A LONGER LUNCHBREAK AT HELSINKI VINTAGE

So, yesterday it was the same procedure as last time Helsinki Vintage was on; off with the working gear and on with the skirt and the lipstick for a quick lunch break visit of browsing, admiring, super fast shopping and some mandatory socializing at the fair.


I pretened my hair was short; rolled it inwards towards the neck.

So many things, so little time...
Thanks to Gina at Americana for the give away tickets!

Then it was off with the lipstick and back to work.

But I actually managed to buy something; it was a good thing I had the guys from work pick me up with the van. Possible photos to come later on.

CATS AND KITTENS AND FULL SKIRTS

The internet, oh, the internet. A never ending source of information. And inspiration! And - disinformation, crap and bullshit. A space to spend time well worth, and also waist it. A place of gain and ruin. Heaven and hell. Hallelujah!

But. Although I might spend a little too much time and money online from time to time, the internet is very useful for me. Often thanks to my Freelancer's Fashion Facebook page - and to all of you. Why? Because you help me find the stuff I want!(A desire and need most likely created by the internet in the first place, but hey, that's peanuts at this point).

The most acute Must Haves are stuff that I realize I can very well live without if I wait one week and decide in fact not to give in to the desire.

But sometimes again the quick compulsive need to buy a certain thing can turn out very well, and become a long lasting well used item; I am mostly referring to clothes here now, but this actually applies to about half of my tattoos as well.

The latest in this case was a kitten dress - a dress with kittens on it! Not spotted on the web actually, but in real life, on a girl. And then it struck me - what the hell? A kitten dress? Of course! How had I been able to live my whole life without one so far? So I asked her about the dress, she told me the brand name, didn't quite catch it, then forgot it. As you know, here's where the internet comes in handy. But my friend Google was not able to help this time. The game wasn't all lost at that point though - post it on the Facebook page and woah! - some moments later I have the link.

Ta-taa! Kitty dress found.

However, after thinking about it I for a while I decided the dress perhaps was a little bit too expensive considering all the other things I am in a totally and very desperate need of (yes) and considering the fact the the cut on the dress was nice but not that extraordinary _ I should perhaps not buy it after all. But, in the same time I also realized I really had to have a dress with small furry felines on it. Well, now I needed to get my hand on the fabric instead; which I eventually did (also trough the help of some followers), after first browsing hundreds of kitty fabrics on ebay.
In the end I did go for anohter fabric instead, with retro kitties on. Meow meow!

This one right here, on it's way to me now.

I'd love to turn it into a two piece dress, or perhaps a shirt and circle skirt. Or a shirt waist dress.

Hmmm...

Now of course, another question is; will I actually ever fix myself that kitty dress?Knowing me, those of you who do, might have your doubts.

So, a little poll:
A. I will get the two-piece dress done in time for summer
B. I will skip the original idea and go for an easier version, but get it done.
C. I will get the dress done in time for summer 2012
D. I will have the dress done by someone else (which will make it a very expensive kitty dress in the end)
-or-
E. The fabric will end up looking really good among the other fabrics that are waiting forever in my fabric box.

What do you think?


PS.The kitty dress I did not get was by Limb clothing and the kittens-fabric by Micheal Miller Fabrics (great fabrics!).

COME TO FINLAND!

Posters and postcards from the Come To Finland book; a book about vintage travel posters for Finland. I love old travel posters, and well, old posters in general. It's also interesting to see branding for Finland from back in the days.

You can browse the book as a whole online - I found some posters I remember form my childhood that were on the walls of our summerhouse (they still are actually). You can buy the posters and cards separately too, but I'll go for the book (and I actually intend to get it now, and not wait for some years like I unintentionally did with the Jaffas...)

EDIT : I have to add, as I realized many of you do not know; it's interesting and a bit sad too perhaps to see the poster for Wiipuri - Finland lost that big and old city to Soviet after the war, and tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes, buildings and businesses behind. Some of my family lived there in the early 1900's too.

I'VE GOT STRIPES, STRIPES AROUND MY SHOULDERS. AGAIN.

I'm having a stripe-thing going on! I just can't get enough of stripes and I'm waiting to be able to wear striped tops with shorts, wicker bags and cropped jackets and bike around in the sunshine. Oh yes.

And, about the stuff; the following things in the picture are vintage: bag, chairs, table, lamp, beret

...and the following are not: top & cardigan (H&M), fridge (Smeg), shoes (last year's DinSko), skirt (Vivien of Holloway).

Who is Patrizia Pepe

Gestern fand ich beim blättern in der Glamour eine Werbekampange von Patrizia Pepe für den Herbst/Winter 2010. Das Outfit und die Umsetzung gefiel mir sehr und so hab ich nochmal gegoogelt und noch mehr wundervolle Bilder zu der Kollektion gefunden.

Abgesehen davon, dass die Fotos einfach super inszeniert sind, haben die Outfit absolutes I-want-to-wear-Potenzial. So stelle ich mir den Herbst vor: Blau- und Grautöne, verspielte Röcke, schwarze Booties und farblich passende Strumpfhosen (Oh, Ich liebe Strumpfhosen!) , elegante Jacken und Mäntel. Eine perfekte Kollektion. Die Preise liegen nicht ganz in meinem Einkaufsrahmen, aber ich werde versuchen den Look trotzdem umzusetzen.

ENG: Yesterday I found an interesting ad from Patrizia Pepe for autumn/winter 2010 in glamour magazine. I like the Outfit and the realization very much and so I googled and found more fascinating photos of the collection.

Besides the fact, that the pictures are staged very well, the outfits have a high I-want-to-wear-potential. That's how I see autumn: Shades of blue and grey, skirts, black booties and color-matching tights (Oh I love tights!), elegant jackets and coats. A perfect collection.

The prices are not my level, but I'll try to do my best to get this look.

50FT. WOMAN

Dum du dum dum, it's all nice and calm but then uh-oh it happens: the attack of the 50ft woman!



The inspiration was of course this film, or more accurately; film poster:
You can catch the same number tonight at Helsinki Vintage opening club! And later at LeBonk October 1st and at Blues Trash Cabaret (at On The Rocks) on October 9th.

Photos from Psychorama by:
Rik Stavale (1,2,5), Marko Hämäläinen (3), Laura Kansanen-Stavale (4)


(Google tells me the 50ft woman also has an attacking baby! I can't tell if it's disturbing or sweet :)

ARCHIPELAGO WEDDING / EARLY SIXTIES INSPIRED UPDO

I have to break that image of me as a cabbage head and save myself for future references in the internet. All the following images should be named ulrikabacherulrikabacherulrikabacher.jpg to be sure they are the ones to hit the search engine first.

Well anyway Eddi and I went to a wedding last weekend (yes there's been a lot of weddings this year, my friend asked if we've done anything else this summer) in the far-away archipelago. I had a pretty dress and a nasty flu with me and did this 'do inspired by the early sixties. Mad Men if you so like (I have to start watching that show!).

The hair do takes under ten minutes to make with pre-culred hair and the help of some Bumpits'. The pearl bow hair comb is from Frollein von Sofa.


I think had the nicest outfit I've worn this year so far, but as you really can't have your picture taken all the time I don't have any proper shots of that. The dress is trashy Diva however.

I don't smoke anymore btw. Only sometimes. Like when I have the flu because it helps, eh.

FOR YOUR INNER MERMAID / PEARL OYSTER GIVEAWAY FROM TYRA

The pearl oyster brooch (or well, pearl mussel actually) is from Tyra Therman...

...and you can win a similar one for yourself!

I always thought Tyra's pearl oyster-jewellery were beautiful and a brilliant idea; like something a mermaid lost, washed up on the shore to be found by some lucky girl passing by...

You can buy her mussel brooches, necklaces and earrings as well as other jewellery and accessories from her shop; Punavuoren Putiikki and now also online from Made By. (Made By is like a Finnsish Etsy, still taking it's baby steps - it is possible to order abroad but so far Made By can only calculate the shipping fee for Finland.)b But first, try and win one for yourself!

The brooch is made out of mussel shells and pearl-beads.

To enter the give-away, as usual, just leave a comment on this post.
If you do not have a blog or website trough which I can reach you, remember to leave me your email.
And please, as I will draw the winner on random, only ONE comment per person!
If you link to this give-away in your blog, on your site, on twitter or some forum you hang out on you may leave me one more comment (per link) telling me that you've done so, and of course linking to the post/site in question.

The competition is open until next week's Sunday evening, July 25th!
Good luck!

(PS. Love you all! ♥)

THINK DRINKS WITH PARASOLS AND LOTS OF FRUITS IN THEM

Today it's really warm and sunny, in ohter words perfect day to go a little tropically kitsch covering my frizzy curls from yesterday's show with a turban and a whole lot of flowers.

Like this!

Which wil be perfect for an evening to spend at Storyville's terrace sipping rosé wine and listening to great music ( at their summer Sunday club). Even though I guess a drink with parasols, pineapple slices and rhum in it would suit the outfit better...

Or then I might just skip all the city fun and drive out to Eddi in the countryside; after all, the man surprised me with pancakes, ice cream and strawberries in honour of my name's day this morning.

We'll see.

Spring Summer Moodboard

Just a quick post with a photo of a mood board I made to let you know that I am alive and well and that the exams haven't killed me (yet...)
I have lost my voice and have been living on soothers and cups of tea for the past 2 days but still, you get the idea. 6 exams down and 11 to go so once they have all finished expect much more posts to make up for my current absence.

Anyway, back to my moodboard. It is a spring/summer themed, taken by my beautiful Canon 1000D and consists of a few things that are currently inspiring me.

From top left clockwise:
Red topshop heart shaped clutch, designer dress (any idea who designed it? I stupidly cut off the label when I cut it out of Grazia) Pastel coloured nails, feather skirt from topshop, vintage photo, Miss Dior advert shot by Tim Walker, Vivienne Westwood for Melissa heels, 50's advert cut out of a Guardian supplement, my fan I got out of a Christmas cracker, lace print nails, Emma Cook for topshop heels, makeup print clutch bag, Gemma Ward photo from Vogue, Luella SS2010 collection, Juicy Couture advert (LOVE the pink zebra) and floral Nike dunks.

Oh and a parcel arrived for me yesterday from Conde Nast...

Yes that's right I got the first of my years subscription to Vogue. Still buzzing that one of those beauties will land on my humble doorstep every single month.

Hope your all having an amazing bank holiday weekend. You doing anything exciting?
I am just off to watch Dr Who now :)

Hugs and kisses,

Beth xoxoxo

VIVIEN OF HOLLOWAY WEDDING WEEKEND pt.2

-the yellow edition!
Or, as I also like to think: the lemon licorice one.
(How come I always want to combine dressing up and candy? I'm not that much of a candy person after all.)

I made the daisy hair comb to go along with the dress, which has small daisies on it.

La la la la with the bolero on.

Ladi dadi da without it on.

As it obviously is bound to happen sooner or later* I might just say it straight away: bring on the matching track suits!


So it was a Vivien of Holloway binge once again; everything is Vivien of Holloway except for the vintage bag and the shoes. (And no they did no sponsor my trip.)


*)No not really. The tracksuits I mean. I don't think they'll ever happen no matter how much we match shirts and dresses. Or? I mean, could be fun to kitsch it up Royal Tenebaum style once in a while (not the common Finnish jerk style though). Well, on Halloween perhaps.