It's just a little style crush...

Have you ever had a style crush on someone? I get them all the time, but I find it extremely disconcerting when it's focused on someone who is 1 day older than my youngest little sister! It starts the same as any other crush does, but is focused on the someone's style instead of their attractiveness. You get the excited feeling of anticipation, but this time it's about the next incredible accessory your crush subject. Pretty sad really, and I don't know if anyone else does this or if I'm just 'special'! My latest style crush is on my new kindred spirit Clare. I will namecheck her because I'm sure she will be excited by this. I say kindred spirit - she is the Boy's bandmate's girlfriend, and is the girl I would have liked to have been at 18, but we have similar views on everything from fashion to the band. Arty, naturally stylish and confident she makes and wears her own clothes with aplomb. Her style is a sort of cross between seventies hippy traveller and urbanite eighties, with a little vintage thrown in. Brooches at the neck, hand-customised belts and hand-made muslin dresses form part of her look, whilst another component is coloured tights and jersey dresses. Although I will feel like a creep and a 16-year-old, I imagine her festival-chic look might be forming part of mine this spring...

Tie a yellow ribbon...

In the spirit of new year frugality, and talking inspiration from Suzie Bubble in her DIY section, I randomly bought £11 worth of ribbons in an online sale over the Christmas break. Now, back in Cardiff and with an assorted pack of fabric in a rainbow of colours and textures, I'm slightly at a loss as to what to do with it.
However I had some ideas. A few narrow ribbons would look great slung through the eyelets of my favourite pendants, giving me a new way to re-obsess about my huge collection of long necklaces. Or a piece of tartan ribbon tied as a waist belt or as a choker with a bow would give a pleasantly retro feel to the new season's plaid trend.
I've already started placing ribbons in lines along my wall, studding them with paper clips holding photos and my favourite 30s images, which I think creates a warm 'washing line' look in my cold uni room. Next I'm going to make woven ribbon cusion covers with my Singer to brighten up my cold uni bed, and then I'll add what's left to a diary to brighten up my cold uni days! Finally I'll save some of the best satin streamers to make a random barcode pattern on one of my white t-shirts. With all this twee, multi-coloured decoration, I'll hopefully have a much brighter, and cheaper january than was at first expected during my post-New-Year's-Eve-purse-checking depression!