Another Day In Paradise

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. What a beautiful day with enormous, fluffy snowflakes. being in Canada means that there is no such thing as a snow day, so life continues as normal, although a bit slower. For a day like this, I am wearing trousers with a short skirt combo made from African fabric by my own fair hands and a Primark coat.

Christmas Olympic Mitts

For Christmas I received these excellent Canadian Olympic mitts. They were a huge success at the 2010 Winter Olympic in Vancouver and definitely the 'IT' mitts of the season. A percentage of the profit goes to support Canadian athletes, let's see what great marketing ideal Britain comes up with for the 2012 Summer Olympics. To go with the mitts I am wearing a dress from Matalan and a beret and scarf from Asda.

Snow Canada Style

I may have left England before the snow showed up, but spending Christmas with the family in Canada will mean that it is going to be white this year. To deal with all the snow I have on a vintage cape, shirt from H&M, scarf wrapped as a skirt and La Redoute trousers

The Week There May Be Snow

The weather man is threatening snow by the end of the week, but for now it is business as usual. Before the snow boots are needed I decided to wear a Primark jacket, Dorothy Perkins blouse under a Primark short sleeve jumper. The skirt is by Debbie Shuchat found at TKMaxx and finished off with Levi boots.

Off To Renew My Driving Licence

My Driving Licence is going to expire next month, so I need to find a photo booth and take a new photo before everything is sent in. These days you are not allowed to smile in official photos anymore. For such a unflattering photo, I am wearing a personalised shawl over a La Redoute wrap tunic and a vintage 1970's maxi skirt.

Guy Fawkes Night

It was such a great evening last night with amazing fireworks and

the largest bonfire I have seen in years. On the top half my Guy Fawkes outfit includes a beret from Asda,a personalised t-shirt and crochet waistcoat from River Island. My Skirt is from Warehouse, tights from Top Shop and TK Maxx boots.

A Day Of Accounts

It is nearly the end of the month, so it must be time to do accounts and invoicing.

Outfit
Waistcoat: Primark 
Dress: Monsoon 
Skirt: Bought at a market in LA
Shoes: Mustang

Going To Concert For CARE

Tonight it is off to the Royal Albert Hall and a concert to raise aide for CARE International. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are playing popular film tunes with a sprinkling of comedians, so it will be an evening of culture and comedy.

Cancer Research Ball

We had a lovely evening last night at the Cancer Research Bubbles and Bows ball. There was good food, great entertainment in the form of the Charlie Rivers Band and plenty of fun stuff to bid for in the Auction. Pulling together the outfit for this event was a bit too last minute for my liking as I only finished making the twisted, bubble skirt the day before. My usual preference is to be able to feel the a fabric before I buy it , but as time was tight I went for the online option and bought from Cheap Fabrics. It all worked very well, especially as the fabric was delivered quickly. The rest of the outfit comprises of a vintage jacket bought at Greenwich market 20 years ago, a bib necklace made with felt and various broaches, L.K. Bennett shoes and a clutch bag from Primark.

A Day Of Meetings

It was all go today as I rushed from one important meeting to another. This evening was a welcome break. For such a day I am wearing a Monsoon scarf, Wallis handbag, a James Lakeland skirt and brilliant Neosens boots.

boots.

Night At The Museum

I am heading off to a party at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Not too sure how much of the museum we will have access to as the party is after hours. Hopefully the gift shop will be open, it has some of the most amazing items to choose from, especially the completely original jewellery. For the party I am wearing a East necklace wrapped with pearls, my husbands Primark shirt, Charity shop and boots from Top Shop.

Lets hope it is not like the movie.

I thought I used a lot of buttons

It was the most amazing day in London spent at the Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival Celebration. I am well know for adding a substantial amount of buttons to t-shirts in order to create an original 'Rachael Creation (RC)' as you will see in future posts. But these fine young men have put me to shame.


Outfit
Sunglasses: T.K.Maxx
T-shirt: Hennes
Necklace:  Free with a magazine
Dress: New Look

Happy Monday

Only a couple of days until Heather my dear friend from Canada arrives for a visit. So much to do today so I can take the time off and hang out with her. To celebrate today I am wearing an Army Jacket bought over 20 years ago, when I originally travel throughout Europe. An vintage skirt found at Oxfam online, a H&M top and boots bought at a train station in Switzerland. Bring on Wednesday.

Deal Or No Deal

A weekend away with the husband included 3 castles and a roman villa. This photo was taken at Deal Castle, one of the several castles along the coastline of Kent and my favourite of the weekend. Being that castles are never the warmest of places, I am wearing a B.Young Coat, Phase Eight wrap dress and harem trousers I bought in Thailand.

The Day After The Tube Strike

My meetings in London yesterday had to change because of the Tube strike. It wasn't all bad because I was able to complete a few articles and get an Editor off my back. For a day of writing I am wearing a Next top, this amazing vintage 1970's skirt found in a charity shop , Matalan sandals and a bag From Wallis.

Did a bit of playing with photo gallery to edit this photo. Not so sure about the whole leaning look, but it adds a bit of interest to an otherwise bland setting.

Summer Is Still Here

The final long weekend of the summer and the sun is out in all its glory. We have house guests arriving in a week so it was a day of DIY shops and minor repairs. My sunshine outfit includes a top from Zara and a Boxfresh dress worn backwards and as a skirt.

The Nights Are Getting Cool

The nights are getting cool, so I need something to keep my shoulders warm when I am out with the girls tonight and nothing could be more effective or look better than this 'wrap type thing' I bought in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The rest of the outfit involves a Top Shop t-shirt and a skirt created by my own fair hands.

Back In A Routine

After a hectic few weeks of training and learning new skills to help my clients even further. Life has slipped nicely back into a routine. Today I have an writing deadline plus a couple of proposals to pull together. To help with all that I am wearing a Zara dress, Kaliko cardi and Office sandals

TGIF

Thanks goodness it is Friday and my only day off till the 16th. I included a very necessary bike ride in all the other tasks I needed to complete today. My cycling outfit includes a t-shirt from H&M and a TKMaxx skirt.

Fabric Shopping

Deciding today to wear a jacket that I made years and years ago, has spurred on squeezing in a quick trip to Fabrics Galore before heading out this evening. With the jacket I am wearing Primark sandals, leggings and a scarf worn as a skirt.

A Broken Car-Outfit 4

This was not quite the start to the day I was expecting. Rushing out the door and heading off to a meeting was brought to an abrupt stop when the car would not start. The time waiting for the RAC was not a complete loss as I was able to finish a couple of proposals and rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow. The final outfit making use of my New Look dress includes a Totem dress, Warehouse blouse and Matalan sandals.

PS. the car was an easy inexpensive fix of having to replace the 10 year old battery, so I am back up and running.

The Joy of Paperwork- Outfit 3

Things have cooled down, which will work perfectly as I have a morning of running around taking care of business then back to the office and loads of paperwork. Outfit 3 starts off at the top with a jacket from H&M ,a Top Shop scarf and a handbag found in Brighton. The trousers are made from the most beautiful silk and were bought in Thailand.

Meeting In Greenwich- Outfit 2

Just got home from a successful meeting in Greenwich with three inspiring women. We are looking at working together, it will be interesting to see how it develops. Greenwich is such a fun place to be on the weekend when the market is open, but it is a bit quiet during the week. Outfit 2 of the New Look dress includes a New Look t-shirt personalised with beads and buttons, with a beaded vintage net cardi/snug over top. Then finished off with a charity shop skirt and white cowboy boots bought at a random shop on Oxford Street.

A Day At The Seaside- Outfit 1

What do you do when the sun is shinning......go to the seaside of course. I met friends in Weymouth for a bit of sand, shopping and seafood. It was fun to stretched my creativity pulling together 5 outfits from one black skirt, so I thought I would do the same with this yellow dress from New Look. The rest of the outfit includes a shirt from H&M, Uniqlo leggings, a East necklace and Red or Dead sandals

Workhubs 2010 Conference

It was an early morning start as I headed into London for the first Workhubs conference, looking into a range of working locations from a home based office to Making use of service offices and workhubs. On such a grey day I thought I would brighten it up with a bit of white. The cardigan and shirt are from a charity shop, the scarf over the skirt was bought Tie Rack and the blouse was found in Shanghai. The photo is a funny colour, but what do you expect it is 7am.

Clothes Show London

Clothes Show live is now in London, it is nice to have this event in town. I spent the afternoon wandering through rails and rails of clothing and ended up only buying a book for inspiration and new sewing ideas . The book 49 1/2 skirts is packed full of idea, I can't wait till tomorrow to get started. Today's outfit is based around a Comme des Garcons dress I bought at a DWS event. The necklace was made by cutting felt in a half moon shape and covered with 1950's brooches, plus a couple of flowers taken off an Alice band. Simply tied together at back with a bit of ribbon sewn on the felt. The crochet snug is by Kaliko and the sandals are from Primark. If you are looking to give a favourite piece of clothing a new lease of life, I met the girl you need to contact. Jo Poole The Dress Doctor will show up at your place with her sewing machine and embellishments ready to create a new and exciting outfit.

Long Live the 70's

We headed off to a birthday party this evening with a 70's theme. I don't know if I should worry that my whole outfit was created with clothing from my wardrobe. The blouse is from Dorthy Perkins with a Primark tank top over top. I found the fringe bag at a market and the skirt was bought in LA. It was a great evening with plenty of disco dancing and John Travolta impersonations.

Fit For Work

Off to see a client and deal with a badly behaved wardrobe. Today I am wearing a Zara top and a jacket from Thailand. My trousers are from La Redoute, finished off with great sandals from Tesco.

An Evening At Strings And Wings

Last night we enjoyed a stunning evening at Strings & Wings 70th Anniversary celebration of the Battle of Britain. The evening was filled with music by the Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Davis as conductor and accompanied by Claire Sweeney. Wearing a vintage 1950's dress and my mother's necklace was a must for the evening. To give the dress a true authentic feel, I am wearing two net underskirts, that I have made (think I am going to add more layers to the purple one). The sandals are from La Redoute.

Five Days One Skirt-Day Five

Well this is it, day five of the Warehouse skirt. Thankfully

my meeting was in the morning as it is turning out to be a warm, wonderful day and requires an outfit more suitable to the weather. So will be paying homage to the Victorian when I change into the second outfit for the day. To change the look of the skirt, I have wrapped a scarf in and out of the various layers. The boots are from Spitalfields Market and the blouse is from Marks & Spencer

Wedding at Langshott Manor

The Warehouse skirt gets a well deserved day off. We are heading over to Langshott Manor for a wedding. If you are wanting a small intimate wedding this is the idyllic location, with it's own Alice in Wonderland garden. My outfit started off by making use of a vintage Haori bought for me by a friend from the monthly (flee market) sale at the Shitennoji Temple in Osaka. I have never been there but on my next trip to Japan, it will definitely be at the top of my list.

Under the Haori I am wearing an Imitz dress found at TK Maxx, Carvella shoes and a Vintage handbag also from Shitennoji Temple. Unfortunately I didn't get a good photo of the handbag other than this slightly blurry one.

Five Days One Skirt-Day Four

With the Warehouse skirt, my day four outfit consists of a River Island t-shirt, charity shop scarf decorated with sculls and completely brilliant leggings from Uniqlo.

Five Days One skirt-Day Three

It has been one amazing weekend, but fear not this is England, so it will be raining by Wednesday. I went out for a pub lunch at Organ and Dragon with the husband to relax and enjoy the sunshine in their lovely secluded garden. For day three I am wearing a Coast scarf underneath my Warehouse skirt, a H&M t-shirt customised with lace, La Redoute sandals and TK Maxx handbag.

Five Days One Skirt-Day Two

Out early this morning as I headed over to Reading for a presentation. It went really well, with nothing but positive feedback. To go with the Warehouse skirt, today I am wearing a lace blouse also from Warehouse, a coat I made and cowboy boots found on Oxford Street.

Five Days One Skirt-Day One

Time is drawing near until my book "How to make working from home work for you" is going to be published so I feel the need to stretch my creativity muscle and fashion several outfits using this amazing Warehouse skirt as the base. The rest of today's interpretation includes a blouse found at Camden Market, Dorothy Perkins tights and cute kitten heal shoes from TK Maxx.

Walking With The Dinosaurs

I have been wanting to visit the Natural History Museum for far to long. On previous attempts I encountered a never ending queue so turned around and visited a market instead. Since I was heading into London for a meeting today, it was time to have another try. The museum did not let me down, the building alone is unbelievable.

The day started off with sunshine, so I dusted off my Clarks sandals. My spring outfit was very optimistic as most of the day was spent shivering. The rest of the spring outfit includes a H&M t-shirt personalised with lace and buttons and a silk skirt made in India but bought in LA.

Final Day In Cornwall

The holiday is coming to an end with our final day being spent at St Ives. To protect against the cool sea breeze, I am wearing H&M t-shirt, Primark jacket and TK Maxx coat. My long white charity skirt had been rolled up at the waist to create a shorter skirt with a scarf being worn as an underskirt.

Time To Relax

It has been all go, go, go on this holiday. So today we decided to have a relaxing day and stay at home. My parents are photographed in front of Mevagissey's picturesque harbour. This is a great little village, everyone should give it a visit. You know what it is like when you are on holiday and living out of a suitcase, it is time to mix things up again. Today's outfit is making use of a H&M t-shirt, Primark cardigan and jacket and a skirt found in TK Maxx.

East Of Eden

This is the first cloudy day so far, so we headed to the Eden Project and a day under cover. We started in the Rainforest Biome and worked up a sweat. It was so warm you can see the steam in this photo.

Outfit
S/S Jacket: Upcycled and made out of a vintage dress given to me by my sister-in-law
Long Sleeve T-Shirt: Hennes
Skirt: Charity Shop
Scarf used as wrap: Tie Rack 

On The Hunt For King Arthur

Today we took a serious step back in time and spent the afternoon at Tintagel Castle. In a word WOW. Legend has it that Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur where he met Merlin and the story really starts to get exciting. 

Outfit
S/S Jacket: Upcycled and made out of a vintage dress given to me by my sister-in-law.
Brooch: My Mothers
T-Shirt: Hennes
Trousers: La Redoute .
Sandals: Oxford Street 

Made It To The End Of The Earth

We made it to the end of the Earth......well England anyway. Another adventurous day in Cornwall finished off with a trip to Lizard Point.

Outfit
Long Sleve T-Shirt: Hennes
T-Shirt: Gift from my Sister-in-law
Skirt: TK Maxx
Boots: Clarks.

A Trip To Devon

We are so lucky that the plan was to head to Devon for a holiday with my parents and not hope to fly anywhere during this crazy situation, compliments of an Icelandic volcano. Our day was spent visiting various beaches, the sun may have been out, but it certainly was not bikini weather.

Outfit:
Scarf: Tie Rack 
Jacket: TK Maxx
Cardigan: Primark
Trousers :La Redoute
Boots: Clarks.

A Day Out With My Parents

My parents have arrived save and sound from Canada and are over their jet lag, so we are heading into London for a bit of sight seeing. The first stop is Borough Market for a spot of lunch, than several cups of tea to keep them awake.

Outfit
Jacket: Bicester Village
Jumper: Zara.
Skirt: From Warehouse and personalised with lace around the edge
Handbag: Wallis
Boots: Covent Garden