Saturday 19 January 2013

Handmade head wear for frosty days.

Crochet tweedy wool hat by Faun on ASOS Marketplace.


After experiencing freezing, snowy, sub-zero temperatures in Norfolk for the past few days, (and not to mention deadly ice rink pavements) quite frankly i'm bored of wearing the same thing everyday just to dress for warmth. The problem is that i only own one pair of snow worthy boots (these are the only shoe i own with even a teeny tiny bit of grip on the bottom) and I've been wearing the warmest coat i own for the best part of a week now (a faux leopard fur 1960s style beauty that i will probably wear until death). 


Super cute & soft Lowie pixie beanie.


The great thing is that i am indeed as toasty as hell (once i have also added at least five layers of clothing underneath), the bad thing is that the only way i can change my outfit  if i don't want to freeze or use my shoes as involuntary ice skates, is to alternate my hats! However, it wasn't until this week that i noticed the severe hat famine that has been occurring in my wardrobe.


Chunky oatmeal beanie hat by Miss Knit Nat on Folksy.



Have you ever noticed that when you watch old street footage from any era before the 1970s, every person is wearing a hat? There was a time when nobody would leave their front door without wearing one. This always fascinates me and i think it's sad that no one really does hats any more. I just love to see people digging out their favorite head wear in the cold at this time of year!  Even the most hat-phobic of people (there;s probably a medical term for that) can't seem to help themselves as soon as the snow rears it's frosty head! So, after indulging in a little internet window shopping today, i've featured a few of my favorites  Please note that all the lovely items featured in this post are individually handmade by super talented sellers! Go check out the links to their websites and support these awesome small businesses.


The gorgeously bright apricot bow hat by Simple Smiles on Etsy.






Sunday 13 January 2013

The Queen of Procrastination






There comes a time when you can procrastinate no longer. No matter how hard you stare at it, that fridge isn’t going to spontaneously fill itself with food (my god, wouldn't that be amazing?!), that ever expanding teetering mountain of laundry isn't going to get all Houdini on you and vanish into thin air over night and that ugly dress / too short pair of jeans / charity shop tshirt / …....... (insert ill fitting clothing item here) that you've been thinking of customising for three years isn't going to be busting it's arse onto the runway at London Fashion Week any time this century, if you don't pull your finger out.

It is time, my dear readers, for me to heed my own advice, for I am the Queen of Procrastination and the Master of ''I'll do it tomorrow.” As I sit here writing this, I have managed to cut my fringe, give myself a manicure (added procrastination points for invaluable nail varnish colour choosing minutes), wash the dishes and dry the dishes (I HATE drying the dishes!), tidy my bedroom in a half-arsed fashion and re-arrange my bookshelf. Who knew I could be so productive around the house just by giving myself a blog deadline today?

I am a classic run-before-i-can-walk crafter. I have big ideas and lots of them, but I want them to happen now. I get so excited and so bogged down in my own day dream fantasy of my future handmade mini empire that sometimes I forget that it's not going to happen over night and if I don't sit and meticulously plan and categorically work my arse off towards my goals then i'll still be sitting here this time next year reading another beautifully styled craft book, drooling over another photo of someone else's awe inspiring studio space, furrowing, as I wonder where the time has gone.

I feel inspired and refreshed after the Christmas holidays (on second thoughts, that may still be the lingering sugar rush of 20 strawberry creams still coursing through my veins...) and I have read enough fabric printing, hand making and new business starting books to start my own library. I have the passion, the product ideas, the goals and most importantly the slightly obsessive dream to grow my little business and to make it into something that i'm really proud of. I've learnt a lot from my mistakes over the first few months of starting Lovertron and from taking part in my first craft fairs, but i've also taken an insane amount of pleasure from the things i've done right. (There is no better feeling than seeing someone wearing and enjoying your lovingly handmade goods)

Another thing i've learnt is to be true to the brand and my personal style and not to feel pressured by others. At the end of the day your business is your baby and it's totally and only down to you if it sinks or swims and quite frankly I've not got any plans to get all titanic on you all just yet.

So while procrastination is generally frowned upon, it's not worth beating yourself up over (I'd say it's an under rated pastime) Sometimes getting your head together or having a few hours of creative thinking time (even if this does involve having a facial / manicure / tattoo) is probably just what you need to get out of that creative rut and stop that Titanic sinking feeling. (Leonardo Dicaprio not included...)