Pinning for art's sake ...

Kelly Smith / Birdy & Me - she looks sly

As a pinning addict I wanted to thank pinterest for giving me back my artistic vibe.  It's years after my BA Honours in History of Art & Design and I've now been reunited with my long lost love of creativity - my artistic mojo is back! 

So a big shout out to these amazingly talented artists, designers and illustrators showcasing their works on social media platforms and through various blogs.  I would never have found you otherwise - so here's to pinning for art's sake ...

Kelly Smith - Birdy & Me illustration

I've collated a few of my favourite artists and illustrators at lovenickix  - I'm looking forward to discovering loads more! 

Illustrators and artists I'm loving:

Oriol Angrill Jorda`

Hannah Adamaszek

Drew Turner

Kelly Smith - Birdy & Me

Hannah Adamaszek - Wolf Drawn

Drew Turner - Red Fox

Oriol Angrill Jorda` - Greydy

Hannah Adamaszek

Check out Hannah Adamaszek's solo show from 5th September , Curios Duke Gallery, London

love nicki x

There's no room in your wardrobe for sentiment! Wardrobe hell to wardrobe heaven in ten easy steps.

It feels like my birthday today.  Several parcels have just been delivered and as I open each one I feel a great sense of achievement and not the usual emptiness and bitter sense of guilt. I know that after a hard slog ebaying half of my wardrobe I have earnt the right to purchase these items. It's the beginnings of my perfect wardrobe and a happier me...

Here's how I managed to change my wardrobe hell to wardrobe heaven in ten easy steps!

1. Be ruthless - go through each item of your wardrobe and place in three piles - one to go to charity ( it doesn't matter what condition they will still be needed), one to keep and one to recycle. Recycle clothes that you love or were expensive but have never worn on sites such as ebay and Asos Marketplace - you'd be surprised at how much you can get for them even if used or without tags. You can then use the money from this to buy new items guilt free that will pull together the rest of your wardrobe - it's a win win situation! Make sure that all the items that you are keeping are your favourites and that you wear regularly - remember to be ruthless as there is no room in your wardrobe for sentiment! Letting go can be liberating!

2. You will now be able to see what is missing from your wardrobe and what you now need to replace or buy to pull it back together. But ask yourself these 4 questions before you enter into any future hasty purchases and spoil all the good work so far:

Do I really need this?
Will it really suit me?
Do I have anything to wear with it?
Is this really age appropriate for me?

If you answer no to any of these questions then just don't go there!

3. To avoid any further disastrous purchases a great tip is to just walk away. If you then find yourself constantly thinking about that item then go ahead and buy it. But I guarantee that most of the time you will forget it and be relieved that you had the strength to say no!

4. Don't keep items in your wardrobe that you know don't really suit you or that were bought on line that you would rather kid yourself that you will wear it one day just because you are too lazy or embarrassed to take it back. This will just leave you with a sense of guilt every time you see that item in your wardrobe.

5. Shopping online can be so convenient but I think if you only shop online you are more likely to have lower expectations as you become less critical than you would be if you were in a changing room and if the item wasn't 100%  could just hand it back to the attendant on your way out. This can have a negative effect on your wardrobe. Try and get out to to the shops and see the items in the flesh - you might also be pleasantly  surprised by other items that you would not necessarily have liked on line and vice versa.

6. We are all guilty of this but never buy an item that you have fallen in love with in a different size just because your usual size is sold out. Shoes will never stretch that much and you might never get round to losing that muffin top. Your wardrobe should be a positive space and should only contain items that make you feel good about yourself and that you are comfortable in wearing.

7. Don't save items just for a special occasion. Wear them and have fun with them whilst you can for who knows what the future holds. It's cheesy but live for the moment. If you really love an item and don't want to ruin it then why not buy two of it? - one that you wear all the time and one that you could keep for best at least then you'll wear one of it rather than none of it!

8. Don't let your wardrobe become cluttered again - remember the golden rule of one in and two out. Most people do really only wear a small percentage of their wardrobe. The perfect wardrobe should be clothes that you wear all the time and that work together.

9. Dare to be different - again cheesy I know but so true. Sometimes the best outfits are ones that are put together at the last minute and if your wardrobe is already in wardrobe heaven all your outfits will be perfect. Don't be afraid to mix it up by wearing a graphic tee with a sharp pair of trousers or boyfriend jeans rolled up with pointy stilettos. Clothes don't always have to match and these looks can give off a greater air of confidence. Also have a look at vintage shops and smaller boutiques on lines as well as larger communities such as Asos Marketplace. Check out social sites such as Pinterest for inspiration and don't be afraid of buying items from abroad.

10. Finally never buy an item of clothing that you kid yourself you will slim down into - your wardrobe should be for you as you are now.  These items only serve to make you miserable. Your wardrobe only has room for items that make you happy - so keep it a happy place!  Love Nicki x

Coachella Calling! It's never too late.

Coachella Calling

11:42pm Wednesday
Clare - Canada
Seriously - we should SO do Coachella next year. What do you think? Humanly possible? I went a few years back - it was amazing... if we go we'll need to get on it planning wise as accommodation can be one of 2 things!  xxxx

6:50am In Reply
Nicki - UK
Sounds so amazing but would need to get some idea of cost and lose a stone to fit in with all the 'Kate Bosworths'! Only drawback might be lack of funding at the moment not to mention childcare for 3 kids back in the UK! xx

8:16am Wednesday
Clare - Canada
I think tickets are something like $350??? Then there's rental of a mustang from LAX to cover...  and then accommodation.... Maybe $1000 maximum as a conservative estimate... And then your plane ticket to LA... We'll be 40! And should start on juice diets TODAY!!!! I too would have to start raiding the housekeeping each week to save up the funds. OK - I'm getting really excited - because I'm DEFO going to go next April. I've registered on the website (I think tickets start going on sale this May), and have started researching accommodation. They've some stylish on site tent camping - it's v. expensive :(  There's also accommodation in Palm Springs - with pools - which is actually a must because of how burning hot it is down there! xxxx

Several minutes later ...

Oooh so tempting and my brain is already in full gear trying to work out if this is at all possible or whether it's just adding fuel to my already burgeoning and fast approaching mid life crisis? - already have the tattoo and leather jacket to prove this!

Festivals in the UK can be hit and miss - if everything comes together then there's nothing better! I always cherish the memory of that smile that just doesn't fade , a feeling of total happiness - happened watching The Drums, The Black Keys and Kings of Leon at Hyde Park a couple of years ago - we were actually unusually lucky with the weather! But sometimes it can go so wrong with the UK weather and when you're nearing 40 with 3 kids in tow are you so willing to take that chance?

So with a sense of resignation I decided that this was a beautiful idea but in reality wasn't at all possible and started to dismiss it.

But then .. 

Hey I'm only 38 - is that really too old? Is it really that complicated? I mean we wouldn't have to worry about the weather and a mustang would be kind of cool? There's no harm in just checking it out? Is there??

Room 105

Several hours later and I'm still sitting here at my laptop. I've been online to check out registration, line ups and download the app. I've checked out the cost of flights and I already know which hotel room I'd like to stay in - Room 105 at The Orbit In in Palm Springs - LA retro heaven.

Orbit In Oasis

The Stone Roses, New Order, The XX, Bat For Lashes, Phoenix, Jake Bugg, Ben Howard to name but a few. 
What's not to love?!

Hell yeah! I'M LIVING THE DREAM! x

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival started up in 1999 and has grown in popularity since. Now scheduled to take place in April to avoid the intensity of heat from late summer, Coachella well and truly kicks off the festival season.
Visit Coachella for details on this years line up and the forthcoming 2nd weekend starting 19th April 2013.
Accommodation can also be found through the official Coachella website. Love the look of Orbit In Palm Springs and their beautiful, mid century modern inspired decor - described by The Times as 'Modernist heaven - it's the place to stay'. Fallen for Room 105 at the Orbit In Oasis - prices start in April from $189 + tax ( Sun - Thurs) and $259 + tax. Would usually be a 30 minute drive to Coachella from here but advice seems to be to leave before 10:00 - 11:00 to ensure you aren't stuck in hours of traffic later. Also worth checking out Valley Music Travel which offer 3 day accommodation, shuttle service and 3 day pass packages. To make life easier they also offer a payment plan with 20% deposit required on booking and then several monthly instalments for the outstanding balance.
Safe option re flights available from the UK to LAX through Virgin Atlantic or take a look at edreams for possible cheaper deals starting from £734.

Now onto the important stuff...

What's a girl to wear?

Oh and where the hell is that juicer?

Love Nicki x