non-consumer in the fashion world

Remember my resolution to not buy clothing this year unless handmade or thrifted? There are several reasons for this decision:

• my wardrobe is overflowing with clothing - I give away a lot every single year and it's not because I'm a mad shopper (I'm too poor to indulge haha) but I get given lots of things. ie. the lovely Daisy gifted me a coat while I was in London or just look at the fun we had at our swaparama in Salzburg last year. It just happens :)
• it's a fun exercise to not always immediately get what you want but wait for it, it will be more special that way.
• fashion is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, contributor to fill our landfills. Everyone buys seasonal fashion and throws it out a couple months later. Perfectly usable clothing.
• I've been on a hunt for shops that deal fair, produce their garments locally or sustainably... tricky if you ask me!

So I'm fasting from buying fashion this year and until today, when I got an email saying that Marc Jacobs is having a 70% off promo, it was pretty easy haha It will not be my downfall, I promise, but it made me look at all the pretty things they have to offer. After all I'm a big fan :)

Anyway I know I'm a tiny drop in a massive ocean and I'm not going to change consumerism, but you can't talk about it and not live it, right. I'll write little updates over the next 11 months, filled with info on sustainable fashion and what we can do to make a difference. 

In my experience, restriction brings out creativity. If you don't believe me, check out what Sheena did when she wore one dress for an entire year for the uniform project.

celebrate good times

As I was in London and Bath for my birthday last year, I called my friends together for a night of catching up and toasting to a new decade haha.
It was a fun day filled with strolling around Vienna, delicious Lebanese food, a bit of window shopping, hanging out at the pub until the early hours and chatting non-stop. Kind of perfect :)

two of my favourite Salzburg girls x

 the kitchen had closed before we could order :(

 so many lovely people!!

 as I didn't want presents all money went towards freeing slaves and fighting human trafficking

love this photo mostly because it could have been taken in '98!!

 besties

a great night out finishes at the kebab place! 

Love my friends, they are some of the best people this planet has to offer!! Thanks so much for coming out and making the night special xx

tonight

Today is the day that I'm finally getting everyone around to celebrate the big 30! Can't wait to see lots of my favourites, some are stuck somewhere around the world but you will be in our thoughts - wishing you'd be having fun with us. There will be lots of moments like that photo above - a bit embarrassing and don't ask me why I curl my hands like that when I laugh?! but I hope that everyone can laugh out loud as unaware of others watching :)
Off to meet the inner circle at the train station now. Have a fab weekend everyone x

shit liz lemon says

Oh my goodness, I've just watched the first couple of 30 Rock episodes again while doing crafty things. Couldn't help reposting after seeing this over at A Cup Of Jo. 

Tina Fey is gold :) Happy Friday everyone x

Moonrise Kingdom

Is anyone else as excited as I am for this movie to come out? I'm a sucker for Wes Anderson films and wish I could be a fly on the wall one day when they do set design and costumes! Absolutely love them and can't wait to see Moonrise Kingdom!

600

This little blog started out as a way of letting my family and friends join into the craziness I call "life". When I opened blogger today, I noticed that this will be my 600th post, isn't that completely insane?!!!
It all started out in Tennessee in September 2009 and so far these two and a half years have been a roller coaster ride and taken me back to England and pretty much all around Europe. It's been one exciting journey and the way things are right now, it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon.
I'm beyond thankful for getting to be on this journey, here's to another 600 posts and who knows what's to come :)

Here are some of my favourites over the last years
living the nomad lifestyle
2010
2011
here's to happiness
housemates for life this is for you Linda Ferrari
My Glorious antics
Jupiter Jones
the stretch
I could go on and on but you'd be bored and I might get emotional just going through these documents of friendship, family and love haha
Thanks for being in my world people, life is more fun because of you xx

Minefield tour - My Glorious

There are ten days left before we head out to Germany once again.
I'm so excited, the boys would probably be embarrassed about it haha I'm a girl after all!
Anyway if you want to check out if we will be in your area or for tickets click here or here.
Can't wait to see all you pretty people out there x

hanging with the little girls

This girl gang is getting bigger and bigger haha. Had so much fun with Claudia, Johanna and their little Misses: Miss L, Miss K and Miss E. Such sweethearts! Reini came home to this massive girl chaos haha
It was an afternoon filled with catching up, exciting news, chocolate chip scones, cutting hair and trying out new ways of styling, cuddles with the babies and lots of laughter. Grateful for amazing friends x

birthday pancake fun

This happens when you have a pancake party for one brother and the other gets creative with the chocolate sauce. Art by 25-year-old haha

 birthday boy

Thanks Dave & A for hosting a fun night, happy birthday Ulrich xx

current obsession

I woke up this morning and this song was stuck in my head. Favourite thing about this video, you can see the talented Phil S. playing bass. Yay for talented people we know!

Ice Skating
ha! I missed out on skating at Somerset House this winter but tonight the ice rink in front of Vienna's city hall opens up. There are iced paths going through the park and you can actually skate and not just bump into people :) Can't wait to go...

walking
after I sat in a basement for the last 9 weeks and got fat from just eating bread all day long, I'm loving getting all bundled up and going for walks. Nature is so pretty! Thank God for feet that carry you everywhere. Nothing is taken for granted :)

Edinburgh - a YT reunion

Almost ten years ago I ventured up north to do a gap year with SU Scotland at an outdoor centre called Lendrick Muir.
We were a team of six plus another five doing schools work across Scotland. It was a crazy year that included everything from scrubbing floors/toilets to giving archery lessons (you had no idea I was a trained instructor, right? haha) to chopping carrots in the kitchen to dance parties with about 30 nine-year-olds to the sound of S Club 7 and Atomic Kitten. Those were the days :)
I haven't been up to Scotland since 2005 and finally I had the opportunity to jump on a train and spend the last few days of my GB stay with my YT sista Dace and her beautiful family in Edinburgh.
There was so much to catch up on and by the time everyone else turned up for our reunion we were in stitches haha. So good to just hang out with friends and tell fun stories of what happened back in the day. Weird to think that I hadn't seen them in 6+ years, it felt like we've always been around each other. Love that :)

 I was so excited to see the sea haha

 Mr. Noah all bundled up for our walk

 part of YT 2002/03 Gavin, Carina, Michelle, Dace and Chris

missing Sarah, Ali, Kat and let's not forget Andrew

 love how everyone's cracking up in this picture

Mr. Innes :)

 As Sarah wasn't able to make it the night before we turned up at her and Chris's house. She dug out really random music we listened to while working at LM and it transported us right back to washing bikes in the shed haha

 Mr. Aaron - if you're lucky he will treat you to a whole musical show

Got treated to one of the most amazing sun sets on my way back to London. 

Forgot how colourful they are up in Scotland...

Thank you everyone, it was so so good seeing you all. Hopefully it wont be another six years for this to happen again haha Lots of love going up north xxx

The Snowman

When I got an email in September, asking me if I wanted to come and work on The Snowman over the Christmas holidays, it was completely unexpected. It meant that it would perfectly fill the gap between one crazy Konvoi tour and the upcoming Minefield tour and a return to London.
I was so excited, I couldn't sleep - doesn't help when you read your emails at 2am haha
It couldn't have been nicer or more fun - mind you, there was enough to make us all go mad, mostly too many shows in a very short time frame but we laughed our way through those 66 shows. Good times!

 team wardrobe in disguise

 lunch time feast

 breakfast goodness

 northern girls :)

 wardrobe dungeon

and this is what you look like after weeks of being trapped underground haha

Thanks snowmies for being amazing and so much fun to work with. See you soon everyone xxx