Gore Gore Girl

This blog was created to fulfill a number of things; to give me a soapbox on which to talk about issues that matter to me, to showcase my horrendous fashion choices and to talk about the thing that I love most in life; making jewellery. Jewellery is an enormous part of my life and arguably takes up the bulk of my time, it pays the bills and keeps me very, very busy but it's only one of the two things that give me that excited feeling in the pit of my tummy. The other is horror movies. Most women look at me oddly when I talk about my fascination with horror movies, it's not something that's ordinarily associated with someone like me. In addition to Sugar & Vice, I also run a website called Gorepress. It's something I and a few friends started about 3 or 4 years ago and in that time we've managed to build a pretty successful, well read website. I do two podcasts a week, have been given the chance to interview people in the industry and have made a tonne of likeminded friends, all of whom will talk at length with you about movies, given half a chance. I've also just been added to a horror movie awards committee where I get to nominate as well as vote so it's been quite a rollercoaster ride so far!

This is a somewhat tenuous preamble to me getting to the reason I've been a bit quiet on here lately, last weekend I attended FrightFest. It's a Film Four sponsored event that takes place once a year at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square and it's full of exclusive showings of films, premieres and special guests. It's the most exciting event in the calendar for a UK based horror fan, to put it in its simplest terms. 

Me and my boyfriend went to London not really knowing what to expect but ended up having a wonderful couple of days. Sitting on your tush and doing nothing but watching horror movies from 10am to 1am sounds almost relaxing but it's a tremendously tiring endurance test, and a whole lot of fun! Despite my love of all things pink and girly, horror movies will continue to take up a large portion of my life and will always hold a special place in my heart.

From a film festival last weekend to a music festival this coming weekend and another film festival in October, with lots of work in between it's pretty non-stop at casa del Sarah at the moment. I'll try not to leave it so long before updating next time though.

One question before I leave. Horror movies; love 'em or hate 'em?

xxx

OOTD : River Phoenix

When I was a teenager I was obsessed with River Phoenix. It's weird now, to think that he not only died 19 years ago but that he was 6 years younger than I am now when he did! There's been talk lately of his final film Dark Blood getting a release at long last and I am super excited to potentially finally see it. I had posters of him, ripped from teen magazines, littering the walls of my bedroom when I was as young as 11 years old and I don't think that adoration ever really went away.

I've spent the last couple of weeks revisiting My Own Private Idaho, Silent Tongue and Dogfight. He, and his films take me back to the 90's which is definitely my favourite decade. Yesterdays outfit was based on this love of the decade that fashion forgot and my love of Mr. Phoenix.

River Phoenix tee - H&M / Belt - New Look / Maxi skirt - New Look / Loafers River Island / Peace sign earrings - New Look 

This is fast becoming my favourite skirt. It's so floaty and comfortable and, I'd like to think, reasonably flattering. I bought it from the Tall range in a size too small so that it would sit as a high waisted maxi. I have big hips so this helps to hide them!

The tee is a vintage H&M jobby from eBay. Stand By Me is arguably one of Phoenix's most famous roles so I couldn't resist this iconic image when I saw it. 

So, here's hoping that Dark Blood gets a release soon so I can relive my teen years and get excited all over again. Who's your favourite teen icon? Whose posters covered your walls? :)

xxx

Thrifty and Crafty

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a denim jacket that I'd been lusting over in TopShop. It had silver studs on the shoulders and the grand price tag of £60. Now, I had two choices, fork over the £60 and suffer from potential buyers remorse or buy a cheap denim jacket on eBay and stud the damn thing myself. No brainer!

All I used was a second hand Warehouse denim jacket (£4), a marker pen, a ruler, a handful of conical studs (£5 for 250) and something sharp enough to poke holes through the denim. The kitten is for display purposes only and is not necessary for the process. It may impede progress though....

Well, it took me around 40 minutes to do one side but I think it looks ok. It's not quite the same but for the vast price difference I'll definitely cope! I'll try and incorporate it into an outfit post once I get chance to do the second side. What do you reckon? Decent approximation of the more expensive version, or grotesque Judas Priest dress-up item?

xxx

OOTD : Goldfrapp Inspired

I've never been a huge fan of Goldfrapp musically but in terms of thinking outside the box fashion then you'd be hard pressed to beat Alison Goldfrapp. She's a strange, beautiful little pixie and I adore her bravery when it comes to some of her outfits. She really doesn't give a crap what anyone thinks and wears her various ensembles with such confidence that it almost becomes normal.

Have I mentioned that I'm a massive fan of clothing so hideous that most people would sooner burn it than wear it? Well, I am. When I spotted this dress on eBay I had to have it. It looks as if Laura Ashley started making clothes for circuses. In the 80's. On crack.

It's a vintage Eleanor Hadley dress with gold clouds and enormous ruffles. Disgusting isn't it? But in an amazing Goldfrapp kinda way. I wore it with New Look platforms and a gold New Look knuckleduster cross ring. 

Who are your fashion icons? What's the weirdest thing you've ever dared to wear? :)

xxx

Weighing In

Weight has always been a (forgive the pun) big issue for the fairer sex. Perhaps even the biggest issue we have to contend with. One thing has always puzzled me though; why?

With so many studies, polls and anecdotal evidence that men prefer curves, 'something to grab onto', etc, why do we still torture ourselves with painful exercise regimes, starvation, fad diets, Spanx and emotional anguish? Is it for the opposite sex? Maybe. Is it our innately competitive nature? Probably. Is it an instinctual method of somehow bettering ourselves? Almost certainly.

It's taken me until the age of 29 to stop caring about my weight. And when I say 'stop caring', what I really mean is 'binge on cake and feel less guilty afterwards'. A few years ago I stopped reading fashion magazines;  a hugely negative contributor to the neverending weight issue. Without all those gaunt frames looking at me, I instantly felt less pressure to become one of them. It felt like I could breathe again as the constant nagging at the back of my mind had had the volume turned down. 

I think magazines have a lot to answer for. If they're not telling us to get the perfect bikini body by Summer, they're letting us know that curves are fashionable again and it's ok to eat that pie and gravy after all. The most important thing we need to remember though, is that no one shape is better than another. Kiera Knightley might have an amazing washboard stomach and cracking cheekbones but she also has tiny boobs. Mia Tyler might have a big middle but she's also got great knockers and an arse that some men would walk across deserts to give a sly pinch. It's all subjective and each person will prefer something different. Don't strive for something that's out of your grasp, don't torture yourself because someone else has told you to be a different shape.

I've also noticed a disturbing trend lately. As some kind of backlash to the ever present 'lose weight, be size zero' indoctrination, there have been a number of pictures floating around suggesting that the Marilyn Monroe figure is preferable. I cannot stress this enough but, curves aren't better than being skinny if that's what comes naturally to you. Promoting the other side of the coin is just as irresponsible. I have a friend that is a size 6 to 8 despite having had 3 children. I have other friends that can't shift the extra pounds on their hips despite eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. We all have a natural shape and attempting to alter your body for fashion is bad news. How boring would it be if everyone had a Barbie waist, pneumatic tits, orange perma-tan and a perfectly symmetrical face? Variety is where it's at, I like to look at people that are different, unique. 

Weight is very much a game of two halves though. It's one thing to say 'embrace your natural shape, being big is ok' but where do we draw the line? Big is certainly beautiful but if it begins to affect your health then surely it's just as harmful to your lifespan as someone who might be anorexic. It also brings up a number of other concerns like heart disease and diabetes. The NHS is already under strain due to the increasing obesity epidemic, what happened to the middle ground? It's a tough call and absolutely not mine to make but as a gender, we need to take responsiblity for the pressure we're putting our peers under and employ some common sense too. (And I'm not suggesting for a second that weight issues don't affect men equally, I just don't have the reproductive equipment necessary to comment on that side of the debate.)

Maybe it's that I'm in a committed relationship, maybe it's that I'm about to say 'sayonara' to my 20's or maybe it's that I stopped exposing myself to the many elements of modern life that add to the already existing burden that we all suffer from to some degree, but I'm that happiest (and also the biggest) I've ever been with regard to my shape. I'm finally able to say that I don't mind my figure, which, for such a simple statement, feels like a massive achievement. I am simply meant to be a size 12-14 and it's futile trying to fight it. Yes, I'd love it if my boobs were bigger and my waist was a little smaller. Yes, I have days where I want to smash every mirror within a six mile radius and burn TopShop to the ground because they don't have anything I like above a size 10. And yes, I panic occasionally because I've eaten 4000 calories in a single sitting, but in the grand scheme of things it's a pretty insignificant thing to worry about.

We're all different, in every concievable way, so utilize those differences and turn them into something positive. No matter what your size, it's possible to dress to flatter your assets and disguise the things you're paranoid about. As long as you're healthy, be whatever size you were meant to be and just go with it.

OOTD : Arctic Wolf

I've been a long-time fan of the awesome Raffles Bizarre and have been eyeing up the Arctic Wolf necklace for a while now. When I finally got my hands on one I couldn't wait to wear it. I really struggle to find jewellery that doesn't look ridiculous against my tattoos sometimes but the turquoise/blue combo of this necklace seemed made to sit between my chest tattoos. It's made from hard plastic, the design is an original illustration and it's varnished for extra durability. I love it! You can nab one here.

I wore it with a Motel dress that I've had for a while and have now decided to part with, so not only did it need one final outing but the colours really seemed to fit with what I was going for. I love this dress, I really do. Sadly, I've put weight on lately and it doesn't look as good as it used to, plus I'm always wary of being so close to 30 and still showing so much skin. I'll be in button-down blouses and maxi skirts from here on in ;)

I bagged the shoes in the New Look sale for £11!  They are super hard to walk in but surprisingly comfy once you're used to them. They're around 5" so make me rather a lot taller than my boyfriend which I don't think he's super keen on but I just couldn't resist them as I've got a real love for tan/camel coloured items, they seem to go with practically everything and can look a little classier than other colours.

xxx

Studs & Denim

I'm not sure this warrants an entire blog post but I was aimlessly wandering through town today and fell in mad, passionate love with a denim jacket in TopShop. Now, I've been a big fan of adding studs to items for years and I'm loving the fact that it's so prevalent at the moment. I've even made some silver studded bracelets that I'll be adding to the website soon. 

As beautiful as this jacket is, the £60 price tag made me have second thoughts. I will make it my mission to scour the charity shops for a suitable denim jacket and will order some studs online to try and make my own approximation. Watch this space for how I get on!

In other exciting news I got some lovely necklaces from Jess at Raffles Bizarre this morning! I've been lusting after the Arctic Wolf necklace for some time now so expect a more detailed blog post on each piece very soon :)

xxx