Through the Wilderness

Hello, Goodbye

2011-03-07T20:39:00.000+01:00

Hi again to anyone who still reads this :)

I guess it's become pretty obvious that I've abandoned Through the Wilderness once and for all. At first I was just too busy to keep posting, but then I realized that I didn't find posting here inspiring or interesting anymore. My philosophy is that if a hobby becomes a chore, you should give it up, and that's what I did.

On the other hand, I knew that blogging had become too big a part of my life to let go of it entirely, so I decided to start a new blog, one that is more in touch with the current Rosie, one that will evolve more freely with me as I change. This is Rosie is more of a free form art blog than a style blog. If you liked the posts with my photos and other works, I'd love it if you come on by and check it out! I'm sure I'll end up posting about all sorts of other stuff, and fashion will probably come up every now and then as well.

<3 Rosie

ps: come on, you know you want to come visit me at This is Rosie ;)

What I Wore: Giant Blanket

2010-12-21T02:22:00.001+01:00

Jeans, Gap, thrifted; button down shirt, Smart Set, thifted; wrap, ???, my parents got it in Scotland; brooch, Heather Gem; shoes, not shown, Fly London

I really love this wrap. It's made out of super soft wool, and feels pretty much like wearing a blanket all day. As you might have guessed though, wearing a blanket all day is really bloody annoying. There are far too many things that are made difficult, such as reaching around for books, walking, carrying books, wearing a coat, the list continues.

It's so wonderful that I can't resist wearing it from time to time though, and since I wanted to spend all day curled up in bed, I figured today would be a good day. I loved most of this outfit, but I'm not sure about the whole. I felt kind of like a teacher, and while that isn't a bad thing, it's not necessarily a good thing either. It just felt too... average. All of the pieces in the outfit are lovely, but together they didn't really work for me.

What do you wear when you feel sick?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Shapeless Sexy

2010-12-18T02:28:00.000+01:00

Leggings*, ???; demin mini skirt, ???; sweater, Marks & Spencer's, "borrowed" from my dad; boots, not shown, La Canadienne

I often look at my photos and think either: "wow, did that really look that good?" or "wow, did that really look like that?" With this outfit, it was the latter. I mean, I new that it looked baggy and shapeless, but in the mirror and on me, it looked more, casual sexy and not so much shapeless large sweater. I think it might be the camera angle, but you can't really see how it hung of my boobs, then sort of showed my shape through the hugeness. I'm going to stop trying to describe this now, because my brain is fried and I really want to go to bed.

Do your outfits look way different in photos and on you?

Love,

Rosie

* My leggings are opaque, but they are printed to look like jeans and have a lighter area.

What I Wore: Almost Repeat

2010-12-17T02:55:00.000+01:00

Sweater, thrifted, Wet Seal; skirt, thrifted, ???; leggings, la Classe Couture; boots, not shown, La Canadienne

This outfit was just oh-so-fun. Or maybe it was my day that was amazing. I'm not sure. Anyways, I like this outfit. I'm fairly certain that I've worn a very close approximation to this outfit in the past, I am however, rather certain that I've never worn this exact combination.

You may have noticed, but I've been on a bit of a short skirt kick ever since getting home. I guess it's the unseasonably warm weather, but I just don't want to think about wearing long skirts just yet. It may also be because I just don't like most of my longer skirts as much, but I'll have to wait till I can find employment to fix that problem.

What kind of clothing are you really into at the moment?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 15: Analyzed and Liked

2010-12-16T00:41:00.000+01:00

Licorice n' Candy Ring

I really like the clean, sharp edges on this ring. Despite all the layers, it has a simplistic feel to it, and the colours are highlighted beautifully.

To conclude, I have been writing too many essays lately and I really don't have the brain power required to analyze why I like the ring, but my fingers are typing out the words anyways.

Do you find that the writing you do affects your tone on your blog?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Can't stop smiling

2010-12-14T00:59:00.000+01:00

leggings, thrifted, ???; skirt, Åhlens; sweater, "borrowed" from my little brother, ???; belt, Joe Fresh; scarf (which is purple with a yellow pattern), thrifted, ???; boots, not shown, La Canadienne

When I said a while back that outdoor outfit posts would resume once I got home, I had forgotten that even here, a week before the winter solstice, it is very much dark when I get home, and I never have time in the morning. Even that couldn't bring down my smile though, because I'm just so happy to be home.

In a way, I feel like this thought pretty much sums up my outfit/day/mood: "I'm skipping down my small residential street in the dark, Prince blasting through my pink earbuds, purple tutu twirling, vintage leather backpack filled with books banging into my back, and I never want this feeling to end."

Do you ever find that your outfit, day and mood match up really well?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Waldo's Older Sister

2010-12-10T19:00:00.000+01:00

Jeans, KappAhl; red turtleneck, ???; striped shirt, leminor; hat, leminor; shoes, Fly London

This hat is the amazing find I mentioned in my last post. Mummy thinks it looks rather silly, and I have to agree, but that doesn't stop it from being wonderful. I'm a teensy bit jealous, because with my sister's hair cut and glasses she looks exactly like Waldo when wearing it. Even if I only look vaguely like Waldo in it, I still love it to death. It's just so soft and it's super cozy!

What do you love even if you look rather silly in it?

Love,

Rosie

Art Show Time: Super Simple Sketch

2010-12-09T23:15:00.000+01:00

painted in Corel Painter using digital water colour

I have this really great idea. This is not a very accurate representation of what the finished painting is going to look like, I'm just working on composition. I'm going to do the finished piece in paint (probably acrylic) on a stretched canvas, but I had a few spare minutes* today so I started thinking about the composition of the painting. Ultimately I decided that super simple was the way to go with this piece, so that the colours and style of painting can really take the spot light.

When I do the actual painting I think I'm going to make the horizon curved slightly on both sides to make it feel like a bigger vista, and I'll obviously work more on the shapes of the hills, but I think this is pretty close to what the finished painting will end up looking like. I'll post a photo of that as soon as it's done, so keep a look out for that sometime within the next few months**.

Do you like super simple composition and complex technique, or does an intricate composition intrigue you more?

Love,
Rosie

*Quite literally.
** Interpret as you like. It probably means that I'll finish it before the end of 2011, but nothing is guaranteed.

What I Wore: Studious Me

2010-12-08T21:36:00.000+01:00

Jeans, KappAhl; striped shirt, leminor; sweater, ???; headband, Lululemon; watch, Ushuaïa

I wouldn't have gotten dressed at all, but I was home from school studying (read: watching YouTube videos), and my lunch options were the ever appetizing mouse de foie on cauliflower or going out for vietmesse* with my mum, so I obviously opted to go out. I'm rather glad I did end up going out though, because if I hadn't I probably would have missed a rather awesome find that I will show you all on Friday, in my next outfit post because it hasn't left my head since I got it.

What are your go to outfits for when you don't want to get dressed but have to go out?

Love,
Rosie

* I don't know if that's the appropriate word, but food from Vietnam.

Eclectic Love 14: Almost in Love

2010-12-07T22:00:00.000+01:00

Horizon's Dress White

I am almost entirely in love with this dress. The only thing that could make it more gorgeous is if it had a loose, floor-length skirt. Still, I adore the contrast between the loose, long sleeve and the tight-fitted body.

Do you like super cohesive pieces, or do you like some contrast?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Camera Face

2010-12-06T22:38:00.000+01:00

Jeans, KappAhl; white sweater, hand-me-down, ???; coat, Mountain Equipment Co-op; head band, Lululemon; camera, Canon; camera bag, Golia; scarf tied to bag, thrifted; shoes, not shown, Merrell; photo, courtesy of a friend

I would give you a bigger, colour photo of this outfit, but I don't have any where I a) look half decent and b) that don't include tons of friends who don't necessarily want to be on my blog and c) show my face, not my camera surrounded by hair.

This outfit dates back... several weeks? It's what I wore when my art class went on a field trip to Paris, and if you think I'm looking pretty casual for a visit to PARIS, I would like to point out that we saw three museums, walked everywhere, got off the bus at 9 am and didn't get back on until 11:30 pm, and all that was after spending a night on the bus, during which nobody managed to sleep*.

What do you wear for trips when you are going for days on end?

Love,
Rosie

* And yes, that whole sentence was pretty much just me bragging about how epic I think the trip was.

Photo to Outfit: Bird on the Blue Sky

2010-12-04T15:31:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite things about the fall is the trees without any leaves on them. Not only can you get all sorts of cool patterns from the branches and the sky as a back drop, but you also see the birds more. I took this photo of an unidentified black bird a few weeks ago*, and I couldn't help but think that it would look really cool as an outfit.

Raven on Clear Skies by RosieUnknown

I'm not really sure what occasion this is appropriate for, it you're me probably just school, but I think it would be fun for a casual party or I'm not sure what else. I really wanted to find some sort of think fish net cardigan to go over the dress, but a lace sweat shirt was the best I could do and I think that it would create a nice contrast with the more dressy dress.

Where would you wear an outfit like this?

Love,
Rosie

* I think it was a rook but I really have no clue.

Art Show Time: Uninspired

2010-12-02T15:28:00.000+01:00


Shot with my Canon Rebel XS

I really wanted to have something real, something worth showing this week, but I just... don't.

It's not that I don't have ideas, because I do. I really do. I guess the main problem is that I can't act on them at the moment. For example, I have this really great series of paintings I'm planning right now, but I can't actually start them because a) I don't have and can't afford 13 medium sized square canvas and the required paints and b) we are leaving soon, so I don't have the time to finish them, and I would have to ship them home. And right now, I feel like if I can't work on the projects I have in mind, I just can't think of anything else to work on either.

What do you do when you feel uninspired?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: (Day)Dreaming of Pirates

2010-12-01T22:13:00.000+01:00

Jeans, KappAlh; shirt, Seduction; sweater, ???; bandana, H&M, over 8 years ago; shoes, not shown, Fly London

I've been home sick recently. Nothing serious, just a slight illness paired with extreme laziness, and I spent all of yesterday rewatching the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Mostly this just left me with an irrational desire to be run away, join a bunch of pirates and be completely badass. Sadly, this daydream is even less unlikely to come true than the one where I drop out of school, move in with a lover and become a hippy artist who experiments with drugs and sexuality*, so I contented my self to wearing a bandana.

Do your daydreams affect how you dress?

Love,
Rosie

*It is, however, more likely than the one where I somehow get transported back in time and get my Hogwarts letter and join the trio and have wonderful adventures and help defeat Voldemort.

PS: If you think my daydreams are weird, don't let me get started on my actual dreams that I have at night.

Eclectic Love 13: Gorgeous Glimmer

2010-11-30T21:40:00.000+01:00

Red Lampwork Teapot Earrings

When I wear earrings, I generally like them to be big enough to be visible under my hair, or make an even bigger statement when I have my hair pulled back, but I think the gold and red on these would create a gorgeous glimmer even under my hair.

Also, I love any way to show my love of tea.

Do you prefer big or small earrings?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Home sweet home sickness

2010-11-29T21:11:00.000+01:00

Dress, Joe Fresh; sweater, hand-me-down, ???; scarf, gift from a friend; black leggings, not shown, ???; shoes, not shown, Fly London; super big smile; I was going to see Deathly Hallows Part 1

I've been wearing scarves under this sweater virtually non-stop recently. Even if my head does look a bit like an egg in a nest, it's a super warm and comfy egg so it doesn't really matter.

The weirdest stuff has been making me home sick lately. I was putting on this scarf, and I remembered how it reminds me a bit of the ceinture fleché that the voyageurs, métis and other french canadiens wore. The only canoeing I've done has been on lakes in a two person canoe, I'm not french canadian, I've never been out west and I'm not french canadian, but it still makes me want to be home. Other little things like the cold wind on my way to the bus stop and the shops beginning getting ready for Christmas have made me want to break down and cry, because even if I love it here, it just doesn't feel like home. I feel like we are in that weird transitioning state where we aren't traveling, but we aren't settling in either, and sometimes I just want to hug my puppy, I want to smile at my friends in the hallway*, I want to go back to my school.

What makes you homesick, even when you are super happy?

Love,

Rosie

* I love my friends here a lot too, but it doesn't stop me from missing everyone back home.

What I Wore: Starting to Wear

2010-11-27T15:26:00.000+01:00

Sweater, hand-me-down, ???; dress, worn as skirt, Suzy Sheer; scarf, borrowed from my mummy; leggings, La Classe Couture, shoes, not shown, Fly London

Clothing wise, I'm very glad that the end is in sight. This sweater is starting to come undone (simple to fix, but I need supplies I don't have here), a small hole has turned up in my Gina Tricot leggings, and a not so tiny hole has appeared in my black long sleeved shirt, which is no problem since I have a very similar one at home, but worrying since it's the only one I have here. I really shouldn't be surprised, since such heavy wear and the harsher washer here were bound to hurt my clothing, but I'm still a but annoyed that clothing that held up perfectly for over a year is starting to go.

On a different note, I've had a pretty formal posting schedule for a while now, and I was wondering: What do you think? Are there too many outfits? Would you like less art? Are there too many posts per week? Too few? Would you like a more random order, or is the predictability good?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Just a Sketch

2010-11-25T18:58:00.000+01:00

Shot with Canon Rebel XS, edited in Gimp

Before you look at the photo above and decide that I am the laziest person ever to share artwork on the internet, hear me out. This is not the finished piece. It is a sketch, if you will, for one third of the finished work. Now, I understand if you are still royally annoyed at my halfassedness. I wanted to share the finished work but the world has been conspiring against me to stop me from finishing the project.

Do you consider the sketches made while working on a piece important, or just the final product?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Mid-semester crisis

2010-11-24T21:48:00.000+01:00

Dress, Joe Fresh; long sleeved shirt, Seduction; Leggings, Gina Tricot; shoes (not shown), Fly London; necklace, gift shop in Ireland

And, as you probably managed to figure out, this is the said necklace. It's rather delicate feeling, but I quite like it anyways.

Sorry it's short today, but I'm really exhausted and having a mid-semester crisis (this years topic is university, and my doubts about whether or not I should go.)

Do you have post-secondary training or education? Has it helped you in your life?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 12: Illogical Lust

2010-11-23T20:10:00.000+01:00

50's Cashmere Cardigan with Sable Mink Collar and Rhinestone Clasp

I'm a bit out of line lusting after this beauty, since I have a vaguely similar cardigan in my closet back home (which I will wear and show you the day I get back), but I desperately want this one too. I've tried to get my brain to see reason, but it just won't listen.

What are you illogically lusting after?

What I Wore: Indoor Outfit

2010-11-22T14:24:00.000+01:00

Skirt, thrifted, ???; turtle neck, ???; sweater, hand-me-down; leggings, ???; shoes (not shown), Fly London

I'm trying to get organized to take proper nice looking photos, I really am. There is really nothing I can do when it's pouring rain, though, so yet another indoor photo today.

This was more of an indoor outfit anyways, with it's skirt that twisted around when I walked, it's warm, but not wind proof sweater and it's exposed ankles. The leggings are the only thing I would have changed, but since my quest for tights has been entirely unsuccessfully I am stuck with exposed ankles.

What piece of clothing never fits you properly?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Musings on Fish

2010-11-18T22:01:00.001+01:00

Shot with a Canon Digital Eos Rebel XS, cropped in Aperture

I like fish. That may sound like a rather uninteresting statement, but hear me out.

Fish are pretty much totally different from people, and because of this, I feel like we will never fully understand them. And in a way, I appreciate this. When it comes to fish, I don't feel the need to interpret and think too hard*. Instead, I just enjoy their beauty and, strangely, their company.

I think that's what I was trying to get across with this photo.

Do you like fish? Why or why not?

Love,
Rosie

* Obviously, there is a lot to be said about studying fish. It's just something I don't like to think about too much.

What I Wore: Tucked In

2010-11-17T20:31:00.000+01:00

Jeans, KappAhl; black long sleeved shirt, Seduction; patterned short sleeved shirt, a dress from Suzie Sheer; scarf, thrifted; shoes, not shown, Merrell

This dress-as-a-top looked great. I loved it just as much as I love wearing it as a dress (which is a lot), but I had momentary fits of rage against it. To shorten it I tucked the hem into the waist band of my jeans, then let the rest fall over to make it look like a hip length shirt. The problem with this plan was that every time I went to the bathroom, and after gym class, I had to tuck it back in. Evenly.

The flip side of the rather elaborate tucking was that I had an entirely stress free day, when it came to my shirt meeting my pants, since both shirts were all tucked in*.

What part of your outfit do you worry about?

Love,
Rosie

*I don't care if that makes me sound like someone's boring mother, it made me feel fabulous.

What I Wore: Moderately Smiley

2010-11-17T19:59:00.000+01:00

Skirt, thrifted, ???; plaid sweater, ???; red shirt, underneath, Seduction; leggings, Gina Tricot; shoes, not shown, Fly London

In my opinion, there is nothing* like some double plaid to make a day of math a lot more fun. And just look at the photo, anyone could see that I am at my moderately smiley stage of happiness, so I think I can conclude that the outfit did it part.

What do you wear to cheer yourself up?

Love,
Rosie

*Other than mass quantities of junk food, but that tends to leave one feeling rather sick.

Eclectic Love 11: Multi-seasonal Flora

2010-11-16T19:42:00.000+01:00

70s Floral Mini Dress

I love the look of this dress. There is just something so perfect about the bright colours on the black background that words just can't describe.

My favourite part is that I think it would look equally great with strappy sandals as it would with a pair of black tights and some tall boots.

What say you, does it really look as multi-season friendly as I think it does?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Albino

2010-11-15T19:38:00.000+01:00

Gray-Black Jeans, KappAhl; Shirt, Le Minor; dark socks, ???, old tights cut down; white socks, ???; shoes (not shown), Fly London; gray tank top (not visible), H&M; my suddenly albino skin, me forgetting to fix the white balance and then half-assedly doing it later.

Sadly, I can't take outside outfit photos at the moment. Other days when I get home earlier may be doable, but the street lights were on by the time I got home today, but there aren't any where I take photos.

I went back to school toady after my holiday, which was lovely, because I saw all my friends again, but awful because I had to get up early.

What occasions give you serious mixed feelings?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Two by two

2010-11-13T22:07:00.001+01:00

Jeans, KappAhl; red turtle neck, ???; white sweater, hand-me-down; shoes, Merrell; rain coat, Mountain Equipment Coop

This is the reason I haven't posted many outfits over the past few weeks: I haven't been wearing anything worth posting. I've been virtually living in two tank tops, two long sleeved shirt, two pairs of jeans and a sweater while we were traveling in England, Wales and Ireland.

The other reason is that pretty much all the photos of me look like this:

This is the original that I took this outfit photo from. For those of you who don't know, I was at Newgrange, in Ireland. And while it's fine for showing how impressive the mound is, as you can see above, it isn't very good for showing my outfit.

You needn't worry though, because I'm back and settled (for the moment anyways), so outfit posting should go back to normal.

Do you post when you don't have much to post about?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: I like the Colours

2010-11-12T00:02:00.000+01:00

I like the colours, ok?

Sidenote: Is this photo more impressive if you know that I took it one-handedly while walking and eating a very precariously balanced ice cream cone?

What silly feats are you inappropriately proud of?

Love,
Rosie

Interesting Random Cohesiveness

2010-11-10T22:56:00.000+01:00

I don't know if it's because I have been living out of a third of a hiking back pack for the past two weeks, or because I've been seeing all the amazingly dressed girls over here in the UK, but I am starting to get really and truly bored with my clothing*.

inspiration winter 2010 by RosieUnknown

I've been wanting to wear sort of random outfits that only sort have a cohesiveness to them. I hope that made sense, I really don't know how to put it. I've also been missing my more interesting clothing and accessories, like my pirate hat, my cat ears, most of my jewelry, my many sweaters, most of my skirts, well, you get the picture.

What look are you going for this winter?

Love,
Rosie

*If you were doubting this fact, I've already started planning what I'll wear once I have my whole closet back in about a month.

Eclectic Love 10: Ruffled Zebra

2010-11-09T20:41:00.002+01:00

Ruffle Pants Black/White

I don't have too much to say about these, other than that it doesn't get any more awesome that pants made out of ruffles. Add in a flared leg and a black and white palette, well, if it weren't for my extreme brokeness I would never wear anything else. How could I, when I could have ruffled zebra legs?

Do you ever see a piece of clothing and realize that it's perfect for you?

Love,

Rosie

PS: I know that posting has been sketchy at best in the past few weeks, but everything will be back to normal very soon.

Art Show Time: Sheep

2010-11-04T20:40:00.000+01:00

Digital photo taken with a Canon Rebel XS, slightly straightened in Aperture

I'm afraid that I don't actually have anything very exciting to show you, since I have spent the past week tramping through forests and sheep fields. The sheep fields have become rather a nuisance for the rest of my family, since I always want to stop and talk to the sheep. I blame my parents, since my strange habits come from either nature or nurture, so they are responsible either way and can't complain.

If your eyes are glazing over, sorry, but quite frankly, so are mine and I really can't think of anything to say to explain why my piece of art for the week is a picture of a sheep.

Do you like to talk to animals?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Exterme Unfashionability

2010-11-03T21:46:00.000+01:00

Rain pants, Mountain Equipment Coop; leggings (not visible), ???; rain coat, Mountain Equipment Coop; shirt (not visible), Seduction; shoes, Merrell

I think I mentioned this back in August, but when my family goes on vacation we tend to do things that, depending on who you are, could be considered, well, we tend to climb small mountains and tramp through forests in the rain. That being said, it's hard to enjoy beautiful views and adorable sheep when you are soaking wet or really cold, so I've been wearing pretty much this outfit for a while now, and I love it, despite the extreme unfashionability of it.

Do you go hiking much? What do you wear?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 9: Avoided Colour

2010-11-02T22:53:00.001+01:00

Despite the continued cooling of the temperature, I can't help but wish for simple, light dresses.

Cocktail Elegant Dress with V Neckline in White

There is something so perfect about clean lines and simple shapes, and they are even better in white. Even though I generally avoid white because I am terribly clumsy and prone to spilling, my heart is calling for it's simplicity.

What colour do you tend to avoid?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Go with the flow-y

2010-10-29T22:07:00.000+02:00

Jeans, KappAhl; tank top (under my shirt, not visible), Joe Fresh; shirt, ???; shoes, Merrell; head band, Lululemon; coat (on the ground behind me), Mountain Equipment Coop

My outfits lately have been super lazy since we've been doing loads of touristy stuff and comfort is my top priority. I definitely don't believe in wearing sweat pants when traveling, but I just can't face wearing anything fussy when my day consists of walking for six hours a day, doing lots of reading and looking and negotiating busy trains. On the other hand, everyone here is so nicely dressed, I wish I were making more of an effort, but I really need my clothing to be easily adaptable and go with the flow-y.

How do you dress when you are traveling?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Unreasonable Expectations

2010-10-28T20:36:00.001+02:00

Tempera paint on a cotton canvas on a wooden frame.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may remember that late last week I spent a whole bunch of time painting, and that I had my piece up in a gallery*.

This is the painting that ate up about 6 hours of my life to make, and about another 3 to go to the exhibition opening. I haven't painted anything since last May/June, and I had never worked on a canvas before, so it was a pretty steep remembering/learning curve for me, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm slightly annoyed with myself because I think I could have blended with much more subtlety, it's not very fair of me to compare the painting to the pencil sketch though. I have always been far more comfortable in pencil, and this one had turned out spectacularly, so it created pretty huge expectations in my mind.

Do you create unreasonable expectations for yourself?

Love,
Rosie

*For full clarity, my entire class had their project shown, so it's not like I was chosen for it or anything like that.

Eclectic Love 8: Patchwork Daydreams

2010-10-26T11:43:00.000+02:00

Winter hasn't even started yet, but I'm already daydreaming of spring clothing. I want to wear light, floaty skirts. I want whimsy. I want anything not involving covering my entire body in at least two layers of fabric.

Isadora in Spring Patchwork Dress

This dress satisfies the first two desires perfectly, but sadly, for the next six months or so leg coverage will be mandatory for all people who don't like frostbite, so I will have to stick to day dreaming for now.

What would you be wearing right now if you didn't have to worry about weather?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Purple and Green and RED

2010-10-25T16:36:00.000+02:00

Jeans, KappAhl; shoes, Fly London; shirt, H&M; sweater, ???; headband, Lululemon.

I've spent the past several days doing tons of cleaning and packing, so outfits have pretty much just been whatever I happened to throw on in the morning. Today, I wouldn't have gotten dressed at all, except I had to go down to the post office, and my conscious wouldn't let me walk across town in my pyjamas.

I would have actually loved this outfit if I had had a pair of black, green or purple shoes to wear with it, but I was reasonably happy with it as it is.

What do you wear when you have to run out but don't want to get dressed?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Dramatic Artist

2010-10-22T22:48:00.000+02:00

Leggings, ???; black long sleeved t-shirt, Seduction; dress, Joe Fresh; earrings, Claire's; shoes (not shown), Fly London

Comfort was essencial today since I had a three hour French test this morning, but a lack of fussiness was also important since I spent three hours this afternoon in the studio painting. This may become y go to outfit for painting, since there is something about wearing all black with red heels that makes it even more fun.

Do you find that your outfit affects how you feel about certain activities?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Dystopian Literature

2010-10-21T19:16:00.000+02:00


Pencil Crayon and Permanent Marker on Drawing Paper

Know what happens when I read dystopian novels (specifically, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) and have too much time to think about them?

I start coming up with ways to represent those novels through my current favourite style of art: vaguely abstract.

Because one of my favourite parts of art is thinking about and drawing conclusions from other people's art*, all I'm going to say about this piece is that I think it would have represented my idea better if the lines of black words where closer together.

How do you help yourself understand books as you read them?

Love,
Rosie

*And I'm really tired and can't form sentences.

What I Wore: Fuzzy Purple

2010-10-20T21:26:00.000+02:00

Dress, Gina Tricot; leggings, La Class Couture; sweater, ???; shoes, Kickers, borrowed from my sister; head band, Lululemon; earrings, vintage

Today was one of those days where everything just kept getting in the way of my photos. I had to go to the grocery store, then make dinner, then we ate and the landlady dropped by unannounced and then it was 8 pm and really dark and my auto-focus doesn't work and now I'm all fuzzy.

As you may or may not know, today was wear purple in memory of GLBT youths who have commit suicide because of bullying day. I don't want to get into politics or personal beliefs (this is a fashion blog, not a politics or philosophy blog), but I wanted to show my support in all ways possible, which is why I could be spotted wearing all the purple I currently have today.

Did you wear purple today?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 7: Avacado or Brown

2010-10-19T22:06:00.000+02:00

When it gets cold, I immediately start thinking of one thing. Ok, several things, but in this context, one thing.

Sweaters.

Since last fall, I have become very passionate on the subject of sweaters. I have amassed a considerable collection (which is almost all at home *sob*), I have come to love wool and I have embraced winter because I can now wear my lovely sweaters.

Crochet Sweater

The mere fact of having something like 30 sweaters in my closet doesn't stop me from coming up with other styles I want to get though, and at the top of my list at the moment are 1970s crochet sweaters, preferably in colours like avacado or brown.

I can't get any more sweaters right now, but if I could, this one would be the first to join my collection. Not only is it gorgeous and cozy looking and avacado coloured, but it also matches my text colour on the blog (this is a very important feature that I look for in a sweater).

How do you keep cozy in the winter?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: layering

2010-10-18T22:15:00.000+02:00

Dress, Joe Fresh; skirt, thrifted; leggings, ???; shoes, Fly London; watch, Ushuaïa; out of focus photo, the fact that it was misting and I wanted to get inside ASAP

This is my first attempt at skirt layering, and personally I think it went pretty well. It was a bit bulky, but the dress sat much better on top of the skirt. Not only does it look good, but I was really surprised by how much warmer it was. I didn't thing that simply adding a skirt would change anything, but it really did. Now I can't wait till I get home to my full skirt collection!

What are your favourite things to layer?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Tied Together

2010-10-15T21:20:00.000+02:00

Leggings, ???; black dress, Joe Fresh; pink tank top, H&M; shoes, Fly London; scarf, local market; watch, Ushuaïa

My mum got me this tank top recently, and I've been pondering how to wear it for a while. I could wear it with my orange sweater and Merrells, but that's a bit athletic for my taste. I could go for all out clashy goodness with red clothing. Then I found this scarf, which is perfect as a bridge from the pink to red.

Secondly, a note on the photo: I did not turn my head just as this was taken. It was just really, really windy as I sat on a rock on the deserted beach in my fairly thin outfit. I would have taken more photos, but after the first ten I had to put my coat back on, sling my camera around my neck and stuffed my hands in my pockets.

Do you use accessories to tie together colours or looks?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Ghost Rosies

2010-10-14T16:16:00.002+02:00

Shot with my Canon Rebel XS using the standard kit lens, edited with Aperture and Corel Painter

I've been experimenting with digitally layering photos lately. I've been lazily considering it since I saw this post by Lisa of Lisa's Likes back in February, but I just didn't get around to actually trying anything.

This first experiment didn't turn out how I planed, but I'm pretty happy with the Ghost Rosies (if you can't see them, try turning out the brightness on your screen). When I went back to find that link to Lisa's post, I came across her tutorial on how to do it, so I think I will be trying this project again very soon.

Do you have a project that didn't turn out as planned but that you liked anyways?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: HATED

2010-10-13T21:18:00.000+02:00

Dress, Suzy Sheer; turtle neck, no idea, I got it at a store here in France, but I can't remember where :(; leggings, Gina Tricot; shoes, Fly London; strange facial expression, me trying to smile for the camera; awkward hand, me not taking enough shots

I have hated turtle necks for years. HATED. I was utterly and totally convinced that they were trying to strangle me. Then, once I got a bit older and discovered cleavage, I hated how much of me they covered. This one was only 6 euros though, and it's bright red and it's super soft and I couldn't say no. I'm glad I ended up getting it, because now that I've worn it I have all sorts of thoughts on ways that turtle necks will make my life better.

Is there a type of clothing that you started off hating and grew to love?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 6: Knee Socks

2010-10-12T20:55:00.000+02:00

Knee High Socks Turquoise Lace with Coral Ties

Since the weather has started getting colder, so have my feet. And while I love to wear thick woolen sports socks at home, they don't fit in my shoes all that well, which has left me lusting after pretty, but warm socks.

My brain immediately leaps to knee socks, because while I absolutely adore the idea of them, they never actually work out for me. It's really such a burden having long legs. Having seen these though, I'm starting to think that I will have to find some that work on my legs.

Do you wear knee socks?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Impulsive Love

2010-10-11T22:04:00.000+02:00

Jeans, KappAhl; tank top, H&M; sweater, not sure what brand, I got it at a grocery store in France; booties, Fly London

As I followed my mother around the grocery store on Saturday, complaining about how I don't have enough sweaters and generally acting like a spoiled brat, we came across a sale rack full of sweaters. I am making a point to be a brat more often now.

In all seriousness though, this sweater is amazing! As soon as I have time I'll take better photos of it, but as you can sort of see here, it has this really huge shawl-like collar that goes all the way around. Other pros: PURPLE and COSY. Need I say more?

Do you have impulse buys that have become favourites?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Twin Jeans

2010-10-08T22:51:00.000+02:00

Jeans, KappAhl; tank top, Joe Fresh; sweater, 66 North; shoes, Merrell; scarf, thrifted

You may be thinking "Really Rosie? Have you worn anything other than those jeans recently? " And I have! Because I am know the proud owner of two pairs of black skinny jeans from KappAhl. When mummy was in Sweden recently, she brought back this pair. They are about an inch longer than the older pair, and have orange stitching.

Have you ever loved a piece of clothing so much you went back and bought it again?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: It's Abstract! Sort of...

2010-10-07T21:38:00.000+02:00

Pencil, marker and collage on drawing paper

We had to do a project in art class on sexuality and how we see ourselves, and since mine was sort of related to fashion, sharing time!

I don't want to go too into detail (everyone knows you aren't supposed to share too much online!), but I wanted to represent how I saw myself (the black and white part) and how other people could see me (the collage). I chose to use colour and put it in the center because the outside is what we see first, but it's also not very life like because it doesn't always show who we really are.

I'm thinking about making this a regular feature, would you find that interesting?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 6: Over the Moon

2010-10-06T11:46:00.000+02:00

Galaxy with Studded Belt

I'm fairly certain that this is one of if not the most amazing thing EVER. (Ok, slight exaggeration, modern medicine is pretty great too.) In all honesty though, how many things can you think of that are more awesome than a skirt like this one?

I have no idea where I would wear it, but if I could get it, I would wear it with all sorts of thing.

What better to complement my non-existent moon boots?

Imagine how amazing it would be with a neon body-con dress underneath!

Need to add flare to an all black outfit? This would be perfect!

How cute would it be with a star patterned top?

Or anything studded?

How would you were this skirt?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Warm and Comforting

2010-10-02T21:16:00.000+02:00

Dress, Suzie Sheer; sweater, hand-me-down; leggings, ???; belt, Joe Fresh; healthy skin colour, forgetting to check the white balance

I've pretty much been living in this sweater lately, because it's so warm and comforting, and right now my life really needs some warm and comforting. Half the outfits I wear this sweater with don't include it in the original plan, but it's so darn cold when it's 7 am and it's raining and dark and you have to walk to the bus stop, and I just never end up taking it off. This outfit was meant to include the sweater, and that part worked out splendidly, but the leggings didn't live up to expectations. I think it would have worked better with a pair of thin nylons or some fishnets, the leggings made it feel a bit too covered.

Do you have pieces of clothing that consistently work their way into your outfits despite not being part of the plan?

Love,
Rosie

PS: I'm blaming my absence on caffeine withdrawl. The past week has been plagued with a queasy stomach and an inability to do anything other than watch old episodes of Firefly. I should be back to my usual fully caffeinated but still fairly unreliable self soon.

Eclectic Love 5: Awesome Shark Hoodie

2010-09-28T21:50:00.000+02:00

Shark Kids Hoodie

Know what's awesome?

A hoodie with teeth! And a fin.

Know what isn't awesome?

The fact that it's made for a child. And while I may be a child a heart, no matter how many times I tell my self that a Youth Large will fit, it just doesn't. *sob* I obviously plan on finding a way to have my own animal hoodie as soon as I have my sewing stuff back.

Would you wear a hoodie like that?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Brighter or Darker

2010-09-27T22:11:00.000+02:00

Leggings, Classe Couture; Dress worn as skirt, Gina Tricot; shirt, Seduction; head band, Lululemon; booties, Fly London; necklace, handmade by me

My third bit colour on this trip is purple, which was an interesting choice, but I wanted to bring these leggings, so purple it is. Of course, since my only shoes are burgundy, I'm having to make it work, and this seemed like a good way. The shirt is far closer to the colour of the shoes in real life, but the light makes it seem far brighter than it really is. Or maybe my dark room in the late night/early morning made it look darker?

Do you ever realize part way through the day that a piece of clothing is not the colour you thought it was?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Drappy and Swishy

2010-09-25T22:40:00.000+02:00

(This is from Tuesday)

Jeans, KappAhl; shirt, Seduction, scarf worn as long vest thing, Joe Fresh; Headband, Lululemon.

This outfit was amazing. Really, it was. It was drappy and swishy and slightly badass feeling, but underneath it was tight and amazing and just so flattering. It sort of felt like I was some sort of awesome female Spike* (who wasn't evil or undead and has a cold and apparently cures messy hair by pushing it back with a headband).

Then I got home and I was tired and rushed and didn't feel like getting my stuff together and going out, so I balanced my camera on the stairs and stood on the landing, and all of a sudden it wasn't quite so amazing.

Almost immediately after this photo was taken, I put on my stripey blue pyjamas and got in bed and stuffily asked my Mummy if she could heat up some soup, and then I fell asleep and pretty much stayed that way until fairly recently**. This is, of course, why I have been practically dead in the online world recently, because when you can barely get you fingers to stay functioning long enough to text your mother who is downstairs working because you need more orange juice***, it's hard to type whole blog posts.

How have you been lately?

Love,
Rosie

*This probably only makes sense if you are familiar with Buffy the Vampire slayer.
** Slight exagaration, but pretty accurate.
*** Yes. This is entirely true. It's far easier than yelling a lot and hurting my voice.

(PS: If you are currently thinking "Holy shit, she is so spoiled!", you would be right. I like to think it explains my many character flaws.)

What I Wore: In Theory

2010-09-20T22:12:00.000+02:00

Jeans, KappAhl; dress worn as shirt, Gina Tricot; booties, Fly London; Scarf, hand-me-down from a friend; socks, old tights cut down and worn all scrunchie around my ankles.

This outfit is from last Friday, and I'm still not sure. In theory, I love it. In practice, the scarf fell down all day, the socks wouldn't stay where I wanted them and I'm not sure if rolled cuffs are appropriate for fall. Regardless, in theory and in photos, I love this outfit.

Do you have outfits that were only ok on you but that look amazing in photos?

Love,
Rosie

PS: You may have noticed that I've pretty much only been posting outfits lately. I'm afraid that that's what it's going to be for the foreseeable future, since time is practically non-existent, and I want to spend what spare time I have enjoying being in France. Also, in an effort to get more done, I've pretty much stopped tweeting. I'll be on every now and then, and I'll still tweet when I am putting out a new post, but if you want to get in touch with me, please leave a comment or drop me a line at rosie.unknown@gmail.com.

No Make Up Week

2010-09-19T20:19:00.000+02:00

As someone who very much believes in giving the world the best Rosie possible, I usually wear makeup. I feel more comfortable and confident when I'm wearing it, and for these reasons I'm far more outgoing and happy. Even though I tell myself I wear it for positive reasons, it's been over two years since I spent any meaningful amounts of time around my peers without my face painted.

I don't wear much, just some concealer, eyeliner and mascara, but every morning, I carefully paint it on. I can tell myself that it's self expression all I want, it doesn't change the fact that it has become a borderline addiction.

When I found out about No Make Up Week, I was both excited and fearful. I was excited because I know it will be an amazing experiment, and I'm sure I will feel differently about makeup after, but afraid because I honestly don't know if I can do it. I'm so used to painting over the little imperfections that it will be very strange to show my self to the world.

Do you wear make up? Will you try No Make Up Week?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Extreme Unpradictability

2010-09-18T21:11:00.000+02:00

Sweat pant leggings, french version of Joe Fresh, not sure what it's called; sweater, ???; shoes, Merrell; headband, Lululemon

When I realized that I have to take a gym class, I thought two things: "Awwwww, I hate gym! and Shit, I didn't bring any clothing appropriate for gym!" I came home, shared these two thoughts with my mother, and then the next day when we went grocery shopping, I got these. I don't mind wearing them because they are technically leggings, but they are gym class appropriate because they are made of sweat pants material. The day after I got them, I realized that they have another use: they are perfect for doing all sorts of fun stuff like wading in tidal pools and looking at ruined castles (but not exploring because there are falling rocks) and being awestruck by amazing menhirs and drinking coffee in tiny cafés after a long day of hiking. Jealous yet? :P

What do you were for days of extreme country side unpradictability?

Love,

Rosie

Side note: I have no idea why I'm so smiley, probably because I'm beside an epic mini door.

What I Wore: Experimental Colours

2010-09-17T21:29:00.000+02:00

Leggings, La Classe Couture; dress, Joe Fresh; shoes, Fly London; Scarf, thrifted.

I wore this outfit last Friday, once I have built up some confidence. I wasn't too sure about the colours when I wore the outfit, the shoes seemed like one shade of red too many, but looking at the photos, I think it turned out quite well.

The head scarf may get a bit repetitive, since I've worn it quite a bit recently. Several days a week I have to leave the house at an ridiculously early hour, and I don't have the time or energy to actually do anything with my hair.

What do you do with your hair when it's a mess and you have no time?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Firsts

2010-09-16T20:56:00.000+02:00

First off: SORRY. I've been meaning to start posting ever since we got internet over a week ago, but it's insane how time consuming doing 1.5 highly demanding high school programs in your second language while figuring out a new campus and school system and making new friends and still being a reasonably healthy human being. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses, just honestly explaining why I disappeared. Now, on to what I've been wearing while doing all that:

Jeans, KappAhl; shirt, Seduction; shoes, Fly London; scarf, thrifted; necklaces and earrings, ???

I was, well, pretty worried about starting school here. It is for that reason, and that reason only, that I decided to dress casually for my first day. I decided that I wanted to be comfortable, confident and ready for anything, which is why I didn't break out a dress or complex outfit. Since then I've gotten a lot more confident, but more on that later.

Another first for this post: It's the first time I've worn these shoes on the blog! I got them days before we left, because I didn't have anything versatile and comfortable, but still stylish and wearable. The colour is darker than most of the red clothing I brought, but I like to think that they work anyways

How do you dress for your first day?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Worth the Struggle

2010-08-29T18:28:00.000+02:00

Jeans, Kapp Ahl; sweater, 66 North; tank top, Joe Fresh; shoes, Merrell; sunglasses, RayBan; coat, Mountain Equipment Coop; headband, Lululemon

Yesterday we went for a hike up a mountain near where we are staying, because that’s the sort of thing my family tends to do when we are on vacation. In total we hiked about 10 kilometers, most of it up and down steep slopes. It was well worth the struggle though, since the entire area was really gorgeous, a lot like something out of Lord of the Rings. I took tons and tons of photos, and I’ll post some as soon I have a faster internet connection.

Where was the most beautiful place you’ve been?

Love,
Rosie

Clothing for Comfortable Traveling

2010-08-28T00:18:00.000+02:00

I am one of those seemingly rare people who really enjoys airports. Everyone I know loves the planes, and the destinations, but is neutral at best when it comes to airports. And yes, there are awful ones. There are times when even I hate them, but there are so many neat things to be enjoyed if you open your mind. The people watching is fascinating and diverse, it's always fun to watch the planes, you can shop, read a book, make a friend, go for a walk, go exploring. One of the biggest reasons the people I've talked to don't like airports is that they find them uncomfortable. I see the problem not as being the airport (usually); but the outfit.

Plane Outfit by RosieUnknown

This is the only style of outfit I will wear to travel now, since it is the most comfortable thing I can put on my body. Obviously everyone is different, but the general ideas are pretty universal.

Leggings and Dress: I find pants fairly uncomfortable, so there is no way I'm wearing them to fly. Also, Leggings and a knee length dress keep me covered in pretty much any position I could contort my body into, which is an essential for me. If you prefer pants, I'd recommend something loose like a harem pant, with a tunic top or bodysuit so you don't realize at the end of a flight that your curled up in a seat position was showing everyone near you just what kind of panties you were wearing.

Sweater: Airplanes are often really cold, and if you aren't using it it can be folded up and used as a pillow.

Pashmina: scarf, wrap, blanket, emergency hair control, pillow, protection from dubious seats, top, skirt; there really isn't much that a big pashmina can't do.

Soft cloth head band: not only will it keep your hair in place, but it will also serve as an emergency eye cover and block some noise.

Walking shoes: Since generally do some hiking or heavy duty sight seeing, I always like to have my walking shoes along, and they are great for trekking through airports, lugging bags through public transit and keeping you balanced on moving planes. Another plus: since they are the biggest shoes you'll bring (probably), you'll save space in your bag. If you absolutely don't need walking shoes or sneakers, I would wear flats, but unless they are the best flats on earth, I don't think they could be as comfy as walking shoes.

What do you wear when traveling

Love,
Rosie

Fall Dream Wardrobe: Crazy, Ugly, Funky and Awesome

2010-08-26T16:36:00.000+02:00

In the midst of running around packing today, I realized that I could not, in fact leave blog post writing to 10 pm, since I would be on my way to Europe by then. That of course, left me with a problem: my brain does not function before 10 pm and I was incapable of coming up with an idea.

Twitter came to my rescue, and after a few minutes of panicking, I thought it would be neat to show you my dream fall wardrobe. This fall, I want to be wearing lots of crazy hats, big borderline "ugly" sweaters and funky skirts with awesome tights.

Fall dream wardrobe by RosieUnknown

Sadly, since I had to pack my entire closet for the next several months in hiking back pack, randomness was abandoned in favour of a completely red and black wardrobe with the only exceptions being an orange sweater (for warmth) and a cream coloured sweater (cause it's amazing and versatile). The only pattern I packed was plaid or argyle (exception: paisley dress).

Despite these restraints, I still dream of rainbows and pastels and clashing and crazyness.

What's your dream fall wardrobe?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 5: Practical Obstacles

2010-08-25T03:08:00.000+02:00

I will admit, the beginning of a new school year hold lots of excitement for me. Most years, it's because I'm excited about new pens, binders, classmates, teachers and (hopefully) challenges. This year though, the undeniable need for new shoes fueled excitement. Despite the fact that I already own tons of shoes, none of them are right. See, I want something comfortable, versatile, durable, stylish, and just all round amazing.

Having convinced my parents that this was the case, my father and I set off shoe shopping a few days ago. I did succeed in finding the shoes, but more on that later, since I saw these in the course of my shopping trip:

Fluevog Shoes- Tenango

They are, in my opinion, one of the most amazing things ever created, and if I could afford to splurge on some fabulous shoes right now, it would probably be these that I would buy. Ignoring the practical obstacles like the fact that I don't own anything orange or even like the colour all that much; I'm pretty sure these would fast become one of the most worn pairs of shoes in my closet.

Are you ever attracted to clothing that don't fit with your general style?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Half Princess Leia

2010-08-24T03:39:00.000+02:00

Jeans, thrifted; shirt, Joe Fresh; shoes (not seen), Birkis

I was really excited to post this outfit, because I was really proud of the fact that I was wearing jeans with something other than a t-shirt (and because I feel slightly dishonest only posting the outfits that are super pretty, since I don't wear them everyday), but then I saw the photos and was very, very sad. Most of them turned out fairly well, but the combination of how I was posing with the wind made my shirt look incredibly unflattering in most of them, which I swear it wasn't.

On a seperate note, I really liked how I styled my hair today. I'm afraid I didn't manage to get any good photos, but by the end of the day they were two little tufts sticking out of the little bun, and it looked amazing. I pinned it up because it kept getting in my face, but this may be one of my new favourite ways to style my hair. I think I have to do for the full Princess Leia affect.

I've been super busy with packing and cleaning and stuff over the past few days, which is why my posts haven't been particularly interesting, but I have some neat stuff planned (I think.)

What do you like to wear with your jeans?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Soccer Mom Artist

2010-08-22T04:12:00.000+02:00

Jeans, thrifted; shirt, thrifted; tank top; Jacob; head band, Lululemon; earrings, handmade by me.

We had some dinner guests today, so I had to change out of the sweat pants and into actual clothing, and since all all my clothing is currently jammed into my sisters already full closet, I pretty much grabbed the first two things I saw. It actually worked out quite well, this is the first wearing for both of these pieces and I was happy with how it all worked out.

Of course, these jeans with this shirt feel vaguely soccer mom "artist" to me, so I added in my lego skull and pink bead earrings to randomness.

Love,
Rosie

Sea, Sand and Photos

2010-08-21T03:26:00.000+02:00

When I left a week or so ago, I thought I would be home within a couple days. I ended up being away for almost a week, and I've spent the few days since I got back alternating between catching up on all the awesome blog posts that were written while I was gone, trying to get my room cleaned up before we have to leave, and marveling at the amount of stuff I own. I did end up taking a bunch of photos while I was away though, so since I haven't had a very fashionable thought in days, I can show you the best of those.

My large, friendly letters didn't quite work out, but the message is still clear. Let me know in the comments if you get the reference :)

All in all, it was a good time. Regular posting should be back soon, hopefully tomorrow, with lots more fashiony/arty goodness.

What's you ideal weekend get away?

Love,
Rosie

Metaphorical Mops and Virtual Cleaning

2010-08-14T03:03:00.001+02:00

I got out my metaphorical mops today, because I decided it was time for a virtual spring (or, ahh, late summer) cleaning.

The first things to change were the colours of all my text, since I feel like I had outgrown my different shades of red and pink. If you are having trouble reading the new shades, please let me know!

The second change came in the form of a new header, because once I had changed all the colours, I felt like a new header was in order too. I actually took this picture almost a year ago in Iceland, but it had been languishing on my hard drive for far too long. Today I cropped it into a header appropriate size, figured out how to get it to the right sized, and swapped it in.

The final thing I feel the need to ramble on about it the fact that I signed up for Tumblr today! You can come visit me at Eclectic Enthusiasm. If you want to follow my tumblings, but don't use Tumblr, you can follow me on Twitter and be notified right in your feed I whenever post something new. I think I'm going to use it to mostly to share random images I come across that I don't have a use for here on the blog, but want you to see. I will probably share some of my own work too.

Do you like the new colours? Also, do you have Tumblr, or any that you absolutely love?

Love,
Rosie

UPDATE: I completely forgot till after I hit publish, but I'm headed out tomorrow morning on a last minute trip with a friend, so I won't be around for the next few days, but I will answer all your comments when I get back early next week. Have a great weekend!

Overstated and Somewhat Tacky

2010-08-12T02:23:00.000+02:00

Lately, I've been seriously craving anything and everything sparkly. More specifically; anything and everything diamondy and being me, I want them insanely huge and tacky. Obviously, real diamonds are way way way out of my price range, but I can still bling myself out with plastic.

I have no idea where I got the necklace, but I recently found it while cleaning my room and decided that it is pretty much the best thing on earth. I made the earrings when I realized that my life couldn't be complete without a pair of Lego head earrings, and that the only thing better than Lego head earrings would be Lego head earrings with large, slightly pink, plastic crystals. My next plan is to try and get my hands on some crystals from a chandelier or something, since, like I said, overstated and tacky are practically my middle names.

Do you love diamonds? Do you like them understated and demure or over the top?

Love,
Rosie

PS: all photos are links to their sources :)

Eclectic Love 4: Faux, Of Course!

2010-08-11T02:14:00.003+02:00

There are all sorts of fabrics I love: silks, anything slinky, wool, but one of my all time favourites is fur; faux of course. Because while wools are warm and silks are soft, only faux furs can give you beautiful cosiness while being deliciously smooth. In anticipation of the cooler weather that it only a month or so away, I've been majorly wanting to find friends for my sole faux fur jacket.

Vintage Suede Faux Fur Coat

Yup, something about like that would be marvelous. If I were a gorgeous coat like that, I would want to party with brightly coloured pencil skirts and suede booties, or maybe a knee length pleated skirt and a beret.

How would you wear a coat like this?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Casually Restricting

2010-08-10T03:22:00.000+02:00

Jeans, Gap; shirt, Seduction; cardigan, Joe Fresh; sandals, Birkis; necklace, handmade by a friend

Today's outfit, as you can see, was super casual (for me at least). All I had to do was run some errands, and I decided that I didn't want to wear a skirt. I regretted it about as soon as I left the house, because I'd forgotten just how restricting jeans can be, but that's what I get for only wearing nice roomy skirts then trying to squeeze into jeans.

What do you wear for days when you are just running errands?

Love,
Rosie

Art Show Time: Wings

2010-08-09T03:28:00.001+02:00

I was taking some photos of different prints I've done recently, and I thought I would show you them. I've been hesitant to share my non-photography artwork here in the past, since it really doesn't have much to do with fashion, but I realized it is very related to style.

Carved in hard artists linoleum, printed using oil based ink on a special press

This one is actually an auto-portrait, albeit an abstract one. The real explanation for this is a bit too deep and personal for the entire internet to be able to read, but you can take what you want from it.

Carved in soft artist linoleum, printed using water based ink and a wooden spoon

Carved in flooring linoleum, printed with water based ink and a wooden spoon

All the pieces are linocuts, meaning I took a piece of linoleum, carved the mirror image of my design in it, then coated it in ink and printed it on the paper. The first two were done in my art class, and the final one is I did at home. I felt rather starving artist, sitting cross legged on my bed, carving out my design in flooring linoleum because artists linoleum costs a fortune and I can get the flooring stuff free, but then I remembered that I'm only a poor artist (who's still in school and supported by her parents) because I spend all my money on clothing (and save for university) and it sort of ruined the moment.

What do you consider your artistic outlet?

Love,
Rosie

Vampiric Angel

2010-08-07T03:11:00.000+02:00

It has been dawning on me recently that it has come to be time. Time to... Update my Profile Picture. My current one dates from March, and I've been feeling the need for change. I've gone through my usual process: hem, haw, look through pictures, choose one, changed my mind, looked some more and narrowed it down to two. This is where you come in: I want your opinion on which one looks better.

What do you think, vampire or Charlie's Angel?

Love,
Rosie

The Trouble with Ruffles

2010-08-06T03:51:00.000+02:00

In general, I pretty much love my style, all the aspects of it. The one draw back of my extreme love of close fitting skirts lies underneath: I have an insane love for ruffled underwear.


Pretty Pink Nylon with Ruffles Panties

Yeah, that kind of ruffled. And now I feel really conflicted, because while I have no problem spending money on pretty things, the pretty things I buy generally get worn. But panties that would only be wearable with one or two skirts that I don't wear that often? That's a bit crazy even by my standards.

Do you indulge in pretty garments that never get worn?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 3: The Birds are Calling

2010-08-04T02:40:00.000+02:00

One of my main clothing dislikes are pants. When I wear something, I want it to look good and feel good, not pinch me and make me readjust all day, which is what pants do to my body. That being said, there are some times that skirts are just too annoying to wear, or I want more warmth. It is in these times that I turn to leggings and say: thank goodness I have you!

My personal favourites at the moment are a pair printed to look like jeans, but I stumbled across these today, and it was instant love.


Bright Blue Leggings with Screen Printed

There is just something about the little birds that call to me! Personally I imagine rocking them with a crisp white men's shirt for a simple look, or with a pastel green tunic for a different look.

Would you rock these amazing leggings?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Antoinette

2010-08-03T03:21:00.000+02:00

Skirt, Åhlens; tank top, market; corset, handmade be me for a costume; leggings, Gina Tricot; shoes, Aldo; bow necklace, made by me; mask, made by me.

I've had this mask lying around my room since the end of the show, and I felt the need to style an outfit around it. I didn't actually wear this, but it is definitely something Antoinette would wear. I'm not sure if I've ever introduced her or not, so I will now. Antoinette is my alter ego, and we are very different people. She is confident and extroverted, I'm shy. She does what she wants, I fear consequences. In some ways though, we are very similar. We both think Jello Shots are the bomb, neither of us care what any one thinks, we agree that partying all night is the second best way to spend our nights*.

Do you have an alter-ego?

Love,
Rosie

*Pyjama parties with either amazing books or amazing people will always be first in our hearts.

Adventurous Announcements

2010-08-02T02:51:00.000+02:00

I have a couple of things to tell you all today, and neither of them are particularly exciting for you (sorry!):

Long time readers with amazing memories may remember that a while back I tried a shopping ban that pretty much fizzled out because it turns out I don't actually shop all that much during the school year. Anyways, a few days ago I started another ban. This time I have left myself absolutely no loopholes.

I will not buy a single thing until August 26.

The second thing I want to tell you about is the cause for the aforementioned shopping ban: in less than a month, I will be leaving for France. Feel free to spend a few moments being jealous (unless you live in France, in which case, this probably isn't too envy inducing.) The reason I'm telling you all this is because I sort of need your help. If you have been to Brittany/Bretagne, know someone who has been there, or know of someone; I would really super appreciate any tips on things I should see, interesting shops, any thing of that sort. You can comment here on the blog, or send me an email at rosie.unknown@gmail.com. Thanks!

Have you ever tried a shopping ban? Did it work out?

Love,
Rosie

Much Ado About Costumes

2010-07-31T03:50:00.000+02:00

I mentioned a little while back that I was in a theater production that was eating up most of my time, and that I had some costumes I wanted to show you. Well, our last show was on Monday, the last of the cast events was last night, and the several people who have been living in my room have all gone back to their houses now, so I finally have time to sit down and show you the amazing things I got to wear.

The show I was in was Much Ado About Nothing, for those of you not familiar with it it's one of Shakespeare's comedies; and I was originally just given the role of watchman:

"We charge you, in the prince's name, share your skittles!"

Yes, the costume makes me look slightly disproportionate, and yes, it's more than slightly ridiculous, however, it's also insanely fun to wear. You can't see it in this picture, but the stripes on the back of my pants are horizontal, and the back of my vest has the same crazy patchwork like pattern.

When I arrived at my second rehearsal, I was asked if I would be interested in taking on another role. I promptly answered: "Of course, I'd love to! Who do you want me to play?" The answer: the sexton.

"Master Puppy! You go not the way to sniff a foot!"

If you are currently saying: "Rosie! That is just a photo of a foot and some pant leg!" You would be absolutely right. It is also the only photo I have of my self in this costume. It isn't nearly as hilarious as my other costume though, the rest is just the white shirt with a brown smock and very deep hood.

My final costume* is that of "Anonymous Purple Dancer".

*mingle flirt dance dance flirt dance mingle flirt mingle flirt*

They needed an extra female dancer for the masquerade ball, and I was only too happy to volunteer my less than amazing dance skills. I was even more excited once I saw my costume, because what girl doesn't want to wear a bejeweled purple corset style bodice with a long, layered purple skirt? My excitement for said costume died down slightly after I realized how annoying it is to have to get someone to lace up your top everyday, then have to get out of it. (You can't see it in the photo, but my bodice laces up the back.)

Have you ever done any theater productions? Did you get to wear amazing costumes?

Love,
Rosie

*In reality it's the first costume I wear in the show, then the watchman, then the sexton, but I shun logical order.

What I Wore: Wubba Boots

2010-07-26T03:50:00.000+02:00

When it started to rain the other day, I mostly just beat my head against my desk. I'm performing in a show which is held in a tent, our changing area would turn into a swamp, we would be stuck in the tiny backstage area for hours, it would be muggy, you get my point. By this point my head was starting to hurt, so I lifted it off the desk, and what did I see? My RUBBER BOOTS. This obviously made everything much, much better.

Dress, ???, shortened by me; shirt, vintage fabric, gift from friend; belt, Cake; boots, ???

How could I be unhappy while wearing bright yellow rubber boots with black accents, courtesy of a spray paint accident? A friend* and I had to take photos, because the only thing awesomer than wearing rubber boots with mini dresses is taking photos while wearing rubber boots with mini dresses. This worked out pretty well for me, since it meant that I had outfit photos, and I usually can't take outfit photos in the rain because my main tripod**/location is in the middle of the yard so my camera would get wet.

What do you think about wearing rubber boots as parts of everyday outfits?

Love,
Rosie

* Their are two reasons I'm not sharing the photos of her- 1. She doesn't want me too and 2. If I did you would all fall in love with how awesome she is and not want to see pictures of me/read what I write anymore.

** I don't have an actual tripod yet, so I use a wood pile.

For the Love of Rubber Boots

2010-07-24T04:36:00.000+02:00

I will admit, I am not a huge fan of rainy weather. Frizzy hair, wet clothing and mud are all unfortunate consequences. The one fun consequence, in my opinion, is that you get to wear rubber boots without feeling like a farmer/slightly ridiculous.

I like my rubber boots super bright, like these:

Hunter Original Colours

One of the many wonderful things about rubber boots is that they lend themselves to so many different looks. Yes, if you wore them with many outfits on a normal day they might feel a bit strange, but when it's actually raining I have never lacked ideas for what to wear them with.

For example; you could go for what I consider a sort of festival look:

Rubber Boots, take 1 by RosieUnknown

Nothing better than a simple, stylish outfit with a polar bear hat, right?

Or, if you lean more towards a love of colour you could play up the bright pink

Rubber Boots, take 2 by RosieUnknown

And by play up the pink I obviously mean add many other colours and move through life as a joyful rainbow.

We all have days when we just want to blend into the woodwork a bit, and rubber boots won't fail you then either.

Rubber Boots, take 3 by RosieUnknown

They are the perfect complement to a super casual outfit, because sometimes you really can't be bothered. (Even on those days I can't resist a few cute accessories though, which is why I included the brooches.)

Do you own/wear rubber boots? What would/do you like to wear them with?

Love,
Rosie

PS: If you want to know how I actually wore my rubber boots recently, don't worry, the outfit post should be out tomorrow.

Pointless Pretty Photos

2010-07-22T22:25:00.000+02:00

Today's post is slightly without purpose, but my blog is, in essence, a place where I share things I find beautiful, and (not to sound vain) I'm pretty found of these photos I took today.

I wanted to get a certain post out today, but a lack of time and appropriate outfit photo weather has me leaving you with this. Rest assured that I have some more interesting things in the near future.

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 1: More Sweet Strawberryness

2010-07-21T00:52:00.000+02:00

For this week's Eclectic Love, I knew I wanted to feature something strawberry related, and I knew I wanted it to be a necklace, so I turned to Etsy once again in search of the perfect strawberry necklace. I wasn't sure what it looked like, but I knew exactly how it shouldn't look. I was several pages of incredibly cute, but not what I wanted, necklaces when I started giving up hope. Just as I was giving up, I encountered this:

The Strawberry Jam Necklace

It was only when I saw this one that I realized how the others weren't right: they didn't have that magical strawberry shine. Even though some had the perfect ruby red colour, none of them had captured the light emitting qualities that only strawberries have, which made me all the happier when I found this one.

Have you ever searched for something not because you knew what you wanted but because you knew what you didn't want?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore: Sweet Strawberries

2010-07-20T03:34:00.000+02:00

In case you were wondering, I'm not dead. Like usual when I disappear off the face of the internet for a while, I have been completely occupied with the show I currently in and work. More on that once I have photos of my beautiful costumes, because it would be sad to talk about it with out being able to show you the wonderful custom costumes I get to wear.

For now, please accept this outfit post from weeks ago:

Yes, I know this is not a photo of an outfit. It's a photo of a bowl of strawberries I had just picked from the garden and that my mother was hulling. It's also what inspired me to wear the outfit shown bellow, because strawberries are, in my opinion, one of the tastiest and most beautiful foods that exist.

Jeans, Old Navy; t-shirt, Smart Set; hat, ???; apple necklace, handmade by me from an old christmas decoration; green necklace, gift from a friend.

The necklace is actually an apple, but I felt it had the appropriate feel for the outfit, and I was dying to try it out, so I wore it anyways. It's really bulky, so I'm not sure if I like it or not yet, it may become something other than a necklace in the near future.

Have you ever worn an outfit inspired by food? If so, was it inspired, or pretty literal?

Love,
Rosie

Eclectic Love 1: Black and Gold and Sequins

2010-07-07T03:45:00.000+02:00

The other day, I had a revelation: I can't stick to any one style because my dream style is eclectic.

***Dictionary break: according to dictionary.com, eclectic is an adjective describing things:

"not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems"

I'm not sure if this is an actual style, or just me inventing a name for whatever the hell I am since I don't know what style I'm actually identifying with; but I'm sick of trying to decide between all the things I love. The end result is that I'm just going to go with my gut and wear what I like, with whatever the hell I want.

Another result is that I have been spending a lot of time browsing lately, looking at things I do like, and thinking about how I can get them in my wardrobe. And since I've been seeing so much awesome stuff, and I can't buy it all (1. for money reasons, and 2. for storage reasons), the obvious conclusion is to share it was you guys in the hopes that it will fit into one of your dream styles. This was the conception of Eclectic Love, and today is it's birth, so without further ado, Eclectic Love 1:

Black Tunic with Gold Sequins

When I say this dress, I had so many thoughts and ideas about what to wear it with (stacks of gold bangles! a turquoise long sleeve crew neck and gold+turquoise shoes!), but I decided that I don't really need another black and gold maxi dress, so I resisted.

How would you define your personal style?

Love,
Rosie

* Yes, I know the listing says tunic, but I consider it a maxi dress.

What I Wore: Biking in Black

2010-07-06T01:57:00.000+02:00

Leggings, Class Courture; tunic, thrifted; shoes, Birkis; head band, Lululemon; sunglasses, Raybans.

Oh, I'm in a new (to you) photo location! That's because I snapped my outfit photos today while out for a bike ride. I went down to the marsh in an effort to find cooler, less stagnant air, and failed miserably.

This outfit probably wasn't a wise choice for a day when it was hot before the sun was up, but since when have I made smart clothing choices? It looked cute, and is a huge step up from standard biking wear in my area, so it was all good.

Do you have a habit of making non-sensical clothing choices?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: 1970s Roman

2010-07-05T02:50:00.000+02:00

Skirt, thrifted; shirt+scarf acting as belt, hand-me-down vintage fabric; shoes, Birkis; earrings, Claires

It was insanely hot today, and when I got home from my run and had take a shower, I decided it was far too warm for anything other than my lightest and breeziest skirt. The draw back to said skirt is that it is virtually see-through, and in consequence needs something opaque at least a bit of the way down my legs and most of the way around.

This piece of fabric has been hanging in my closet for over a year, maybe closer to two, and I can count the number of times it has been worn on one hand. It got called into play, and when I looked at the finished outfit in the mirror I felt it looked rather 1970s roman inspired, but I can't find any pictures vaguely like it, so maybe I'm imagining things.

Have you ever worn and outfit and realized afterwards that it was inspired by a certain era or style?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Heavy on the Neck

2010-07-04T04:01:00.000+02:00

Shirt, Club Monaco; skirt, thrifted; shoes, Birkis; leaf necklace, thrifted pendant, assembled by me; fan necklace, vintage; belt worn as a necklace, vintage; earrings, museum gift shop

I got this skirt because I love the beading on it, but the colour is terribly hard to style. So far the only colour I've managed to wear it with has been black, but I have a feeling it might look epic with hot pink, or maybe purple.

This outfit felt a bit bland, so I pretty much put on all the gold necklaces I own and the largest gold earrings I could find. I think the result is pretty awesome, if a little heavy on the neck.

Have you ever bought something to realize that the colour is hard to wear?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: Glamourous Llama

2010-07-03T03:51:00.000+02:00

I'm back! Post vacation Rosie has arrived, complete with patchy tan/burn, a new favourite animal and over a thousand photos. If you just started worrying about a massive outfit post, you can stop. Out of the 1257 photos I have from the trip, I appear in a grand total of 12, wearing three different outfits.

Capris, ???; tank top, Jacob; sweater, Lululemon; shoes, Merrell; belt, Cake; hat, Joe Fresh; Bow, handmade by me

I wore this outfit to go on an impromptu hike during the drive down, I was wearing a mini skirt and sandals, but I changed quickly in the car. This outfit pretty mush sums up most of what I wore for the week, since all I really did was canoe and hike.

Skort, thrifted; tank top, Lululemon; bandana, thrifted; shoes, Birkis

This is a pretty typical example of the outfits I wore to breakfast and dinner, and for anytime we spent just lounging around and visiting.

Dress, Joe Fresh; hat, Joe Fresh; bow, handmade by me; scarf, thrifted; shoes, Birkis; Llama, the zoo we were visiting

This was my going home outfit, super comfy for traveling since I had to spend 5 hours crammed in the back seat with my squirming siblings, but still glamourous enough for random stops, like the one we made at a zoo. It just so happened that the zoo had LLAMAS that you could visit right in their pen, I think I was more excited about it then all the little toddlers running around, because Llamas are my absolute favourite animals in the world. After meeting some in person, I decided I'm going to stop being human and start being a Llama.

What do you like to wear when traveling?

Love,
Rosie

PS: I was really excited when I logged into Blogger this evening and saw that I had 50 followers and that this would be my 300th post! Thanks for all your support and for helping me get this far.

Bows and Byes

2010-06-26T04:21:00.000+02:00

I haven't been blogging a ton lately, because I have been busy with other non-internety stuff; like making as many bows as I can find materials for.

Bow making, officially my new favourite hobby, has been taking up all my spare time lately, and I have plans for a lot more. Sadly, that will have to wait till I'm back from vacation. I'm afraid I haven't had time to prepare any posts in advance, but I'll be back July 1 or 2, with a more consistent posting schedule.

Love,
Rosie

Aqua- Awesome/Annoying and Analyzable

2010-06-24T04:03:00.001+02:00

I don't talk about music here very often, mostly because my musical taste is possibly even more random and strange than my clothing choices. I love all sorts of stuff, lots of it either really annoying/strange or totally awesome, depending on who you are. Possibly the most potentially annoying of all the stuff I listen to is Aqua (close second is probably my slight love for the Spice Girls, especially their song Wannabe). I would try to blame it all on my being a child of the 90s, but since I only started listening to them in the past year, I guess it's just my tendency to love annoying songs.

Honestly though, how could I not love a band with tracks like these?

Lollipop

Dr. Jones

Cartoon Heroes

Barbie Girl

Someone once asked me how I could love the song Barbie Girl, when it's so degrading towards women. Personally, I don't find it degrading. I think it shows how strong and real women are by talking about the stereotypical "barbie girl" and making us realize how ridiculous it is. Maybe it's just all the literary analysis I do at school talking, but I find songs like this incredibly thought provoking and interesting. To me, it doesn't say "you are pretty and wear makeup, so you must be a a naive slut." It says "You aren't actually like that. Most women aren't, they use their heads for things other than displaying hair."*

Do you think that "degrading" songs like Barbie Girl help people realize how diverse women are, or do they reinforce stereotypes?

Love,
Rosie

*I had a really good ending for that sentence, but I try to keep this blog clean for those of you who don't want your mind polluted.

What I Wore: Romanticized Bombshell

2010-06-22T04:29:00.000+02:00

Shirt, "borrowed" from my daddy; pink tank top, Jacob; skirt, thrifted; Shoes, Indigo by Clarks; white hair bow, Claires; gold skull bow, handmade by me; belt, Cake

I got this skirt over a month ago, but it had languished unloved in a bag while I tried to figure out how to wash a leather skirt. I needed to wear it today though, because I try to always wear something leather when I'm writing intense exams. It may sound strange and creepy, but super soft leather always makes me feel calmer. Since my coat was out of the question, I settled for the skirt.

I'm so glad I finally got around to washing it, because it made me really inspect it. The leather is amazingly soft, the lining is a heavy, but very real, sating, the quality of the overall product is amazing. I don't know the brand, Champ Elysées Fashions Inc, from Montreal and a Google search reveals nothing. It was made in Canada though, which automatically wins it points in my books.

When I was considering what to wear it with last night, I wanted to go with my pink tank top, but it looked unbalanced, so I added the white shirt; which prompted my mother to comment that I looked vaguely like a girl out of an Indianna Jones movie, so I'm happy with the outfit.

A new obsession of mine is bows. So far I've started small, but I have plans for an absolutely gigantic purple tulle bow, probably to be worn on my head. I know I'm a bit late on this trend, but maybe I'll be late enough to be considered avant garde :P

When I was looking in the mirror this morning putting on my eyeliner, I realized that this outfits feels slightly WWII to me. I can totally imagine the hard working bombshell heroine of some romanticized "true story" movie wearing this to rush into a bomb shelter and realized her dashing soldier lover is missing; hence the basement pictures, because I like to think it looks vaguely like a bomb shelter.

And I like to have fun with photo editing.

Have you ever found an absolutely amazing piece by a seemingly non-existant brand? What about an absolutely amazing piece, period?

Love,
Rosie

PS: If you have any info on Champ Elysée Fashions Inc. from Montreal, Canada, I'd really appreciate if you let me know, either in the comments or you can send me an email. I'd love to find out more about the origins of this skirt.

Rayban x Prada x cheaper = love

2010-06-20T01:20:00.000+02:00

It is rare that I see an item online, and go "WANT". Usually, I see something and go, "ohh, pretty" then I forget about it. I saw these Prada sunglasses on Doe Deere, and couldn't get the clear pink frames and smokey lens caught my hear and refused to let go.

I wasn't however super into the shape of the frame, especially not for a Prada sort of price. I literally couldn't them out of my head, I kept imagining outfits that would look amazing with them. Then, just days later, I saw these at the grocery store (yes, at the grocery store).

They have the same shape as my beloved Rayban Cats, they have the colours I love about the Prada glasses, and they are mine for a very reasonable price. Prepare to seem them frequently!

Have you ever had an item you fell completely obsessed over? Did you get it, or find a substitute?

Love,
Rosie

Wannabe Artsy or Wickedly Awesome?

2010-06-19T03:40:00.001+02:00

I took these photos out in my front lawn after school on Wednesday, and when I finally got them on to my computer this evening, I couldn't believe how well they turned out. It was so hard narrowing it down to a few to post, I feel I could have put up any of the 75 and been proud of them.

As you can see, I'm really loving the look of a short depth of field right now. One of the things I love about my new camera is how much more extreme this effect is. These are shot at f-4.5; and they depth of field is still like twice as shallow as my old camera at f-2.6. Some people may see that as a problem, but personally I love it!

What do you think? I am right to love a short depth of field, or does it look wannabe artistic?

Love,
Rosie

Black Out Recap

2010-06-17T02:04:00.000+02:00

It's been a couple of days, since the end of the Black-Out, and I have had some time to think about it. If you didn't catch them at the time of posting, here are the outfits I wore (the photos are links to the posts):

Over all, I feel pretty good about it. I cheated once, but other than that, I really learned how to embrace colours and other neutrals. I did lean on navy blue and white a bit, but I that helped me realize that the base of an outfit doesn't HAVE to be black. The week also saw me experimenting with colours as neutrals (Day 3, I would definitely classify that skirt as a neutral) and days entirely without neutrals (Day 2).

Did you participate in the Black-Out? What are your thoughts on black clothing?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore: With Help from my Brother

2010-06-16T03:44:00.000+02:00

Before I start this post, I have just a few words: It was 80s theme day.

Leggings, Gina Tricot; shirt, Seduction; shoes, Converse; legwarmers, Ardeens; head band, Lululemon; black and white bracelets, Claires; sunglasses, Joe Fresh

As you can see, I was celebrating the end of the Black-Out today, but it was also because I have very little 80s ish clothing that is actually brightly coloured.

The reason for the jelly bracelets is this:

Source

And the story: My little brother asked me this morning why I was wearing leggings with that top and not skirt, and I told him it was an 80s theme day. He then proceeded to tell me that I should wear my Jelly bracelets, and when I asked why he explained that Madonna wore them in the 80s.

If you were around in the 80s, what sort of stuff did you wear?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 8: Too Warm

2010-06-15T03:20:00.000+02:00

Sweater; thrifted; skirt, thrifted; tank top, Seduction; shoes, Birkis; scarf worn as belt, ???

This outfit, like so many I have worn recently, was great till after gym class. The sweater is cute, but after playing foot ball in the hot and humid weather for an hour, it was just too warm. I ended up spending most of the afternoon in just my tank top, which was fine but slightly awkward since it is very low cut. You'd think I'd learn my lesson and start wearing t-shirts, but no!

Do you have any practicality mistakes you make over and over?

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 6-7: lazy days

2010-06-14T04:14:00.000+02:00

Day 6:

Shirt, gift; skirt, thrifted; bandana, I've had it since I was like 8 years old.

As you probably noted in my last post, I've been pretty busy socially lately. And while I enjoy a good party as much as the next person (although I enjoy forcing water into hopelessly drunk friends less), staying out late and going all day two days in a row had left me completely exhausted, so I spent Saturday lazying around at home*, which is why my outfit is slightly shapeless and doesn't include shoes.

Day 7:
I don't have photos of todays outfit because it was too rainy all day to get out and take them, and I just don't like photos of the inside of my house. For the record though, I'm wearing a mens grey button down and purple leggings with a purple headband.

What do you like to wear for quiet days at home?

Love,
Rosie

*By lazing around at home I mean doing and hanging out several loads of laundry, mowing the lawn, and preparing meals for up to seven people.

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 4-5: Please don't kill me!

2010-06-12T23:51:00.000+02:00

Day 4:

Skirt, thrifted; shirt, Seduction; shoes, Birkis; bracelets, various gifts and handmade.

This entire outfit felt like a really super good idea in the morning. After an hour spent outside playing soccer in the blinding sun (in gym clothes of course), the skirt was my new best friend and the shirt was starting to seem like a frenemy.

Day 4.5:

Dress, Gina Tricot; Black and white bracelets, Claires; hair bow, Claires; shoes, Birkis, but I only wore them to and from.

I know, I know: I cheated. Please don't kill me! I don't have a really good excuse, just that there was a black and white themed dance, I own no white clothing suitable for dancing and I REALLY love dances and themes.

Day 5:

Shirt, Smart Set; skirt, thrifted; bandana, thrifted; Sunglasses, Joe Fresh; shoes, Birkis.

The skirt (which is actually a skort, shhh!) is a pretty bright blue, but the intense sunlight that day made everything sort of blown out. Having worn it for a day, I have now decided that I need to recreate it in every colour of the rainbow, and several that aren't in the rainbow. Cuteness of a miniskirt with the wearing ease of shorts, Rosie likey!

Day 5.5:

Dress, Eclipse; belt, Cake; bandana, thrifted; shoes, Birkis removed the minute I walked through the door.

I wore this outfit to a cast party for a production I'm in right now, and I could not have been happier with my choice. I was overdressed, since everyone else was wearing shorts and t-shirts (except my best friend Nat who was wearing an outfit that sort of matched mine); but that was just fine.

Love,

Rosie

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 3: Full of Bobby Pins

2010-06-10T03:23:00.000+02:00

Skirt, thrifted; shirt, Seduction; sandals, birkis; hat, handmade by my mummy; bracelets various gifts and handmade.

I'm on the fence about this skirt. It's a light weight corduroy, and awkwardly stiff. And the waist band, which fits perfectly, refuses to stay in one place. Still, it's a nice olivey green, and looks divine with hot pink, and I bet lots of other colours.

I've never posted an outfit featuring this hat before, but I've worn it like three times over the past week. I just shove all my hair into it, stick it full of bobby pins and I'm set for the day. It's so much more glamourous than a athletic headband, adds a pop of colour, and matches my purse/camera bag, so expect to see it a lot more in the coming days and weeks.

Do you have a go to accessory?

Love,
Rosie

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 2: New and Old

2010-06-09T02:58:00.002+02:00

Dress, Joe Fresh; sandals, Birkis; headband, Claires (several years ago); necklace, a gift from a friend; bracelets, various gifts and handmade

Yeah, I wear these sandals a LOT. The thing is: they are super comfortable no matter what I'm doing, they are easy to take off (and put back on)*, they are neutral enough to match pretty much everything I own, they require pretty much no upkeep, and when my friends are like "Hey Rosie, don't you think it would be awesome to walk across town to get some ice cream?", I can say "Totally 100% awesome!" not "I'd love to, but my shoes won't allow it.".

I have an extreme love for this dress. I've only worn it a couple of times, but every time I do, I'm like: "Damn I love this dress, even if it's trying to force me to show everyone my bra." It's not that often you find a dress that makes you look drop dead gorgeous while feeling like pyjamas.

This necklace arrived in the mail yesterday, and I had to wear it. The large stone is jade, and it has inspired a whole realm of new outfits.

I never would have thought to wear jade/mint green with red on my own, but since the necklace put them together I decided to go with it.

That led to me wearing this headband, which has been laying unloved in my bedroom for YEARS, since I never know what to wear it with. I have some ideas as to what to wear it with though, so it may become a more regular participant in my outfits.

Love,

Rosie

* I like my shoes to be easy on and easy off because I have a somewhat (ok, extremely) annoying habit of taking my shoes off. Honestly, I get to a rehearsal or a class or a random place, and I take my shoes off.

What I Wore Black-Out 2010 Day 1: Crop top and florals

2010-06-08T03:32:00.000+02:00

Skirt, thrifted; shirt, gift from a friend, years ago; tank top, Seduction; shoes, Birkis; belt, Cake; bracelets, various gifts and handmade.

It was the first day of the black-out today, and I will admit that I had a bit of trouble with this outfit. I wanted to wear the shirt, and normally I would have thrown on a black belt, black tank and black skirt for effortless chic, but I think this was way more fun.

I love this skirt so much, I can't believe I've barely worn it! I think my main problem was not know what to wear it with, but I've got all sorts of ideas now that I know just how amazing it is. You can sort of see it in the photos, but it's practically alive, the way it moves and flows.

I had some fun with photo editing after I took this photo, but these are the true colours of the shirt. I was helping my sister sort through some old clothing I had put aside for her, found this and reclaimed it. As you can see in the first two pictures, it's really short, and pretty loose, but I think it will look neat with high waisted jeans or a skirt, and the need for a tank top makes the outfit way more interesting.

Love,

Rosie