevant)

So here's what you'll need:

-Knitting needles (mine are 5mm) (chopsticks do the job aswell but you'll end up with a micro-scarf)

-Yarn (you could be using other stuff too, but start with yarn!)

-Scissors (well not necessarily, but if you manage any knots that shouldn't be there they help)

I am using the blue...

I want to make a scarf just like this one (minus the stripes) (em..it's Accessorize and machine-made, but i'll try)
So I am sizing it using this simple technique and off I knit!
Knittaplease.com is such a mad website! For now I am knitting a scarf for myself (selfish?) but if I'm still good at it I may knit one for... Acropolis and send them a picture:)

Let me know if any of you guys knit!

Good Old Sales...

I am a bit upset. Most people's posts are all about happy sales buys and all I do is sit here, in front of my screen, being upset. Two reasons: a) sales are not official over here till the 15th of January so all my girlfriends are silently pupming up for then and b) I cannot find anything online which I both like and can afford at the same time. I mean look at it. I like this miu miu dress: It was love at first sight, ever since I saw it hit the catwalk. (I could even picture my own initials on it) and what do I see on net-a-porter? 40% off, was: 2,240.59 euros now: 1,344.45 euros. Woohoo. Bargain. Not. I mean seriously, even if I could afford it, would I?

Ahhh...miss the good old days when a bargain was REALLY a bargain. These miu miu shoes for example (scroll down+up). I had bought them back in the days when miu miu was still a baby brand in the cradle (it was founded in 1992, think I bought them in 1996?7?). For 20 pounds! They did not even fit me back then! But there was something about them so I bought them literally with my piggy bank's content.

It was the last pair, a size 4 and was some crazy percent off. Back then I knew my foot would grow to eventually fit them, only it grew so fast from size 3 to today's 5, I bearly got to show them off - ever. Managed to squeeze in just about, at least to share them with you as I am moaning about 2009 sales and the dress I (won't) be buying. Hope you had better luck, love to everybody.
pumps: miu miu (retro?)

socks: Topshop
leggings: American Apparel

polka dot background: ...left-over wrapping paper, IKEA

Passage to India

Peter Som, Resort 2009

According to this report I was reading on style.com earlier today, "Inspired by a book about the jewels of the rajas, Peter Som took a "Passage to India" for Resort (2009) (...) mixing tweed and an abstracted paisley print—could be worn as easily with a brightly colored chiffon wrap dress (...)".

Bingo! I've been reading a book about India too -well actually, a woman who went to India- which has me hooked from page one and I am so in the mood for wearing paisley. No extrvaganzas though, I don't want to look as if I threw on a granny's sofa cover. How do you feel about paisley these days?

I came across this dress of mine by Mango, which admitedly has not had the attention it deserved in the past. Here's what I am wearing tonight, a tribute to Peter Som's inspiration and Elizabeth Gilbert's trip...

dress & belt: Mango
boots: Annelleshoes (Filonos)
bangle: Topshop
rings: Miss Selfridge (or was it Topshop?)
sheer tights: random!
book: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Coco, can't go wrong.

Happy New Year everyone! And a happy new now, as New Look had very nicely put it last year in its shop windows. Blast from the past I know, but there's something about that wish...

Choosing what to change the year in proved to be quite a pickle. In the end I thought you can't go wrong with pearls like Coco and I built the outfit around it. Like the wish on the windows on New Look, there is something about this image of Mme Chanel too. It's inspiring and this year HAD to start with inspiration.So this is what came out: pearls - grandma's, vintage. bracelettes - topshop, boots - exe, dress - Know-How.

It had quite an effect on the dancefloor I must say! Let's see what for an effect it will have on the rest of my year;)

Blowdryer

Today I came across the shop window of 'New Bond', a shop hidden well in Alkiviadou str., Piraeus, just off Sotiros. It wasn't the dress that stopped me -even though I'm in desperate need for one for New Year's. It was the hairdryer. I love old hairdryers.Audrey Hepburn (my all time style idol) used to relax under one in between scenes, have a cigarette and conduct business with her agents, right there, under the dryer -as mentioned by Mark Shaw, the man who shot this picture back in 1953. Till this very day, it looks so avant garde, don't you think?

There are many suggestions as to who invented it. For Europe, it is being said that Alexander F. Godefoy came up with it in his salon in France, as early as 1890. For North America, some say it was Madame C. J. Walker around the same time. Oh well, congrats to whoever did it. I owe them a lot!

In any case, the first blowdryers were...the vacuum cleaners! That's right: from one side you could attach a hose and clean the floor and on the other, a different hose and dry your hair. It wasn't until the 1920's that the blowdryers hit the market. The first ones though were large and heavy and did not function exactly according to the needs of a stylish head. I mean look at it:

Much later, in 1973, Judy Garland would enjoy the process way more comfortably, having lunch and milk at the same time (??). (picture found here).I have sat under one of those. I remember my grandma had taken me to an old hair salon when I was little and I was fascinated by them. Them, and the red plastic ear covers she had to wear so she could stand the hot air for longer. In the end, I managed to get the hairdresser to put me under one, and she had to sit me on 3 pillows to get me to the right height. I was good as gold for the rest of the visit even though I nearly burned my 4-year-old hair.

Ah now this, I seriously wish I had: a portable hairdryer. It came out in the '60s as did many other very stylish gadgets. Shame they are not around anymore. Imagine doing your nails and chatting to your girlfriends whilst your hair is being nicely dried on its own...

This one looks more stylish. General Electric PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!

But not these. God no. Looks like this woman is trying to pull out her own eyeball. What were people at Ronson thinking?

Something similar to what the designers of this one must have thought: hot air is torture to your hair anyway, let's have a laugh! It really is a blowdryer, came across it at etsy.com. The user that's put it up for sale shares some lovely memories "You should see the bizarre wedding pictures our photographer got, our litte jr bridesmaids getting ready, holding this to their heads... oh my!". Oh my.

Anyways, this is what I want to buy now: a vintage hairdryer like this one. Some guy says he bought this '50s model for 18 USD and works great (http://www.vacuumland.org/). I am so jealous. I want one. Seriously, it is such a relaxing experience. And would look fab in my livingroom, just like it did in that window. Should have asked where they got it from (sorry dear brand new ceramic straighteners of mine!).

Even if it doesn't work, I could always turn it into something like this:

A vintage-pop touch looks good in every modern space. At least it would look good in my space. I think.

Anyway. Next post will be about what I'm changing the year in. Even if that ends up being my very stylish.. pyjamas! Wish me luck...

Shoe Street Special

It was about time I revealed the street I've been talking about in the last two posts. To the Greeks or those visiting, this is definetely a hotspot not to be missed. To the rest of you, this post will simply be a bit of... shoe-national geographic.These are my boots, checking out -well- other boots at Filonos street in Piraeus. These ones I had bought years ago from Oasis in London for 5 quid. It was the last pair on sale and my size too (i'm a lucky 5). At the mo they are so in fashion over here, everyone keeps asking where I bought them from.

Today, Filonos is a street full of shoe stores. A few decades ago though, Filonos used to be the red district of the port of Piraeus. You can get there easily by train (it's about 3 blocks away from Piraeus train station) or bus (040 from Syntagma will drop you off at Dimotiko Theatro, 2 streets opposite Filonos). I know it doesn't look like much in the picture, but dig this: it's a mile of shoe stores!

The 35 euro boots that elsewhere will cost you 100. Now I've got proof. Print it and rub it at the face of those who think they can cheat this way:)

Apart from the excellent prices, I really like the shops down there for being unique and covering aaaall styles and types of feet. It is more than fashion really and I think that's great. It should always be about personal style and not what big brands want you to stock on each season. Style is beyond fashion, and that's what this blog is all about anyway.

Most shops are quite old and still have this ancient system of protecting their windows (or should I say vintage?). Boots look imprisoned in there and this adds to my desire of wanting to free them and take them home. (any excuse...)

I quite like the red pumps on the left. Maybe I'll buy them, price is totally silly.

And these are my sister's next target. Not sure how I feel about shiny leather on such a large surface, but for 70 euros, what the heck!

Hope this was inspiring. I definetely enjoyed sharing.

Merry New Boots!

omg, i can see this turning into a shoe blog.
These are my new boots, they feel like walking on cotton. They are beige, leather, totally no-name, made-in-Greece boots. Another buy from that street I mentioned in the previous post. Sorry for not revealing location yet, it's just that I've been too lazy to go and take pictures and I think such a post would deserve to be accurate and detailed. I promise I'll do it before the new year:$ (especially as I am planning to go and invest on more fabulous shoes from there!). Hope you all had a lovely time with friends and family these days,x.

*boots cost me 50 euros, very pleased.
**tights were one of those mistaken buys i love making: liked the pattern and grabbed them off some special offer basket (5 euros). They turned out to be children's, no wonder the girl at the till gift-wrapped them without asking. Luckily they fit me so well - oops, now it's out, I am as tall as a..tall 12-year-old:)

Black Pumps

These are my new pumps. Fake, black aligator pumps. I am sooo happy for this buy. First of all they are very easy to walk on, which means hours of dancing around the Christmas tree tomorrow. Second I bought them for 400 euros. Ooops. I meant 40. Fourty euros, can you believe it? I've discovered this shoes paradise (location to be revealed in a following post) where everything is magically cheaper to anywhere else. My sister is still kicking herself for buying some boots for 100 euros, which we then found there for a mere 35!

Front hidden wedge is most likely what makes them so impossibly comfy.

The zip at the back was love at first sight. I think it is ever so stylish in a sort of ..kinky way.

And the length of the heels will keep me at a decent height this holiday!!
Merry Christmas everyone!

Wellies for Winter

Speaking of Lily Cole, this is a picture of her taken last summer at Glastonbury (came across it here). It reminded me how of comfy as well as kind to my feet wellies have always been. Truth is I feel wellies are so 2005 (remember? Kate Moss & Pete Doherty? yellow Marc Jacobs wellies on ebay?). Anyways, I found the closest thing to them, as comfy, but so right now, this season's DKNY wellie-like boots. Even though I am not a fan of logo emblazoned shoes, they are so convenient that I decided to bring them home with me. Guess what: I was not the only one appreciating them.

These are my feet, happily wearing them.

Oh and this is my cat, totally and mysteriously loving ...my left boot!

Whenever I leave them outside the shoe storage unit, I find that left boot in her beddy. It's crazy.

At first I thought it was some kind of smell she liked so much (had I stepped on something fishy?) but no. After spying on her several times I realised she likes to check out her reflection on the shiny parts. (still working on why she keeps choosing the left one).