Urban Perk #4: Ryoji Ikeda's "Spectra"

Afternoon Everyone,

First of all I would just like to say that the

winner of the Pixies' Doolittle poster is:

ALEX CABRE

Thank you to everyone else who entered, there are some

more competitions on the way!

Secondly I would like to talk about something I found

yesterday...

So my Dad and I were leaving the cinema

after seeing Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (which

I highly recommend!) when we saw a beam of light

shining up from the ground and onto the low clouds.

We decided to find out what it was and so we spent

the next 20 minutes or so tracking it down in our

clunky old VW. 

At first we thought it was coming from the Imperial

War Museum because as many of you know, yesterday was the

centenary of the First World War.

But driving towards the light we worked out that it was

in the wrong part of London. When we got closer we saw that

this was not one small light, but about 50 of them

beaming towards the heavens.

Upon entering (for free) the Victoria Tower 

Gardens you see these beautiful lights shining bright

and with purpose. On closer inspection people are walking in

and out the columns of light or lying on the floor and 

gazing up at the spectacular sight. A stunning atmosphere 

is created through an ambient soundtrack that swirls from the speakers and into your mind.

Inspired by the declaration "the lamps are going out all over Europe, 

we shall not see them lit again in our life-time",

said by Sir Edward Grey*, spectra is a stunning piece 

of art that unites the people across London and reminds

them of the hardships and sacrifices of the 

First World War.

spectra can be seen from 12 miles away (on a clear day).

The exhibition is on from dusk till dawn 

and will permanently fade out in the early hours of

 Monday 11th August.

Lest we forget,

Poppy x

*Sir Edward Grey was the Foreign Secretary during the 

outbreak of WWI

Awesome Idea #6

Hello All,

Have you had a good week so far? 

(I know I have!)

So today I wanted to show you another Awesome

Idea, I saw this and just thought it was 

very cool and extremely clever:

I think its very clever of the designer

to incorporate the idea of imperfections 

into a piece of simple design. 

Usually, design is very clean, smart and elegant, 

so I thought that this was a great twist on 

that perception. 

This weekend, I'm finally going to the photography

exhibition at the Natural History Museum!

Plus, I might be hitting Brick Lane again - which would 

be awesome! It means I can show you this 

beautifully hidden gem on Brick Lane.

All will be unveiled...

Love always,

Poppy Valentine x

Redecorating (again!)

Hey Everyone, 

Just wanted to show you some pictures of my room.

I was redecorating yesterday (my version of therapy)

by adding some pictures and rearranging my stuff.

I bought some lovely mini prayer flags and stuck them

between to adjacent walls to create a cosy little atmosphere

in the corner where my desk is.

I also stuck some 7" vinyl in a 3x3 group on the

wall to add some colour and texture - it looks so cool!

Finally, the quote I created from pages of Q music

magazine. The quote is from a song that I posted 

on my blog a few days ago ("Don't ask me Why"

by Great Caesar). 

If you have any cool ideas or pictures of your

DIY decorating - feel free to comment below :)

Have a happy thursday,

Poppy Valentine xx

Free Barry M Nail Varnishes!

Evening,

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a little while,

I have been away from home for the past few

days.

However, I'm sure I'm about to make it up

to you:

I am giving away 2 free Barry M nail varnishes

on my facebook page! 

All you need to do is go to my facebook page

(click here!) and select the blue icon

named "Giveaways" and follow the instructions there! 

(Terms & Conditions can be found at the bottom

of the entry box)

Good Luck,

Poppy Valentine x

Cupcakes!

Just a quick Hello!

Made these lovely little cupcakes today

for my friends and Alex (as it's her birthday!),

Happy Birthday!! 

Happy Birthday Alex xxx

Have a lovely evening and I'll post again

this weekend!! 

Until then,

Poppy Valentine x

A Song for the Weekend...

Hey Everyone,

I'm so glad it's finally the weekend! I'm

very excited because on Sunday I will be going to 

The Breakfast Club cafe with a few of my friends.

I've never been before but I have heard that 

their breakfasts are legendary!!

So hopefully you'll be seeing some photos 

of that soon enough.

But for now, I'd like to tell you about a 

song I have been listening to for the past week 

or so, it's extremely delicate and precious to

me. It tells the story of three generation of men.

Each single for a different purpose based on the 

society they are growing up in. 

And without

further ado, this is "Blood" by The Middle East.

I really hope you like it! 

Until tomorrow, 

Poppy Valentine x

Minimalism

 Morning Everyone,

I know I haven't posted in eons but this is going to be a fresh start!

This Autumn, I'm looking at Minimalism; making basic and bright pieces of 

clothing into something spectacular! 

Here is a collection of my favourite Autumn items:

A gorgeous statement  Eagle necklace -  €5.00 

Burgundy Brown Workman Sole Boots - £100 Office

Red Heavy Knit Jumper - €8.00 Sale Zara 

My Autumn Makeup Selection 

For a trendy little Autumn outfit: try a heavy knit jumper + denim shorts + black over the knee socks 

+ a black beanie = Basic Beautiful!

Autumn is one of my favourite fashion seasons, it's full of splashes of colour, elegant dresses, glamorous jackets and coats and incredibly daring makeup! Speaking of which, this Autumn's biggest trend is going to be pencilled eyebrows and plum lipstick.

Next Week, I'll be telling you all about the new Tartan Trend! 

Love, 

Poppy Valentine x

The World of Accessories!

Afternoon,

Where to begin in the wonderful world of accessories! 

There's shoes, bags, scarves, hats, jewellery and don't forget make-up! 

I absolutely adore Nail Varnish! It comes in so many wondrous

colours and designs! My favourite brand would have 

to be Barry M, it is a must-have for any 

fashion follower! 

According to The Sunday Times Magazine, this season 

is all matchy-matchy, so none of those two tone rainbow 

colours, it's all about finding the perfect nail 

partner for your outfit! 

Here are my favourite Barry M colours: 

1. Silver Multi glitter

2. Black Crackle Effect 

3. Blue Moon

I recently bought this incredible (not to mention expensive!) pot of Nail Varnish from American Apparel:

Neptune Glow in the Dark Nail Varnish

I'll be back with some more accessories soon!

Poppy Valentine x  

Fashion Show

Hello Stranger!

I haven't blogged for a while (sorry), I've been kept occupied by a demanding Dog 

and a hectic Fashion Show! 

At the moment, I've been working on casual outfits with an impact, today I am wearing a black 

tube skirt, a burgundy aztec jumper, all black converse and my bowler hat - which has proved very popular with friends! 

The bowler hat makes all the difference and at the moment it's my favourite thing! I had a mini online shopping spree so you'll see me wearing some new clothing! 

Here is what I have added to my collection: 

All from New Look, Pinafore: £20, Panel Dress: £7 in sale, Bag: £13 and Blouse: £17. 

The dress was a bargain! And panel dresses are great for giving an illusion of incredible curves, I bought the 

Blouse to go with the Pinafore and Bowler hat (again!) and a dash of red lipstick - that'll be one of my next outfits! 

Have a lovely day my Fashion - Easters! 

Poppy Valentine x

Desperately Seeking Sunshine

Evening!

Hope you've all had a great day, this week has gone by so quickly! So, this week I suddenly had an idea to try out some old Denim Jackets that have been sitting in the back of my wardrobe for an age. I soon discovered a very 80s style that I like to call: "I've-seen-it-all-so-don't-look-at-me-like-that".

The style reminded me of Desperately Seeking Susan, where Madonna is seen wearing Bomber Jackets, red lipstick and over-sized hoops:

I hope you like the style, it fits in with the All-Denim craze and American Skater skirts obsession. The Jacket is from Benetton (I got it from a charity shop!), Top is Topshop, Skirt is New Look (in season) and Bandana is New Look. 

I adore this outfit and it's perfect for Shopping or for an evening out with friends and family! 

Enjoy,

Poppy Valentine x

Stripes to die for!

Evening All, 

I went on a mini spree at the weekend and bought

 a few new things for the Blog! The dress I'm wearing (in 

the photos) is a gorgeous spring garment perfect 

for garden parties, a picnic or just everyday wear, to jazz

 it up a bit I've added some bright red lippy and a cute 

circular bowler hat, just to add a sprinkle of quirky chic. 

This is typical brick lane wear and it's 

my favourite outfit!

I would usually add a pair of brown leather sandals (for summer) or some chocolate coloured boots, but as you may be able to 

                                        see I am not actually wearing shoes! 

I love the grey stripes, they're much more subtle than navy or black and the 

outfit makes you feel amazing! 

Hope you all had a nice weekend?! Any trends you want me to test out? 

Poppy Valentine x