oooo two in a row...

My oh my, so two days posting in a row. Aren't we all lucky? So I've found a few photos on Facebook to show y'all. Not overly exciting, but just to show you a little snippet of St Andrews life.

This is from our Christmas ball. It's held in a converted barn, you get greeted by one of the many acapella groups, and there is unlimited free ice-cream. It was a really good night. So luckily the £30 price tag paid off!

This is just me, mucking around in my room with the roommate. She has massive prejudices against people with an artistic dress sense, and has very eschewed views on what fits well and what's suits people. It's quite odd. I guess her style is... cute. All frills and pinafore dresses, but it doesn't overly work. But she puts up with my extraordinarily messy room, so I like her:)

These two are from a really beautiful day a few weeks ago. Me and two friends sat on the beach for about five hours discussing everything and taking hundreds of photos. It was really worth it, but the sea was freezing! One of the friends went swimming, I think she regretted it... I live in shorts all year round bar summer. They are just so comfy, but in summer there would just be way too much white wobbly flesh on show. It's just safer to keep the legs under wraps you know?

Haha, I got so excited about this photo. That's my hand, but you can't see my face. Regardless it's Royal Wedding capital up here. As the two most famous alumni of the university their visit was met with a huge audience in freezing weather. Kate was so skinny! But her cute red jacket was so die for!

From the aforementioned sunny day (there are so few, we all document them:)) I just liked the composition.

You can see the state of my room in this one. I'm messy, I admit it. I blame my artistic temperament... Can I pull that one? Another dress up time with the roommate. I have no idea what I was doing, but I kinda like it.

This is a picture from yet another ball. This time the Masquerade Ball. There were a lot of free drinks. A LOT. The coat I'm wearing here is vintage 60s, raw silk. So beautiful and cost £25 from one of my beloved St Andrews charity shops. It's actually stunning.

This is us lot strolling away from halls in our rather fetching red gowns. Mine's only been worn twice. So it's not really worth the money right now. We were off to do the pier walk which involves walking along a stretch of about 100 metres, about 15 foot above sea level and about 1 metre across. It's horrible. But the adrenaline was amazing.

People don't really understand the strangeness of it until they come here. It's such a stylish place and I love that you can tell what the weather is like outside by looking at the guys' trousers. In art history alone today we had lilac, green, yellow and red. It was pretty amazing. Though red trousers seem to be a particular St Andrews trend, a friend and I have decided that salmon pink is most definitely the way to go. It's classy, and, especially on the rugby-player build, just is not feminine. It's beautiful. Unless of course you are 'Red-Trousers Boy.' Us girls all come up with nicknames to help us discuss people we have never met. Exceedingly shallow, and, as the guys say, occasionally perverted, but so helpful. In the case of 'Red-Trousers Boy' he always wears the said-coloured chinos, and off-set with his curly blond hair and stunning good looks he is a common topic for conversation. Other such names are 'Kurt' (due to a facial similarity with the character from Glee) 'Girl-bum' (due to his 'girl's bum') and 'Angel Boy.' Angel Boy looks like a cherub and is just generally stunning. Good for him. Isn't it true that if you are wealthy, good-looking and male life is made?

Well it seems to have been for Prince William. The new movie? Watched, and will be discussed at some other time as my Ancient History essay is calling...

Sleep well, over and out,

BK

Oh my.

So I haven't blogged for, quite frankly, ages. First year is nearly over and I've very little to show for it on this here blog, bar a few mumbles and murbles on the odd people here. I feel I've barely covered it to honest. I was thinking earlier that in my first week I would skype my friend Lucille at home, and cross off each day in sheer desperation to get home.

Now I'm loving it. I've made great friends, spent an obscene amount of money, gone to countless balls, met friends of friends, parents of friends and dogs of friends.Yet I still regret just how little I've done. I've worn my rather fetching gown twice, and only done one lot of sport. And that was last week. Everyone takes the attitude that you'll be here for four years so why try to cram everything into the first? But come past freshers' week it's rare to meet new people randomly in the street.

The whole town is buzzing with the coming Royal Wedding. We're all dressing up and heading down to one of the pubs which Kate and Wills used to frequent. Have you seen the new film? Don't believe it. I don't think I've ever seen Sandy Andy that green. Mainly because it wasn't filmed here I guess. Another phenomenon to come out of the university is this rather delightful video.

Hopefully it will work. You see these guys everywhere. In lectures, just round town, but they have become international phenomenons. It's amazing. And is putting our small town on the map.

Am really hoping to post much more often. Still haven't got a camera, but I can always attempt with facebook, right?

Over and Out

BK

Snow

Again there has been a serious delay in posting... And again I have no photos... apologies. Though I could have a hunt and I'll see what I come up with.
As anyone in the UK is aware, we have a serious snow problem on our hands. This could easily result in a constant wearing of tracksuits and tights, merely to keep in what little warmth we have. In my case and a few of my friends we are trying to go for a different approach. It's believed that skirts are warmer than trousers. And in skirts nothing, for me, is warmer than a beloved 1970s vintage wool circle skirt. So on trend, and so pretty. For the complete look it is always paired with a favourite cashmere jumper.
One of my friends hunts constantly for fur coats, which she then turns inside out. Together with a fur hat, she looks reminiscent of a bond girl. I usually get fortune teller or peasant, due to my constant use of scarves to keep my head warm.

Tonight is my first Christmas ball up here. It's a hall-one, so nothing too fancy. Many of the other balls are invite only, or require you queuing from 6.30 in the morning. No joke. Anyway, the boys have to wear suits. As usual that is meant to be enough for a girl to gauge what to wear. Not so. One friend speaks of knee length and below, another knee length and above. The guys used the phrase 'Slutty, Butty, Slitty, Titty.' Apparently a sister came up with it. Derogatory yes, but something I may just need to follow...

Will keep you posted!
BK

ps- Many thanks to Roz at http://clothescamerasandcoffee.blogspot.com for her lovely comment! So glad you are making a speedy recovery:)

It's been a while...

Well, not that much of a while. But I might as well state it as such. Just telling a friend that only in St Andrews would you get people demanding a Marks and Spencers, or generally spending a fortune in Jack Wills/Joules.
The charity shops are awesome. Bought a MaxMara coat for £25. Bargain methinks. It's wool and angora. So warm, which is amazing in the freezing weather that seems to inhabit Scotland.
Another St Andrews blogger- everythinglooksrosie.wordpress.com- wrote a piece recently on the sheer absurbancy (is that even a word?) of St Andrews fashion. The red trousers are common- and it's not just the students, my tutor sports a fine pair too... It's not a rare sight to see the Barbours, Hunters and tweed out on display. The girls with dyed blonde hair, body-con skirts or leggings and gilets.

I am currently partaking in a fashion challenge set by a friend. I recently bought a rather hideous yellow and white houndstooth wool coat for £3. By cutting off the sleeves, I've slightly improved it. Secondly. I also have a strong connection with a pair of Topshop shorts. So the challenge is to wear the coat every time I go out and I'm not allowed to wear the shorts for a week. It's going to be hard, especially as I have a party tomorrow. And the coat is particularly hideous.
Wish me luck!!
BK

Legs...

Decided to blog today as am sitting in bed feeling sorry for myself. So in Scotland it is generally agreed that it's cold. Which makes it even weirder that the Americans walk round with orange bare legs. Madness. The cold and need for sturdy shoes allows for a degree of interesting hosiery.
I always thought it was considered wrong to wear white tights. Or at least it should be left to the leggy model-esque girls of minute proportions. But I saw a girl the other day with white tights and a dark purple outfit and it just seemed to work. Who cares if she was slightly on the chunky side? She looked awesome and so cute as she had a purple Alice band over very long straight black hair.
I can never do cute- so I admire anyone who can.
Today I was walking behind a girl with black tights and thin, brown, calf-length socks on top. Weird? Yes. But it also seemed slightly on-trend and quirky in a good way. She had nice ankles so it worked. God forbid the day that I bust out mid-calf socks. It won't be a pretty sight. By saying it seemed on trend I struggle to say that in the 'Bubble' that is this university I've found it impossible to keep up with the going ons of the fashion industry. I get my Glamour and Vogue. I read my blogs, but I'm never in the mood to digest them fully.
It seems I'm in an anti-fashion mode right now and it kills me. It really does.

BK

First impressions...

I always thought people were joking when they said that St Andrews was like a bubble. I've been seemingly unable to keep up with national/international news and the people here are all in a complete league of their own. Not only do we have the 'Kate Kennedy Club' a slightly elitist club for gentlemen only, but men frequently walk round in their tweed jackets, chinos and loafers. The current favourite coloured trouser being a bright salmon pink- especially popular with the yacht club.
My particular favourite outfit to date was of a bunch of guys outside the Science buildings. Of the six there one guy a bleached blonde- waxed side parting, white skinny jeans and a Breton top and another with brushed out brown hair, aviators, simple blue striped button down and beige cords. Though obvious extremes they both seemed to convey a certain Britishness to their style.
It's a great place for people watching. Particularly art history- a girl in front of me today was wearing a Burberry trench coat, complete with Uggs, Chanel glasses and Ralph Lauren bag. So many people have prejudices towards these kind of people, but I have to say they hold a fascination for me.
With a high percentage of foreign students the Americans insist on still wearing micro-denim shorts with no tights whilst natives to the British Isles pile on the cashmere and sheepskin.
I dwell between short shorts, tights, my usual clumpy brown boots and a cardigan of some description.
So life is good. Sadly no photos until I find someone who is willing to let me steal their camera...

BK

SCOTLAND

So basically going on a brief break for a couple of weeks to settle in for uni and meet new people. Many thanks to StyleBouquet for the incredibly lovely message!

BK

Scotland

So it's been a while. Every Wednesday I thought oh it's been a while. And indeed it has.

And in that while quite a bit has happened. I got into my first choice university to study History of Art. The university being St Andrews, up in Scotland. Going a week tomorrow, and I've never been to Scotland before. So that's what the photo is for. A nice little view of me in me kilt.

Another change is I had a hair-cut. Apparently my hair was too long and living in a small town without a hair dresser was too much for the mother to cope with. So I had FOUR inches cut off. I don't have a photo but I look about 12. And then I got a very concussed Cherry to dye it for me yesterday. So I have a ginger fringe that looks like a severely receding hairline when it is tied back. Yay...

Also recently there has been a slight obsession with shoes. I've never been a shoe person. but a recent purchase of some gorgeous, yet slightly hideous shoe boots from Topshop has converted me. And maybe also the £3 I spent on some new Bruno Magli shoes from a local charity shop. They are slightly small, but sooo pretty. I also got Cherry a pair of Marie Antoinette style suede shoes (Pancaldi, I think.) So beautiful, in dark pink suede, and Dolly was given some 1950s vintage black patent men's brogues. For £13, I did rather well I think.

Some random drawings. The first I just like, the second came about due to a slight obsession with period dramas. Mainly Pride and Prejudice...

So who else is loving the current New Look trend? I'm so psyched about calf-length circle skirts, though I doubt they will be on the high street. Can you really see H&M stocking them? Or Primark with wool camel coats?

I'll stay in my beloved cashmere version and camelhair jumper (which looks suspiciously like Stella McCartney's.)

BK

Saatchi

The joys of living in the middle of a field also means that the Broadband likes to cut out, as does the electricity or the water. So I have been coping with these problems the past week. And now the computer has decided that it doesn't want to upload anything.

Last weekend I went up to London with the family to go to the Saatchi. I might have already talked about this, but anyway so, yeah, I have a picture up there until the end of July which is on Saturday. I also saw the Mario Testino/ Kate Moss exhibit (Mario Testino- Kate Who?) She is so cool and the pictures just showed her versatility and the reason for her fame.

Also picked up some more kilts to add to my obsession. They now total nine I think. I just love them. I also got two gorgeous (Diesel and Miss Sixty) dresses from ze olde charity shoppe. Brand new and £6 each. Bargain? I think so. Today I bought a cute green mock-croc clutch bag and a boned bra top thing that will look awesome with some high waisted trousers (both charity shopped). Can't wait to style it up. Plus got a Austen-styley cropped jacket. I feel like I should be talking about the weather and marriage to some eligible bachelor who has £15,000 a year. I might dye it though as it would look better as purple methinks.

People watching today was so much fun. Dolly has this theory that a guy is too pumped up when he can no longer rest his arms comfortably at his side. And so it was hilarious when this man was walking down the high street today. Arms held up and chest so puffed out, with a t-shirt so tight you could see his six-pack through it. It was a nice sight. But funny as he must have been 5'4" so he looked like a little strutting cube.

So yeah, basically that is all I have done. Also many thanks to the lovely comments. They are highly appreciated. (Woh that sounds pretentious)

BK

week...

Been away for a week due to power cuts, music festivals and a computer virus. But all is good. now. Went to Latitude music festival this weekend for the third time. It was amazing, as always, bar it got some really bad press. I don't really want to go into it...

Anyway, we saw the amazing Tom Jones, Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine (it was so hot my friend fainted...) and Nigel Kennedy who was unbelievably spectacular. And the orchestra were amazing. In general was amazing. What I loved was that people always try to go for directional outfits. This year it was crop tops. Sadly everyone wore them. I didn't. I hate the sun, so I was fully covered up (with some very short shorts... didn't realise how short when I bought them,) with tights, scarves and a parasol.

Also saw the La-de-dahs who are a 40s style trio who sing a mixture of modern and retro songs. Their version of Dog Days Are Over and Bad Romance were honestly better than the originals. And I got their autographs. It was so cool! In such a sad fan way. Anyway, check out their version of Song For The Dead. It's on iTunes soon...

Mumford and Sons were also awesome as was to be expected. But Tom Jones was probably the highlight, his voice is still as strong as it was all those years ago.

I have drawings, but haven't got them on the pc yet.

Some more fashion drawings though...

Raquelle's Leavers' Ball dress...

BK