Over the shoulder boulder holders

Coffee amid the chaos

I'm just sitting here, bleary eyed, with a large mug of coffee in my fave Dean and Deluca cup (purchased on our NY honeymoon in 2011). It's 6am and I've already had to contend with 2 pooey nappies and a wee on the carpet all thanks to my 7 month old Arthur. Ah, the glam, glam life of the Mother.

The mind started to wonder as it does...

and I wanted to do a quick post about the often humble nursing bra as I found some which are actually *whisper it* pretty, comfortable AND practical.

I KNOW! *camp scream*

I'll stop being hysterical now for a moment and tell you about them... The make are a brand called Hot Milk. They are such lovely bras and almost pass for 'normal' brassieres - if it weren't for the lack of under wiring. I don't know about you, but when you're in the throes of the baby bubble the last thing you feel is even remotely glamorous. With baby number 2, and after breast feeding for what felt like an eternity with the first bubba, I decided to invest in some nice bras. If you're going to live 24 hours in the bloody things you might as well get something pretty. Actually, that's not a bad idea with underwear in general anyway - why save for best?!

They come in several styles, colours and sizes and best of all they have lace, bows, diamanté... *sigh* Actual feminine prettiness. Lovely underwear really does give you a little je ne sais quoi. I heartily recommend investing in a few of these beauties.

I purchased mine online through one of my favourite shops (who happen to be based in Northern Ireland) called Baba Me. They've always been a pleasure to buy from, their customer service is really excellent and they often have some amazing offers and sales on. They currently have a May Madness sale on with 50% off of all lingerie.  

On a side note; 

I've also bought some great wooden toys from them including the gorgeously retro toaster set from Le Toy Van which is featured in the background of my coffee cup photo at the top. How cute is that? I loved it - I bought it for my son but it was really more for me, haha. There's something so much nicer and traditional about wooden toys - I can't resist them especially when they've got such a cute retro finish to them!

Anyway, the final question I leave you with is... Do you wear a Tit Sling or a Brassiere? (Love, love, love the Divine Miss M).

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My Rockabilly Summer Outfit of the Day trial run

I'm slowly but surely learning how to code (very, very basic HMTL & CSS) in order to customise my blog... I managed to add my Instagram to the top left - so do follow me on there if you'd like to see more of the pics as and when I upload them. Am naturally on there as myrockabillysummer. I am extremely guilty of using filters and 'artseying' them up a bit before putting them on there - must try to upload some 'natural' ones #nofilter.

OOTD Trial Run

I tried to style myself today in a bit of a nod to rockabilly. Didn't get a photo of the OOTD... but I have detailed it below in case you're interested... was kind of a trial run.

I wore;

- My much loved Lindy Bop 'Onassis' Leopard print top (currently only a bargainous £7 in the sale; pictured left)


- Paired with my brand new brushed black jeans from La Redoute which I rolled up to resemble a capri type trouser (photo also left of the jeans as pictured on their site)

- And I wore my zip up black low top converse trainers. Can't find an image of them or anything like them anywhere on the net so will grab a photo soon to upload for you to see. I've had them for a while - genuinely can't remember where I got them. I suspect they might have been a bargain find in TK Maxx.

My hair was ever so slightly bee hived and put into a low bun... looked a little '50s secretary I thought. I think it could have done with a plain black headscarf but I don't have one. Must put that on the shopping list. You can have a shufty at today's insta to kinda see what my hair and make-up looked like.

I'm particularly loving my Revlon Colour burst matte lip balm in 'sultry.'  It's so easy to put on and lasts quite well - I like to layer it on top of the classic Benefit Benetint cheek and lip stain in rose to help keep the colour for longer. The colour has enough of a kick that it's worth wearing but it's day suitable. I love red lippy but I find it a bit much for day to day wear - it's great for a night out though *trying to remember the last time I had a night out*

And I have to talk about my Converse glasses... I've had them for years but I love them... I think they suit me but they also key into the vintage look. I bought them from Vision Express in Westfield and went with a brown frame rather than black one as I felt it looked better with my very fair complexion. I would be tempted to try a black frame now though to see if it's got more impact... and maybe something more exaggerated cats eye shaped. Althought there's aways a risk you end up looking like something out of a '50s dressing up costume.  I prefer not to wear heavy eye make up when I'm wearing them  (so no winged eyeliner or lots of mascara - just a lick) and I think the Revlon Matte Balm looks great combined with the glasses and my blue hair. Just enough but not too much. Wearable but hopefully looks like I've made an effort.

I also had a faux leather jacket but it was too warm to wear that today, and my classic black Wayfarer Ray Bans that I snaffled from Secret Sales a while ago. There's something timelessly cool about those sunnies.

I'm a bit stuck for a bag - I don't think anything I have particularly works. I had my very uncool, Mumsy black Kipling bag instead today. Very practical if not massively stylish - I have to shove a lot of crap into it when out and about with the boys and I love all the pockets!

Thoughts

The outfit worked well I thought and was easy to wear -  I wore a black vest under the leopard print top to enable a less flashy breast feeding experience and I was able to roll around the living room floor and run around the garden with my kids. Not a bad trial run I'd say.

Parting gift

A woman actually laughingly said to me "I have to ask, what do you call that hair colour?" She then went on with some further comments about me but not to me - RUDE. I chose to rise above it and ignore her but was tempted to ask her the same! I'd rather have blue hair than a badly bleached brassily blondish mess. Oooh, bitchy.

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The Voices.

Ha, I realise the title of this post sounds a little paranoid (or you might be thinking I'm about to start swivelling round in a large red chair) but...I promised to talk more about my 'bravery' in a previous post.

'The Voices' are those thoughts in my head which stop me in my tracks. Makes me take off the fun dress I was going to wear, makes me wipe off the red lipstick and makes me shrink away. It's insecurity, obviously, but it's also ingrained. Therefore, it's a really bad fucking habit to get out of.

I have this wonderful locker of negative experiences; the time a bitch at school described my appearance in her photo as 'stumpy' (yeh, thanks - that was the look I was going for), the stranger on the tube screaming 'ugly' at me, a friend's ex sneering at a headband I was wearing, the Cow I used to work with who had a knack of belittling Every. Single. Thing I wore... and so on and so forth. They all sit there, collectively waiting to make me feel like shit whenever I get dressed. I want to let it all go but negativity becomes second nature when you've been practising it since your school days... Is it any wonder that stepping out of my front door in a strong style can scare me off from doing it?!

Let 'em stare Nora, you're fabulous.

I recently read a blog post called 'Let them stare' on Nora Finds. This fabulous looking creature (pictured above) climbed St Paul's in this amazing green dress and cape. She described how she had some negative comments to her outfit and the looks she got from strangers. But she just got on with it. I need to channel some of that gumption - never mind a bit of her on point vintage look. She's a total vampspiration.

What I need to focus on, are the times I. Pulled. It. Off.

Like when:

• A lady kept describing me as a 'pocket Venus' (why, thank you *blushing*),
• or I wore a gorgeous green Monsoon dress to a friend's wedding and actually felt attractive (see above),
• How much fun I had dressing up for my son's Christening in my Lindy Bop dress, my Faux Fur coat and purple dye in my hair,
• And of course how beautiful I actually felt on my wedding day... The positive stuff needs to start drowning out the white noise and those feckin' mean voices!

There was also the below moving and rather timely video on Scary Mommy this morning. It essentially says you need to let your insecurities go because your children won't remember your perceived imperfections - they'll remember you and the time you spent with them. Another reason to just enjoy this Summer with no limitations.




I know this is not something I alone suffer with and I know what I choose to wear is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. But it is something I need to deal with and I hope this blog and my Summer of fashion fun will enable me to just be brave, step out there and just fucking enjoy it!

My mantra needs to be fuck it. Fuck it all.

Til next time.

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Lindy Bop Sale Madness

Great Balls of Fire

I've just spent far too much in the Lindy Bop sale... So much for the 'on a tight budget' rule :/ This was also not my scheduled post for today but I just had to blog about my sale moment of madness. Reader... it was a bloodfest, haha.

It's currently still on as I write this post so if you're looking to grab a bargain now's the time - some items are under a tenner! Amazing. There's quite an array of items up as well so I was spoilt for choice. The only major set back was the sheer traffic to the site which prevented me from getting some bits yesterday and drove me to drink a cold bottle of beer with my dinner last night. It was seriously frustrating as the site kept crashing, putting me in a queue of hundreds and losing what I'd put in my basket. It was a total virtual shopping frenzy. I gave up and went to bed but decided to have a go again this morning (after my beautiful boys decided that 5am was a great time to rise) and had much more success - great for me but not so great for my overdraft. I have missed out on a few things I was really keen on as they'd sold out by the time I was able to buy this morning but hey ho, that's how sale shopping goes.

I've tried to buy a range of items, some of which will be more versatile than others. I've also tried to push myself a little and go for some colour and prints. I can't wait for the parcel to arrive on 2nd June... I'm also a little tentative as the fit is probably going to be an issue with most items but I can but try. I've ordered a size or two up from my other Lindy Bop dresses (I have 3 already) as they are now far too tight.

My main rules for buying in the sale were;

• They had to be no more than £10 (I think I made an exception for one item but it was only £14 so not too bad) 
• I have to be able to access my - ahem - mammaries *coy look* as I'm still in the throes of breastfeeding my youngest
• They need to be versatile; can be dressed up and down (for the rare occasion when I might actually get to dress up to go out somewhere non-child related)
• And can be day appropriate (there's little chance of me doing the nursery run in a full blown sateen circle skirt and petticoat).
• They wouldn't potentially make me look like a 5 year old girl going to a birthday party or like I'm trying to dress to match my toddlers

I was seriously tempted by the Bletchley stripe shirt dresses which come in black, red or green and were available in my size and which fit with my style brief very well... and at £18 in the sale they are a great price. Unfortunately, they are still just that bit too much for me. Darn it. Maybe next time. 

Elsewhere on my shopping list; 

White plimsolls,

Jeans (the type with turn ups or can be turned up easily)

Maybe a bomber jacket (there's so many out there at the moment & I think the right one could look fab),

Raglan / baseball tops,

White ankle & trainer socks (I seriously don't own a single white sock - my sock drawer is dominated by black).

Possibly dungarees... Provided they don't make me look like a kid (see last point above)

I've tried to think of other things which will key me into the look but which will be easy to wear and fit in with my chaotic lifestyle. Will be having a look in Primark and online at H&M and La Redoute as they're a good price (especially in the sales or if I can find a voucher code) and it's amazing the things you can find. I'm essentially mixing reproduction vintage clothing with modern day high street to try and find a look and style which works for me.

Will report back on any further purchases and of course how the Lindy Bop purchases shape up when they arrive.

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The rough outlines of my Rockabilly Foray

So, this little experiment of mine needs to have some rules in order to actually be a thing.

1. This is not a tutorial site but I will show you my inspirations and my experiences - good and bad. And if you like what you see and can take something away from it then that's awesome. But I am not teaching or preaching here, ok?

2. My Rockabilly Summer is about me pushing myself stylistically but it's also, in some small part, about embracing my new Mum bod. I need to remember to be kind to myself and to err on the positive side. I hope anyone who stumbles upon this blog will do the same.

3. Many people in the Rockabilly world mix up styles to create their own authentic look and that's really what I want to achieve. Forties victory rolls are often worn with Fifties outfits and so I want to be clear from the start that I will be mixing it up in order to find what works for me. I will be looking at all things Rockabilly, Vintage, Retro et al... So this is probably not a blog for any Rockabilly purists.

4. The clothes, make-up & accessories HAVE to work in my real life. I'm a Mum for a start - if I can't bend or move in the clothes it's pointless. If the make-up takes 7 hours to perfect it's just not going to happen. If I can't wash the items of baby sick easily they just won't be worn.

5. I need to be brave. I'll write more about this in my next blog post but suffice to say I easily chicken out of wearing things for fear of what people will think.

Me festivalling circa 2013

I need to have a think about exactly how this experiment will be shaped over the Summer and if anyone has any thoughts please do leave a comment. I have been somewhat inspired by the latest post on the Scathingly Brilliant blog however in her idea for 30 for 30 - 30 pieces over 30 days with no two outfits the same. I'm not sure I'll be able to follow that experiment exactly (not even sure I would have 30 pieces!) but I am going to do a proper recky of my wardrobe. I need to actually find out what I already have to work with and then see what I can get to supplement & fill the gaps.

I do know my parameters will also need to take in the following 'issues' (for want of a better word):

• I'm short. Super duper short. I don't even reach the lofty heights of 5ft. 
• I'm not petite at all these days - whatever I wear needs to accommodate my new 'curvy' mum bod.
• I'm not minted. As much as I'd love to buy an entire new wardrobe for this I do not have the funds (two kids and on maternity leave means there's zero funny money to play with).

This all means that the majority of what I can work with has to be in my wardrobe already or will need to be purchased from second hand / charity shops or cheap high street shops local to me. This applies to make-up and accessories too... I've already had some fun with my hair colour (will update you on this in an upcoming post).

The count down is on as I'm planning to start on 1st June. Tick tock.

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The beginning of my Rockabilly Summer...

Vintage Tea Partying

I've started this blog for a number of reasons;

The Mum Bubble. 

The Mum Bubble is real people! I'm a fairly new mum and have effectively been on maternity leave for near on 2 years after having my second son 18 months after the first.  I have turned into a shuffling, zombie-esque birds nest of a person and I want to find something akin to a 'style.' 

WERK IT. 

I've got to go back to work after this Summer and return to being a useful, professional individual in a world of commerce. Or something like that. Basically, I'll probably have to dress and present myself in a certain way which means I want to take this opportunity to have some FUN with my look (say in spooky horror film voice) 'before it's too laaaate.'

Ooby Dooby.

I heart the Rockabilly look. I love vintage. I love alternative. I love retro. But despite occasionally touching on this in my outfits I've always been too shy to really 'go fer it.' So, why not now?

Body Positivity

Again... I've recently had two babies. This does things to your body that nothing prepares you for. I've changed and it's too easy to give into the Gremlins. This is a chance to enjoy dressing myself and say fuck it to all the negative stuff. 

I'll explore the rules of this little Summer experiment in my next post. 

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