Photo Friday 15

Oh Poo! I'm in a rut.

I'm very disappointed in myself in that I haven't been consistent at all with this blog this year. So much so that I missed my 1 year blog anniversary!

WHAT?!

Poor Leesh Poor!

Anyway, I'm taking some time to help me better figure out what the theme of this blog is. It seems to have lost its way a little and I'm stuck in a creative rut.

So here's a little idea of the sort of inspiration around me today as I try hard to sketch out a blog plan and life plan, while continuing the wedding plan. And this little orange furball is happy to just roll around showing off how perfect his eat sleep poop regime is!

Very jealous!

Hope you all have a lovely and productive weekend.

Photo Friday 14

Happy Halloween my lovelies!

Did you trick or treat last night? Have any ghostly encounters?

Last night I went to Ham House in Richmond, London. Britains most haunted house for a night of fun including ghost tours, a private spooky seance and lots of treats and gory props with which to have fun.

The night was hosted by Amy Grimehouse a great company that have done many one off halloween events in and around London including one at the V&A last year. This year the theme was Hammer House of Horror who were behind some of the best horror films including Dracula.

 It was truly a different kind of Halloween, a far cry from the trick or treating when I was younger or the sex infused costumes of my uni years. Oh no this was the Best. Halloween. Ever!

I was a little girl again being amazed and yet terrified around every corner. We went on a late night tour of the house were we were shown the rooms and stairways that were most haunted by the Duchess who resided there.

I won't go too much into the history in case you decide to visit or research yourself. But it is said that the smell of her rose perfume still lingers the air when she haunts. Well I smelt it. Oh yes I did! But alas I didn't see the Duchess, although my Beau swears he saw her King Charles Spaniel, another frequent haunter!

A truly unique and thrilling experience. Even if you are not taken back by anything ghostly I promise this house will still thrill you, the eerie nature in which everything has still been kept and the cold dark empty feel as you walk through unlit corridors and tight stairways will make even the strongest a bit nervy.

Go check it out! You might even see a ghost..

Courtesy of  http://www.london-attractions.info/ham-house.htm

Photo Friday 13

Gosh it’s been a while since I’ve posted a photo Friday feature! I’ve recently been falling in love with all things vintage again and have found myself scrolling through the net oogling all the pictures of hair and makeup from the 1940s – 50s.

I hope to pop over to Oxford st today to check out the vintage store Absolutely Vintage and the vintage repro line Fever designs. With Autumn making its sudden appearance in the chilly crisp air I thought it the perfect opportunity to pop into some shops and see if i can bag myself some cosy yet figure hugging knits ^_^

One thing I found hard when keeping up vintage appearances was the lack of longer straighter hairstyles. I have hair down to just above my hips and its dead straight more chung li than veronica lake. Its an absolute pain curling my hair for it only to straighten out in a few hours.

It’s no secret that during the war years many girls didn’t have the time or means to regularly cut their hair and thus came the era of the beautiful pin curls. However, I have yet to master these styles with such ease and adapt them to my straight hair for an everyday glamorous look.

Anyway to the point, it was nice to come across this picture from the late 40s to see that there were women back then that had the lovely long locks unaffected by the 1920s-30s coiffure fashions. Its the actress Patricia Morison. I love it. It means there’s hope yet for these unruly locks and reminds me I just need to wake up earlier and put in more effort!

Taken in 1939 courtesy of Classic Cinema Gold

And here she is in all her victory roll glory from google images

Happy Friday lovelies xx

Photo Friday 12

Yay! I'n back up and running again. Ah I miss not writing my blog, when I started it was my pet project that very soon turned into my baby, a place where I could sit down each night and share my weirdest thoughts and obsessions. So you can imagine how I felt when technology turned against me and I was restricted from my daily therapy.

But all is well and this Friday I can honestly say now that I'm a working girl (no that doesn't sound right does it?) I have never looked forward to Friday so much. I cannot wait to be lying in and sleeping tomorrow morning without a care in the world.

I know the last photo Friday was work related so indulge me once more with this one. I need to know your secret ladies and gentlemen.. How do you maintain your work wardrobe?

I'm driven to having to wear suits and work attire pretty much everyday without even the option of dress down Fridays and I'm all too soon realising that my wardrobe is.. well.. either too vintage or too colourful for work! As if ever there were such a problem!

How do you all still stay so glamorous? Even without the red lipstick? I need your tips and tricks!

If only I could pull out the bullet bra but at a law firm they'd probably sue my bazoonga's for causing personal injury!

Have a lovely weekend xx

Photo Friday 11

Its all about the perfect power suit today. After having an interview and getting the job *YAY!* 

I began thinking what is it that makes a power suit so.. well powerful?

Is is the strong shoulders but delicate waist of these lovely 40s gals? Or perhaps the carefree feeling in a pair of tailored trousers?

Maybe it has nothing to do with the clothing and its lines but just how it makes you feel. I bet a lingerie model's power suit is her lingerie! I am still on the search of my power suit, at the moment I'm settling with a few delicious pieces from my favourite Marks and Spencer's, but if I've over eaten on cream éclairs they aren't very forgiving on my tum and bum!

Perhaps a sturdy structured corseted suit from the 40s or 50s would do me, I can imagine I'd feel very powerful indeed and perhaps a bit flirty too!

Here's to lots of success to you and your power suit!

Gorgeous Gals

Photo Friday 10

This is such a lovely view, you see it as you walk around the aquadrome park near my house. I love visiting it in spring and summer when the garden just seems to come alive like something from a movie. 

This Friday I think we should all take a time out and hit those beer gardens, squeeze into the shorts and soak up the sun in the garden. I’ve been complaining about it long enough, now I think I should make some time to enjoy it before it disappears again.

Who knows this may be our summer?

Photo Friday 9

Let me take this moment on this lovely Friday afternoon to introduce you, if I haven’t already because I’m losing my marbles as of late, to my African Grey Parrot: Angel. Or Angie if you know her well enough!

Angel - A.K.A Trouble!

We’ve had her since she was a youngin’ and she’s around 10 years old I think, which is very young for Greys as they can live to about 100 years if properly cared for i.e spoilt.

This one, is probably the most spoilt of the family, she’s a little charmer who is a fat and sugar junkie. It’s so hard to keep her away from the chips and peanut butter toasts. She is a darling though and keeps me company when I’m in the big scary house alone, usually by singing and dancing with me. She’s very good at the odd chit chat but she likes poking fun the most, hiccups to burps to blowing your nose if she catches you doing it she will rip the piss out of you until kingdom come. My dad once suffered from a bit of a chesty cough a few Christmas’ ago and every since when she sees him she starts hysterically coughing and wailing. To all of our amusement of course least my dad.

Munching on a bit of passion fruit, one her more healthy options

Then its the grudges she holds. Oh the embarrassment. She has this amazing animal sense that seems to always pick up on people we as a family like and people we, well perhaps like less and  when they come over, Angie is not one for discretion. She very openly expressing our feelings towards the person be it staring them down, attacking them straight up or just making so much noise you want to strangle her yourself! Its so embarrassing. 

But Alas, I love her nonetheless, for without her our home would be a very very quiet home indeed!

I don’t know if Angel would classify as an “exotic” animal, but I’d be very much interested to know what exotic or unusual pets you have. Scratch that I’m interested in your pets full stop! Leave me a comment below and share a few details about the loves of your life!

Happy Friday! 

Photo Friday 8

So I am excited to confess that this morning at 6am I went to... THE GYM! Yep, that’s a pretty big thing for me the last time I went into a gym forcefully was during P.E in high school and willingly? Well never.

But in aid my goal to get fit I accompanied the Dad to his local gym and sat on a bike for 30mins. I was right by the door and could not only see but make direct eye contact with practically every hunky guy that walked in, and my my did they walk in.

I started off thinking “oh this isn’t bad! This isn’t bad at all!” until after about 3mins a beep came from the bike telling me that was just the warm up, my face dropped, my hands gripped the bars tighter and for the sake of my dignity I had to avoid making eye contact with the next few hunks that walked in and go all out like Rambo on a bike.

I tasted my own sweat for the first time. Yeah I made the same kind of face as you are right now. It dripped from my eyelid, down my face and into my mouth where I nearly choked on it. My sweat was trying to kill me.

Oh and then came the 30mins! Oh the beeps and flashing lights of “You’ve made it honey! Go have a MacDonalds breakfast!” Glorious, I felt on top of the world a shy little gym-a-phobe transformed into a muscle powered, feel the burn gym junkie. And then I got off the bike.

OH MY GOD! Where were my legs! As I was getting of the bike I realised my thighs had gone completely numb and that as soon as my foot touched the ground I was going to fall over. So I casually acted like I hadn’t broken a sweat, gripped onto the bike as if it was King Kong and delicately limped my way into the next room to join the Dad.

Well.. hmm.. that is how I imagined it in my head but in reality I tripped on  the rowing bar and nearly fell on a sweaty man *horror face*

But I am not deterred! No spin bike you will see me again next Friday morning as soon as my burning crotch ceases to er.. burn. Jeez no one warns you about that one do they?

If only I made crotch burn look half as glamorous as these lassies!

Photo Friday 7

Are you city sleek or countryside relaxed?

I'm countryside relaxed. I love rural landscapes compared to cities any day. I usually get mocked as all my 20 something mates love the thrill of the city and while I do get caught up from time to time I couldn't imagine living there.

The City?

I like looking out of my window and seeing random animals from deer to squirrels it often makes me feel a bit like Snow White/ Cinderella.. Hmmm if only I could master the art of getting them to clean my room.

And I love trees and grass. Sounds mad right? But I love the feeling of nature around me, sometimes in the city I get a bit claustrophobic when I travel for miles until I find a lonely tree. I usually run up and start hugging it like a hippy to the disappointment of the oh so cool city sleek Boyfriend.

Or the Country?

Now that's not to take away from the city's charm. It has everything you could possible want and I would be lying if I said I've never succumb to the charms and that sense of always being young.

 But at the end it's all about the Country.

Which one are you?

Photo Friday 6

So it is no secret to those who know me and my obsession with all things vintage, but perhaps they didn’t know that I’m quite the corset wearer. Until last year I could happily corset down to 20” and then let myself go a bit. This week I’ve gone and dug my collection out and have been gradually getting back into them in preparation for the upcoming weddings and the beautiful vintage gown!

One of the things that motivates me to get into shape is a good ol’ pin up! I love them and have my whole dressing top covered in a collage.

This week is a pin up pic from none other than Gil Elvgren in my eyes the King of pinups. I think his drawings are the best.

Courtsy Gil Elvgren - The Complete Pin Ups Book

This I’ll have you know is a very true depiction of me trying to get into my girdles! Yeah ok I wish.. my squeezing into girdles isn’t half this sexy!

Photo Friday 5

Shai trying his hand at Belly Dancing

Because life's too short. Just go out there and have fun!

Do all those things that people tell you you shouldn't, do it in style and tell them poppycock!

Like my cutie pie above.. Being a cat doesn't stop him from wanting to belly dance and my how stylish he looks!

Photo Friday 4

Popped over to Spitalfields’ antique fair yesterday and picked up some lovely old postcards with Victorian oil paintings printed on them. I’m not sure exactly what they will be used for but I imagine they’ll provide some colour to my A5 Luxe.

One of the pictures I picked up was this one

Postacard of oil painting. Sir Frank Dicksee - The Confession (1896)

 Sir Frank Dicksee – The Confession (1896). I love it. 

It’s a classic Victorian “problem picture” where the artist deliberately paints something ambiguous. Every time I look at it I am dying to know what she is confessing. Then sometimes I think maybe it is the man confessing. Is he her husband? Her Beau who’s marrying another woman? Did she have an affair? Spend too much of the family estate budget! Hahaha. A thought provoking picture I hope you’ll agree.

It does make me wonder..  

Do you have any confessions this Friday? Anything you’d like to get off your chest? Well, leave a comment and confess away!

I confess that I lied when someone asked me last week if I ate any of the humongous sized Galaxy Cookie Crumble chocolate bar. I said one piece.. but I finished the whole darn thing! And I haven’t exercised for a week! Oooh the confessions just come rolling out!

There may also be some more serious confessions that should be aired but it’s also good to keep some naughty little secrets!

Happy Confessional Friday!

Photo Friday 3

Friday! Yay! Oh I love Fridays don’t you? The idea of kicking back and watching a movie or hanging out in jim jams (I do that a lot in case you haven’t noticed!) just really appeals to me.

 Switching off.

This Friday I’m popping out with a few friends to celebrate a birthday. Its also International Womens Day! Which is a bonus!

I’m going to diva it up and aim to say one nice thing about every fellow woman I meet, cause we have to stick together, heaven knows the men aren’t very helpful at listening and helping with emotional, logical and social aspects of our complicated self!

Here’s to Friday and being a fabulous woman, to complicated glamour, mastering unconditional love, to self sacrifice without ever complaining and giving birth to the next generation.

We are EPIC!

In the famous words of the most glamorous of them all..

And some more gorgeous women..

Loren Still looking hot as ever!

Monroe

Hepburn

Happy Fridays!

Photo Friday 2

The exam is near.. *Runs around wailing frantically before throwing the cat in the air*

While I may have awesome plans to forget everything I have learnt in a single hour, the first thing I will be doing after finishing, is snuggling into my goose feathered duvet with some hot choc, a cuddly cat to keep my feet warm and SLEEP.

Princess Ash, tucked up in my bed, she thinks she's human as do all my animals..

Sleep for a whole evening, sleep for the day, hell I if I want I will sleep for the weekend! I dedicate today’s picture to those who have had a particularly long week and wouldn’t mind a weekend hibernation just in time for spring.

Sleep well! Oh and PINCH PUNCH 1^ST OF THE MONTH! *Runs away evil laughing*

Photo Fridays

TGIF! Everything seems so much more manageable when you wake up, wriggle around beneath the warm duvet, accidently kick the cat off the bed and realise its Friday! That means only 8 more hours of work, it means PAY DAY it means not changing out of your PJ’s until Sunday! Oh.. Just me then..

To celebrate all things Friday, I’m setting up a weekly feature called Photo Fridays. Each Friday I’ll post a picture of something awesome to see us into the weekend.

To kick things off I’m posting this classic photo of me “morning after the night before.”  To remind me that the end of exam party is not too far away! Although I don't think I could live through another morning like that.. How I ended up in this box is still a mystery to my sis and I. 

I am M.I.A. Therefore I am encouraging you to venture out on my behalf and go mad Leesh style (what that means is up to you ).  Whether that’s over spending on Boots' 2for1 offers (come on they're so good!) or drinking your age in shots and then sending that really dodgy text (we've all been there, sometimes without drink!).. do it and DO IT WELL!

Make me proud and once you have regained consciousness leave me a comment and make me super jealous!  Happy photo Fridays lovelies!

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