A LOT has happened!

So, yet again we find ourselves here, with me making my apologies for not updating as much as I used to and making grand promises that I won't stay away this long again.

Well since we last spoke, a lot has happened! I'm currently nearing the end of an eight week holiday from work, (the perks of working in a private school!) I've been to Lake Garda in Italy, which was incredible and i've spent the past month getting over the post holiday blues, I got a new tattoo, i'm six hours in, think i've got another three to go, it's amazing, it's a honeycomb dotwork design, dotwork is a method of tattooing which doesn't use a machine, the artist plucks the ink under the skin with a needle attached to a bamboo stick. Mine was done by Neko who works at Ink Studios on Ashley Road in Parkstone. I've also been writing for super cool Bournemouth magazine Upraw, which has meant I've eaten some incredible food at Urban Reef in Boscombe and Mandarin in Bournemouth, and had the most amazing hot stone massage at new salon Hush, also in Bournemouth.

Oh and I turned 25! Hello quarter century!

But soon it will be time to go back to work, which i'm really looking forward to, there is only so much time off you can have before you go a little crazy and I think this is it!

So as a last treat, and because I have a slight (read: massive) nail polish addiction, I bought myself two of the new Barry M gelly hi-shine nail paints. I'm wearing blueberry on my fingers and prickly pear on my toes. This stuff is amazing, not only is it super shiny, but it dries in seconds so none of the awful not being able to do anything for an hour after painting your nails!

So I thought i'd share with you some photographs from the past couple of months and I WILL be back very soon with an outfit post!

Dare to Bare

I've been thinking recently, why are women so obsessed with make-up? There are women out there, maybe even reading this right now, who will not let anyone (especially their significant other) see then without a face full.

Where did it come from? We know it's not a recent thing, think classic hollywood, ever seen a photograph of Elizabeth Taylor or Greta Garbo looking less than perfectly made up?? Didn't think so.

Think even further back, how do you picture Cleopatra? I'm imagining black lined eyes? There is archaeological evidence that make-up dates at least from ancient Egypt and Greece!

There are hundreds of photographs of modern 'celebrities' (in the loosest sense of the word) pictured bare faced, either in a purposeful shoot (with excellent lighting naturally!) Or on the street, buying a pint of milk or picking up after little Boofles the Chihuahua, not exactly flattering or confidence building for the rest of us.

But I have decided to bare all. I am usually (note: usually!) Comfortable going out fresh faced, but rarely will I not wear mascara, just a little something to enhance my looks and give me a bit of confidence, but for you dear readers, i'm baring all, the make-up brushes are firmly put down, the mascara wand, safely back in the tube, here I am Cameos and Espadrilles, before and after!

Vogue's S/S13 Make-Up Trends

I like to read my e-mails as i'm laying in bed contemplating getting up which I should, even though it feels like it's still the middle of the night. This morning an e-mail pinged into my inbox from Vogue which I thought i'd share with you. It's subject: Spring/Summer 2013 Make-Up Trends, and here they are:

1. Attention Grabbing Eyes
This image is from Chanel where the models wore space age silver with bold, black liner. Attention grabbing eyes were also seen with a splash of colour from Topshop Unique and Clements Ribeiro. (below)














2. Enhanced Minimalism
Balmain shows us how to do flawless skin, this natural look has been given a bit of an edge with the help of subtle blush and lash curling giving added definition to natural beauty.

3. Colour Pop
Giles perhaps shows this best with natural faces brought to life with a blast of fuchsia on the lips. Other designers showing this trend this season are Dries Van Noten, also with bright lips, and Donna Karan with magenta eyes. (Below respectively)

4. The Sixties

This one is so common these days that it's almost like it's never left us. Marc Jacobs shows us how to do eyes just like Twiggy. Remember the key to the sixties look is that it's all about the eyes, go easy on the rest of the face, a touch (if any) of blush and a sweep of nude lipstick is all that's needed to offset the lashes and defined lids.

The Beckhams. The Ultimate Brand

Now I have to admit it's taken me until today to look at the Burberry S/S13 campaign, I get a little cringey around the brand Beckham, although I did fall in love with Vicky B's fashion line i'm not a massive fan of them in general, it's all just a bit much.

For some women every billboard being full to busting with David Beckham's pants may be like all their Christmases have come at once but personally I like my men a little less "perfect" and he can have all the muscles he wants it's not going to change the fact that if you close your eyes he still sounds like an 11 year old schoolboy.

So with this in mind when I heard that Romeo(!) Beckham was going to star in the new Burberry ad campaign I did roll my eyes and vow to stay away as long as possible, well, let's just say curiosity got the better of me and when I came across the video on Vogue.co.uk I just couldn't resist having a sneaky peak, well prepared to cringe myself into oblivion!

That didn't happen. I actually smiled. And was on the verge of a laugh. Yes, I was wonderfully surprised, the little guy is perfect! At ten years old he is the star, and not because he's a Beckham, he could have been anyone's kid and would still have been perfect, jumping about while two Mannequin like models stand perfectly still. (Well until she can't help herself and cracks a grin too!) Oh and the clothes are pretty special too!

But don't take my word for it...

The Permanent Fashion Accessory

It has a long history, wa,s at a time a sign of being a certain type of person but now, getting a tattoo seems to be the thing to do, the ultimate commitment, the permanent fashion accessory.

December 16th 2012 saw the first tattoo convention held at the Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset, and the Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention was the first of its kind that i'd been to.

The day itself was dull and rainy, perfect for an indoor event, so off I went, ticket in hand, camera hung around my neck thinking I was about to see some amazing tattoos, and to be honest, I didn't even notice the majority of the tattoos that were being done, I was far more interested in the people involved, from the older lady decked out in Heyday style, to the tattooist with a face full and everyone in between.

Here are a selection of what I took that day, see what you think...

  

I'm no stranger to ink myself, I now have five, ranging in size, from a small dove on my wrist (the one that got me hooked) to a beautiful 1920's style woman's face complete with Cloche hat and a spray of traditional roses on my thigh. My latest addition is the most beautiful, an anatomically correct Honey Bee in between my shoulder blades, beautifully and skillfully done by Craig at Adorned Tattoo in Ashley Cross, Poole.

New Year, New...

It's that time of year again, Christmas has just emptied my bank balance and filled out my favourite dresses, and now the dreaded New Year is upon us!

Why do people put so much emphasis on one night which quite frankly in my opinion is a whole lot of pressure to have the best night of the year when generally we spend it FREEZING, queueing up outside scummy little bars and pubs who charge five pounds to get in and once you get in there it stinks of sweat, is so crowded you can hardly turn around and can't even get served at the bar anyway because it's at least 10 people deep!

You spend about £40 on a taxi and wake up the next day feeling bruised, tired and wondering where all your money went when you only managed to buy two drinks all night!

You also spend the next day eating crap, laying on the sofa watching Mary Poppins declaring that "The diet starts tomorrow!" every time you pop another Christmas chocolate in your mouth.

I'd much rather get it all over with as quickly as possible, like pulling off a plaster, just grit your teeth get through New Years eve and day and then we can all go back to normal and get through the next 11 months until December creeps back up on us and we have to go through it all again!

So I don't have for you a list of New Year resolutions, (I don't make any so I won't break any!) but I will try to write posts for you more often, take more photographs with Nicky Nikon and show you more of my new southern life!

Happy New Year!

Kayl X

Introducing Joan...

I mentioned last time that i'd just bought myself a dutch bike, well I thought i'd formally introduce her to you, so here she is, my beautiful Joan...

She's a Viking Westwood and was named by my friend Kristen, I think she suits it very well!

From Couch Potato to Lean Mean Exercising Machine!

For the longest time i've been super lazy, probably since secondary school when it wasn't 'cool' to ride bikes all weekend anymore and I started to hear the call of the high street. Now don't get me wrong, I used to walk about three miles everyday but this was more due to the fact that I don't drive and am too much of a tightwad to pay £1.50 for the bus to town when I can walk it, and maybe more importantly, remember when the same bus used to charge 42p! But I am a bit of a slob, I like pyjama days and sitting on my bum all day watching The Big Bang Theory with a constant stream of crappy foods to keep me amused, apart from the almost daily walks to town and back I was a complete exercise phobe.

However, that's all (almost) changed. Two months ago I moved to Dorset, and i'm now living with family until my job starts in September and I can finally rent my own place.

My sister asked me when I moved here if I wanted to go swimming with her, I don't think i've ever properly swam since primary school swimming lessons but I said yes, it would give me something to look forward to every week as until I start work i've got a LOT of free time on my hands and not a lot to fill it. So off I went to the pool, and in 45 minutes i'd swam EIGHT lengths! I had to rest between each length, got cramp in my foot and felt like i'd gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson the next day.

But I didn't give up, every week I swim more and more lengths, the rests got shorter and I can now swim six lengths without stopping and most importantly, i'm pain free the next day which is a big achievement for me.

Anyway, the swimming seems to have set off some kind of exercise bomb inside my brain, not only do we swim once a week but we also got an amazing deal through Groupon for 10 gym day passes for £16 (Usually £15 each!) we've been doing half an hour in the gym, Body Combat and Aqua Aerobics every Monday, I also plan on getting a gym membership when I start work, and i've bought dumbbells and a bike! She's a beautiful cream dutch bike, currently in my sisters shed, waiting for the rain to stop so that I can go over and fetch her.

But most importantly I now look forward to exercise, it makes me feel better and although it's early days and i'm not yet seeing any changes to my body I can feel them, my resistance is slowly building up and it's only going to get better. I would recommend to anyone to try to exercise more, as once I got over the initial hump, it's the best thing i've ever done!

Hey! Small Boobs Count Too!

I came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to be blessed in the breast department a long time ago. After I spent my school days stuffing my bra, buying padded bras, covering myself up, making jokes before anyone else did so that I could laugh too and then going home, throwing myself on my bed and sobbing my heart out.

I am honestly fine about it now. I don't mind that there isn't a great deal there, I stopped stuffing my bra a long time ago, I don't buy bra's with inches and inches of padding, I don't even cry anymore. In fact I thank my lucky stars that I don't have backache like some big boobed women do, people look at my face rather than stare at my chest (because really there isn't anything to stare at!) and I can run for the bus without fear of knocking myself out. What I don't like about being a small chested woman is that we're not really catered for, and no-one seems to care!

There are so many websites designed for women with quite frankly more than their fair share, but I have just spent two days scouring the internet for some kind of swimwear that will make me feel like a fully grown woman rather than an over grown girl and have got nowhere.

Let me tell you my issues with swimwear (and not just swimwear, this also applies to bra's)

1. I do not want to walk around with three inches of padding strapped to my chest, it's not attractive, it's not comfortable and you feel 10X worse when you take it off.
2. I don't want ruffles or frills or tassels to give the illusion of a fuller bust, I'm not five years old, nor am I a can-can or salsa dancer. (Plus it doesn't work anyway)
3. Tiny little triangles of brightly coloured material makes small boobs look smaller.
4. Full swimsuits make you feel like you're 10 years old again in school swimming lessons.
5. Molded cups are useless if you haven't got anything to go in them in the first place, they gape and everyone sees your nipples.
6.  And Finally... Bandeau tops FLATTEN and SLIDE OFF rendering them utterly useless!

All i'm looking for is something that's comfortable, fashionable, makes me look and feel like a woman, something that I won't have to worry about floating off  in the pool, and most of all something that fits without the risk of everyone seeing a bit of nip when you bend down!

I shouldn't have to shove a load of gel filled, delightfully named "chicken fillets" into my bra to feel like a woman, I shouldn't have to hide under water so that people can't see my chest or lack of. I should be able to walk proud on a beach or at the swimming pool and not have to worry if people think i'm a tall, tattoo'd 12 year old.

Small busts are just as much of a problem to women as big busts are, someone needs to fix this and not just shove some kind of implant or insert at it. Where's the research into what our needs are?!

All done in the room... SOLD!

Just to let you know i've added more items to sell on Ebay, you can see them HERE, also some items finish TONIGHT, to be sure you take a look so as to not miss out on a bargain. I've put my Swedish Hasbeens on there now, along with other items both vintage and new, some you might have even seen here on Cameos and Espadrilles.

Spring is in the Air!

Spring has well and truly sprung! While the south are having a wonderful sunny Saturday by all accounts, we here in the north east are experiencing a lovely fresh, but misty day, which promises to clear into a glorious Sunday.

I spent my morning kneading dough and thought i'd write a little something while it's on it's second prove, getting ready to go into the oven where the heat will magically turn it into some kind of delicious, sticky fruit loaf. (You can see this over on my brand new baking blog The Bake Away)

Has everyone sorted out their wardrobes yet or are you, like me, still clinging on to those Winter warmers. I don't think i've been out of a hoodie since October! But I still like to look at lovely Spring/Summer clothes in anticipation, here are my favourite six from Topshop's Spring Equinox collection....

And just one last reminder that it's finally Spring...

Aren't they the most beautiful, delicate blue? Perfect Spring colour, i'm sure you'll agree...

Bid bid bid... Sob sob sob...

Long story short, i'm moving and selling some stuff including some vintage pieces, you can find and bid for them on Ebay HERE

Also, and you don't understand how much it pains me to say this but i'm selling my beautiful, much loved Swedish Hasbeens, you can see them below, they are a size 6 and i've only ever worn them outside once. They come with the original box and are like new. If anyone would like them, I want £90 for them, with £5.00 postage. (They cost £165 brand new)

I'm only selling them because we're seriously downsizing and like I said i've only worn them outside once so if you'd like them comment below with your Paypal e-mail address.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

I've been a fully fledged member of the nail art gang for a while now, changing my nails at least twice a week, but this is the first time i'm showing off my nails.

I'm getting bored waiting for my acrylic nail kit to arrive from Hong Kong (I'm expecting it any day now!) and have been spending a lot of time looking through nail art blogs for inspiration, which is where I saw beautiful tiny roses and decided to turn them into Cath Kidston inspired nails.

They're super cute and will keep me satisfied for a couple of days before i'm itching to change them yet again! By which time I hope my acrylic kit will have arrived and i'll be roping everyone in for practice!

Stand Out From the Crowd

Stand Out From the Crowd by kayleighr featuring shirts & blouses

Be bold and bright, express yourself through colour and texture. Fashion is something that happens twice a year, style is what we make of it. Don't be fashionable, be stylish!

Blossom - WOAH!

There's always that one TV programme you remember from being young, one you remember so fondly you wish it could have carried on forever.

For me that was definitely Blossom. My best friend has never seen Blossom, I always forget this fact and everytime we see something to do with Beaches, for example the music video to Wind Beneath my Wings, I always shout "Oh, did you used to watch Blossom?!" The answer is always "No Kayleigh, how many times!!" I must explain for all of you not in the know, Mayim Bialik, the actress who played Blossom also played the young CC Bloom (Bette Midler) in Beaches.

Only recently, after watching her for a whole series did I realise that the actress playing Amy Farrah Fowler in my new favourite TV programme - The Big Bang Theory - who I always thought looked just like Blossom actually IS Blossom, well actually is Mayim Bialik.

After realising this I decided to see if I could watch episodes of Blossom on the internet, boy can I! Some lovely person has uploaded every single episode onto YouTube for my viewing pleasure. I have 12 episodes left of the whole five series that were made, and i'm even more in love with Blossom than I ever was.
For those of you who never watched Blossom, it was quite unique, and way ahead of its time. It was filmed and aired in the early 1990's, and featured a single parent family, only the single parent was the dad, Nick - a musician, the mum, Maddie had ran off to Paris to sing in clubs leaving her husband to look after their three children; Anthony - a recovering addict, Joey - a lovable, yet incredibly stupid jock, and Blossom - the star of the show, smart and funny, and growing up in a house full of men with only her fast talking best friend Six to talk to about 'girl stuff'

It was funny and sweet like an American sitcom should be but it covered real issues like divorce, drink and drug problems, sex, first loves and getting your first period!!

But what really stood out for me was the fashion! Costume Designer Sherry Thompson was also way ahead of her time, dressing the characters, Mainly Blossom and Six in vintage clothes, which now is something growing more common every day but 20 years ago, teenage girls wearing vintage clothing was almost unheard of!

As I said, i'm almost finished re-watching every single episode of Blossom and I have to admit I would wear 90% of the outfits the girls wore on this show today. From Blossom's skirt made from ties to Six's purple cowboy boots. The fashion was amazing on Blossom, but don't take my word for it, see for yourselves!

 And ok, ok it wasn't just the fashion we watched it for, Joey Lawrence (Joey) and Michael Stoyanov (Anthony) were part of the attraction!

Something in the way she moves

Something in the way she moves by kayleighr on polyvore.com

Fuck yeah, Pattie Boyd
Pattie Boyd
pattie boyd | Tumblr
pattie boyd | Tumblr
Fuck yeah, Pattie Boyd
Fuck yeah, Pattie Boyd
Fuck yeah, Pattie Boyd