Kent Roller Girls

As a total newbie to the world of roller derby, I have to admit I was nervous as hell when Sugar & Vice were asked to do a stall at Kent Roller Girl's first ever home bout. I'm ashamed to say that my knowledge of the sport was limited to having watched Whip It a couple of times and having a vague, passing knowledge that it was pretty retro and seemed to be big in the States. Other than that, my only connection was that my cats name came from a drunken conversation between friends about what our hypothetical derby names would be. (I chose Lucille Maul.)

We spent a week in the run up working ridiculously long hours, making enough jewellery for the stall in addition to the regular workload, and since stalls is not something we do very regularly at all, making sure our set up was presentable enough. I've known that Sugar & Vice is popular among the derby crowd for a while now and I suspect it's probably for two reasons; firstly that we are most famous for our personalised name necklaces, and what better way to announce their awesome derby names than with one of those? The second reason was something that came to me recently; our company name sounds like a derby name! 

We arrived at Herne Bay High School (which was so swanky, it put my old, shabby high school to shame) at around midday on Saturday and set up pretty quickly. We were sandwiched between two other stalls, the wonderful Rollerbootique and the awesome Custom My Little Ponies by Alex K (my willpower may have failed me when it came to the amazing ponies she had for sale).

This stall was pretty different to any I've done before. Previously, doing stalls has meant being exceptionally patient during the inevitable quiet moments but at this event, there was no time to get bored. When we had a quiet moment this time, we were entertained by the awesome derby. I have to say, I hadn't been entirely sure what to expect but everyone at the event was incredibly lovely and super friendly, the derby ladies were badass and the crowd was massively enthusiastic. I think I've developed a bit of an obsession. 

If you've never been to a derby bout, I can thoroughly recommend it. Doing a stall there was a fantastic experience. The sport itself is amazing, the ladies on the track are pretty inspirational and the people are some of the loveliest I've met in my time running Sugar & Vice. If, like me, you're unsure of it and don't know what to expect, just go along to a local bout. You won't regret it. I, for one, am really excited about KRG's next home bout, whether my place is behind a stall or in the bleachers :)

xxx

Saturday Bargains!

I woke up feeling pretty ropey this morning; I've been trying to shake a cold for a couple of weeks now and the bugger seemed to have come back with a vengeance today, so I decided some retail therapy might perk me up. Now, I'm not really a fan of shopping. I do whatever I can online, which often leads to ill fitting garments that end up on eBay without having been worn, but if I can avoid busy shops I do. Still, the lure of TK Maxx and Matalan literally around the corner from my house was too much today so I popped in to see what junk they had on offer. 

Matalan had a bunch of stuff that I wanted as soon as I walked through the door. I adore chunky knits and big baggy jumpers and there is a plethora of that in there at the moment, lovely browns, dark reds, mustards and navy blues. In the interests of staying frugal I gritted my teeth and walked on past though.

Then I spotted a galaxy print top and snatched it from the rack before I let myself have a second thought. It's lovely, and fits really nicely. I then found some gorgeous studded pumps and although they're not ideal for the fast approaching winter months, I thought they'd be lovely for sprucing up skinny jeans on a night out.

Galaxy top - £12

Studded pumps - £10

After that I popped my head into TK Maxx to see what that treasure trove had in store for me. I've always found TK Maxx to be hit or miss but I always find that if I dig through enough crap, there's always something in there worth buying, and usually at a decent price. I bought some Le Creuset and some cupcake holders for a friend, a Models Own nail polish set (for the same price the miniature sets cost in Boots!), some sweeties for the boyfriend (hope he'll share) and a crazy cat lady mug because, well, how much more fitting could it possibly be?!

Models Own nail polish set - £7.99

Giant lollipops - £2.40

Crazy cat lady mug - £2.99

So, while it might not have had the desired effect; I am still feeling under the weather, it certainly perked me up emotionally and I'm pretty pleased with my bargains! 

-Sarah.

xxx

OOTD : Flamingos!

Argh! I'm rubbish. There I am in one post, apologising for not updating in so long and promising I won't do it again, and here I am in my next post, a fortnight later. Gah. 

It's been all go, as you can imagine! I finished and uploaded my new jewellery collection in that time though so it's not all been pencil-pushing and day-to-day humdrum. It's inspired by the wonderful Carmen Miranda who was just the most colourful, lively, inspirational person. No prizes for guessing why I like her so much! Anyway, if you're a fan of fruit, tropical birds or cameo themed jewellery, you can check it out here.

I took that as the basis of my outfit for this post and put something together that incorporates colour but also flamingos, which I adore. They're so iconic, and I do love a bit of pink so when I saw this skirt in River Island I had to have it. 

The bamboo bangles were a natural fit too. I got them online from a company called Bow & Crossbones that do some lovely pin-up jewellery, as well as hair flowers and accessories. You can find them here.

Top - H&M / Wedges - New Look / Skirt - River Island / Bangles - Bow & Crossbones

I also changed my hair a little, mixing some Directions Lilac with conditioner and staining the roots ever so slightly. I think it worked pretty well although I have a feeling it will be quite difficult to maintain. As well as that, I got a new tattoo on my leg last week! It was based on a design that a good friend drew for me and is a Sugar & Vice coat of arms. I was pretty ill when I got it done though so had to bail after only two hours as the pain was unusually intense. I'm getting it finished at the end of next week so will be sure to get a photo when it's done and healed :)

-Sarah.

xxx

Gore Gore Girl

This blog was created to fulfill a number of things; to give me a soapbox on which to talk about issues that matter to me, to showcase my horrendous fashion choices and to talk about the thing that I love most in life; making jewellery. Jewellery is an enormous part of my life and arguably takes up the bulk of my time, it pays the bills and keeps me very, very busy but it's only one of the two things that give me that excited feeling in the pit of my tummy. The other is horror movies. Most women look at me oddly when I talk about my fascination with horror movies, it's not something that's ordinarily associated with someone like me. In addition to Sugar & Vice, I also run a website called Gorepress. It's something I and a few friends started about 3 or 4 years ago and in that time we've managed to build a pretty successful, well read website. I do two podcasts a week, have been given the chance to interview people in the industry and have made a tonne of likeminded friends, all of whom will talk at length with you about movies, given half a chance. I've also just been added to a horror movie awards committee where I get to nominate as well as vote so it's been quite a rollercoaster ride so far!

This is a somewhat tenuous preamble to me getting to the reason I've been a bit quiet on here lately, last weekend I attended FrightFest. It's a Film Four sponsored event that takes place once a year at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square and it's full of exclusive showings of films, premieres and special guests. It's the most exciting event in the calendar for a UK based horror fan, to put it in its simplest terms. 

Me and my boyfriend went to London not really knowing what to expect but ended up having a wonderful couple of days. Sitting on your tush and doing nothing but watching horror movies from 10am to 1am sounds almost relaxing but it's a tremendously tiring endurance test, and a whole lot of fun! Despite my love of all things pink and girly, horror movies will continue to take up a large portion of my life and will always hold a special place in my heart.

From a film festival last weekend to a music festival this coming weekend and another film festival in October, with lots of work in between it's pretty non-stop at casa del Sarah at the moment. I'll try not to leave it so long before updating next time though.

One question before I leave. Horror movies; love 'em or hate 'em?

xxx

OOTD : River Phoenix

When I was a teenager I was obsessed with River Phoenix. It's weird now, to think that he not only died 19 years ago but that he was 6 years younger than I am now when he did! There's been talk lately of his final film Dark Blood getting a release at long last and I am super excited to potentially finally see it. I had posters of him, ripped from teen magazines, littering the walls of my bedroom when I was as young as 11 years old and I don't think that adoration ever really went away.

I've spent the last couple of weeks revisiting My Own Private Idaho, Silent Tongue and Dogfight. He, and his films take me back to the 90's which is definitely my favourite decade. Yesterdays outfit was based on this love of the decade that fashion forgot and my love of Mr. Phoenix.

River Phoenix tee - H&M / Belt - New Look / Maxi skirt - New Look / Loafers River Island / Peace sign earrings - New Look 

This is fast becoming my favourite skirt. It's so floaty and comfortable and, I'd like to think, reasonably flattering. I bought it from the Tall range in a size too small so that it would sit as a high waisted maxi. I have big hips so this helps to hide them!

The tee is a vintage H&M jobby from eBay. Stand By Me is arguably one of Phoenix's most famous roles so I couldn't resist this iconic image when I saw it. 

So, here's hoping that Dark Blood gets a release soon so I can relive my teen years and get excited all over again. Who's your favourite teen icon? Whose posters covered your walls? :)

xxx

Thrifty and Crafty

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a denim jacket that I'd been lusting over in TopShop. It had silver studs on the shoulders and the grand price tag of £60. Now, I had two choices, fork over the £60 and suffer from potential buyers remorse or buy a cheap denim jacket on eBay and stud the damn thing myself. No brainer!

All I used was a second hand Warehouse denim jacket (£4), a marker pen, a ruler, a handful of conical studs (£5 for 250) and something sharp enough to poke holes through the denim. The kitten is for display purposes only and is not necessary for the process. It may impede progress though....

Well, it took me around 40 minutes to do one side but I think it looks ok. It's not quite the same but for the vast price difference I'll definitely cope! I'll try and incorporate it into an outfit post once I get chance to do the second side. What do you reckon? Decent approximation of the more expensive version, or grotesque Judas Priest dress-up item?

xxx

OOTD : Goldfrapp Inspired

I've never been a huge fan of Goldfrapp musically but in terms of thinking outside the box fashion then you'd be hard pressed to beat Alison Goldfrapp. She's a strange, beautiful little pixie and I adore her bravery when it comes to some of her outfits. She really doesn't give a crap what anyone thinks and wears her various ensembles with such confidence that it almost becomes normal.

Have I mentioned that I'm a massive fan of clothing so hideous that most people would sooner burn it than wear it? Well, I am. When I spotted this dress on eBay I had to have it. It looks as if Laura Ashley started making clothes for circuses. In the 80's. On crack.

It's a vintage Eleanor Hadley dress with gold clouds and enormous ruffles. Disgusting isn't it? But in an amazing Goldfrapp kinda way. I wore it with New Look platforms and a gold New Look knuckleduster cross ring. 

Who are your fashion icons? What's the weirdest thing you've ever dared to wear? :)

xxx

Weighing In

Weight has always been a (forgive the pun) big issue for the fairer sex. Perhaps even the biggest issue we have to contend with. One thing has always puzzled me though; why?

With so many studies, polls and anecdotal evidence that men prefer curves, 'something to grab onto', etc, why do we still torture ourselves with painful exercise regimes, starvation, fad diets, Spanx and emotional anguish? Is it for the opposite sex? Maybe. Is it our innately competitive nature? Probably. Is it an instinctual method of somehow bettering ourselves? Almost certainly.

It's taken me until the age of 29 to stop caring about my weight. And when I say 'stop caring', what I really mean is 'binge on cake and feel less guilty afterwards'. A few years ago I stopped reading fashion magazines;  a hugely negative contributor to the neverending weight issue. Without all those gaunt frames looking at me, I instantly felt less pressure to become one of them. It felt like I could breathe again as the constant nagging at the back of my mind had had the volume turned down. 

I think magazines have a lot to answer for. If they're not telling us to get the perfect bikini body by Summer, they're letting us know that curves are fashionable again and it's ok to eat that pie and gravy after all. The most important thing we need to remember though, is that no one shape is better than another. Kiera Knightley might have an amazing washboard stomach and cracking cheekbones but she also has tiny boobs. Mia Tyler might have a big middle but she's also got great knockers and an arse that some men would walk across deserts to give a sly pinch. It's all subjective and each person will prefer something different. Don't strive for something that's out of your grasp, don't torture yourself because someone else has told you to be a different shape.

I've also noticed a disturbing trend lately. As some kind of backlash to the ever present 'lose weight, be size zero' indoctrination, there have been a number of pictures floating around suggesting that the Marilyn Monroe figure is preferable. I cannot stress this enough but, curves aren't better than being skinny if that's what comes naturally to you. Promoting the other side of the coin is just as irresponsible. I have a friend that is a size 6 to 8 despite having had 3 children. I have other friends that can't shift the extra pounds on their hips despite eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. We all have a natural shape and attempting to alter your body for fashion is bad news. How boring would it be if everyone had a Barbie waist, pneumatic tits, orange perma-tan and a perfectly symmetrical face? Variety is where it's at, I like to look at people that are different, unique. 

Weight is very much a game of two halves though. It's one thing to say 'embrace your natural shape, being big is ok' but where do we draw the line? Big is certainly beautiful but if it begins to affect your health then surely it's just as harmful to your lifespan as someone who might be anorexic. It also brings up a number of other concerns like heart disease and diabetes. The NHS is already under strain due to the increasing obesity epidemic, what happened to the middle ground? It's a tough call and absolutely not mine to make but as a gender, we need to take responsiblity for the pressure we're putting our peers under and employ some common sense too. (And I'm not suggesting for a second that weight issues don't affect men equally, I just don't have the reproductive equipment necessary to comment on that side of the debate.)

Maybe it's that I'm in a committed relationship, maybe it's that I'm about to say 'sayonara' to my 20's or maybe it's that I stopped exposing myself to the many elements of modern life that add to the already existing burden that we all suffer from to some degree, but I'm that happiest (and also the biggest) I've ever been with regard to my shape. I'm finally able to say that I don't mind my figure, which, for such a simple statement, feels like a massive achievement. I am simply meant to be a size 12-14 and it's futile trying to fight it. Yes, I'd love it if my boobs were bigger and my waist was a little smaller. Yes, I have days where I want to smash every mirror within a six mile radius and burn TopShop to the ground because they don't have anything I like above a size 10. And yes, I panic occasionally because I've eaten 4000 calories in a single sitting, but in the grand scheme of things it's a pretty insignificant thing to worry about.

We're all different, in every concievable way, so utilize those differences and turn them into something positive. No matter what your size, it's possible to dress to flatter your assets and disguise the things you're paranoid about. As long as you're healthy, be whatever size you were meant to be and just go with it.

OOTD : Arctic Wolf

I've been a long-time fan of the awesome Raffles Bizarre and have been eyeing up the Arctic Wolf necklace for a while now. When I finally got my hands on one I couldn't wait to wear it. I really struggle to find jewellery that doesn't look ridiculous against my tattoos sometimes but the turquoise/blue combo of this necklace seemed made to sit between my chest tattoos. It's made from hard plastic, the design is an original illustration and it's varnished for extra durability. I love it! You can nab one here.

I wore it with a Motel dress that I've had for a while and have now decided to part with, so not only did it need one final outing but the colours really seemed to fit with what I was going for. I love this dress, I really do. Sadly, I've put weight on lately and it doesn't look as good as it used to, plus I'm always wary of being so close to 30 and still showing so much skin. I'll be in button-down blouses and maxi skirts from here on in ;)

I bagged the shoes in the New Look sale for £11!  They are super hard to walk in but surprisingly comfy once you're used to them. They're around 5" so make me rather a lot taller than my boyfriend which I don't think he's super keen on but I just couldn't resist them as I've got a real love for tan/camel coloured items, they seem to go with practically everything and can look a little classier than other colours.

xxx

Studs & Denim

I'm not sure this warrants an entire blog post but I was aimlessly wandering through town today and fell in mad, passionate love with a denim jacket in TopShop. Now, I've been a big fan of adding studs to items for years and I'm loving the fact that it's so prevalent at the moment. I've even made some silver studded bracelets that I'll be adding to the website soon. 

As beautiful as this jacket is, the £60 price tag made me have second thoughts. I will make it my mission to scour the charity shops for a suitable denim jacket and will order some studs online to try and make my own approximation. Watch this space for how I get on!

In other exciting news I got some lovely necklaces from Jess at Raffles Bizarre this morning! I've been lusting after the Arctic Wolf necklace for some time now so expect a more detailed blog post on each piece very soon :)

xxx

OOTD : Space Owl

This was a weird outfit, even for me. For a change I didn't really start with a piece of jewellery, that happened later. I started with this amazing Galaxy Owl print body from Primark, yes, PRIMARK! It was the princely sum of £6 and is just about the best thing I've ever purchased. I mean, look at it, it's a thing of beauty! 

The drape skirt seemed a natural fit and was an unbranded one from eBay at £4, the belt was from New Look and the boots are a lovely biker/cowboy amalgamation from Dorothy Perkins. They have a heel but still manage to be incredibly comfortable which makes them winners in my book.

As for the necklace, what does one match with a top that features an owl in space? If you know, then answers on a postcard please as I couldn't figure it out for the life of me! Instead I opted for something safe and simple; a gold acrylic Sex & The City inspired name necklace. It's one of the first that I made when I first started experimenting with plexiglas and laser cutters a few years back and it's had a lot of wear since. 

xxx

OOTD : Going For Gold

Summer! We finally have Summer! It's been a mixed bag today, on the one hand who doesn't love looking out of the window and seeing their sunlit surroundings? On the other, by 'eck it's been hot!

I decided to put together an outfit around my Knuckleduster Wings Ring today. You can find them here. It took me years to come around to gold coloured jewellery, I was always a silver kinda girl, but these days I am all about GOLD! I think it makes more of a statement and although it's not as versatile as silver, can look great if you colour co-ordinate.

I comprised this look from some new items I've just bought. The leopard print body was £4 in the New Look sale and the black maxi skirt was £14.99, also from New Look. The tan gladiator sandals are a trusty pair that I've had for a couple years now, would you believe it, also from New Look. Although I wouldn't necessarily wear them out of the house, I just couldn't resist popping on my lace cat ears too!

xxx

OOTD : Panicking Over Pastels

Well, my first blog post. Here goes nothing. 

I feel ridiculously in over my head; I turn 30 in a few months, mix prints like it's still the 90's and haven't bought a fashion magazine since I was in my teens. What qualifies me to create a blog like this, I hear you ask? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Yet here I am, laughing (well, perhaps sniggering) in the face of mainstream fashion and doing it anyway.

I've been designing and creating jewellery for the best part of 6 years and although I don't actually wear much of it myself, when I do, I relish the chance to create an outfit around a specific piece. I figured I'd dive right in with this first post and show you what I came up with today. It's a fairly tame ensemble (comparitively) but pastels are always something that I've found intimidating so colour me surprised when I got dressed, looked in the mirror and didn't turn away in disgust!

The necklace is one of my own, which sadly doesn't show up too well in the photograph (I blame the boyfriend and his limited skills when presented with a camera) but if you're curious, you can find it here. It's a pink Watermelon necklace that I've been wearing quite a bit lately as it co-ordinates pretty perfectly with my hair.

 I decided to team it with a Primark dress (sold out in stores in Summer 2011), a gold swallows belt from Peacocks and some dark green brogue pumps from George @ Asda. Did I mention I'm incredibly thrifty and shop exclusively on eBay/high street/online boutiques? My outlook is that if I pay more than £50 for an outfit then I need to re-evaluate. 

Anyway, let me know what you think, give me a nudge if you think there are any blogs I should be following and keep it pastel, kids!