Well, Happy Election Day everyone. I wish I wish I could vote, I truly believe it's not just American citizens who will be affected by this, thus, everyone should get a vote. I don't see that quite happening in time though...

So apart from world politics and other meaningfull topics...

Today's outfit. I've been feeling a bit fat recently, and poor, so I'm getting a bit antsy about what to wear, and thinking I have nothing, although of course I do have a lot of clothes...

This skirt was bought from ebay a month or so ago now, I'm considering taking it up but haven't decided... it would only be a couple of inches, just turning over the hem really. I also don't really have time to sew, or shouldn't be sewing as I have so many other things, more important things, I should be doing. So we'll see, I'm happy for now. I always have these urges to take things up a little, I'm just funny about things sitting on the knee.

But maybe I should think practically, it's now winter (oh yes, it's definitely winter!) and the longer the better; maybe I'll re-think this when summer comes along again. If it ever does...

Jewellery wise, I'm thinking the need for something with a long chain today, I'll have a search around.

Sadly, every time I wear a silver coloured necklace I really want to pair it with the three-pence coin bracelet of my Bonma's - but after last time's disaster (I had to shower wearing it, and sleep in it and nearly broke a finger, and a tooth, trying to remove it from my wrist the following day) I'm a little scared to put it on again. But it's just so pretty...

So the outfit:

The belt was bought for $10 from a vintage store in Berkeley, on Telegraph, which I loved. Miss that place. Here's a detail:

It's a beautiful fat belt, just what you need to flatten things out. It can be a tiny bit small, but it's encouraging me to lose weight, so all good.

Also, just to point out the irony. After all this (and writing all this earlier), 30 seconds before leaving to catch my bus, I put on a coat, decided the whole outfit no longer worked, and changed completely. So that'll be an outfit for another day! Ridiculous I know... I'm getting stupid.

Nevermind.

I need to get ready to go out. Maybe I'll take a photo - although will probably forget...

Good luck Obama!

I just bought these shoes:

I could not be more excited.

And now really really need to do some work!

Well hello. Today I have on my organised hat, and I've been quite organised. I've taken a photo of what I'm wearing, including all the jewellery. All of which is either thrifed, found or a one off.

So here we go.

My dress is a beautiful little number from those wonderful Berkeley thrift stores. They were amazing, not only was everything incredibly cheap, and cheaper still with the exchange rate at the time, but often they had days when everything was half price. This dress was purchased on one of those days, making it a shocking £2 or something equally as ridiculous. It's a little big, but that's where the belt comes in (although this belt wasn't in any way thrifted - it's from Primark! - it's one of my favourite possessions, it just makes everything ok).

The necklace was bought for me by a friend in London, it's a hand made one off piece. On the front are little foxes. I love it so much, especially that coppery colour, nothing beats it.

And finally, the brooch I'm wearing (which isn't in the first picture) I found on the train going to see my parents. I held it out in my hand for the whole journey, in case someone came by and claimed it back. But no one did, so it was mine. I love cameo, there's just something so dignified and classic about it.

So that's today so far. The rest of today will be reading Lynne Tillman, and not thinking about Beckett - we have a reading week so I'm going to get stuck into the trilogy ready for next week, but with a bit of a break.
No pictures from halloween sadly yet, Alice in Wonderland was, however, a success.
Lynne Tillman, here I come.

Getting into character

It's Hallowe'en!
After a stress stress stressful week of Becketting and the like, it's all done and finished (until next week starts again). But more importantly, it's Hallowe'en!
I've been deliberating every moment since I've been able, from 6pm yesterday until now, and have finally decided on Alice in Wonderland.
I already have the blue skirt and top, and have made a white rabbit necklace, and two playing card brooches. I have a little teapot, which I'm wondering what I can do with, or where I can attach it! It was originally going to be the necklace, but the white rabbbit looks so much cuter. And most importantly, the outfit has yet to cost me anything. It's amazing what a printer, bits of old cardboard, a stapler, and spare brooch findings can do for you. Maybe there's a bit of spare blue ribbon in my wardrobe for my hair and then I'm pretty much sorted...
I'm so excited! I might even take a picture and post it, if I can work out where to position my camera so it can capture all of me... so far I've failed pretty miserably at this.
For now, I must finally go food shopping, I didn't even manage to achieve that this week!
Then more costume making, more reading, and tea and cake with a friend. I feel like I'm Alice in Wonderland already!

Beckett, with a touch of Fairydust Magic

Sadly I have hardly any time, with two more Beckett's (alongside a lot of other things) to read for this week. It's really only Week 3?

However, my new Beckett book 'First Love' arrived in the post yesterday, and I couldn't help but photograph the somewhat ironic juxtaposition of book and ebay seller 'thank you' card.

I don't think they quite understood exactly what they were selling me.

So the dreaded Beckett is finished!

It hasn't been, altogether, that bad an experience. After reading John Mood's essay on "The Personal System", it all made a hell of a lot more sense. A few things really fell into place, I stopped reading the endless pages of lists which I realised don't really mean anything beyond the symbolic.

Some sections of it are incredibly beautiful, and so well written. It puts many other authors to shame:

But he found it strange to think, of these little changes, of scene, the little gains, the little losses, the thing brought, the thing removed, the light given, the light taken, and all the vain offerings to the hour, strange to think of all these little things that cluster round the comings, and the stayings, and the goings, that he would never know nothing of them, nothing of what they had been, as long as he lived, nothing of when they came, of how they came, and how it was then, compared with before, nothing of how long they stayed, of how they stayed, and what difference that made, nothing of when they went, of how they went, and how it was then, compared with before, before they came, before they went.

It makes my confusion over pretty much all of the rest of the book, even more ridiculous. Awesome.

Also, my photography skills are really pretty bad. The flattest (and tidiest) place being my bed. Not the best background. I might try and clear a space before the charity shop photography marathon.

But, today I'm wearing one of my favourite necklaces.

It's a bit of a Pippi Longstocking story, but...

I found the VW in the road, such a good find! And superglued it to a chain.

I. Love. It.

So I'm thinking of documenting my best buys from charity shops.

And I think I have to start with these babies. At the bargain price of about £2, fit perfectly, and are just so beautiful it hurts.

You're looking at black velvet, one inch heel, massive bow shoes, with a point. What more could anyone ever want in this world...

Apologies for the carpet... student houses aren't the best.

Making soup is always a valid distraction

Recipe for Moroccan chickpea soup – super quick and amazing

Oil
Medium onion
Clove of garlic
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Tin of chickpeas - drained
Vegetable stock 1 pint, 2 stock cubes
Sweetcorn (100g?)
Lemon juice
Cumin 2 -3 tsp
Black pepper

1. fry the onion and garlic slowly until soft
2. add the cumin and heat for a further minute
3. add tomatoes, chickpeas, stock and black pepper
4. heat on medium for 10 minutes
5. add the sweetcorn and lemon juice
6. heat for a further 5 minutes
7. done!

Things not to do when on the edge:

1. don’t read Samuel Beckett
2. definitely don’t read Watt
3. don’t go to work, accidentally mention the unnameable name of your boss’s ex-gay-lover, come home, and force yourself to read Watt
4. don’t drink camomile tea – you’ll need something stronger