A girl can dream ... ahh Vintage Chanel

So this beautiful, exquisite and spine chillingly stunning piece is just £2 shy of £2500. I know. You could literally buy a decent car for that. However you're not just buying a bag, you're buying a piece of history, it already has its own story, it has already seen a different life. The quilted style and chain strap have inspired a million rip offs, testament to the timeless nature of the design.

Its way way out of my price range but if I had the money I would snap it up in an instant. I am however deeply in love with my new DKNY Town and Country tote which is worthy of its very own blog post. I feel almost like I am committing handbag adultery by lusting over vintage Chanel !

So if you have the money - or a very rich friend who loves you a lot, the bag itself is available here...

http://www.asos.com/Chanel/Vintage-Chanel-Medium-Tote-Bag-With-Matching-Purse/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1098637&cid=6940&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=2&clr=Beige

Watch + Pandora Bead Pendant

In my spare time (which isn't often) I like to design and make my own jewellery, which is much more grand that it sounds. More accurately I like to fiddle about with interesting pendants and beads and sometimes I create something pretty! The above watch pendant is my latest creation and I have to say I am rather proud of it.

I wanted the chain to be long to give the wearer (moi) easy access to the watch pendant and I wanted the pandora beads to be loose on the chain to give it some movement.

Hopefully my next creations will be some silver earrings but I lost all patience with them last night (I blame Fabio Capello) so they may be some time!

Make pretend its 1966 forever...

There's no escaping, the world cup is almost upon us. The sheer number of England flags, merchandise and banners adorning every inch of our green and pleasant land is astonishing... and nice to see.

The video above, World in Motion by New Order, was the official England tune in 1990. Miss Wa Wa was 10 years old and experienced her first glimpse of the agony of heartbreak when Stuart Pearce missed a penalty against West Germany in the semi final - the semi bloody final - ouch! Having spent the best part of four weeks of my ninth summer diligently noting every detail of England's campaign I was nothing short of devastated. I couldn't grasp the concept that I would be the grand old age of 14 before England could try again in the World Cup.

So turn it up loud and enjoy what is, in my opinion, the best world cup song ever. This is specially dedicated to those who, although they do not hail from England, are throwing themselves behind the national team with somewhat touching dedication, in particular the lovely Denise, a veritable Princess from "La Isla Bonita", Malta... and also Neil who is throwing his weight behind England since Scotland didn't qualify (and also really likes New Order!).

When the going gets tough... the tough wear their favourite shoes for work!

Ladies and gentlemen, my current favourite shoes (subject to change at any time dependent on mood which is in turn dependent on caffeine consumption). I bought them last year from Topshop (where else). They're called Jump (not sure why). You know when you're having the crappiest week ever and you need a little lift? Well these babies do it for me. They're comfy enough to wear all day for work, and stylish enough to make me feel that little bit more special than usual! Don't judge me, some people hit the bottle, I hit the shoe shops!

As Carrie Bradshaw one said "it is a woman's right to shoes"!

The Editors gig: 16th March 2010

I know this was a while ago but I wasn't blogging back in the time when I went to this gig!

The Editors are, in my hunble opinion, very underrated. Maybe not quite your favourite band but the credible alternative you'd admit to before you'd admit to belting out a Girls Aloud classic in the car (or is that just me - ouch!).

The gig was at Manchester Apollo which is by far my favourite gig venue in all the world. Not solely because I am massively biased towards all things Mancunian, but also because it has bucket loads more character than the Manchester Evenings News Arena, the bars are good and the floor slopes down so even a short person standing at the back can get a decent view. The grandeur and opulence of the main hall is a reminder of the time when the venue was a cinema, and a relatively posh one at that, which my own dear mother frequented back in t'day!

The Apollo is worthy of a blog post all on its own ... but for now back to the gig.

The Editors belted out all their classics and along with a decent selection from their most recent album, accompanied by a hypnotic light show which was absolutely stunning. At times I couldn't quite piece together how the light show fitted in with the music, but it was so captivating that it didn't really matter!

Tom Smith, the lead singer, aims for understated cool, definitely more Chris Martin than Pete Doherty, more technical excellence than charisma. He immersed himself in the performance in a way that reminded me a little of the late, great, Ian Curtis. Only really during Smokers at the Hospital Doors did he really seem to be playing directly to the crowd. This is by no means a criticism, merely an observation!

Big shout out to the Dexmeister General for his excellent photography skills. We're off to see Ellie Goulding next week and if Dex brings his camera you can expect similarly excellent photos!

More about the Manchester Apollo here here
More about the Editors here here

Don't step on my ... erm purple suede boots (cos they're gawwjusss)

I can't walk past a charity shop. I just can't. Well some who know me (Denise) would say I can't walk past ANY shop! Harsh but I have to say fair.

A lot of the time charity shop mooching isn't successful, but sometimes a little gem throws itself into your path and screams "buy me".

Just such an occasion happened in the Sue Ryder shop when I happened across the above purple suede boots, still in their original box, still with the stuffing inside and still with the labels on the bottom. The price - originally £75 and mine for £10! I felt almost apologetic buying them so cheap so bought I my mother some earrings too!

I know what you're thinking! Its June and you'll never get to wear them! Well maybe - but how fabulous will they look in the autumn!

So my new strategy will be to charity shop hunt near posh universities where wealthy students will cast off their Topshop (and hopefully Gucci/DKNY/Dior) in my direction...

.... road trip to Oxford anyone...?

Konad Nail Art

Konad Nail Art kits are a fun and cheap way to jazz up your nails. I bought a starter kit from Ebay which had discs M2 and M3 designs included with three nail polishes, a scraper and a stamper.

Forgive the slight smudging with the nail varnish (I was tired and sunburnt at the time of application!), however I think you'll agree the results are quite funky.

Its fairly simple, if not a little tricky (the less dexterous may need assistance!).

1. Paint nails as usual with your normal colour and wait to dry;
2. Apply the Konad nail polish to the chosen design on the plate;
3. Scrape off the excess polish with the scraper provided (I found an old credit card works just as well!);
4. Roll the stamper over the design. The stamper should pick the design up from the plate. Tip: you have to be really quick between scraping the polish and rolling the stamper;
5. Apply the stamper to the nail.

It is best to apply a decent top coat afterwards to ensure the design stays in place longer.

There are some VERY cheesy tutorials on You Tube which you might want to check out, however they are so cheesy that I felt unable to recommend any!

In my opinion the best place to purchase kits is Ebay, however more information on Konad designs and polishes can be found here http://www.konadnailart.com/

Crochet Skater Dress

Thank God for Asos. How cute is this dress! Ordered it today (free delivery within six working days). Can't wait for it to arrive, think it could become a wardrobe staple over the summer months!

Eng-er-laand

With the World Cup looming (squad announced yesterday), St Georges crosses adorning cars, pubs and supermarkets (has anyone been to Tescos lately!?) I would like to dedicate my post today to our little country, England.

Now, let's be honest, we moan about where we live A LOT! The weather, the economy, working hours, bank holidays (and the distinct lack thereof), price of stuff compared with the US... but let's think about this a little more carefully. This morning I chose what I wanted to wear, not every lady in the world had that choice to make. We live in a culture which celebrates diversity, and in an age where young people are encouraged to develop their own sense of style and identity.

Something I experienced on a recent trip I took (to a country not very far away) has made me appreciate where I live so much more. As reasonably educated people in the 21st Century, should we not have evolved as human beings enough to make racism a long forgotten memory? I will never again take for granted how it feels to walk down the street without feeling frightened. Although it is a human right, we must remember how lucky we really are. The diversity and tolerance we have in England is something to be cherished, and not ever taken for granted.