Hello fellow bloggers, I hope you find yourselves well this gloomy November morning. Firstly I would like to apologise for the delay between blogs but I have been on holiday! I went away to Zambia and Kenya for two and a half amazing weeks but I am saving that for another blog, although my return is very much related to this post.
I find that after being away on holiday it re-establishes your own ideals of life and gives you a greater understanding of how you want to prioritise your responsibilities or your factors of life. I wish I could say I was going somewhere deep and meaningful with this but instead I put the a question to you, how many ways can you re-arrenge a studio flat? Well apparently a couple.
I found myself this gloomy November morning on my day off from my full-time job, the day I am meant to be doing my Raspberry Iguana job, getting 100% distracted in re-arranging the studio flat that I occupy with my boyfriend.
It all started Friday night, or correction the day we moved into our furnished flat and discovered that we have possibly the most uncomfortable sofa in the world. We had talked about buying a sofa and asking the landlord to remove the leather covered wooden box on which we are meant to sit, but decided that then we would be stuck with a sofa bought for the purpose of a 12 month lease. So on Friday we wanted to stay in and watch a couple of films but had had enough of bits of the sofa digging in to our bruised bodies. So I thought it would be fun to move the mattress onto the living room floor and camp out for a movie night, as it happens the mattress didn't make it back to it's base all weekend, until I suggested maybe we could switch around the two "rooms" or spaces as I now prefer to call them. So at 8.30am this morning the boyfriend went off to uni and left me in charge of sorting out the flat. It didn't take long for the flat to end up like one of those puzzles where you have to slide one piece to be able to move another and finally make a picture, it was at this point I considered giving up but decided it was the point of no return. So as I ploughed through stuff, just loads of stuff and dust, (we had been away for 2 and a half weeks why was there dust?) I was thinking about how the flat is a space and how as tenants it is about adjusting that space to fit you, your life style and your priorities. I was thinking about how as a tenant you can't decorate but it is important to make the flat feel like it is your own home and there needs to be a way to put your stamp on it. I looked over at the wooden box and the desk in the old "bedroom" and thought that it is good to have a designated working space free from distractions.
After 4 hours, yes 4 hours, lots of huffing and puffing, feeling rather frazzled and in need of a very strong coffee I stood back to look at my achievement and simply said to myself, "Who am I kidding, I have just re-arranged the whole flat to make TV viewing easier and more comfortable." Not quite what I thinking as now I feel that TV viewing has been put to the top of the life priority list but I shall await the boyfriends verdict anyway.
I will also upload pictures later so I can hear your verdict too.
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
Monday, 21 November 2011
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Perk Up and Pay Attention
Perk Up And Pay Attention- this is going to be big!
Raspberry Iguana is moving with the times and feels that Keep Calm And Carry On is not what the population needs, the population needs to Perk Up And Pay Attention.
Keep Calm And Carry on is history, quite literally, it was one of three slogans created in 1939 by the government in order to uplift the spirits of the nation on the brink of war. It was trying to keep moral and a stiff up lip attitude towards the approaching troubled times. 2000 copies were made but were kept hidden in storage throughout the war until and remained hidden until rediscovery in 2000, when Stuart Manley, a bookseller, found a copy in a box of books he had just bought at auction. In 2005 the nation went made for Keep Calm and Carry On when the poster was featured as a gift idea in a newspaper supplement. My question is why?
I have to say I am with Churchill (then Prime Minister) on this one. The reason the slogan was never used at the time it was created is because in Churchill's eyes to say to Keep Calm suggested a time of panic and this did not send a positive uplifting message to the nation. I agree with this and further add that to Carry On is just plain foolish. People can't go through life pretending that hard times aren't happening and just ignore them, burry their head in the sand, people need to Pay Attention.
Perk Up is such a positive message to send out, the very definition of Perk is to become more lively, cheerful and interesting. This is what the nation needs, we need to cheer up and Pay Attention to what is going on around us and then act on it. This nation needs motivation and this slogan has is.
As for the design of the poster, I love it, bold red, simple and to the point. The poster I love it's the slogan I don't agree with.
Therefore in conclusion to this blog, follow Raspberry Iguana because
Raspberry Iguana is moving with the times and feels that Keep Calm And Carry On is not what the population needs, the population needs to Perk Up And Pay Attention.
Keep Calm And Carry on is history, quite literally, it was one of three slogans created in 1939 by the government in order to uplift the spirits of the nation on the brink of war. It was trying to keep moral and a stiff up lip attitude towards the approaching troubled times. 2000 copies were made but were kept hidden in storage throughout the war until and remained hidden until rediscovery in 2000, when Stuart Manley, a bookseller, found a copy in a box of books he had just bought at auction. In 2005 the nation went made for Keep Calm and Carry On when the poster was featured as a gift idea in a newspaper supplement. My question is why?
I have to say I am with Churchill (then Prime Minister) on this one. The reason the slogan was never used at the time it was created is because in Churchill's eyes to say to Keep Calm suggested a time of panic and this did not send a positive uplifting message to the nation. I agree with this and further add that to Carry On is just plain foolish. People can't go through life pretending that hard times aren't happening and just ignore them, burry their head in the sand, people need to Pay Attention.
Perk Up is such a positive message to send out, the very definition of Perk is to become more lively, cheerful and interesting. This is what the nation needs, we need to cheer up and Pay Attention to what is going on around us and then act on it. This nation needs motivation and this slogan has is.
As for the design of the poster, I love it, bold red, simple and to the point. The poster I love it's the slogan I don't agree with.
Therefore in conclusion to this blog, follow Raspberry Iguana because
Perk Up And Pay Attention
is the future slogan of Britain.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
How many sleeps till christmas?
Raspberry Iguana is in full festive swing with christmas ideas emerging from all angles.
With the sudden change to cold weather Raspberry Iguana has found itself looking forward to cosy evenings in and is starting to bubble with excitement at the thought of Christmas delights. I always feel really inspired as a designer around this time of year as I there is so much creativity over one occasion and each designer has their own personal take on how to create the pieces for such a big calendar event. From futuristic, kitsch or traditional. Raspberry Iguana too is in the process of making a Christmas range. For anyone who has visited the market stall they will have already seen that special themed designs have been printed on to tote bags which will make great re-usable gift bags. Raspberry Iguana will also be making a smaller version of these. Raspberry Iguana has also created a Santa Sack for little ones and is happy to take on special commissions for these which would include your input on the design and could also include the persons name. More excitingly Raspberry Iguana will be making hand made snowflakes, stars and other hanging decorations so you will have to stay tuned to see the first pro-to-types as they are still in production.
On a personal note I always look forward to Christmas as I am very traditional and just love to dedicate a few special days to nothing but hanging out with my family. Like most families will do, mine also has it traditions so I thought I would share some things with you and maybe you would like to share your traditions too.
On Christmas Eve everyone will pop over to my mum and dads house and my Grandad T. would have roasted a joint of beef earlier in the day so we can have hot beef sandwiches for tea. This is the first time during the holiday season that we will all meet up and all we do is have a good catch up, I really love that. We will also set out all the presents under the tree. Now, although I am young I have never and don't think I ever will go out on Christmas Eve, I hate the idea of being awake after mid-night because I would just be too excited.
On Christmas day morning we will start with a cup of tea and biscuits and then once everyone is up we will open our gifts, still in our Pj's.
These things may sound silly to you but to me these routines are what makes my festive season feel special. I love that my mum makes table gifts and that each year Christmas has a different theme for us. So far it has been gold, silver, petrol blue, deep purple, pink and fluffy and a more traditional red.
It may be a bit early for a Christmas blog but as I see it build up around me I find myself feeling nostalgic.
So as I said before, keep posted for photos of Raspberry Iguana's Christmas decorations and just in case you were wondering it's only 67 sleeps, 3 hours and 23 minutes...eek!
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
With the sudden change to cold weather Raspberry Iguana has found itself looking forward to cosy evenings in and is starting to bubble with excitement at the thought of Christmas delights. I always feel really inspired as a designer around this time of year as I there is so much creativity over one occasion and each designer has their own personal take on how to create the pieces for such a big calendar event. From futuristic, kitsch or traditional. Raspberry Iguana too is in the process of making a Christmas range. For anyone who has visited the market stall they will have already seen that special themed designs have been printed on to tote bags which will make great re-usable gift bags. Raspberry Iguana will also be making a smaller version of these. Raspberry Iguana has also created a Santa Sack for little ones and is happy to take on special commissions for these which would include your input on the design and could also include the persons name. More excitingly Raspberry Iguana will be making hand made snowflakes, stars and other hanging decorations so you will have to stay tuned to see the first pro-to-types as they are still in production.
On a personal note I always look forward to Christmas as I am very traditional and just love to dedicate a few special days to nothing but hanging out with my family. Like most families will do, mine also has it traditions so I thought I would share some things with you and maybe you would like to share your traditions too.
On Christmas Eve everyone will pop over to my mum and dads house and my Grandad T. would have roasted a joint of beef earlier in the day so we can have hot beef sandwiches for tea. This is the first time during the holiday season that we will all meet up and all we do is have a good catch up, I really love that. We will also set out all the presents under the tree. Now, although I am young I have never and don't think I ever will go out on Christmas Eve, I hate the idea of being awake after mid-night because I would just be too excited.
On Christmas day morning we will start with a cup of tea and biscuits and then once everyone is up we will open our gifts, still in our Pj's.
These things may sound silly to you but to me these routines are what makes my festive season feel special. I love that my mum makes table gifts and that each year Christmas has a different theme for us. So far it has been gold, silver, petrol blue, deep purple, pink and fluffy and a more traditional red.
It may be a bit early for a Christmas blog but as I see it build up around me I find myself feeling nostalgic.
So as I said before, keep posted for photos of Raspberry Iguana's Christmas decorations and just in case you were wondering it's only 67 sleeps, 3 hours and 23 minutes...eek!
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
Friday, 30 September 2011
A Love of Leather
I am loving leather fashion this season. I can't quite put my finger on it but to me it just adds some more edge to traditional items making them a stand out piece of any outfit. Leather pieces to me give elegance and glamour with a sophisticated sexiness.
I admit it has taken me a while to feel comfortable wearing leather because it has always seemed a bit too risky and sexy, something that only looks good on super skinny models strutting up and down a catwalk. However this season I can completely understand the appeal, structured items looks so different in leather and it just catches the light differently. You can wear all black but avoid flatness by adding some leather texture.
I thought I would share my recent leather purchases with you (modelled by myself so be kind).
Here is my most recently wardrobe addition, it actually inspired me to write this blog post. I was actually shopping for a summer skirt to wear on my holiday but spotted this on the rail and thought I might as well try it on, I never thought I would end up buying it. I just loved that it was a girly shape but the texture gave an edge of gothic, biker glam. I questioned if I would get my wear out of it but with some high heeled brogues and a blouse it gives me a great look I could wear to work, the ankle socks just finish off the look. I kept my jewellery limited to necklaces and all black with a hint of pearl, to me this is a perfect modernisation of the little black dress.
The Dress is from H&M and was £24.99 (obviously imitation leather).
In this photo you can't argue that leather is not sophisticated. I actually bought this skirt last year for my graduation, I wanted something that would say 'fashion student' but it needed to be smart too. I think teaming this skirt with a pussy bow blouse give a great look for the office and would be great for heading out for drinks after work too. To me this proves leather can look smart.
The skirt was from Topshop last year and about £35.00, again imitation leather.
I admit it has taken me a while to feel comfortable wearing leather because it has always seemed a bit too risky and sexy, something that only looks good on super skinny models strutting up and down a catwalk. However this season I can completely understand the appeal, structured items looks so different in leather and it just catches the light differently. You can wear all black but avoid flatness by adding some leather texture.
I thought I would share my recent leather purchases with you (modelled by myself so be kind).
The Dress is from H&M and was £24.99 (obviously imitation leather).
The skirt was from Topshop last year and about £35.00, again imitation leather.
This is my final look. I have seen a lot of leather look or wet look leggings around on the high-street at the moment but I wasn't sure if they were for the masses and perhaps just suited the super skinny and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. However I think I have found a solution, these are panelled leggings, thick legging with leather strips down the sides. The leggings are a perfect transitional wardrobe piece. I have slobbed out in these with vest tops and plimsoles but equally in the outfit above I look as though I am about to hit the dance floor. They are comfy, sleek and leg lengthening. Leather leggings make leggings sexy.
My leggings are Topshop and were £25.00.
This blog post just shows the items I own that are leather but there are plenty more options on the high-street too. Even if you are not feeling brave enough to fully embrace the look there are great alternatives with pieces such as knitwear with leather trim pockets.
Leather is luxurious, sleek and stylish, what do you think?
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
Sunday, 25 September 2011
London Fashion Week
I know I am a week late but better late than never. I've been thinking for about a week now how I find not just London Fashion week but all Fashion weeks I find quite strange.
I have always considered myself a summer baby, I was born in summer but I still find it my favourite time of the year and not just because of my birthday. However this year I find myself looking forward to winter. I can't wait for those crisp morning chills, duvet days, hot chocolates and stodgy food like stews and roasts. Maybe it is just because summer has been a little bit of a let down in England or maybe I am just loving the winter wear I am seeing about the high-street. I work in retail and I swear I have already picked out a new winter coat for everyday of the week, unfortunately my wardrobe isn't big enough.
So you probably are asking yourselves where I am going with this? I think it is so strange that in autumn/winter you buy your spring/summer wardrobe and in spring/summer you buy your winter wardrobe??? Am I the only one?
I can not imagine buying the latest trends in boots, coats and scarfs whilst wearing shorts and sandals. How do you know you will still like that outfit all those months later or still fit in it? Also in summer just looking at a jumper makes me feel all hot and bothered. This works the other way around too, As I said earlier I want to snuggle in big cosy jumpers and thick woollen stockings not be thinking about buying a new summer dress to wear on my summer holiday with destination unknown.
To be honest though what it really boils down to is I am an impulse buyer, I always have been and I love new clothes. I can't wait to wear something new, as soon as I buy it I will have my outfit planned for the next day.
So what do you guys think? Do you have to wear new things as soon as you get them or would you be happy to wait for months? Do you pay attention to Fashion Weeks or just let it pass you by? Are you looking forward to winter or are you sad the summer is coming to an end?
Please share your thoughts, lets get a discussion going.
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
I have always considered myself a summer baby, I was born in summer but I still find it my favourite time of the year and not just because of my birthday. However this year I find myself looking forward to winter. I can't wait for those crisp morning chills, duvet days, hot chocolates and stodgy food like stews and roasts. Maybe it is just because summer has been a little bit of a let down in England or maybe I am just loving the winter wear I am seeing about the high-street. I work in retail and I swear I have already picked out a new winter coat for everyday of the week, unfortunately my wardrobe isn't big enough.
So you probably are asking yourselves where I am going with this? I think it is so strange that in autumn/winter you buy your spring/summer wardrobe and in spring/summer you buy your winter wardrobe??? Am I the only one?
I can not imagine buying the latest trends in boots, coats and scarfs whilst wearing shorts and sandals. How do you know you will still like that outfit all those months later or still fit in it? Also in summer just looking at a jumper makes me feel all hot and bothered. This works the other way around too, As I said earlier I want to snuggle in big cosy jumpers and thick woollen stockings not be thinking about buying a new summer dress to wear on my summer holiday with destination unknown.
To be honest though what it really boils down to is I am an impulse buyer, I always have been and I love new clothes. I can't wait to wear something new, as soon as I buy it I will have my outfit planned for the next day.
So what do you guys think? Do you have to wear new things as soon as you get them or would you be happy to wait for months? Do you pay attention to Fashion Weeks or just let it pass you by? Are you looking forward to winter or are you sad the summer is coming to an end?
Please share your thoughts, lets get a discussion going.
With Love
Raspberry Iguana X
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Blog Overhaul
So what I have been thinking over the last week or so is how much discussion this blog lacks and that is something I don't want. So I have been pondering about other things that I could blog about apart from just what Raspberry Iguana is getting up to. So my thinking led me to a few subjects for further blogging topics and discussions, so I'm asking my readers what do you think?
Obviously I will continue to update you all on new designs, markets, new products etc. of Raspberry Iguana but as I said before it doesn't leave to much discussion.
I have decided I am going to be sharing my thoughts and opinions and in return asking for you for yours on trends I notice or better still if you notice a trend then write a comment and start your own discussion on my blog, I would love it. So the sorts of things I was thinking about were interior and fashion clothing. The discussion may lead to be about trends I love or trends I just don't get. My background is in trend prediction so it's time I put those spotting skills back to good use.
I want to also start up some discussions and healthy debate about social networking and how people react at different levels, what social networking they like, don't like, use and don't use. How does social networking fall into our personal and work life and do the to marry successfully.
Raspberry Iguana wants some comments and interaction with it's followers because if I can capture you, I can learn how to capture others. I want people to tell me what they want so Raspberry Iguana can give them that.
So this is just an insight to the future at the Raspberry Iguana blog, so keep an eye out for the first discussion very soon. However if there is something you think we should be discussing then please get the ball rolling.
With Love Raspberry Iguana X
P.S. Raspberry Iguana had another amazing market day on Wednesday
Friday, 16 September 2011
September the 14th at Greenwich Market
So I think by now it is clear to all Raspberry Iguana followers that Raspberry Iguana has a market stall at Greenwich Market London. The only thing I can say for the day was it was amazing! I have a fresh to do list before my next days trade but I like to keep busy so that is fine by me. So for this post I thought rather that write in detail about the stall I thought I would stick to some photos, as pictures say a thousand words. Hopefully this will encourage you to pop down and say hello.
Enjoy!
With Love Raspberry Iguana X
Enjoy!
With Love Raspberry Iguana X
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