This week I am mostly loving....

....Yellow nail polish.

Recently purchased vintage typewriter....

Over - the - top flowers you can pin in your hair....

Glass jars filled with chunky pearls and chain necklaces....

What are you loving?

xx nicki xx

At long last. I took the plunge....

Months of deliberating later....

Yours truly has undergone the transformation to brunette!!

After 10 years as a blonde, it was a big change that I wanted and needed.

Damn it feels good to be bold!

When did you last drastically transform your look...and did you like it?

:)

Nik xxxx

Cherry Celebrations

As our vintage boutique The Cherry Closet has reached its 1st birthday - there have been some stylish celebrations indeed!

You can see a video diary we made for GLAMOUR magazine about how we got started and the ongoing love for all things vintage.

Have a GREAT weekend everyone, and thank you for all the support this past year.

Much Friday love,

Nicki

xx

(image credits: cake / video)

Summer Styling

I was asked my vouchercodes.co.uk to take part in their summer styling challenge for their lifestyle magazine.

1o items, each under £50, that could transform your home without breaking mr. piggy bank.

Of course, because I'm a vintage gal, I chose this style to revamp your interiors.....


1. Baroque pearl lights / Angel at my table / £39
2. Mini gold frames / Notonthehightstreet / £10.50
3. Vintage globe / Cox&Cox / £21
4. Ceramic doily tile / Rocket St George / £21
5. Vintage toilet roll holder / Milk&Honey / £14.95
6. Eccentric English Candles / Lily & Lime / £24.95
7. Ceramis alphabet mugs / Anthropologie / £6 each
8. Vintage Telephone / Wild & Wolf / £43
9. Demask Cushion / Laura Ashley / £35
10. Polka dot cake stand / Urban Outfitters / £20

I'm in love with those lights!

Check out the great vouchers you can use at Laura Ashley, Benefit cosmetics, Figleaves lingerie, The White Company and plenty more!

Happy home shopping!

xx nicki xx

Busy gettin' GLAM!!

Severe lack in blog posts of late - have been up to my vintage eyeballs in preparing for our boutiques video diary for Glamour magazine following on from my shoot with them last month!

Very good fun!

Wanted to share a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the action from the weekend.....

More to come soon!

xx nicki xx

Pretty please, with a cherry on top.....

Dear Vivienne Westwood,

I am assuming, Viv, that you designed these with me in mind....

Feel free to send me a pair of these cherry delights to 'test out' around the house.

Anytime.

Love Nicki.

(if only)

xx

Did you know....

I found out a fact yesterday that I'd never heard before about an early version of the much loved story 'Cinderella.'

"It is widely believed that in Charles Perrault's version, Cinderella wore fur boots (pantoufle en vair) and that when the story was translated into English, vair was mistaken for verre (glass), resulting in glass slippers and that the story has remained this way ever since...."

Somehow, fur slippers just don't have the same appeal as glass ones.

Though were, in no doubt, more comfortable for Cinders.

There you go - now you know.

:)

Nicki xx

(images: Dina Goldstein + Jen Stewart + hoofs)

Confessions of a (non) camper

so - I have camped overnight at music festivals, and in my garden at home when I was, maybe, 13.....

....but I confess, I have never really gone camping !!

Proper camping, like in the middle of nowhere with torches and fires and saucepans and someone playing a guitar under the stars.

So this weekend, the boyf is taking me to a surprise location for an impromptu camping trip.

I want:

Romantic sunset.

Kissing under the stars.

Music.

Campfire + beer + comfort food.

Waking up with the sound of nature.

More likely to end up with:

Hayfever.

Bears. Wild ones. (I'm sure we have them roaming in England, right?)

Needing to pee at 3am, lack of toilet roll, lack of torch.

Rain.

Hangover.

But I'm still excited!

Think positive I say.

Camp it up.

Will let you know how it goes.....

(image credit: IDOL magazine)

Hen Tastic

Last weekend my sisters hen do went supremely well!

Thank you for all your well wishes and ideas!

These are a sneak peek of the 'arty' (not drunken) photos from the festivities.

Next...the wedding. eek!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend everyone!

much love xx

It's that stop-in-the-street-kinda-cool

Short story of the day.

Last week I was stopped in the street by a lady passing me by so she could ask me where I got my gold-chain-link-egyptian-style sandals from.

I told her, she thanked me and told me she was off to get a pair. Off we went, in opposite directions, my chain-link sandals jingling in the London sunshine.

Then, I heard "Heeeeeeyyyyy - " from the end of the road.

The lady bellowed over the traffic "Are they comfy to walk in too?!!"

I smiled, nodded, and bellowed "yyyeeessssss!!!".

With an enthusiastic thumbs up, she went round the corner.

I'm certain us girls should do this more often.

Compliment strangers on their style, or share shoe secrets in the street.

If you see a girl looking good - tell her, I say.

The End.

Getting a bit GLAM....

Yours truly was photographed by none other than GLAMOUR magazine yesterday morning in Portobello Road!

What a bit of va va voom to kick start the week with!

Strange being in front of the camera when I'm normally behind it....

Anyone else get weirded out when posing? or you a born natural??

THE CAMERA LOVES YOU DAH'LING!!!

:)

(Images = Girls who look good taking photos here, here, here)

Summer lovin....

How do you update your work wardrobe for summer?

Working with all boys in an office I pondered this very question....

They shrugged,

and told me,

"wear what you like, as long as it's not above the knee, and stop complaining as we still have to wear a shirt and tie all year round...'.

Fair enough.

I shut up, and pondered it silently in my head instead.

In a 9-5 goldfish bowl of business, offices, high heels and smart attire, how to dress for the heat?

Are flip flops ok? Summery dresses? Strapless tops?

I'm reaching out to you style gurus in blogland for your guidance.... please help?!

xx nicki xx

(images I wish I actually looked like from here, here & here)

uh ohhhh...

thinking lots about lovely tattoos' ...

again....



uh ohhhhhh.



xx

(image)

Guest post - Sogni e Sorrisi

Today I am featured on the absolutely beautiful blog Sogni e Sorissi,

sharing my favourite vacation hotspot and top travel tips.

If you get a chance, please pop over a take a look!

What's your fave holiday destination?

Oh and good news....it's nearly the weekend folks!

xx

Bad Bad blogger. Will do better.

Severe lack of posting in the past month.

No excuses....BUT.....

Moving House +

New Man +

Studying Diploma +

= Bad, lazy blogger!! ;(

Hope everyone is well, what's new peeps?

Have missed you blogland! xx

{images}

Thoughts of the day....

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~ Mark Twain

(Image David Hamilton)

Guilty Pleasures Please

Have not been feeling my best for the past week or two :(

Apologies for lack of posting.

Have been indulging in some guilty pleasures in an attempt to turn my frown upside down....

Long baths with rose petals...

Silly amounts of cake...

Lots of cheesy old school music mixes.

What are your feel good guilty pleasures?

(images credits one, two & three)

Good films for bad days

Not been well this week :(

But..... cups of tea, furry blankets and Alfred Hitchcocks films certainly do help.

xx