Hooting Miss Owl: 10/01/2012

How will you carve yours?

24 October 2012

Hoot-hoot-hooray! Halloween is nearly upon us! It's time to get your spooky ghoulish glad rags on and get your pumpkin-carving knifes at the ready!

I love this time of year. It starts getting cold enough to brew a pot of mulled cider and there is something quite deliciously warming about those orange and red hues every where. This years Halloween has added excitement as Molly is finally at an age where she can join in and start understanding what is happening around her. The look on her face when she saw Mr D and I come home with two big pumpkins was fantastic. I bought two, so I could do an owl design on one and the other was for Molly to decorate as she pleased.

No one is totally sure where the tradition of carving Pumpkins actually comes from, although it's widely believed that it originates from the Gaelic festival 'Samhain' in the 19th Century. Supposedly, Faeries and Sprites would wake from a deep sleep, and carved turnips or beets were put out to ward of the mischievous creatures. The tradition traveled with Irish and British immigrants into North America where the traditional root vegetables were swapped for Pumpkins which were more widely available and easier to carve. And thus, the Jack O'Lantern as we know it was born!

This really is such a fun project to do with children because it gives them a chance to get creative and messy! I love the traditional Jack O'Lantern but there are so many amazing things you can do if you put your mind to it. To get started, simply draw your chosen design on a piece of paper and make sure it will fit easily on your pumpkin. Don't do something overly complicated and with too much detail. My tip is to keep it simple! Need some help? Find some great pumpkin carving templates on Martha Stewart's website.

I've included a little 'how-to' on how we decorated ours below. Please remember to supervise children at all times and any knifes should be handled by a responsible adult. Enjoy and have lots of fun being creative :)

Big love,

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

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THANK YOU x

WHAT I WORE: Underground Love

9 October 2012

I've had my eye on some Creepers for some time. So, was delighted when Mr D bought me a pair from Office the other day. THANK YOU MR D!
They are simple, black, round toe and just have a single sole and I LOVE THEM! I have been grinning like a Cheshire Cat since and plotting what outfits I could possibly wear with the new beauties. One of the things I love about creepers is the height of the sole. Being only 5ft 2 I need all the help I can get. Plus they look great with vintage clothes :)

Teddy Boys in Creepers and suits

Creepers have been made huge lately by the likes of Rita Ora and Rihanna. This is not the first time they have been in fashion though. Creepers began after the 2nd World War when soldiers based in the deserts of north Africa wore suede boots with hard-wearing crepe soles. The soldiers returned home and many found themselves wearing the same crepe-soled shoes out and about. The 'Brothel Creeper' was born! The creepers then came back in fashion in the 1950s by Teddy Boys and then yet again in the 1970s when the Teddy Boy look had a bit of a revival.

Image from Underground's S/S 2012 look-book

Underground England are one of the few independent companies that produce genuine creepers. They've been making them since the Eighties and also brought in new designs like the Triple Sole and Wedge Creepers. You can buy cheaper copies in most High Street shops now but these versions don't quite have the weight and quality as the genuine Creeper though.

Do you like Creepers? What would you wear yours with? I teamed mine with a reworked vintage tux shirt and my sparkly leggings from American Apparel. Androgynous eat your heart out! Check out the results below!

Big love and ta ta for now :)

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

WHAT I WORE : Autumn is here

7 October 2012

The weather has most definitely changed the last week or so, and with it, the colour of the leaves. . . Autumn is here!

I quite like Autumn. It means I can get my best tights, scarfs and hats out. I've always been a fan of layering and this is something you can't really do in the Summer. What's the point of being European if you can't accessorise for the seasons!

Last Sunday I found two amazing bargains at the marina car-boot sale. An old St Michaels paisley shirt and a 60's velvet top from Simpsons. Both at a low low price of 20p each!!! Bargino! I snapped them up before you could say "Hooting Miss Owl!" I'd planned to sew a peter pan collar onto the velvet top but after much thought I realised that the shirt would go perfectly underneath the velvet top. So that's what I decided to wear today :)

I wore the layered tops with an old Jigsaw skirt (I got this about 10 years ago when I used to work there) and some star suspender tights from Primarni and accessorised with a gorgeous owl ring from Tatty Devine, and a cute vintage pearl necklace (pressie from my Sister, Jolly Well Healed).

Luckily, Mr. D was on hand to snap some shot's. Hope you enjoy!

Ta ta

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

P.S

Mr D. finished an EP recently for his band Attack Panic and here are the results! I think it is fantastic! Mr D has an amazing voice and it was one of his many talents that I fell in love with.

You can listen to Touch Me here (includes 8 AWESOME tracks.

If you like what you hear, please follow Attack Panic on Facebook !

Thank you and let me know what you think! xox xox

ALL PHOTOS SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT.

PLEASE DO NOT USE WITH OUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION.

THANK YOU!

Doodles: Day of the Dead

2 October 2012

My doodle for the day.

Might use for possible t-shirt design. Maybe on black with the lines in neon.

What do you think?

Please ask for permission before using any images.

Thank you!

Jean Paul Gaultier revives 80s at PFW

1 October 2012

Jean Paul Gaultier ended Paris Fashion Week with his Spring/Summer 2013 collection on Saturday. His collection paid homage to 80s stars who have influenced fashion. A Grace Jones lookalike was the first to step out on to the catwalk, soon to be followed by Annie Lennox, Madonna, Ziggy Stardust and many more.

This is definitely a fun collection and these stars certainly influenced my fashion sense when I was growing up! What do you think? Do you think it has too much of a fancy dress element?

Ta ta for now,