RED OR DEAD EVENT | #RODKEEPCOOL

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive an invite to the Red or Dead headquarters for a fabulous evening of food, fashion and fun! Driven there in a vintage London bus, (talk about traveling in style), we arrived at their stunning North London offices to find a tasty selection canapés and slush puppies waiting for us, with cupcakes for desert, yum!

Following our foodie treats Creative Director of the brand, Katie Greenyer, talked us through their history with an insightful presentation, which taught me a lot about Red or Dead and actually made me love them even more! I used to have a pair of Red or Dead specs, they do loads of fun frames that are worth checking out if you're a glasses wearer, and I also own a pair of their silver brogues. They have such a cool and quirky attitude, with clothing and accessories to match, and I love the punk twist that they give to modern-day trends!

Images taken from the Red or Dead blog

SATURDAY

On Saturday Matt and I popped over to Hackney. I had some samples to return anyway so whist in the area we went to The Hackney Museum to see the current exhibition, 'London Life - Photographs by Colin O'Brien'. It was really inspiring! I love documentary style street photography, especially from past eras, I highly recommend sticking your head in for a peek if ever you're passing! I fell in love with this charming shot below, which is titled 'Cowboy and Girlfriend', and was taken in 1960.

Rather than heading home straight away we went to Clissold Park to meet some friends. We listened to music, drank wine, nibbled on crisps and soaked in the sun before deciding to head home for a BBQ. There was then more music, more sun, more nibbling and much more drinking before the night ended with Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. I had such a fabulous day and am really looking forward to next weekend so I can have another relaxing Saturday afternoon! On the Sunday Matt and I shot a new editorial with a real Sixties vibe, I can't wait to show you!

I also want to tell you about a workshop that I recently went to, which was hosted by Vonage. The main topic of discussion was freelancing as a blogger and how turn your blog into a business. As I'm planning to go freelance in the next few weeks this was of course completely relevant to my current situation and I left feeling very inspired, filled with new information!

The workshop, which was titled 'Blog to Business' was led by two fabulous bloggers called Emma, who runs a very insightful blog called 'The Freelance Lifestyle', and Elizabeth who has a great lifestyle blog called 'Rosalilium' that covers everything from crafts to cooking! The section of the workshop that I found most interesting was about treating your blog as a brand, and how to achieve that strong aesthetic. I sometimes feel as though this blog is a little confused, perhaps because I've been a little confused over the past year, so a strong brand and overall signature style is something that I'd really like to work on for you guys! I also learnt lots about the "less interesting" parts too of course - some of which hadn't even crossed my mind as a blogger!

RAINBOW FANTASY

Don't you just love putting on clothing that makes you feel four-years-old again!? I was recently sent this t-shirt by TruffleShuffle, a super cool online store that stock an amazing selection of retro, Eighties goodies! If you follow me on instagram then you'll already know that I've practically lived in this tee for the last week, (ew, you know what I mean), not only does it have some of my favourite childhood friends smiling all over the front of it, but it's also super soft and a really nice, flattering fit.

I used to LOVE the Care Bears, I remember watching the films over and over… I had a jigsaw puzzle too! What were your favourite childhood tv shows? Some of mine were the Care Bears, Pingu, Tales of the Riverbank and Button Moon, to name a few.

CARE BEARS T-SHIRT FROM TRUFFLESHUFFLE*

SHORTS H&M

DR MARTENS SHOES

CÉLINE SUNGLASSES

I've always wanted a pair of Céline sunnies, and finally thanks to Smart Buy Glasses, I now have some! They're absolutely massive, which I think is mega cool because you can wear them as a statement accessory with really simple outfits… they do all of the work for you! I also like quite simple, minimal shades like this pair of Ray-bans - I guess they create a more classic look. I actually find it quite difficult to find styles that suit me, which is annoying because I wear prescription glasses everyday and picking new frames is a nightmare!

CÉLINE SUNGLASSES FROM SMART BUY GLASSES*

DRESS BY FABITORIA

NINETIES INFLUENCE

Being a nineties child, (1990 so only just), I always feel a little bit excited when nineties inspired trends come around because I remember them from childhood; oversized shirts, tie-dye, Birkenstock sandals... that entire era was basically a big fashion disaster, but despite the "wrong-ness", some things were just so right, and still influence our outfit choices today!

I was recently sent this fab jumper dress from French Connection and when styling it, because it's so simple, I thought I could try something a bit quirky with a jumper around the waist... a look that I'm still not overly keen on and I cringe at when my Mum does it... but here I think it kinda works!? It helps to break the black up and also brings attention to my waist, which makes the dress far more flattering I think. Just for good measure I wore socks and sandals, a look I've been shamelessly sporting this summer - some mornings I do look in the mirror and think cr%p, I look like an old man on holiday! What are your favourite "ugly" trends?

DRESS BY FRENCH CONNECTION*

JUMPER & SANDALS FROM TOPSHOP

SEE YOU ON INSTAGRAM

So I think it's fair to say that I am the WORST blogger in the world, ever. The truth is that recently I've found blogging really difficult... I just don't feel motivated to do it anymore and it's felt like a chore more than a hobby. Between balancing work, personal projects and friends there's just no time for... other stuff, I need to save a little time for myself too - time I can spend watching films and eating crisps.

Hopefully one day my writing flair will return and I'll be back, but until then please still stay in touch via instagram and I'll still be posting outfits for you guys to check out on Lookbook.nu!

AN INSPIRING DAY OUT IN LONDON

I had such a lovely day on Sunday. I was heading over to West London to return some samples any way so whilst out Matt and I decided to make an afternoon of it and go to some free galleries. First we went to The Photographers' Gallery, which I love because they have so many great exhibitions showcasing a mix of both established photographer's work as well as up and coming talent. At the moment they have a fab exhibition on called 'Under the Influence: John Deakin and the Lure of Soho'. Considered one of Britain's "greatest postwar photographers", Deakin's work is emotive and thought provoking; I particularly enjoyed his documentary style street photographs. He also has a rather lovely archive of fashion photography, which is worth a look!

We then popped upstairs to FRESHFACED+WILDEYED 2014, an annual exhibition that showcases the talent and diversity of emerging photographers from BA and MA courses across the UK. I always find these exhibits quite interesting because the work is so diverse that my thoughts will be really mixed… When we left to head East for the Howard Griffin gallery it started pouring with rain, but luckily I managed to get a quick outfit snap for you before I ended up drenched!

Unfortunately Sunday was the last day of the 'Bob Mazzer - Underground' showcase I went to or I definitely would have suggested paying it a visit! His images, which document real people out and about on the London underground in the 1980s, are inspiring soulful and humorous! "Every day I travelled to King's Cross and back. Coming home late at night, it was like a party and I felt like the tube was mine and I was there to take the pictures." - Bob Mazzer.

I left feeling uplifted and inspired! We then went to Spitalfields for lunch, we went to Giraffe in the market and I had a mezze style dish with coconut shrimp on the side… so yummy! Oh, I had a cocktail too of course, a Strawberry Mule, one of my favourites! It was such relaxing day, it's reminded me that I need to get out more often and see more of London as there's so much going on and I've been stuck in a little routine recently… yuck routine!! 

I EAT GLITTER FOR BREAKFAST

Yesterday Matt and I shot some model tests…. as always we tried to cram too much into one day and at times it felt a little hectic, but I do think we got some really good stuff so i'll post some new work on here soon! In the meantime you can follow our adventures on instagram here :)

I was recently sent this super cool t-shirt* from LOVE fashion; I actually took it to glastonbury as I wanted to wear it and shoot it for you guys there, but most days, despite the on off pouring rain, it was boiling hot so I didn't want to wear black. Speaking of Glastonbury, Lookbook kindly featured my experience over on their editorial blog, so feel free to pop over for a look!  Here I've gone for an all black ensemble with PU leather shorts, which I picked up ages ago in the River Island sale, black ankle socks and Dr Martens shoes.

I EAT GLITTER FOR BREAKFAST TEE FROM INLOVEWITHFASHION.COM

HOUSE WARMING OUTFITS & LIFE CHANGING DECISIONS

I'm pretty sure I mentioned a while back that I'd moved house, it's great here by the way and I'm having a fabulous time living with wonderful people, so a few weeks ago we had a moving in party with party snacks, (yes, there was cheese and pineapple), punch and music! This is what Harriet and I wore!

On another note, this week I decided to hand my notice in at my current job… it was such a hard decision to make but I'd been thinking about leaving for a while and it had gotten to the point where I wasn't feeling very happy or inspired so something needed to change… change is good! I'm not sure what my next steps are going to be but obviously I'm hoping it will be something exciting; wish me luck!

SKATER SKIRT BY VERY.CO.UK

SHOES FROM DESIRE CLOTHING

NEW WORK: CONNIE

The other week Matt and I shot Connie from M+P models. Hair and makeup was by Jess Chapman and I sourced a lot of the clothing from a very talented knitwear designer called Mao Tsen Chang. You can see more of my work here - http://www.tonicaroline.co.uk
 

SUMMER IN THE CITY

London is a wonderful, unique place in the summer. I mean, I love it in winter too, I find the high buildings and countless lights festive and cosy…. but in summer there's a different vibe. People slow down, if only a little, and head to parks to enjoy the sun with friends equipped with cider and snacks. This photo was actually taken a few weekends ago on a sunny Sunday afternoon when Matt and I decided to go for a walk in Finsbury Park - I found this shirt at a flea market in Berlin, I love how crazy it is!

Sorry if my blog posts are a little random at the moment by the way, I'm still trying to catch up after Berlin and Glastonbury!  

LBD

You can't go wrong with a little black dress! This particular black dress was sent to me by Vessos, an online marketplace full of bargains! The fit was a little small and the fabric is quite thin and shiny but if you're after a cheap fix then it does the job! I really like the sports luxe feel that the transparent panel creates and of course I love the collar and sleeves, which are a lot more flattering for my frame than strappy or sleeveless.

BLACK DRESS FROM VESSOS
PLATFORM SANDALS FROM DESIRE

NOSTALGIA

Okay so I know I look a bit like I'm dressed as a school girl here but to be quite honest that was intentional. There's something so stylish, it now seems, about my old school uniform that I do find myself taking influence from it… the oversized jumper, the palette of navy, black, white and grey, the ribbed ankle socks, (sometimes with a frill), those loose smock style summer dresses in blue check… a collar, to this day I feel odd leaving the house without a collar around my neck.

I love an outfit that evokes nostalgia, and when I first put on my new pair of glittery jelly shoes after all those years, (I think I had a pair when I was about five), I smelt that plasticy smell and for a second felt five-years-old again! These are from Shoe Zone and were just £9.99, an incredibly cheap answer to the jelly sandal trend! They also stock some fab two-buckle sandals, which I've got my eye on in black, white and pink!

JELLY SHOES FROM SHOE ZONE, £9.99
BLACK SKIRT FROM FRONT ROW SHOP

GLASTONBURY 2014

Sooooo, last week saw the start of yet another muddy Glastonbury festival. We arrived in high spirits on Wednesday to find a vast landscape of rolling green hills, beautiful blue skies and a sea of tents! We left four days later exhausted, hungover and covered head to toe in mud.

The first few days of Glastonbury are always super fun, (possibly helped by the fact that you're clean and your hair still looks good), because the music and most of the entertainment doesn't actually start until the Friday, which leaves you with two whole days to entertain yourself! Luckily, this festival isn't just about the music so there are endless fields to explore and weird and wonderful acts to discover. We therefore spent these days walking around in the sunshine - until it properly pissed it down on the Thursday that is. Every year.

On Thursday evening we went to the Park and managed to get into the Rabbit Hole, a club I'd always been aware of but had never actually been to. We queued for at least an hour before crawling through a lanky man in a top hat's legs and through a dirt tunnel in order to enter, it was pretty odd I must say! The next night we went to Arcadia, which is definitely one of my favourite aspects of Glastonbury festival, it's such a cool show and the music is always really fun… Any way, I really don't want to bore you with a chronological list of what I did so I'll leave you with a few highlights and some photographs! (Please excuse the strange image quality, we didn't want to bring a DSLR for obvious reasons so were shooting on an odd mix of rubbish point and shoot and dodgy film!)

Highlights: Crystal Fighters were fabulous, they always put on such a good show and there was an amazing vibe! We drank wine and danced the night away before getting a delicious chicken wrap, which we ate whilst walking back to the tent… for more wine! I also really enjoyed MGMT, The Jezabels, (I wish I was as cool as Hayley Mary), Bonobo and of course, Lana Del Rey. I didn't like her dress though, just saying.

This year was my third Glastonbury, it was also my most tiring and muddy! Although in a couple of months I'll probably forget how uncomfortable sleeping on the floor for five nights is, or how disgusting the toilets are… I'm still really not sure if I want to go back next year. It is a truly marvellous, wonderful and inspiring place but maybe three times is enough and I should try something new!? I've always fancied going to a festival abroad any way… any recommendations? Wait, who am I kidding? Glastonbury is addictive, and even though it makes you feel like crap and, well, the lineup hasn't been all that great the past few years, you ALWAYS end up wanting more! See you in 2015… probably ;)