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Style, travel

Style – Leaving London

October 10, 2020
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It’s been two months since I’ve arrived in Norwegian shores and I’ve been meaning to write a little bit about the last few days and the adventure it was to get here.

The last few days before I left London I managed to fit in a lot of things – my stuff had already left, the cat and I had all the necessary documents so, all that was left to do was see friends and say goodbye to the city that was my home for so many years.

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On this day I travelled for the last time in the tube (for a while at least) to go meet with my friend Chris at Tate Britain to see the Aubrey Beardsley exhibition. I wore one of the handmade masks my friend Marta sent me over from Coimbra. Lovely! It was a really nice time and to be honest, a much better experience than the last time that I visited the gallery – due to social distancing it was actually possible to see all of the artwork without having to queue, as it happened at the William Blake exhibition.

Many thanks to my friend Chris for taking the photo of my outfit:

Backpack – Town and Country (from TK Maxx)

Lime ‘Champion 96’ Slogan Print Short Sleeve T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Black Bubble Trousers – Primark

Sneakers – New Balance (via TK Maxx)

Cat  Socks- can’t remember the name of the brand but they were a gift from my boyfriend

 

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The next day I went to the Brick Lane area and attended the opening of a friend’s new Asian streetwear store. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see Riri, for whom I designed a tattoo a couple of years back. If anyone is interested in visiting the shop, it’s called Xu London and is a multibrand store – the style reminds me a lot of the 90s.

I picked an outfit that also reminded me a lot of the 90s, so here’s the rundown:

Lilac Tie Dye Oversized T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Wide Leg Trousers – charity shop

Coral Furry Sliders – Primark

It was a fun end of the day, as I got to see my good friend Ross, and took one last trip to Monty’s Bar on Brick Lane where I was fed a steady diet of mojitos. What a hangover I had the next day, but totally worth it!

 

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On my last day in London and despite the massive hangover, I dragged my butt out of the house and visited one of my favourite places, The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities at The LAst Tuesday Society. It’s based in Hackney on Mare Street and it’s a wonderful little place – the ground floor is a bar, where you can drink wonderful cocktails, mostly featuring absinthe, as well as a display of taxidermy and art. I had my birthday party there a while back, at the Austin Osman Spare room, surrounded by artwork by the latter. You can buy a ticket and access the basement, where you will find the Curiosity Museum, which is filled with a variety of objects, ranging from books with funny titles, more taxidermy, interesting objects and even the gilded skill of a rhino that belonged to Pablo Escobar. What a place! Definitely recommend a visit to anyone into the unusual.

Thanks to the staff member who took a photo of me in front of the facade

Facemask – from a set I ordered from Ali Express

Blue ‘California’ Graphic Print T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Black Bubble Trousers – Primark

Light Pink High Top Sneakers – Vans (not in the photo)

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The next day Thomas and I got on an Uber to Victoria Station, where we met our friend John, who very graciously had agreed to lend me a hand on the train to Dover. Considering all the luggage I had with me, I called it “Operation Bag Lady”. Despite all the stress in anticipation, it went rather smoothly, thanks to the super nice staff at the station – including the baggie who drove all my stuff from one end of the station to the right track and even let me sit on his vehicle while he had a coffee I got him as a thank you for all his kindness. It was lucky that they weren’t too busy as people have been avoiding travelling due to Corona, but it did help make the last few hours in London a good memory, before leaving on a train to Dover.

For that day I decided to wear the Stay Home t-shirt, as I thought it was amusing, considering I was leaving home!

Pink ‘Stay Home’ Slogan Print T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Black Bubble Jeans – Primark

Trainers – New Balance (via TK Maxx)

This was the day that I was reunited with my partner, after we were separated since lockdown started. Although we lived in different countries before, this was the longest separation we had. We were both very happy to be reunited!

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The next day the three of us embarked on the ferry in Dover, arriving at Dunkirk a few hours later. It was sad and emotional but I also felt happy to start a new chapter in my life. Thomas was a real champ as we drove across Europe for 3 days, until we finally got to the top edge of Denmark and got the ferry into Norway without a hitch.

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More chapters to come, when I manage to make more time for blogging. It has been a real whirlwind of things to do, between creating artwork for a solo show opportunity, a radio show interview in Oslo, a giant paste-up for a festival in Germany and generally unpacking my belongings and decorating our apartment. Phew! All hard work but totally worth it!

London, Style

Style – Saying Goodbye to London

July 26, 2020
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The last few weeks have been busy and spent running around seeing people when possible, completing projects, taking care of bureaucratic details, you name it.

Luckily the weather has been nice for most of the time, which does help, even though it sometimes does make me feel like being on holiday instead of stuck at home! Hopefully soon enough and after the upcoming adventure is over, I will be able to have a few days off.

One of the things that have changed in the last few months has been the makeup routine – with having to wear a mask I don’t wear any foundation or do any blusher or contouring, not to mention lipstick as the mask just rubs it off. After seeing loads of adverts for it on Instagram, I ordered a set of 12 brightly coloured liquid eyeliners and I’ve been having fun trying them on – especially as most of my brightly coloured eyeshadow has been packed away for a couple of months, ready for the move.

The first one I tried was the electric blue eyeliner and I really love it!

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I wore makeup that day as I had to go out and run some errands – mainly picking up my cat’s passport, so she can travel. I am happy to report that it’s all ready to go and in a week’s time we will be embarking on a new adventure!

This is what I wore for running errands:

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Had to take some photos with a timer in front of the house as I didn’t have anyone at home to capture the moment (and my tripod was also already packed away!)

Details:

Khaki Boxy Long Sleeved Tie Loungewear Set – Femmeluxe (gifted)

T-shirt – Target (from a trip to the US years ago, hadn’t worn it in ages!)

Neon Pink Trainers – Adidas Stan Smith

Mask – from a set purchased on Ali Express

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The next eyeliner look I tried was this one – how fun that the colours match the top exactly, right? I thought it was a super fun yet simple look and it’s nice and bright for the Summer. That day I went out to have lunch with my friends Tony and Renee and we had a lovely time at Mamuska, a Polish restaurant in Waterloo. As the weather was nice and there were tables outside, it was easy to sit outside to eat and not break social distancing rules.

What I wore on that day:

Pink Tie Dye Padded Shoulder Sleeveless T-Shirt – Femmeluxe (gifted)

Denim Trousers -Monki

Neon Pink Trainers – Adidas Stan Smith

I took some full-body photos but they looked bad so I am sticking to the one with the top – which is the nice one anyway!

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Detail of my current favourite trainers – a steal on eBay. I love a good outlet purchase and these were no exception!

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One of the things I’ve been working on (and can also be seen on the previous post) are a few pasteups to go up on the street, so I can leave a few bits behind. I do intend to come back frequently but with all these travel restrictions, who knows when it will be the next time I can do it?

In the photo, I’m holding one of the larger ones I’ve made – which have yet to go up. I hope I can find a nice spot for it as I think it looks a lot of fun and everyone loves kitties!

As I was mainly working on my art pieces at home, I went for something comfortable and casual. Here are the details:

Black Boxy Long Sleeved Tie Loungewear Set – Femmeluxe (gifted)

Salmon Pink Furry Slippers – Primark

The last outfit I have to share was what I wore on the day I finally refreshed the bar front at Monty’s bar on Brick Lane – the only street art friendly bar in London and where I have made so many friends! It was a bittersweet day I spent doing this work, I thought it turned out good but I also know it was probably one of the last few times I will be visiting the bar for quite a while. In addition to that, many a friend stopped by to say hello (and goodbye) and we had a great time but it was also sad knowing that I won’t see them for a long time. It’s sad to leave but I also know that I got to know amazing people and made some lovely friends. not to mention a wonderful street art community that I don’t think I’ll ever stop being part of.

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Relaxing outside the bar – photo by Rory!

 

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Same moment but photographed by Anaïs!

Outfit details:

Black ‘Baby Girl’ Slogan Print Oversized T-Shirt – Femmeluxe (gifted)

Denim Mom Jeans – Primark

Trainers – New Balance

Phone holder – Normal (shop in Oslo). Funnily enough, I never see anyone wearing these holders here in London but saw loads of people wearing them in Hamburg!

Anyway, here are some more details of the piece I made at the bar:


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One detail that most people won’t know or recognise is that I usually don’t use references to my Portuguese heritage in my work but it was appropriate to do so this time. If you look at the female skeleton’s hair, you will see a small yellow and red heart. This design was based on a traditional design called Coracao de Viana or Heart of Viana. The reason I used this was that the couple’s photo I used for the photo turned out to be Portuguese, so I thought it made a nice fun addition. 

And there it is. My last large piece in London for a while. I now have one last week in London and I intend to make the most of it, time and energy allowing! Until then, here are the two foxes I see from my bedroom window all the time. I am going to miss them 🙁

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Style

Style – Lockdown Fashions part 3

July 7, 2020
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With lockdown now easing and some businesses opening their doors, things are somewhat returning to normal.

Personally, as I am still supposed to be shielding, I still have to be more careful than most people and I am still maintaining a distance and limiting my outings to the strictly necessary. It is not ideal but considering that I am preparing to move and leave the country soon, there are loose ends that need to be tied. As such, I have been venturing further and further from home in the last few weeks, within reason of course. I am avoiding public transport and all of the places I have been to are within walking distance, even if a bit further away.

So, the first outfit I wore on what was probably the hottest day of the year so far. Unfortunately, I had to venture out of the house, as I had a couple of errands to run – go to the post office and send out art to my customers, pick up some prints at the printers, do a bit of shopping, the usual stuff.

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Unfortunately, none of my housemates was home that day so I just had to improvise! Luckily I took the photos as I was leaving the house, when I got back I was dripping in sweat and looking worse for wear!

Outfit details:

Sunglasses – I can’t remember the brand but I got them from TK Maxx a while back

Pink Tie-Dye Oversized T-shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Culotte ShortsAdidas

Tube Socks  – Uniqlo

Sliders – Shoe Zone

 

The next outfit I wore on a day out with my friend Ross, he cycled over from Hackney and we walked to one of the local cemeteries for a peaceful walk. It was the first time I went in West Ham Cemetery and it was a very touching visit. As it happens with many of London’s cemeteries, there are graves dating from Victorian times, all the way through so many young men fallen during both World Wars. It is like walking through a bit of history. I took many photos, I might have to share them on a separate post. Here’s just the one for an idea of what it looks like:

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Even though a cemetery isn’t the most cheerful of option, it was an interesting visit and it was empty, which is a good thing when you are trying to avoid crowds.

Ross took my photo at the cemetery entrance:

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Outfit details:

Scarf – from a shop in Oxford, can’t remember the name anymore (gifted)

Sunglasses – As above

Coral ‘California’ Graphic Print T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Palazzo Trousers – Uniqlo

Neon Pink Trainers – Stan Smith by Adidas

Bag – a gift from my friend Lili

 

On my next outing, I ventured a bit further away from home. I walked over to Hackney Wick, passing through the Olympic Park. It was a nice and quiet way to say goodbye to London. It is a bittersweet feeling, happy to leave and the reasons for leaving but sad to leave my lovely friends behind. Had a great day out being responsible with masks and pasting up some artwork – I have created a new series of paste-ups as a way of saying goodbye (or see you later, rather) to London.

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I will be making some more for other areas before I leave, I hope they last for a while as I won’t be able to come back so soon, due to the pandemic.

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Some of my friends adding some of their own work on the walls of Hackney Wick.

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Outfit details:

Mushroom Face Mask – Shein (totally on brand, right?)

Charcoal Oversized Hoodie Shorts Loungewear Set – Femme Luxe (gifted)

T-Shirt – my own design (currently not available)

Navy Rainbow Socks – H&M

Trainers – New Balance

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I love these socks, I’m glad I brought them home from the sale!

The next outfit I photographed at home – I used the self-timer this time. The weather has been so weird that it was raining lightly when I did the photos. I wish they had turned out a bit better but the light doesn’t help and I am not sure I wanted to wait for the next sunny day as it might never happen!

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Outfit Details:

Haori Style Jacket – Zaful (I love the 80’s synthwave vibe this piece has)

Wine One Shoulder Ruched Slinky Midi Dress – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Yellow and Gold High Top Trainers – Reebok

 

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Just some quick detail shots of the shoes and the top pattern. Hopefully, the weather will get nice again, I miss taking decent outfit photos!

I should share some more photos of my recent outings if I find the time for it while I finish packing!

 

 

Style

Style – Lockdown Fashions part 2

June 17, 2020
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These last few weeks I have been shielding (I do as I am told, thank you NHS) so I haven’t been out much, except across the road to take photos of these latest outfits. That said I haven’t been out shopping but that doesn’t mean I haven’t found some good gems online – because I did!

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The first outfit in the series features a skirt I bought online and arrived just before lockdown – it was hard finding an excuse to wear it when most days I just sit around and home working or watching Netflix but I just had to try it on one day. I have called it the Amazing Technicolour Dreamskirt because it’s what it is – an explosion of glittery colours that make me happy just from looking at it. The t-shirt reads ” Shoot your Shot” and I had to get it for the sole reason that it reminded me of a song by the wonderful Divine, of the same title from 1983. Listening to Divine is another thing that always sets me in a good mood!

Outfit details:

Sunglasses – Yves Saint Laurent (via TK Maxx)

Slogan Print Crew Neck T-Shirt – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Bag – Gift from my friend Lili a few years back

Rainbow Skirt – Ali Express

Sliders – Shoe Zone

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Here’s another outfit I wore recently – it was fairly hot that day, but I wanted to break the boots in as I picked them up on sale from a vegan shoe company.

I tried to get our cat Thomas interested in them but alas she didn’t really care for them. Ha well, cats!

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Outfit details:

Hairband – found it in my storage room while I was packing some of my stuff, can’t remember where I got it from!

Short-Sleeve Boxy Loungewear Set – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Active Shorts – Alice Liveing x Primark

Cat Boots – Koi Footwear

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Another cosy outfit – I really liked this set, will be wearing it often on slightly colder days!

Outfit details:

Grey Frill Waist Loungewear Set – Femme Luxe (gifted)

Trainers – New Balance

T-shirt – to be honest I can’t remember which one I wore on that day

80’s style sunglasses – Got them from Primark 10 years ago! They’re super cute, I wish they were a bit better quality.

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Last and not least, one of my favourite recent outfits! As the lockdown is easing up in the UK, people are emerging to a new reality – one that includes masks and social distancing. As such, I decided to include one in this photo, as the outfit is cat-themed anyway!

Cat Mask – From a set from Ali Express

Haori Jacket style overshirt with Maneki Neko motif – Zaful

Pompom Socks – Monki

Saddle Shoes – Can’t remember the name of the brand, got them from eBay in the US

Black One Shoulder High Neck Bodycon Midi Dress – Femme Luxe (gifted)

And with this last outfit, I shall continue to dream about going out, seeing my boyfriend, seeing my friends and generally having a somewhat normal lifestyle.

Once again, many thanks to my housemates Retta and Voni for being patient and putting up with my photography requests!

 

Lifestyle

Lifestyle – Handmade macrame pot holder

June 15, 2020
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Sometimes the Universe has a way of providing, and this post is about one such situation (kind of). I will explain: I am still sat in London, waiting for borders to open and travel to become a possibility once again… but that doesn’t preclude me from making plans and thinking about what I would like to have in my future home. I even got a new rug, that I had delivered recently – just look at it, isn’t it gorge? One thing I know: I don’t want to have a home that’s completely furnished with IKEA items (even though I know we will be getting some anyway) and personal touches are always a good idea.

With that in mind, I had been thinking I wanted a suspended plant in one of the areas of the living room. Lo and behold, Lovecrafts contacted me and asked if I would like to test one of their tutorials, one of them being, you’ve guessed it, for a macrame pot holder. Talk about serendipity, right?

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They sent me the material I needed – some soft cotton yarn in orange (the colour I picked, there are a lot of options to suit any colour scheme). Apart from the yarn, you will need scissors and something you can use to work on- I had a bit of balsa left lying around and I used that. I also found it useful to use painter tape or masking tape to gently secure the yarn, as I was doing it by myself. If you have a friend or family member to help, you might as well ask them to give you a little hand instead. I also had a pot lying around, that I thought would be useful to check for the structure and how it looked, even though I think it could use a slightly bigger pot.

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I started by reading the instructions and watching the video tutorial for the macrame pot holder and started preparing the materials, by cutting the necessary lengths. I used my metal ruler but I guess that some measuring tape would also do the trick.

Once I laid out everything and started the middle section, the more complicated part started – the actual knotting! Don’t let it phase you though, it seems more complicated than it actually is.

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After enough rows of knots were completed, it was time to finish the bottom and trim the excess yarn and voila!

 

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A new potholder ready for the new home! I didn’t have an adequate plant so I Photoshopped a fake plant on it instead, I think it gives you a pretty good idea of what it could look like!

This was an easy and great project to make – between cutting lengths and finalising it, it took under two hours to finish, making it a perfect project to do on a weekend, for that good sense of accomplishment that comes with making your own stuff.

Disclaimer: The materials used in this post were gifted by Lovecrafts.