Jacket – Zemełka Pirowska, Shoes – Kurt Geiger, Sweater – Quiksilver, Dress – 18 and East, Bag – Coach, Scarf – H&M

I think I’m finally making friends with the fringe… of course when it’s not busy snogging the hairpin under a pile of hay or camping in a wig. OK fine, the hairpin is my doing, and I did go on an impulse wig-purchasing spree at YesStyle… but once again, it’s difficult to manipulate the thing at all without the aid of a hairdryer! And besides, I keep buying kebabs with the money. Don’t mind the nerd glasses and its horn-rimmed glory, I lost one of my contacts on my trip to Azerbaijan (more on that later!) and it was either cross-eyed ‘that black-blotch-better-be-the-camera’ shots or pirate eyepatch… lucky for you it’s neither.

Boots courtesy of Kurt Geiger for the These Boots are Made for Walking series in their blog, shpank you! Also shpank you to dear hubby for the photos.

Jacket & Cashmere scarf – Uniqlo, Sweater – Courtesy of Quiksilver, Jeans – Courtesy of Levi’s Curve ID, Shoes – Zara, Bag – Courtesy of Chanel, Watch – Casio via ASOS #teenvogue

Photos by Yu the 11-year-old again, talent-o-meter raising the roof.

Dear Diary,
I woke up today and had a swig of yesterday’s red bull to start the day fresh. There was a slight whiff of bacon burning in the house, but I think it was the neighbours roasting a pig in their snowcovered lawn again. Weirdest people ever. I shuffled down to the kitchen in my blue teddybear pjs expecting to pass the thumping music from my brother’s room and my mum’s blowdry opera, but there wasn’t a sound. The ventilation in the toilet was humming but where were my mummy and daddy? Where was my brudder? AHHHHHHH!! (wait, I skipped to the part where I put some of my brother’s cologne on…)

Is it just me, or is this always the story of December 27th after the official festivities have died? The noise of the holidays is suddenly zapped, you wake up in the Home Alone movie with everyone else gone to resume their lives and next thing there’s maple syrup and broken glass on the stairs.

Jacket – Quiksilver, Sweater – Gmarket, Necklace – Courtesy of Jennifer Loiselle, Sheer tunic – Zara, Leather pants – ASOS, Shoes – H&M

Jennifer Loiselle (Photos from her etsy store)

It seems that only when I’m literally walking out the door I’m able to catch the postman before he scribbles a We Missed You card and vanishes… he really can’t miss me enough to wait 30 damn seconds for the power-sprint from door phone to the door. If this was a relationship I’d be researching numbers for a freelance assassin, I tell you. The package was such a pleasant surprise though, containing two of Jennifer Loiselle‘s perspex necklace/headband designs that I’d seen in Susie’s post not a year ago. The designs are right up my alley – bold necklace that doesn’t require any intuitive jewellery layering skills (that I haz not), and can be worn on head or neck. Apart from the fact that the spikey number is a bit lethal and I’m a little afraid to mount it on my head, they’re a perfect addition to the family (Cow says hi). Thank you Jennifer!

On a separate note, I’m pretty sure in a few more weeks of this slush snow London will be looking to purchase a giant bottle of Head & Shoulders for dandruff control. Oh yes, I remember, last year they had to buy emergency salt from Spain because of said ‘snow’. Krakow has knee-high snow, I hear, and life goes on. LEARN, LONDON.

Thank you Kit for the photos!

B/W Photo & Last two photos by Laurel Dailey; Jen the Style Crusader in last photo

I went to International schools growing up in Warsaw, and Quiksilver & Roxy were the uniform of the rich kids and those with diplomat parents. I personally sported ragamuffin-wear in highschool, as a rebellion against the wave of surfwear washed up at the schoolgates 8:50 every morning. A truly befitting prelude to one of those CSM lifestyles and attitudes, come to think of it. No wonder everyone assumed I had braces and played the Saxophone. (Correction, alumni: I had braces and was in the rockband) You can probably guess what I thought when Beth invited me down to the Zetter Hotel for a Quiksilver collection preview – I wasn’t dreading it though, it would bring a waft of nostalgia, at the least. I never knew I’d ever come to say this, but Quiksilver has grown up, I actually found myself enjoying a lot of the pieces. Gone were the iron-on hipster graphic tees and the cheesecloth tubetops, there were silks and wools. I AM SERIOUS. It’s like the beach got colder, or the girls moved inland – but that’s exactly what London is, isn’t it.

Thank you Beth for inviting me down for the dress-up and Laurel for the wonderful photos.