J'aime beaucoup

It says:

One is not born a woman 

one becomes one

Game Face

So it's my birthday soon so I'm practising my 'Game Face'. It goes,

*shock* *wonder* *excitement* 

and then

"Oh my God how did you I know that this is what I wanted given that I emailed you with the subject 'If I don't get this for my birthday I'll never speak to you again' just last week"

Game face. 

Ranty Email Alert

As you're all probably aware I have a bit of an obsession with Tatty Devine [please see previous posts outlining said obsession throughout the time of this blog]. The above photo is taken from their blog. Yes. That's right. It's their dinosaur necklace beside a Claire's rip off. It's pretty blatant (and there are a plethora which can be found on the Tatty blog). 

As much as I can I try to support independent shops/cafés/designers. Mainly because if we don't support them then they go out of business and then when we bemoan the lack of new and exciting ideas ro nice places to hang out and so on and so forth. It's a vicious cycle. And I know that really there are no new ideas, just recycling of old ones. And that people will always draw inspiration from others and interpret it in different ways (Picasso to Matisse and Bacon) but this isn't inspiration. Nor is it reinterpretation. It's just a blatant rip off. 

So I wrote the below email. 

Subject: I'm not angry, just disappointed. Very disappointed. 

Oh Claires. Once upon a time my best friend worked in your Brighton store. We'd go on a Saturday and visit her perusing your wares that were generally earrings made of feathers and pirate themed wrist bands. She had to pierce ears whilst she worked there. The first pair she pierced were mine as she was too scared for a random stranger to be her first pair of pierced ears. It was a beautiful moment for all concerned. Except her manager. She was afraid I'd end up lopsided. 

And then she left. And we grew up, no longer to cross the threshold of your shop of neon nightmares and glitter explosion make up for pre teens. 

And that is pretty much the way it has stayed. Unless I'm going to the roller disco in Vauxhall and need an 80s look quickly and cheaply whilst being acutely aware that if I come too close to a naked flame I'm likely to go up in a blaze of glory. 

I'd like to say my taste could now be described as 'refined quirk'. Yes. I expect you know where this is going. Social media has had a little melt down this evening with your 'homage' to Tatty Devine. I say homage. I think you're aware it's blatant plagiarism and you've done it before. In fact, it's copyright infringement. I would advise all the designers (and there are many as I understand it) you rip off to club together and obtain a group litigation order against you for such infringement. 

It's pretty distasteful. In fact, it's outright wrong. I'm not going to get in to how they're cheap imitations and that's exactly what they look like. You know that as well as I do. 

All I'll say is that it is morally corrupt and I very much doubt anyone in your head office or stores wears this tat. Which is the polar opposite of Tatty Devine. All of their staff wear their jewellery in all their stores with pride. And the staff at Tate Modern wear their limited edition pieces for them. But I guess you've never heard of Tate Modern owing to the fact that you're an idea and culture vacuum. 

Please withdraw them. You look quite the dickheads.

(And when my subject says I'm not angry, I'm lying. I am quite angry. And disappointed)

Regards,

Subs

I'm sure it won't make an iota of difference. But it made me feel better. And at least I can say I tried, instead of moaning about what arseholes they are but doing nothing about it. 

Now excuse me. I'm off to dig out as much Tatty as I can put on in one go to wear to work tomorrow. 

Tim Walker

If you had to ask me who my favourite photographer was I'd have to say Tim Walker. Whilst I like the acid colours and lurid style of David LaChapelle I rather it when it's moving (syringes that do the can can just can't have bad drugs in them). 

My favourite Tim Walker photos are the ones based on Roald Dahl's work. They have Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter and everyone's favourite ginger Karen Elson. What's not to love? 

And now I find that the Pictures book has finally come to below £50 on Amazon. My mind is made up - it's Amazon vouchers all the way for my upcoming anniversaire. 

Rumination

Why is Gwen Stefani and a random baby advertising solar panels?

Also: I like this website. I already have a most beautiful necklace (which I wear as a bracelet) that is lovely and personalised and too much of something can be a bad thing. But it's pretty all the same. 

Spring

The top picture is what Spring is meant to look like. The bottom picture is the current reality. 

But I've still spent the last 3ish weeks Spring cleaning my room. This has taken the form of ruthlessly throwing things away that I don't need or can't ebay. This includes stacks of Elle and Vogues dating from circa 2006. No. I know. I can't believe I'd hoard that much either. But I have. Before I chucked them though I went through them ripping out all the pages I thought were pretty and putting them in a folder. I now have a lever arch file of crap. But lovely crap. 

I have yet to bring myself to chuck the i-Ds. Lula is not going. Neither is Love. Lula will never go. Love might. 

I am also putting up on ebay anything vaguely sellable. If it doesn't go then I'm donating it to charity. 

And with the advent of Spring BabyBelle makes an appearance. But he's no longer BabyBelle. He has a name. It is Emin Belle. I am so excited to meet him. 

Rawr

I totally own this jumper. For nine pounds as well! Nine. Pounds. Go. Me.