Wednesday 30 December 2009

Gin, Wine and Vodka.



Tonight was a meal out with the parents in the village which involved delicious food and lots of alcohol.
I love this dress as it's totally a copy of Carrie's dress from the opening scene from the Sex and the City film, as is the belt. It does feel very summery though so to winter it up I added my Jane Norman long sleeved top, Wallis shrug (my Mum's as forgot to bring a black jacket home), Marks and Spencers tights and Zara shoes. I also got a picture of my gorgeous new earrings I got for Christmas. My dress and belt are ASOS.

Tuesday 29 December 2009

Happy Christmas!

So, did we all have a fabulous Christmas?! I hope so!

I was back in the UK for a family Christmas full of turkey, mince pies, Christmas pudding, pigs in blankets, Christmas cake, gravy, cider, wine and bucks fizz. And the best bit of all...snow on Christmas Day!

The presents were also fabulous. Do you remember that dress I posted about back in November from Topshop? (Click here to check it out). Well my fabulous Mum bought it me for Christmas! :D She also took me on a fab shopping spree in Jane Norman where winter warmers and sparkly tops were purchased. I was very lucky to receive a gorgeous top from H&M and some sequined hand warmers (yes!) too.

Among a gazillion presents (Peter Kayed out this year :D) I also got the fab perfume Versence by Versace so I now smell as awesome as I look in all my new clothes, haha!

Happy Christmas! And I hope you enjoy all the posts that are bound to follow as I keep creating new outfits with all my new clothes :D



So here's my Christmas day outfit. New Jane Norman bubble knit jumper and long sleeved top, new sequin hand warmers from Topshop, new Topshop ring (3 quid in the sale, score)! Teamed with my Topshop hotpants and new H&M tights. I love the buckle detail around the neck of this jumper and it's really comfy!

High heels should always be worn in the snow!

In the previous post I introduced you to my new shoes from Forever 21. Well, boots really. I have discovered that they are fabulous boots not just to look at but to wear too.
For Christmas me and the family went up to Scotland where there was a lot of snow. On our final day we were off home only we couldn't get the car out. So out I jump in my new boots which have to be at least 4 inches high  to help push the big heavy Jaguar loaded up with presents and such in a few inches of snow (3 I would think) and...I didn't fall over once! I didn't break my ankle and we were able to get the car going!
All hail the fabulousness of wearing high heels in the snow, hahahaha!

Tokyo!

Sorry it's been so long in coming but here are my photos from my weekend in Tokyo with the lovely boyfriend. We had to pack light as got the night bus in and had to cart out bags around a little.
We stayed in a lovely hostel and met some lovely people there, including a couple from the UK, Liverpool to be exact. Come on the North! Hahahaha. We did Christmas shopping for the families and my lovely lovely lovely boyfriend bought me some amazing shoes from Forever 21. Which, btw, is my new favourite shop in Tokyo as it's soooooo cheap and fabulous, like H&M is at home!

We enjoyed some touristy moments and all you can eat shabu shabu. All in all it was a fab weekend!



Here I am at 7am after 8 hours on a bus! I'm wearing Primark Jeans, ABC Mart Cowboy boots,  Uniqlo shirt, ASOS belt, H&M hoody, Zara jacket and carrying my fantastic bag from a really famous market in Hong Kong that I can't for the life of me remember the name of...



 

And here we have my lovely new shoes at the famous crossing in Shibuya. Only things that have changed here are my bag is Topshop, as is the red top and black tank top and the shoes are Forever 21.

Here is a better picture of the same outfit a few days earlier with different shoes.



Shock horror! On the final day I realised I hadn't packed enough clothes so stole my boyfriend's shirt. Unfortunately it didn't photograph too well but it looked pretty good in person, even if I do say so myself!


Sunday 20 December 2009

Christmas Madness!

Aaaargh, so both mine and my boyfriends computers broke at roughly the same time, lame! So haven't been able to post anything. Also, have been mega busy what with work, tests, marking tests and getting ready for Christmas! I arrived back in the UK last night and it's snowing like mad! Haven't seen this much snow around here for ages so I am freezing! And wishing I'd packed some more jumpers. Am very excited to be off up to Sheffield tomorrow and I think a trip to Topshop and H&M for some warm clothes might be on the cards! Promise to update you with all my winter wonderland outfits soon and to post the pics from Tokyo (My boyfriend bought me some sexual shoes from Forever 21)!
After Sheffield I'm going up to Scotland with the family so not too sure on how internet connections will fair up there so I could be offline for a week or so. Have a happy Christmas and I'm sure I'll have some New Years outfit crisis or other to post about when I get back!

Thursday 10 December 2009

Kenza's Competition

So the Swedish beauty Kenza has put up a competition on her blog to win some Hills box sets. Here's my attempt to win;

Why I should win the Hills box set;
a) I live for trash TV. My secret is out, the blonder, more bimbo like the characters the more I love it.
b) Japan sucks for foreign TV! You can rent stuff but they're like 3 seasons / series behind. Lame! And downloading whole series takes up space on my and my boyfriends computers (which really annoys him when it's something he doesn't watch/thinks is crap).
c) The clothes are sooooooooo pretty! It's like a trashy, LA, teenage version of Sex and the City, loves it!
d) I really really want it............


OK, so there's my reasons. Check out Kenza's blog here.
and the competition post here.

Fingers crossed!

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Just chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool!



Not the most flattering angle....but anyways. Am wearing my L-chance/tatuma ribbed stirrup leggings, Topshop shorts, River Island  vest and Hello Kitty hat! Knew it would go with anything!

USJ :D



 Me and the boyfriend went to USJ (Universal Studios Japan) on Tuesday. It was wicked. We took the day off work and just had fun! Managed to go on the Spider Man ride 3 times, heh! I also tried my first Churrito (yummy), bagged a pair of 3D glasses that are so 80's I'm in love and bought a truly awesome Hello Kitty hat with ears that the boyfriend hates but I adore. (Hello, my name is Jen and I am a Hello Kitty-a-holic).

I decided I have been wearing too much black of late, so tried to mix it up a bit, even though the shirt is cream and the rest is pretty much black...

Am wearing my Topshop shorts, New Look shirt, Topshop leggings, ABC Mart cowboy boots, Topshop waistcoat, H&M hoodie and Zara jacket. Also have my trusty black bag...oh and new Hello Kitty hat and 3D glasses. :D

The necklace was bought from a random shop on the shoutengai in Shinsaibashi/Namba.

Without meaning to the boyfriend got a good picture of the back of my waistcoat. I love the cut out detail on this one. Actually bought it for an interview but it has become a staple in my wardrobe ever since!

Monday 7 December 2009

Japanese men in jackets.



Now the weather has turned decidedly wintery, I've been noticing all the old Japanese men in snazzy jackets. This one is a particular favourite; leopard print and paisley. I swear I could actually wear that!

After having my English department end of year party tonight (a very nice meal of nabe) I am spending the remaining time curled up with the boy, December's Vogue and my laptop. A trip to USJ is on the cards tomorrow, wootages!

Big scary Japanese test is over...to the pub!



After the JLPT I went home and slept. Then I went out for a few celebratory drinks. Note the same shoes as the night before...I casually mentioned to my boyfriend that I had no shoes to wear hence the brown Zara ones again. His reply 'Jen, I can see 5 pairs here, what do you mean?' I then had to explain that one pair of heels was not enough to last two days, let alone a week and I clearly had no shoes to wear, actually, thank you very much!
The night ended on standing ramen and relief over no more studying for a few weeks!

I'm wearing my American Apparel wet look leggings. I have to say, these need to be hoisted up a bit too regularly for my liking, but they are very comfortable and remind my boyfriend of fish scales! What's not to love! Also, Zara jacket and shoes and Dorothy Perkins zip detail tunic. My necklace is from a random jewelry shop in Osaka. It's 3 rows of black beads and one row of black lace.

My bracelets are all presents. The biggest one for Christmas, the middle one for graduation. the black/purple beads match my peacock pearl earrings from Beijing. The smallest one is from a market in Spain.

Kudos to the boyfriend for catching me mid-pose transfer!

The Mayor...and a free bar!



We got invited to some international party thing for our city. Apparently important type people were there such as the Mayor of Sakai, and some peeps from the American Consulate. I was much more focused on the buffet and open bar....oh and the raffle!

I'm wearing my Topshop wrap dress, L-chance stirrup tights, Zara shoes, Topshop blazer (bought for an interview) and my Topshop star quilted bag. The dress was bought a few years ago now, when I was like 17 or so, but I still love it!
All my necklaces were bought here in Japan. All were bought in Osaka except the 'pearls' which were from Tokyo. I have on a gold chain necklace with three types of chain, a gold one pence piece (how patriotic!) and a double charm neckalce along with the 'pearls'.

Sunday 6 December 2009

Hello Kitty Christmas Fabulousness!



OK, I know this isn't fashion, but how fab?! My wonderful Mum sent me a Hello Kitty chocolate advent calendar! Apparently it cost more to send to Japan than it did to buy...must remember to buy my Mum a wicked Christmas present now. Well, more wicked than before!

This has definitely cheered me up over the past few days when it was cold, I had a pile of marking to do and several hours of studying to look forward to. Thanks Mum!

The test is done :D



I've been busy, busy, busy with school work and having the big Japanese test today, sorry! Test went OK, I think, but who knows! Here's one of the outfits I made from the basics I brought round to my boyfriends. There's a lack of face shots here as I had been working then studying all night so looked decidedly dead!

I'm in my American Apparel wet look leggings, Topshop skyline print tee and H&M arm warmers. I really think I may be one of the last remaining people that still love arm warmers, hah!

Anyway, enjoy the pictures. I have a couple of interesting things to post from the past couple of days soon but really must off to bed!

Tuesday 1 December 2009

Work and love-these are the basics. Without them there is neurosis.






These are the basics I threw into my bag on the way out the door to my boyfriends. We usually split our time between our two places. We only live around a 10 minute bike ride form each other but it's much easier just to camp out at one place for a while than go back and forth every day. I would have picked up more clothes but didn't notice the time and had to be round my boyfriends for a delivery.

Think I did a pretty good job without really looking! I have my Topshop checked shirt, Uniqlo T with braces/straps, H&M white top (a staple in my wardrobe), River Island navy top with detachable scarf (that is temporarily misplaced), Topshop black top with skyline print, Warehouse strapless black top, Topshop blue skinny jeans, American Apparel lame leggings, L-chance stirrup tights, H&M hat, Topshop Fair-trade stripy scarf, H&M arm warmers and Playboy sunnies. Let's see what I can make out of my (severely) limited wardrobe! Not sure when I'll be popping back to mine for more clothes.

On a side note, I totally felt like that guy out of Art Attack that made the giant pictures out of random things like clothes, boxes, chairs etc, when setting this shot up. Man, I used to love that show!

Monday 30 November 2009

This one time at band camp...


Items in this set:
Kind cardigan, 225 GBP
LnA t shirt, 50 GBP
Farhi t shirt, 30 GBP
TopShop jeans, 40 GBP
Azzedine Alaia boots, 1,100 GBP

I spotted this cardigan type jacket type piece and instantly fell in love! It's definitely a statement piece, but one that is totally wearable and fun too! The band geek chic is cute! Also, those boots! I used to be in love with sandals but these days my love firmly lies in the realms of boots. High, usually ankle, boots. And actually black too, I've recently noticed!
Oh to have endless money...

Food or Boot?!



OK, so I know I'm not supposed to be shopping for at least a month, and I guess I'm doing OK so far but......I REALLY REALLY REALLY want the Sam Edleman Zoe boot, you know the Balenciaga knock-offs?
I'm concerned that the last few (there can't be many left anywhere in the world, surely) will be sold out soon...what to do...do I buy them in late December/early January or wait until February or even March when all my debt is paid off (well, aside from the student loan...etc.etc)

Ergh, I know they're only boots and it's all material but.....I really want them, haha! I mean they're just so pretty! Ah well, i guess that's my self indulgent rant over. Sorry!

Saturday 28 November 2009

Grilled Meat and Giant Beers, Fabulous!





Neither of us could be bothered to cook last night so off to the 280 it was (Japanese pub style place where everything is 280 yen, awesome).

I have realised a lot of my winter wardrobe is very grey and black so I felt it was time for some colour. It's also been a bit warmer recently so I decided on my fabulously 80s-esque Topshop tshirt and Mango boob tube, Uniqlo jeans, Zara shoes. To combat the cold it was my favourite layering piece; my Marks & Spencers cardigan topped off with my Zara military style jacket. I love this jacket, I bought it so cheap about 4 years ago (maybe) and it's never not in circulation when the temperature starts to drop.
My new (old) favourite bag is my black satchel my parents bought me so it made an appearance last night too.

We finished the night at our favourite Whiskey bar where the boys enjoyed whiskey and cigars and I stuck to a delicious Cosmopolitan. Cliched I know, but so good!

I apologise for the chipped nail polish and dodgy hair. I'm waiting until I go back to England in a few weeks to get my hair done as my Japanese friend who is a hairdresser is away  for a while and I always get a bit nervous about going to a Japanese salon, don't want my hair thinned out too much or for it to turn orange! I chopped it off for the first time in forever about 4/5 months ago so it really needs a cut again, although am liking that I can tie it up again now. Really not too sure what'll happen when I go and get it done. I am forever changing my hair!

Polyvore Madness!








This dress really caught my eye, the draping would just suit anyone and make them look slim and curvy at the same time I feel! Here's my take on night and day, or dressed up and dressed down outfits with the dress.



When I was back in the UK in August this H&M skirt caught my eye but didn't buy it in the end(why, oh why?!) So here's how I would dress it if I had bought it and had money to buy the fabulous boots! You could do this either with a bare legged look for a warmer day or as it's freezing now, these tiger sheer paneled tights add something a bit different than just opaque ones I feel.

Oh and yes I am totally in love with the Sam Edelman boots and as soon as I have any money I am sooooo buying them (if anyone still stocks them by the time I have money)!

Thursday 26 November 2009

Penguins and snowmen is how I feel.

Sorry I haven't posted any outfits in a while, I've been sooo busy at school that I just get up and shove the nearest thing on. Also the warmest thing! It got really cold here in Osaka recently and I swear it's colder in school than it is outside! The crappy thing is that they have no central heating in Japan so atm my school are just using the air con/heaters and haven't cracked out the much more effective gas heaters! I may have to break my shopping ban just to pick up some thermals so I'm not trying to teach English and shivering, it doesn't half mess with your pronunciation!

Anyway, I will have some more clothes related posts soon. I'm hoping my boyfriend picked me up a copy of American Vogue today when he was in town, I'm so far behind on the foreign mags here in Japan, and I currently only know about a hundred or so kanji so no reading Japanese Vogue for me yet! (Although sometimes I do just go and look at the pictures...)

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Yellow Chanel.





I want these jeans so bad! And that top! Yeh, I'm avoiding doing work by going on polyvore.com Shhhhh....it's a secret obsession of mine! Don't you just love these studded Topshop jeans though? And I love the yellow Chanel! Especially with this outfit. I think a bit of colour can really bring an outfit alive. No more accessories are required though me thinks due to the studded jeans...oh to be shopping again!

Monday 23 November 2009

Way down deep in the middle of the Kongo!







Today was a national holiday in Japan and a really lovely Autumn day so me and the boy decided to go take a walk and cable car up Mt. Kongo. What does one wear to go to the highest point in Osaka Prefecture? (that's me at the highest point in the photo with the wooden sign btw.) Well, I decided for my dark grey Artigli top with collar, red River Island vest top (a girl needs a bit of colour), my black H&M hoody with silver dots, that trusty old Chinese grey jacket, black leg warmers and Velcro Converse. The bag I love! My parents bought it in Prague, I think, maybe Brussels or some other European city, anyway I love it.

Mt. Kongo was awesome. The leaves are changing colour in Japan and they're just beautiful, there was a shrine too and all the people along the way said hello to us which is really sweet. It's days like this that make me very happy I live in Japan at the moment.

Oh yeh, my sunglasses are my trusty Playboy ones I got in TK Maxx btw. Love those things! Right I should off and prepare for the 4 day week ahead I guess (hard, I know)! Also still have a stack of marking to do, oh the glamorous life of a teacher!