Guess who's back...?

...Back again? TheGoldSmith's back! Tell a friend!

Sorry for the absence, but I have finally finished my 2nd year of Uni & I am half way with my big move to London. For those unaware, I am 2 weeks away from commencing a full year internship at ASOS. Excited would be an understatement!

But as I mentioned in a previous post, I'd had a spree on Ebay buying little pieces to begin my own jewellery making kit. And as promised, I am going to keep you updated. So far I've made a few necklaces, some for practice of technique, but there are two that I really like. 

The pendants were purchased off Ebay for about £2 I think. Its got a pink tint to it which  I really like, and  each stone has a different pattern on it.

I made this one yesterday. I ordered a set of pendants made from the same stone  but all in different shapes and sizes. They only cost £2. This one was so simple and easy to make, all in all probably cost about £3 to make. Which s such a cheaper and more unique option to the high street!

At the moment i'm just trying to build up my skills and work on techniques etc, but as a starting point, even the simplest of necklaces can still look gorgeous!

Give it a go guys! I didn't realise how cheap homemade crafts and DIY alternatives could actually be in comparison to High Street options. It's quite relaxing too!

TheGoldSmith xx

Trend TV: Blogger Interviews

So as part of Trend TV, we've decided to switch it up a bit and give you a different type of video. Blogger Interviews!Starting with ourselves, the presenters, we answer a few questions about our own personal fashion interests!

So here they are, Saadiya, Gavina and myself giving you a bit more insight into our fashion obsessed lives!

Please like, comment and subscribe guys!

TheGoldSmithx

I Know Girls Love Beyonce...

Beyonce is literally dominating all aspects of all and any possible industry right now & I wouldn't be surprised if she eventually took over the world. I for one would not resist her leadership! Do I love the woman? YES!

Last week, not only was the Beyonce for H&M Summer campaign video released, but I was granted the great opportunity to see her in concert live at the LG Arena, Birmingham! Never have I been so excited in my life. That week actually sent my heart into overdrive!

Getting the opportunity to see her live made my admiration for her grow. Mother, Wife, Daughter, Business woman and worldwide icon, she holds it all down! It's almost like she was this myth and legend that I can now admit t being real. Her work ethic is only one that I can aspire to gain myself.

I did attempt to record some footage of the show, but the storage on my phone was literally so full no matter how much I deleted, videos would only last a few seconds. Sad times!

I'll still upload them, but like I said, the quality won't be amazing! Sorry!

Also, please excuse me singing in the background haha I couldn't stop myself!

Beyonce singing 1+1

Beyonce having a nice little chat with us. Check her attempt at a British accent out!

My friend Louise & I, waiting for Queen B to come on stage.
Could my cheeks get any bigger?!

Who doesn't love Beyonce? If the answer to that is 'me', then please refer yourself into a psychiatric ward. You need help!
Just sayin' :)

TheGoldSmithx

New Endeavours

So, yesterday was a day full of revelations and new beginnings for me. I woke feeling fresher and happier than I have been and had a hot head full of ideas and opportunities. I'd say it had something to do with my little night time conversation with the big GOD the night before and a little alone time. The result? I've taken up a few more hobbies!

As you may or may not know, I have a minor obsession over jewellery and so it only felt right that I should at least attempt to learn how to make it. I've been wanting to do this for a good few years now and so I decided to just go for it and buy the necessary basic tools off Ebay. I'm still waiting a few more components to arrive, but as soon as they do I'm ready and raring to get stuck in!

I've also joined a free online language learning website in order to teach myself Italian! Another interest I've been looking toward for some time now. It's called Busuu.com if you want to check it out! I've not commenced as of yet though, but i'll let you know when I do!

I'll keep you updated with how they go. Wish me luck!

TheGoldSmith x

Nottingham BBloggers Meet Up.

 So last Saturday, Saadiya, Gavina and I attended the Nottingham BBloggers meet up! It was so nice to be able to spend a day with people who have the same interests as you! Such a great platform for sharing and spreading ideas and getting yourself known!

Below are a few pictures from throughout the day. I must confess though, some have been stolen from fellow bloggers as my camera has broken :(. I did take a few on my phone but the quality really isn't that great.

This was my OOTD. All black eerrythingg with a little splash of neon colour!
Dress - ASOS, Jacket & Necklace - H&M, Bag - Florence

Trend Tv (Gavina, Saadiya and I) with Rebekah, of happyrebekah.blogspot.co.uk

Me, trolling through the rails of COWVintage. I found some very cute shorts which I will try to post up once my camera is back up and running!

Lovely random image of Saadiya, Rebekah and Kae-Toya having chats and photographs!

Here is Gavina photgraphing Alice, of alicesstylenotes.blogspot.co.uk

And again, with Kae-Toya, of miakhymai.blogspot.co.uk

Last but not least we have the wonderfully cooky,  Carmen, of  www.maidenofwood.com .
She had the most amazing hair and glasses which I was quite positively fascinated by.

Be sure to check out all the blogs! It's lovely to see how widespread and local the blogging world really is.

TheGoldSmith x

UnderatedCo.

So it's no secret that i'm a lover of a good hat! Snapbacks, beanies, bowlers and trilbies all find themselves situated in my wardrobe! And I have just found a new hat to obsess over!

A small lifestyle brand from London, Underated Co. are producing uniquely printed, patterned and slogan clothing  for all you urban trend setters out there. I've already purchased one of their leopard print dope snapbacks, and now have my eye on their floral print strapback!

Look how pwetty!
Great option if you're into snap and strap backs but worry about looking too boyish!
The floral print really adds a softer more girly touch.

They've also some great Givenchy-ess printed t-shirts and sweat shirts but at £50 a pop I won't be buying them quite as freely as their cheaper priced head wear  However, if you sign up t their mailing list, or follow them on Instagram, they're always throwing out discount codes and special offers!

This Athens print tee is sold out unfortunately :(
But I've signed up to the mailing list for when it comes back in stock. I think it would look great tucked into some high-waisted bottoms or tied up as a crop.

This is my leopard print snapback with dope written across the back and underated written under the peak.
I love it! Unlike the overplayed 'Obey', 'New Era' etc snapbacks that everyone has, no one has this!
And it's perfect for bad hair & gym days!


Check out their website here.
Or visit them at Underateco.com

The GoldSmith X

Vintage Fair | Trend Tv

Just a quick reminder to keep checking out the YouTube channel for Trend TV!

We're going to be popping back out into the streets of Nottingham later this week to get some new footage for you all, but in the mean time, we made a cheeky visit to the Vintage Fair, Nottingham. Only in town for 1-2 Sundays a year we were sure not to miss it! 

Just CLICK HERE to be taken straight to the page!

This was just before I head out to the Cyprian city of Ayia Napa for a short break so I bagged myself a pair of retro sunnies to take with me! Bargain at £8 each or 2 for £15, Gavinia and I went halves on two!
Im aiming to do one giant haul soon, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Here are a few of my own little snaps from the outing.

Horse headed man wearing a Barber Jacket. Randomly and hilariously cool.

I wanted those red and white leather gloves so badly . But there is no way that i'd be able to pull them off without  looking like the weakest excuse of an MJ impersonator. Or even worse, a Janet Jackson wannabe.

Sometimes I wish I had a cabinet like this to display my jeweler y  in. One day when I'm rich and I  have a house so big that I have a designated jeweler y room, this is how everything will be displayed.

These are not the sunglasses that I purchased, I'm keeping those a surprise for later! These however are just fashion glasses. I want a pair of fashion glasses so badly. So badly in fact that I often hope for my eyesight to deteriorate in order for me to need glasses. I don't care if they suit me or not, I want a pair. And I was oh so very close to falling in love with this pair!

Gavina found herself a cheeky pair of glasses too! If this day was good for only one thing, it was the amount of fun we had playing dress up! 

And last but not least, I found this fabric to be slightly beautiful. It was a hand printed sample sheet and was so soft to touch. I wanted to buy it and make myself a scarf but one: I'd have been so scared to cut it, two: I have no sewing machine at uni and three: lets be honest, being the professional procrastinator that I am, it wasn't going to happen!

That's all for folks!

Be sure to like, subscribe and comment!
We want your feedback guys!

:)

Bad Bitches Rock Camel Toes | OOTD

Wore my second pair of vintage jeans today. As much as I love them and as comfy as they are, I couldn't help but feel as though as I sporting the world's greatest camel toe as I was walking in them today. I was probably only paranoid, but I couldn't help but feel the eyes of NTU City students gawping at my bulge! ...Let's hope not!

I will not cease to sing the praises of these jeans in terms of comfort! I was definitely rocking  my Bridget's today , but was there a VPL in sight? No way in hell. Perfect jeans!

Another rather warm day in the city that is Nottingham, I wore only  a tee and pleather jacket and was perfectly warm. 

It's a well known fact that I'm lost without a decent overdose of jewellery glazing my outfits and body, so obviously I threw on a few chunky pieces.

Jeans - COW Vintage £28
Tee - Primark £4
Jacket - H&M £29.99
Boots - Topshop £70
Belt - Primark £2?
Backpack - Florence, Italy £90
Necklace - River Island (Old)
Hoop Earrings - H&M £2.99?

My First OOTD

So I've been wanting to blog about my chosen OOTD's for quite some time now, but I think it's rather obvious that I quite like a bit of procrastination! 

But without any further a due, here is my first OOTD. 

Last Wednesday I got up an dressed ready to go to my lecture, but surprise, surprise, in the last minute I decided that it wasn't actually all that important. However, I do suffer from an irrational fear of wasting a perfectly good outfit on a bad day. That Wednesday was not going to be that day! So, I made my way into city & made a quick trip into both MAC and Lush. Hauls for these beauty buys will soon be on there way, hold tight.

Quite a warm day, I opted for a light bit of layering. The layering of a shirt under a tee rather than a jumper  means you're still warm but not quite as restricted and means less bulkiness.

It can sometimes be quite hard to create an outfit that not only looks good but is comfy too. This look was perfect for just that as jeans are almost every ones' go-to, easy to wear and comfort item, but I think that the rips in the denim add more texture to the outfit rather than just simple indigo denim.

I love me a good accessory and it's only natural that I have key items that I choose to literally live in. Both belt and necklace are one of those. Though a mere basic black belt, the gold buckle is another simple way to add detail to an outfit. As is the gold rope chain; heavy and more a tarnished shade, it's perfect for the grungy look.
My bag? I literally love it and use it for almost every outfit ever!
And my hat? As I mentioned in the afore fashion haul blog, the neon trend is one of favourites for coming spring/summer and I thought it a nice way to inject some colour into my outfit. 

Shirt - H&M
Tee - Urban Outfitters
Jeans - M&S (Ripped by myself)

Earrings & Necklace- Topshop
(All Old)
Pleather Jacket  & Bag - H&M £29.99
Boots - Topshop £70
Hat - ASOS £7

Belt - Primark £2?

Street Style #1 | TrendTV

So, as you may or may not know, I am 1/3 of the trio that make up the new and upcoming YouTube Fashion Vlog team that is TrendTv.

That's me, to the right, for those who mightn't know!
:)

So, two weeks ago we conducted our first official street style vlog on the mean fashion streets of Nottingham. And as hoped, we bumped into some bad ass fashionistas who were rocking, twirking and interperating trends in their own unique ways!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_1zJGgmCNQ 

Did we love it? YES! So much fun! Cannot wait until we get onto filming the next one.
Some people took a bit of persuading, some quieter and some bolder than others, but that aside, more people than expected were willing to entertain us and spare but 2 moments of their time.

It's awesome when you find people who are willing to indulge in the details of their outfits and fashion choices. It merely emphasises how unique each person is. I know this is going to sound soppy, but it's just beautiful! It really is! #Cheeseoverdose!

If you'd like to take a cheeky peek, I've pasted the link above, or you can click here.

Press play, comment and share. We're doing this for you!
xXx

Fashion Haul

So I've long been meaning to do a fashion haul for quite some time now and today is the day that I finally got around to it. Talk about procrastination right! My bad!

But anyhoo, here are the items that I am going to feature... (I also decided to photograph them on my washing line. Why? I don't know, I just thought it would be a bit different. Like it? Leave me a comment!)

As mentioned in my afore post about the COW student lock in, I bought two pairs of some lovely vintage high waisted jeans. Since then I've literally lived in the Lee pair simply because I love the fit. The Levis pair however, I've not had a chance to wear yet but I'm hoping to wear them later this week with the very popular TopShop burgundy high neck crop top and leather jacket. Seen as the weather has picked up I figured I may as well make the most of it!

I wear these rolled up just above the ankle. Perfect with  my worn to death converse or 90's style boots, they're  very versatile and so comfy. Also, the high waisted and sucked in waist makes it great to tuck jumpers and t-shirts into on lazy days.

My light washed out grey Levis are slightly larger at the waist but as I love me a good belt, I find little problems with them once they're cinched in.

The colour of these jeans are my favourite part about them and despite them being slightly too big, is probably the sole reason why I bought them. 

I'm most likely to wear them the same way that I wear my \Lee's.

I've also indulged in the purchasing of two new hats! One snap-back and one beanie. I was getting fed up of having bad hair days, gym days and simply lazy days but not having a way to cover my hair so I made an investment.

I'd wanted a snap-back for quite a few years at least, but had never seen any that I truly loved. Then I came across a small London lifestyle brand called Underated.

I love me some leopard print, so when I found this cheeky number there was no question about it.
They've some really nice and unique pieces on the website, reasonably priced and the quality is really good.
Just click the link above or click here if you'd like to check them out. 

 I absolutely love the neon on this beanie! Only £7 from ASOS there was no question about it! The neon trend is one that I am sure to be buying into this coming spring summer.
After it majorly dominated the SS13 catwalks, it's sure to, and has already started to, dominate the highstreet. 

I'm trying to find as many possible ways to work neons into my wardrobe without looking like a teletubby and thought this hat was a great place to start.

One final item, last but not least, is a simple LBD from ASOS.

It was hard to get a good picture of this dress that really captured its shape as it looks so much better on than merely hung, so I've linked the webpage both above and below and I've also included the image from the ASOS website as well. 

At only £18 it's such a bargain. Very versatile, it can be dressed up or down and made to suit every and any fashion mood. Perfect!
It's pretty ideal for those days when you want something loose fitting and comfy to wear, with a shape that still manages to flatter and add interest.

That's my haul guys! Enjoy, comment, browse and maybe even bye!
xXx

Cow Student LockIn | TrendTv

So Wednesday just passed, Saadiya, Gavina and myself took a little trip down to Cow for their late night Student LockIn event. Offering 15% discount and some free beverages we were sure not to pass the opportunity up! And as you can see in the video, I was sure not to pass on the free drinks! haha

Cow Student LockIn | TrendTv

So, click here, Cow Student LockIn | TrendTv, watch the video & then subscribe to TrendTvNottingham.

Gavina and I did make a few cheeky little purchases and so I will be uploading a mini haul of my buys very soon! Also, I'm still very concious of the way that I come across on camera, so I'm still trying to perfect the way I present, mainly by trying not to sound so nerdy and stop moving around so much! But please, all suggestions and comments are welcome, either drop one on down below or leave a comment on the TrendTv channel!
So keep it locked if you'd like to see my new vintage buys!
 Or if for some reason you decide not to click the link above, have a go at this one here!
Or if you just fancy being awkward, Copy and paste the link below!
---> ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2utqwq-c3c0 <--- <---

Click! Click! Click! Cow Student LockIn | TrendTv

Leather!

A cheeky, not so little purchase that I made in Italy was a beautifully crafted, genuine Italian leather satchel. I believe I may be developing a relationship that is coming very close to obsession with this bag as I seem to be matching my outifts to the bag. Not my bag to my outifits! 

 The smell of this bag is beautiful! Like a field of slaughtered cows, this item reeks of genuine leather! My friends Hannah, Chanice and I were out shopping on the Friday afternoon in Italy, when we accidentally stumbled upon a man with a stall full of leather. Selling the same bag for 165 euros, I was very weary of handing a stall holder so much money!

It was on the last day that we came across Pitti's answer to a South London market, only it was full of genuine quality crafted goods! With great perseverance I was able to nab this bad boy up for almost half the price at 95 euros! DREAM! 

Although the leather is rather rigid now in its early days, the more I use it, the more supple it will become. It also grows in value with age! Imagine! I'd say I'd pass it down to my children, but I'm not sure how much I'll value their lives at yet! aha!

And unto us a child was born. They called it, TrendTV!

So today, Feburary 3rd 2013, TrendTv Nottingham uploaded their first ever vlog! 

---> ---> ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COu_PqGdERY  <---- <---- <----

Saadiya, Gavina and I have embarked upon a new street style journey, through which we hope to bring you some of the latest fashion trends and outfits from the streets of Nottingham.

This was my first ever attempt at video blogging and was so unaware as to how awkward I come off on camera! haha! But I will definitely be practising! Also, I look ill/dead/vile as I didn't realise how obviously the camera would depict my unbrushed hair and poorly make-up applied face! But I'm learning from my rooky mistakes so please go easy on me! 

  

We're hoping to deliver posts at least once per week so, check out our first video and stay tuned for more!

Like I said, it's both mine and Saadiya's first time in front of camera, so don't judge!

---> ---> ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COu_PqGdERY  <---- <---- <----

Pitti Filati.

So last week I was lucky enough to spend a few days in the beautiful Italian town of Pitti! It was as pat of my university course and enabled us the opportunity to visit the reputable and well know textile and knitwear trade show, Pitti Filati. 

These are a few images from the main entrance of the show. Because pretty much everything was obviously written in Italian, I didn't quite understand the relationship between knitwear and books. But despite my confusion, I decided to take pictures anyway as I was still able to appreciate the creativity. I particularly loved the way they had suspended all the books from the ceiling.

 More in line with the main focus of the show, here are a few images of some of my favourite trend displays. 

LED trees were used to create an almost enchanting scene, presenting the pale and pastel hues predicted for future knitwear trends.

My favourite of them all, the 'Fiesta'  room engaged its visitors with  a carnival like scene, playing upbeat festival music and videos of  Southern American, African and foreign cultures in celebration. The candy skull embroided smock top stood out to me. The strong detail and the bold clashing colours  make for a truly distinctive design. I'm currently trying to figure out how I can get one!

These cushions made from foam were made to replicate wire. I love the fact that through the use of only one fabric, they were able to create something that can look so harsh in aesthetic, yet be so comfortable  to touch. The contrasts in colours, sharp tones and textures is also really interesting.

I just though this was cool! haha! It reminds me of bedroom drawer set overflowing with clothes. I'm not sure if this is what they were aiming for though, but it's almost as if this was their prediction of what the S/S13 consumers bedroom is likely to look like.